I cannot believe I've already been at Penn State for four years. Time has simultaneously flown and dragged on forever, if that makes any sense at all. But I still remember how hellish this time of year was back in my senior year at Stockton. In Fall 2013, you would have found me worrying not only about passing my last undergrad inorganic chemistry class but about my grad school applications.
Some of y'all might be feeling just as sick to your stomach as I was back then. I know a former undergrad researcher from the Perry lab is - he's been emailing with me back and forth for a few months now with lots of really great questions. With his permission in hand, I'll be sharing his (slightly abbreviated) questions and my answers with you today.
Please keep in mind that my answers will be biased simply because 1) my opinions and life situation will probably be different from other's and 2) they will all be geared towards STEM fields, particularly biological sciences. There are TONS of other resources and blogs that discuss grad school applications [here are just a few for your consideration: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. And please, if you have questions of your own that weren't answered here or simply need some outside person to vent to about this whole process, feel free to contact me by clicking on the little icons at the very top of the page. I am here for you :)
Q “When you were deciding on grad schools, how did you even find what schools were decent? I went on some website that ranked a bunch of graduate programs in the fields I am interested in, but after I went on those schools' websites to see what they were like... I still had a list of over 30 different schools. I guess my ultimate question is: what sort of criteria did you use when you were figuring out where you actually wanted to apply?” | A I only applied to R1 institutions (AKA schools that are cranking out a lot of research and have a reputation for being able to get the money to do so). My undergrad advisor also suggested I apply to "big name places". He made the case that people only care about your most recent degree - it wouldn't matter that I went to a puny state school in NJ if I went to a recognizable name for my Ph.D. Dan [my partner] also suggests looking for programs where primary publishers in your field either went or worked. Big alumni bases are good for applying for jobs afterwards too. |
“How did you decide on FOUR schools?! I am terrified I am not going to get into graduate school at all. I guess this is similar to my first question, but I would love to know in particular, why four? Why not more than that?” | I only applied to four because my undergrad advisor suggested to do so. I had to carefully consider each option and decide if I would be happy there and if Dan would be too. This meant lifestyle, food options, and outside of work activities just as much as the actual research. Plus, do you really want the burden of paying for [lots] of these applications, then possibly getting into dozens of schools and having to choose later? Truth be told, I only got into 2/4 schools (I didn't get into [one] because that was the first deadline and one of my letter writers didn't submit on time. I probably would've gotten in there too.) Play up your strengths, and tell yourself that if you are applying to grad school then you were probably meant to go, and you will get in somewhere even if you only apply to 4-6 programs. |
"When is it okay to inquire about letters of recommendation? Is it good to get in touch with them a few weeks beforehand and then flat out ask?" | I generally let people know due dates ASAP and ask whether they'd be comfortable submitting letter on my behalf, then send reminders once they've agreed to the deadlines. Some potential letter-writers could very well reply that they wouldn't submit a strong, positive letter and that it might be better to ask someone else. |
“Where do you stand on reaching out to PI’s you would possibly want to work with? Most programs I'm looking at are rotational - which I LOVE - so finding that one single lab is a little less important compared to other programs. Instead, I know that I should probably find several labs in a program that I could see myself in, so that I don't get "stuck" in one I'd be less happy about. But how do you even go about emailing PI's about that? Do you just ask them if they're taking graduate students next year and try your best to not sound dumb? I just genuinely want to know about their research and see if it's even worth applying to the program.” | I reached out to 4-5 PIs at each program I applied to because I applied to rotational programs. In these situations, someone has to sort of stick their neck out for you and say "I will fund this person if they decide to come here and join my lab." I figured that would be easier for people to do if I'd talked to them first. This was also useful in figuring out who was interested in bringing a student on and which lab would be a fitting rotation. Here's the very first email I sent to PJ as an example [see below] - I followed the same "formula" for each of my emails, 1) keep it short, 2) tell them who I am, 3) why I am emailing them/what particularly drew me to their research, 4) that last sentence. |
“You gave PIs a heads up AFTER you applied, which I am most definitely doing. What are your thoughts on doing it beforehand? I've lucked out getting to email a few students in different labs I was interested in joining which has been incredibly insightful. But, some of the other programs I've contacted haven't provided students in those particular labs I was interested in. Is it remiss of me to reach out to the PIs directly and ask them genuine questions about their research and if they're considering taking graduate students in the next year?” | Absolutely do this! In my particular scenario, I was eager to go to the same institution as Dan, so I only bothered emailing PIs once I applied to the rotational program just because I knew that was how I would be accepted into such a program. But definitely email PIs directly to ask questions, especially if you're applying to such a program where you apply to the lab and not the department (ie, in the case of a rotation program). Also, from a frugal standpoint, could save a lot of time and money if PIs you're interested in are not accepting students. |
“The application - I would love to know any advice on the application in general and in particular, the personal statement. I'm not asking for anything that committees want to hear or anything like that because I want to be my genuine self rather than portray myself as something that I'm not, but instead I'd love just any advice really! Heck even what not to do/include would be perfect.” | As far as writing personal statements goes (and some programs, like PSU, ask for a list of faculty too), just be honest. I've attached a list of buzzwords and Bloom's Taxonomy [see below for both] - start your letter at the bottom of the pyramid and work your way to the top (AKA what you'll be doing at your grad program). Make sense? I've also attached my [slightly modified] grad school checklist and my more general personal statement. |
“How the heck do interviews work!? I've been asking the graduate students in my current lab, but they all said the interviews were super easy and chill. I'm not sure if it's the insane amount of anxiety that I have, but I am ALREADY nervous about the idea of interviewing with other PIs at programs! Are they really that intimidating? Do you actually have to speak with like six of them?! What if I read about their research beforehand, and totally don't get it?!” | The interviews were funny because I only applied to rotation programs. I interviewed with the board of PIs that was running recruitment for my year, as well as PIs that were interested in meeting me/who I had previously expressed interest in meeting. Depending on the interviewer, I chatted about why I wanted to go to grad school, what my interests were, and/or how I could potentially fill a gap in their lab. Truth be told, everything was pretty chill. You have to look at it as "I am interviewing you/this program too. You have to fit my needs just as much as I have to fit yours." Hopefully that makes you feel a bit better. |
“Maybe you're not psycho like me - okay you're definitely not, but I feel like everyone has a degree of anxiety/worry/fear. So, how did you manage the waiting period of applying to hearing back? Anything in particular you did or thought of that kept you calm? I feel like I'm going to be that loser that checks their email literally every hour the day after applying. Also, how does that normally work? Do you find out about interviews rather quickly after you apply, or is there a 2 month waiting period until January/February that you'll hear back?” | Hahaha this question brings me back to all those feelings. Honestly, I just tried to forget about it all once everything was submitted. It's a little easier than you'd think, because you'll have holidays and breaks and finals to keep you occupied. You'll start hearing back by mid- to end of January, one way or another. I didn't hear back from some programs until March, which was odd because I'd already gone for interviews at other schools haha. Put it out of your mind, and don't start refreshing like crazy until after the new year. |