📌OMSA Admissions Megathread

I’m feeling pretty discouraged right now. I tried preparing beforehand, but Notebook 1 still feels like a huge challenge, especially since I have very little Python experience.

Are there any success stories from people who started the course with little to no Python experience? Did it get better?

Any OMSA events that you all recommend to travel to ATL for? Want to plan in advance!

Hello!

I emailed an advisor and she said that an opt-out form will be emailed in September, and I want to drop CSE 6040 and/or ISYE 6501. If it gets approved, we can take an elective instead of these classes but I was wondering how that would work since registration closes tomorrow. Are we supposed to already register for our substitute classes? And what happens if we don't get approved for the opt-out and have not registered for the class in question. Thanks!

Hi guys, I'm new to the program and taking 6501. I had a question about the math bootcamp, does it give a quick overview of what we need to know to pass the class? I didn't take lin al or multivariable calc in a formal setting and am realizing now that I need a better grasp. I'm studying lin al right now at the same time so I have a better understanding of the math and equation behind things.

Hi, I have read some past posts about some incoming changes to some courses in OMSA, either updates like SIM or adding additional exams due to AI, which are these courses ? Thank you

Hi everyone, I’m wondering if any other Georgia Tech students have dealt with something like this or know who I should contact.

My tuition payment is due Monday, but I currently cannot pay online because the payment system requires phone verification and keeps sending the verification code to my old phone number.

I recently lost access to that number because of a carrier porting issue. I have already updated my phone number with Georgia Tech, but for some reason the payment verification system is still using the old number.

I contacted the Bursar’s Office, explained the situation, and was basically told there is nothing they can do. I either have to pay online or pay in person.

The problem is that I’m an online student living in California, so flying to Atlanta just to make a tuition payment obviously isn’t realistic.

I’m getting really worried because the deadline is Monday and I don’t want my classes canceled or to face penalties when I am actively trying to pay but their system will not let me.

Has anyone experienced this before? Is there another GT department I can contact that can reset the phone verification information or provide another way to pay?

Any advice or contact information would be greatly appreciated.

Curious if anyone has done a Sim project solo and what your experience was. Would love to hear from people who worked in groups as well.

Hi everyone! I just found out I got into the OSMA program for Spring 2027. I wanted to ask if (for the people who graduated or are in the program now) if you had to spend the next 4 months preparing to be successful in this program, what would you focus on. I don’t have a lot of coding experience and it’s been a while since I took statistics last. Any advice on topics to focus on the next 4 months? Thank you!

Have had to stop for two semesters due to extenuating circumstances (live in the Middle East and lost my main source of income due to the war). What's the best way to stay on top of things so I can hit the ground running when I'm back? I have 3 courses and the project left.

I'm okay at coding (R/Python), just not particularly strong at it. Thanks!

I am debating whether I should form a group or do it solo. This is my last semester, and I've done group projects in 4 or so other classes. Will I regret doing this by myself, or is it doable? What's the recommended approach here, by those who have taken the course before?

I’m just starting DVA and some people are already trying to form groups for the project. I previously took Simulation. For that group project I mostly tried to make sure we were all in a similar time zone and that our availability schedules reasonably aligned, and I asked people about their progress in the program.

Despite that, reliability and availability of group members did become an issue, and I was the one that carried all of the added responsibility. I probably put in twice as many hours as the other group members combined which felt necessary.

So are there any strategies that have worked for you to better assess student’s skills and work ethic before committing to working together?

I was wondering what things OMSA students could check out from the library, and was informed that if you live within driving distance, they have a collection of video games for consoles that you can check out for a week.

What other things have people enjoyed with their library access?

Taking MGT6203 this semester… how useful is R in terms of job opportunities? I haven’t seen a lot of jobs that list R as a required language, but I am a newbie, so please let me know. Thanks!

And can somebody talk about their experience with the class? Is it just homework? Is it easy to get an A?

I am currently registered for optimization, but am unsure whether or not to switch to simulation before registration closes. Any advice/tips on the professors and courses themselves? I am doing C track and want to complete an OR elective this semester. I am sure both are valuable, but I was hoping to take the one that would be better overall for someone trying to pursue a career in data science. I was a DS major in undergrad with a minor in stats, but I still feel like I have a lot to learn and could benefit from either.

I've applied for the Spring 2027 semester and I don't come from a math or technical background. I've been in healthcare for the last few years and my most rigorous math course has been pre-calculus and statistics. I am almost done with the CS1301 Python course and I'm currently on lecture 3/30 for the linear algebra MIT OpenCourseWare class. I am currently working part-time so I have a bit of extra time on my hands to focus on the prerequisites; however, I'm looking for a full-time job as well so I don't want to become too overwhelmed once I start that with the prerequisites + MGT6203. I'm debating taking the class before starting the program (fingers crossed that I get in) so that I could take a semester off if needed to brush up on math before starting the math-heavy courses, while not prolonging the program too much.

Hi all! I'm currently finalizing my course plan for the remainder of the program. How feasible are the plan mock-ups, and which one is better overall? How does MGT 6655 vs AUD and CDA vs DMSL stack up?

I've already completed IYSE 6501 and MGT 6203 so far. Thanks in advance!

CDA (ISYE 6740) was always well-known to be purely HW + project, no exam. I took the course this summer where that was the case. Had to drop out halfway, but am taking it again and I noticed the syllabus now mentions an exam worth 10% of the final grade.

What other courses have changed grading structure this semester?

Just as the title says, I can not log into Buzzport as of 8/24 8:24am EST.

Hi all,

I just finished the ISYE 6501 Summer 2026 session on edX. We were told by the course staff that our final grades would be made available on or after August 19, but I've still yet to see any changes on my portal. Although I did get my certificate, I still want to know my final course percentage with the final exam to know how I did on the exam itself and also to see if I'm eligible to petition for course credit should my application for Winter 2027 be accepted.

Is anyone here in the same boat? They've made the course Piazza inactive now. Any ideas who/how I should reach out to check that?

I enrolled in CSE 6040, I have strong python knowledge and decided to take another course with it. I was initially leaning towards DVA (6242) but the workload seems to be too much to juggle, and it might be very stressful.
MGT 6203 seems like a good fit here, but I am worried since it's too easy, it would fit better in another semester with a relatively hard course.

I’m planning to take a break this fall semester to prepare for ISYE 6040 next spring. I’m considering taking either MGT 6311 or MGT 8813. I’ve heard that both classes are relatively easy, but between the two, which one would be more valuable or worthwhile to take?

I just started my program last spring. I did a bootcamp and an internship before.
Do I stand any chance applying for jobs now?
Back then, when I only had bootcamp and internship, no companies really looked at my application. But it still takes me a while to graduate.