Hi folks,
I’m planning to apply for Spring/Fall 2027 intake and would appreciate some honest feedback on my profile and plans.
Current Position:
Software Engineer (SDE2) at a top Indian fintech company with 3.8 years of experience (2022 graduate).
Education:
B.Tech from a Tier-1.5 (IIIT) college in India
CGPA: 8.29/10
Research Experience:
I don’t have any research papers or significant research projects from undergrad. However, I’m planning to work on a few projects related to distributed systems and ML, just to build the research profile for admission.
GRE & TOEFL:
My GRE is scheduled for the end of this month.
Motivation for Master’s:
Currently, my compensation is around 45 LPA (~50k USD). If I switch job in India, I’m confident I could get offers in the 60–70 LPA range.
The main reasons I’m considering a master’s are:
- Exposure to the US tech ecosystem
- Better quality of life
- Long-term career growth
I’m honestly quite frustrated with Bangalore’s roads, infrastructure, traffic, and overall quality of life.
At the same time, I’m also concerned about:
- The current US job market
- Visa uncertainty
- The risk involved in leaving a well-paying job in India
Would really appreciate honest suggestions, especially from people who recently went through this path.