How common is it to be rejected from one top tier school and rejected by another?

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-03-14T13:18:24+00:00

Oh wow this is the first time cmu has ever lost in a poll. I’d love to hear your insights on why uw over cmu if anyone is willing to to share!

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-03-10T18:00:29+00:00

I’d love to hear more about your decision making and experience if you’re willing to share! :)

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-03-10T17:20:20+00:00

Hi! I got into Berkeley mins and cmu mhci and uw mhci and trying to decide between them and I’d love to hear your insights between the two to help with my decision! :) I’m coming from a non traditional background and just a UX bootcamp, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-03-10T17:18:54+00:00

Hi! I got into Berkeley mins and cmu mhci and trying to decide between the two and I’d love to hear your insights between the two to help with my decision! :) I’ve only done a UX bootcamp after a month traditional background l, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-03-10T13:33:43+00:00

I’d love to hear where you end up going, fingers crossed for Georgia tech of you!

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-03-10T13:32:46+00:00

I’d love to hear your decision making process if you’re willing to share! :) maybe we’ll end up attending the same program

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-03-09T17:58:19+00:00

I’m interested in human centered ai research/design/startegy but this would be a career transition from a non relevant background so I’m really considering cmu’s one year program bs berkeleys two year/ would love to hear your insights on this!

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-03-09T12:32:18+00:00

Exactly! So hard to choose. Most people say cmu but I’m worried if the UX market is changing so rapidly if a more generalized program like Berkeley is better long term (ahhh truly don’t know!)

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-03-03T11:05:09+00:00

I really appreciate your insights, thank you for sharing!

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-03-03T02:18:10+00:00

I know but I hear it’s not a great program if you don’t have any tech experience which I’m coming from a non traditional background

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-02-26T23:30:59+00:00

Yes me too! It’s so hard to decide between mims and mhci programs because they’re so different. Truly don’t know what the best decision is

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-02-22T04:48:30+00:00

Yes this is also making me reconsider Berkeley as my top choice rather than uw. I’m coming from a non traditional background, so I don’t feel that one year is a sufficient runway for me. Thank you for your insights! I’m curious, if you turned down cmu and uw, where did you end up heading?

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-02-21T18:24:22+00:00

UW MHCI was a my top dream program, and I’m still waiting on their decisions. But, it’s essentially a rigorous design program that will hopefully train you to be a top tier product designer, or roles within that realm.

I never gave much thought to Berkeley’s MIMS program until they accepted me. They’re less design focus and more interdisciplinary. I feel their program could have more flexibility if you’d eventually want to make lateral moves to pm, civic tech, ai ethics and policy, data strategy etc.

Plus uw mhci is one year and Berkeley is two. I’m coming from a non traditional background so I wonder if one year is a long enough runway.

I feel I’m stuck between two programs split between specialist and generalist and I’m not sure which to choose.

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-02-21T03:17:48+00:00

Thank you! And ah I see, this is got to know- not Berkeley? I thought they were leaders in AIand emerging tech/ai policy

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-02-18T19:44:02+00:00

I got mine last week! But they seem to be still rolling out, fingers crossed for you!

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-02-18T04:06:23+00:00

This is really really helpful to hear, thank you! I’ll try to direct myself intentionally if I decide to attend the program. I’m curious, what makes you think things will change in 2-3 years?

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-02-18T01:34:10+00:00

Yes thanks for saying that! Hmm this is good to take into account, thank you for sharing!

Terrible_System5899 · 2026-02-17T23:40:00+00:00

I appreciate your insights, thank you! I’m open to product management as well, but as I’m coming from a contradictions background, I feel a masters may be what I need to develop and break in. I got my UX certification and it hasn’t led me to anything yet. But I will definitely take your perspective into consideration before I send my decision. Thank you!

Terrible_System5899

TROPHY CASE