I want to do master's in Computer Science but it's been a while since my graduation?

Ajay Kaparwan

Founder & CEO at Blackcoffe

Three potential areas for influence need to be strategically addressed:

1. Obtaining admission: persuading your desired university
2. Persuading the immigration officer to grant you a visa
3. Finding employment (while or after your MS)

Demonstrate in all three situations that you weren't genuinely idle and were prepared for something greater than what you would have accomplished by immediately seeking employment or obtaining a master's degree. You may have taken the gap year for whatever reason. Therefore it would not necessarily be the case for everyone. However, you should be ready with a carefully crafted response that would persuade a university, an immigration officer, or a recruiter.

Some legitimate explanations include: getting ready for the GRE and honing your analytical skills (if you already have a strong GRE score); learning some new technologies in the area where you want to pursue your master's degree (projects, certifications, online courses, journals, research, etc.); and medical needs (don't lie about this! Use it only if you encounter a circumstance like that.

Anything demonstrating you weren't idle but actively pursuing a more critical goal could qualify. Therefore, work toward your goals and use them to your advantage. My friend took a year off after college to pursue his master's degree. He did, however, finish 3-5 certificates or online courses throughout the year's second half, earning a GRE score of 320. He is employed with Amazon after earning his MS in Computer Science from the University of Buffalo.

Therefore, if you find yourself in a scenario where your gap year is almost done, put in a lot of effort for the rest of the time to make up for the time you missed.

However, you will undoubtedly run into problems or rejection in each of the three stages I've listed above if you don't have (or don't present) a good cause for your gap year.

Furthermore, everything is based on what the university requires. If "No Gaps" is one of the conditions, they usually state it. Therefore, I advise you to invest quality time in expanding your profile by participating in extracurricular activities or academic work. Social work is increasingly valued these days as a powerful resume booster. You might even spend some time working with an NGO, participating in awareness campaigns, or teaching poor people.