Exchange Diaries
Prashant Ramnani | Computer Science and Engineering
California State University, USA
From where did you get the motivation? How did it all start? How did you handle your preparation with your academics?
I always had the idea to go for further studies before a job. I wanted a research type of role in tech companies like Tesla, Open AI, and Google brain which require a Ph.D., I had to work in that area so I'm going to get a master's, and then I will pursue Ph.D.
Try to give TOEFL or GRE in the 6th semester and the 7th semester goes for placement and SOP preparation and LOR.
What is the process of interdisciplinary studies? How easy was the switch? What motivated you for the switch?
I didn't give the GRE in the 6th semester, which I recommend others should. Last March I had a couple of days to prepare for it then I was busy with the internship till July end. Then again, I started preparing in the first week of August. I gave my GRE on October 19 which is late in my opinion. I had to manage academics, placement preparation, GRE, and TOEFL preparation, it was pretty hectic. I received a lot of help from friends with SOP and seniors reviewing them continuously. GRE and TOEFL were given by my friends as well so we were helping each other. The same goes with placement.
Did you apply to multiple universities? If yes, can you please elaborate on the differences in the selection process of the universities? In universities in which you were not selected can you please share what you felt you lacked, what could you have done better.
I applied to around 4-5 universities in Canada, 1 in Europe, and 5 more in the US. The application process is similar for all. An SOP, LOR, and academic marksheet are required. I got accepted in half of them in which the majority was, and got rejected in all of the Canadian universities and 1 in Europe. It's hard to tell why you get rejected as they don't give a reason. In Ph.D., they select you through counsel from professors.
How are you planning to manage your finances? Have you applied for any scholarships? What were their procedures?
I haven't applied for any loans. I'm going to a state-run university that is comparatively cheap. The system over there is a 3 quarters system. For each quarter the fee is around $11k but if you get a TA ship you get a compensation of $12k and getting a TA ship is very easy in my field. One of the seniors I talked to told me he got his MS more or less for free. It is hyped that MS is expensive but, in many universities, you get TA ship and fees are returned or in RA ship you get double of what you have to pay. So, it boils down to a lot less of what you have to pay than it is actually projected.
Role of your CGPA?
If you're going for MS you must have something in your CGPA, interns, and projects. If you decide to go for further studies CGPA is very important. And it's a part of the profile but strong recommendations and good projects also matter.
How is your university going to manage everything in this confusion of Covid-19?
They are trying to get visas by having a special allowance for students and all universities have written petitions to visa officers to try to get visas and allow us. Other than that, the university is open right now and there's a good chance we will be able to go this year.
How did IIT Kharagpur benefit you in your journey?
I got into the robotics group KRSSG, where I began my research experience. I knew I wanted to go for further studies. Kharagpur has some good professors in CSE. Especially in NLP and systems. The IIT brand is well known and professors have collaboration with outside professors too.
What difficulties do you think the pandemic will bring (or has brought already) in the process?
As such it was advantageous for me to suppose I was in college, cycle to every place, etc., although at home everything was available, the class was one click away, and the food was good. Even for GRE, I had to go to Delhi but due to the pandemic, I was able to give at home and the same goes for TOEFL. That was beneficial for me. I don't think anyone had a problem with admissions for the pandemic as seats were the same.
What are the opportunities after the Ph.D. course?
After a Ph.D. you can apply for jobs. You can apply to Google Brain, open AI, Facebook AI and there are a lot of opportunities. The list never ends for high-paying jobs and like Microsoft Research, Adobe Research, etc. It's just endless.
What message do you want to give the juniors today who are interested in pursuing similar courses?
Try to give GRE in the 6th semester and it will take a lot of load from you. I prepared from the MugBoost website at a premium subscription price which was good until I found this website called cractmat.com and it's cheap and far better for preparation. Another thing I would add is to start early, it's better to get more experience. Start as soon as possible for writing SOP from August or September, start thinking about how you will get LOR as it is very important. Even if you don't have a good CGPA but a strong LOR from a good professor it will get you in.