u/Creative-Rhubarb-777
I Think Many International Undergrads Are Looking at Engineering Admissions the Wrong Way. announcement
Long post, but I genuinely think this is an important conversation for engineering undergrads right now. Especially internationals. If you’re serious about engineering careers, internships, research, semiconductors, robotics, or long-term ROI, this might be worth reading fully.
# A Lot of Engineering Undergrads Are Optimizing for Prestige Instead of Engineering Ecosystem :
The undergraduate engineering admissions conversation feels strangely disconnected from where the industry is actually heading.
We are entering a decade increasingly shaped by:
semiconductors,
embedded systems,
AI infrastructure,
robotics,
advanced manufacturing,
defense tech,
energy systems.
The U.S. CHIPS and Science Act alone triggered massive investment into domestic semiconductor manufacturing, packaging, workforce development, and advanced research ecosystems.
At the same time, multiple industry reports project major shortages in semiconductor and engineering talent over the next decade.
Sources:
* Semiconductor Industry Association:
* Deloitte Semiconductor Workforce Report:
https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/industries/tmt/articles/global-semiconductor-talent-shortage.html
* NIST CHIPS Workforce Update:
https://www.nist.gov/document/archived-building-us-semiconductor-workforce-january-2025-update
Meanwhile, a huge portion of undergraduate admissions discourse still sounds like:
“Can I get into Stanford with 3 clubs and a nonprofit that stopped functioning after 2 weeks?”
A lot of applicants seem to optimize primarily for " Prestige "signaling instead of:
* internship ecosystems,
* co-op systems,
* industry geography,
* employability,
* debt,
* research access,
* Uni - industry -- pipelines,
* mentorship access,
* hands-on engineering experience.
And honestly, one of the most underrated factors for engineering undergrads is:
"" professor accessibility "".
A smaller or less “prestigious” engineering school where:
FOR ex : msoe
* professors know your name,
* classes have 20–30 students,
* undergrads can join labs early,
faculty are approachable,
* research groups actively involve undergraduates,
* mentorship is direct,
* recommendation letters are personal,
* conference participation is encouraged
can sometimes provide a far stronger undergraduate experience than being one student among hundreds in a giant lecture-driven system.
Many students underestimate how important it is to:
* work with professors early,
* publish research,
* attend conferences,
* join engineering clubs,
* build technical projects,
* develop relationships with faculty,
* use professor networks for internships/research opportunities.
Some professors at smaller or mid-sized universities:
* previously worked at MIT, Stanford, CMU, Berkeley, Georgia Tech, etc.
* maintain strong research/industry networks,
* and are significantly more accessible to undergraduates.
Meanwhile, at some large “brand-name” universities:
* undergrad lectures may have hundreds of students,
* teaching assistants handle much of the instruction,
* professors are heavily focused on graduate students, grants, and research labs,
* and undergraduate access to faculty can become highly competitive.
That does NOT mean elite universities are bad.
They are world-class for many reasons.
But for engineering "" undergraduates ""specifically, many applicants seem to underestimate the importance of:
* ecosystem,
* mentorship density,
* research access,
* co-op pipelines,
* industry alignment,
* practical exposure,
* and faculty accessibility.
There’s actual research showing co-op participation improves engineering employment outcomes, compensation, and practical readiness:
* https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259683231_The_Impact_of_Cooperative_Education_on_Academic_Performance_and_Compensation_of_Engineering_Majors
Some engineering-focused universities that are often underestimated in online discussions:
-> Virginia Tech
-> MSOE
-> Texas A&M
-> University of Cincinnati
-> RIT
-> WPI
-> Colorado School of Mines
-> Waterloo (Canada)
Many of these universities have:
* stronger co-op ecosystems,
* semiconductor/manufacturing proximity,
* practical engineering culture,
* industry-heavy recruiting pipelines,
* accessible faculty,
* lower debt outcomes,
* better internship density
than people realize.
A student graduating with:
* multiple internships,
* embedded/robotics projects,
* semiconductor exposure,
* research experience,
* strong faculty recommendations,
* conference participation,
* and lower debt
can absolutely outperform someone who optimized mainly for prestige signaling.
The market increasingly rewards:
“Can you build systems, conduct research, and work with teams?”
not:
“Did strangers on Reddit recognize your university name?”
And to be clear, I’m NOT saying prestige or elite universities don’t matter.
For master’s, PhD, research-heavy careers, elite labs, or academia, institutional reputation and advisor quality can matter a lot:
* research ecosystem,
* funding,
* lab access,
conference visibility,
* faculty networks,
* recommendation strength,
* industry/research connections.
My point is specifically about undergraduate engineering education.
For undergrad, many students underestimate how much they can build through:
* projects,
* internships,
* co-ops,
* research experience,
* professor mentorship,
* technical depth,
* networking,
* and practical engineering exposure.
A strong undergraduate profile from a practical, industry-connected university can absolutely become a pathway into top-tier MS/PhD programs later.
my_qualifications
u/Creative-Rhubarb-777 — 2 days ago
How many of you feel there should be a dedicated thread for Indian students planning undergrad (UG) abroad?
Right now, most discussions are mixed with master’s/other topics, and it gets hard to find relevant info for UG applicants.
Requesting the mods to consider creating a separate thread for this.
If you think this would help, upvote so it gets visibility.
my_qualifications : 12th student
u/Creative-Rhubarb-777 — 15 days ago
How many of you feel there should be a dedicated thread for Indian students planning undergrad (UG) abroad?
Right now, most discussions are mixed with master’s/other topics, and it gets hard to find relevant info for UG applicants.
Requesting the mods to consider creating a separate thread for this.
If you think this would help, upvote so it gets visibility.
u/Creative-Rhubarb-777 — 15 days ago
▲ 0 r/studyAbroad
I feel like a lot of people here are getting heavily influenced by fear-mongering rn, especially around the US.
From what I see, some of the recent policy shifts under Trump are actually helping genuine students . uh... like people who actually want to study, work hard, build career , startup and contribute, not just game the system.
For example, H1B misuse (duplicate petitions, system gaming, etc.) has dropped a lot. At the same time, a massive chunk of people who were using those loopholes are now shifting to places like EU or Japan. That naturally reduces some of the unfair competition and makes things a bit more merit-based.
Also, people ignore demographics. The 2008 financial crisis still has ripple effects , like, there are fewer domestic students in certain age groups rn. Because of that, a lot of US universities are actually trying harder to attract international students, which is why you're seeing more aggressive scholarships and aid lately.
Long term, look at 2030+. The US is going all-in on semiconductors, chips, AI, electronics, etc. There’s already massive investment happening (like the CHIPS push), and that’s obviously going to increase demand for skilled engineers and tech talent.
Even basic data supports the direction -- ""The total projected skills gap in the United States by 2030 is estimated at a shortfall of 6 million workers"" --- Google
So yeah, maybe I’m a bit optimistic, but I genuinely think things stabilize in the next 2–3 years. If you’re actually focused on building skills, studying seriously, and planning long-term with backups, the opportunity is still very real.
Curious to hear what others think — especially people who are actually going through the process right now.
my_qualifications :
9th – ~97%
10th – 93%
11th – 98%
12th – ~98% (expected)
SAT – 1550
Founder and lead developer of a civic tech startup
u/Creative-Rhubarb-777 — 16 days ago
▲ 5 r/IntltoUSA
I feel like a lot of people here are getting heavily influenced by fear-mongering rn, especially around the US.
From what I see, some of the recent policy shifts under Trump are actually helping genuine students . uh... like people who actually want to study, work hard, build career , startup and contribute, not just game the system.
For example, H1B misuse (duplicate petitions, system gaming, etc.) has dropped a lot. At the same time, a massive chunk of people who were using those loopholes are now shifting to places like EU or Japan. That naturally reduces some of the unfair competition and makes things a bit more merit-based.
Also, people ignore demographics. The 2008 financial crisis still has ripple effects , like, there are fewer domestic students in certain age groups rn. Because of that, a lot of US universities are actually trying harder to attract international students, which is why you're seeing more aggressive scholarships and aid lately.
Long term, look at 2030+. The US is going all-in on semiconductors, chips, AI, electronics, etc. There’s already massive investment happening (like the CHIPS push), and that’s obviously going to increase demand for skilled engineers and tech talent.
Even basic data supports the direction -- ""The total projected skills gap in the United States by 2030 is estimated at a shortfall of 6 million workers"" --- Google
So yeah, maybe I’m a bit optimistic, but I genuinely think things stabilize in the next 2–3 years. If you’re actually focused on building skills, studying seriously, and planning long-term with backups, the opportunity is still very real.
Curious to hear what others think — especially people who are actually going through the process right now.
my_qualifications :
9th – ~97%
10th – 93%
11th – 98%
12th – ~98% (expected)
SAT – 1550
Founder and lead developer of a civic tech startup
u/Creative-Rhubarb-777 — 16 days ago
I feel like a lot of people here are getting heavily influenced by fear-mongering rn, especially around the US.
From what I see, some of the recent policy shifts under Trump are actually helping genuine students . uh... like people who actually want to study, work hard, build career , startup and contribute, not just game the system.
For example, H1B misuse (duplicate petitions, system gaming, etc.) has dropped a lot. At the same time, a massive chunk of people who were using those loopholes are now shifting to places like EU or Japan. That naturally reduces some of the unfair competition and makes things a bit more merit-based.
Also, people ignore demographics. The 2008 financial crisis still has ripple effects , like, there are fewer domestic students in certain age groups rn. Because of that, a lot of US universities are actually trying harder to attract international students, which is why you're seeing more aggressive scholarships and aid lately.
Long term, look at 2030+. The US is going all-in on semiconductors, chips, AI, electronics, etc. There’s already massive investment happening (like the CHIPS push), and that’s obviously going to increase demand for skilled engineers and tech talent.
Even basic data supports the direction -- ""The total projected skills gap in the United States by 2030 is estimated at a shortfall of 6 million workers"" --- Google
So yeah, maybe I’m a bit optimistic, but I genuinely think things stabilize in the next 2–3 years. If you’re actually focused on building skills, studying seriously, and planning long-term with backups, the opportunity is still very real.
Curious to hear what others think — especially people who are actually going through the process right now.
my_qualifications :
9th – ~97%
10th – 93%
11th – 98%
12th – ~98% (expected)
SAT – 1550
Founder and lead developer of a civic tech startup
u/Creative-Rhubarb-777 — 16 days ago
Hey, I’m planning to create a small WhatsApp group for people aiming for Fall 2027 UG abroad.
Not gonna lie, this whole process gets pretty lonely—especially when you’re figuring everything out on your own. So the idea is simple:
a small group where we can stay accountable, share resources, plans, strategies, stay updated on deadlines/policies, clear doubts (SAT/APs, applications, etc.), and just figure things out together—or honestly just beat the loneliness.
No spam, no nonsense—just people who are actually serious about this path.
Also, I’ll be adding a few seniors as well—people currently studying at reputed stem uni's also couple of students from MSOE (with internships) and a couple who are already working full-time in the US—so we can get some real guidance instead of just guessing everything.
Do you guys think it is better to make a Discord server or any other platform instead?
If you’re targeting 2027 and interested, DM me.
my_qualifications
u/Creative-Rhubarb-777 — 18 days ago
Hey, I’m from Vizag (India) planning US undergrad in computer engineering (Fall 2027).
Currently working on:
– APs (Calc BC, Physics C, CSA)
– SAT
– a civic tech project
Trying to build a strong profile for scholarships and good ROI, not just “get in and go.”
Mainly looking to connect with others who are:
– on a similar US undergrad path
– working on projects/startups
– aiming for strong admits/scholarships
If you’re doing something similar, would be great to connect and share how you’re approaching things.
u/Creative-Rhubarb-777 — 20 days ago
▲ 0 r/IntltoUSA
Hey, I’m from Vizag , India planning US undergrad in computer engineering (Fall 2027).
Currently focusing on APs (Calc BC, Physics C, CSA) and SAT, and also working on a civic tech project.
Trying to build a strong profile for scholarships and good ROI, not just “get in and go.”
Would be great to hear from other international students:
– What actually mattered most in your admissions?
– How did you approach scholarships/aid?
Also open to connecting with others on a similar path.
u/Creative-Rhubarb-777 — 20 days ago
Hey, I’m a 19M from Vizag planning for US undergrad in computer engineering (Fall 2027).
Currently focusing on APs (Calc BC, Physics C, CSA) and SAT, and also working on a civic tech startup/project.
Trying to build a strong profile for scholarships and good ROI, not just “get in and go.”
Would be great to connect with others who are:
- preparing for US undergrad
- working on projects/startups
- aiming for scholarships / strong admits
Also open to hearing from people already in the process or admitted — what actually mattered most in your journey?
my_qualifications
u/Creative-Rhubarb-777 — 20 days ago
▲ 1 r/vizagDating
19M from Vizag — planning US undergrad in CE. Grinding APs + SAT and building a civic tech startup. Anyone on a similar track?
u/Creative-Rhubarb-777 — 20 days ago
I’m currently based in Vizag and preparing for Fall 2027 intake (undergrad/engineering – mostly US). Looking to connect with others from Vizag who are also planning for the same intake — mainly to share resources, prep strategies (SAT/AP), and keep each other accountable. Drop a comment or DM if you're in a similar situation.
my_qualifications: Class 12 student, preparing for SAT + AP (Calc BC, CSA).
u/Creative-Rhubarb-777 — 27 days ago