Questions tagged [graduate-admissions]

On strategies, procedures, and problems related to getting admitted to, or selecting students to be admitted to, a graduate degree program. Please click on “info” before asking a question.

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How important is it for people on hiring committees to have heard of my recommendation letter writers?

When I applied to grad school it seems like the only places I got into were places that had someone on the faculty who knew one of my recommendation letter writers. How much does that matter? For ...
5 votes
3 answers
201 views

Why do some admissions processes request an exhaustive list of jobs held?

This question is motivated by Should you list irrelevant work experience on graduate school applications? In that question, the OP cited text from one graduate school's question about employment ...
1 vote
1 answer
78 views

General Evaluation of Credentials

I just received news that I've been recommended for admission to a Ph.D. program(!!!) and that I will receive an official offer letter once the graduate office has conducted an evaluation of my ...
1 vote
4 answers
201 views

Do I need to have a well defined PhD Research proposal before contacting a supervisor?

I am in the UK and I am looking to contact a supervisor about starting a PhD. First, I know the area that I want to focus on but I don't have a defined research project just yet. I'd like to define ...
0 votes
1 answer
153 views

Partially funded MS at a top 3 vs Funded PhD at a top 20

My ultimate goal is to get a PhD and get into academia. I have two options in front me: 1 year MS at a university (whose department ranked #3 in world). The tuition is funded but there's no stipend ...
4 votes
1 answer
4k views

Will there be a problem if I have not mentioned in my PhD application that i am already a PhD student in different university?

I joined last year as a PhD student at a good enough place in India. Here I realised that it's not good enough place to be and I applied to 3 places in US considering my interests. I was quite under-...
5 votes
2 answers
493 views

Grad schools in which countries, besides the US, allow you time to figure out your research topics?

I am applying for a PhD in Math at US grad schools mainly because they allow you one or more years of coursework to figure out your research interests and potential advisors. Are there any other ...
2 votes
1 answer
574 views

What do maths grad schools ask for as an update after one graduates from undergrad (US)

After getting accepted into a mathematics graduate program (say PhD), what information does the graduate school ask for as an update once one graduates from undergrad (US)? I am aware they ask for a ...
-2 votes
0 answers
48 views

PhD selection process - where should I do my masters in order to give myself the best shot of getting into a good program? [closed]

I'm a philosophy graduate in the UK and I'd like to set myself up so that I will be able to get into a fully funded PhD in the future. I basically have two options for where to do my master's. The ...
30 votes
10 answers
4k views

How does the admissions process work for Ph.D. programs in Country X?

This is a special community wiki 'canonical' question that aggregates advice on a frequently-asked question. See this meta discussion. Please feel free to edit this question to improve it. Please give ...
1 vote
0 answers
68 views

Should I let my incoming applied school know that I've optained a scholarship from another school?

This is in an Australian PhD application context, and I'll try to provide as much info as possible without revealing anyone's identity. I have obtained a full PhD scholarship from a less prestigious ...
101 votes
7 answers
33k views

The GRE: Why does this still exist?

I did my undergraduate degree in the US and am heading to graduate school here in less than a month, so I myself have taken the Graduate Record Examinations (the general as well as two subjects tests) ...
6 votes
1 answer
369 views

What can happen if I do not disclose a conduct violation from grad school when applying to a new grad school?

I just received a conduct violation at my current grad school for a failed drug test when trying to attain a new internship. I had been taking CBD gummies that caused me to fail. I now have been ...
1 vote
2 answers
3k views

How do pass/fail classes look to PhD admissions committees?

I'm a junior hoping to do a PhD. I'm in a graduate level class right now in a different field. I believe almost all the other students are PhD students. The first couple weeks of the course were just ...
0 votes
0 answers
39 views

Does taking a course pass/fail undergrad look bad for PhD admissions (already accepted into a MS) [duplicate]

I’m a undergrad civil engineering major in my last semester. I’ll be going for my master’s after graduation, and I've already been accepted to said master's program. After my masters there’s a good ...
0 votes
2 answers
131 views

Is it possible to apply for another PhD program after resignation from my previous PhD program during the probation period?

I want to describe my situation first. I was employed in a German institute as a PhD researcher with a contract. I had to go through a six-month probation period. However, since the first day in this ...
0 votes
2 answers
171 views

For graduate school applications, is it worth retaking classes with poor performance or just focusing on future class marks?

So, I am a physics student at UC Berkeley. However, at one point, just due to its utility and my own passion for the subject, I wanted to double major in math. Around a year ago, I had very bad ...
2 votes
1 answer
152 views

Quitting a PhD program and reapplying to a different (though somewhat related) field?

Back in my original cycle, I applied right out of undergrad for a couple of programs that I initially thought could fit my interests well. All of them ended up falling into two fields, Engineering or ...
1 vote
0 answers
86 views

Is it possible to get back to pure math graduate study after working for two years?

I graduated with a honors computer science bachelor degree back in 2020 in Canada. During my last two years in the undergraduate study, I developed a strong interest in pure math especially algebra ...
1 vote
1 answer
131 views

PhD Admissions Decline/ Accept

I have been admitted to three PhD programs but I am leaning to program A. Program B is attractive and simply only with the admission letter and fellowship letter I'm not sure if it's the right school ...
0 votes
1 answer
123 views

Will withdrawing this course affect my chances for Grad School?

I am in 6th Semester of Undergraduate in Computer Science at a university in Pakistan. My current GPA is 3.95 and I am at the top of my class. My goal is to get into a competitive graduate program in ...
1 vote
0 answers
176 views

How to communicate with my former co-advisor and professors I want to decline a PhD offer to re-apply next year? [closed]

Recently, I got accepted into a very top PhD program in humanities will full-funding in the UK (Cambridge). On paper, my situation seems ideal. However, I strongly doubt whether or not I should accept ...
6 votes
2 answers
237 views

Does winning an external PhD fellowship improve my chances while being waitlisted at a university?

I was waitlisted by my top choice (got into 2nd choice, though), and somehow I received an interview for an external PhD fellowship (something like NSF, which is not linked to the program or school ...
2 votes
3 answers
332 views

Made a huge mistake in my bachelor's thesis

I recently submitted my thesis and also defended it successfully. But then I found mistakes in the statistical analyses of my research. When I was doing my bachelor's there was no biostatistics in my ...
1 vote
1 answer
175 views

Ph.D. admission in Nordic countries with mediocre grades w. good publications in unconventional fields [closed]

I have a master's degree in Geography and Urban Planning with mediocre GPA scores (15.5/20 or B). I graduated from a public university in the middle of nowhere that has a strict test system in which ...
0 votes
1 answer
114 views

How to prepare for grad school applications?

I want to go to graduate school in mathematics, completed my undergraduate degree in mathematics with 3.6/4 gpa (11 graduate level courses in maths and related courses, only 3 were A- rest A, 25+ ...
0 votes
0 answers
47 views

How do I ask a university department about admission status? [duplicate]

I have received an admit with assistantship for a PhD program from auniversity A, however, this university is not among the top 2 that I have applied to. I have received an email from University B (...
0 votes
1 answer
52 views

Research project scholarship in Australian university

After a zoom interview and sending my cv, certificates and research proposal, one Professor has sent an email inviting me to apply for the University of Queensland PhD program admission and research ...
1 vote
2 answers
641 views

Will pursuing master degree increase the chances of Ph.D. admissions if​ the Ph.D.​ is in different field than Undergraduate is the goal?

I am a Pure Physics and Pure Math graduate. I wanted to do Ph.D. in Computer Science on AI. I am currently a research assistant on AI. if my undergraduate is not related to my area interest for Ph.D., ...
13 votes
2 answers
5k views

Is there any room for negotiation on my PhD program stipend offers?

I am excited to have been accepted to a few PhD programs in public health. The two top contenders have both offered me full tuition remission, a stipend, and health insurance, but there is a ...
6 votes
1 answer
370 views

Does telling people that I (undergrad) want to stay in academia come across as naive and/or big-headed?

I am an undergrad planning to apply to MA-PhD cognitive neuroscience programs either this year or next. I've decided to try to approach grad school in a way that will maximize my chances of getting a ...
2 votes
1 answer
318 views

What is the best way to explain unrelated work in a Masters application?

I graduated in 2016 with degrees in Law and Arts, with Arts majors of International Relations and Criminology. Since then, I have been working as a corporate lawyer (specifically, insurance). I have ...
36 votes
3 answers
45k views

Rejecting a PhD offer after having accepted it. Advice?

I have accepted a PhD offer from a very good university to do a project very close to my interests. I have told the project supervisor I accept it. In the meanwhile I have managed to secure a PhD ...
-4 votes
1 answer
189 views

Two professors won't respond to grade issues -- No credit for work which would have raised my grades to an A. What GPA to write on CV/Resume? [closed]

The past two semesters these professors in some non-rigorous courses back to back have disregarded my communications regarding a grading error they or their TA's have made. One was an attendance/class ...
1 vote
1 answer
249 views

Finding a way forward, academically

I'm interested in pursuing a Master's in Computer Science. I think I have quite a bit to gain - as well as something to offer - to a program, but I'm finding myself hindered by my academic past. I've ...
0 votes
1 answer
224 views

Acceptance requirements for PhD [closed]

I am a European student accepted for a PhD at an Ivy league University with scholarship. Extremely happy about that, but I have now become very stressed that the admission might be withdrawn. In the ...
20 votes
3 answers
6k views

Retracting Acceptance Offer to Graduate School

I’ve got a sort of a dilemma in my hands and I was hoping y’all can help me out: Although I’ve got a quite below average profile, I applied to multiple universities in the States and in Hong Kong for ...
4 votes
2 answers
2k views

Seemingly insurmountable requirements to being admitted to a veterinary medicine program in the US/Canada

In three years time, I will have (hopefully) finished a biochemistry degree at the ETH Zürich. I'm thinking about moving to the USA/Canada after that to study Vet Med. In most places I've read, there ...
0 votes
1 answer
143 views

How common are online interviews for international applicants to a PhD math program in the US?

I have applied to several US grad schools for a math PhD and I wanted to know how common online interviews for international applicants are. One department that put me on their primary waitlist has ...
3 votes
2 answers
323 views

Should I mention in my Statement of Purpose that this university is my "top" choice

I am applying to graduate schools this year for a master's degree. I've read that some universities will reject some "strong" applicants because they believe this student would be accepted ...
1 vote
1 answer
87 views

Should I follow up on my admission status if I have a deadline to respond to a competing offer?

I've applied to two engineering research masters programs and contacted potential supervisors for each one. For my first choice program, the supervisor I contacted has expressed that he would be happy ...
2 votes
2 answers
707 views

How would PhD Admissions committee read Statements of Purpose?

I am referring to PhD admissions in US here. I've been always told that SoP's are important and require some commitment in writing. But in the meantime I hear a lot of such voices that PhD programs ...
5 votes
1 answer
209 views

What is the meaning of the term: "scholarly or critical paper"?

I have come across this term at many places in graduate admissions, and I do not understand it. For example, here, they want a writing sample that is "a recent scholarly or critical paper, 15 to ...
0 votes
1 answer
71 views

Should I put my diplomas and specializations under education or relevant skills and courses in my CV when applying to a Mphil?

Typically I would put them under the education section of my CV for my applications in the Dominican Republic, but I'm not sure if this should be the case for my graduate application. PS: The diploma ...
0 votes
1 answer
114 views

Late email to Professors for a Ph.D. program

I applied for some programs in the USA for a Ph.D. program for the fall semester and was very busy with my academic jobs, resulting in having no time to email the department faculties. So, I applied ...
1 vote
2 answers
320 views

I inadvertently conveyed acceptance of an admission offer when inquiring about funding

I was accepted to a fantastic [U.S.] program last year I was surprised to get an offer from but because they didn't offer me any funding and my life was still in a whirlwind due to the pandemic, I ...
0 votes
1 answer
136 views

An error in my graduate school application that the application system allowed me to retroactively correct after submission

I applied to several master's programs in the same school system two days ago. While everything else on my application was correct, I only noticed an error in the number of credit hours I had entered ...
1 vote
1 answer
141 views

How can I make up for weak grades (PhD level courses in master transcript) while applying for Ph.D. in economics?

I want to apply for Ph.D. in Economics in HK, US or Europe, but I met a problem. MY UNDERGRADUATE I am Chinese. My undergraduate was in Peking University majoring in Economics. Though it's one of ...
2 votes
0 answers
128 views

Better chances of getting in if university would like to review my incomplete application? [closed]

I had recently applied to a somewhat niche Master's program (~100 applicants for ~20 places per year, according to the University's statistics) at a top university (top 5 QS in various disciplines)¹. ...
0 votes
2 answers
48 views

In my statement of purpose, how much should I elaborate on my project/thesis plans?

I’m applying to schools for my Masters in Computer Science and I’m writing my statement of purpose. I don’t really know what I want to do for my project/thesis, but in their prompts, the schools ask ...

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