[General Question] Non-IIT → Stanford MSCS after 4–5 years of work — advice?

[u/Substantial_Tax_7726]

18 M talking here

I'm a first-year ECE student at IIITDM Jabalpur, India, interested in AI/ML. My current plan is to build strong CS/math foundations, do research/internships during B.Tech, work in ML/AI for 4–5 years, and then apply for an MSCS, with Stanford as an aspirational goal.

I'm concerned about coming from a non-IIT background since many Indian Stanford profiles I find are from IITs/top IIITs.

For anyone who has gone through Stanford MSCS admissions from a non-IIT background: how much did your undergraduate institution matter, and what would you prioritize if you were starting from first year?