What I Did Right, What I Did Wrong

Graduate School
21

<p>This is an excellent thread for anyone planning to go to graduate school. I have a few questions. My son will be applying to graduate school next year.</p>

<p>I noticed some people applied to ten different schools. My son has some good relationships with professors for letters of recommendation. I told him to pick three (four maximum) graduate schools to send applications because it is unreasonable to ask his references to send out LORs to ten different schools. I understand they probably write one boilerplate letter and then copy & paste it for each school, but it still seems ten schools is asking too much. I was thinking that if you prevail upon someone for a favor, it is better to not push your luck. Am I wrong? </p>

<p>My son is still not sure between two specialties (having a different set of professors in charge of each specialty) within the major that he wants to do in graduate school. Even though the specialties are related, I am hearing from this thread that he absolutely has to make a choice and focus on it in his SOP. Am I hearing correctly that he simply can not waver at all about exactly what he wants to study in graduate school? </p>

<p>My son is in the process of putting together material to be published. I told him it has to be published before his application for grad school is sent. There is often a 4/5 month period of time between submitting a paper and getting it published in a journal. Would putting down in his grad school application that a paper was accepted for future publication be worth anything or must it be actually published to be given weight? In another words, if my son was able to list the journal name and future date of publication, would that be worth anything?</p>

<p>Once again, it is threads like this that make me keep coming back to CC. Thanks for the help.</p>

22

<p>The shorts answer(s)</p>

<p>In my opinion 4 programs is too few…grad programs aren’t like undergrad where you have the #'s and can reliably tell whether or not you’ll get in. The more the better (so long as they’re all places your son actually would go if admitted).</p>

<p>Professors are accustomed to sending out many letters. It shouldn’t be a problem.</p>

<p>Having an article accepted for future publication is great. Most grad school applicants are unpublished so having anything is a bonus.</p>

23

<p>The long answers:</p>

<p>The number of schools and need for specialization will really depend on the specific kind of programs he is applying to. For instance, people applying to umbrella biology programs get up into the double-digits of applications somewhat regularly, and really don’t need to have picked a specific sub-field.</p>

<p>If his two choices are housed within the same programs, then he can still certainly apply (and I’m the one who harps on knowing what one wants to do before going!). This is where schools that emphasize rotations are important. They do like to see flexibility and open-mindedness in applicants. If he has had experiences that reasonably led to his interests (ie: actually did research or took upper-division classes), it will probably not be seen as detrimental at all. </p>

<p>When we say people should know what they want to do, it’s more in that students shouldn’t go into a program uncertain of whether they would be happy doing the associated work. Grad school is for people who want to continue pursuing a passion, not just take the next step because they think it’s what they’re supposed to do. Someone who just hasn’t quite narrowed it down all the way, but knows a particular kind of program is perfect, shouldn’t hesitate. (For example, my problem was having a background in classical genetics, but wanting to study viral evolution. I couldn’t find an evolution department I’d be happy in, nor could I find a pathogen/micro department I’d be happy in, so I needed more time to figure it all out.)</p>

<p>As for letters, if he’s upfront and honest with his writers, it shouldn’t be a problem on their end to produce ten or more. They do this all the time and just copy-paste from one school to the next. Your son should put together a schedule of all schools’ deadlines (and when he plans on having his app in), methods of submission, appropriate links, and give them to the professors well in advance, along with a copy of his SOP and resume. That way, the professors have time to tell him whether they can meet the deadlines and he can gauge their willingness.</p>

<p>Normally, I recommend people aim for 6 or so. By having two fields of interest, it isn’t unreasonable to expect that number to be higher. If a school is only strong in one area, he should consider tailoring his SOP to that field for that program (and it should be reflected in his packet to letter writers which sub-field (or both) he is focusing on at each school).</p>

<p>Overall, if he is can apply to single programs that would allow him to pick between the two interests, he’s really in fine shape. </p>

<p>Publication-wise, an accepted paper is simply called “in press” on a resume/CV, and is just as good as being actually published for apps. “In submission” and “in review” are even okay (though not as good) because it shows that the project is at least in a coherent, finished form and the applicant deserves authorship.</p>

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<p>One last, ruling consideration: applying for a Ph.D. is not like applying to undergrad; it’s like applying for a job. If you get in, you will be recruited personally like an employee because you basically will be an employee of the university. Basically, I think that What Color Is Your Parachute might be one of the best getting-into-grad-school books out there, although you would obviously have to adjust the advice (for “business” read “school,” etc.)</p>

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<p>this is great, thanks!</p>

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<p>What I did right:</p>

<p>1 - I started out extremely strong. I have my masters and I learned a lot through that process. I didn’t allow myself to waffle when I got serious about this. People joked that I looked like I was ready to start school this fall. </p>

<p>2 - Saved the money for grad school needs during summer. By the end, it will have cost about $800 to apply to six schools (transcripts, app fees, priority mailing). During my master’s process, that hit me hard. I was working, but wasn’t ready for the sudden disappearance of cash! I had to hold an app for almost a month because I couldn’t afford to send it. Saving it early took a huge stress off my mind, this time. </p>

<p>3 - When I realized I was going for fall 2010, I IMMEDIATLEY contacted my masters professors and got them to commit… in June. :slight_smile: lol Aside from giving them enough time, I wanted to lock myself into it. I could always back out, but then I’d have to tell them that…not happening. </p>

<p>4 - Created a dashboard/spreadsheet with school info (basically everything on the program’s admission pages), 1-2 staff and faculty contacts and had links to the program pages and application websites. I highly recommend this, if you’re a Type A. Some days I’d be ready to have a panic attack, but my spreadsheet shows me I was on track and I could calm down. It’s also great for the application links. Bookmarks can be cumbersome and, it seems nowadays, you often can’t choose your login or password. So having it right there next to the hyperlink was awesome. (If you’d like a copy, let me know.)</p>

<p>Things I did wrong -</p>

<p>1- Statement of Purpose Anxiety - I planned to send everything off in November; I still have 2 left. >_< Luckily, they aren’t due until mid-January. But I allowed that stupid statment to make me think I had to write something that would make President Obama call me from the White House and demand I be his new speechwriter. :slight_smile: I spent too many hours, writing too much that didn’t matter, for people who will probably just glance at it for a few seconds. c’est la vie. </p>

<p>2 - Didn’t follow up enough. Some transcripts haven’t arrived yet, but some have, so I feel ok. However, my GRE report is outstanding at at all of them (I just found out), whose deadlines have passed, and I have no idea why. I sent the request in mid-October (used old scores) and received my copy a few days later. I know schools get them at varying frequencies, but it’s been two months. I’m calling on Monday. </p>

<p>3 - Allowed uncessary junk to get in the way. Work, job #2, draining people. The nights I spent working late should have been spent checking my status for thos material and working on my personal statment. </p>

<p>4 - Wished I would’ve done more visits. The cost hurt too badly and I didnd’t want to risk taking time off work with several new bosses and a lot of other changes. In the end I had contact with all of my schools, though. 2 inperson visits, 2 through recruiter fairs (don’t waste your time on those, unless you’re still in the deciding phase about any of the ones who will be there. Or unless if you’re just reallllly early and just checking things out.)</p>

<p>It’s okay though. I will finish these two apps this week and, overall it’s been a great process. I just taught a session about this at my sorority’s convention, so I’m happy to speak with any of you and show you what I used to help get me through. </p>

<p>…on the flipside…anyone know any good anxiety boards for the decisions-waiting process? :D</p>

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<p>The GradCafe Forums have a section called “**Waiting it Out<a href=“No,%20checking%20your%20mail%20ten%20more%20times%20a%20day%20won’t%20get%20the%20notice%20there%20any%20faster.”>/b</a>”</p>

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<p>What I did right:</p>

<p>1) Took the GRE a year and a half ago to get it out of the way</p>

<p>2) Got on things early–started researching in June, and got two apps out in November, which both have January deadlines</p>

<p>3) Cut two of my four schools from my list; I decided I wouldn’t go to one even if it was my only acceptance, and found that another didn’t fit as well as I’d hoped</p>

<p>4) Got a hold of letter writers in September</p>

<p>5) Spent agonizing hours writing and rewriting and proofing my essays and focused on fit–definitely didn’t half ass here</p>

<p>Things I did wrong:</p>

<p>1) Should’ve kept in better contact with letter writers up until now</p>

<p>2) Should’ve emailed faculty at prospective schools to float my name a bit</p>

<p>3) Should’ve retaken the GRE, now realizing that most schools take the best sections to give you the best total score</p>

<p>4) Should’ve done more in the last year to strengthen my application for this season</p>

29

<p>I might be repeating some things that have been mentioned already, but nevertheless:</p>

<p>What I did right:</p>

<p>-applied to a good number of programs (I was always told >5, so I ended up with 12), and got waivers wherever I could</p>

<p>-kept a detailed spreadsheet with info to distinguish between schools, deadlines, characteristics of programs, and more (this one also helped with keeping track of what documents schools received)</p>

<p>-did extensive research on faculty and how their work matches my interests</p>

<p>-started the faculty search in August before applying (I ended up with a list of >100 professors and their research to help me narrow down from 20 schools to 10, and I think I would have died if I was trying to do that AND take classes)</p>

<p>-took the GRE January of my junior year (gave me plenty of opportunities to retake, although I got the score I wanted the first time around)</p>

<p>-asked for SOP and CV reviews from 3 different people, including my research mentor, by September/October</p>

<p>-submitted applications 2-3 weeks before they were due (although this sometimes led to temporary loss of letters or transcripts because some schools weren’t even ready to accept applications)</p>

<p>-did a mock interview at my school (this one really saved me!)</p>

<p>-talked to current students/postdocs at conferences and other professional events</p>

<p>What I did wrong:</p>

<p>-applied to too many schools because I thought I would get in, not because I really liked them</p>

<p>-didn’t maintain very strong relationships with faculty at my school because I do research off-campus, so come recommendations time, I was scrambling to find somebody who knew me really well - especially because my academic major and my proposed area of graduate study are very different</p>

<p>-accepted too many interview offers, and had trouble with overlap and scheduling over classes (I DO want to graduate… someday)</p>

<p>The biggest issue I have had was really with time management, because I’m still finishing undergrad; the biggest thing that has kept me sane was the spreadsheet organization of everything and anything involved in the process. Somebody suggested it to me a long time ago, and I am so glad I followed that advice. I was very lost in the undergrad application process, and I think four years later I have been much more focused and prepared.</p>

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<p>Jade-Congrats on submitting your applications. I’d greatly appreciate a copy of your spreadsheet - I just send you a pm with my email address.</p>

<p>Thanks for sharing</p>

31

<p>WRONG: I applied to too many programs. I just received word that I got into my first choice program, a few days after sending in my last application… so… I probably “wasted” $550 on schools that at this point, I applied to because I under-valued myself. </p>

<p>Then again, my GRE scores weren’t stellar and the school I got into never asked. In fact, most of the schools I applied to, in info-sessions stated that they found a negative correlation between how well students did and how high their scores were… funny.</p>

32

<p>Although it may be painful to admit mistakes, I hope that people who did not have the results they expected this application cycle will take the time to post about what they did right and what they did wrong so future applicant can learn from their mistakes.</p>

33

<p>So I’m done with the process (thankfully!), and I thought I’d give my two cents after all’s said and done.</p>

<p>What I Did Right:</p>

<p>1) I did a very thorough search of prospective schools and kept notes about the entire process. I kept a file on every school I searched through and, whenever I found faculty that piqued my interest, I made a short note containing both their name and a brief summary of their research. It REALLY helped me when it came time to narrow down the list of schools.</p>

<p>2) After narrowing down the list of schools, I did something similar to colchiques’ spreadsheet idea. I made a list of schools, and I kept the following tabs on each of them:
-Their deadline
-If I had officially submitted the application yet
-If my transcripts were received
-If my GRE scores were received
-If my letters of recommendation were received
-Prospective interview dates (if posted on the website)</p>

<p>3) Started early on my statement of purpose and it showed. I was complimented on it a couple times at interviews, and I think that was a decent boost to my application.</p>

<p>4) Contacted a couple professors at each school, often simply to ask, “Is there any chance you’re actively recruiting graduate students to your lab?” Saved me from applying to a couple programs I would otherwise likely have not been happy at.</p>

<p>5) Was enthusiastic at each of my interviews and tried to do as much networking as possible. Useful for me both in that I was introduced to a few faculty from other departments I might end up doing a rotation with, and that it never hurts to get your name out there.</p>

<p>What I Did Wrong:</p>

<p>1) Didn’t try and get fee waivers, and didn’t join the McNair Scholars Program. Spent way more than I should have because I didn’t just think to ask.</p>

<p>2) Applied to a couple safety schools, and didn’t realize until I’d been extended an interview by one that, even if it was my only acceptance, I wouldn’t go (although this was partly due to my girlfriend saying she’d move with me wherever I went when the interview process was half over).</p>

<p>3) Applied to too many reach schools, one of which was more on a whim. Six of my ten schools were top 15 programs, and–though I was accepted to one of them–a more realistic assessment of my profile and state of funding/admissions would’ve prevented me from applying to a couple of them (namely, UC Berkeley and UCSF).</p>

<p>4) Tried to do too many interviews. I’m finishing up my last quarter as an undergraduate, and I’m taking 21 quarter units. Several of these are GE courses with a mandatory attendance, and–while my professors have all been very understanding (to the point my Communications professor led the class in a round of applause after he heard through the grapevine I’d been accepted to my top choice)–there was a significant amount of stress and time crunches. I ended up denying one interview outright, and (unfortunately) had to cancel another after I’d formerly accepted it.</p>

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<p>What I did right:</p>

<p>Took time off before applying. After undergrad, I was tired of school, in debt, wasn’t sure what I wanted, and just wasn’t feeling it. Now I’m ready to go back.</p>

<p>Applied to only the schools I’d be thrilled to attend. I’m OK with where I am now; reapplying won’t be the end of the world, and I’ll have another year to strengthen my app.</p>

<p>Worked for, and impressed, a faculty member at my top-choice school. I’m fairly sure that’s how I got an interview there. For better or worse, grad school is about who you know.</p>

<p>Got the GRE over with quickly. When I decided I was going to apply this cycle, I registered and tested within the week. I’m a good test-taker, so YMMV.</p>

<p>Ditto on the transcripts. I didn’t have a problem with this, but I’ve heard they can go missing. So I got them done early. One less thing to worry about.</p>

<p>Really worked on the statement of purpose. Not just the prose (although I went through ~15 drafts, which might have been overkill). I developed a serious research agenda, and explained how my unusual training would complement the work at Grad School X and push the field in new directions. Having a research agenda made me stand out in a good way (was told this at my interview) and also helped clarify for myself what I wanted to get out of the PhD.</p>

<p>What I did wrong:</p>

<p>My transcript is a hot mess. Don’t do that if you can avoid it. =P</p>

<p>Only asked three people for a LOR. I only had three people who could plausibly write a good one (people that I had worked for), and I needed good letters to make up for the above, so I hoped for the best. One of them made the deadline; the second was over five weeks late, and the third never bothered to send one at all (despite months of emails, in-person visits, etc). Don’t let this happen to you - get at least one extra.</p>

<p>Applied to my UG department to keep one of my LORs happy. The same guy never bothered to write one, but it was still a waste of $100 - they don’t really take their UGs, and it wasn’t the best fit.</p>

<p>Didn’t contact professors I was considering working with. I’m kind of shy, and I didn’t want to annoy them. One of my criteria for choosing schools this round was that there were at least three labs I’d want to be in - this made contacts less critical, but also basically limited me to the top four schools in the field. For the next round, applying to more places, I will really need to get on this.</p>

<p>Stressed too much about the interview. I was ready to get grilled, but there was basically none of that - I think the most confrontational question I got was “why this department”. Makes me wonder how they pick out the rejects…yeah, pardon me while I bite my nails some more.</p>

<p>Stressed too much in general. I’m now trying to think of this as practice for my scientific career - the successful scientist, upon encountering rejection, mutters obscenities at the rejecting committee and then goes to collect yet more data to show his/her awesomeness. So if I go 0/4 this year, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. (Cause those bleepers don’t know me, yo…sigh.)</p>

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<p>what I did right:</p>

<p>-took time off to work in a lab and clarify my research interests. ended up not only learning a lot of science, but also a lot about what kind of PI I like working with the best and how to get the most out of your first year in grad school.</p>

<p>-powered through some near melt downs in college and finished with a solid transcript/good letters of rec.</p>

<p>-made lots of contacts through conferences, research collaborations, and alumni networking, so I was able to come up with a list of schools that were reasonable to get into and really good fits for my interests.</p>

<p>-didn’t stress too much about the application process, literally wrote my SOP in one hour, sent it out to lots of people for feedback, and then submitted.</p>

<p>what I did wrong:</p>

<p>-should have applied to more ‘top’ places just for comparison, I ended up getting into my top two and am now having all kinds of doubts based on what I heard from friends loving their visits at other places (MIT, Berkeley, etc).</p>

<p>-should have applied to a more geographically diverse set of schools just to have some free airfare to warmer places.</p>

<p>-I was a little restricted in what departments to apply to because I was too lazy to take a subject GRE, and now I wish I had done that to have more options</p>

<p>overall: it worked out and I have no reason to complain!</p>

36

<p>First of all, this is such a great thread! I am a junior looking into grad school and this thread is helping me to prepare. </p>

<p>Also, a lot of people are saying that keeping in touch with students and faculty members of the grad program is important. How do I do this? I am a bit shy and definitely do not want to bother them, but did the rest of you just email professors/random students and introduce yourself, or did you end up meeting them by visiting the schools?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

37

<p>I never contacted anyone before applying and hearing back from them (then again, I already new professors at several of the schools from other things like collaborations), so I don’t think you need to stress out about doing that unless you have some serious questions for them that will help you decide if you should apply. Once you get in, they usually assign a few professors to be in touch with you to see if you have any more questions, at this point you can’t go wrong because they’re trying to sell the program to you.</p>

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<p>Grad students usually don’t mind answering questions and keeping in contact with you and giving you the REAL scoop on the program, as long as you respect boundaries :slight_smile: We’re probably the easiest people to contact cold, and I have referred people to professors of interest when necessary.</p>

39

<p>What I did right:</p>

<p>I was realistic about my chances from the beginning. I was already an adult (28), and I had a career, so I had to go to school wherever was closest, although it was a GREAT small state college, I knew it would be more difficult to get into grad school, so this is what I did to make myself competitive for a PhD program in neuroscience:</p>

<p>-Started research with a masters student the first week of my first semester. I was clueless, but I learned fast!</p>

<p>-Went to conferences, presented posters, gave talks. This fills up a CV quite nicely, and you meet a lot of brilliant people at schools you’ve never HEARD of! (contacts!)</p>

<p>-Got involved in outreach at the school in any way I could, this was noted in my letters of recommendation.</p>

<p>-Made myself look diesel in my personal statement: 30 hours of work, full time student, research, and outreach…Dean’s list every semester.</p>

<p>-Asked any professor that would sit still long enough their take on grad school admissions, they all said something like: research interests are king, so are lab skills, so you just have to fit in their niche. Also- have a good enough profile to make it into the “considered” pile.</p>

<p>-I only applied where I would honestly GO, after researching everything about the school and the area- from labs that shared my interests, to public transportation and local rent.</p>

<p>-I made sure to include an equal amount of schools in my list of choices from the different “tiers”. There are no such thing as safety schools, but there are incredible programs at schools you have never heard of, and brand new programs that haven’t even been ranked. Everyone applies to the top 10 schools, some other incredible top 25 programs get very few applicants, give yourself the opportunity to go to school, instead of trying to shove yourself in the same slot 1000 other kids are trying to get into.</p>

<p>I only did two things wrong, these are the things I believe had the largest negative impact on my application: </p>

<p>I blew off my GRE’s, I still did OK considering I studied for only two weeks at my own pace, which was very casual…I was considered at all the programs I applied, but that weak Q score could have been enough to steer them towards another applicant.</p>

<p>I applied in the worst possible year. Grad school applications were up everywhere, especially in the biosciences, and even the people who look phenomenal on paper aren’t getting in. </p>

<p>and finally: Don’t take it personally if you don’t get in, I was fully prepared to walk away empty handed when I started this process, thankfully I didn’t! Good luck to everyone in the future!</p>

40

<p>What I did right:</p>

<p>–Took time off after undergrad. I remember being incredibly stressed out throughout senior year, and I can’t imagine what it would’ve been like to simultaneously prepare for and apply to grad school. Heck, applying to JOBS was nerve-wracking enough, and I didn’t even have to take the GRE for that! These days I have a full time research job, but my work day is over at 5pm. Having homework-free evenings and weekends to dedicate to working on my applications was wonderful.</p>

<p>–Kept in close contact with my letter-writers from college. These are people who I worked with 2 or 3 years ago that I knew were reliable, kind, and, most importantly, invested in me. I made sure to stay in contact with them after graduation and provide updates on how/what I was doing.</p>

<p>–Only applied to programs that I really, truly, wholeheartedly adored. However, this decision had a downside…</p>

<p>What I did wrong:</p>

<p>–…Underestimate the emotional impact of potentially getting rejections across the board. I only applied to 5 dream schools because I figured that I would just stay at my job another year and try again later if it didn’t work out, but I sure started regretting not turning in more applications come January! Happily, it all worked out, but I realize that I was incredibly lucky.</p>

<p>–Decided rather late to take the GRE. I took it at one of the last possible dates in the fall, so I had to rush to get my application materials together in time for early December bioscences due dates.</p>

<p>–I really should’ve started doing yoga or something while waiting. Seriously.</p>