Applications
Do the applications across graduate programs differ?
Yes, most programs typically have their own requirements for their specific program application, though most graduate programs in EEB have similar requirements. Application costs, GRE requirements, and essay topics can vary and be program specific. Make sure to closely read through the application requirements of each program you are wishing to apply, and start writing essays and gathering necessary materials and documents early.
How does the PhD and master’s admissions process differ?
The most notable difference between Master’s and PhD admissions processes is that the vast majority of PhD admissions involve interviews as a second round in the selection process. Interviews are much less common at the Master’s level, though some do have them, particularly if a graduate program admits both Master’s and PhD students. The admissions committees of some thesis-based Master’s programs may have lower expectations for the amount of prior research experience an applicant has, compared to PhD admissions. Indeed, Master’s programs can be a good stepping stone to gain more research experience for people who want to get a PhD but haven’t been involved in much independent or in-depth research. Other than interviews and qualifications, PhD and Master’s usually differ in the same ways applications across graduate programs differ (see above question).
Yes, most programs typically have their own requirements for their specific program application, though most graduate programs in EEB have similar requirements. Application costs, GRE requirements, and essay topics can vary and be program specific. Make sure to closely read through the application requirements of each program you are wishing to apply, and start writing essays and gathering necessary materials and documents early.
How does the PhD and master’s admissions process differ?
The most notable difference between Master’s and PhD admissions processes is that the vast majority of PhD admissions involve interviews as a second round in the selection process. Interviews are much less common at the Master’s level, though some do have them, particularly if a graduate program admits both Master’s and PhD students. The admissions committees of some thesis-based Master’s programs may have lower expectations for the amount of prior research experience an applicant has, compared to PhD admissions. Indeed, Master’s programs can be a good stepping stone to gain more research experience for people who want to get a PhD but haven’t been involved in much independent or in-depth research. Other than interviews and qualifications, PhD and Master’s usually differ in the same ways applications across graduate programs differ (see above question).
Identifying Potential Advisors
Where do I find professors that are taking graduate students?
This material was covered in our session which can be found here. There are many job boards where programs and professors post that they are recruiting students, a few of which can be found in our external resources. Our resources also contain links to search for actively funded grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institute of Health (NIH). Professors that have recently received grant funding will likely have funding for a graduate student through the grant. Another place to look for potential advisors is on Twitter. Many professors who are on twitter will use their Twitter pages as a place to connect with other members of the science community, and will post an advertisement when they are recruiting students and postdocs. Keep in mind that all of the avenues we’ve listed here will not cover all professors that are interested in and have the financial means to take on graduate students. If you’re interested in joining the lab of a certain professor but haven’t seen one of their grants or job postings, you should still send them an email to find out if they’re interested in taking graduate students in the upcoming application cycle!
Is there a website with different advisors listed?
Yes! Any graduate program you apply to should have a page on their website with the faculty within that program. When we say “advisor,” we are referring to the person whose lab you are applying to. We also call them PIs (principle investigator). However, they may not list which PIs are currently accepting students. You can ask PIs this via email.
However, though the program website should list all the faculty, that may not be the most efficient way to find a potential advisor. I’d recommend also using papers, your current research mentor, other faculty, and/or peers or grad students/postdocs you know, and possibly twitter to find potential advisors who have good reputations as mentors and overlap with your research interests.
Can you only apply to labs if they work in the exact system or are already asking the same questions that you’re interested in?
You definitely want to be looking at labs with similar interests as your own, however you do not necessarily need to be asking the same questions on the same system as they are. You do want to choose an advisor who has some experience and expertise in a particular subject you are interested in. For example, a student who wants to study feeding behavior in parrotfish may join a lab that studies fish behavior in other systems and other behaviors. That said, advisors do differ in how much latitude they provide their students. This mostly depends on your funding situation; see the next question for more details.
When identifying what kind of funding an advisor already has, does that limit the kind of research you are able to do with that advisor? In what way?
Yes, but the amount of constraint does vary. Most of the time, advisors are granted funding for specific research topics. So if you want to be funded by your advisor from a grant, your research needs to fall within the purview of their original question. Sometimes the proposed project is broad enough for you to have high flexibility in designing your own research projects, while other times you are more constrained in your choice of research questions or systems. Remember that grant money can be used for your salary and/or to fund your projects, depending on the amount an advisor has available to spend. It helps to ask a potential advisor how much latitude you would have in choosing your research question and system (while still getting paid by them) and to ask their current and past graduate students how much flexibility they had from their advisors in choosing research projects that their advisors funded.
When is the best time to reach out to faculty?
It is a good idea to reach out the fall before you plan on applying, which is about August-November. You want to leave enough time to follow up if they don’t respond, as well as schedule a phone or video call before your application is reviewed, so it’s best to contact an advisor by mid-October to be safe.
I'm worried about the apparently high level of harassment in academia. Is there any advice on identifying safe advisors?
This is a good question, and something that should be taken seriously. To be the most sure that you are choosing a safe advisor, you should reach out to past members of their lab (people who were either their graduate students, postdocs, or research assistants), particularly those you think you identify with more (e.g. by gender, race, religion). It will not look suspicious if you do this; it is very common for prospective students to reach out to past members of a lab they’re considering. Of course, if the potential advisor advises against talking to past lab members, that is a red flag in and of itself. If you can, you should especially talk to people who have been out of the lab for more than three years, as they are less likely to be under the power of the potential advisor and so do not fear as much retaliation for warning you to stay away from the advisor (e.g. they no longer rely on the advisor for writing letters of recommendation or collaboration on a project). You also want to reach out to more than one person, if possible, to increase the chances you get the information you need. Most importantly, when we say “reach out,” we mean sending an email to someone saying that you’re interested in joining the potential advisor’s lab and that you want to learn more about what it’s like to be a part of that lab, and asking if they’re available for a phone or video call. We recommend a phone or video call because that is a space where someone can speak off the record. On the call, ease in by asking about the advisor’s mentorship style and their experience with the advisor. If they don’t bring anything up, ask what other people’s experiences with the advisor were like and if there is anything you should know as you decide whether to join that lab. If you feel comfortable, you can explicitly ask if the potential advisor has a history of harassment, whether reported or suggested.
This material was covered in our session which can be found here. There are many job boards where programs and professors post that they are recruiting students, a few of which can be found in our external resources. Our resources also contain links to search for actively funded grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institute of Health (NIH). Professors that have recently received grant funding will likely have funding for a graduate student through the grant. Another place to look for potential advisors is on Twitter. Many professors who are on twitter will use their Twitter pages as a place to connect with other members of the science community, and will post an advertisement when they are recruiting students and postdocs. Keep in mind that all of the avenues we’ve listed here will not cover all professors that are interested in and have the financial means to take on graduate students. If you’re interested in joining the lab of a certain professor but haven’t seen one of their grants or job postings, you should still send them an email to find out if they’re interested in taking graduate students in the upcoming application cycle!
Is there a website with different advisors listed?
Yes! Any graduate program you apply to should have a page on their website with the faculty within that program. When we say “advisor,” we are referring to the person whose lab you are applying to. We also call them PIs (principle investigator). However, they may not list which PIs are currently accepting students. You can ask PIs this via email.
However, though the program website should list all the faculty, that may not be the most efficient way to find a potential advisor. I’d recommend also using papers, your current research mentor, other faculty, and/or peers or grad students/postdocs you know, and possibly twitter to find potential advisors who have good reputations as mentors and overlap with your research interests.
Can you only apply to labs if they work in the exact system or are already asking the same questions that you’re interested in?
You definitely want to be looking at labs with similar interests as your own, however you do not necessarily need to be asking the same questions on the same system as they are. You do want to choose an advisor who has some experience and expertise in a particular subject you are interested in. For example, a student who wants to study feeding behavior in parrotfish may join a lab that studies fish behavior in other systems and other behaviors. That said, advisors do differ in how much latitude they provide their students. This mostly depends on your funding situation; see the next question for more details.
When identifying what kind of funding an advisor already has, does that limit the kind of research you are able to do with that advisor? In what way?
Yes, but the amount of constraint does vary. Most of the time, advisors are granted funding for specific research topics. So if you want to be funded by your advisor from a grant, your research needs to fall within the purview of their original question. Sometimes the proposed project is broad enough for you to have high flexibility in designing your own research projects, while other times you are more constrained in your choice of research questions or systems. Remember that grant money can be used for your salary and/or to fund your projects, depending on the amount an advisor has available to spend. It helps to ask a potential advisor how much latitude you would have in choosing your research question and system (while still getting paid by them) and to ask their current and past graduate students how much flexibility they had from their advisors in choosing research projects that their advisors funded.
When is the best time to reach out to faculty?
It is a good idea to reach out the fall before you plan on applying, which is about August-November. You want to leave enough time to follow up if they don’t respond, as well as schedule a phone or video call before your application is reviewed, so it’s best to contact an advisor by mid-October to be safe.
I'm worried about the apparently high level of harassment in academia. Is there any advice on identifying safe advisors?
This is a good question, and something that should be taken seriously. To be the most sure that you are choosing a safe advisor, you should reach out to past members of their lab (people who were either their graduate students, postdocs, or research assistants), particularly those you think you identify with more (e.g. by gender, race, religion). It will not look suspicious if you do this; it is very common for prospective students to reach out to past members of a lab they’re considering. Of course, if the potential advisor advises against talking to past lab members, that is a red flag in and of itself. If you can, you should especially talk to people who have been out of the lab for more than three years, as they are less likely to be under the power of the potential advisor and so do not fear as much retaliation for warning you to stay away from the advisor (e.g. they no longer rely on the advisor for writing letters of recommendation or collaboration on a project). You also want to reach out to more than one person, if possible, to increase the chances you get the information you need. Most importantly, when we say “reach out,” we mean sending an email to someone saying that you’re interested in joining the potential advisor’s lab and that you want to learn more about what it’s like to be a part of that lab, and asking if they’re available for a phone or video call. We recommend a phone or video call because that is a space where someone can speak off the record. On the call, ease in by asking about the advisor’s mentorship style and their experience with the advisor. If they don’t bring anything up, ask what other people’s experiences with the advisor were like and if there is anything you should know as you decide whether to join that lab. If you feel comfortable, you can explicitly ask if the potential advisor has a history of harassment, whether reported or suggested.
Choosing labs/programs
How many programs should I apply to? Should I apply broadly or to just a few programs with advisors I’ve connected with?
Applying and reaching out to advisors are two different steps in the application process. First, you want to reach out to as many labs/professors as you think you would enjoy working with. This is when you want to cast a wide net. When you submit applications, however, you may want to stick with the professors that you have been in contact with. This is because the application costs money, and you are very unlikely to be accepted into a program when you have not been in contact with the professor that you are wanting to work with.
How many potential advisors should I be considering? How many emails should I send to people to ensure I get some replies?
Let’s start by providing an overview of the selection process to help you strategize. People who submit applications to a program only get invited to interview or get accepted (if interviews are not a part of the process) if a professor shows interest in them. Luckily, applicants can gauge this interest ahead of time when they send emails to potential advisors. Specifically, you’ll know a potential advisor is interested in you if they have encouraged you to submit an application and/or if they’ve made the time for email or phone/video correspondence. For those applying to programs that have interviews as part of the selection process, most applicants interview to join around 2-4 programs. Most programs accept about half or more of their interviewees, so you can expect to get into about half of the programs you interview for. However, there are often many variables that affect this, for example an advisor really wants you to join their lab but they don’t have the funding to support you financially. Therefore, to be safe, you want to make strong connections with advisors that you know have the financial means to take you on before submitting your application. You can figure this out by asking them about how their students acquire funding for their salary and research in your initial phone or video call with them. If you think your application materials are strong, aim to apply to work with about 4 potential advisors that you’ve connected with and that you have some confidence they can provide you financial support. If you’re worried that your application materials aren’t as strong, aim to submit a few more applications, around 6-8. To figure out who your potential advisors will be, start by sending emails to the people you are most excited to work with. As you gauge their enthusiasm and ability to support you, you can choose to contact more people so that you get to your target number of potential advisors that show interest in you applying.
“When I was applying for graduate school, I first started collecting names, emails, website links, and key words describing the Professor’s research. My list was originally ~20 PI’s long. I emailed all of them and got responses from about half after the first week, and from a few others a few weeks later. A few of the people who emailed me back told me that they weren’t accepting students that application cycle. I interviewed and applied with 7 labs (though I only had skype and phone calls with 4 of them.) If I were to do it over again, I would not have applied to those 3 programs who I did not speak with the PI’s over the phone or video call, since all of my offers came from the pool of advisors with whom I had spoken.” - Danielle
Applying and reaching out to advisors are two different steps in the application process. First, you want to reach out to as many labs/professors as you think you would enjoy working with. This is when you want to cast a wide net. When you submit applications, however, you may want to stick with the professors that you have been in contact with. This is because the application costs money, and you are very unlikely to be accepted into a program when you have not been in contact with the professor that you are wanting to work with.
How many potential advisors should I be considering? How many emails should I send to people to ensure I get some replies?
Let’s start by providing an overview of the selection process to help you strategize. People who submit applications to a program only get invited to interview or get accepted (if interviews are not a part of the process) if a professor shows interest in them. Luckily, applicants can gauge this interest ahead of time when they send emails to potential advisors. Specifically, you’ll know a potential advisor is interested in you if they have encouraged you to submit an application and/or if they’ve made the time for email or phone/video correspondence. For those applying to programs that have interviews as part of the selection process, most applicants interview to join around 2-4 programs. Most programs accept about half or more of their interviewees, so you can expect to get into about half of the programs you interview for. However, there are often many variables that affect this, for example an advisor really wants you to join their lab but they don’t have the funding to support you financially. Therefore, to be safe, you want to make strong connections with advisors that you know have the financial means to take you on before submitting your application. You can figure this out by asking them about how their students acquire funding for their salary and research in your initial phone or video call with them. If you think your application materials are strong, aim to apply to work with about 4 potential advisors that you’ve connected with and that you have some confidence they can provide you financial support. If you’re worried that your application materials aren’t as strong, aim to submit a few more applications, around 6-8. To figure out who your potential advisors will be, start by sending emails to the people you are most excited to work with. As you gauge their enthusiasm and ability to support you, you can choose to contact more people so that you get to your target number of potential advisors that show interest in you applying.
“When I was applying for graduate school, I first started collecting names, emails, website links, and key words describing the Professor’s research. My list was originally ~20 PI’s long. I emailed all of them and got responses from about half after the first week, and from a few others a few weeks later. A few of the people who emailed me back told me that they weren’t accepting students that application cycle. I interviewed and applied with 7 labs (though I only had skype and phone calls with 4 of them.) If I were to do it over again, I would not have applied to those 3 programs who I did not speak with the PI’s over the phone or video call, since all of my offers came from the pool of advisors with whom I had spoken.” - Danielle
Letters of Recommendation
If I have been out of school for a while and haven’t been doing research since, who should I ask for a letter of recommendation?
Even though it may feel awkward, we recommend that you reach out to at least one person who has experience advising you on a research project. When you reach out, remind them of what you worked on together and then provide an update about what you’ve been doing since and your motivation for pursuing graduate school. It helps to provide your curriculum vitae in this email and offer to have a phone or video call with them to give them a chance to get to know you better. For the remaining letters of recommendation, it is best to ask people who were in positions of authority and are familiar with your work ethic. This could be from a paid or volunteer position.
Am I burdening the people I am asking to write a letter of recommendation?
Definitely not! Most likely, the people you are asking to write your letters of recommendation have experience doing so and thus can write them efficiently and effectively. Furthermore, this is a part of their job! Especially for faculty, letter writing may count towards their required departmental “service.” They’re also incentivized to make your application look better, because the more successful their students are in their career endeavors, the better their lab or their department looks.
Even though it may feel awkward, we recommend that you reach out to at least one person who has experience advising you on a research project. When you reach out, remind them of what you worked on together and then provide an update about what you’ve been doing since and your motivation for pursuing graduate school. It helps to provide your curriculum vitae in this email and offer to have a phone or video call with them to give them a chance to get to know you better. For the remaining letters of recommendation, it is best to ask people who were in positions of authority and are familiar with your work ethic. This could be from a paid or volunteer position.
Am I burdening the people I am asking to write a letter of recommendation?
Definitely not! Most likely, the people you are asking to write your letters of recommendation have experience doing so and thus can write them efficiently and effectively. Furthermore, this is a part of their job! Especially for faculty, letter writing may count towards their required departmental “service.” They’re also incentivized to make your application look better, because the more successful their students are in their career endeavors, the better their lab or their department looks.
Interviews
What are ways to keep the interview going smoothly if talking about science/interviews are nerve wracking?
First of all, remember that you are not alone! Interviewing can be very stressful and it’s hard to show your best self in a high pressure situation. Before you meet for an interview, it helps to prepare talking points ahead of time so you don’t have to do as much mental work on the spot. This includes questions you’d ask the person you’re talking to, your elevator pitch (a short synopsis of what you do and what you’re interested in), and a more detailed description of your academic history, relevant work history, and research questions. Oftentimes the first thing someone will say to you in an interview is “tell me about yourself” – this is when you’d provide the more detailed description of yourself. After that, you can keep a conversation going by asking lots of questions about their research questions, study system, the program, or the local community.
How do you interview well with a potential advisor? How do you interview well with other professors affiliated with a program?
A potential advisor wants to know that you are serious about joining their lab and that you are motivated to contribute to their research program. Therefore you want to show that you’ve spent time learning about their research program by asking them questions about it. You should also be prepared to speak to how your experiences make you a good candidate for their lab. Think about some of the challenges members of that lab might face: do they include teaching oneself how to use software with little documentation, identifying species in a natural field setting, working long or unusual hours at a lab bench? When you meet with the potential advisor, find ways to show that you have the skills, experience, or self-discipline required by their type of research. The remainder of professors expect you to have a general familiarity with their research area, which you could learn by reading descriptions of their research on their website and skimming their publications list. They want to see that you’re interested in pursuing research and interested in the program that you’re applying to. You can show that you’re interested in research by being able to describe why certain research areas or questions interest you and asking others questions about their research projects. You can show interest in a program by knowing why you want to join and asking questions about the program, from research culture to available resources to where alumni of a program end up.
Should you watch lectures professors have given before interview weekend?
You certainly could, however this is not necessary. Recorded lectures may give you a good idea of some of the questions the potential advisor is interested in and provide an overview of some of the ongoing or recently completed projects in their lab. However, the content they present is usually also on their websites.
Is the in-person interview more formal, or more casual?
This can vary by program, but it’s usually a more casual experience. As Sivan said in our session, the dress is usually more casual (e.g., "business casual"), but most importantly you should wear something that makes you feel confident and comfortable during the actual interviews. The graduate students (and typically the professors) you meet will also likely be dressed comfortably.
First of all, remember that you are not alone! Interviewing can be very stressful and it’s hard to show your best self in a high pressure situation. Before you meet for an interview, it helps to prepare talking points ahead of time so you don’t have to do as much mental work on the spot. This includes questions you’d ask the person you’re talking to, your elevator pitch (a short synopsis of what you do and what you’re interested in), and a more detailed description of your academic history, relevant work history, and research questions. Oftentimes the first thing someone will say to you in an interview is “tell me about yourself” – this is when you’d provide the more detailed description of yourself. After that, you can keep a conversation going by asking lots of questions about their research questions, study system, the program, or the local community.
How do you interview well with a potential advisor? How do you interview well with other professors affiliated with a program?
A potential advisor wants to know that you are serious about joining their lab and that you are motivated to contribute to their research program. Therefore you want to show that you’ve spent time learning about their research program by asking them questions about it. You should also be prepared to speak to how your experiences make you a good candidate for their lab. Think about some of the challenges members of that lab might face: do they include teaching oneself how to use software with little documentation, identifying species in a natural field setting, working long or unusual hours at a lab bench? When you meet with the potential advisor, find ways to show that you have the skills, experience, or self-discipline required by their type of research. The remainder of professors expect you to have a general familiarity with their research area, which you could learn by reading descriptions of their research on their website and skimming their publications list. They want to see that you’re interested in pursuing research and interested in the program that you’re applying to. You can show that you’re interested in research by being able to describe why certain research areas or questions interest you and asking others questions about their research projects. You can show interest in a program by knowing why you want to join and asking questions about the program, from research culture to available resources to where alumni of a program end up.
Should you watch lectures professors have given before interview weekend?
You certainly could, however this is not necessary. Recorded lectures may give you a good idea of some of the questions the potential advisor is interested in and provide an overview of some of the ongoing or recently completed projects in their lab. However, the content they present is usually also on their websites.
Is the in-person interview more formal, or more casual?
This can vary by program, but it’s usually a more casual experience. As Sivan said in our session, the dress is usually more casual (e.g., "business casual"), but most importantly you should wear something that makes you feel confident and comfortable during the actual interviews. The graduate students (and typically the professors) you meet will also likely be dressed comfortably.
