Unddit

Learn to ask informed questions that drive conversations forward. This could mean a lot of things to many people. Personally, I 'size up' a conversation (whether in live discussions or written academic debates shared by multiple authors over time and space) before crafting an intervention. My ability to ask informed questions and potential to make compelling interventions in my proposed field is what set me apart from other applicants in my PhD programme. This doesn't mean you have to know right away what that intervention is, exactly. While grad schools place a lot of weight in the grades you earn in your major, some do also consider courses and experiences that have helped inform your questions and proposed interventions (and of course, how your questions and interventions shape your experiences). That said, do a lot of exploring in your first two years of undergrad, both in terms of coursework and in terms of internships and research opportunities. Find out what interests you and figure out what you're passionate about. Virtually all PhD students in my programme also have lives to tend to outside of school. So break out of coursework regularly. Listen to and/or participate in public discussions that interest you. Attend dissertation defences. Write a diary or a blog. You have a story to tell.

One simple note that I really love from a CS professor in Adelaide.

Not all that he stated in this note are meant to be exact (i.e. I have seen many cases where a candidate with a less powerful portfolio obtains good funding before a candidate with a more powerful portfolio, luck plays a lot in the game too), but it is a good thing to also understand "what criteria are demanded/preferred by those people from the other side (potential supervisors, funding committee, etc)?"

https://cs.adelaide.edu.au/\~dsuter/scholarships.html

The main thing is to show your passion for solving a particular problem, and seek out professors who are also passionate about solving this problem. If you can get a potential supervisor excited about hiring you, there’s a good chance you’ll get in to the program. Every program is different and sometimes you have to do rotations before settling on a permanent lab but in my experience i went to find a supervisor directly in an area of research I was keen on. Good luck

Experience and good letters of recommendation. Start doing research in your second year and begin having good relationships with the professors in your department. It’s perfectly okay to do research in another department as well. Make sure you’re passionate about your project but also remember that you don’t have to be tied down to that project or even that field in your PhD. A lot of PI’s in graduate school expect you to know absolutely nothing about your project or even the methods but having experience in the research process is important.

Get lots of research experience. Publish papers, if possible.

Research experience. Good letters of recommendation. A GPA over 3.5. And depending on the department a GRE in the 90%.

Although some programs are getting rid of the GRE, I would say most still use GPA and GRE as the first screening window to remove applicants. It's just numbers: there are 15 spots, 30 accepted candidates, and >300 applicants. Fortunately, the name brand of your undergraduate school doesn't matter, and diversity/inclusion helps a lot more than you might think.

After your GRE and GPA are good, they'll look at your extracurricular experiences. We often write STEM grants with two categories in mind: broader impacts & intellectual merit.

• Broader impacts refers to what you do in terms of outreach, tutoring, teaching, helping others. Do you have tutoring positions? Do you join clubs focused on STEM (like your university's chemistry club...if it exists LOL)? Do you perform science demos for underprivileged K12 school children?
• Intellectual merit refers to what accomplishments you've made. Did you work in research labs and produced results? Getting your name on publications as an undergrad is the prime way of showing you have this.

These aren't the only categories that exist, but they're ways in which professors are geared to think in terms of grant applications. Other ways you can shine include: Do you have an impressive transcript full of difficult STEM classes (including at the graduate level)? Do you have entrepreneurial drive like running your own startup? Do you have strong relationships with professors who can vouch for you in letters of rec?

Finally, a lot of STEM programs are moving towards a "professor accept first" model meaning you would actually contact and network with professors you are interested in working with before applying. Take this step with an open mind: the best professors you are interested in working with might not be located at the best schools, and that's okay. Meet with professors to see if they have funding and see if your skills and motivation for doing research matches with your professor-of-choice's work. But the good news is if you find a professor you like, and they like you back, you'll be accepted with almost 99% certainty into the program and you will already know who your advisor is and what projects you'll likely be placed on.

Understand that a PhD application is closer to a *job* application than undergrad admissions. Think of it less as admission to school and more like an application to apprentice as a scientist. They're going to be interested primarily in your qualifications to function as a researcher. This means A) you're going to want as much of a coursework grounding in your field during undergrad as possible and good grades in it B) you're going to want as much research experience as possible.

GRE scores can be important, but *how* important depends on the discipline and school. Some of the ivy leagues would throw you out for not having in the 90th percentiles but a lot of other schools, don't care. I got into an R1 with GRE subject tests only around the 45th percentile or so, largely because I had a *lot* more research experience than was normal for a prospective grad student *and* wanted into a niche area of research that the department specialized in.

Try to see if your program has research opportunities for undergrads and get involved there ASAP, or see if any professors will work with undergrads. Even if it's menial work (I remember freshman year soldering together some wiring for a solar cell research lab. My research contribution was minimal, but it was still research).

Research internships and Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) are also a good thing to get involved with ASAP. Universities and government labs often *both* offer these so it's good to look out for them. I actually did *three* research internships at government laboratories prior to my PhD, two at the Department of Defense, and one at NASA.

Lastly, in some disciplines it is normal to go into a PhD straight out of undergrad *however*, a Masters program is still an option to bolster your application if you cannot get in right away. If that is a financial hurdle, I suggest looking for schools that *only* have a masters in your discipline and not a PhD program. Oftentimes, schools like that will offer tuition waivers and funding with TA/RA ships that *would* go to PhD students normally, but in the absence of a PhD program ends up going to masters students by default. This is what I did for my masters.

Gpa and gre subject scores really matter. Most schools get thousands of applications and they have a computer filter out the top whatever percent of gre scores and GPA. Also apply to at least 10 schools if you can and be honest with yourself on where you can get in. You might also get surprised so don't be too pessimistic. I was rejected from everywhere but my backups and one reach school lol.

Start by talking with department faculty about your desires. Ask them about opportunities to learn more about the field and about graduate school. Hopefully they will connect you with research opportunities, suggest courses/clubs, and maybe let you sit in on a seminar.

Having some relationship with faculty members can also help later on when you start applying to graduate school since they can write well informed letters of recommendation and advise you on schools that match your interests.

Also take as much math/statistics and coding classes as you can stomach. For many fields the difference between undergrad and graduate courses is the level of math needed to be successful.

Your summer internships are going to be a great source to make or break grad admissions. If you’re in STEM, apply to NSF REUs (research experiences for undergrads) every year. If you get one of those, you can almost write your ticket to any grad program you want. If you can’t get an NSF, other universities will have their own summer programs so start looking into those. The key is to get an opportunity to go to a different university for a couple months during the summer. You’ll get a letter of recommendation out of it and also get to experience how different academic cultures can be. And programs like that will pay you and pay for your housing. NSF gave me $6k + free housing + $1.3k meal allowance for 10 weeks when I was an undergrad ~10 years ago.

You really should focus on two things, 1) keep your gpa above 3.5 and 2) get involved in a research lab that you are interested in early, understand your research when you get to the interviews they will be asking you a bunch of questions about it and you want to look intelligent right? It is a huge plus if you can get a paper out and get some presentations but that isn't mandatory. But I cannot emphasize how important it is to understand the research so many post bachs I interact with cannot hold a conversation about a project they supposedly worked on for 2-3 years and it looks bad on them.

A secondary recommendation I have for you other than all the advice here which is great. Especially the one about getting research experience which is MOST crucial.

So what I advise is to be PROACTIVE. This is the #1 trait that got me through undergrad and now here to grad school.

Go ask questions if you have them in classes.

Go to office hours and get support from TAs and instructors if you need it to do well in classes. This will also help you form relationships with these individuals as you will eventually need to choose some recommenders. Relationships are all time and effort and two-way. You never know if they have connections with alumni (maybe some who've gone to grad school) or if they opportunities like fellowships or you end up volunteering for them for outreach/teaching or working in their lab.

And lastly, go find yourself mentors over time. Make yourself a network of classmates, upperclassmen, alumni, staff, TAs, grad student/postdoc mentors, instructors, and research professors who can provide you valuable advice and support over the years. You do not have to do anything alone. They will support you from things like study groups for classes, emotional support, hangout buddies... all the way to things like formal and informal research advisors, reviewers for your SOPs, LOR writers, professionals who have connections with other top researchers and professors through the country. I would also stress getting to know some current grad students and grad student alumni at your undergrad if you can. They can offer you a perspective on what it is like to be a grad student. If your institution is only undergrads and no grad students, try to find alum who are now grad students elsewhere, or email grad students in research groups you are interested in (like later in junior/senior years when you apply).

And also enjoy life. Take care of your physical, mental, and social health!!! These are important skills you will bring to grad school too. Join clubs, volunteer for organizations you're passionate about, dabble in some hobbies, and hang out with friends!

Good luck!

Understand where you want to research. Have a good mix of internships, REU, and extracurriculars.

Research, research, research! Hop around labs if you need want too (assuming this is STEM). Apply to research internships, maintain a decent GPA, take advanced courses relevant to your research.

Visit the websites of the programs you're interested in, and look up the profiles of the first and second year PhD students attending there. If they've uploaded their CV, it may illuminate some of the experiences they had in undergrad that led them to where they are.

As an undergrad? Mostly, try to be involved. Go to office hours. Make acquaintance with professors, just chat with them, be seen. If you have your own project ideas to discuss, that's great, but they probably also have new or ongoing projects that you can help with.

Hi! I’m currently a first year PhD student. I entered straight from undergrad (low profile state school), and I managed to get into my top choice program. I’m a student in the sciences and I think your question does depend on what field you are considering. However, there are some fundamental components of an application to any program:

1. Research experience. If you’re passionate about research, that’s awesome. Make sure you incorporate it into your undergraduate life. I was working in a lab by spring semester of my freshman year, and I stayed on campus to do research full time each summer of undergrad. I think it really helped my application that I was in the same lab for 3 years by the time I was applying for grad school. I had developed a very thorough undergrad thesis by that point, and I had a very good understanding of the scope of my project and data. I also had been able to learn many many technical skills of the field, and had a long-standing relationship with my mentor at that point. I highly recommend finding a research opportunity you can sustain and develop in undergrad. This will be extremely helpful to you application. Alternatively, if you are able to create a connection with another institution such as through summer internship research positions, this is also great, especially if you’re able to connect yourself with a faculty member from another institution that you could see working with post-graduation.

2. Academic record. To get into a very high profile school, you will need a very high GPA in order to compete with the extensive and competitive pool of applicants. There are many great schools where you can have a competitive chance with a 3.5 average and I’m not trying to write those schools off at all. However, if you’re thinking Harvard/MIT, you essentially will need a 3.9+ (or to have a great standing relationship with a faculty member already) to be considered. If this is a realistic goal for you, that’s great. If not, that’s also great. Either way, if you want to go to a PhD program right from undergrad, your GPA does matter. If you take a few years to gain work experience in between, that’s a different story. I wouldn’t stress about this too much throughout undergrad, because it kinda ruins your life if you obsess over it. Work hard/do what you can with what you have. If you get a B one semester this doesn’t ruin your chances, college is hard some times.

3. Mentoring relationships. Others will call this “letters of rec” but I tend to think about this more holistically. If you have a great relationship with one or more of your professors, this enhances your professional network, provides you with opportunities, and gives you ample resource for strategizing your research career. I’ve had mentors help me with my thesis research, or discuss potential PhD programs, or help me get grant money. Each of these aspects are important for developing your application. And then, of course, if you have good relationships with faculty you will get amazing letters of recommendation. I find the easiest way to develop such relationships is to start by going to office hours regularly for a professor you like. Offer to help with departmental recruitment events or seminars. Another thing I did was I always gave Christmas cookies to the faculty members I really appreciated, some small bribes can go a long way :) When people help you out, send them thank you cards. This will help you build a network of people who know you and know your competence and will want to vouch for you.

4. Grants. I think whenever people ask about advice for grad applications, this category is always neglected. APPLY FOR AS MANY SCHOLARSHIP/GRANTS AS POSSIBLE. This may seem like a daunting task, but your school likely has an office for research opportunities or career building who will have someone who can advise you on this. The administrator of my undergrad research opportunity office was amazing. Once I had built a relationship with her, she would send me reminders about scholarship opportunities constantly. Find the person at your school who can fulfill this role for you. Figure out what you can apply for that will help you with your research interests. For example, I would apply to research grants every summer to secure funding for my summer thesis work. This provided me with a paycheck for working in the lab 40hrs/week. If your college does not have many funding opportunities, look to national ones. Barry Goldwater Scholarship is one I would apply for every year (STEM only) and even though I never got the grant funding, I could include on some of my grad school applications that I applied for it. University of Michigan I think asked for any scholarships/grants I’d ever applied for. When you can show that you are able to raise money for yourself, and have the dedication to fund your research independently, application committees pay attention to that, it’s a hugely important skill.

5. Your passion. This seems like a lame and obvious one but hear me out. What makes you attracted to research? What makes you uniquely fit to become a researcher? Why? Think about these questions and start trying to create a compelling narrative that summarizes and advertises you as a researcher. You can use this in drafting your resume, cover letters, application essays or personal statements, during interviews, etc. Understanding your worth and potential as a future PhD candidate will help you sell yourself truthfully and persuasively. This is a really hard thing to achieve, and I recommend talking it out at times, with yourself or your friends, your dog, whoever. It will also help you understand what you want from your post-grad life. Maybe by the time you answer these questions, you’ll come to realize you don’t want a PhD! For me, thinking in this way helped me realize that I enjoy the process of science. I’m not pursuing my PhD to get a PhD. I’m here in order to spend every day of the next 5 years advancing an idea and project of my own design, collaborating with others who hold similar interests, and learning about a subject I love. In addition, I came to realize that my perseverance as a scientist was highly valuable. Upon making these realizations, I had really good material for advocating for myself. Which is what these applications are all about.

You’re early in your journey, and although it sounds cliché, my primary piece of advice is to enjoy the time you have right now. It goes by really quick, and if you can manage to make yourself happy for the next (approximately) four years, that alone is a really productive start.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION. Start working on those relationships now. That feels bizarre saying to a freshman but some of my freshmen asked to take for wings at the end of the semester (I’m a TA, and it was after I submitted their grades) and while we were talking one admitted he was ‘working on getting a letter of rec one day’ from me by taking me for wings. I was amazed and impressed he was even thinking about that now. I’m not saying take them out for wings (that could backfire, I’m just younger so it wasn’t as weird; also his letter would be on the fact he got 100 in the class and participated well and stood out that way) but those relationships are seriously important and a great letter of rec from a good scientist in your field is like gold in a PhD app. The usual number of letters you need is 3, but I had 5 and I think it made a difference.

God damn, kids are heading into undergrad knowing they want to go to PhD ? I’m getting old.

Well mr./ms. Ambitious

3 years of research, take it slow. Learn about your problem. My advisor said to me once: better to know everything there is to know about your project than to take a chance and only understand 95%. Read the literature and immerse yourself in the science you are researching.

Keep your GPA above a 3.5. 3.75 if you can, that’ll open doors.

Learn to code, if only in R or python, every hard science PhD almost requires a little bit of computational work these days.

Finally, and most importantly, find your niche. I don’t care if you are studying fungal networks in the sub-soil or bird migration in Africa: if you don’t absolutely love the project you will never finish your PhD. If you find your niche, the hard days and long nights become “part of the job”. And there will be more than a few.

Good luck.

Does your program have research opportunities for undergrads? If it does, check out the research projects they have specifically for undergrads and apply for ones you’re interested in. If it doesn’t, get to know the professors in your department and see if they work with undergrads. You could also apply to research internships in your field. Get a feel for research and academic communication - the experience and skills will be very helpful. Good luck!