Cookie

Thanks for sharing!

Mars Rover!

I started with "My goal is to become ..." I, however, have a specific paragraph near the end of my SOP that tailors to that program. Why do I choose that program? Which professors there I would like to work for and why.

vector calculus!!!

Agree. In 4 visits I attended, most profs and grad students dressed very casual. I wore dark jeans with a casual blazer and nice sneakers. The exciting part was talking science. They really dont care how well you dress up

I feel the same. I graduated last year and have since been working in a non science related job. I also keep doing research at my UG lab, but I do feel kinda rusty. Now that I got accepted to several programs, I start planning out what I want to do. So far: 1. Finishing up my past research essay and prepping for NSF/DOD/DOE fellowship applications. 2. Reading background materials for graduate research (my POI provides me with a list). 3. Learning scientific programming. 4. Finding a place to live where I'm going to school. 5. Reviewing materials for entrance exams. 6. Trying to get in grad school early to do summer research. 7. Random preparations like: learning how to make attractive posters, proofreading others' theses and proposals... Beside working my 30+ hours/ week job, these have kept me busy and built up my confidence, again. I'm also curious what others have done in a similar situation. Some advices would be greatly appreciated.

home chords

I'm in this process right now: asking my top choice to offer additional support to match with fellowship offers from other schools. I found that it is best to ask during the visits. By preparing myself well for interviews, asking good questions and having good science talks with POIs, they have a better idea of me as a prospective student. Therefore, the negotiation became less contrived. I talked to the dept chairs as well as my favorite POIs about my existing offers, being as forthcoming and respectful as I could. After the visits, I followed up by emails. But the first face to face conversations seemed to have the most impact. It is interesting to see that some POIs/ departments like you enough to not only match other offers, but also bend over backwards to help you with other aspects of starting grad school (relocation, finding job for your spouse). The results so far is one additional first year fellowship (departmental), one schoolwide full fellowship nomination, and one early bird fellowship (to start grad school early with stipend). The lesson learnt is that you should ask. This is the only time you can negotiate. If they are not interested in helping you now, wouldn't it say something about how much they value you as a potential student?

I'm proofing my new profs grant, learning background material for research, and prepping nsf/dod/doe fellowship applications. Applied to: UT, WashU. Notre Dame. UWashington.

I'm visiting the last school right now. Ive made a final decision. Let me tell you that people and their research always look nicer on the websites. Be sure that you can see whats behind all that, during the visits. Ranking means so much less to me now that Ive found someone that is nice, supportive, and wants to help me succeed. Good luck to y'all

horse kick

I just read A thousand splendid suns again.

scout oath

What is going on?

Case study

chain rule

time warp

Maybe i didnt make it clear, that my subfield is Theoretical chemistry. It might explain why theorists have told me that they dont expect the most valuable research quality from undergrads. But it could just be their own opinions

What I shared is applicable to Chemistry PhD programs only. Even within Chemistry programs, adcoms value different things, and any outstanding aspect of one's application will affect that ranking as well. Ymmv.

fall apart

Excellent point!

Thanks Eigen! Your points are definitely valid. That ranking was told to me by an actual adcom member of a school I visited. It might vary depending on the actual program, and how prestigious it is. Top programs tend to have more experienced applicants, hence the ranking might be similar to yours. "But more often than not, undergraduate research quality is not high" - Adcom members and faculty.

This application season ended for me mid-Jan, and I have sinced contemplated about how one would pick out just one school. I know very well that it is one of the most important decisions I will ever make. Before you read any further, let me tell you that I have done as much "homework" as I possibly can on picking schools (feel free to advise me on this): (1) school rankings, (2) department rankings, (3) research fit, (4) professors' research background / tenure (or not - how many years left) / publications etc, (5) Their placements (academia and industry), (6) fundings, (7) if they are taking new students, (8) cost of living, weather, quality of life at that area. I thought I knew a lot. And that has changed completely, in the last few days. I (luckily) got my hands on this source of information which provides me with a much more complex picture of faculty connections, their personalities, their styles of working with students, and academic pedigrees that generally are not available to applicants. Long story short, it involves a lot of luck, and I have learnt several things that I want to share: 1. An adcom picks out applicants based on these factors, in order of importance: (1) rec letters, (2) combination of GPA and GRE scores, (3) statement of purpose, (4) research experience. Why, you ask? Name recognition is very important in academia, and if your rec letters come from the big shots in your field, it makes your applications 10x better. GPA+scores give a general idea of competence. Your SOP tells them what kind of person you are; how much and how well you can talk about your research experience shows commitment and competence. If and ONLY if your SOP matches with what were written in your rec letters, then you are in. From what I heard, generally undergraduate students do not partake in very meaningful research, so adcoms see it as a preparation step of commitment and resilience, rather than looking at the quality of the research itself. 2. Keep an open mind: Do not be obsessed with school rankings. Be where you feel the most happy. Be where you feel supported by faculty. Be where department dynamics and lab dynamics are good. Generally, you have an idea of this during your visits, so do not make any decision before you visit all the schools you are accepted to. 3. The most important thing about picking a school, is that feeling like there is more than one person in the department you could be happy working with. Be robust to environmental fluctuations! It is very possible that you dont end up working for that one person that you wanted to. Only join a department that you like working for more than person. And there is so much more. As I come to realize how complex it is, I feel obliged to share what I have learnt. Good luck with your decision!

Drop safe

green lantern