Not getting admits

[Shilpa Anand]

Hi. So i have 3 years of experience in cognitive neuroscience and a bachelor of engineering degree from India. I had applied to 9 schools across the US after emailing professors who encouraged me to apply to their programs. But i got rejected by all universities. I'm not quite sure what my next step should be. Please help. 

[fuzzylogician]

You need to 'debug' what happened: 

- did you get interview invited but no admits?
- is your SOP well written, expresses your interests clearly, establishes fit with the school, and discusses your background in detail? Is it forward-looking and doesn't spend too much time on the past? Does it sound like you're excited, or like you're making excuses or blaming others for any difficulties? Is it grammatically correct and typo-free? 
- do you have strong LORs from professors who know you well and can discuss your research potential? 
- do you have a strong writing sample (if necessary for your applications)?
- do you have good grades and GRE scores?
- are you explaining any obvious red flags in your application?
- are you choosing appropriate schools in terms of fit and rank? 

You might need to get help from an advisor or someone you trust who is in grad school. Get at least one person to read through your materials, to see if you are presenting yourself in the best possible way. Having good credentials on paper doesn't necessarily imply a strong application; a lot of work needs to go into that. 

[cowgirlsdontcry]

I would add this thought--what is your TOEFL score? Your ability to understand abstract thoughts in English and express them is very important. I teach Comp/Rhetoric (freshman English) and have several international students. It is a constant struggle for them.

Edited April 21, 2017 by cowgirlsdontcry