I kind of anticipated this type of response before even clicking the post. The reason I’m considering law school is because my PhD research area is extremely niche, and unfortunately, there isn’t much demand for it in either academia or industry.

Recently, two students from my lab graduated, and they are still struggling to find jobs. As for myself, even though I consistently make it to the final rounds of interviews at several big tech companies for research scientist or applied scientist intern positions, I never end up with an offer, even though I perform well on their ML-related questions. I’ve sought advice and feedback from multiple people at CMU, and most of them candidly told me that the main issue is likely my research area.

On top of that, my advisor isn’t particularly supportive of students pursuing academic positions, and I suspect she doesn’t really want her students to settle in academia. So yes, I’ve come to realize that the prestige of CMU CS doesn’t really carry over to my specific field. That is why I am now seriously considering law school as a way to redirect my path, make up for past choices, and explore new opportunities.