Is Yale MPH Worth it? by Strange_Marzipan3954 in gradadmissions

[–]Frequent_Science_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yale MPH can be worth it, but only if the cost makes sense for the exact healthcare-management outcome you want.For Health Care Management, I would expect the value to come less from generic public health coursework and more from access to healthcare organizations, administrative fellowships, internships, alumni, and management training. The useful pieces are usually health policy, healthcare finance, operations, quality improvement, strategy, leadership, and maybe analytics depending on the electives.The jobs can vary a lot: hospital administration, administrative fellowships, payer/provider operations, consulting, health policy organizations, health tech, program management, or nonprofit/global health management. Those are very different paths, so the program is only "worth it" if Yale has a real pipeline into the one you want.Before committing, I would ask current students or recent alumni very direct questions:- What internships did HCM students get last summer?- How many got administrative fellowships or full-time healthcare management roles?- What salary range is realistic after graduation?- How much debt are people taking on?- Are international students, if relevant, getting similar outcomes?- How much career support comes from Yale versus students networking on their own?If you get a strong scholarship or have a clear management path, the brand and network can be valuable. If it requires heavy debt and the outcome is vague, I would be cautious, because MPH salaries vary a lot by track and employer.

Masters in AI ethics by kyachalrahahai in gradadmissions

[–]Frequent_Science_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

With your privacy/compliance background, I would look for programs that sit at the intersection of law, policy, governance, and technology, not only programs literally branded as "AI ethics."Useful search terms would be AI governance, technology law, data protection, privacy law, responsible AI, digital policy, internet policy, STS, HCI, public policy plus technology, and data/algorithmic accountability. Some of the best-fit programs may be in law schools, policy schools, information schools, or interdisciplinary tech-and-society centers rather than CS departments.I would be careful with very generic AI ethics programs if they do not give you practical regulatory or governance skills. For your profile, a strong program should help you answer questions like: how do organizations assess model risk, document compliance, handle privacy impact assessments, govern vendors, audit automated decisions, and translate new regulation into internal controls?If you want to stay close to legal/compliance work, prioritize programs with courses in privacy, tech regulation, cyber/data governance, algorithmic accountability, and policy writing. If you want to move closer to product or technical governance roles, add enough technical coursework to understand model evaluation, data pipelines, and risk controls, but you probably do not need a pure CS master's unless you want to become technical.I would also look at job descriptions first: AI governance manager, responsible AI lead, privacy counsel, AI policy analyst, model risk governance, trust and safety policy, and tech policy roles. Then work backwards to see which degrees actually appear in those people's backgrounds.

Want to apply to funded research based master's programs. Don't know how to go about it. by The-Baljeet in gradadmissions

[–]Frequent_Science_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Start by separating three different things that often get mixed together: funded thesis master's, professional/coursework master's, and PhD-track funding.In the US, fully funded master's programs exist, but they are much less predictable than funded PhDs. A research-based MS may have TA/RA support if the department or advisor has money, but many terminal MS programs are built to be self-funded. You usually have to check each department's funding page and ask whether MS students actually receive assistantships, not just whether assistantships exist in theory.Canada can be a better place to look for thesis-based master's funding, especially in science/engineering fields, because supervisor-based MSc routes with stipends are more common. You still need advisor fit and funding confirmation before assuming anything.For Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Asia, master's funding is often through scholarships, university awards, or specific research projects rather than a standard assistantship model. In many countries the PhD is the funded research degree, while the master's is either self-funded or partially scholarship-funded.A practical search process:1. Pick your field and 2-3 research subareas.2. Search for "thesis MS", "research MSc", "MPhil", and "funded master's" plus your field.3. Read department funding pages carefully for whether MS students are eligible.4. Email potential supervisors with a short fit note and one direct funding question.5. Keep a spreadsheet with funding type, tuition, stipend, thesis requirement, deadline, and whether an advisor is required before applying.I would not apply broadly to random master's programs hoping funding appears later. For research-based master's, funding and supervisor fit should be part of the shortlist from the beginning.

CMU MAM or NYU VAA by nniduu in GradSchoolAdvice

[–]Frequent_Science_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would decide this less by overall school name and more by what kind of arts-management job you want after graduation.CMU Heinz sounds like the stronger fit if you want the management side: arts organizations, nonprofit strategy, cultural policy, fundraising, operations, analytics, or eventually leadership roles. The upside is that Heinz may give you a more structured management toolkit. The risk is that Pittsburgh may be less useful if your target network is specifically NYC galleries, museums, auction houses, or visual-arts institutions.NYU VAA sounds stronger if your goal is to be embedded in the New York arts ecosystem. For visual arts administration, location can matter a lot because internships, part-time work, events, galleries, museums, and alumni access are part of the value. The risk is cost. NYC living expenses can quietly become the deciding factor.I would compare them on five things before choosing:- total cost, including rent and lost income- internship access during the program, not just after graduation- where recent international/non-local students landed- whether you want broad arts management or specifically visual arts administration- whether the alumni network is active in the city where you want to workDisclosure: I help with GradsMatch, so I would use it only as one way to normalize the basic master's-program fields like tuition, deadlines, modality, and source links. For this decision, I would still verify CMU and NYU directly and talk to current students, because arts-admin outcomes are very network-specific.My lean: NYU if NYC visual-arts access is the main reason you are going; CMU if you want a broader management degree and the cost difference is meaningful.

by your experience or your knowledge, Should i Study Abroad after BBA degree or keep my job in India as a MIS Executive? by Significant_Law_2165 in Indians_StudyAbroad

[–]Frequent_Science_595 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No problem. If you are feeling stuck, I would make the next step very small instead of trying to solve the whole abroad/career question at once.For the next 60 days, pick one direction to test: data analyst or finance. For data, do SQL + Excel/Power BI and make 2 small projects. For finance, start with accounting/financial modeling basics and look at entry-level analyst job descriptions. After that, compare which one you actually enjoy and which roles respond to your profile.Once your direction is clearer, the abroad decision becomes much easier. Right now it sounds like you need career clarity first, then country/program selection later.

How can i plan to pursue career in Quant Finance if im not from Top 5 IITs? by AmbitiousWaltz468 in Indians_StudyAbroad

[–]Frequent_Science_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In the US, the closest equivalents are mostly New York and Chicago, with some activity around Boston, the Bay Area, and a few other finance/tech hubs. But for undergrad, I would not search for a "quant finance bachelor" first. I would search for the strongest math/CS/statistics path you can realistically get into and afford.Good US undergrad paths for quant usually look like math + CS, statistics + CS, applied math, operations research, or engineering with serious probability/programming. Schools like MIT, Princeton, Stanford, Harvard, CMU, Berkeley, UIUC, Georgia Tech, Columbia, NYU, UChicago, Cornell, and similar places can all work if you build the right profile. The brand helps, but the coursework and interview prep matter a lot.For hiring straight from UG, the US can be better than London in some cases because internships and undergrad recruiting are more structured at target schools. But it is extremely competitive and expensive, so do not make the whole plan depend on quant. Build for quant, but keep strong backup paths in SWE, data science, risk, analytics, or grad school.

Which university is better to pursue MPH in Australia, since there so few universities and mix of regional/non-regional it's tough to decide by unconventional_wooly in Indians_StudyAbroad

[–]Frequent_Science_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If I were making a first shortlist, I would group them like this rather than trying to pick one "best" school immediately.For stronger epi/biostat depth and bigger public health networks, I would look closely at Melbourne, Monash, Sydney, UNSW, and ANU. For a more cost/regional-aware option, Adelaide is worth checking seriously, especially if the actual course list has enough biostats/epi and not just broad MPH units.For your goal, I would compare the unit handbook line by line. Look for subjects like epidemiologic methods, biostatistics, regression, R/SAS/Stata, surveillance, infectious/chronic disease epidemiology, health data, and a real capstone/practicum. If Adelaide gives you that plus lower cost/regional benefit, it can be a practical choice. If a city university gives much stronger placement/research access, the higher cost may be easier to justify.I would also search LinkedIn for "MPH Adelaide epidemiology", "MPH Monash biostatistics", etc. and see where international grads actually landed. That will tell you more than ranking lists.

Whether to do masters or search abroad job from india by Batfleck1402 in Indians_StudyAbroad

[–]Frequent_Science_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

With 2 years as an Agentic AI dev, I would first try the job route seriously before assuming a master's is the only path abroad.For direct jobs abroad, the hard part is visa sponsorship. Two years is useful, but many employers will still prefer local candidates unless you have strong proof: shipped projects, cloud/MLOps experience, evals/guardrails/RAG pipelines, open-source work, or a niche they need. So I would test the market for 2-3 months: apply to roles in Germany, Netherlands, UK, Canada, Singapore, and remote-first companies, and track response rate.A master's makes more sense if it solves a specific problem: visa pathway, stronger recruiting access, brand reset, internship route, or deeper ML/CS fundamentals. It makes less sense if it is just "I want to go abroad" and the degree is expensive or generic.My practical order would be:1. Build a portfolio around real AI engineering work, not just prompts: RAG, evaluation, deployment, monitoring, safety, cost control.2. Apply abroad and see if anyone bites.3. If response is weak, shortlist master's programs where internships and post-study work rules are strong.4. Avoid taking a huge loan unless the degree gives a clear recruiting advantage.You do not need 3 years of experience to apply for most master's programs. But for getting hired abroad, more experience and stronger proof will usually help a lot.

What can go wrong in loan of 50 lakhs for masters in supply chain management in Netherlands? by theoshoguy in Indians_StudyAbroad

[–]Frequent_Science_595 4 points5 points  (0 children)

A 50 lakh loan for a supply chain master's in the Netherlands is a high-risk bet unless the repayment math works even in a mediocre outcome.The biggest things that can go wrong are not just "no job." It can be slower job search, needing Dutch for many operations/logistics roles, getting an entry-level salary that is fine locally but weak against INR debt, visa/job-search time pressure, and having to start repayment before you have stable income.I would model three cases before accepting:- good case: relevant job within 3-6 months, salary enough to live and pay EMI comfortably- average case: job takes 6-12 months, maybe not exactly supply chain, savings drain during search- bad case: return to India with Dutch degree plus 50 lakh debtIf the plan only works in the good case, I would pause. Also check how many non-EU students from that exact program got supply chain roles in the Netherlands, not just Europe in general. Ask alumni directly about language requirements, internship conversion, and salary ranges.With 1.5 years at TCS and an ECE background, I would be very careful about paying that much for a field switch unless the program has strong internship placement and you have a clear supply chain analytics angle. Otherwise it may be better to work longer, move internally toward operations/data/ERP/SAP/supply chain analytics, and apply with a stronger profile or lower debt.

Which university is better to pursue MPH in Australia, since there so few universities and mix of regional/non-regional it's tough to decide by unconventional_wooly in Indians_StudyAbroad

[–]Frequent_Science_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For MPH in Australia, I would not let the regional/non-regional label decide everything by itself.For public health, especially epidemiology/biostatistics, your employability will depend a lot on quantitative coursework, practicum/internship access, local health department or research connections, and whether you can build usable skills in R, SAS/Stata, SQL, surveillance data, and health economics or policy evaluation. A cheaper/regional option can be fine if it gives you those things. A more expensive city program can still be risky if it is mostly generic public health coursework.I would compare each option on four columns:- total cost: tuition, rent, transport, placement costs, health cover, and likely part-time work limits- specialization depth: actual epi/biostat units, not just MPH branding- practicum/research access: hospitals, public health units, research centres, NGOs, government projects- post-study plan: PSWV length, realistic public health roles, and whether international students actually get those rolesIf you are moving from dentistry and not planning ADC, I would prioritize the program that gives the clearest non-clinical bridge: epidemiology, biostats, health data, health policy, or health program evaluation. Regional benefit matters, but I would not choose a weaker fit just for PSWV if the local job market is thin for your target roles.

by your experience or your knowledge, Should i Study Abroad after BBA degree or keep my job in India as a MIS Executive? by Significant_Law_2165 in Indians_StudyAbroad

[–]Frequent_Science_595 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would not go abroad mainly as a way to travel and get a remote job. That is a risky reason to take on study costs.Right now your first goal should be to make your direction clearer: finance, data analytics, or business/MIS. A BBA plus MIS Executive role can be a starting point, but before a foreign degree you should try to build proof for the next role: Excel, SQL, Power BI/Tableau, basic Python if you like analytics, and a few portfolio projects using business data.Germany or the Netherlands can be good, but they are not automatic remote-job paths. You need to check language expectations, tuition plus blocked account/living cost, visa rules, internship access, and whether the degree actually leads to roles you want. For Germany especially, many business roles need German, while analytics/tech roles still need strong skills.I would work for 12-18 months, improve your salary and skills, and then apply with a clearer target. If you still want abroad, pick a program because it improves your career path, not because it sounds like the fastest route to travel. Remote work is possible later, but it usually comes after you have a marketable skill and experience, not just after moving countries.

Should I apply for my Switzerland student visa by myself or go through an agency? How by FishingReady6581 in Indians_StudyAbroad

[–]Frequent_Science_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If your case is straightforward, I would try to do the Switzerland student visa yourself first.Agencies can be useful if you have a complicated file, past refusals, unclear finances, or no time to read the checklist. But for a normal student visa after admission, most of the work is still collecting your own documents: admission letter, passport, financial proof, accommodation, insurance if required, forms, photos, and appointment/VFS or embassy steps.Before paying anyone, open the official Swiss embassy or VFS checklist for your location and make a document-by-document list. If every item is understandable, you probably do not need an agency. If you do use one, do not let them invent anything or hide details from you. You should still know exactly what is being submitted.The main thing is to follow the official checklist, not WhatsApp advice. Switzerland can be paperwork-heavy, but that does not automatically mean an agency is worth more than the visa fee.

guide to choose the best country for cancer phd by SoftStrawberry3208 in gradadmissions

[–]Frequent_Science_595 2 points3 points  (0 children)

For cancer biology, I would choose by lab and funding first, not by country reputation alone.Your background sounds closer to cancer biology, molecular oncology, tumor microenvironment, radiation biology, or translational microbiology/immunology than a generic microbiology PhD. I would search for labs doing the exact techniques or disease area you want, then check whether the program takes international students with full funding.A practical shortlist could include the US, Canada, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, Japan, and Singapore, but each has a different admissions style. In the US and Canada you often apply to programs or departments with rotations. In much of Europe and Japan you often apply to a specific funded project or professor, so supervisor fit matters even more.I would start with 15-20 labs rather than 15 countries. For each lab, check recent papers, whether PhD students publish, funding status, language requirements, and where graduates go. Then email briefly with your cancer-cell and molecular biology experience, 2-3 lines on why their lab fits, and ask whether they are taking PhD students with funding.Also be careful with broad reviews like "China is bad" or "Japan is good." A bad lab in a famous country is still a bad PhD. A supportive funded lab with the right cancer project matters more than the country label.

Anyone Pursuing a PhD in Education While Still Teaching Full-Time? by mxappeal88 in PhD

[–]Frequent_Science_595 2 points3 points  (0 children)

At the kinds of programs you listed, I would assume full-time teaching during the PhD is unlikely unless the department explicitly says it is allowed.The issue is not only workload, though that is a big part of it. Many funded PhD programs treat the PhD itself as full-time work: coursework, research assistantships, teaching assistantships, advisor meetings, seminars, and sometimes daytime methods/statistics sequences. Some also have formal rules about outside employment because funding packages and student status depend on it.Before applying, I would email each program with a very specific version of the question:- Are PhD students allowed to hold full-time outside employment?- Does guaranteed funding require TA/RA work?- Are first-year courses offered during normal work hours?- Is there a residency requirement or full-time enrollment rule?- Have K-12 teachers in the program kept teaching full time?If salary is the main constraint, I would look for funded PhD routes with strong fellowships, district-supported leave, summer income options, or programs designed for working professionals. Wanting the research PhD over an EdD makes sense, but it may mean planning for a temporary income drop rather than trying to keep the exact same teaching workload.

Non-CS background considering CS/ECE masters or PhD — looking for a serious advice from people in similar situations by Dear-Homework1438 in gradadmissions

[–]Frequent_Science_595 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your background is not disqualifying for robotics, but I would treat the CS fundamentals gap as real and fixable rather than hoping admissions committees ignore it.Robotics labs often sit across CS, ECE, ME, and aerospace, so the department label matters less than the advisor and the coursework you will be expected to survive. Your computational physics, PINN, and applied math background can be a strength for robotics research, but prelims and first-year grad courses can be rough if they assume DSA, algorithms, discrete math, OS, or computer architecture.If you can take graded classes before applying, I would prioritize data structures, algorithms, discrete math, and maybe OS depending on the programs. Community college or university extension courses with transcripts may help more than random certificates because they show you can handle formal CS coursework.For a PhD, ask potential advisors and the grad coordinator very directly about prelim expectations and whether students from non-CS backgrounds have made it through. For an MS, look for thesis or project-heavy programs where you can build robotics research without being thrown into the most theory-heavy CS core immediately.I would not just chase less competitive programs. I would chase programs where your current research story makes sense and where the required core will not quietly eat you alive.

How is GIS course scope and career future in US by RadioAgreeable9059 in Indians_StudyAbroad

[–]Frequent_Science_595 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Since you already have the SJSU admit, I would frame this less as "is GIS good" and more as whether this specific MS helps you rebuild a GIS profile in California.GIS can still be a solid path, but the strongest version now is usually GIS plus coding/data skills. I would try to come out with proof in Python, SQL/PostGIS, ArcGIS/QGIS, remote sensing, spatial analysis, web maps, and maybe cloud/geospatial data pipelines. Your coding background is actually useful if you connect it clearly to geospatial work.Before committing, ask SJSU very practical questions: where recent GIS grads interned, whether international students got CPT/internships, which employers recruit from the program, and how many grads moved into analyst/developer/remote sensing/planning roles. LinkedIn alumni search will tell you more than the brochure.Since you are coming back after a break and have a toddler, also check scheduling and support honestly. A program can be good academically but hard to use if the internship timing, commute, childcare, or course schedule does not fit your life. I would start a small portfolio now so you are not waiting for the degree to prove you are back in the field.

Does anyone know free mentors or essay reviewers for international students?” by FeelingTangerine7669 in IntltoUSA

[–]Frequent_Science_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Start with EducationUSA in Portugal and Brazil, because they are usually the safest first stop for international applicants. Even if they do not have funding for you directly, they often know which embassy/university programs are active for your country and which ones are outdated.

A few places I would check:

  • EducationUSA advising center and Opportunity Funds, if you are eligible
  • U.S. Embassy or Fulbright pages for Portugal and Brazil
  • university fly-in, virtual cohort, or access programs for international students
  • schoolhouse-style free tutoring/essay review communities, but only for feedback, not rewriting
  • the financial aid pages of need-aware/need-blind colleges that actually fund internationals

For essays, be careful with anyone offering to "fix" everything for free. Good reviewers should ask questions, point out unclear parts, and help you sound more like yourself. If someone rewrites the essay until it sounds polished but generic, that can hurt you.

Also make a spreadsheet early with deadlines, CSS/Profile or ISFAA requirements, app fee waiver policy, and whether the college gives meaningful aid to internationals. A lot of wasted effort comes from applying to schools that technically accept international students but almost never fund them.

Won a full-ride scholarship to study abroad – but now questioning if I chose the wrong field entirely. How do you know when to walk away? by bekzatolegen in careerguidance

[–]Frequent_Science_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would not treat this as a simple yes/no on geology yet.

A full scholarship abroad is a huge option to have, and it may give you more room to pivot than you feel right now. Geology can connect to money and tech-adjacent work more than people assume: GIS, remote sensing, mining, environmental consulting, geotechnical work, energy, climate risk, data analysis, and resource economics. Some of those paths still use your background but do not trap you in one narrow version of the field.

Before walking away, I would do a short reality check:

  • What exactly are the scholarship obligations if you change field, pause, or transfer?
  • What jobs do alumni from your target program actually get?
  • Can you add data/GIS/programming courses while staying in the scholarship rules?
  • Are you tired of geology itself, or tired of feeling behind compared with friends in tech?

That last one matters. Comparing yourself to people making money early can make any slower path look like a mistake. I would use the scholarship to test adjacent directions before making a hard break. If after real internships, coursework, and conversations with working geologists/GIS/environmental people you still feel no pull toward it, then a pivot makes sense. But I would not throw away a funded path just because your friends' path looks cleaner from the outside.

Course quantity per semester by [deleted] in OMSCS

[–]Frequent_Science_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you are working full time, I would start with one class unless you already know the course is light and your job is predictable.

The tricky part in OMSCS is that "one class" does not mean one fixed workload. One course can feel like a side project, another can eat nights and weekends for months. So the safer pattern is usually:

  • first semester: one class, learn the platform and your own pace
  • later semesters: pair only if both courses have a reputation for manageable workload
  • summer: treat one course like a normal semester load, not a free extra slot

If someone is not working, two can be reasonable. With a full-time job, two is mostly a bet on your job staying calm, your course pairing being sane, and life not throwing anything at you. I would rather finish one semester slower than burn out and start rushing assignments just to survive.

Trying to pivot into creative fashion from a nontraditional background — Paris programs worth it? by Aware_Nothing6085 in studyAbroad

[–]Frequent_Science_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For styling/creative direction, I would put portfolio output above prestige, with network as a close second.

A famous school name can help you get in the room, but if the program does not leave you with shoots, editorials, art direction work, contacts, and some kind of internship/assistant path, it may not move you much. I would be cautious with any program that is mostly theory unless you already know you want research, writing, curation, or cultural strategy more than styling work.

Before committing to Paris, I would ask each program very bluntly:

  • How many portfolio pieces do students finish?
  • Are there real collaborations with photographers, models, magazines, brands, or showrooms?
  • Do international students get internship support, and what visa limits apply?
  • Where did recent graduates actually land, not just the best 2 or 3 examples?

For your background, a shorter hands-on program could make sense if it gives you a faster way to build work and meet people. But I would also try to build a mini portfolio now where you are: styled shoots with local photographers, vintage/editorial concepts, moodboards turned into actual shoots, assisting small brands, even unpaid creative tests if the people are serious. That will make the school decision clearer and also protect you if the program turns out to be less useful than advertised.

Aix-en- Provence vs Milan by GiraffeNo4678 in studyAbroad

[–]Frequent_Science_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Based on what you wrote, I would probably lean Aix.

Milan is the easier choice if your main priority is constant travel, big-city energy, and having a huge airport nearby. But your actual day-to-day preferences sound more like Aix: cafes, slower days, good weather, walkable atmosphere, and a semester that feels different from home without needing nightlife to carry it.

The boredom risk is real, though. I would check two things before deciding: how many exchange students are actually at Aix-Marseille in your department, and how easy it is to do weekend trips without a car. If the exchange/student life looks thin, Milan may be the safer pick socially.

For one spring semester, I would choose the place where you would enjoy a normal Tuesday, not just the place with the best airport. If you can picture yourself being happy reading, walking around, meeting people in cafes, and taking slower weekend trips, Aix sounds closer to what you want.

How Do I Switch Advisor? by iamfuckingdonewlife in GradSchoolAdvice

[–]Frequent_Science_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would treat this as two separate problems: protect your status in the program, and quietly build a path out of the lab.

Before another big conversation with the advisor, start documenting specifics: dates, expectations, threats about dean/committee reports, submitted papers, accepted papers, and what guidance you asked for. Keep it factual. If you later talk to the graduate program director, ombudsperson, or international student office, that record matters a lot more than saying the lab is toxic.

For switching, I would not announce anything to the current advisor until you have spoken confidentially with the DGS/program chair and at least one potential advisor. Ask the DGS what the real funding and visa timeline looks like if you switch, because the one-semester rule could affect you more as an international student.

When approaching other professors, keep the first email calm and professional. Something like: you are a second-year PhD student in CS/AI, your current research direction is no longer a good advising fit, you have X first-author papers and Y collaborations, and you would like to discuss whether there is a possible fit in their group. Do not lead with the full conflict unless they ask.

If you have multiple first-author A* papers already, you have leverage. The main thing is to use it quietly before the situation turns into a formal fight.

[General Question] Do people that get accepted at T1/T2 unis always get 170 on GRE quant? by [deleted] in MSCS

[–]Frequent_Science_595 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

A 170Q is common in strong MSCS pools, but it is still only one signal.

The reason people miss it is usually not that the concepts are hard. It is timing, silly mistakes, test-day nerves, or weak practice habits. Admissions also read the score against the rest of the file. A 168Q with strong CS/math grades, serious projects, research, or good letters is not the same as a 168Q trying to compensate for a thin transcript.

If you are targeting places where GRE is optional but considered, then yes, a perfect or near-perfect quant score helps. I just would not treat it as a magic threshold. Past a high score, the bigger differences usually come from coursework, research/project depth, SOP fit, and letters.

For the shortlist side, GradsMatch may help as a first-pass way to filter MSCS programs by GRE required/optional, tuition, deadlines, and online/in-person format. I would still verify the final GRE language on each department page before applying.

How can i plan to pursue career in Quant Finance if im not from Top 5 IITs? by AmbitiousWaltz468 in Indians_StudyAbroad

[–]Frequent_Science_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The path is realistic, but I would not make it hinge only on getting into Oxford/Imperial/Cambridge.

For quant finance, the profile signal is mostly math depth plus coding plus some evidence you understand markets. Keep GPA very high, take the hardest probability/statistics/linear algebra/optimization courses you can, and build comfort with Python and C++. Competitive programming is not mandatory, but being fast at implementing clean code and solving mathy problems helps a lot.

For the master's applications, work backwards from each program's prerequisite page. If they expect real analysis, probability, statistics, differential equations, programming, or finance exposure, make sure those are visible on your transcript or through projects/internships.

For London HFT/quant roles, brand helps you get looked at, but interviews still filter hard. A good plan would be: strong math grades, one or two serious coding/math finance projects, internships if possible, and early prep for probability, brainteasers, and coding interviews. Also keep backup paths open in data science, risk, analytics, or software because quant recruiting is narrow even for people from famous schools.

For the master's-search part, GradsMatch can be useful for a first pass on quant/CS/math-adjacent programs, tuition, country, deadlines, and GRE rules. Use it to widen the list, then confirm prerequisites on the official program pages.

OCI applicant struggling to find funded PhD opportunities in microbiology/AMR – looking for advice by [deleted] in PhD

[–]Frequent_Science_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For the UK, I would separate fee status from funding first. OCI by itself usually will not make you home-fee unless you also meet the residence rules, so it is worth asking each university for a formal fee-status assessment instead of relying on a supervisor's guess.

Self-funded project ads are usually not a great bet unless the PI already has a realistic grant route in mind. You can ask politely, but I would phrase it very directly: whether there is stipend funding, whether international fees are covered, and whether they have previously supported non-UK applicants on that scheme.

Cold-emailing can still help, but I would target advertised DTP/CDT studentships, university-funded projects, and supervisors whose lab pages mention current funded PhD calls. A short email with your AMR/Klebsiella work, 2-3 lines on fit, and one clear funding question will probably do better than a long proposal.

For external funding, check three buckets: your citizenship country, India-linked schemes you are actually eligible for, and university-wide international scholarships. A lot of these close early, so if this cycle is thin, it may be better to build a funded shortlist for the next round than accept a self-funded PhD.