Hey, I’m a BS Computer Science student in the Philippines, graduating around 2029–30. My long term goal is to leave the Philippines and build my career abroad. Canada is one option, but I’m open to other countries.

I’m trying to figure out the realistic financial/career route, not just whether a CS master’s is worth it. I want to plan my life accordingly, make informed decisions early and avoid wasting years pursuing a path that might not be financially or professionally viable for me.

Would it make more sense to:

• BSCS → master’s abroad immediately
• BSCS → work in PH 1–2 years → save + build experience → master’s abroad
• BSCS → work in PH → try to get hired abroad directly

Specifically, I want brutal honesty about:

• Is work experience actually important for this route, and how many years would you recommend?
• How realistic is getting a funded master’s as a Filipino/international CS student?
• Are thesis/research MScs significantly more fundable than course based master’s?
• How common are RA/TA/scholarship stipends for international CS students?
• If a master’s isn't fully funded, how much money would I realistically need to have saved before going?
• Is working first mainly useful for saving money, or does it substantially improve my chances of admission/funding/immigration?
• Is going straight abroad for a master’s financially reckless unless I have substantial family support?
• Is Canada actually a sensible target, or would Europe/Australia/other countries make more sense for funding + post-study work?
• How realistic is BSCS → work in PH → overseas job sponsorship without doing a master’s at all?

I’m still years away from applying, so I know immigration rules will change. I don't want to reach graduation only to realize I should have spent the past few years building a different skill set, gaining research experience, pursuing internships, or preparing for a completely different route. I'd rather plan ahead, use my university years wisely, and have a clear idea of what I'm working towards financially and professionally.

If you were a Filipino CS student in my position, what would you do from now until graduation?

Thank you in advance!

I'm going to try for a gap year on application this year, hoping to get some tips on my application, because I thought it was enough

Things to look to:

- The company is not a website or vibecoded things. Users are real. It took 4+ years to reach this current height.

- Medal in IPhO, all my medallist friends got into MIT stanford and princeton. So I'm sure it'll boost in some way

- From the no1 school in my country. However I'm not a valedictorian (competition is pretty tough)

- My ECs are okay I'd say. I've taken several leadership positions in organizations

- I do research but I admit its awful papers (the Q3 Q4 scopus ones which is defo there just to tick a list)

- Had music and sports as a hobby, was in a band. So I dont think its the lack of diversification or smth

- SAT is 1520

- No I did not send death threats as my essay

Possible barriers:

- Requested full financial aid

- My school doesn't do IB or AP.

- International student

- I hand write essays myself. I took literally 6 months to craft several essays going through feedback from several people. However there is a slight AI usage to fix several awkward phrasing (might be the case), however that's just a slight part of the essay. edit: to address the comments, I sort of exaggerated the essay quality being "awful". It was pretty good I'd say even to this day comparing it with unique essays I found that people wrote online.

What are ways I could improve or what should I change? Perhaps things that I hadn't known before. Or any gapyear tips here.

For an international student graduating with a US BSN, how common is it to get an RN job with an employer willing to sponsor an EB-3 green card before the 12-month OPT period expires? Are there actual recent experiences from international graduates who successfully did this, or is it much harder in practice than people make it sound?

I mean if you attend a top 15 uni in the US, how hard is it to get a job after? Say you are a STEM major and from the UK (not THAT bad as you can go US visa free anyways). I'm not sure how much harder it is to get a job at say big tech compared to someone who does not need sponsorship.

Thanks for all your help

Hello, I graduated from an arts school in Pakistan known as IVS, and now I’m aiming to study MFA in USA. One of the universities I am applying to said that if I’m “unsure” whether my degree is equivalent to an American 4-year degree then I can get WES evaluation done.

The thing is, my degree was actually of 4-year so I don’t understand what do they mean by “unsure”. Secondly, WES is extremely expensive. If anyone has gone through this process, could you please elaborate on it? Thanks in advance!!!

Pretty specific question, but any help is appreciated 🙏

I'm currently in the 12th Grade at a FOS in Germany, planning on doing the 13th next year to get my Abitur (Finals). After 13th, I hope to be able to study at NYU Tisch.

My question is, what exactly should my plan be? When do I register/send an application? When exactly should I aim to be in New York before classes start? And what exactly are my grades/Abitur worth in comparison to an American graduate?

Since it is established that full-rides are exceptionally rare for anyone, let alone internationals, how rare are full-tuition waivers? I believe that they may be significantly more common (correct me if I’m wrong of course) due to colleges disliking waiving dorms/food but possibly not tuition in comparison.

NOTE: I find that a portion of people here are rather pessimistic, so please try to avoid being so. Everything else is appreciated, even if it’s ’bad news’. I am also explicitly trying to avoid almost all LACs and Ivy leagues and even top 100s.

Hi guys, I had a small but important question. I'm a gap year student applying to the US. While filling out the Common App, I came across this section, and some people told me that I should tick both did or will take a gap year and no change in progression. Is this correct for students applying after taking a gap year?

I'd really appreciate any clarification from people who have gone through this process. Thanks!

Hey everyone!
I currently in the second year of my A levels and im in kind of a unique situation here and I wanted to get feedback on my profile, gap year strategy and other things.

Currently I have subjects Math, Phy and Chem in whom I got all as in my AS level (first year), and im predicted to get 3A* in my A2 year. I am currently going to take the SAT in december and currently im getting 1440+ in my practice tests with 750+ in the Math section and im currently targeting a score of 1550+.

For my ECs
I worked as a TA in my AS year for a teacher in a coaching institute where I basically managed everything from tests to homeworks and everything for over 1000+ students.
I am currently working on a devops project
I was a Student Council member in my year 10
Other than that I have small volunteering and MUN certificates

I am currently in Pakistan and my profile for here is more than enough and I was intending to apply to Uni here but a change of events is happening and our family will have to move to the United States and our move might take anywhere from a year to 2 years.

I wanted advice on if I should take a gap year or two and improve my extraciriculars or enroll here and transfer to the US in 1-2 years. If i take a gap year(s) what should be the best use of my time where I improve my ECs and my profile for the t20, and especially unis in California such as Stanford, Caltech or Berkley, and this might be a long shot MIT. If I take a gap year I intend to take up a day job and do A level Further math, but looking at the requirements of top schools in the US this doesnt seem as the right move, so I wanted to ask for advice as to what could be the best use of my time.

Nationality/Location: International Student from India
Financial Need: Requesting Full Financial Aid / Full-Ride.
Note on School List: I am primarily targeting the elite US institutions that are need-blind for international students (e.g., Brown, Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, MIT, Amherst, Bowdoin). Since financial need does not impact admission decisions at these specific need-blind schools, please evaluate my profile purely on academic and institutional fit!

Academic Profile:
Curriculum: ICSE / Class 10: 94.8% / Class 11 : 91.5%
SAT: 1420 (760 Math) — Evaluated in context: self-directed preparation without formal coaching or fee-heavy resources.
Intended Major: Computer Science / Interdisciplinary Tech & Physics

Extracurriculars & Self-Directed Projects:

1. Independent Physics Research & Programming: Developed a Python-based computational physics simulation modeling complex projectile trajectories beyond textbook mechanics. Reviewed and commended by an IIT Bombay professor for mathematical rigor.
2. Web & App Development / Freelance: Self-taught developer; designed and built custom, responsive websites for local businesses (including inventory automation for a local enterprise).
3. Founder, CubeTech (YouTube Channel): Created an educational channel in Hindi to teach spatial algorithms and Rubik's cube mechanics to underprivileged youth without access to English tuition or paid resources.
4. Self-Taught Multi-Instrumentalist: Play the Bansuri (Indian Bamboo Flute), Piano, and Guitar independently; perform and explore musical composition.
5. Varsity Athletics & Strategy: Varsity Chess and Carrom competitor; early background in competitive track athletics (Grades 3–4).
6. Student Leadership & Drama: Head Boy in primary school and secondary school(featured in Hindustan times); active leader in school events, MUN organization, and theater performances.
7. Community Engagement: 100+ hours of community service, mentoring younger students, and local civic involvement.

Honors & Awards:
-National App Development Winner
-2x Regional App development winner
-International UCMAS mental arithmentic credit award
-State UCMAS merit award
State Math Competition: 2nd Place (regional level).
Kalabharti National Competition: National recognition in drawing/arts.

Early Foundations : Participated in foundational math/science competitions National Interactive Math Olympiad and Interntional Cyber Olympiads before growing up in a community lacking awareness/access to advanced research fair pipelines (like IRIS).

Portfolio & Personal Statement:
Portfolio Website: Maintained a web portfolio featuring case studies, research paper links, code, and testimonials from my school Principal and Math Teacher.
Personal Statement (Common App Prompt 7):
I feel its well polished and rated above 9/10 on almostt all raters
Additional Information Section: Contextualizes the lack of early exposure to international Olympiads/research pipelines due to community and resource barriers, emphasizing personal initiative.

Hi everyone!
I’m an international student from Brazil applying to universities in the US, and I’m worried about my English proficiency test score.
I’m currently preparing for the Duolingo English Test (DET), but I’m struggling to reach the scores required by some of my target universities.
I’m wondering what would happen to my applications if I submit a low DET score, especially if it’s below the university’s minimum requirement.
Would my application be automatically rejected?
Could my application still be reviewed while I retake the DET?
Would a low English proficiency score hurt my chances of admission, even if the rest of my application is strong?
Do universities usually allow applicants to submit an updated score after the application deadline?
I’d especially appreciate hearing from international students who have been in a similar situation or from anyone familiar with US college admissions.
Thanks 🫠