Hi,
I’m an international student about to graduate in 1-2 months from BS/MS (it’s a combined program). My field is ML/ robotics. I got rejected from every graduate programs I applied to for Fall 2025 (I only applied to funded programs, so PhD programs + 1 MS). I want to get into robot learning, but there’s no-one at my undergrad working on this, so my research experiences have been in ML but not in the branch robot learning. However, research labs working on this all seem to require prior research fit and/ or connections, and I don’t have either of this since as I mentioned no-one at my undergrad works on that branch. So after all the rejections I’ve been trying to apply for research opportunities at other labs/ in the industry, but have had no luck so far. My resume is built for research, so it’d be hard to get a non-research position in the industry too. I don’t have the money to do an unfunded program either. Does anyone know of a lab I might be able to apply to that’s at least partially funded (I can probably cover a portion of the housing and food cost, not a full-fledged grad program), or know if there are any alternatives I might be able to pursue? Thank you so much!
Comments
You can try reaching out directly to a PI/Lab and letting them know you’re interested and willing to learn, so you’re not just another unknown applicant. Try to do your research on what they do and their papers and try to connect yourself to the lab and how you can help their research even if you don’t have experience. But in the beginning these might be straight up jobs or worse, unpaid internships 🙁
Things aren’t looking to good for the sciences right now. A few mutuals on linked in have had their PhD funding terminated (NSF/NIH). But I don’t think robotics/machine learning is too at risk hopefully !
Can I ask to how many programs you applied?
Maybe its better to have a MS before applying to PhD programs so maybe apply to more MS programs?
Without seeing your grades, letters of recommendation, and personal statement, it’s hard to know what went wrong. The fact that you are in machine learning and want to do robot learning could be a factor as there may be many students who already have experience in the more specific area.
Working in industry seems to make the most sense, so perhaps keep trying there. You have a masters degree which is good, but you may still have to close the gap of not having training in robot learning per se.
It may also be the times, it’s harder to professors to take on international students with uncertainties in funding and Trump’s immigration antics.