Acceptance Rates for CS and Aerospace Graduate Programs

Thank you so much sevmom
He wants to study now, he hasnt figured out his path for the next 30 years, as a parent I want to support everything :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:
Who wouldnt

He is such a great kid
I dont question him, I dont discourage him, I dont tell him something is impossible even before he tries it.

I’m still confused. Did he get an offer so he could “work ASAP” while he was still at CMU?

Thank you @eyemgh
He wants to study/go back to college
He feels he knows what interests him, he has enough saved up AND I can finance it if need be. I am just looking to understand acceptance rates of Grad schools since I have no idea about it
He is applying to elites, and some other schools in various states

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@eyemgh
I do not know the “right quantity” of academic rigor that would satiate him :stuck_out_tongue:
If he says he wants to do only Masters I am going to believe it, one year down the road if he says he wants to continue on to PhD I will support him
I am going to allow him to change his mind, be all over the place, enjoy, explore and find more of whatever he loves to study however much

For now its Masters only, hence I am trying to seek input
I will continue to rally behind and support his education financially for however long he wants me to :slight_smile: :joy:

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He was going to graduate Dec of Senior Yr, which he did in December 2020
He wanted to go off and find himself a job soon after school ended in Dec 2020
The stars did not align he could not find a job he liked until Oct 2021, 10 months later
He did some thinking in the meanwhile and decided to go the grad school route

I personally feel even if he had an offer in hand in August 2020 at the start of Senior and changed his mind in December 2020 and wanted to pursue academic life instead he should be allowed to :grin:

You said he has done self reflection, which is wonderful. Why does he think it took so long to find a job in industry , despite a CS degree from a top program? If he truly prefers research, academia, etc. , that’s great, but is he going that route because of lack of initial job success? Good luck to him and you!

Yes @sevmom
Despite having a fantastic CGPA and GPA even the initial HR screening calls were far and few
Some things in life are unexplainable. I wish I knew why, he followed SpaceX news rigorously the last two or so years (probably will sound ridiculous to some parents of overachieving kids around here :p) and thought
“Hey how about I try an Aerospace Masters?”
He loves Math, he is gifted, so he explored Grad School and found he also liked Applied Math subjects

I know a pulmonary physician in my city who started out as elementary music teacher, I know an AI PhD who started with an undergrad in History that works in my semiconductor company as VP

If they all thought like you they wouldnt be where they are today :joy:
He needs to try however impossible the world believes his chances are

Thanks for your input though
Appreciate it a lot

He can certainly be an AE. I hope you don’t feel I was suggesting otherwise. He can’t however just move into a graduate program in AE without a major backfill in his education. As a CS he’d probably need to step back all the way to second year engineering classes, certainly dynamics, if not statics. If he’s interested in SpaceX (he should talk to friends there to really find out; it’s known as a tough place to work), why not work as a CS?

As for the challenges of getting a job even for the best papered, I can relate! My son (BS Magna Cum Laude MS With Distinction, ME) was particular, but he applied to a bunch of positions and heard crickets. He was hired as the first new grad to an elite team of industry veterans at a hot startup. They obviously saw something in him that those hiring for the “shoe in” jobs didn’t. There’s no rhyme or reason, other than people hiring are looking for experience. He’s been headhunted since.

Best of luck to him!

As a parent, I fully understand that you want to support your son’s decision. However, I have a feeling that he hasn’t been well advised. He probably should pursue a funded PhD, rather than a unfunded MS degree, whether in CS, applied math, or aerospace engineering. An MS, especially one without a thesis, isn’t likely to add much value in his case. If he does an MS with a thesis, it’s going to take at least 2 years (and likely longer if he switches to aerospace or applied math). What area in CS was he specialized in at CMU? Would he continue that specialty if he decides to stay with CS in grad school?

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Thank you for the input, I will pass it along (Unless he already has found it himself :slight_smile: