Comment by FullMetalJason

Thanks! I have Masters in CS from a state uni(Have a thesis in Machine learning). Been in industry(FAANG) for 2 years as an ML engineer(I know that's not a great track to be in for research). But I am very much interested in getting into core research teams like FAIR / Google Research as a Research Scientist(trust me when I say that the teams set the bar very clearly with an entry minimum of phd though you are exceptional as an ML engineer and they are highly attached to certain unis too. That's reality). I am not in the 99th percentile with my grades though(3.5/4.0). I understand that's also an important factor with admissions. So I am working on boosting my profile up with some good pubs. Pointers?