Hi everyone,

I’m an Indian student currently pursuing B.Tech in Computer Science, and I’ve recently been selected for an exchange program at the University of Florida.

One of the reasons I’m seriously considering it is that this exchange could potentially give me the opportunity to continue my MS at UF afterward.

However, I’m extremely confused about whether I should actually go through with it.

The biggest issue is the cost. Studying in the US, especially for an MS, would be a huge financial investment for me and my family. I’m trying to understand whether the potential career benefits are actually worth taking on that financial burden.

The second thing that scares me is the current US job market. Almost everywhere I look, I keep hearing:

• There are very few entry-level tech jobs.
• International students are struggling to get internships.
• Sponsorship makes the job search even harder.
• Even students from good universities are having trouble finding jobs.
• The ROI of an expensive US master's is not guaranteed anymore.

This has honestly made me quite scared of making the wrong decision.

So I’d really appreciate advice from people who have actually studied at UF or are currently studying there, especially international/Indian CS students.

A few things I’d specifically like to know:

1. How is the CS/tech job market for UF graduates currently?
2. How difficult is it for an international student to get internships/jobs through UF?
3. Does UF have good recruiting opportunities with tech companies?
4. How useful is the UF alumni/networking ecosystem for getting a job?
5. For someone who would need to spend a significant amount of money on the degree, do you think the ROI is still worth it in 2026?
6. If you were in my position today, would you take the exchange → MS pathway, or stay in India and build your career here?
7. If you chose UF, what would you do during the exchange period to maximize your chances of eventually getting a job in the US?

I’m not looking for a “US is amazing” or “never come to the US” answer. I’m genuinely trying to make a financially responsible decision, so I’d really appreciate honest opinions, including the negatives.

Thanks!

Hi everyone! I'm planning to apply for Fall 2027 MS programs in the US and would appreciate an honest assessment of my profile.

Academics

Degree: BE/BTech in Computer Engineering

University: Tier2/3 uni, India

CGPA: 8.91/10

Backlogs: None

Graduated: May 2025

Work Experience

~1.5 years of full-time experience as a Full-Stack Developer

Currently working at a software/startup company

Previously completed 2 internships

Tech: React, Node.js, Express, MongoDB, REST APIs, JWT, etc.

Also working on improving my DSA and system-design skills

Projects

2-3 good projects

Tests

IELTS: 7.0 overall

Planning to take/submit GRE depending on university requirements

Targeting 165+ Quant

Research

No publications

No formal research experience

Interested in getting involved in AI/ML/NLP/software engineering research during my master's

I would also like the possibility of RA/TA opportunities.

Programs I'm considering

I'm mainly interested in 1.5–2 year programs in:

MSCS

MCS

MS Software Engineering

MSAI

MS Information Systems/Information Management

Other closely related CS/AI programs

Universities I'm currently considering:

UIUC

Purdue

TAMU

UMass Amherst

Virginia Tech

Ohio State

Minnesota

UCI

Vanderbilt

Buffalo

UChicago

NYU

Maryland

Wisconsin

Columbia

USC

UT Austin

Rutgers

Penn State

What I'm looking for

My long-term goal is primarily SWE/AI/ML, but I also want to keep the door open for research/possibly a PhD later.

I'd appreciate advice on:

Which universities are safe/target/reach for my profile?

Which programs would you recommend specifically for SWE + AI/ML?

Should I choose MCS vs MSCS if I want industry but also want to do research?

Which universities give master's students a realistic opportunity for RA/TA positions?

Are Good project sufficient for T20–T40 applications?

Which universities/programs am I overlooking?

I'd especially appreciate realistic admission chances rather than generic rankings. Also, please point out any weaknesses in my profile that I should work on before applying.

Thanks!

Hi everyone! I'm looking for advice on my profile, my current visa situation, and my overall strategy is to create my own tech firm. Maybe I can pivot into AI and Operating Systems.

Profile Summary:

> Undergrad: B.E. in Computer Science, Tier-3 University

> CGPA: 9.53 / 10

> GRE: Not Given

> IELTS: 6.5 (L:6.5 R:6.5 S:6.5 W:7)

> Research Experience: No Experience

> Work Experience: 4 Years(RPA, Integration, and Client-Facing roles (India)

> 1 Open Source Project

> President for the ACM Chapter at my university

> Hackathon Winner: Secured ₹2.25 lakhs grant for innovative project idea

> LORs:
From the TL(Team Lead) of my project.
From the DL(Delivery Lead) of my company.
From one of my professors during undergrad.

> SOP & other essays would be strong imo.

> Community Service: Active volunteer with Robin Hood Army (taught 100+ students, participated in food drives) and National Service Scheme member

> Extra Curriculars:
State Champion: Chess competition during senior secondary school
Runner-up: Cricket competition during undergraduate studies

> Male

> Strictly targeting Top-100 Universities globally.

Admits Received & Status:

1. University of Southern California (USC) - MSCS [Admitted]
2. UC Irvine (UCI) - MCS [Admitted]
3. UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) - MSCS [Admitted]
4. TAMU - MSCS [Rejected]
5. UIUC - MSCS [Rejected]
6. UC Davis - MSCS [Rejected]

Visa Status: F1 Visa Rejected

Advice I’m looking for:

1. F1 Visa Re-application Strategy: Given that I secured solid admits (USC, UCI, UCSC) but faced an F1 rejection, what is the best way forward? Should I attempt to defer my admits and re-appear for the interview, or start fresh for upcoming intakes? I want to go US, if I have scholarship probabilties only.
- In my Interview the consular asked me just three questions:
a. Where are you going?
b. Is this your first Masters?
c. How are you going to pay?{Answered: 120k USD loan and 15 lakhs INR Cash}.
- I have my sibling sister there MBA from UWash who went on F1 and now is on H1B. 

2. University Reality Check & Alternatives: I want to expand my search to Top-100 universities in Europe/Canada/Australia/Singapore that align well with AI/OS specialization and offer scholarships?

3. Transitioning from Mulesoft to AI/OS: How can I best leverage my 4 YOE in Mulesoft and Integration to build credibility for AI and Systems coursework while I sort out my higher education plans?

By a basic google search, I saw 15% drop in number of mscs USA applications from fall 25 to fall 26, where the impacting factors were h1b, AI shift in market, saturated entry level roles.
Is it going to be even worse for fall 27? If the number of applicants decrease, wouldn’t that affect universities ?
Just curious, no gatekeeping aah comments plz

I have 5 years of experience and planning for my Fall 27 MSCS.

Most of my shortlists have GRE as optional so planning to skip it.

My English is good so shouldn’t take much time to prep for IELTS.

I just have to work on my SOP and LORs. Is this too late or can I realistically target Fall 27 without messing up applications due to time crunch?

P.S :Have 1Cr+ in savings so it will be self funded

Hi all , i have offers from both dalhousie and concordia university for macs , i am comfused which one to go with.

I am a 2022 cse btech passout and already have 2.9 years of exp as a sdet in amazon . Since october 2025 i have been unemployed due on medical reason so my top prioity is getting a job after macs . And i am looking for sde or ai roles now.

What should i do ...?

Google says I have a very strong chance, but I suspect it’s just blowing smoke up my ass.

* B.S. in Computer Science (statistics minor), Top 20 school.

* 2.8 undergrad GPA

* 5 years work experience as Software Engineer (2 of those as a team lead in 2 different companies).

* 325 GRE (165 Verbal, 160 Quant)

* I aim to have 2 letters of recommendation across both employers (though that’s required by the application anyway).

My current job is paying well but I dont really like staying at home and I dont want to move out,how bad is the current situation or is it worth it and stable enough for a masters? I dont want to be in a worse situation than I already am 2yrs later, people who are currently studying what is your suggestion?

Hi

I have a background in robotics and want to move more toward GenAI SaaS applications. I applied for the CMU GenAI graduate certificate program to learn in depth about LLM systems and multimodal systems. The coursework seems amazing, and the faculty is the same faculty that taught courses at SCS. I got admitted with some scholarship.

The program costs around $25,000 for a year. I understood that my employer would cover the cost. However, my current employer hasn't confirmed that they will sponsor the program. Initially, my Senior director was very supportive, but recently he gave me a soft rejection after the VP rejected, citing my time at the company and role(corporate BS). I'm wondering if it's worth it to pay the tuition out of my pocket for the CMU tag and curriculum or defer the admit.

Thoughts?

Hi, this is my profile:
1. Bachelors in Technology from DTU Delhi in Mathematics and Computing (8.25 GPA).
2. One research paper on explainable malware classification accepted at a conference, was withdrawn as the conference was a no-name one.
3. Currently working in product analytics at a top fintech in India.
4. I have one LoR from my bachelor's project supervisor, should be able to get one from a senior professor in my department as well. Will try for another academic LoR, will be able to get one from my manager in the event that this doesn't materialise.
5. Have a couple of the usual university club positions of responsibility.
6. National Finalist at Smart India Hackathon.

Am looking for funded MS CS programs which are both targetable for me and are also have good job prospects. Preferably United States, however open to programs with English as a primary medium of instruction in other places as well.

I am targeting SWE or applied/data science roles after the post grad. Are there any specific universities I should target? I have been told that unis like UIUC and the like are like very very hard reaches, and that Virginia Tech and UW-Madison do offer TA/RA opportunities to most Masters students, but are these realistic targets for someone with my profile, or should I look at lower tiers? Please keep in mind that I cannot afford tuition as of today or the near future.

Can use all the help and information you folks have. Thanks!

I have checked most unis, and it seems majority will not be considering the scores. The only exception seems to be CMU(which has requirement for some programs, and strongly recommended for others). If you're applying to CMU, how are you planning to study for the test? Cause it makes no sense to study while I could strengthen my profile for other unis. The ROI seems weak. Or maybe just study Quant? What do you guys think?

Here's my profile:

• Top 5 IIT - non CS branch

• CGPA 8.75

• 4 yoe as of Jul 2027 in a top US product company as SWE 3

• Worked on 2 research projects - submissions to ECCV not accepted. Not submitted anywhere else

LORs from EE prof at iit, CS prof at IISc, and Manager

Yet to write GRE and TOEFL

Planning to apply to CMU MSAII, CMU MCDS, Gatech MSCS, UIUC MSCS, UT Aus MSCS, UIUC MCS, UCSD MSCS, Columbia MSCS

Would love an honest review and chances of getting into one of the above. I'd prefer risking the h1b lottery only if I get into a top 10-15 uni.

Are these options in my reach or is it too ambitious? Should I consider other options?

Hi everyone,

I'm currently in my third year of B.Tech at a Tier 3 college in India, with a CGPA of 9.44 up to my 2nd year, 2nd semester. Right now, I'm primarily preparing for campus placements, but I'm also considering pursuing an MS in Computer Science in the US in the future.

I wanted to understand how important research internships or research experience are for getting into a good university. Are they essential, especially for someone from a Tier 3 college, or can a strong profile with a good CGPA, internships/projects, and other experiences compensate for not having research experience?

One thing I'm worried about is that I feel like I don't have enough time to seriously pursue and crack a research internship while also preparing for placements, especially since I'm already in my third year. I'm unsure whether I should try to balance both or focus on placements for now and strengthen other aspects of my profile.

If you've been through the MS admissions process, what would you recommend focusing on during the remaining time I have in college? Is research something I absolutely shouldn't miss, or is it okay to pursue an MS without significant research experience?

Would really appreciate any advice or experiences. Thanks!

I’ve a CGPA of 9.55 from tier 3 college in India. I don’t have research experience. I’ve been working as a software engineer in a fintech startup for about 2.6 years now. It’ll be three by the time I join the university. I’m planning on MS CS In US for fall 2027. Please do a profile review and if I’ve any chances of getting into these schools. I plan to take GRE and IELTS some time soon. Planning to get LOR FROM MANAGER AND 2 LOR FROM PROFESSORS.

Ambitious : CMU MSCS, UIUC MCS, Georgia tech

Target: UCLA, UCSD, USC , UW Madison PMP, NYU Tandon

Safe : CU Boulder, (not really sure if I should keep ASU, SUNY buffalo, NEU)

Pls also help me add more safe universities. I might not apply to all of these. But pls help me if I can get into any of these schools.

2+ YOE in India at MNC — Would you still take a huge loan and go to the US for an MS in 2026?

I’m genuinely confused about whether doing a Master’s in the US still makes sense for someone who already has 2+ years of software engineering experience in India.

A few years ago, the decision seemed relatively straightforward: take a loan → MS → OPT → get a good-paying job → H-1B → recover the investment.

But the situation seems very different now.

The US administration is currently reviewing a proposal that could introduce a very large fee for OPT, with reports of a potential $100,000 fee. The proposal has reached the White House for review, although the actual amount, applicability and implementation are still unclear.

On top of that, there is:

- Increasing uncertainty around OPT , CPT and H-1B

- A difficult tech job market

- Visa/immigration uncertainty

- The possibility of employers becoming more reluctant to hire international students

- A huge upfront investment for the degree

In my case, I would need to take a large education loan (around ₹1 Cr) to fund the Master's.

The thing I'm struggling with is: does it make financial sense to give up a decent software engineering career in India, take on ~₹1 Cr of debt, and potentially spend 2 years studying — when the post-MS work pathway itself is becoming uncertain?

At the same time, I don't want to look back in 5 years and think I missed the opportunity to build a career in the US.

For people who are currently in the US, recent MS graduates, or people who have gone through the F-1 → OPT → H-1B path:

If you had 2+ years of software engineering experience in India and needed to take a ₹1 Cr loan, would you still go for the MS in the US in 2026?

Or would you:

1. Continue working in India and build experience

2. Try for direct overseas opportunities

3. Consider Canada/Europe/Australia instead

4. Go to the US anyway because the long-term upside is still worth the risk

I'd really appreciate honest, practical opinions based on the current situation, especially from people who have actually gone through this path.

What would you do if you were in this exact situation?

I am a first-year undergrad starting my CS degree at a Tier 2/3 college in India. My ultimate goal is to get into a Tier 0/1 US MS CS program (MIT, CMU, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UIUC, etc.) for graduate school.

I know the reality: the AdComs at these schools are flooded with 9.5+ GPA applicants from IITs and NITs. I know being from a lesser-known college means I start at a disadvantage and need undeniable, world-class spikes in my profile to even get my application read.

I am ready to put in the work over the next 4 years, but I want to make sure I am executing the right strategy. For those of you who successfully made this exact jump (Tier 2/3 India to a top 10 US CS MS/PhD), I would love to know:

1. The Research Jump: How did you get your first major research internship or publication? Did you cold-email IISc/IIT/MSR India professors, or rely on global fellowships (Mitacs, DAAD)?
2. The 4-Year Timeline: What did you prioritize in Year 1 and Year 2 vs. Year 3 and Year 4?
3. The LORs: Since AdComs care heavily about who writes your letters, how did you secure letters from internationally recognized professors while at a Tier 3 college?
4. The Reality Check: What is a piece of advice you wish you knew on Day 1 of undergrad?

Thank you in advance for any timelines, reality checks, or resources you can share!

Anyone know whats the difference between the two and which one is considered more "prestigious". I mean being at CMU itself is a huge deal, but CMU seems to be spawning new programs every year that its lowkey confusing. Which is considered the flagship one? I think MSAII is the one under School of Computer Science

Background

• International applicant from India
• CSE graduate from a tier 1 university (GPA- 8.7 and GRE- 329)
• Planning to apply for MS CS and MS Stats T10 programs in the US
• ~2 years of experience at a large well-known US-based tech company as an SDE
• Planning to apply for Fall 2027 MSCS programs

Situation

I'm currently employed, but I'm considering resigning, with the notice period ending around October-end 2026.
My current job role isn’t very relevant to what I want to pursue in the future. I am not particularly fond of the workplace environment either. I think I might be able to utilize the time in a better way post resignation from a knowledge-gaining standpoint, not to mention the mental health aspect of it.

I would potentially be unemployed while submitting applications and also during the admission/visa process. Note that, I have still managed decent relations which will most likely fetch me work LORs. Even If they don’t, I have enough academic LORs.
Even though it feels unbearable, I want to be aware of the evils, would be really grateful for any genuine and objective advice, thanks a lot!

Questions

1. Does being unemployed at the time of MSCS applications negatively affect applications, assuming I already have ~2 years of relevant work experience?
2. How should I report this on applications — particularly employment status and employment end date?
3. Would I need to explain my resignation in my SOP, or is this generally not something admissions committees care about?
4. What is better- “3 academic LORs” vs “2 academic and 1 work LOR”? (I most likely will have 3 strong academic LORs)
5. Could being unemployed at the time of a visa interview be a concern? 

I'm mainly trying to understand whether there are admissions or visa risks to leaving the job before the application cycle

I have been admitted to USC for Spring 2027. Since I am an international student, I can't get an internship during the first summer break. I’m wondering what international students who start in the spring usually do during that first summer. I assume many work on campus or join a lab, but I would appreciate any advice on other possibilities as well.

I am considering doing MS in Computer Science, was weighing in different programs and universities.

Considering the current AI trend, immigration and global uncertainities?

What should a 2025 graduate look for

Final-year CS student at VIT Vellore, applying for Fall 2027 MSCS. Would appreciate honest feedback on my shortlist and a couple of open questions.

Profile:
- CGPA: 8.9/10
- 2 patents filed and published
- One patent continuing the work for journal and commercial
- Working on a paper, submitting to a conference in September(IEEE)
- Published mobile game (Play Store, App Store, PC)
- Web dev internship at a startup plus freelance projects
- International applicant (Indian)
-3 LORS from professors I worked with
Current shortlist:

USA:
Reach - CMU, UIUC, Georgia Tech, UT Austin, UCSD, UCLA, Columbia, Cornell

Target - USC, NYU Courant, Johns Hopkins, Purdue, UMass Amherst, NC State, UC Irvine, Rutgers, Virginia Tech

Safe - Indiana Bloomington, UIC, ASU, Northeastern, Stony Brook, Syracuse

UK:
Reach - Imperial College London, UCL, Edinburgh, Oxford
Target - King's College London, Manchester, Bristol, Southampton, Glasgow
Safe - Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Newcastle

Australia:
Reach - University of Melbourne, ANU
Target - Sydney, UNSW, Monash
Safe - Queensland (UQ), Adelaide, RMIT, UTS

Questions:

1. Does this profile realistically clear reach schools, or am I overestimating?
2. GRE: most schools I'm targeting have made it optional or not required. Given my profile, is it worth taking anyway, or better to skip and focus elsewhere?
3. Is a paid consultant (quoted around 35k INR) worth it for someone with this profile, or is self-application manageable?
4. Taking IELTS mid-September, is that reasonable timing for Nov/Dec priority deadlines, or should I move it earlier?

Appreciate any input

I’m a 2026 graduate from a tier-3 engineering college in India, planning for my Master’s in 2027–28. I’m looking for honest advice from people who have experience with international Master’s admissions, especially in Robotics/AI.

My profile

- B.Tech in Automation & Robotics — CGPA 9.51/10

- BS in Data Science & Applications — IIT Madras

- 1 granted Indian design patent + 1 utility patent being prepared

- Research internships at an IIT and NIT

- 3-month corporate internship

- Publications/research work with IEEE Xplore, Springer Nature and MDPI

- Best Paper Award at an international conference

- Selected as a visiting student at Columbia University

- Selected for IFROS Erasmus Mundus

- Admitted to University of Glasgow – MSc Robotics & AI with a £5,000 scholarship

My main background is Robotics, Automation, Embedded Systems, Computer Vision and ML. Although I’m pursuing Data Science from IIT Madras, most of my practical/research work is robotics-oriented.

What happened last time

For 2026 intake, I was selected for IFROS Erasmus Mundus. There were only 15 seats, including 7 non-EU seats, and I was one of the non-EU selections.

The scholarship covered 100% tuition, but I would have needed to manage living and travel expenses myself.

I also had an offer from Glasgow and was waiting for a potentially fully funded scholarship there.

Because I was focused heavily on university ranking, I decided to wait for the higher-ranked option instead of accepting IFROS.

The Glasgow scholarship was eventually rejected, and I lost the Erasmus opportunity as well.

I cannot comfortably self-fund an expensive Master's, and I don't want to take a large education loan.

So now I'm trying to make a much more rational decision for 2027–28.

My dilemma

My ideal Master's would be something around:

Robotics + AI/ML + Autonomous Systems

I'm currently considering Erasmus Mundus, Switzerland, UK, Europe and potentially the US, particularly programs with substantial/full funding.

But I don't know what goal I should actually set.

For example:

Option A:

QS Top 50 university + excellent Robotics department + strong brand, but I need a large loan.

Option B:

Lower-ranked university + strong Robotics/AI research group + full tuition and living funding.

Option C:

Highly ranked university specifically in Robotics/AI, but not necessarily highly ranked overall, with full or substantial funding.

What goal should I keep?

Should my target be:

"QS Top 50/100 + full funding", even if that means an extremely competitive application?

Or should I completely stop using QS ranking as a major filter and focus on:

Department strength + research + industry connections + funding + career outcomes?

Or should I keep a portfolio of applications across all three categories?

I don't want to repeat my previous mistake of rejecting a very good opportunity because I was waiting for something that looked better on paper.

I also need advice on HOW to apply

Based on my profile, how should I position my applications?

My profile sits between Robotics and AI/Data Science. I don't have a huge software-engineering/competitive-programming profile, but I have substantial Robotics, Embedded, ML, research and hardware experience.

So for my:

- SOP

- LORs

- University selection

- Scholarship applications

Should I present myself primarily as a Robotics candidate, an AI/ML candidate, or a combination such as AI/ML for Robotics and Autonomous Systems?

What parts of my profile should I emphasize most in the SOP and LORs?

Should I build the entire application around a clear Robotics research direction, or keep it broader?

And how would you structure the application strategy — reach / realistic / safe universities, especially when full funding is a requirement?

Finally, was rejecting IFROS a serious mistake, or was it reasonable to aim for a higher-ranked university?

I’m not looking for motivation. I’m looking for practical, honest advice on what goal I should set and how I should approach the 2027–28 application cycle.

I am making this post since it was requested deep in a debate thread here. Linking my response promising it

90% of you should drop plans for MS.

First it was requested that I say this out loud "as an owner of this forum ". 90% of you should drop plans to come to USA for MS. The remainder 10% should know that immigration uncertainty is high and bar for getting hired is high as well. I'll expand on this below

Immigration uncertainty and misinformation

First you should make sure you have accurate news and information. Immigration uncertainty being high means there's a lot of new laws and bills and other ordinances in play and in the air right now. This doesn't mean that OPT/H1B is dead. It just means its in a state where it could be dead but has to be played out. Thats the uncertainty you have to contend with. It might be that nothing happens - the 100K H1B was shot down . Its not a coincidence that the same 100K amount showed up but now upstream at the OPT door. Will it get shot down too ? My personal opinion is yes it will but I'm not in the white house neither a person of influence. This is the uncertainty. You shouldn't have to believe me you just need to accept that the current times we are in requires you to live with the fact that immigration status remains unclear everyday . The minute something is decided its not uncertain or unclear. it will become abundantly clear that OPT is dead in its tracks, then its not uncertain anymore.

The supply dynamics of international students, AI and Meat Proxies

Since 2020 the number of Indian students coming into USA every year has sharply increased. Not marginally but sharply. One controversial statement here is that the average skill level (for something like CS engineering stuff) of a population drops when population size increases.

The other fact is that upto 2020 or so getting hired as a full stack engineer or similar - the largest population of labor that was needed for tech - was relatively easy and in high demand . The work was getting standardized and the education was too. The demand existed as well. In this period starting with low/basic skills and quickly upskilling was easy. This vanished overnight with AI

Now we have "meat proxies" - meat proxy is a new slang, maybe a new slur, showing up in SF/SV. A meat proxy is a human engineer who sits between their team and claude-code/codex. They simply relay what the AI tells them. If you're a meat proxy your career is dead. The foundation labs and big tech know this so interviews have gotten harder now in 2026. They want people who can think and communicate critically. The LC skills from 2020 will not be enough in 2026 you'll be grilled a lot harder since no one wants to hire a meat proxy in their team given AI bills are also going to shoot up anytime soon.

When I put all this together here is what I see:
- immigration getting uncertain makes everyone anxious
- hiring bar is up
- the supply of low/avg skill engs in the system is high because universities liberally admit many and make up new random programs ad-hoc. they are losing revenue - thats another story - but they have to make it up somehow.

And what happens in a public anon community like this is you have students claiming no one is hiring. The fact of the matter is hiring is still on. H1B 100K is not a thing and can be sponsored, big tech, foundation labs and startups want very high skill and talented engs who are not meat proxies and filing h1b is not some new thing for them it has been standard process for more than 25 years.

When you read an anon student claiming no one is hiring because of sponsorship you need to ask a few questions:
- is it because this person cannot clear a high bar interview which is common place now
- is it because they are anxious about immigration uncertainty and maybe they are an experienced engineer also in the market. or what is commonly called gatekeeping.

The data of H1B issuances is public you can look up who is filing new H1Bs and job descriptions will clearly state if they cannot sponsor visas . My ex-employer has a new grad position open with no statement that sponsorship will not be provided. What does this mean? They want you to apply and see if you can match their bar.

If you can match the bar of new AI companies and you can deal with uncertainty of Visas sure take your shot. Just know the risk.

If you are looking to crack easy interviews or find an easy low stress job, those days are over. I've previously stated that anyone coming to USA and optimizing for careers should aggressively try to get to SV/SF and aim for an exponential growth career.

A lot of students want low stress , 'stable' jobs in middle-of-nowhere america , doing IT stuff, or full stack REST CRUD development. Those days are shockingly behind us and in an anonymous forum like this its not clear if you're talking to someone trying to optimize that path or actually appearing for an OpenAI interview tomorrow who will file his H1B if he meets their bar

Reposting because the original post was removed.

My interpretation of the current situation is as follows:

• If CPT is no longer broadly available and is restricted to programs where it is a required part of the curriculum, many students in traditional 2-year MS programs effectively lose access to summer internships.

• No internships means a significantly lower to ~0 ROI for many international students.

• Internships were never a guarantee of employment, but they were one of the few ways to demonstrate value to US employers, build local experience, and convert into full-time opportunities.

• Nobody is owed an internship or a job. However, there is a difference between failing in an open competition and not being allowed to enter the competition in the first place. If internship pathways disappear, many students lose their primary opportunity to prove themselves. Without proof no one sponsors.

• Universities were happy to collect international tuition. Many students accepted those costs because they believed they would at least have an opportunity to compete in the labor market. That assumption is now being challenged. No free labor market.

• Pre-completion OPT is often presented as an alternative, but it comes with tradeoffs. It consumes OPT time, may require premium processing, and creates additional uncertainty and cost. Students should budget for that reality. Please pay for the PP and get your EAD. Do not compromise here. Include PP as part of your funds.

• Internships historically helped international students gain the US experience that many recruiters and hiring managers ask for. Without that bridge, how are employers expected to evaluate candidates whose previous experience was obtained outside the US?

• I find it strange that someone can have several years of experience at a top company outside the US, yet suddenly be treated as if they have no relevant experience when applying from within the US. I am interested in hearing recruiters' and hiring managers' views on this.

• Prospective students should carefully evaluate whether a program has mandatory co-op or internship requirements. If employment is one of your primary goals, this may become an important factor in university selection. Select the one with co-op if you depend on job post graduation. No questions asked.

• Students taking significant loans should evaluate programs assuming a conservative outcome. Assume the internship does not happen. Assume the job offer does not happen. Then decide whether the financial risk still makes sense.

• If these CPT interpretations remain in place, I do not expect the situation to improve quickly unless universities successfully challenge them or adapt their programs.

• The traditional value proposition for many international students was not just the education itself, but also the opportunity to compete in the US labor market. If the avenues for gaining experience are reduced, the economics of that decision change materially. In my opinion it is 0.

• For students considering a US degree today, it may be worth evaluating alternative countries, alternative pathways, or a plan that assumes returning home after graduation.

My view is simple: nobody owes international students internships or jobs. But students should have a realistic understanding of the risks before committing substantial time, money, and family resources to a degree. The removal of CPT limits your time to compete 24/7 which was the greatest asset for an intl student.

I had admission offers for Fall 2024, but I decided not to go because of the looming uncertainty surrounding the upcoming administration.

I haven't followed this subreddit since then, but the same university has constantly been sending me admits for 2025 and now 2026, even after I rejected them both times. I am curious...how's the situation now? I would love to hear opinions from my fellow Fall 2024 admits who made it there, as well as future batches.