bh1ge3u1hqwdjb

I thought I would apply to two but have now expanded that to four. I was very particular about which schools I would like to attend and did my research.

I'm just surprised because I was under the impression that the percentile you get in your GRE score report would stay the same, but I guess I was wrong. I took the GRE four years ago and had a 98th percentile in Verbal, 98th percentile in Analytical Writing, and 73th percentile in Quantitative Reasoning. Even as late as two years ago, when I downloaded a copy of the student report for myself, the percentiles still showed as the same. In fact, these scores helped me get into both of the schools to which I applied for my masters (only applied to two). Today I signed in to my ETS profile to check my score report and saw that my Analytical Writing section dropped by 1 percentile (ehh) but my Quantitative Reasoning section dropped by a whole 6%! I'm so disappointed. I saw the fine print just now saying that they update the scores during a 3-year period. I'm applying for a PhD in a humanities field to the same school where I graduated from with my masters. Do you think the math scores now being in the 67th percentile would make a drastic difference? At least my score is still in the 160s. What do you think?

Thank you for your response! Do you mean this part about masters or PhD? I'm applying for the latter this time and was curious about it.

Thank you. That's actually a relief because I was hoping to share that one in my applications. I have other papers too that I can use but this one was the one that I really care about the most.

Hello! I’m also looking at Penn GSE. Would you mind sharing if ended up being accepted? When did you find out, and was there any hint at the end of the interview that you might be getting an offer? If anyone else went through the process at Penn or other similar GSEs and can answer, that would also be great.

Hello. I’ve heard that for masters programs, generally it is the admissions office that makes the decision of who to accept or reject. For PhD programs, however, the professors themselves have a say in who to admit. In the humanities field that I’m interested in, nearly all of the schools that I’m applying to said that the PhD admissions decisions will be made not just by faculty alone but by admissions staff as well. (The guaranteed full funding for all accepted students is paid by the school and is not contingent on the advisor’s available funds, which is why you don’t need to secure a position with any professor in this particular field prior to applying. At least, that seems to be the norm to the select schools I’m applying to. In such a case (where admissions staff are also responsible for making the decisions instead of individual professors alone), do schools care how much interaction you have with admissions: whether you’re attending admissions events, whether you’re meeting with admissions directors or representatives, etc.? Basically, is a demonstration of interest something that is considered for PhD?

Hello. For education PhD programs that require a writing sample, what kind of writing would you guys suggest? How about a paper written for a magazine that offers innovative ideas/suggestions about a certain field of education, including reference (with some research/citations) to current practices and issues? Or would it have to be a research paper written for a class and have concrete data/studies? How technical would it have to be? I’m just wondering because I know a writing sample for education programs must be very different from something submitted to a science PhD, for example.

@Mindsoncoffee Thank you! But actually I decided not to apply this year and to apply next year instead. I was able to get three people to agree to write an LOR for me, but I’ll let them know and ask if they would be okay with writing it next year. Good luck on your applications too!!

@sbidyanta Thank you so much for your response! I wasn’t sure whether to mention the GPA issue in the statement of purpose or elsewhere in the application, but I guess I will briefly explain it in the statement. Actually, I had known about my school’s policy before taking all those courses, but both semesters ended up being extremely relevant to my current field and research and I had wanted the experience, so I don’t regret it at all. I hope the admissions team will take that as a positive thing.

@andylee0427Thank you for the suggestion! Then I think I will follow up in mid-August, since the second professor (the one with the automatic reply) will also be back around then. I think I didn’t put any pressure in my email, or at least I hope I didn’t! Haha. I’m applying to only two schools. I provided all the info and materials they might need and let them know that the applications won’t be due until December. I also just asked if they could let me know if they would be able to write a strong letter of recommendation. I think I was very polite in my request. I’m hoping that they either just haven’t seen my email or have put it off for later. If they don’t want to write a recommendation for any reason, I would totally understand but would appreciate getting a response at least so that I can make other arrangements. Reading some of other posts in this part of the forum, I realize that a lot of people suffer from LOR-related anxiety. I really wish it weren’t a requirement. ? Usually, if I see a job posting or internship that requires an LOR, I just don’t bother to apply. But I guess that’s not a option for grad admissions. I can only wish!

First, congrats on the great scores! Second, what were your percentiles for each section on each test? That could make a difference if you’re considering sending only one score report. Also, you mentioned that you’re an international student. So, do you already have a great TOEFL or other similar test score to show to make up for the 4.0 AW section (if required for you)? Personally, I don’t think you have to worry about your multiple attempts at the test looking bad. You improved in two major sections. I guess that’s why knowing the percentiles would help to see how significant the differences were and to determine whether you should submit both scores or not. For example if the percentile for the verbal section was around the same for both tests and the percentile for the quantitative section also remained around the same for both tests, then I would submit just the first test’s score report if I were you.

That’s strange. The few schools I’m applying to already all mention on their websites which of their programs will require GRE, which ones won’t accept GRE scores at all, and which ones will have GRE as optional for the upcoming admissions cycle. If the schools you’re considering don’t have it listed on their websites yet, I’m guessing they might know by August or September.

@iLackImaginationThank you again for you reply. I need three letters, so I went ahead and contacted three professors at first. One had an automated response that they’re away for the summer, so I will follow up in August. A second one responded a day later saying they were very happy to write me a letter and also wants to set up a meeting to talk and help me revise my SOP, which I hadn’t even asked for, so I’m very grateful! The third hasn’t responded, and it has been 6 days now. I know professors are very busy or might even be away since it’s summer, so I don’t want to bother them. I did contact a fourth professor though, since I’m not sure if the third will write me a recommendation and I realized only later that a recommendation from this fourth person might actually be better and more relevant (and I would prefer a letter from them than the third person actually). I’m still waiting for a response though. In this case, do you guys think I should wait until late August (after the fall semester has started) to follow up with the fourth professor again? Or is one week (early August) sufficient in this case? Otherwise, should I just wait until all applications are up and online? (One school’s application won’t be available until October.) Thanks!

Hello. When is a good time to start contacting former professors to request letters of recommendation? My PhD applications are due in early December and will become available in the portal in September and October. Do I wait until at least one of the universities’ application is available (so that I can submit their email addresses in the form and they can get notified), until ALL applications are available (so that they can get notified at the same time for all of them), or can I start contacting them now in the summer? I’m not sure how specific the application instructions are. Do universities, particularly for PhD, have specific questions they want the recommenders to answer, or can recommenders just write a letter in advance and be ready to submit it once the application becomes available and they get notified? Thank you!

Hello. I think you’ll get better responses if you post to the Speech-Language Pathology Forum of GradCafe at this link: https://forum.thegradcafe.com/forum/95-speech-language-pathology-forum/ Good luck on your applications!

Hello! ? I think you don’t have to worry too much about your B, especially if it’s the lowest grade you have. I’m not sure where you heard this though about everyone getting a 4.0, but this is entirely not true. People get a variety of grades in grad school, and it also depends on the field. For example, in law (which is grad level in the US), you’re graded on a curve in nearly all of your classes. By that alone, 99% of law students would be unable to get a 4.0 GPA and be disadvantaged when applying for a PhD in another field, were they to decide to ever go into academia in a different field. I think @Warelin gave you some really great advice. The best approach to make yourself more competitive would be to improve other areas of your application and you still have plenty of time for that! Your GPA is only a single part, and unless you have plenty of grades that are B or lower (and you couldn’t possibly contest all of them), you shouldn’t worry too much about this grade. There are many reasons that the professor could have given you a B. Unfortunately, the time to have asked for feedback was back then, which has passed. I think that an appeal now wouldn’t help at all, especially since you wouldn’t be able to provide solid evidence of any wrongdoing on your professor’s part. Also, I don’t know about retaliation, but I don’t think it would be a good look to have a grade appeal at the same university that you’re applying to, especially when you mentioned that you’ve already graduated, especially in a previous year. I understand your worries, but I think you might be overestimating the importance of this one grade. Instead, as you’ve mentioned, you should try to look forward and take proactive steps (e.g., working on SOP, attending conferences if possible, reaching out to potential advisors, securing good letters of recommendation, fixing up any writing samples, etc.). Good luck with everything!

Hello! I know it’s summer now and still several months away from application deadlines. But around what time of year does this forum get really active? I first came upon GradCafe a few years ago when I was applying for masters but hadn’t returned again until now for PhD applications. I absolutely love reading through the posts! It seems like there’s only a few new ones everyday now, so I find myself always reading through old ones but am now running out. Lol

Hello. Is it still too early in the year to email POI for PhD programs? I have some professors I’ve researched whose articles I’ve been reading for a while now and whose research interests seem strongly related to mine. Recently, I’ve sent a few of them emails to introduce myself and express my interest in their work. But I’m not sure if it’s the right timing or not. I certainly don’t want to annoy anyone during their summer break. But I also figured that they’re probably more free now than they will be once the semester starts. Of course I’ll follow up later in the fall if I don’t hear back in the next month or two. I’ve spoken to a few current doctoral students of those professors and received mixed responses about when to reach out. Some suggested August or September, while others think now is a good time to reach out. For those who have gone through the PhD process already and got acceptances, what do you think? When did you start contacting professors, and when did you get a response (if you did)? How long did it usually take to hear back? I know professors are busy with so many things and some might not respond at all, so I’m just patiently waiting now. ?

Hello, everyone! ? Just starting a new thread for Stanford GSE applications for Fall 2022. Anyone else applying for PhD? As for me, I’m interested in SHIPS-ICE. The GRE situation is quite interesting. I actually want to submit my GRE score, but the website shows both that my program has an option to submit scores and also that it’s not required (which would mean that I wouldn’t be able to submit it). It seems like a possible error on the website. Anyone else know about that? Anyway, hope to talk here with other people and get through this application cycle together!

I didn’t have much guidance from anyone in high school and college, so it took me several years to find my passion and what I really wanted to do in life. Maybe the following can help you in some way: I graduated from undergrad in Field A, where I took a bunch of classes in Subfield B, but was miserable when I got a job in Field A, so then went back to school and got a graduate degree in unrelated Field C because it paid well (which was not at all a good deciding factor, by the way). Anyway, while doing my studies in Field C, I got interested in Subfields D and E and did a lot of part-time work or projects during school in those two subfields. But after graduating, I was miserable again after getting a job in Field C+D (actually Field C was the problem, not Subfield D), so I switched careers and used my background to get a career in unrelated Field E (the other subfield from my graduate studies) which was also related to Field B (the subfield from my undergraduate studies). This time I was truly happy in my career, but after some time I realized that I would need further qualifications to truly get ahead in the Field B+E industry, so I applied for a masters in Field B+E and got accepted to one of the top universities in the world. I had been worried about the admissions committee’s reaction to how much I had switched my fields before finding what I truly cared about. But I was honest about that weakness and demonstrated in my statement of purpose how my studies in undergrad and grad school had brought me to that point. In fact, the masters was for advancing in my new industry, not for switching once again, so it was completely relevant. I guess they must have understood from my SOP, since I got in to both of the masters programs that I applied to. Now I’ve been working full-time in Field B+E for a few more years and also started interning in a research project which is related to Field C+D (which I’m actually enjoying this time because there is no pressure and it’s now related to my main Field B+E). And now I’m applying for PhD programs in Field E that combines B, C, and D (in a very relevant way) because I want to be a professor and researcher in this niche. I guess I’ll see how that goes. I don’t know how related your current and previous fields of study are, but if you think that it will be a glaring part of your application, then it’s better to explain it clearly in your application than to ignore it and hope that no one notices. In interviews, either for jobs or university admissions, I’ve always been asked about about my change in studies, but I’ve always drawn connections between them and explained how I had developed an interest for one while studying another and can still use the skills and knowledge from the previous ones. Now that my studies have all been combined in some form or another (except for the original Field A), this question isn’t a big deal anymore and I think has actually helped me stand out.

Hello. When applying to PhD programs, do you include or leave out any high school info from your academic CV? I don’t meant going into detail but just briefly mentioning it. What if it’s a top high school in the country and you won some awards or had membership in honor roll or the national honor society? Do you include just the name of the school in the education section and/or any awards in another section, or just leave out everything related to high school altogether? I’m just wondering because I left out my information since I’ve gotten a few degrees after high school, but I do know that many people apply to PhD straight out of undergrad and wondered if they might be including that information while I’m not. Thank you.

Hello. Are there any other American students living in another country but applying for grad school back in the US? I see that there is a pinned forum post for those applying abroad but not for those thinking of coming back. Are there any advantages or disadvantages when applying? Would they treat me like a domestic student or international for admission purposes, and do committees even have a preference? My entire education including masters was in the US and only more recently moved abroad, if that makes a difference. Then there’s a strange visa issue. I’m applying to PhD programs this year for Fall 2022. I’m a US citizen, but my husband is a citizen of the country where we’re living, so I would need a spousal visa for him (I-130). I heard that I can apply for a K-3 visa as well to shorten the waiting time while the other form is processed, but I heard that it’s not even looked at anymore so it’s pointless. Has anyone gone through this process before? Would the international student office of my potential universities be able to help me if I’m admitted even though I’m not an international student? Let’s say I get admitted in February or March. Could I show my admissions letter (showing program start date) in my visa petition to get it expedited? I guess it’s complex since there is no student visa for me, so my husband cannot be added as a dependent like how international students can bring their spouses. I heard it can take up to 10 months for the spousal visa to be processed (and you have 6 months after the visa approval to enter the US). Should I start applying for my husband’s visa now just in case before even applying to my PhD programs? We have to give up our current apartment and bring our three pets to the US and find housing in the US too, so I’m worried if my husband and I will have to move months apart from each other.

Hello, everyone! And thank you, @TabTurbo for starting this new thread! Is there anyone else applying for the PhD in education this year? Also, I wonder how the acceptance rate varies between the masters and the doctoral programs. I did my masters at HGSE in an earlier year, but it would be an absolute dream to be able to go back and study there again, even though I know there are far fewer openings for PhD. ?

Hello. I’ll be applying for a PhD in education (possibly education policy), and I wanted to know if you guys think my GRE could make up for my mediocre GPA. V 167 (98%) / Q 160 (73%) / AW 5.5 (98%) Undergrad GPA (from an average state public university) : 3.34 Law School GPA (from a top 30 law school, studied education law/policy) : 3.34, which is exactly the same as my undergrad… Masters GPA (from one of the top Ivies, degree in education) : 3.8 Part of the reason that my law school GPA is so low is that I was a visiting student at two other law schools (one was a different Ivy) for a semester each in my final year, where I had a 4.0 for one semester and a 3.7 in the other. My school transferred the credits but had a policy of not counting any grades for courses taken at other schools, so my final year grades didn’t raise my GPA at all. I have the transcripts though, so I can show them in my application and possibly explain the situation). Also, I got my master degree in education with the better GPA after that, but I don’t know how much that would matter since it was only a one-year program versus the three years of law school prior to it. (Even though I went to law school, passed the bar, and became a lawyer, I’m much more interested in education policy and research, and have been working in the education field for a few years now, so I think it’s still relevant, especially in my research.) But do you guys think that my GRE score will have any major weight on my applications and therefore make up for my average GPAs, or do you think it’s simply something the universities will just check off their list? My GRE scores are currently higher than the average for admitted PhD students at the schools I’m applying to (for the schools that did post the numbers on their websites), but my GPA is lower than the average…

Hello. I'm going to be applying for a PhD program at the same graduate school where I completed my masters. There was a graduate course I took during my masters program that I did very well in and which is related to the exact same PhD concentration that I'm applying to at the school. The course was taught by an instructor (not professor), who was a PhD student at the time and will be in their final year of the PhD when I apply. The instructor's PhD program (and even the concentration) is actually the one I'm going to be applying to, and I'm guessing their professors would be among the ones from which I'd have to choose an advisor. In fact, that instructor's advisor might even be one of my potential POIs, based on my research. (I'll be applying next fall, so I have some time before I start contacting anyone.) Would it be acceptable to ask this instructor for a letter of recommendation? The school is one of the top three in this humanities field. I would be asking another professor from the same university (different program) and two professors from another university that I did prior coursework in, but I just wanted to see if this would be okay, even though the instructor who taught my course is not a professor yet.