selecttext

No, there should be a natural flow between sections

pump out manuscripts- finish MSc and start PhD with a bang!

"our admission is at the discretion of any individual prof; basically, if someone wants to take you, you're in" That is not true at all. There is an entire admissions process with strict minimum requirements. Finding a supervisor is only a hurdle.

Your SSHRC application was forwarded to the national competition by your current university. It is still possible that you won't be funded. In fact, many otherwise successful applications have, in recent years, been declined only because there was not enough funding. you may not be admitted to a graduate program for a number of reasons. apart from your grades and the quality of your application, your program might simply be competitive. A graduate fellowship would certainly make you more appealing to potential supervisors but it wouldn't guarantee your admission. I think that you can defer SSHRC by one year.

I agree that they are not written at the level of a native english speaker but I have no reason to believe that this person has posted misleading information. in general, they are much better than many of the first drafts posted here.

In a section, use your laboratory experience as evidence of your excellent preparation for graduate school but do not mention the supervisor. Have your referees attest to your laboratory abilities in their letters. Make sure to give them a copy of your CV and explain your situation. It would also be very helpful to give them a copy of the manuscript. One thing that puzzles me is if the supervisor has cut off all communications, does he really expect that you will have authorship?

No, you need to write what interests you about the field and what you hope to accomplish. Your courses have piqued a particular interest that is obfuscated by their enumeration. The reader should not have to disentangle your interests from your long 2nd and 3rd paragraphs. You should be much more specific and to the point. Just imagine you had a stack of these to read. would you prefer to read long and complicated or concise and clear letters?

journals with a short turn around time sometimes have a high rejection rate. it's very unlikely that your article would be accepted to any journal without revisions in 6 weeks. do not forget that your co-authors might also request major revisions before you submit. it's a long process - especially your first time. I would focus on finding good referees and writing an excellent statement of purpose.

every field has journals that process manuscripts in short order. under review is as bad as in preparation. people write these to beef up their CVs . committee don't takes these seriously. HOWEVER, you could write a manuscript and send it to your POI who might petition harder for you.

If other referees are aware of your research experience in another lab, they could mention it in your letter.

Meh, it's better to get used to writing bs early in one's research career.

get them drunk

it's more common than you think i agree that it is a surprising request but your supervisor will undoubtedly edit it

If you are embarrassed just ask in a roundabout way whether or not they have received all of your supporting material.

the adcom might be waiting on a POI to agree to supervise you. This could take time as the POI balances budgets and weighs potential applicants. If they are busy or lazy, it will take even longer.

Unless it is specified, your SOP needn't propose a specific project. Mention the research areas that interest you and why you think they are important.

You can Skype with the professor's graduate students - who are generally forthcoming.

small departments are often sleepy and isolating. i am currently in a small department where graduate students are lone wolves, labs are cliquey, and there isn't much collaboration.

I would just ask if I could meet over Skype.

usually in these situations you should go see professors who are familiar with your work ask if they would support your application for a phd. get ready for rejection and exhaust your options. if your performance was good in general then you shouldn't have a problem getting a third letter. at this point there is no way to build your rapport so just be upfront. just in case, bring along a copy of your CV, transcript and statement of purpose.

You should also contact your other referees and apprise them of your difficulty with referee #3. If you have a good relationship and they are in the same department as #3, they may petition him on your behalf. It is really bad form and disrespectful to not deliver a promised letter without any explanation.

it means the department has recommended you for admissions to the faculty/school of graduate studies (who make the final decision) you will probably receive an offer

You probably wouldn't get into an MSc program either - but you should discuss your situation with the graduate advisor for your target school. Aside from your low GPA, there may be problems with you statement of purpose or with you referee reports. By the way, will you receive a graduate diploma or an actual MSc with the 1 year biotech program? My recommendation would be to do the 3rd major and take as many 4th year/grad courses as they will allow. You will then need a very lofty explanation in your SOP.

what was his rational for not writing you a letter?

I disagree. I find new faculty to be very focused on their own research.