raul.carmo

Hello everyone, I will start applying to PhD programs this month but I am not confident that my SOP is good enough. As an international student, I have little knowledge on this since writing SOP for graduate schools is not common my country (if existent). Can someone review my SOP and tell me what could be changed to improve it? Any advice is welcome ps.: I have ommited the university and faculty members names for an ethical reason. Thanks Raul L. L. Carmo I am writing on behalf of my application for the Doctoral program in Chemistry at X University. I have earned a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the Federal University of Viçosa (Brazil) in 2015 and the strong research on catalysis and new synthetic methodologies conducted in your institution made me very interested in pursuing graduate studies at your department. Since sophomore year in college, I have been involved in research projects in the interface between organic and inorganic chemistry, studying new ways to transform abundant and cheap substances into valuable compounds using less toxic reagents and generating less waste. In my senior thesis I managed to transform compounds extracted from pine trees into biologically-active amines in a one-pot procedure using ethanol instead of toluene as a solvent, a greener approach to the synthesis of amines that led to higher yields and selectivities than the traditional systems already used. In addition, I had the opportunity to take graduate-level courses at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil) about group theory, advanced mass spectrometry and experimental nuclear magnetic resonance which contributed to my understanding of important concepts of my research area. I have also spent the 2012-2013 academic year in the U.S studying chemistry at Allegheny College and University of California Davis as a recipient of the Science Without Borders scholarship. Studying abroad has introduced me to state-of-the-art science and allowed me to operate new instruments and learn new techniques not available in my home institution. In 2016, the American Chemical Society awarded me with a scholarship to travel to Panama, where I received intensive training on scientific outreach and communication. This opportunity has impacted the way I think chemistry can serve our society and made me realize I can do more for my country than I ever expected through science. Brazil has numerous economic and social inequality problems,and I think one of the most powerful ways to overcome them is through international scientific cooperation and knowledge exchange. Research experience combined with extensive theoretical and practical training received during the baccalaureate and graduate-level courses encouraged me to take a step further in my career as a scientist. My professional goal is to become highly qualified in the field of catalysis and teach at an institution committed to social, economic, environmental and scientific development in my country. The PhD program in Chemistry at X University is a very good fit for me since it has a structure with all the resources I need to advance in my research, with Dr. Y and Dr. Z groups being very active and relevant to my field. It is also a medium-sized program in a small city, in that way I would feel more at home than I would in a big city where I would only be seen as a number. I am confident that the aforementioned characteristics make me a viable candidate for this graduate program. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss my candidacy with the department faculty and provide further information. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Hello everyone, I am applying to dozens of chemistry graduate programs in the US right now but I wonder if my application has any chance of being accepted by a top 50 program. My GRE scores are: V-160, Q-154, AW 3.0 TOEFL: 113/120 GPA: 3.1 general, 3.6 in chemistry I have been involved in research since sophomore year in college and I hold a MS degree in chemistry, but my home institution is small and unfortunately I couldn't make any publications out of it, only presentations in small symposia. I can also get 3 good letters of reference from faculty members and my advisor. Another plus in my application is that I have studied one year in the US as the recipient of a scholarship (studying abroad is really rare in my country) and receive other small scholarships throughout my 'career'. Is there anyone who have been in a similar situation and got in a decent PhD program? Do I stand a chance? ps.: my research interest is in the field of organometallic catalysis and new synthetic methodologies

I have strong interest in an academic career and since I received my BS in Chemistry I've been thinking about the next steps and trying not to screw up my best chances. Let me explain my background before moving to the actual question: I've graduated in Brazil from a medium-sized university that has a very small chemistry department, so I didn't have that vast experience in research as an undergraduate at a big institution. I have actually been involved in research since my sophomore year but I couldn't make any publications out of it (only presentations in small symposia and conferences). I studied in the US for one year as a scholarship recipient but it was more coursework than research. So basically I have two options: Apply to a PhD program in a small chemistry department, in which chances of being approved are at least real (I got accepted to such a program last year but I had to refuse). Apply to a master's program in a medium-sized university that offers a terminal M.S. degree, since departments with Ph.D. programs almost never accept students for a M.S.) so I can strengthen my CV and then apply to a Ph.D. at a top University The reason for all this doubtfulness is that the Ph.D. is the highest degree in academia and obtaining one from an unknown university or program might kill your chances of getting hired at a good company or institution in the future. What I still don't know is that if an MS degree would be a plus when applying to a doctoral program later (I would try my best to come out of the master's with publications and conferences of course). Is my reasoning correct? And if it is, which option should I consider? Ps: My GRE scores are Q-154 (56%), V-160 (86%), AW 3.0 (18%) and 113/120 in the TOEFL score. My undergraduate GPA is not that high (around 3.1 general and 3.6 for chemistry) but I have good recommendation letters, although they are from faculty members at my university in Brazil. Is it possible to be admitted to any PhD programs with those scores? Of course I know that a top 100 program is out of question, but what about the smaller ones?

Hey guys, I have a strong interest in the academia and since I received my BS in Chemistry I've been thinking about the next steps and trying not to screw up my best chances. Let me explain my background before moving to the actual question: I've graduated in Brazil from a medium-sized university that has a very small chemistry department, so I didn't have that vast experience in research as an undergraduate at a big institution. I have actually been involved in research but I couldn't make any publications out of it (only presentations in small symposia and conferences). I studied in the US for one year as a scholarship winner but it was more coursework than research. My GRE scores are Quantitative-154, Verbal-160, AW-3.0) and I earned a 113/120 in the TOEFL score. My undergraduate GPA is not that high but I have good recommendation letters, although they are from faculty members at my university in Brazil. So basically I have two options: Apply to a PhD program in a small chemistry department, in which chances of being approved are real (I got accepted to such a program last year but I had to refuse). Apply to a master's program in a medium-sized university that offers a terminal M.S. degree, since departments with Ph.D. programs almost never accept students for a M.S.) so I can strengthen my CV and then apply to a Ph.D. at a top University The reason for all this doubtfulness is that the Ph.D. is the highest degree in academia and obtaining one from an unknown university or program might kill your chances of getting hired at a good company or institution. What I still don't know is that if an MS degree would be a plus when applying to a doctoral program later (I would try my best to come out of the master's with publications and conferences of course). Is my reasoning correct? Should I consider retaking the GRE? Is it likely that I would be accepted into a decent PhD program with that score?

Hi everyone, I have two questions regarding application to small M.S programs within the U.S I took the GRE test for the first time and got the following result (the GRE pdf file is attached): Verbal Reasoning 149 Quantitative Reasoning 151 Analytical Writing: 2.5 I am not from the U.S and have never studied for the GRE exam before, so my grades were not good. However, I´d like to apply to small M.S programs so I can build a decent CV before applying to PhD programs. Do you think it´s possible for me to enter any M.S program in Chemistry with those scores or would you recommend me to take the test again? I want to retake it but it is so expensive and there are a few test centers available in my country, so that´s why I´m considering to send the score as is. The second question is regarding my previous education, I have obtained a master´s degree in Inorganic Chemistry in my home country this year, but unfortunately I couldn´t make any publications out of it. For this reason, I´d like to apply to a second M.S degree program and build a better CV. Would you recommend me writing that I already have a MSc degree in my application? I can think of two scenarios if I write them I already have a master´s: the first one, they would be more confident about my skills to engage in research and that would help me in the application process. The second, the admissions comittee would not accept me since I already have a Master´s in Chemistry and would ask me to apply to the PhD program (unfortunately, I have been denied in two PhD programs I´ve tried because I do not have publications). I apologize if there is any mispelling or errors in my sentences, I wrote this in a hurry (and in english haha). Just in case, these are the programs I wish to apply: Auburn University Brandeis University Bucknell University Colorado State University University of Minnesota University of Utah (although is a very good program) Texas A&M GRE.pdf