How early did you start the application process?

[vityaz]

Just wondering how early everyone started getting their materials ready and asking professors for LoRs. I feel like I was super late since I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to do grad school right away - I sent e-mails asking for LoRs about a month before the deadline. It worked out well (went 3/3 on the apps) but I definitely should've started earlier.

[likemythesis]

I talked to my LOR writers a month or so into that semester, but did not actually send them the links to the websites until a month before the deadline. They told me to give them at least two weeks notice, so I was ahead on that. However, I wanted to have everything turned in by December 1st, even though some applications weren't due until Dec 15th and then Jan 1st. I regret this in hindsight, but at the time I had so much happening at once that I was happy to sacrifice my Thanksgiving break and just get all the applications done with. 

[themmases]

I got stuff together and filled out a lot of basic information right when SOPHAS opened in September, and asked my references as soon as I could after that-- I didn't want to ask them unless I could immediately email the link when they said yes.

 

After that I really procrastinated about writing SOPs. Most of mine were turned in within a week of the deadline for my school, maybe a week and a half by the last school when I had my process down better.

[awex]

I had everything for mine done and submitted before November 15, 2013 for a Fall 2014 start. I took the GRE in August, spent all of September on my SOPs, dedicated October to filling out the apps online and then November to follow up with LORs to make sure everything was submitted.

 

I currently work full time, but the months of December - mid March are considered my peak times where I am incredibly busy due to an annual program I am in charge of. August - November are MUCH slower for me at my job. I knew I couldn't dedicate enough time to my apps if I didn't get them completed and out before November. It worked well for my schedule to have them over and done with. Plus, I knew that my LORs would be received in plenty of time since I was a few months ahead!

 

With that being said, I do feel like I sort of rushed into the process. I had made the decision to apply for certain in April /May 2013, but I just don't feel like I researched potential schools enough. I am happy with the schools I applied to, but after reading more here and online, I have some other schools that I wish I had researched and applied to. Rushing isn't always the best decision, I guess!

[SciencePerson101]

Iike a year ago in 2012.....

[deci:belle]

I asked in September when applications were due in December. 

I met with each of them and gave them a list of all the schools I applied to, the due dates, an addressed envelope with stamps, my transcripts, resume and personal statement  - all in a folder. When you give them things early and organized, they respond much better to it!

[styrofoamboots]

I started asking my LORs in October and gave them all the pertinent information (deadlines, my CV, LOI, and so on) in December. Between December and the application deadline (usually Jan-Feb for public health) I refined my statements and other materials. I started really early thinking I was going to apply for psychology programs as well (due in December) but changed my mind and focused on public health instead. Thankfully, it turned out well.

My only regret was not looking into and applying for scholarships and external funding. Although I plan to apply during my first year, it's unfortunate that I won't have this financial backup this year.

[unbrokenthread]

I was at an internship over the summer, and took the GRE at the end of June with a bunch of other people in my lab--ended up taking it again about a month later, and the scores were comparable.

 

Both my summer PIs had suggested particular universities or particular avenues to look to for programs, which was really helpful, and my search started seriously in August. I didn't settle on a list until, oh, November or so (mostly because my schedule was nuts). Even then, I feel like I could have looked for 6 more months before having a really good, solid grasp of the sorts of programs that were doing what I was interested in. I struggled to find multiple programs that fit my interests, partly because my interests are interdisciplinary (astrobiology!) and research angle varies so wildly in this field.

 

But as I was looking for grad schools, I ran across a paper I thought was absolutely awesome, looked up the PI's research, saw that he was recruiting grad students, emailed him, and hit it off really well. Skype interview went well also. I was still looking during this time, but I felt really comfortable with that PI, and wrote my NSF GRFP as if I were going to be working in his lab (because I knew his research the best at that point). 

 

The program had represented itself as more traditionally Biology-centered than I was looking for (I was really looking for a strongly interdisciplinary program), but during interview weekend I was super impressed with the strength and collaborative nature of their astrobio research across various departments, and the courtesy, friendliness, and respect with which I was treated (as well as how happy the faculty and students seemed) bumped GT up to my #1 choice.

 

So tl;dr:

-GREs were done by September.

-I'd had a solid CV for a while before that, but I polished it up in October.

-I decided to apply to GT, the school I eventually accepted an offer from, in mid to late October.

-Two of my LOR writers had been put on notice during the summer that I would be asking for letters from them; the other agreed to it in early/mid November.

-SOP, personal statement, done in early November.

-It still took me an age to complete all my applications because I liked to tweak my SOPs etc for each app. Most of them were done by mid December though.

 

If I had to do it over again I'd look more into external funding. I applied for the GRFP but that was it.

[rvict]

About 2 weeks before deadline (Jan 15). Asked LoR profs back in December but didn't produce anything until January. I applied to middle of the road schools, though, so ymmv. Didn't have to have a supervisor lined up ahead of time either.

I didn't even start considering grad school until late November. I got in to my top choice with good funding, but I feel I sold myself short by not applying to better schools. I wish I'd started thinking about grad school sooner than 3 weeks from the end of my last semester. You can definitely succeed at winging the whole process, but you should aim for more than succeeding imo... lesson learned; too bad I won't be doing this again haha

[Kleene]

March 2013: Found out I would have the opportunity to move for grad school.

May 2013: First meeting with course director (for advice on where to apply).

September 2013: Second meeting with course director. I took the IELTS test.

October 2013: Asked for recommendation writers. I took the GRE.

November 2013: Write personal statements and gather other application materials.

December 2013: Recommendation writers submitted their letters in time, as did I submit the application.

 

I would have taken the IELTS and GRE earlier if my whole summer was not occupied by a number of trips. I had to rush the tests a bit and would have been in trouble if I did not achieved my goals in the first attempt. If you have an idea of where you want to go, it is perfectly possible to finish the application procedure in the new school year (September onwards). That is why I set myself the goal of at least knowing my target schools before the summer.

[Crucial BBQ]

Just wondering how early everyone started getting their materials ready and asking professors for LoRs. I feel like I was super late since I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to do grad school right away - I sent e-mails asking for LoRs about a month before the deadline. It worked out well (went 3/3 on the apps) but I definitely should've started earlier.

Well, I did not enter college straight from high school.  I took a gap years, sort of.  I say sort because because I dabbled around in community college for awhile taking courses out of interests, so I was not on any specific academic path.  So, I had some time to figure things out.  By the time I decided on a solid major and academic path, I already knew I wanted graduate school.  To give you a point of reference, this was back in 2008.  That is win I began.  That year I started to work on my SOP; I downloaded and printed applications so I can get the hang of filing them out; I began looking into what grad school adcoms and profs really looked for in applicants; and so on. 

 

As for LORs, though, I asked them the same month that I graduated from undergrad. No kidding.  However, since I knew I was applying to grad school I made sure they "got to know me" beforehand so it was not like I was some random student to them.  I mean, if I saw them in the halls or at a table eating lunch I always stopped to shot the shtiz with them.  They all happily accepted. 

[Crucial BBQ]

*when not win...autocorrect 

[vityaz]

About 2 weeks before deadline (Jan 15). Asked LoR profs back in December but didn't produce anything until January. I applied to middle of the road schools, though, so ymmv. Didn't have to have a supervisor lined up ahead of time either.

I didn't even start considering grad school until late November. I got in to my top choice with good funding, but I feel I sold myself short by not applying to better schools. I wish I'd started thinking about grad school sooner than 3 weeks from the end of my last semester. You can definitely succeed at winging the whole process, but you should aim for more than succeeding imo... lesson learned; too bad I won't be doing this again haha

 

Pretty much same as me. I think it's easier to wing it when applying to Canadian schools since you don't have to worry about GRE stuff. I asked LoR's over the Christmas break (deadline Feb 1) and only really started working on the SoP a week or two before the deadline. I also didn't realize that for one of the schools you had to submit your SoP before they sent out the forms to the LoRs, which gave them all of 3 days notice to get it in (which they all did, thankfully).

[rvict]

Pretty much same as me. I think it's easier to wing it when applying to Canadian schools since you don't have to worry about GRE stuff. I asked LoR's over the Christmas break (deadline Feb 1) and only really started working on the SoP a week or two before the deadline. I also didn't realize that for one of the schools you had to submit your SoP before they sent out the forms to the LoRs, which gave them all of 3 days notice to get it in (which they all did, thankfully).

Definitely easier without the GRE, although I'm sure we could have winged that one too;). The GRE at least forces American students to think about grad school further ahead.

Nobody writes letters until the last day anyway..!

[victorydance]

I will be applying this upcoming fall.

 

I asked my profs for letters for the next year before I left my university.

 

Officially started the process this month. Already edited my SOP a number of times, sent it to people who have done grad school, and my letter writers. It will be constantly worked on until fall. Started studying about 25 hours a week for the GRE, will take in mid-late September. CV is for the most part done. My writing sample is for the most part done, just need to continue to polish it.

 

Once applications open I will do everything necessary so that I can send a doc to all my letter writers with the links. This will probably be done by the time I write the GRE. Then I'll send those emails out.

 

So really, all I am working on intensively is my GRE and SOP. I have the benefit of being independently financially secure, so I can basically devout all my time towards my applications. But there are a lot of them, should be sending out ~15 applications so I have a lot of work to do.