From Hyderabad to Stony Brook: How Sriram Built His Path to a Computer Science Master's in New York

Sriram's journey from a data engineer in Hyderabad to a Computer Science master's student at Stony Brook University in New York began with a decision he had made back in his undergraduate days. Instead of immediately pursuing a master's, he chose to spend 2 years working as a data engineer and gaining real industry experience before returning to his original plan. By the time he was ready to study abroad, he already knew the country, stream, and universities he wanted to apply to. His focus was less on figuring out where to study and more on getting the application right. That's where Leap Scholar came in, helping him strengthen his SOP and, more importantly, navigate the US visa process. Although Sriram was familiar with the overall application process, filling out the DS-160 and preparing for his visa interview were completely new to him. With no friends going through the same process alongside him, the dedicated support helped him work through these unfamiliar steps and eventually make his way to Stony Brook University, where he is now pursuing his Master's in Computer Science.

For Sriram, studying abroad was a plan he had put on hold rather than given up on. The extra two years of work experience helped shape when he wanted to make the move, while the application and visa process showed him how having the right guidance could make the journey easier.

Sriram's Journey at a Glance

• From: Hyderabad, India
• Background: 2 years of experience as a Data Engineer
• Course: Master's in Computer Science, Stony Brook University, New York
• Decision: Delayed his master's to gain work experience
• Application: Already had his country, stream, and university shortlist in mind
• Leap Scholar Support: SOP refinement and US visa guidance
• Challenge: Navigating the DS-160 and visa interview for the first time
• Now: Computer Science master's student at Stony Brook University

“Here’s Sriram, in his own words.”

Q. How did your study abroad plans actually come together?

I'd planned to pursue a master's right after my undergrad, but I deliberately delayed it by a year or two to get some real work experience first. I completed my undergraduate in 2024 and spent the next two years working as a data engineer in Hyderabad. Around October or November last year, once I'd already finished my IELTS and GRE, I started the actual application process.

Q. How did you come across Leap Scholar?

A friend of mine suggested them right around the time I was starting my applications. I had a call with someone from the team, and that's really how it began.

Q. Were you clear on your country and course from the start, or did that evolve?

I was completely clear on the country and the stream from day one. The university itself took longer to finalize; I had a few in mind, and the Leap Scholar team suggested additional options too, but I didn't actually settle on Stony Brook until March this year. Until then, I was mostly waiting on results from the applications I'd already sent out.

Q. How did your parents react to the decision?

They were supportive throughout, mainly because this had been the plan since my undergraduate years; it wasn't a sudden decision they had to adjust to. They did express some worry, mostly around the fact that I was heading to a new country entirely on my own, with no friends making the same move alongside me. But they never pushed me either way, they left the decision fully up to me.

Q. What was the university shortlisting process like with Leap Scholar?

Fairly light touch, honestly, since I already had a set of universities in mind and was fairly particular about applying only to those. The team did suggest a few more options, but I didn't end up needing to explore too far beyond my original list.

Q. Did they help with scholarships as well?

They tried, yes, specifically for Stony Brook, but the university doesn't really have a history of offering scholarships, so I didn't end up receiving one. I appreciated that they still made the attempt.

Q. Where did you feel you got the most value from Leap Scholar?

Definitely my SOP and the visa process. I had a rough first draft of my SOP, but it was nowhere close to what I needed. Someone from their SOP team worked with me directly to refine it into something far stronger. For the visa side, Sri Lakshmi from their team supported me from the moment I confirmed my university, right through filing the I-20, the DS-160, tracking down interview slots, and even running mock interviews with me before the actual one.

Q. Would you recommend Leap Scholar to others?

Definitely, especially for anyone who already understands the general application process but feels unsure about specific pieces of it. I was fairly confident about the applications themselves but had zero idea how to approach something like the DS-160 or the wider visa process, and I didn't have any friends going through the same journey to ask. That's exactly where Leap Scholar made the most significant difference for me.