Your Tips for Future Applicants

[Katzenmusik]

At this point many of us have submitted our applications for admission in the 2010-11 school year, and we've had time to ruminate on what we might have done differently to improve the process.

While the memories are fresh--what advice would you offer next year's crop of applicants and future patrons of the Grad Cafe?

I'll start!

First, when I started this process, I didn't have a clear idea of what I wanted to focus on in grad school, which led me to apply to more programs than warranted (12 total). For some people, 12 applications might have been doable, but for me (juggling a full-time job AND several after-work courses along with applications) this was a bad idea. Each application received less attention than it needed, resulting in careless last-minute mistakes. Plus I wasted significant money on the extra application fees, transcripts and GRE score reports.

Lesson learned: Truly define your interests at the onset, then apply to a limited number of relevant programs.

Transcripts: I have three, each from a different institution. I ordered them to be sent directly to the universities I'm applying to as a way to save time and money. Instead, I should have ordered 12 of each transcript up front to be mailed to me, then FedExed them myself in bunches to the different universities. That way I would know when each transcript arrived. I would not now be following up on 30 or so separate envelopes, some of which evidently were lost in the mail or in processing and need to be re-ordered. Missing transcripts are delaying the review of my application at several universities.

Lesson learned: Send all paperwork yourself, in bulk, so you can better control and track it.

There are many ins and outs to this process: SOP-polishing, LOR-wrangling, and an infinite number of other details. But often my attention was distracted away from applications by enormous projects at work, by writing papers for the courses I was taking, by a long holiday vacation, studying for the GRE or whatever else.

Lesson learned: If you can help it, do not apply to grad school when you have other major projects competing for your time.

EDIT: It now strikes me that I received advice similar to the above when I started off... but I ignored it at my peril. Another lesson learned, I suppose!!

Edited January 25, 2010 by Katzenmusik

[whereiscarmen]

Start now!

[RedPotato]

NEVER trust Kaplan for anything.

Don't assume your professors will submit things in a timely manner.

[coyabean]

I honestly think this process is just YMMV enough to encourage everyone to buck the hard won wisdom that came before them. It just calls for those inclined to do so to try it their way.

So, I doubt it will matter but I think I was saved alot of horror stories because I requested everything -- transcripts, letters -- early and I collected them all myself. I also requested extra letters from writers so I'd have back ups. I created a google site that letter writers could access to see my list of schools with all the deadlines. And I padded each deadline by at least two weeks. I also provided this in writing the first week of the semester in August. And then I just kept stopping by to check on them. I did not worry about annoying people. It's my life. I'll withstand your annoyance -- not that any of my folks got that way but I wouldn't have been too disturbed if they'd had. The worst anyone could say is that you are persistent, right?

But, yeah. Start early goes without saying.

Edited January 25, 2010 by coyabean

[missesENG]

I honestly think this process is just YMMV enough to encourage everyone to buck the hard won wisdom that came before them. It just calls for those inclined to do so to try it their way.

So, I doubt it will matter but I think I was saved alot of horror stories because I requested everything -- transcripts, letters -- early and I collected them all myself. I also requested extra letters from writers so I'd have back ups. I created a google site that letter writers could access to see my list of schools with all the deadlines. And I padded each deadline by at least two weeks. I also provided this in writing the first week of the semester in August. And then I just kept stopping by to check on them. I did not worry about annoying people. It's my life. I'll withstand your annoyance -- not that any of my folks got that way but I wouldn't have been too disturbed if they'd had. The worst anyone could say is that you are persistent, right?

But, yeah. Start early goes without saying.

I'm totally with you coyabean. My school is pretty good about sending transcripts in a timely manner and it also helps that I know the registrar staff pretty well since I worked with them numerous times as an admin asst. When something went wrong and I couldn't get it fixed on the frontline I made one call and bam!, it's done.

I also sent each of my letter writers a detailed email in early October with all my attachments (transcript copy, CV, SOP, and PS) so they could refer to everything in one glance. They were all pretty timely with submissions and caused me not one bit of worry. It also helps to choose writers who are excited about your potential and willing to help as much as possible.

[jacib]

My tip: email professors. I was saved applying to several programs because of this. I should have emailed them all. Just email them your general interests and ask "in your opinion would I be a good fit for your program" (if you're worried about your scores or grades, you might also ask would these put me at a disadvantage for your program). One program said that despite what was written online, they had no professors interested in my topic. My dream professor, who everyone and their mother recommended I work with, turns out to be retiring in three years... and he told me to work with his friend, who it turns out isn't taking any new students. That said, the school which replied "Even though I am not head of that program, you are exactly the kind of student that program is trying to attract," was a strong encouragement. I also emailed one of the stars in my subsubfield for advice (he doesn't train PhDs) and we ended up having a 30 minute phone conversation where he went through every program I should apply to... in Sociology, Anthropology, Religion and Political Science... It was really useful to get a sense of a) the jobs the research prospects and c) how interdisciplinary my subsubfield.

Second tip ask for recs early. I emailed with a month and a half before my first application and it wasn't enough time, mostly because two of my professors didn't respond to emails... one was on leave and I had to repeatedly call, and one I had the wrong email for (he no longer checked his official school email).

Don't apply to school's based on name or undergraduate reputation.... apply to school's whose graduate department has a good reputation. What's a fast and dirty way to check this? Figure out where you want to be in ten years, and then look at where professors at those schools got their degrees. Find the stars in your subfield, where did they study?... and where do they teach?

Study for the GRE. A lot. Take practice tests. Look at the old questions. Review your math. I have heard mixed things about courses, but I have not heard anyone regret studying. If you're going for 700+ verbal, use the Barron's book. And in general, if you're buying a second book, get the Official ETS book filled with old questions. That's the best way to know what real GRE questions are like. I studied intensely for a month and got an 800v/780q. That's about a hundred points higher than where I started. Make vocabulary cards, but most importantly, class words into groups... know that belittle, calumniate (noun form: calumny), libel, scourge all mean roughly the same thing and that their opposite is laud, extol, panegyrize. Don't bother with the actual meanings. Figure out why you missed out on every single math problem, and relearn all the geometry formulas.

[jordy]

NEVER trust Kaplan for anything.

Mmhm. Screw Kaplan. Scam city. Buy a book if you must (though I strongly recommend Princeton Review books), but don't take their ridiculous courses!

[palindrome]

*Start the process early (this was easier said than done for me!)

*Email professors early. A last-minute email convinced me to apply to one of my top choices, but I would've been able to save myself some time and stress if I had contacted professors early! There are some programs where I didn't email the professors because it was too late, and I'll always wonder "what if?" There is no way of knowing whether anyone at a program is currently interested in your research subject until you contact them. Hell, I was recently surprised to learn that several faculty members at one of the institutions I applied to were interested in my research project. I had never even thought of contacting those people because they didn't list it among their research interests!

*Be comprehensive in searching for programs that would be a good fit. There were tons of programs I didn't apply to because I had no idea they existed or because I thought there was no chance I'd get in. I got interviews at at least 3 of the 4 schools I actually ended up applying to, so I probably could have thrown in another program or two for good measure.

*Statistics are (almost) useless (i.e., Your Mileage May Vary). The statistics may serve to divide programs and applicants into tiers of selectivity, but at the end of the day every case is different, and if you have a good rapport with a professor and share the same interests, you're likely to get in; otherwise, you're not.

[grad_wannabe]

I'm sure I'll be posting again as things to occur to me, but here's one that had me stumbling:

When requesting rec letters from anyone, provide them with the entire packet of submission materials - stamped and addressed envelopes, pre-filled out forms, the works - far in advance of the due date, whether or not you think they'll be submitting their letters online.

I assumed all my letter writers would do everything online, so I didn't give them any paper submission materials. There was one (albeit much older) professor lady who emailed me in a frustrated tone, saying she "couldn't understand the online system for any of [my] schools, please send addresses where they should be mailed." In a panic I wrote back and asked if I could bring her the paper materials - I felt horrible that she'd have to buy her own stamps and use her own envelope, on top of writing the letter. She wrote back (somewhat huffily) that she'd be going out of town and didn't have time to wait for me to come to her house.

I'm still quaking in my boots, worried that may have influenced the letters she wrote for me. I'll be worried til I hear back from schools, which isn't for months.

And I second the posts above that recommended buying a TON of transcripts, even more than you think you'll need, very early. I can't even count the number of times I had to go back to my UG campuses buying "just one more" 'script.

Edited January 25, 2010 by grad_wannabe

[tem11]

I agree with a lot of what's already been said.

Define research interests early. As seen by my signature, I applied to a crazy variety of programs early on and consequently wasted a lot of time and money on applications.

Look for funding early. I figured I would apply to a few reputable programs and the money would just fall into place. Apparently that $5 billion endowment at Columbia does NOT go to the social work department. Depending on your program, getting accepted is only half of the battle.

Notify recommenders early. Most people suggest 6-9 weeks notice. And like others mentioned, give them all the materials they need. Info about the course, addressed envelopes, etc.

Apply early, but not too early. I sent out most of my applications in October and have still not heard back from a few universities that claim to have rolling admissions. It's quite a long, taxing wait.

[profound_g]

Ladies and gentlemen, applicants of '11,

As you begin thinking about the process it may seem overwhelming. All the tests, forms, deadlines, recommendations, choices, and the list goes on. Relax. Just do the things you need to do one by one. Once you're finished you're going to look back and think: "That wasn't so complicated".

[astroturf]

And I second the posts above that recommended buying a TON of transcripts, even more than you think you'll need, very early. I can't even count the number of times I had to go back to my UG campuses buying "just one more" 'script.

Yes, this. I started out with only the amount of transcripts I thought I'd need to apply, and ended up making frequent visits to my school's registrar for more. By the time I ended up mailing my materials, I had stacks of every material on my desk, in double the amounts I thought I'd need, just in case.

I guess the biggest advice I would give is not to get down on yourself. When I was in the midst of applying, I'd see people touting GPAs or GRE scores or whatever else that made my own stats seem like dirt and I'd get so bogged down in comparing myself that I'd forget everything else that made me a good applicant. Although it is a competition, work on selling YOU rather than becoming preoccupied with someone else's stats.

I will also say that when I first started looking at graduate schools, everything that needed to be done seemed so overwhelming I doubted if I'd ever get an application in! It helped me to make a list of everything that needed to be done and by when (GREs by October, LOR writers confirmed by November, etc.) and just take it step-by-step. Otherwise, I think I would have been too panicked to function!

Edited January 25, 2010 by astroturf

[noojens]

Lots of great advice here. My quick tip:

Apply for outside funding.

External fellowships are extremely competitive and typically have deadlines in early November. Their applications are in many ways as extensive as a graduate program application, requiring transcripts/recommendations/essays. This may seem like a prohibitive amount of work to dump in your already busy schedule, but it's worth it. Every application I filled out this year had a section for "external aid applied for," and because I missed the early deadlines I had to leave these fields blank. Sucks! Also, if you do get a fellowship offer, it relieves any financial burden from the school of your dreams... which can have a huge impact on your admission chances.

Here's one database of fellowships: http://www.epp.cmu.edu/graduate/fellow_index.html

Good luck!

[caputmundi]

Figure out which schools notify earliest in your field. Apply only to those.

[ScreamingHairyArmadillo]

Instead of beating a dead horse, my only other tip is use an Excel file to keep track of all your programs and application materials. I didn't have to keep all important dates, people, or material statuses in my head (though I did anyway).

[coyabean]

Figure out which schools notify earliest in your field. Apply only to those.

LOL

[Katzenmusik]

Instead of beating a dead horse, my only other tip is use an Excel file to keep track of all your programs and application materials. I didn't have to keep all important dates, people, or material statuses in my head (though I did anyway).

I'll see your Excel and raise you Google Docs, which you can edit from any web browser!

Seriously, my Google Doc spreadsheet was key for keeping my applications organized through two vacations and across three separate computers. And mine is color-coded! I kind of miss updating it obsessively...

[piccgeek]

Don't panic!

[Tam]

I originally wanted to make an Excel or Google Docs spreadsheet to keep track of everything, but the process of gathering all of the different information seemed overwhelming. Instead, I stapled a bunch of sheets of paper together, used one sheet of paper for each school, and just looked at the websites to see what to do. Anything I did, I wrote down that I did, and anything I needed to do, I wrote down with a checkbox next to it, so I could check it off later. I wrote the deadline for each program at the top of its sheet of paper. This gave me lots of room for freeform things like my various ID numbers, usernames and passwords, email contacts, etc. It worked great, and kept me from being intimidated.

[eucalyptus]

I would tell future applicants not to freak the hell out during the application process. I didn't study for months for the GRE. Nor did I rewrite my SOP 13 times - I wrote it over a couple days, read it over once with my boyfriend, and then changed it a little for each school. For my writing sample, I sent in a paper I'd written without revising it further at all (although I wasn't actually required to send a writing sample). I'm not suggesting that people shouldn't work hard on their applications and do the best they can, simply that the amount of obsessive preparation that is seen as "normal" on gradcafe is not necessarily required to get into a great program!

And also, from my own experience and who I've seen at interviews, it's a good idea to get some experience before applying to PhDs, rather than coming straight out of undergrad (at least in psych). Nothing helps you write a great SOP like actually knowing what you're talking about... and I found it very hard to get there without gaining some post-grad experience.

[noojens]

Yeah, my spreadsheet came in hella handy. Not only does it have a column for every item in the path toward application completion, but i use it to jot down notes about research groups of interest, professors I contacted, dates I ordered transcripts, department contact information, etc. Plus, being able to check something off when you make progress is a nice little reinforcement.

[mudlark]

Don't panic!

HAH! I was just about to post the exact same thing!

I wish I was more relaxed about grad apps. When I applied, I had insomnia for the first time ever in my life, and I broke down crying in a professor's office about how nobody would take me and I could never do this. Then everything turned out fine.

Things that will help you not panic:

1. Find someone knowledgeable and reliable who you trust to have a realistic talk about your chances.

2. Take all information with a grain of salt.

3. Take all information posted by strangers on the internet with a pound of salt.

4. Write down a list of good things you have accomplished, or good things about yourself, that have NOTHING to do with school.

5. Hang out with non-academics as much as humanly possible.

[NervousNellie]

My advice is for folks who apply to programs that don't routinely do interviews or don't require interviews. These schools usually state that you can meet with an admissions staff person, have an "informational session," or request an interview. It all means the same thing, and it is a great idea to do it because it is a chance to make a positive, memorable impression in the admissions department.

When I first requested to attend an informational session, I had no idea what I was walking into. I didn't know whether I should treat it like an interview or use the opportunity to ask admissions questions. It also is typically done in small groups, so I was surprised to be the one and only person who signed up for the session slot I did.

My suggestions are:

Before anything, schedule your first interview at the school at which you have the least at risk, whether it is because they have a high admissions rate or because it is your safety or whatever.

1. Treat it like an interview. Dress up, but not too dressy. If you are wondering, yes, people apparently often wear suits to these things...at least in my field.

2. Make arrangements ahead of time for parking and still leave yourself an hour to park unless you are going someplace nearly guaranteed to have parking, and then still give yourself a good 45 minutes because you never know.

3. DON'T-- I repeat do NOT-- use this as a time to ask admissions questions. At one school I was told, "we don't advise people on how to make a better application!" Instead, use this opportunity to build a positive relationship with the admissions department, to make yourself known, so when you call back with your questions, they'll have a reason to be helpful.

4. Try to think up questions to ask them about the school, even if you were like me and did tons of research. Use questions as an opportunity to share about yourself in a positive light.

5. By the time you get to scheduling interviews, you are sure to be feeling insecure. You probably will no longer have a clear view of your strengths, and your vision will be obscured by the real or imagined strengths of all the other prospective candidates you are going up against. It's part of the application process. Before your interview, try to take all your thoughts about the other prospective students, box them up, and put them away in a closet inside your mind. Talk to the folks who are writing your letters of recommendation, and ask them why they are recommending you. Use the most unique, positive reasons, and practice natural ways to build them into a conversation about the school. Practice, practice. Have a practice interview with a couple folks you know.

6. Since these are schools that don't really have "interviews," you won't be aided by a series of questions. Instead, they are likely to approach the whole thing as a get-to-know you conversation. Trust me, it is way easier to have interview questions. Since you won't have the crutch of being asked questions, instead, practice small talk that leads to big talk (more meaningful aspects of your hopes for study and your interest in the school).

7. Don't try to show off your intelligence. I was at an open-house in which an undergraduate student who was a prospective grad student was asking the most academic possible questions. It came off as contrived and I swear I saw a faculty member nearly roll her eyes. If you tend to speak like that, or think you might have a tendency to show-off, practice sounding natural at least.

8. One admissions staff member told me that the students who get in at *any* school are the ones that are well-balanced...confident, but not overly so.

[peppermint.beatnik]

If feasible, clear your schedule from the time you submit your last application through April 15th. Chose an exotic location, preferably without access to a computer.

If I had to do it over, I'd do that. As it stands, I'm a nervous wreck and crippled by carpal tunnel.

[grad_wannabe]

My advice is for folks who apply to programs that don't routinely do interviews or don't require interviews. These schools usually state that you can meet with an admissions staff person, have an "informational session," or request an interview.

... DON'T-- I repeat do NOT-- use this as a time to ask admissions questions. At one school I was told, "we don't advise people on how to make a better application!" Instead, use this opportunity to build a positive relationship with the admissions department, to make yourself known, so when you call back with your questions, they'll have a reason to be helpful.

THIS. I went to an information session at a school, and I was surprised at the sheer inanity of the questions being asked. "What if I'm ordering transcripts from a school I went to abroad? Do I have to get those translated?" and "How long should my statement of purpose be?" and "What if my rec letter writer isn't submitting online? Is there a special form or something I have to give him?" I kept thinking, "C'mon people - you can figure out all this stuff on your own time, can't you?"

I asked questions about thesis committees, publishing, availability of elective classes at the general university - stuff about the SCHOOL, not just the application. The grad coordinator and the head of the grad program BOTH came up and introduced themselves to me afterward and actually said, "We never had anyone ask those questions before."

Remains to be seen if it makes any difference in my application, but it sure seemed to make an impression on them at the time.