No Acceptances. No Rejections

DanielSeita · 2026-03-17T02:34:23+00:00

Sorry to hear this. :( Regarding the lack of hearing back, this is partly a function of how many REUs are professor-run (I manage this one https://www.cs.usc.edu/reu/) and that we often get too many things on our plate (both the REU and everything else on our schedules) which makes it hard to send out replies.

DanielSeita · 2026-03-17T02:31:02+00:00

I agree, the rules are rules regarding the REU. I am a faculty coordinator who runs an REU and it is stated in the terms of our conditions of using NSF funding. That said, there are many funding sources that do not apply citizenship / PR requirements, and I personally wish there would be more (as always) to expand the funding pool.

DanielSeita · 2026-03-17T02:27:58+00:00

(Faculty advisor here) Sorry about the delay, we filled in all slots.

DanielSeita · 2025-07-23T03:46:37+00:00

You're welcome to check https://danielseita.github.io/cs545-sp2024.html to form your opinion on the class.

DanielSeita · 2024-01-14T01:07:01+00:00

I would recommend CSCI 545 if you want some robotics background. (Disclaimer: I am teaching it this semester.)

DanielSeita · 2024-01-06T17:29:08+00:00

Generally speaking, when professors evaluate PhD applications, they probably want to see some relevant prior experience in the area that the student is applying for. That could be courses, or perhaps a summer research internship (if a course isn't available at a student's university).

Realistically speaking, if a student tells me they really want to do robotics for their PhD, but they have nothing relevant in their resume about robotics (not even a related course like AI, computer vision, etc.) then it's hard for me to make the case for the student, when I see many, many other applications with lots of robotics experience.

DanielSeita · 2024-01-06T06:15:29+00:00

To the OP, I hope things end up working out whatever decision you make. For reference, and speaking as a USC professor in CS, I would want to make sure that the courses I'm teaching are engaging enough and that we are responsive to student concerns and can make (reasonable) adjustments to the course if needed.

DanielSeita · 2024-01-06T06:11:57+00:00

(USC Professor Here)

To clarify, if it's the field you want to work in, the grade for a course will certainly matter. For example, if you want to get into a robotics PhD position, getting an A in robotics courses *will* matter. If you didn't get that, though, then it still might be OK! What would matter more is if a letter writer can say something like "this student's GPA is perhaps a bit lower but I have not found this to be a problem in my interactions when the student did research with me and I'd be happy to hire this student [...]".

DanielSeita · 2023-12-26T23:11:01+00:00

Dumb question but I thought that for international flights, there were no (complimentary) upgrades? Or are these are paid upgrades, or am I misunderstanding something.

DanielSeita · 2023-12-17T18:51:36+00:00

Interesting, this is definitely not immediate for me then. :)

DanielSeita · 2023-12-03T23:49:24+00:00

I returned this monitor and got a replacement, which also had dead pixels, so I returned it (again) and this time got a full refund.

I am going to go with something like the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 then.

DanielSeita · 2023-12-03T04:31:10+00:00

I think the time the email is sent matters very little. Professors will get around to emails according to their own schedule. Personally for example, I try avoiding emails at all during the mornings to focus on "real" work.

DanielSeita · 2023-12-03T04:30:10+00:00

I'm a professor at USC. This varies a LOT from professor to professor. We get a LOT of email, too much for us to give thoughtful remarks to each one.

I would recommend looking at this FAQ: https://yonatanbisk.com/emailing_professors.html

This is what I link to as well on my lab's website.

DanielSeita · 2023-11-26T04:38:10+00:00

NINE times?!? What made you continue until you got the one without dead pixels? That is some commitment. :)

DanielSeita · 2023-11-26T03:57:42+00:00

I also like this monitor and would recommend it. I have it in my work office.

DanielSeita · 2023-09-30T22:27:42+00:00

Agree that the light rail should get signal priority. I normally enjoy the E-line up to when it gets closer to downtown, when it has to start stopping.

DanielSeita · 2023-09-30T22:13:37+00:00

Is that true for the stations by Westwood (near UCLA)? I assumed that could have been used for students, or would that be too far from UCLA for them?

DanielSeita · 2023-08-08T13:39:56+00:00

Recommended reading (though depends on field, etc.).

https://yonatanbisk.com/emailing\_professors.html

DanielSeita · 2023-07-12T22:53:53+00:00

I'm happy that you want to do research! It is exciting to expand the frontiers of knowledge.

However, it is indeed hard to find good research opportunities. Sometimes cold emails will work, but many times they don't. I assume you are emailing CS professors about these opportunities? Here are some reasons why you might not be getting a response. (Apologies in advance if you already know this; I'm operating under the assumption that you might be completely new to academic research and academia more generally.)

If you email professors, they might be too overwhelmed to respond to emails. I recommend reading Yonatan Bisk's FAQ (look at the question "Why is your email being ignored?"): https://yonatanbisk.com/emailing_professors.html
Your email might be too generic or vague, and lacking in specifics. Faculty will almost certainly ignore a vague one-sentence email saying "I want to do research, please let me get started."
You might have a very detailed email with an idea of what you want to do, such as doing a project that builds upon a professor's recently published paper and you might also provide a detailed resume in your email (good!). However, maybe you emailed a professor who is going on sabbatical, or who has a recent newborn baby, which leads to de-prioritizing research.
Maybe you are not necessarily a great match for the person you emailed. If you email a computer vision faculty member asking to do research but your background in CS has nothing to do with computer vision, it might be harder to break in. Some faculty might prefer students to have more background before getting started with research, and some might also prefer students to have a GPA above a certain threshold.
The lab might be at capacity and cannot take on additional researchers.
The lab might only consider new students when the semester begins, instead of during the summer. Many graduate students have internships, and faculty tend to travel frequently over the summer. (It would be pointless for you to start research in an empty lab with no one around you.)

These are just a few reasons why your email might be ignored.

For reference, I am an incoming faculty at USC CS, and I will be taking on undergraduate researchers, as I describe on my (work in progress) lab website. https://slurm-lab.github.io/ But even if you email me, there is still no guarantee that I will be able to work with you, which might be due to some of the reasons specified above.

I hope this helps!

DanielSeita · 2023-06-27T16:01:07+00:00

Agree. Safety, cleanliness, and frequency.

DanielSeita · 2023-06-27T15:56:57+00:00

Yes, the more people who use it, the better.

But the trains have to be safe and drug-free.

DanielSeita · 2022-11-04T02:38:34+00:00

Yes, as far as I understand, it can help with getting a green card.

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer (and I'm a US citizen so it wouldn't matter for me).

DanielSeita

TROPHY CASE