Hi everyone! I'm currently a 4th-semester BTech CS student from a Tier-3 college in India, targeting Fall 2027 MS programs in the US. I'm confused between MS in CS and MS in Data Science, and would love some guidance.

Profile Snapshot:

• CGPA: 9.84/10 (till 4th sem)
• 12th: 88.4%, 10th (IGCSE): 95%
• No internships or research yet
• 200+ Leetcode/DSA problems solved
• Haven’t started ML yet, but planning to do the Andrew Ng course
• No GRE yet — open to taking if needed

Target Schools (ambitious for now):

USC, Purdue, UT Austin, Georgia Tech, UIUC, UCLA

What I need help with:

• Should I go for MSCS or Data Science?
• What should I focus on over the next 2 years? (projects, research, GRE?)
• Do I stand a realistic shot at top 30 US schools with a strong GPA but no experience yet?
• Does IGCSE in 10th matter at all for MS applications?

TL;DR:
Tier-3 BTech CS student (9.84 CGPA), no internships or ML yet. Unsure between MSCS and DS. Targeting Fall ’27. Would love advice on how to build a strong profile and choose the right path.

Thanks in advance!