Teaching Faculty Wannabe

I feel like with each week my worries and excitement change. Worries: Some of the schools I applied to have already sent out interviews and acceptances, which makes me nervous. I just want to hear back from them already, you know? You all know, obviously. Also, I got an email from the graduate coordinator at one of the schools I applied to asking if we could talk. I wasn’t invited to the recruitment weekend and I haven’t been accepted yet, so I am wondering why she wants to talk to me after so many people have been accepted. Excitement: I have no room to complain that I have been accepted into one school! I am worried about my trip there for the Open House, but it’s more pertaining to getting lost and seeing if I actually want to go there or not. Also, if I do decide to go there, I hope I can afford to live in Boston! Rent is definitely not cheap! Also, a POI at another university nominated me for two internal fellowships, so I am hoping that means they will accept me (this is my top choice, so fingers crossed)! I am wishing you all the best of luck during these next couple of weeks!

Well, I definitely think you have a chance of getting a Master's. Your profile is great! However, it being worth is another thing entirely. Unless you get a fellowship, you will have to pay for the degree, which can be concerning. I would wait and see if you somehow get funding or apply to fellowships for Master's students. You could always try to get a job and then the company could possibly fund your Master's after working with them for a few years. Also, when you look at jobs you would like to have, see what degree they require. If they require a Master's, then that's a good indication that getting one would be worth it. I hope this helps and good luck!

I think the schools you applied to are a good combination. Also, I think having a chemical engineering background doesn't lower your chances of getting into materials science and engineering programs. As you probably know, materials science relies heavily on chemistry, so having that background in chemistry is good and you will provide these programs with a interesting perspective. Also, I think your application profile is great! I understand the anxiety of waiting on results, though. I also applied to University of Delaware in materials science and engineering as well! Good luck! Also, check out other 2019 MSE applicants here:

I am feeling for my fellow Biomedical Engineering applicants.

Hi there, and welcome to GradCafe! So I first off wanted to say that it is great that you are already starting to think about how to prepare for applying to grad school. It's a smart move and will definitely make you feel more prepared when you have to do it. So, here is some advice I will provide based off my own experience: 1. Start looking into programs now. When looking for programs, you want to look at a variety of things. Before doing this, I suggest making a list of deal breakers either in your head or written down so you can narrow down the list of schools you would like to apply to as you go about doing your research. These deal breakers could be funding, location, the number of professors doing work in the field you want to study, etc. But because you don't to apply to schools you really don't want to go to, it's best to start eliminating them as soon as you can in this process. So, once you start finding schools you do want to apply to, I would highly suggest organizing the information of the programs in Excel. The information you could put of this sheet is this: The name of the school (duh!) The specific department and degree (another duh!) Tuition costs (usually you can find the tuition for the previous year) The location of the school The specifics of the programs The types of classes you are required to take (core classes plus electives). Do they interest you? Are you required to TA? How are the facilities, like equipment and institutes, in the department? What do you have to do for the qualifying and general exams? Are their any training programs or certification programs a part of the department that can help you gain more experience outside of your doctoral research? How is funding? Do they typically give students a stipend while also covering fees and tuition and providing healthcare insurance? Application materials When does the online application portal open? Number of recommenders CV or resume Essays such as personal statements, statements of purpose, diversity statements, etc. (you could start writing these over the summer, the earlier the better) Application fee (look into waivers) Official or unofficial transcript (do you need to send an official transcript to them before or after being accepted?) Required test scores (GRE, etc) and information on how to send them to the school The professors you would like to work with I would maybe write down a few bullets summarizing their research and maybe save one or two of their recent papers 2. Start working on applications as soon as possible. I would highly suggest working on applications during the summer, but you can obviously start working on it once you get the information above. Usually schools/department have some general outline of what their applications will be like, including the essay topics/questions. I would also start creating or updating your CV and resume. I know you said that you don't really have anyone to ask as recommenders, so I would try establishing relationships with professors and research advisors so they can comment on you as a student and/or researcher when the time comes to ask if they can write you a STRONG letter of recommendation. You typically want to give them a month before the deadline, but I would give them at least two months in my opinion. 3. Search for fellowships and scholarship you can apply to for grad school. In grad school applications, they usually ask if you applied to any fellowships and scholarships. I think it looks good when you say you have applied to some. Also, funding is always good in grad school. While you are researching schools, some of them may have a list of internal and external fellowships. Definitely take a look at those! 4. If you have to take a test, start studying now. I would sign up for a test in late summer or start of your fall semester before school starts to get super busy. I would also do this just in case if you need to retake the test. You need to provide enough time for scores to be processed by the test company and then enough time for the school to receive them on time. Additionally, read this forum.⬇️⬇️ So, now onto the answers to your question. Also, FYI, I am no expert, so I am just going off my own knowledge and opinions. 1. How do I connect with faculty and research supervisors for possible assistantships/projects? I would email professors that you would want to work with. This is where your CV will come in handy. In the email, introduce yourself, shortly talk about your research interests and how they correlate to the research done in the professor's lab. Then say you are interested in joining their lab and ask if they are available to talk about their research with you in person, and that you have attached your CV for them to look. Also, you can connect with professors that you are taking classes with by going to their office hours, and then maybe you can ask about their research and see if they have any spots open for an undergraduate researcher. You might have to work without funding, and if you are okay with this, be open with the professor about this fact. 2. Is my GPA enough for R1 institutions? I honestly don't know much about GPAs on a 5.0 scale. As a warning, most schools you apply to might ask you to convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale. Sometimes they don't and allow you to enter the scale, but be prepared to not able to do that. I found a website that could possibly help you with the conversion: https://www.admissions.iastate.edu/apply/gpa_calc.php Anywho, I think a 3.5 out of 4.0 is really good. I even think if someone has a 3.0 out of 4.0, they still have a chance of getting into a R1 institution. Look at the GPA requirements for each school, though. When it comes to graduate school applications, establishing fit within the program is probably one of the most, if not the most important, part of your application. You could have a top-notch application, but if your only flaw is that you didn't establish fit, I am 98% sure you aren't getting in. However, it seems like your GPA is really good, and you shouldn't worry about it. 3. Will the Master's program benefit me in preparing for grad school? I think getting a Master's will only benefit you if you feel like you need more research experience before getting into a PhD program. However, it seems like you had a good amount, especially if you had published papers. I think this all depends on how prepared you feel. With PhD programs (if you just have a bachelors when you start), the first year or two involve pretty much getting a Master's, so it is all dependent on your feeling. If you have about a year of research experience, I think that's good, but more is always better. 4. Should I take the GREs for a potential added plus for GRE-optional schools? If you have the time and money to study for and take it, I would. It won't take away from your application if you don't take it, but it will add to it if you do take it and the scores are decently good. 5. Should I mention my mental health issues and disability to research supervisors/advisors and in grad school applications? In the applications, if I remember correctly, I think they ask about disabilities (and I think mental health follows under that). However, I am not sure what to do beyond this. I think if you feel comfortable to talk about it, I would, but expect some people to sadly not take it well. I would think this is a red flag because people should be understanding and welcoming, and this could help you determine who you feel comfortable working with. This is a tough one to answer, though, because you can't predict how people will take it. I am sorry for bombarding you with some much info all at once, but I really hope this helps! Good luck with your grad school adventures!

It’s usually business causal unless they specify. You can wear a suit and tie, or maybe something a little more causal, like slacks, button up shirt, a tie, and some nice shoes.

Thank you...I will try my best to remember that. Congrats on getting accepted into UW!

I was so stressed today that I did three loads of laundry, cleaned my room, and deep cleaned my bathroom. So, now I am too tired to even thinnnnnnk, which I guess is good.

I don’t know with Berkeley in particular, but I would let them know that you can’t make it to the visitation. Maybe with that, you can learn more about Berkeley by talking with professors and current grad student on the phone or on Skype. But I would definitely let them know that you wish you could go, but have other plans already. However, you would still really love to learn more about the program. Good luck, and congrats on all your acceptances!

UW BioE may be the death of me. Now people are getting accepted and invited to a visitation in March, and....yeah....so....am I rejected then?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for all of us, though, but I am getting that feeling too.

It seems like UW Seattle send out acceptances and interviews now. :((((((

I hope your talk tomorrow goes well!

Thanks! And that’s awesome! I want to visit Argentina one day!

Oh no, I am so sorry! The professor emailing why they didn’t call. Was this for UVA?

Honestly, rank is not that important compared to other things when choosing a grad school to do your PhD at. When choosing, I think you want to look at these things: 1. The location of the school: How easy is it to travel to and from the place? Since you will be traveling for conferences as well as to possibly see your family, you want to make sure there is an airport close by. The weather. Is the weather there extremely cold or extremely hot? Will you be fine with these extremes or could they be deal breakers? Are there things to do in the area around the university, such as museum, national or state parks, cafes, good restaurants, nice bookstores, etc? Look at your hobbies and see if you can correlate them with the location. How much is rent in this location? 2. The program: What are the requirements of the degree, such as the classes you need to take, qualifiers, general exams, publishing requirements, TAing? Compare each of the programs to one another. How collaborative is the research for this program? Do you want it to be collaborative? Does it have lab rotations? Lab rotations can be good and bad. Good in the sense that you have time to choose your advisor, but bad in the sense that you might not be able to switch your advisor if you end up not liking them. If you already have an advisor when you enter the program, you get a head start on research and might have an easier time switching an advisor if you end up not working well with them. Is their a big focus on the research you are interested? (AKA are there multiple professors doing research that you might want to learn about or be a part of) Is there a lot of outreach? Do they provide assistance when it comes to grant writing, looking for internships, traveling to conferences, and helping search for jobs after graduating? How much funding are they giving you? Are they covering your tuition, fees, and student insurance while also giving you a stipend? 3. The university: Do you like the feel of the university? Does the university have a lot of different events you can attend? Do they have a lot of talks and seminars? Are their clubs and organizations at the university you may like to join? I am only applying to grad school, so I have not had to decide yet, but these are the things I plan on looking at when I have to make a decision. I just kind of wanted to point out that deciding on where to go is so much more than the rank of the university. You really want to make sure you have a supportive mentor and like the place that you are going. I hope this helps! Good luck!

I am rooting for you too! This is your year!

Thanks, buddy! Hopefully it won't be as rough as I am imagining it will be. Yep, even the little things like showering and brushing your teeth can make you feel better. I hope all goes well at your conferences! I also hope you hear something from schools soon this month!

This February is going to be a trip for sure. It will be the one year deathiversary of my dog , which also happens to be my birthday. Additionally, Valentine’s Day, which is one of my least favorite holidays. I just really hate the color pink and being single doesn’t help either, but all those who enjoy it, I hope you do! And then on top of that, I’ll probably will be receiving some rejections. I shouldn’t complain since I have an acceptance, but it will still sting. Good luck to you all and don’t forget self-care when you need it!

Wow, your application profile is amazing! No wonder you have so many acceptances already! Congrats to you and I wish you the best when you decide on where to go! Have a good time at the visit weekends! Also, if you don't mind me asking, what Latin American country are you from? I only ask because I have a lot of family from Venezuela.

That's awesome! Your research background is my dream. My undergrad institution in my department (MSE) sadly was very metals and ceramic-focused, so I didn't have any hands-on experience with polymers nor tissue engineering research. It's also super cool that you have been building 3D printers as a hobby! Like, what???!

Yeah, that’s a good question. So, when I emailed the GEM representatives and sometimes the departments, I mentioned that a GEM Member University must sign a "GEM University Support Agreement" for the GEM Fellowship to be confirmed. I think after getting accepted into a program, you can contact the department and tell them of the situation related to this fellowship. I hope this helps. I also had applications that asked if I applied to fellowships and then some didn’t, and I didn’t even think of that until your brought it up, so this is really all I could think of.

Congrats!!! I hope you love NCSU! If you have any questions related to there, please let me know. I miss Raleigh every day! And oh man, it would have been great to meet you, but it’s all good. I am going to the Feb. 22nd one, but I hope your visit with them in March goes well!

Haha, thank you!! It is quite exciting and also takes a little weight off my shoulders!

I am not sure if it will lower your chances, but I think visiting the school would be a good experience. Seeing the campus will allow you to envision yourself there. You want to like the place where you will be spending 4-5 years at. It sucks that they won't cover the expenses of the trip, though. However, they seem interested in you, so I don't think video chatting with them instead will lower your chances.