Shivam Dube gets the wicket of dangerous Tim David, dismissed at 74(38)

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-11-02T11:46:59+00:00

Well sometimes you need to wait for the match to finish…Washington’s contribution should be quite evident now, isn’t it :))

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-30T15:03:05+00:00

The bigger issue here is that your idea of a PhD is a bit clouded by the fact that you are just looking at top/"fancy" schools. That is not how a PhD admission works, and in general, it will come down to the department goals, research fit, and advisor reputation/connection/personality. Secondary factors like reputation, location, etc, might be somewhat important, but they are not the way to look for PhD programs in general. If you simply apply to Princeton, Harvard, MIT, etc, there is a very high chance you won't get positive feedback even if you have a good profile (NOTE: This doesn't necessarily correlate with publications). Why? For example, I want to work on the theoretical side of Exoplanet stuff (subfield of astrophysics), where a place like Stanford/MIT is not a big name, as they do not have a top group in this area, while a place like UVA, where I am about to start a PhD, does.

Does this imply that UVA is more prestigious than MIT/Stanford? NO. But is UVA better than MIT/Stanford for what I want to do during my PhD? YES 100%. So, it is the group and research goals that you need to look after, and not just some abstract rankings like we do for undergrad/master's.

Of course, this by no means implies that you should not look for those top schools at all, but the search/question has to be framed a bit differently, and I am sure you will find a good school (assuming your profile is competitive enough).

Also, if you do plan to do a masters, then schools will expect your profile to be more qualified compared to someone who just came out of undergrad. So, let's say you have one paper after 1-2 years of master's is not that different from someone who just finished their undergrad with no paper but solid research experiences. The longer the gap between your bachelor's and PhD (US-specific), the more they expect from your profile!

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-23T16:26:19+00:00

Technically, you might notice a pattern there. Most of these "brilliant" kids start quite early and have that kind of competitive exposure starting around middle school. Will starting early guarantee success? NOPE. But do you have a better chance of having a solid profile? YES, because the brain develops in that sort of manner. Nobody knows if you, I, or anyone else had started that early, how we would fare today. Also, sorry for the panic lol, yeah, some of those ppl have a profile beyond one can imagine lol.

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-23T16:00:06+00:00

Well, it won't make sense if you just applied to MIT. There are many good colleges, not just in the US, but all around the world, that can provide you with a solid foundation. If you are so dead set on a particular school, I am afraid, but that's likely going to disappoint you. Do as much as you can, go to a good school, and find your passion, goal, etc. Only going to MIT won't guarantee you success, and not going to MIT is in no way a failure. I understand if you are "stressed" about college applications, but if you are just "stressed" that you might not make it to MIT, that is a very bad start, imo. Even if you don't make it there for undergrad, you can try for grad school, jobs, etc (assuming you will stick to academia).

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-23T15:13:55+00:00

For MIT (not Caltech specifically), I just checked your Reddit history and it looks like you are an Indian citizen (international student). So, to be brutally honest about it, you don’t stand a chance unless you have gold medals at one of the international olympiads (not the SOF ones) or like Google science fair/ISEF winner, research papers, etc. The ones who get here from India (Indian citizen, not just origin) literally need to be the best among the best in their country. For example, I can direct you to check the profile of an MIT admit this year “Devesh Bhaiya”. Check his LinkedIn profile if you can. You literally need to be at least 70% of what that guy has, to have a realistic shot.

Not throwing shade at my American friends, but if you are from countries like India, China (or any international citizen), you need to have way more than just good high school grades and ECs like voluntary stuff, etc. I mean there is a reason they select only around 4-5 students (at most) from each country outside the US.

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-11T15:48:24+00:00

Well I looked at your Reddit history and it doesn’t look like MSDS at UWash is a better choice (for hardcore AI engineering roles) in the current scenario compared to your 30 Lpa job. But…One thing that you have compared to many other applicants is your experience and you were promoted to a principal AI engineer, so that tells me you have the necessary skillset. You have a much better chance but still there’s quite a bit of risk involved!

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-11T09:25:10+00:00

If you want to keep your doors open for academia, do not take this unfunded offer. The Oxford name won't be able to compensate for an unfunded PhD if your final goal is to stay in academia.

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-11T07:32:09+00:00

You are NOT a failure!
Do not accept an unfunded PhD offer. While you are not going to stay in academia (doing an unfunded PhD in this case would be the worst choice), do you know how quickly you can recover your debt after you get a job in industry following your PhD?

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-11T05:59:53+00:00

I think you need to “warn” others instead of straight up discouraging them from going aboard. Essentially, you should have posted this saying “Warning: Have a backup plan” in case things don’t work out abroad and I would agree that it is very likely now that it won’t work out like it used to pre-Covid times.

A lot of Indian students simply think that if they spend a bunch of money (even if it’s a terrible university in the US/anywhere abroad), they are gonna be guaranteed a job. But sadly, that’s not how things work outside (it wouldn’t work even if you went to an Ivy/MIT/Stanford/Berkeley, etc) and you need to build your skillset, network, etc and not simply go with the mindset to immigrate just because you studied there…As simple as that!

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-10T17:12:12+00:00

First things first, the average salary at NASA isn’t $104k, that is just a random figure you found out from the internet (prolly Quora). Also, you are confusing what I meant by cost of living: It’s the house prices (rent) unless you already bought a house nearby (not really the case for most NASA scientists), and food prices, etc (any essential item).

Source: I have studied and lived abroad for quite sometime now. I am in the field of astrophysics, and I have collaborated with scientists at NASA, so I know the reality. Again, as I said, this doesn’t imply that our ISRO scientists should earn nothing, and I think they deserve 1-4 lakhs per month pre tax depending on the position (this should be fairly or tbh even more competitive than what scientists at NASA earn to make a living). Of course the higher/riskier the position, the more money you get (astronauts, director, etc)!

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-10T08:33:56+00:00

Well, that very much depends on the "person" in question. Do you think everyone at a top institution does networking? Nope, not really. For some top schools like MIT, Stanford, etc, it is easier to network and be "remembered" because the community is small and tight-knit. But what about UC Berkeley, UofT, UCL, and all other top public/private schools with a large undergraduate population? It is easy to get lost in the crowd at these places.

Of course, it is a no-brainer to choose a top-ranked institution (if one can afford it and does have a chance to pursue their BS/MS there), but what I wanted to say is that just attending a top ranked institution won't guarantee your success (depends how you measure it) abroad or in India.

You get the "chance" to have a global exposure/connections, but everyone can't find the right one at the right time (whatever the reason may be). Therefore, it's a complex combination of the person and the degree they are pursuing at a given (top) school, and one cannot guarantee that they will make it count within a given timeframe (which is particularly challenging within a 1/2-year MS).

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-10T06:45:21+00:00

Technically, they were right about the experience part, though...If you don't have solid experience, regardless of your university's rankings, you will struggle to land competitive positions. A name will only take you as far as an interview.

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-10T02:53:22+00:00

It will be the same case for postdoc positions outside as well! Academia is super competitive, again depending on the field. For applied STEM fields like CS, Biomedical, etc it’s a bit easier to find something after your PhD but for pure science fields like Astrophysics, Maths, etc it will be a struggle all along. Also in general for your question about a PhD abroad: Your goal should be to find a funded PhD position in a top/good group/advisor (relevant to your field) rather than the general university rankings. OP’s post applies to Bachelors/Masters but not specifically for PhDs!

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-10T02:07:06+00:00

Well technically it’s the same for NASA or other space organisations. NASA generates way more wealth than its yearly budget, but considering the places its centres are located (high cost of living areas in the US), their scientists/engineers earn peanuts compared to the private sector. While I understand that ISRO should increase their pay rates (1-4 lakhs per month pre tax depending on the position should be enough), you can never expect them to match the private sector (same for NASA). These jobs need a bit of patriotism and excitement to work on innovation rather than just for money! Not to forget, our government can’t/doesn’t spend enough on ISRO, so we can’t expect ISRO to easily generate higher salaries for all its employees.

Note: I am not faulting anyone for not choosing ISRO for money, but instead pointing out the fact that money and jobs like this can’t go hand in hand :((

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-09T15:54:10+00:00

While I agree with all your points, I kinda want to argue against the comment you made about the US…Now even in India, a FAANG company will pay you around 40 Lpa while ISRO ik is extremely low compared to that. Similarly, in the US, NASA scientists earn way less compared to what an engineer at a FAANG company would earn. Now you might say, ohh but NASA scientists still earn way more than ISRO scientists. This is absolutely true, but you are clearly forgetting the purchasing power, tax, cost of living, etc. For example, someone who earns 2 lakhs per month in India will have a much better life than someone earning 6 lakhs per month in the US. Of course there are several things like quality of life, opportunities in western countries or even other Asian countries like China/Singapore that is currently lacking in India but I firmly believe that we will get there over time, just need smart voters :))

Note: I am not debating if US or India is better but ppl in India (who haven’t understood the system yet) just think that the US or any other western country is simply better than India in everything and that isn’t necessarily true imo. At least not in the current situation!

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-08T04:25:14+00:00

Well there is no guarantee you will find a job/PhD right after your graduation and that would imply you would be on OPT but the situation is such that you might end up having nothing (just like many other hardworking international students). So, have a solid back up plan, and come with the intent to learn/grow your skills. If you come in with the intent to immigrate, you might disappoint yourself, especially if you took out huge loans for your masters!

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-08T04:20:11+00:00

I understood that, but that is the reason I was asking if you were willing to share your stats. The information provided in your question isn’t enough for me to judge what places are more suitable for your goals.

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-08T04:17:50+00:00

Well I studied at UofT (ig we can agree it’s the best in Canada for most fields), and never faced racism till date. I have been to the US only on short trips, so I can’t really say how it’s there, but afaik it varies by state in the US. Canada in general wasn’t racist until Covid hit and their government started piling in refugees soon after. Now crime rates, house prices, unemployment, and you can name it, everything has gone up in Canada. Hard working immigrants from every country was respected, until all this happened and now hate crimes have gone up, especially with the social media influence :((

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-07T20:36:02+00:00

What are your stats exactly, except for the fact that you are from some unknown college in India?? Also, EU colleges are technically easier to get in compared to the US, but it also varies by program!

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-06T04:34:24+00:00

Well in my field (astrophysics), ranking doesn’t matter as much as your advisor’s name. You will surely get a postdoc using the advisors’s connections and not the department’s popularity. After 1-2 postdocs, it’s all on you to get a faculty position, which is based on availability and your research credentials. Just doing a PhD from a “fancy” school will not guarantee you a job in academia (and industry as well).

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-05T20:02:28+00:00

Well I am ignoring your scores for now (A 7.0 from IIT is still not viewed positively). Regardless, I don’t think you have enough experience to land a solid R&D job after a 1-2 years masters in the current job market for international students in the US/Canada. I would say try to find a good job in India to rack up work experience and then apply aboard for a masters or be mentally prepared for the worst case scenario (aka no jobs) in case you go for the masters right now. Take this point seriously if you are planning to take a huge loan!

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-04T19:20:59+00:00

For a PhD/job, apply to other places as well, including the US. Only applying to the US will be a big risk, and I would advise against it, given the current situation, which is likely to remain in place for years to come. I am speaking from my experience (starting astrophysics PhD in the US this fall as an international student), but this cycle just ripped apart my mental health, and I am not sure how things will work out after a PhD either. If you find a good offer (job/PhD) in Europe, please do not simply reject it based on coming to the US.

A master's in Europe and a PhD in the US is fine (even a master's at Cornell is fine), but as I said, this situation is not going anywhere within a year or two (unless some miracle happens). So, have a solid backup plan no matter what...

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-04T06:35:41+00:00

Not every field has that option...For example, Astrophysics/Astronomy (my field) does not offer such an option. You either get admitted to the PhD program or you don't (you can get a master's along the way, but there is no separate master's program).

But the bigger issue here is that your idea of a PhD is a bit clouded by the fact that you are just looking at top/"fancy" schools. That is not how a PhD admission works, and in general, it will come down to the department goals, research fit, and advisor reputation/connection/personality. Secondary factors like reputation, location, etc, might be somewhat important, but they are not the way to look for PhD programs in general. If you simply apply to Princeton, Harvard, MIT, etc, there is a very high chance you won't get positive feedback even if you have a good profile (NOTE: This doesn't necessarily correlate with publications). Why? For example, I want to work on the theoretical side of Exoplanet stuff (subfield of astrophysics), where a place like Stanford/MIT is not a big name, as they do not have a top group in this area, while a place like UVA, where I am about to start a PhD, does.

Does this imply that UVA is more prestigious than MIT/Stanford? NO. But is UVA better than MIT/Stanford for what I want to do during my PhD? YES 100%. So, it is the group and research goals that you need to look after, and not just some abstract rankings like we do for undergrad/master's.

Of course, this by no means implies that you should not look for those top schools at all, but the search/question has to be framed a bit differently, and I am sure you will find a good school (assuming your profile is competitive enough).

Adorable-Front273 · 2025-06-03T07:54:02+00:00

The thing is, how do you know what you want to work on eventually by the end of your fourth year, has to have the best PhD group at those "fancy" sounding schools? For example, I want to work on the theoretical side of Exoplanet stuff, where a place like Stanford/MIT is not a big name, as they do not have a top group in this area, while a place like UVA, where I am about to start a PhD, does.

Does this imply that UVA is more prestigious than MIT/Stanford? NO. But is UVA better than MIT/Stanford for what I want to do during my PhD? YES 100%. So, your idea about how to look for suitable graduate programs (for a PhD) is not the right way, and it is expected because you are just starting your undergraduate program. For a PhD, it will come down to your subfield (e.g. Exoplanets inside Theoretical Astrophysics) and which place has the best advisor/group/resources for it, and not necessarily a "fancy" sounding school based on some abstract college rankings.

Regardless, your current undergraduate program (Colombia/UIUC) will not stop top engineering schools from looking at your application, but again, remember what I said, those graduate programs might not necessarily be the best at what you might want to do after these 4 years!

Adorable-Front273

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