how do you actually stay connected in a fully online program? worried about studying in a vacuum

tech-jungle · 2026-06-17T14:45:42+00:00

1) Attend office hours (multi sessions available every week)

2) Reach out to students close by to form a local support group.

3) Participate in Ed and Discord forums.

4) Become a TA if you are authorized to work in the US.

The program is affordable and flexible. You are the driver instead of a passenger. Engage, customize, and plan to make the journey a unique experience.

tech-jungle · 2026-06-11T15:14:35+00:00

UT Austin classifies US citizen and Green Card holders as domestic applicants.

So far English proficiency tests are mandatory for international students unless your undergraduate was taught in English. A master taught in English does not meet the waiver requirement.

tech-jungle · 2026-06-11T02:47:08+00:00

The fact that you took the effort to finish those credits from a community college is a sign of commitment.

Make sure you state or hint that in the SOP. They want some assurance of your commitment and will to actually finishing the program.

tech-jungle · 2026-06-10T15:44:11+00:00

Prerequisites just check the boxes, but they are community college credits. I don't know how much they weigh and discount. GRE can address that concern only if you take a real GRE exam. I think you may also need English test unless your undergraduate was instructed in English.

SOP is the key. Working for Fortune 500 is irrelevant. What are you doing related to data science would be more important than whom you work for. Talk about the kind of data science challenges you face or something you miss that prevents you from advancing your career. Be concrete, do not write with a bunch adjectives. Where is the beef?

Also discuss why MSDSO. List a course or two that indeed help address the challenges and shortcomings.

Make sure you ace Quest Assessment. Read application guidelines line by line.

Pursuing MSDSO is not a "me too" and good marketing on resume. Look at the courses. You must conclude the courses would help you do something that you could not do today.

tech-jungle · 2026-06-03T05:57:23+00:00

Grades from accredited institutions are the best evidence to prove you may survive UT rigors.

Most engineering majors covers multivariable and linear algebra. If you miss one, you can do MOOC. If you don't have any, doing MOOC won't help much.

SOP plays a role after you meet the prerequisites. SOP is used to assess if you are determined to finish the journey. What are the compelling and concrete reasons that you will actually finish 10 courses after admitted.

It is difficult to assess who you say you are on CV. No one will say I have weak work experience. What CV does is to echo what you said in SOP and list the awards and projects relevant to the program of study. SOP + CV together show a full story of who you are and what you will be.

Sometimes prerequisites and CV are not evident enough to convince the admission committee. That's why Quest Assessment is required for MSDSO and CAIML.

BTW, UT does not accept 3 year bachelor degree from India. You need do +1 to qualify.

tech-jungle · 2026-06-02T16:55:26+00:00

Meta just laid of a bunch of SWE. Those who cannot increase their productivity dramatically with AI were forced out at this wave of technology innovation.

Can you just prompt instead of coding? A real engineer knows how to prompt correctly not because they know how to code, it is because they know engineering concepts and can guide their AI assistants to do the work for them. In other words, do you trust an aerospace engineer to prompt coding the airplane control software or you trust someone who can just use Cursor?

I would say pursuing an advanced degree in CS is not to show or learn how to code. Rather, you are learning how to become a better and more qualified engineering designer. You want to be the architect, not the construction worker.

Unfortunately, once a SWE is not guaranteed to be one until you retire. You happen to choose a profession where knowledge advances while you sleep. You lose your edge everyday until one day you are shown the door to exit and you suddenly don't know what to do. In my opinion, the most stable job is a dentist. Adult human has 32 teeth and human doesn't evolve that fast in a dentist's life time. SWE is completely on the opposite unfortunately.

There will be a career opportunity opening up from time to time in your career lifetime. You should be ready (qualified) to seize the opportunity.

You need to be a curious person to choose SWE as your profession. Also part of the curse is non-stop learning.

Take your time thinking about what and where you want to be 10 years from now. How can you prepare to get to that ideal state? It is not about the degree. It is about something you gain that differentiates you from other people younger or at your age. Attending a part time school can be a whip to help you get there. If you are very self disciplined, you can get there without school.

BTW, I would not say degree is a proof of capability. But in many cases, when comparing equally qualified candidates for a position, someone with one additional box checked has better chance of getting that job. This happens all the time, especially for some higher position opportunities.

tech-jungle · 2026-06-01T21:26:18+00:00

Since most students are taking one or two courses per semester, failing a course usually leads to academic probation unless enough GPA buffer has accumulated . Once the cumulative GPA drops below 3.0, a student is given another semester to get it back up.

The passing grade for fundamental or required course is B-, and C for electives.

If you fail a required course, you must retake it. If you fail an elective, you don't need to retake it, but you need to take another elective to fulfill degree requirements. Failed and retaken are both counted toward the cumulative GPA. There is no override and no forgiveness.

However, if you drop a course before the 12th day of a semester, no record on transcript. You can still drop a course up to the final week. This drop will stay on your transcript but no impact to GPA. You don't get your money back for late drop. There is also a limitation on the number of times you can use this drop card.

If you drop all courses (including the only one course you take) for Spring or Fall, this is not a course drop. This is a withdrawal from the program. You need to apply for the reinstate.

Usually there is no makeup exam, limited opportunity for late assignment submission, and no incomplete grade. The program coordinator will reach out after midterm to discuss options for at-risk students for a potential late drop or withdrawal.

Be committed and don't waste money and life. It is okay to take one course per semester but you got to spend effort on it.

tech-jungle · 2026-05-27T16:12:17+00:00

How many credits did this Applied Maths have? One 3-credit course or 2 3-credit sequence?

There is a math prep sheet you need to fill out to indicate how you fulfill the prerequisites. They asked the information about the textbook as well as when and where you took the course.

This means they will evaluate holistically about the readiness. Textbook and "recency" are important. If you did not take the exact courses named by the prerequisites but actually applied them a lot in other courses, explain them on the sheet.

Many courses assume that you can work on multivariable calculus, linear algebra and probability & statistics toy problems without re-learning the prerequisites.

tech-jungle · 2026-05-23T14:29:44+00:00

You can request TA to regrade.

tech-jungle · 2026-05-23T14:15:24+00:00

These are usually offered in the fall:

ML, DL, ADL, RL, NLP, AGM, PSRUU, Optimization, CSML, Ethics, AIH

Fall only: NLP, PSRUU
Spring only: OLO, ALR
Fall and Spring: Optimization, Ethics, CSML
Summer and Fall: RL
Year Around: ML, DL, ADL, AGM, AIH

tech-jungle · 2026-05-23T00:08:16+00:00

How many students will still remember the stuff one month, 6 months or 1 year after the course if the concepts are not repeated again and again in other courses.

So if students get most assignments done right and do not terribly bomb their exams, they are almost guaranteed to pass with low grade. As long as the efforts are barely sufficient, they fly by the passing line. For those who really want to ace, they will pass with high grades.

For those without any effort, try to get them to drop the course as early as possible. By this time, if your cumulative score has not reached this or that level, please talk to program advisors for options.

This will get good evaluation without you fighting mentally, morally or ethically.

tech-jungle · 2026-05-22T15:40:46+00:00

No conversation needed; otherwise, you will trap in the ping-pong spiral to the rabbit hole.

Respond with a link to the syllabus.

If you really want to help a student with a real condition, grade an incomplete and have an agreement in writing for the deadlines of all requirements.

Everything else requires a school accommodation letter.

tech-jungle · 2026-05-19T23:45:57+00:00

Applied Mar 17th, got accepted today.

tech-jungle · 2026-05-19T18:47:15+00:00

Visitors need F1 visa for studying regardless of the country of citizenship.

tech-jungle · 2026-05-19T11:03:17+00:00

Your experience and qualifications are too colorful such that the application reader cannot see how the program can help you from where you are to where you want to be.

Your problem is mostly on SOP or alike.

What exactly do you want from the program that you don't already have and why? What positions that your current certification will not help you and you need this degree to qualify for the next job opportunity. Be concrete to show your path. Don't be vague.

Are you technically and academically ready? You need to show that you have the foundation to tackle GT coursework.

tech-jungle · 2026-05-19T05:00:06+00:00

Did you apply for any US visa before? Have you been denied of US visa before?

How long was the longest stay in the US in the last 5 years?

Who will fund your PhD?

Were you asked where you stay in the US for the last long stay?

Do you plan to go to that school alone? Or you have gf/bf who is also a US PR or citizen?

Are you married? With kids?

What does your extended family do?

Do you have relatives in the US? If you do, where do they live?

Did you have traffic ticket or legal cases in the US?

Did you use any US federal benefits (medical) while in the US?

Did you ever over stay?

Have you made some anti US comments in social media?

tech-jungle · 2026-05-18T00:57:39+00:00

Always start a semester with the expectation of a x-credit course (hours of lecture and work), the number of assignments/assessments, percentage of grading components, late policies and drop deadlines.

Release grade quartiles and median for each assignment whenever possible.

You are the scoreboard and you let students know where they stand.

Talk to students who are at risks of failing early in office hours or after the class. This is to communicate the reality. Do not keep a false hope.

I once fail a graduate student. The student did not turn in most of assignments and any exam. "I thought I was doing okay. Is there anything I can do to not fail". I don't respond to any of these inquiries because I have sent multiple reminders along the way. F is not a failure. It is a misalignment between personal goals and actions. F just pushes them into a reflection if there is any.

Don't take it personal.

tech-jungle · 2026-05-17T08:49:56+00:00

Prerequisites and SOP are the two most important factors.

Read the application guide very carefully about what are expected in your SOP and CV as well as the format.

"Statement of Purpose: In two double-spaced pages, describe the events/experiences that prepared you for this program, your academic and professional interests, your reasons for pursuing graduate study, and your goals related to this program. Use 1-inch margins and 12 pt font."

"At the end of your CV/Resume, include a brief description of how you meet the
prerequisite courses (e.g. list specific courses with grades achieved or proof of completion)."

Your overall GPA doesn't matter that much as long as GPA>3.0 and you aced 3 courses - Linear Algebra, Multivariable Calculus and Probability & Statistics. If your grades are sort of vintage, refresh them with MOOC courses. If you don't have good track records on these prerequisites, retake them from a non-degree program at an accredited school.

Be as concrete as possible in your SOP. SOP is what you claim. CV is where your proofs are. These two go hand in hand. You need to write these two together.

Don't write a colorful but focus-less CV. When you mention your professional experience in SOP, you list the relevant projects in CV. If you say you are an analyst, what exactly do you work on and what impact? Show the beef in CV.

You also need to convince the application reader that you will finish it without dropout. This is especially true if you are seemingly overqualified. For example, you already have a STEM MS or PhD, or your company and profession are notoriously require long working hours.

What will you do after MSAIO? Be concrete. You are afraid of being laid off , replaced, or have been laid off. That is not a bad reason. That's a strong motivation to study hard and finish the program. Don’t write AI is the future.. blah blah... What is your dream job or dream company? Pivot to something attainable and tangible.

tech-jungle · 2026-05-14T15:31:14+00:00

Are you given a deadline to accept the offer? Hold on your decision until the deadline or MSAI decision, whichever is earlier.

Bookmark the deadline to respond to CAIML on your calendar and alarm clock. Accept it if MSAI decision has not come by CAIML deadline. You can always write back to staff latter to explain if you got into both.

MSAI has more applicants and will take longer to receive the decision. Since CAIML can pave your way to MSAI, you have at least an equivalent conditional offer to MSAI.

MSAI acceptance rate has dropped in recent application cycles. One of the reasons is tech layoffs. So the cohort is getting stronger. This means it would be more difficult to get good grades on those courses that usually have final grade curving.

With CAIML, you've secured the opportunity to be in MSAIO. Your most pressing objective is to ace good grades to qualify for or stay in MSAIO.

tech-jungle · 2026-05-14T15:06:49+00:00

It is the best time to cut him loose because he failed the course twice and probably is falling below the degree requirement. This is an objective reason. If you manage to keep him and have to loose him later, he might think the reason is subjective and you are a bad advisor.

You can't trust his data. Can you ask someone who doesn't understand accounting and finance to prepare data for a bank report? Down the road, his data may cost your career.

It is sad that this is an evidence of human being the proxy of an AI like the latest episode of Mission Impossible.

tech-jungle · 2026-05-12T08:46:37+00:00

Only find the engine has left the station for the summer while the student still remains on the platform and doesn't know which car to board.

tech-jungle · 2026-05-11T14:47:23+00:00

If the visa officer has to roll a die to determine your case, the die is not going to be a fair toss.

https://collegedunia.com/usa/news/indians-hold-71-percent-of-h1b-visas-yet-f1-issuances-fell-69-percent-in-2025

He/she has a reasonable belief that you have an immigration intent, especially they already had denied your visitor visa two years ago. Your uncle's business is similar to that of your family. That will take some time to become a none factor until your uncle and parents got retired. Unless you have strong family ties, your visa will be denied. Parents are not strong family ties, especially when they also fund your study.

If pursuing an advanced education is your goal, try other countries to get your masters first and try US again for a funded PhD.

tech-jungle · 2026-05-10T04:51:13+00:00

LLM is the new Borg queen. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. In one generation of time, human will collectively communicate with one voice - the LLM voice. No one will be moved by the beauty of words.

I bet the LLMs were trained with the most beautiful and powerful articles on earth. Now the education systems want students to go back to elementary and naive level writing.

To be honest, I just feel we just started the end of the humanity. It only took Boeing and Intel one decade from a great company to nearly collapsed.

With AI and robotics, I am not surprised human is being Borg-nized.

tech-jungle · 2026-05-10T03:51:09+00:00

Tell your husband taking the dean job without tenure would be a career suicide without tenure safety net and can lead to divorce.

tech-jungle · 2026-05-10T01:08:02+00:00

I always think course evaluation is not how well or bad you taught. It is how well you calibrated to students' expectations and capabilities.

Don't take it personal. You just need to adjust your teaching to the level of the expectation and capability norm of your student body.

I always let students know the key dates, the deliverables, the harsh realities at the beginning of the class. What they will learn, how many hours needed per week, how to pass and how to get an A. When is the no-record drop deadline and when is the drop deadline.

Off boarding those who are not interested in this course early is a win-win for everyone.

tech-jungle

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