u/Neat_Sir_1455

Hey everyone,

I’d really appreciate some advice on a very late decision between:

• MBZUAI MSc Machine Learning - fully funded + stipend
• École Polytechnique (X) MScT in Large Language Models, Graphs and Applications (LLGa) - scholarship covering a significant part of tuition

I’m Indian and recently completed my undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Computer Science at X, with a fairly rigorous background in probability/statistics, stochastic processes, optimization, numerical methods, algorithms, systems and ML.

My long-term goals are still somewhat open. The main possibilities I’m considering are:

• ML/AI Engineer after the Master's
• PhD/research in ML, potentially RL, federated learning or financial ML
• Eventually moving towards Quant Research/Trading, possibly after further study in applied math/financial engineering
• Potentially entrepreneurship later on

So I’m mainly trying to preserve optionality while building strong depth in ML.

My dilemma is basically this:

MBZUAI: financially extremely attractive, dedicated AI environment, new institution/network for me, and I could potentially save a meaningful amount of the stipend for further study later.

X: stronger existing European network/base for me, academic rigour, potentially better mobility within Europe, and I already have a scholarship there that I’m somewhat reluctant to give up. However, I’ve already spent my undergraduate years at X and LLGa itself is a new program.

So I’m trying to optimize for:

ML career opportunities + PhD/research potential + international mobility + ability to pivot into quant + financial flexibility.

I’m admittedly also tempted by the idea that the MBZUAI stipend could help fund another degree later, while the academic environment and EU factor of X, plus maybe a little Stockholm Syndrome lol, keep pulling me back.

If you were in my shoes, which would you choose?

I’d especially appreciate input from current MBZUAI students/alumni (and likewise for MScT students) on research opportunities, internships/placements, academic quality, and how well MBZUAI (likewise for MScT) graduates are viewed internationally.

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I’d really appreciate some advice on a very late decision between:

• MBZUAI MSc Machine Learning - fully funded + stipend
• École Polytechnique (X) MScT in Large Language Models, Graphs and Applications (LLGa) - scholarship covering a significant part of tuition

I’m Indian and recently completed my undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Computer Science at X, with a fairly rigorous background in probability/statistics, stochastic processes, optimization, numerical methods, algorithms, systems and ML.

My long-term goals are still somewhat open. The main possibilities I’m considering are:

• ML/AI Engineer after the Master's
• PhD/research in ML, potentially RL, federated learning or financial ML
• Eventually moving towards Quant Research/Trading, possibly after further study in applied math/financial engineering
• Potentially entrepreneurship later on

So I’m mainly trying to preserve optionality while building strong depth in ML.

My dilemma is basically this:

MBZUAI: financially extremely attractive, dedicated AI environment, new institution/network for me, and I could potentially save a meaningful amount of the stipend for further study later.

X: stronger existing European network/base for me, academic rigour, potentially better mobility within Europe, and I already have a scholarship there that I’m somewhat reluctant to give up. However, I’ve already spent my undergraduate years at X and LLGa itself is a new program.

So I’m trying to optimize for:

ML career opportunities + PhD/research potential + international mobility + ability to pivot into quant + financial flexibility.

I’m admittedly also tempted by the idea that the MBZUAI stipend could help fund another degree later, while the academic environment and EU factor of X, plus maybe a little Stockholm Syndrome lol, keep pulling me back.

If you were in my shoes, which would you choose?

I’d especially appreciate input from current MBZUAI students/alumni (and likewise for MScT students) on research opportunities, internships/placements, academic quality, and how well MBZUAI (likewise for MScT) graduates are viewed internationally.

Thanks!

(Please pardon the timing of this post given how near the start of the graduate academic year at MBZUAI is... but I am genuinely confused given my circumstances.)

Hey folks!

I would really appreciate some genuine advice on which program I should be joining.

For context, I received an offer for the MSc Machine Learning at MBZUAI and an offer for the MScT in Large Language Models, Graphs and Applications at École Polytechnique (X), France, with a scholarship covering a significant part of the tuition at X.

I also completed my undergraduate degree at X in a fairly rigorous Mathematics/Computer Science program. I am Indian by nationality.

The main problem is that I am still not completely sure about my long-term goals.

My background has always been somewhat broad. In high school, I was mainly preparing for competitive entrance examinations in India and was particularly interested in Physics, while also doing some science/engineering competitions and technical projects. Eventually, I decided to study Mathematics and Computer Science abroad.

During my Bachelor's, I followed a fairly demanding curriculum across pure/applied mathematics and computer science, including subjects such as analysis, linear algebra, probability and statistics, stochastic processes, optimization, numerical methods, algorithms, systems, machine learning, computer vision, etc.

I probably made the mistake of trying to take on too much academically instead of specializing earlier, and my grades were consequently not as strong as I would have liked. Over time, however, I went increasingly into ML and software engineering, built a number of projects, did a couple of internships, and eventually received these two Master's offers.

As for what I want to do afterwards, that is where things get complicated.

One possibility is simply working as a Machine Learning / AI Engineer after my Master's.

Another possibility is eventually pursuing a PhD in ML, perhaps in areas such as reinforcement learning, federated learning, financial ML or something adjacent, and potentially working in a research-oriented role or an AI lab.

I am also quite interested in quantitative finance. If I develop enough depth in applied mathematics and ML, I could imagine pursuing further study in something like Financial Engineering later and attempting to move towards Quant Research / Trading.

And longer term, if the right opportunity came along, I would also be very interested in entrepreneurship. I had an opportunity to pursue something entrepreneurial recently but decided that the timing was not right. However, starting something of my own remains something I would seriously consider later.

So yes, I realise that sounds pretty scattered. I have always been interested in a lot of different areas, and at this stage I am essentially trying to choose the option that preserves the most high-quality paths while still giving me real depth in ML.

This is basically how I am thinking about the two options:

With MBZUAI, the financial side is extremely attractive. The funding and stipend would give me significant breathing room and potentially allow me to save money for further study or other opportunities later. I would also be moving into an environment entirely focused on AI/ML and experiencing a completely new institution.

With École Polytechnique, I would retain my existing base and network in France and potentially preserve greater mobility within Europe. The scholarship also means something to me personally, since it feels like something I earned after a fairly difficult undergraduate experience, and I imagine it could be a useful signal professionally as well. At the same time, I have already spent several years at X, and the LLGa MScT itself is a new program without an established track record yet.

So what I am really trying to optimize for is some combination of:

ML/AI career opportunities, research/PhD potential, international mobility, the possibility of moving into quant later, financial flexibility, and keeping entrepreneurship open as an option.

I know I have listed a lot of possible directions, but that uncertainty is genuinely part of why I am finding the choice difficult. I don't want to unnecessarily close doors at this stage, and I would like to make the decision that gives me the strongest platform for the next few years.

If you were in my shoes, which would you choose: MBZUAI MSc ML or École Polytechnique MScT LLGa?

I am also admittedly quite tempted by the fact that, with MBZUAI, I could save a meaningful part of the stipend and potentially use it to fund another degree later. At the same time, the academic rigour and European mobility that come with X, plus maybe a little Stockholm Syndrome lol, keep pulling me back, even though X certainly has its own problems too (like social superiority of ingenieurs etc over masters...)

I would especially appreciate perspectives from current MBZUAI students/alumni regarding the quality of the program, research opportunities, internships, placements, and how graduates are viewed internationally.

Thanks a lot for reading this long post. Any honest perspective would be greatly appreciated.

PS: I know I am asking this much later than I ideally should have. I had nearly arrived at a decision already, but recently started second-guessing the logic and trade-offs behind it.