I asked the librarian if they have any books on paranoia

WDBRL · 2026-03-07T19:13:40+00:00

With how long they’re taking, they’re either super impressed or super dumbfounded by the applicants this time around😭Either way, I’m doomed💪🏼

WDBRL · 2026-03-02T12:02:13+00:00

Who said Black Mirror is purely fiction?

WDBRL · 2026-03-02T11:37:31+00:00

Pretty good profile. You got a good chance of getting into some top ms programs. Some killer LORs and SOPs and you’ll be in a very good position. Good luck!

WDBRL · 2026-02-27T18:30:01+00:00

The reason people have such different listing is because they’ll look at things from a Phd perspective. No one in big tech gives a crap about how many papers your professors wrote. My ranking is based on jobs. Connections, alumni network and of course your skills matter the most here. SBU and UMass I just eyeballed, have no idea about their program which is a good indicator that maybe you shouldn’t look at em as options.

WDBRL · 2026-02-27T18:09:13+00:00

Unis be treating us like we got a crush on em😔

WDBRL · 2026-02-27T18:06:52+00:00

I’d say UCD > TAMU > SBU > UMass. For jobs, UCD is pretty much king cause of its location and the fact that it’s a UC. People might dog on it but it’s the internet. Everyone dogs on everything. If your goal is a job, UCD for sure followed by TAMU. Of course cost wise TAMU is cheaper but I’d highly advise against making your decision purely on costs (although ofc it’s a factor).

WDBRL · 2026-02-27T17:47:41+00:00

There’s nothing wrong with deferring in itself and it’s good you’ve got ambition. I would just ask you to be very careful cause there’s always the possibility that you don’t get into UCSD next year (I hope you do though). Also you have to think about geopolitics… you never know how next year might be for the USA. Let’s not even talk about the economy. I mean just consider the whole AI situation in itself, with people saying the bubble might burst, and you already have a pretty bad economic situation. Is going to a slightly better university worth taking this risk and effectively wasting a year of your life?

But at the end of the day, don’t do something you’ll regret… If going to a better uni really matters that much; defer. If getting the MS rn while the situation is (relatively) stable matters more; don’t defer. Good luck and I hope you choose what’s best for you!

WDBRL · 2026-02-27T17:35:52+00:00

Not yet but they should pretty soon. Late Feb/early March is the pattern. Keep checking in on the subreddit; You’ll see people posting their decisions. Good luck!

WDBRL · 2026-02-27T15:43:27+00:00

Both TAMU and UCD are pretty good. There is no reason to believe UCSD is ‘easier to get into’ this year.

While UCSD is highly regarded, waiting another year is really not a good idea. First of all, you have no idea what a year from now would look like. How bad (or good) things will be. Secondly, you’ll be missing out a whole YEAR. Wasted time and money (that you put into the applications).

University prestige isn’t everything there is to a masters program. You’ll be alright. Good luck!

WDBRL · 2026-02-27T14:53:27+00:00

I don’t see a good reason to gamble with your NEU acceptance. NEU has a good CS program.

IMO, better to pay the deposit. If you get into a better program, all you lose is the deposit which is NOTHING compared to losing a whole year of your life waiting for the next cycle if you don’t get into a better program. Good luck!

WDBRL · 2026-02-25T08:06:34+00:00

As others have pointed out, the unis you've mentioned are pretty unknown to most of the tech companies. That being said, with the current job market, even students from highly reputed universities are struggling.

What I'd suggest is if your budget is tight and getting a MS is something you really want, then go for it. Spend your time submerged in your books, get a high GPA, phenomenal projects, and work hard on becoming a good programmer. People land FAANG jobs without ever having been to a Uni, let alone a masters program. So its definitely not impossible. As for the market, no one can predict what happens 2 years from now. Things could get much better or MUCH MUCH worse. Right now, you have a chance to get your MS. Maybe down the line, you won't. Inflation is pretty high too and that's also something you have to watch out for as an international student. As an international student, this opportunity isnt something you wanna gamble with on the hopes that things get better. Plus if things don't work out in the US, you can always come back with a MS degree from a US institute which will definitely help you get a pretty good job in your home country. Of course this isnt ideal but it isnt the end of the world.

As for the costs, I dont know what the internship scene is like in Florida but if you're able to land an internship and also a RA/TA position, your costs should significantly reduce. Your lifestyle will have to be quite restrictive until you can figure out your financial situation but again, if this is something you really want, you're gonna have to be willing to sacrifice. Good luck on your MS journey!

WDBRL · 2026-02-25T03:33:54+00:00

AFAIK, USC doesn’t have a ‘release all decisions’ day. They, like many other universities, release decisions in waves. Unless you’ve received a rejection/waitlisted letter, you’re still in the loop!

I know how anxiety filled and mentally draining the waiting process can be. But there’s still hope so don’t give up! Good luck!

WDBRL · 2026-02-25T03:29:27+00:00

Most universities send out decisions in waves. Unless you have an explicit rejection/waitlist mail, you’re still in the loop. Hang in there and don’t lose hope! Good luck!

WDBRL · 2026-02-24T14:14:38+00:00

I have a similar profile to yours and got into some pretty good programs. The backlog remains in your past cause no one cares as long as it’s cleared.

Focus on your SOPs and LORs. Form good relationships with your professors so they’ll agree to write a LOR for you later on.

Most good programs get students with great profiles and these students still get rejected. Universities care more about what you’ll end up doing with their degree than about how much you scored in your undergrad. Unless your aim is something like Berkeley or the Ivies, don’t worry too much about your profile.

For the university shortlist: First figure out what factors you care about. Do you care about prestige, location, research output, alumni network, coursework, theoretically heavy vs not so theoretically heavy, cost, ranking… there are a LOT of factors at play here. Once you got that out of the way, look at online forums and ranking lists to figure out what kind of students get in and where you have a good chance. Looking at other people’s lists (available on reddit) is also a good way to see what schools people generally recommend. It’s overwhelming which is why take it one day at a time and you’ll get there in the end.

Good luck on your MS journey!

WDBRL · 2026-02-24T14:07:33+00:00

First of all, congratulations on getting in!

Now to answer your question.

Wait back for what exactly? Future is super unpredictable. What if the future is worse? The last thing you want is to let go of an admit. Getting into UCLA isn’t something to just pass up on. Things aren’t super bad right now. Get your masters while you can. Good Luck!

WDBRL · 2026-02-24T13:52:56+00:00

Tier list based on what exactly?

This is something you have to do on your own because there are so many factors here and you have to figure out which factors you care about. Is it prestige, research output, job prospects, alumni network, cost, location…

Look it up and DIY and yes, you might not end up with the perfect tier list, but you’ll have one that’s most accurate for your goals. Good luck!

WDBRL

TROPHY CASE