The short answer
- Program: MS in Data Science at Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Boston, starting Fall 2027. 32 credits, about 2 years, or 2.5 with a co-op.
- The bar: maths including linear algebra, calculus and statistics, at least one programming class, and a GPA of 8.0/10 or 80%. IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 90 recommended. The GRE is optional; Duolingo isn’t accepted.
- Deadline: 15 June 2027 for international applicants applying from outside the US (Fall 2027).
- Cost: US$1,922 per credit in 2026-27, so US$61,504 (₹58.6 lakh) for the degree before living costs. The program is STEM-designated, which matters for work after graduating.
Priya’s profile
PriyaHyderabad · aiming for Fall 2027
Illustrative- Background
- B.Tech in Information Technology, Hyderabad. Two years as a data analyst at an e-commerce company: SQL, Python and dashboards.
- Scores
- CGPA 8.6 out of 10. IELTS Academic 7.0 (no band below 6.5). No GRE.
- Budget
- About ₹75 lakh for the whole degree, mostly an education loan.
- Goals
- A data scientist role in the US: work experience during the degree, then STEM OPT after it.
- Why she reached out
- She had a spreadsheet of 30 US programs and no way to tell which ones she’d get into. She wanted one place to keep everything, not 30 portals and an inbox.
The two-minute part
The finder asks eight things: destination, level, subject, your latest percentage, English score, budget, intake and how to reach you. Priya answered in about two minutes and got a shortlist ranked by her estimated admit odds straight away.
Those answers became her profile. Her counsellor read it before the first call, so the call started at “here’s what I’d change on this list”, not “tell me about yourself”. When she later added her IELTS score, it went into the same profile her counsellor works from. Every step after that was tracked in the same place.
The shortlist, and why
- AmbitiousBoston UniversityA stretch by our estimate, in the city she most wanted.
- TargetNortheastern UniversityHer choiceGRE optional, co-op open to all its master’s students, a STEM-designated program, and an admissions page that spells out exactly which maths it expects.
- TargetPurdue UniversityA strong option at a level her grades meet by our estimate.
- TargetUniversity of Maryland, College ParkA second target, so no single admissions decision carried the whole plan.
- SafeUniversity of ConnecticutComfortably above our estimated entry level: her most likely offer.
Safe, Target and Ambitious are our estimates for this profile, not the universities’ own labels. A counsellor confirms every requirement on the university’s page.
Week by week
- Week 1Two minutes, then a callFinder, shortlist, and a WhatsApp message from her counsellor within 24 hours. First decision: Fall 2027, not Spring. Northeastern’s Spring 2027 deadline for international applicants was 1 November 2026, too close to apply well.
- Week 2Prerequisites before essaysKhoury College expects several years of advanced maths (linear algebra, calculus, statistics) and at least one programming class. She lists the matching courses on her transcript before writing anything.
- Week 2The GRE questionKhoury is test-optional and says it’s waiving the GRE indefinitely. Her grades and work were strong, so she skips it and spends that month on her statement and projects.
- Weeks 2–5Transcript pack and referencesFor Indian degrees Northeastern asks for semester mark sheets and the degree or provisional certificate as well as the consolidated transcript, so she orders all of them at once. She asks a professor and her manager for references.
- Weeks 3–6Statement and resumeHer statement is built around one analysis she ran at work and what she couldn’t do yet without more statistics and machine learning.
- Week 7Applications in, months earlyShe submits Northeastern and the rest of her list well before the 15 June 2027 deadline, leaving time for the I-20 and a visa appointment.
- OfferDeposit and I-20She accepts, pays the US$750 enrollment deposit (non-refundable), and sends the university her loan sanction letter and bank statements so it can issue her Form I-20.
- With the I-20Visa stepsShe pays the US$350 SEVIS I-901 fee, fills in the DS-160, pays the US$185 visa fee and books an interview at a US consulate in India. A student visa can be issued up to 365 days before the program starts.
- August 2027BostonShe can enter the US up to 30 days before the start date on her I-20, not earlier.
Documents she needed
- Passport.
- Consolidated transcript, semester mark sheets and degree or provisional certificate.
- IELTS Academic score report.
- Statement of purpose, resume and references.
- Financial documents for the I-20: loan sanction letter and bank statements covering the first year.
- Form I-20 from Northeastern, signed.
- SEVIS I-901 fee receipt, DS-160 confirmation and visa fee receipt.
- Interview appointment at a US consulate in India.
What it costs
| Item | USD | INR (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition, 32 credits × $1,922 (2026-27 rate) | 61,504 | ₹58.6 lakh |
| SEVIS I-901 fee | 350 | ₹33,300 |
| Visa application fee | 185 | ₹17,600 |
| Total, before living costs, health insurance and university fees | 62,039 | ₹59.1 lakh |
Rupee figures at ₹95.25 = US$1 (FBIL reference rate shown by the Reserve Bank of India, 30 October 2026). The US$750 enrollment deposit isn’t in the table; ask whether it counts towards your first bill. The per-credit rate rose from US$1,875 in 2025-26 to US$1,922 in 2026-27, and 2027-28 rates aren’t published yet, so budget for another rise. Boston living costs aren’t included either: your I-20 states the total the university expects you to show.
The F-1 visa and work rules
- Fees: US$350 SEVIS fee and US$185 visa application fee, as of October 2026. Check the US Embassy and Consulates in India site for current fees and appointment rules before you pay.
- Timing: the visa can be issued up to 365 days before your program starts, but you can’t enter the US more than 30 days before the start date.
- Work while studying: on campus, no more than 20 hours a week while school is in session.
- Co-op: Northeastern says all its master’s students are eligible. You need a 3.0 GPA and two full-time semesters first, and international students need Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorisation from the university’s Office of Global Services. Ask how current CPT guidance applies to your program before you count on a co-op.
- After graduating: up to 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT). Because the program is classified under CIP code 11.0802, which is on the Department of Homeland Security’s STEM list, she could apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension with an employer enrolled in E-Verify.
Watch this before you budget for OPTOn 8 October 2026 the Department of Homeland Security published a proposed rule that would make universities pay US$70,000 before recommending a student for initial OPT and US$30,000 for any later OPT, including the STEM extension. Universities could pass the cost on to students. It isn’t final, and comments close on 9 November 2026. If it goes ahead, it changes the maths for most F-1 students, so check the current position with your counsellor and the university before you commit.
What made the difference
- One profile from start to finish. The two-minute form became the record her counsellor, her shortlist and her checklist all worked from. Nothing was retyped, nothing lost in email.
- Checking prerequisites before essays. Khoury spells out the maths it expects, so she confirmed it first instead of discovering a gap after paying a fee.
- A deliberate GRE decision. Test-optional means optional: she spent the time where it counted.
- A STEM program, confirmed by code. The CIP code on the university’s own list, matched against the DHS STEM list, not a brochure’s promise.
- Applying months before the deadline. An early offer meant an early I-20 and a calm visa appointment.
Is this you?
This route suits you if most of these are true:
- You have a bachelor’s with 8.0/10 or 80% and above, with linear algebra, calculus, statistics and programming on your transcript.
- You want a US data science master’s with work experience during or after it.
- You can fund around US$62,000 of tuition plus Boston living costs, through savings, a loan or both.
Sources
- Northeastern Khoury College, Master’s applications (requirements and deadlines) (checked Oct 2026)
- Northeastern Khoury College, Master’s admissions questions (checked Oct 2026)
- Northeastern Khoury College, MS in Data Science and Boston program page (checked Oct 2026)
- Northeastern Khoury College, Graduate co-op (checked Oct 2026)
- Northeastern University catalog, Major CIP codes (checked Oct 2026)
- Northeastern Student Financial Services, Tuition and fees 2026-2027 (checked Oct 2026)
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, STEM Designated Degree Program List (checked Oct 2026)
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, I-901 SEVIS fee (checked Oct 2026)
- U.S. Department of State, Fees for visa services and Student visa (checked Oct 2026)
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Students (entry up to 30 days before the program start) (checked Oct 2026)
- Study in the States, Working in the United States (checked Oct 2026)
- USCIS, Optional Practical Training for F-1 students and STEM OPT extension (checked Oct 2026)
- Study in the States, DHS proposed rule on OPT fees (checked Oct 2026)
- Reserve Bank of India, reference rate (source: FBIL) (30 Oct 2026)
Example journey: names and details are illustrative, based on the profiles we help with. Your results depend on your own profile. Facts checked against official sources on 31 October 2026.
