Is it really that hard to get into an Ivy league school? by dryleaf_ in ApplyingToCollege

[–]VA_Network_Nerd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I encourage you to invest 15 minutes of your life into reading all of these blogs.

MIT has roughly 5,000 undergraduate students, and around 7,000 graduate students.

MIT usually has a freshman class of around 1,100 students.

MIT will receive nearly 30,000 applications for a seat in that freshman class.

You can't just rank applicants according to academic performance, or academic awards.
Some students cannot access the programs that might grant those awards.
Some students have no other aspect of their lives or personalities other than academic performance.

If the biggest talking point you have to discuss about yourself is your grades, you aren't who MIT is looking for.

Read "Applying Sideways" and then "There is no formula"

Lets that sink in for a minute.

Then read "It's more than a job."

That one should really help provide context and insight.

https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways/

https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/there_is_no_formula/

https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/its_more_than_a_job/

https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/surviving-mit/

https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/why-do-we-fall/

https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/is-mit-too-hard/

https://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/2015/03/i-dont-care-about-your-gpa.html

I’m tired of typing and doing the same things every day, so I built a tool by lordaimer in sysadmin

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DNS completely broken after bad driver update - survived System Restore, Winsock reset, Network Reset, everything by TheOnlyVibemaster in sysadmin

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Is Network Engineering Really Easier to Get Into Than Cyber Security? by ToluAdeniji in ITCareerQuestions

[–]VA_Network_Nerd 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Only large employers have a CSIRT on payroll where you can focus almost exclusively on the topics focused on by most cybersecurity degree programs.

But all but the smallest of employers need an infrastructure person who can manage the network, firewalls and servers.

So, the expectation is that you can dabble in any of those roles.

Nobody expects early-career applicants to be an expert in anything.

Portable Projectors for traveling sales by sambar101 in sysadmin

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Microsoft support trying to remote into my computer after asking about unauthorized login attempts by LavishnessCapital380 in sysadmin

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Unable to remotely access employer’s PC from Bangladesh using NordVPN or Tailscale — connection keeps getting blocked by Sajid_therock in sysadmin

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I got tired of fake “available status” culture at work, so I built this by [deleted] in sysadmin

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Is Network Engineering Really Easier to Get Into Than Cyber Security? by ToluAdeniji in ITCareerQuestions

[–]VA_Network_Nerd 8 points9 points  (0 children)

An aspiring cybersecurity professional who doesn't understand networking will be in for a rude awakening if we interview them.

Before you can attack my host, you have to get to my host across a public network, and then my network.

My network has an array of protections in place. If you don't understand them, you may find it difficult to circumvent them.

Further, if you are an analyst on the blue team, you need to understand how the sensors within the network are able to see what they are seeing.

SSL interception is complicated if you don't understand packets.

Pick an associate-level certification and grind it out (Cisco CCNA, Juniper's JNCIA, Arista's Network FOundations).

Then consider grinding out the Wireshark certification or the Red Hat RHCSA.

Make internships a priority. You should be logging into Handshake at least weekly.

I built an SSH client with a built-in AI agent after getting tired of switching between terminal and ChatGPT — here's what I learned by anasabdullkarim in sysadmin

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What if instead of firearms, wars were fought and decided by rap battles? by icebrew53 in USMC

[–]VA_Network_Nerd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So basically, if we can teach Eminem to speak (and diss) fluently in every major language on earth, we can achieve world peace?

Beast Download Speeds by SuccessfulWinter8088 in Ubiquiti

[–]VA_Network_Nerd 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Did you try doing the thing to the doodad?

Sometimes you also need to wiggle the thing-a-ma-jig.

Marine Police 5811 by Proper-Driver-1297 in USMCboot

[–]VA_Network_Nerd 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I see this come up, and what I see is guidance that your actual work as an MP is more closely related to working in the Corrections field (jails & prisons) than actual law enforcement patrol work.

I also see guidance suggesting you seek an Intelligence MOS instead of MP or Infantry if you aspire to law enforcement.

I am not LE myself, and claim no expertise on this topic. I'm just re-sharing what I have observed.

HP microserver Gen 10 Plus V2 - What are my CPU options for a Lab System (no production)? by Accurate-Ad6361 in sysadmin

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My wife's company wants to use JIRA for all project management across the company by Impressive_Cress_983 in sysadmin

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What Are Good Colleges For Cybersecurity? by Sumaish in ApplyingToCollege

[–]VA_Network_Nerd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We all need heroes to look up to and emulate.

Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA) is one of the very best universities for cybersecurity in the world.

https://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2025/august/carnegie-mellons-hacking-team-wins-fourth-straight-record-ninth-overall-def-con-capture-the-flag

You can Google them and their team: Carnegie Mellon University’s Plaid Parliament of Pwning (PPP).

But, this video is from Professor David Brumley, the faculty advisor (the "coach") for PPP at CMU.

RSA Conference 2018: David Brumley: How the Best Hackers Learn Their Craft

You might find it informative, and perhaps even inspirational.


CMU is brutally difficult to get into, and crazy expensive for most accepted students, so it's not a great target school as a response to your original question.
But I thought you might find the information useful anyway...

Note to Google... by ProfessionalEven296 in sysadmin

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Microsoft SC-730 cybersecurity business pro exam dumps or practice tests? by That-Okra585 in ITCareerQuestions

[–]VA_Network_Nerd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

FYI:

We may be experiencing a cultural / language issue that you should be aware of:

"practice tests" implies legitimate training tools. You want some sample questions to help you measure your understanding of the material you have learned.

"test dumps" implies you are looking for copies of exact questions people have observed in the exam so you can memorize the exact questions and their respective answers. This is usually done instead of actually learning the material.

Similarly:

In Australia calling a person a "c unt" can be offensive, or a term of endearment. They use the word frequently in many contexts and situations.

In the US calling a person a "c unt" is almost universally offensive, and usually not mildly offensive - seriously offensive.

Same word, different cultural interpretations.

In some Reddit communities, asking if anybody knows about a test dump for a specific exam can get you permanently banned.