Perfect applicant

[WorldMan]

For every lucky applicant who got into a dream school, there are at least 10 applicants who are forced to look into the future with a motto "There is always another year".

While the acceptance rate overall will not go up with the increased quality of grad school applications, we can strive to make this rate go up specifically for GradCafeteers next year!

It would be great if applicants who discovered (or stumbled upon) a secret recipe of success could share their stories. Your undergrad University, majors, some statistics (GRE, GPA), work experience (if any), publications (if any), a school that accepted you...

And, of course, the most important part - what do you think make you look special in the eyes of admission committees?

Many thanks in advance for the lucky ones who would want to contribute to this discussion!

Edited March 3, 2011 by WorldMan

[firefly28]

For every lucky applicant who got into a dream school, there are at least 10 applicants who are forced to look into the future with a motto "There is always another year".

While the acceptance rate overall will not go up with the increased quality of grad school applications, we can strive to make this rate go up specifically for GradCafeteers next year!

It would be great if applicants who discovered (or stumbled upon) a secret recipe of success could share their stories. Your undergrad University, majors, some statistics (GRE, GPA), work experience (if any), publications (if any), a school that accepted you...

And, of course, the most important part - what do you think make you look special in the eyes of admission committees?

Many thanks in advance for the lucky ones who would want to contribute to this discussion!

There is no magic formula. Different departments weigh things differently, and people in the different subfields weigh things differently. Some schools demand a writing sample, some couldn't care less about one. Some expect a very high GRE-Q score, some are ok with only an above average one.

My biggest recommendation for all people in the future is to honestly assess your standing. You may want to go to Stanford or Michigan, but the reality is that there are likely people with a better resume who will get turned down. Don't discount the possibility of going to a quality school that isn't one of the most famous ones. Don't apply to the ten most competitive schools. Pick a few that have outstanding fits for your research area, and then pick a few outside of the top 10.

I applied to schools at which I considered myself to be very competitive. I've been accepted at 3 good schools (rejected at one, haven't heard a thing from the fifth). I am very confident that any of the three will give me the training to become a very good researcher in the field. I think that if I had applied at the top 10 schools, I might have been accepted at one. But I feel very comfortable with my position.

Also, no more winter for me

[WorldMan]

Yes, I know that there is no universal solution here. That is why I was asking for school-specific information. I hope that such information would be useful for two reasons.

It will allow to compare yourself to other applicants, and, thus, "honestly assess yourself" as you suggested. Additionally, even if a right school is chosen, one still has to hit all the right notes in a grad school application.