choosing the right grad schools for you

most people obsess over “top” universities.
you gotta be obsessed over “right for me” instead.

step 1: chose the right program

here’s how i picked my master’s program and landed in engineering management at Cornell.

i loved cs but also cared about product, entrepreneurship, and how businesses actually make money. so i went hunting for programs that let me do both tech and management.

i found engineering management, realized every university structures it differently, and made a short list of programs that actually matched my goals.​

step 2: build your own uni list

go to each program page, read the curriculum, check outcomes, and note down things like average packages and roles grads get. this is your raw data.​

then, dm or email your questions to program coordinators, student ambassadors, or alumni. make a list of 10-12 unis you want to get into it

step 3: rate each program

for every uni, score it out of 10 based on what matters to you: curriculum, career outcomes, flexibility, cost, etc. be honest, not aspirational.​

step 4: mix it up

reorder your list after looking at location, safety, weather, and how your profile fits their intake. from there, keep just 6-8 serious options.​

step 5: dream, reach, safe

split your list into 3 buckets: dream, reach, safe. tools will suggest ratios like 3:4:3, but go with what feels right for you.​

i went with 4 dream, 2 reach, 1 safe. people think it is risky but it works. you can always apply to any safe school later or apply for next sem

step 6: get organized

put everything into google sheets: university, program link, score, deadline, and application status. this becomes your roadmap for the next few months.​

and,
those “chance predictor” tools are fine as a rough signal, but they don’t see your sop, lors, or the actual story in your resume. those tools told me my “dream” schools were in the 70–100 range. i ended up with admits from four unis in the qs top 20.​

talk to humans. i spoke to people who had just finished engineering management at duke and columbia, and her inputs changed how i saw my options.​

no network? use linkedin and twitter. send 5 thoughtful dms a day. most of us are happy to help if you make it easy to say yes.​

all the best