✍️ My Notes on PhD App (work in progress)

Disclaimer: These are things I learned along the way. They may not generalize, but I hope these can be helpful for you to consider. :)

CV, Personal Website

CV

People use different templates, but you can usually cover these:

  • Personal info: email address, links (personal website, Twitter, etc.), and (optional) research interest in one sentence.
  • Education: degree, school, GPA, and optional relevant classes.
  • Research / publications:
    • Prioritize experiences most relevant to your future interests.
    • Be concise when describing your contribution.
    • Highlight the impact of your work (numbers help if results are quantifiable).
  • Industry experience: Same principles as above.
  • Awards / Fellowships
  • Service: teaching, conference reviewing, mentorship, etc. — things valued in academia.
👉 My CV for reference
Personal Website

Recommendation Letters

  • Who to ask:
    • In most cases, you need three letters. They can be from your research advisors, professors who’ve taught you classes, internship supervisors, etc.
    • There is sometimes a trade-off between how well you and your letter writer know each other and how well-known the writer is.
    • Personally, I prioritize two things: (1) you have completed a successful project with this person, and (2) the schools/professors you are applying to know this person.
  • When to ask: As with most things, it is good to be early. (Around August/September.)
  • How to ask:
    • Ask them with relevant materials (resume, optional SOP, etc.).
    • Ask them if they need additional information from you. For example, if you are asking a course instructor, who may know less about you than your research advisor, they may want you to write something you have learned from the class, etc.
  • Be organized: If they say yes, make their life easier by making a spreadsheet with:
    • The schools and the professors you are applying to
    • Upload deadline
    • Whether you have sent the request for the letter
    • Whether the letter writer has uploaded yet
  • How important is the letter?
    • People have been telling me it is very important, because there are too many applicants, and recommendation letter has become one of the most important filtering criteria.
    • Yes, I agree, but don’t overly stress about it. Good connection and recommendation letters get your material to stay in the applicant pool for the second round, but after that, it is more about whether you have a research interest match with the professor and whether you can communicate your idea clearly during the interview.

School/Prof Listing

  • Match your research interests with different professors. It’s nice if the school has two or more professors that you want to work with.
  • Talk to your rec letter writers who they know. They may know which PIs you’d fit with. Also, if your rec letter writers are known to the school/PI you are applying to, that can strengthen your chances of getting an interview.
  • You can have a quick scan of schools and professors here: https://csrankings.org/#/index?all&us
  • Refer to the Where to Go section for a more detailed list of things you may consider.

SOP

What to Include

  • Give a high-level view of your research interests and why they matter
  • Describe some ideas you’d like to explore
  • Describe your past experiences to show that you have the ability to do research:
    • It’s definitely good to have your past experiences related to your future interests/ideas. You can use your experiences as basis or evidence for why your future ideas might work.
    • If they are not directly related, that’s ok too! The ultimate goal is, again, to show that you have the ability to do research. Show how you choose, think, and approach a problem at hand, and what you have learned from that.
  • Tailor the final paragraph for the university you are applying for: mention prospective PIs’ names and briefly describe why you want to work with them.
Things to Keep in Mind

Reaching Out

Reach Out to Professors

  • Check their websites. Maybe they don’t want emails. However, if you get to see them in-person (e.g., visiting a school or going to a conference), it definitely doesn’t hurt to ask if they have time to meet!
  • It is helpful to have a draft and a condensed version of your SOP as an elevator pitch. You’ll have a clearer idea of what you want to prioritize in your email or your chat with the professor.
  • Sending emails:
    • Be concise! Be concise! Be concise! Professors are busy.
    • Basic content you can cover:
      • Who you are, where you are from, who you are working with. You are looking for PhD programs.
      • What your research interests are and what you have worked on.
      • Personalize the email: why you are interested in applying to this professor. Connect your interest with their interests/works. You want to learn about what they think of XXX, etc.
Reach Out to Students

  • Reach out to students of the professor you are applying to.
  • Ask for advice.
  • Learn about whether their PI is hiring.
  • Know more about their lab culture.

Interviews

What to Expect

The interviews I had usually have these parts:

Tips

  • Don’t be nervous! Think of an interview as a great opportunity to talk to and learn from someone who is more experienced in the field.
  • Good communication is key! Before the interview, practice on talking about your projects and ideas. Go through the motivation, methods, findings, and (possibly) reflections you have on the project. Keep refining it to make it clear and concise.
  • It’s ok if you don’t know everything. Ask the PI for clarifications or just talk through your thought process. You want to show that you are willing to and have the ability to learn.

Where to Go?

People prioritize different things. Start by listing what matters most to you, then compare across schools. Here is a (non-exhaustive) list of factors to consider:

  • Advisor(s) Fit:
    • Research interests, advising style (hands-on/off...), personalities, career support, etc.
    • Will you feel comfortable being open about both academic and non-academic matters?
  • Lab Environment:
    • Group size: larger groups may provide more peers and senior students to learn from, while smaller groups can feel more intimate and you may get more direct feedback from advisors and labmates.
    • Lab culture: Do people talk to and support each other? How are meetings/socials organized?
    • Similar to advisor fit: Will you have people you can talk to about both work and life?
  • Research environment: Computing resources, collaborations across labs, research-related events
  • Funding & Financial Support:
    • Guaranteed years of funding, RA/TA/fellowship, summer funding, whether need to write grants for the lab
    • Conference travel support, health insurance, etc.
    • For international students: work authorization policies (CPT, OPT, number of valid months, etc.)
  • PhD Program Requirement:
    • Experiences of working as a TA, how many times you need to TA
    • Experiences of mentoring undergrad/masters
    • PhD requirements and course load (Make sure you have time to work on research!)
  • Living environment: (Don't overlook this!)
    • Location: urban vs. suburban, weather, housing, transportation…
    • Daily life: access to food/grocery, spaces for your hobbies, etc.
    • You are staying there for a long time! Make sure you can have a good work-life balance :)
Go to the visit days!
  • Talk to PhD students and professors: get a sense of both the research and the living environment. Ask what they like and dislike.
  • Talk to other applicants and see what they prioritize when making the decision. It’s good to hear different perspectives. I also happened to meet applicants who have done research at schools I am considering, so I got to know more first-hand information.

Other Resources/Links

Here are some resources I found to be helpful:

I hope these notes are helpful to you! The process can be tough, but everything will be ok! Take this process as an opportunity to reflect on what you are good at and truly passionate about. You got this! :D