Tips for applying to graduate school

A lot of us experience massive anxiety at the thought of applying to graduate programs, whether we're aiming for a master's degree or heading for the Ph.D track - even though we've most likely gone through that arduous process previously in undergrad. The main reason for this intimidation is the common stigma of graduate school being hard. Did you know that on average, about 40% of college graduates will earn a master's degree, and that around only 3% will complete their PhD's? When you think about it, these are pretty low numbers, which may be the reason for that self-doubt. Keep in mind, that this is also due to an overall smaller number of applicants.

However, pursuing graduate school is opening up yourself to an entire new type of academic world, with new challenges and projects that will develop you into a fruitful academic and professional. The key is to remember that if you have passion and dedication, you can do it. Here is a check-list of things to consider once you've made the decision to apply for graduate school that will help you succeed and get in where you want through your application submission.

Step 1: Initial Research. The first step to your application journey is researching programs that are available in your field of interest and specific universities that offer those programs. Although relevant to any graduate program, finding a school that is an ideal match for you academically and personally is incredibly important for Ph.D. applicants, since this is where you will be spending and dedicating the next 5-6 years of your life. Maybe you want to stay close to home, or the same state, change coasts, or even move to another country. Although location is important, make sure your biggest priority is on the quality of the program, resources, and network. Lastly, the faculty working in your potential department is vital, which brings me to my next point.

Step 2: Labs and Professors. During your research of potential schools, you should mark down professors/PI's (Principal Investigators of a laboratory) who are conducting research and doing work that interests you - namely, work that you could see yourself working on and passionate about. It's crucial to contact these professors beforehand through email and express your interests. This action highlights your motivation and sets you apart from other applicants. Try to set up a meeting (whether over ZOOM or in person) to speak to them and get a feel for their laboratories. Something I also did was contact some of their current PhD students and talked to them about the lab and their respective research projects to get a better idea and build up my knowledge about the work being conducted. Related to this step is also making an effort to attend prospective student days. Many institutions hold prospective student events for various graduate programs, usually in person (although we are still remote for the time being). Register online for these events if they are available and attend them! It is a great opportunity to network with the department and meet lots of people from the department who will help guide your journey.

Step 3: Application Logistics. Once you've got a list down of schools and potential PI's you'd want to work with, it's time to start compiling relevant stuff you will need for your application. This includes things like having your GRE (or relevant) test scores, access to PDF's of your transcripts, and your résumé/CV. It will be helpful and important to have these on hand when manually entering data or being asked to upload documents.
   Test Scores and Grades: This segment of the application process is probably anxiety-inducing for all applicants. Maybe you have a grade or two that you're not exactly proud of, aren't a good standardized test taker, or something else. Don't worry too much about this. Every applicant has parts of their application that they are nervous about and feel are weaknesses. The trick is not to focus on weaknesses and instead on your strengths, and the best way to do this is what I will talk about next.

Step 4: The Personal Statement. In my opinion, this is by far the most important step. The key to securing an admittance to your goal graduate program is one thing: having a clear idea of what you want to accomplish, and how your graduate degree will help you on the path towards it. Maybe you intend to stay in academia and follow it up with a post-doc, or want to become better prepared for a complex industry position that requires an M.S. or Ph.D. When asked by graduate school advisors and committees what part of an applicant's degree is probably the most crucial, many will answer with the words "personal statement". This is because it is the ultimate chance not only to highlight your research and academic interests (and previous relevant experiences/work), but to also let the reader know who you are, where you come from, obstacles you've overcome, your proudest accomplishments, and everything that makes you, you. Remember that every institution wants to have a very high graduation rate for its students, especially in graduate programs. They want to make sure that you will be a good match for not only the institution, but also for the respective institution's culture. This is your chance to show why you feel you would be an all-around fit. Perhaps you were involved in specific extracurriculars in undergrad that you hope to pursue further on in grad school, or that school has an organization you would be interested in joining when you get to campus. This shows the school that you are passionate about their specific campus, and that you aren't just copying/pasting an essay to several schools. It's also your chance to bring up specific faculty members you're interested in working with and why, of course. All in all, the personal statement is absolutely key to highlighting who you are and what you have to bring.

Step 5: Attaching your résumé/CV. Most applications will ask you to attach your résumé or Curriciulum Vitae (CV) even though you will probably fill out your experiences manually, too. Make sure your résumé/CV is fully updated and thorough. If you are in a STEM field, try to code up your résumé in LaTeX (a typesetting system used in STEM fields) as this is highly professional. If you feel it's time to update your résumé, there are tons of free templates available online. Make sure you pick one that's simple and to-the-point.

Step 6: Letters of Recommendation. The last major component of the application of the graduate school application process will be securing letters of recommendation (LOR) from your previous professors, mentors, or even bosses. Depending on the type of program you're applying for, the people that write you letters may vary. However, if you're applying for a PhD, it is usually required to be from previous professors who know you personally and who can attest to your previous work (in their lab or class, for example). LOR's are important because they should be thorough, detailed confirmations that substantiate who you are as a student. Because of this, it is very important to compile a list of potential professors you feel could vouch for you, and contact them 2-3 months in advance. Professors are extremely busy and need a heads-up far in advance to have a chance to write a meaningful letter for you since it's specific to you. Check out this article from Stanford that explains the proper way to ask a professor for a LOR and next steps.

Step 7: Concluding Remarks. The 6 steps above are the most critical steps to forming a strong application and differentiate yourself from other applicants. Make sure to stay positive during the process and remember that the most difficult part comes after you hit the submit button -- the wait. The wait will be painful and excruciating, but I recommend joining communities like the Graduate Admissions community on reddit for application inquiries and updates from various programs/schools with your fellow graduate school applicants. There is also another online community called The Grad Cafe where applicants anonymously post their program decisions at their respective school and program along with stats/test scores. This is helpful for figuring out when admissions start to roll out and also to gage applicant profiles from previous years. These two online sites can be anxiety-inducing to a certain extent, though, so make sure you are using them wisely and positively - and stop using them if they are only making the process more stressful for you.

I hope that the above steps are useful for you in your application journey! Remember to enjoy the process as much as you can, and try to increase your excitement about choosing to take on this challenging step in your life rather than stressing out about it. Although cliché, whatever is meant to happen will happen. Whether or not you get into your "top" program or into any of the programs you applied for, try again if you're truly passionate about it. Many people may not get in on their first try and that's okay. Use the extra time to develop parts of your application that may have been lacking or spend time gaining more experience that will highlight your interests even more the next time around.

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