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.

Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
1 vote
0 answers
24 views

Statement of Purpose for math graduate schools

I am a recent mathematics graduate from the UK who will apply to math PhD programs in the United States. I completed a master's in pure mathematics at a top program in the UK focusing on geometry. I ...
4 votes
4 answers
3k views

How do I mention low grades on the transcript due to genuine incompetence? (PhD Application)

"I failed an important course due to some justified reasons or terrible excuses, can I get into a decent PhD program?" is probably one of the most asked questions on the academic stack ...
0 votes
1 answer
86 views

How to become a competitive candidate for grad school after a ruined integrated master's degree?

I am 22 years old, about to graduate (delayed by one semester because I failed in two courses) with a dual major (one of which is an integrated Master's degree in a Physics, and the other a Bachelor's ...
1 vote
2 answers
728 views

What is the consequence on purposefully lying on grad-school application (town of birth)

Sam was really really uncomfortable in disclosing their actual biographic data such as the town of birth (similar to Gaza). Sam felt that they will be discriminated. There was no option to "...
1 vote
0 answers
57 views

Can I Use Published Work for an MFA Writing Sample?

This could be a no brainer of a question, but I thought I'd throw it out there to be safe. I'm applying to an American MFA program in Creative Writing and want to submit some of my best work for ...
1 vote
3 answers
92 views

Can two people write one letter of recommendation?

I have two cofounders who I've worked with in a similar capacity. Can they write a joint letter of recommendation for me?
11 votes
2 answers
13k views

Is it possible to ask two professors to write a joint letter of recommendation?

I have been working with two faculty members on the same project. I took a class from each of them, and the three of us meet in person on a weekly basis. I think it's reasonable to assume that they've ...
0 votes
2 answers
133 views

How do PhD letter of recommendations actually get sent?

Is there usually a person at the undergrad university that handles it? Or does my recommender have to fill it out for every single program? Or something else?
7 votes
1 answer
798 views

Are German university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule) Bachelor degrees recognized in US UK NZ or Australia?

I'm a prospective student looking to apply for an electrical engineering course (in English) at Karlsrhuhe, Rhine-Waal and Ravensburg-Weingarten universities of applied sciences. After doing a little ...
1 vote
4 answers
473 views

What are the criteria for a student from a weaker university to be accepted to elite graduate school?

I would like to generalize this question by asking for the general circumstances under which a strong university (in physics) like Harvard would accept a student from a much smaller/weaker ...
6 votes
1 answer
729 views

Failed classes during study abroad due to paperwork mistake. How much of a problem for graduate admissions?

I am a student in Electrical Engineering from a Latin American University. In my third year, I did an exchange in a Canadian university. In two courses I got an A and an A+, but in the other two I got ...
3 votes
3 answers
203 views

How important is it to disclose all of academic records for graduate school application, especially ones that are seemingly trivial?

I've done all my undergraduate and MS in a country that I'm not a citizen of. After my MS, I did not want to continue studying at the school I was in and even wanted to switch my studies. However, I ...
0 votes
3 answers
910 views

Joining three labs in the same university on the CV for a grad school [duplicate]

I am a sophomore. I have joined two labs now as an undergraduate. At the first one I joined, I had an interest in science but my supervisor was not good with me and she created a very competitive ...
0 votes
2 answers
175 views

May have embellished my CV and resume by mistake after I was admitted to MA and Ph.D programs. Could either of my degrees be revoked? [duplicate]

I am a doctoral candidate in a Ph.D program right now. I reviewed my old resumes recently to see if there was anything relevant I could include from undergrad (as I am about to graduate with my Ph.D ...
0 votes
1 answer
129 views

Is chemistry needed for graduate programs in material science?

I am a third year undergraduate in a physics program at a US university. I am in quantum and enjoy it, I also enjoyed a quantum chemistry course I took. I am looking to do work quantum computing (...
0 votes
1 answer
83 views

In my Statement of Purpose (SOP), is it best to write about my specific area of interest, or to broaden my options?

I am currently a 4th year CS undergrad student. If I tailor my Statement of Purpose (SOP) around my research interests (which are related to the research project I am working on with my professor), I ...
0 votes
3 answers
181 views

Should I switch labs to work on a topic that interests me more or stay with great current PI?

I am doing research now as a sophomore majoring in molecular biology and biochem. I am in a lab and my current PI is awesome and she is so supportive. However, I do not like the science practiced in ...
0 votes
1 answer
148 views

Is it better for a statement of purpose for a physics PhD program to be straightforward as opposed to attempting to make the style interesting?

Consider a statement of purpose of a physics PhD program. Some people say that the statement of purpose does not matter, but a horrible one can hurt you. So, all that is necessary is to write a decent,...
0 votes
1 answer
84 views

Which letter of recommendation to use for graduate application?

I am currently studying in a CS Bachelor's program in the EU and applying for CS Master's programs next year. I have successfully asked 4 people for recommendation letters, but I don't know which one ...
1 vote
2 answers
225 views

sending good/bad rec letter without waiving my rights

Would a professor send a recommendation letter whether good or bad to the grad university or the research summer program I am applying to without my permission? if she did not like me in her lab for ...
3 votes
0 answers
106 views

Is It Appropriate to Provide a Professor's Assistant's Email in the Application System?

I'm currently in the process of applying to a graduate program and have a question regarding the submission of recommendation letters. I have a professor who has agreed to provide a recommendation ...
1 vote
0 answers
69 views

Advice for PhD: Number of Applications (Humanities)

I am currently a postgraduate whose degree is near completion, and I would like to apply for a PhD in the United Kingdom. I am a first generation student which means that I have limited awareness of ...
-1 votes
0 answers
40 views

How the profile gets evaluated if someone is applying for masters again? [closed]

I want to ask people who have done second masters that how their profile got evaluated while they were applying for second masters?? As in my graduation I have a below average academic performance (...
2 votes
0 answers
66 views

Switching PhD programs for personal reasons

I have recently started a PhD program in the natural sciences (UK). My partner is enrolled in a program at a different university in continental Europe. The timings of our offers were mismatched, and ...
-1 votes
1 answer
141 views

Should I submit my math subject GRE score? (Engineering undergraduate applying for Applied Math MS)

I scored 740 (63 percentile) in the math subject GRE. I am applying for a masters in Applied Math in the US. Given most unis have the GRE requirement optional, would submitting the score affect my ...
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Medical Withdrawals and Grad School Admission [duplicate]

I am an undergraduate student studying mathematics and I am planning to apply for PhD programs after my graduation. However, I have 11 W's on my transcript currently, and I worry how it will affect my ...
0 votes
1 answer
62 views

Preparing CS Grad Application As An Interdisciplinary Studies Major

I started my Bachelor's as an international student in Electrical Engineering. Later, I switched my major to Computer Information Science (because I loved working with C and Assembly language ...
1 vote
2 answers
136 views

Is it okay to ask for Application fee waivers for course based Masters programs?

Is it okay to ask for Application fee waivers for masters programs? If yes, how should one approach? I will applying as an international student.
1 vote
1 answer
154 views

How to recover from a bad time in a Master's program

I am in the second year of a engineering masters' program in the US. While I initially planned to go on to doing a PhD, my experience and performance in my masters' has not been great, and I am ...
10 votes
2 answers
2k views

I got an offer of admission to a post-graduate program in a totally different field. How to know if it is legit?

I (actually my cousin) just received an offer letter from SJSM-Anguilla to study MD. They are saying that they are accredited in the Carribbean, and after completing the program, the students can do ...
0 votes
1 answer
86 views

Usefulness of prior PhD experience in USA PhD application

Suppose John is currently a first year PhD student applying to a US PhD program. I wonder if John's previous experience will be regarded as negative signal or a positive one in the eye of adcom.
27 votes
3 answers
12k views

Decline PhD offer gracefully due to low salary

I applied and got an offer at a graduate school. Before the confirmation deadline I got an offer in industry and I accepted it. The PhD position had extremely low salary, which would barely support my ...
-1 votes
1 answer
225 views

When Masters advisor said she will not gonna write a favorable rec letter to ph.d

I graduated from a Master's program in the US a couple of years ago. I had a conflict with my toxic advisor. It was a really really hard time for me. I came back to my own country and currently, I am ...
0 votes
1 answer
145 views

Do I still have a chance of funding with low english proficiency test scores?

I am from Georgia (the country) and I aim to apply for a mathematics Phd in the US. My application in general is good. I have Gpa of 3.96, strong letters of recommendations, two preprints etc. But my ...
2 votes
1 answer
76 views

Telling prospective advisor I will not be applying this year without souring the relationship

I spoke to a prospective PhD advisor who would like me to apply to his program. He made it clear that admission is not guaranteed, but since our general interests align, he suggested I apply. He said ...
7 votes
2 answers
2k views

Should I Read a Draft of a Recommendation Letter?

A professor writing a letter of recommendation for me sent a draft to my email and asked for my input. For context, I'm applying to graduate humanities programs in the US and already officially waived ...
1 vote
3 answers
1k views

I have a bunch of incomplete degrees. Any chance to get in decent Masters?

I have a bunch of incomplete degrees. I nearly finished one bachelor's but the 16h work days made me focus on work instead of academia. Then I tried with other degrees but never got far in any of them....
2 votes
2 answers
256 views

In college and grad-school applications, will the information of self-identified sex information be shared among all reviewers?

Speaking out one's own unusual sexual identity and unusual sex-orientation sometimes take a huge amount of bravery, yet most university applicants in USA are required to disclose that information (...
2 votes
0 answers
64 views

Will applying for a masters in the same/similar field where I did my postgraduate diploma and a postgraduate program a problem in German Universities?

I have read that doing a master's in a similar field and then applying for the same master's elsewhere will weaken an application. However, my case is slightly different. After doing a BSc Industrial ...
8 votes
5 answers
5k views

Should I inform my potential supervisor that my family has just suffered from financial hardship?

Here is my story. I am an international student intending to pursue a PhD program in Australia. I have found a potential supervisor. I showed him lots of enthusiasm about how I really wanted to work ...
-1 votes
0 answers
69 views

Applying for a PhD in CS with a 3.7 undegrad GPA, with a D in one course [duplicate]

I’m applying for a PhD program in CS. My undergrad gpa is 3.7 but I got a D in my algorithm course because I had Covid in my final. I did have a 3.9 gpa in my master’s degree with all As except one A-....
-1 votes
0 answers
74 views

GradSchool Admission but with a Corporate Internship

Like my title says, I want to know what impact does a Corporate Internship in the same area as my research interest have on my Grad School Application compared to a Research Internship. I am not sure ...
40 votes
4 answers
32k views

Can a professor influence the graduate admissions committee if he or she is interested in a particular student?

I've had a promising Skype interview with a great professor from a top-level university in US. Our research interests are closely related and he encouraged me to apply BUT he says that all decisions ...
7 votes
7 answers
11k views

Master's supervisor said he didn't post projects because he's not taking in any students but said I should apply anyway for PhD in his group?

Basically the title. I have met my supervisor to ask for a LOR and he was genuinely surprised when I said I'm also applying to his group. He said he had already taken in 3 students and didn't want to ...
34 votes
10 answers
16k views

Professor didn't write a letter because I didn't waive my right to view it. How to let him know that I have changed this?

I'm applying to UIUC and have asked 3 of my professors to write me recommendation letters. One professor, who I discussed my application with before extensively, wrote back to me after I was done with ...
1 vote
1 answer
1k views

Do all 3 recommendation letters carry equal weight? [closed]

In most of the universities in the USA/Canada, they want 3 letters of recommendation (LOR). I am curious to know do the admission committee reads or reviews all 3 LORs equally or do they give more ...
0 votes
1 answer
86 views

Advantage In Delaying Physics Grad School Application For Senior Undergraduates

I am a senior math/physics major at a T20 American private university who aspires to pursue a PhD in physics. I became involved in undergraduate research position with a non-tenured faculty member (a ...
3 votes
1 answer
88 views

How Impactful is the Particular Subject of Undergraduate Research to Graduate Admissions

Okay so I am in the final year of my math undergrad, and I am an undergraduate research assistant in what you might consider Mathematical Physics, specifically in Black Hole Quasi-Normal Modes. I have ...
2 votes
1 answer
426 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 ...
39 votes
8 answers
5k views

How to approach PhD admissions after leaving previous PhD because my advisor tried to force me to manipulate data

I started my PhD in one of the very well renowned institutes in Germany. Unfortunately, in the middle I was forced very much to manipulate the data. I was extremely upset and did not know what to do. ...

1
2 3 4 5
96