u/FewRise6802

Trying to narrow down my options for an MS in HCI and keep landing on these five:

1. Carnegie Mellon
2. University of Washington
3. Georgia Tech
4. University of Michigan
5. Cornell Tech or
6. U C San Diego

Would love to hear from people who went to any of these or know the programs well. A few things I’m trying to figure out:
• Which has the best industry placement?
• How research-heavy vs. applied is each program?
• Is the brand name worth the cost difference?

Drop your thoughts below, especially if you’ve been through one of these programs or hired from them.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Okay I need to vent because this has been bothering me for months now and I know I’m not the only one.
Why do people not understand what LinkedIn is actually for? It’s not just a place to post your wins and humble brag about your new job.

It exists so people can connect, help each other out, share opportunities, talk about skills, refer someone, answer a quick question. That’s literally the whole point.

But here’s what’s actually happening. People will view your profile. Secretly. Multiple times. And still not accept your request. Like what are we doing here? This isn’t Instagram where I’m sliding into your followers hoping you’ll follow back. That game belongs there, not here.

And the ones who DO accept? Ghost you completely. No reply, nothing. You are not a celebrity. You don’t get to accept someone’s request and then decide to respond “whenever you feel like it.” If someone is reaching out to you on LinkedIn, there is a reason. They need help, they have a question, they’re trying to learn something. That’s the whole culture this platform was built on.

The attitude some people carry on here is exactly why breaking into any industry feels impossible. It’s not just competition from the job market. It’s people who could help but choose not to, and then go back to posting about “community” and “paying it forward.”

Make it make sense.