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<p>My personal experience relies more on postdoc application rather than PhD application, but here my answers to your questions: </p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/252 - chunk idx 0 |
<ol>
<li><p>Salutations: I think that "Dear Professor X" is the usual salutation, although if the person is using a different title on their website, it's better to use this one. </p></li>
<li><p>I'd start with the purpose of writing, and more particularly, with a "personal" context, in order to clarify that it's not s... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/252 - chunk idx 1 |
<li><p>In order to be concise, I would insist on the points that make you potentially different from other applicants. For instance, if you have a regular MSc in CS (i.e. not from a top Ivy Uni), then just mention it, because it won't be the "selling point", since pretty much any other applicants for a PhD got somethin... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/252 - chunk idx 2 |
<p>Also, as a general advice, I would contact the Asst./Assoc. Professors rather than directly the Professor in charge, at least for an informal query. </p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/252 - chunk idx 3 |
<p>This is another example where internationalization of programs makes an answer more difficult. If the program in question is in the US, for instance, you should probably <em>never</em> contact the professor directly until <em>after</em> you've been admitted into the program in question. Since admissions decisions ar... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/252 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>To address the question of salutation, I would <strong>absolutely</strong> use "Dear Professor X," or some other salutation that includes the name of the person you're addressing. Otherwise, it doesn't look like you're doing other than sending out an email blast to a bunch of email addresses—another move which almos... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/252 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>I have a list of things you should do from my seniors (Some might disagree):</p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/252 - chunk idx 0 |
<ol>
<li>Try not to over-sell yourself. There is a fine line between stating facts about yourself and boasting. Stay on the former side.</li>
<li>Try not to mention things and leave them abruptly or incompletely. For e.g., Don't say "I was involved with a project in the University of X where we studied Cancer Treatment... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/252 - chunk idx 1 |
<em>Side note: Surprisingly, many professors who I mailed have been interested on <strong>how</strong> I stumbled on his paper.</em></li>
<li>Never ask direct questions that the professor wouldn't like answering (At least in the first mail). Asking him about his funding status isn't the best idea in the first mail. Thi... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/252 - chunk idx 2 |
<li>Make it short. No one likes reading a billion lines to find out who you are.</li>
<li>Emphasize your work and what differentiates you from the rest rather than your grades and scores. Grades and scores (GRE/AGRE) are bonuses (or deal breakers) but they are secondary.</li>
</ol> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/252 - chunk idx 3 |
<p>As an adviser in TCS, I don't want <em>new students</em>, I want to work/advise someone <strong><em>who is in my opinion very promising</em></strong>.</p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/252 - chunk idx 0 |
<ul>
<li>First, the email must be concise (not necessarily short, but concise): be respectful, don't ask abruptly if the person needs students. Present shortly yourself: "I am XXXX, currently studying YYY at university ZZZZ"</li>
<li>Then, present your work interest, and more, show that you are aware of the work of the... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/252 - chunk idx 1 |
<li>Ask for a short scientific discussion, you can either ask for clarification on the aforementioned lower bound, or explicitly mention that you have some ideas about the problem, or that you need some guidance on further reading about the problem. Anyway, make sure that you worked hard before coming to the meeting. I... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/252 - chunk idx 2 |
<p>The thing is to make yourself known for something different than job request. For instance, you target TCS, if you are known on TCS.SE, it will be easier to have guidance/advice from TCS researchers that are also on TCS.SE.</p>
<p>Concerning some of the points you mention, don't hesitate to join a resume to your ma... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/252 - chunk idx 3 |
<p>You <strong>should</strong> have an <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_pitch">elevator pitch</a></em> version of your research i.e. a description of your work that you can concisely explain to an incoming grad student within the time taken to ride a few floors in an elevator. I know that can be prett... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/257 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>As to why I emphasized on why you should do it, there can be enormous benefits of having such a version ready (say your adviser introduces you to someone with whom you'd like to work with in future in the hallway one morning, and he asks the same question out of courtesy - it might really look bad on both you and yo... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/257 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>Your job, as an academic, is twofold:</p>
<ol>
<li>Do amazing research.</li>
<li>Write it up and convey your results to other people.</li>
</ol>
<p>It sounds like you view (2) to apply only to others who are already in your field and are completely familiar with everything you've done. You will find that, in the e... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/257 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>To more directly answer your question, you should always have two answers ready to the question "what do you do?":</p>
<ol>
<li>An elevator pitch, as described elsewhere. This should take ~15-30 seconds to say and would give a very high-level overview of your work.</li>
<li>A more in-depth explanation, which would ... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/257 - chunk idx 1 |
<p><em>(Note: the following point is somewhat debatable.)</em> I've found for myself that it helps to visualize the person you're talking to as paying your salary; if you're on a publicly-funded research grant (i.e., any governmental grant), their taxes are funding your research. It gives some perspective.</p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/257 - chunk idx 2 |
<p>The previous answers are all good and I strongly recommend having something prepared in advance. However, I think some people are more prone to fatigue from repetition than others, and if you get tired easily from answering this question like me, you could challenge yourself to come up with something different to sa... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/257 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>This is a good practice because it will make you more aware of the subtleties in communication, which is important especially when you are applying for a job. A fellow colleague won't react in the same way as a potential employer for instance. In other words, you should practice finding some common ground which will... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/257 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>Well, if repetition does annoy you: I usually hear this question as "What kind of research did you do <em>recently</em>?" If you research evolves a bit, this will help to avoid too much repetition. Also it helps to keep you explanations fresh and if you like your recent results you may probably like to share your en... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/257 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>I think it's true that the time-sharing between grants is quite normal within the research world, at least, I've observed it a lot, and in any case, you shouldn't have to worry about that, because it's under the responsibility of your advisor. </p>
<p>Actually, one of the problems when it comes to funding is that i... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/260 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>That's why in the end, the main question is whether it benefits you, as a first-year student, to work on the other project. Clearly, working on a different topic is always a good experience, especially when there is a potential publication at the end. I don't know how long is your grant, but if it's 3 years, then sp... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/260 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>Time sharing between grants is extremely common - I've often been asked to work on projects unrelated to what I am formally being funded for.</p>
<p>As @CharlesMorisset mentioned, many grants are now written with a sufficiently robust idea of where they're going, how they'll get there and that they'll work that a c... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/260 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>I had asked the same question related to CS in TCS.SE (found <a href="https://cstheory.stackexchange.com/q/8339/4119">here</a>) - from that, I'm summarizing the answers I got w.r.t your field:</p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/262 - chunk idx 0 |
<ul>
<li>Before grad school is a very early stage to change fields. Many people shift then. It's acceptable and expected. In your application, explain your changing fields (so the readers understand why the letter writers are not from psychology, why you took lots of biology courses, etc)</li>
<li>If you have research ... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/262 - chunk idx 1 |
<li>If you have good grades, it still counts for you, even if they are for courses from a different field.</li>
<li>Admissions committees are generally looking for "strong" students where "strong" is largely defined via prior research experience. i.e. they especially want to know if you've had the experience of doing r... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/262 - chunk idx 2 |
<p>While shan23's answer is good, it is also somewhat incomplete. There are a few things to watch out for when you're coming in to a field from another department:</p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/262 - chunk idx 0 |
<ul>
<li><p>You will need to keep in mind the qualifying procedures for your new department. Will they expect you to pass exams in undergraduate coursework in the new discipline? If so, then you'll need to do a lot more "catch-up" work early on to make up for the potential shortfall.</p></li>
<li><p>Unless the new area... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/262 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>There is a huge difference between saying that you will do a given research effort, and saying that you will obtain a particular result. If you have guaranteed the latter, you made a mistake, it's research, there is no guarantee on a result !</p>
<p>So, if you give a work planning to your adviser, you have to stick... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/263 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>The question is subjective in nature, but the answer is almost certainly <strong>no</strong>. Academicians are always applying for funding, looking into collaborations, reading research articles in different fields, and generally taking an interest in new research venues. It's expected that you'll occasionally (mayb... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/263 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>This wil vary significantly according to advisor, but I'd say a typical plan is:</p>
<ul>
<li>Years 1-2: coursework, begin research</li>
<li>Summer of year 2: Small research publications (in my field, 2-4 page conference proceedings, small steps)</li>
<li>Year 3: Get some real research done, more small papers</li>
... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/264 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>In France, the PhD is funded for 3 years generally. In our university (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris-Sud_11_University">Paris-Sud university</a>), PhD students meet a committee composed of the adviser, the head of the lab and the head of the doctoral school each year. In TCS, if you have not published ... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/264 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>In my experience, starting a collaboration is incredibly easy: you use your network of contacts to identify someone who'd be willing and interested in solving a problem. You talk at a conference or meeting, or arrange a visit to their laboratory. </p>
<p><em>Maintaining</em> a collaboration, however, is next to imp... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/271 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>Otherwise, I would recommend making sure that you start off with "low-hanging fruit": problems that can be solved mutually within the framework of existing funding on both of your parts, with value for both of you. This is important because one of the challenges of getting grants is that reviewers for funding agenci... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/271 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>Many times I had e-mail conversations but they never went into a serious collaboration (i.e. ending with a paper). All papers I have are with persons I know from a frequent face-to-face contact (plus with the people they know from frequent face-to-face contact).</p>
<p>Perhaps it has to do with:</p>
<ul>
<li>psych... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/271 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>IMHO successful and fruitful long term collaborations require at least two important features</p>
<ul>
<li>mutual trust</li>
<li>complementary competences</li>
</ul>
<p>Trust is essential at various stages of the collaboration: i) you should
be happy to make a fool of yourself in front of your collaborators durin... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/271 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>Complementary skills is key in order to value what your collaborators provide to the collaboration. If your asset is starting papers, you need to find someone who is good at finishing them or vice-versa. It also avoids unnecessary competition within the collaboration. On a more positive note, it sheds distinct ligh... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/271 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>This is based on my experience being in some highly unsuccessful journals clubs, and some very successful ones - at least in my mind.</p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/278 - chunk idx 0 |
<ol>
<li>You <em>must</em> have faculty involvement. I've seen more than one journal club that either didn't have faculty members, or had a faculty member or two who just kind of sat back and didn't say anything. That's bad. Faculty members who can contribute, answer questions, and generally provide some context for pa... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/278 - chunk idx 1 |
<li>Giving the journal club a greater context. Yes, keeping track of the literature is important. But its importance seems to slide if you know your analysis should be done soon, or something needs to come out of the water bath, or midterms need to be graded. One semester we framed ours as qualifying exam preparation, ... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/278 - chunk idx 2 |
<p>Overall, I've found journal clubs to be most useful for mid-level graduate students - they need enough experience to have thoughts, insights and feelings about the paper, but if a JC succeeds, eventually they should need it less and less.</p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/278 - chunk idx 3 |
<p><a href="https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/280/5674">Fomite's answer</a> is great. Along the lines of "greater context" - you could form a journal club around a topic, rather than around your laboratory. When I was in grad school for plant biology, a friend of mine in Ag Chemistry formed a photosynthesis journal ... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/278 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>This is one way to get around the "students take turns getting grilled by one professor." Take the initiative or find another student who wants to run a club, and find professors who want to participate but not lead. The environment will be different. </p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/278 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>If certain fields of academia do in fact frown upon "popularizing" science, then they are shooting themselves in the foot.</p>
<p>One of the most important ways of securing funding in different disciplines is through getting support by the federal governments in which they are working. Convincing politician X that ... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/285 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>An excellent way of doing this is to take part in writing columns, producing features for television, and other "popular" methods of outreach. You'll have to figure out how to distill your message in a way that's exciting for the viewer or reader, and that will help no only you but your peers as well.</p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/285 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>One situation I have come across in which it can potentially make the academic look negative would be when one is interviewed by a journalist, and the journalist is the one writing the article. Hence, one can be quoted out of context (twisting your words to mean something entirely different) or more frequently just ... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/285 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>Besides that I have seen <em>slight</em> negative sentiment towards when an author writes a piece that is sensationalist in some ways (which aren't seen as science, or unethical). Examples I have come across are the <em>Freakonomics</em> books (or one of the sub-stories from the initial book titled <em>Gang leader f... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/285 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>I think the answer is, if its done in balance, no. I've had experience as a graduate student with two projects that could be considered "popular science", and they've done...interesting things, career wise. Good as ice breakers ("Oh, <em>you</em> did that!?" - in a generally positive tone) and one yielded some inter... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/285 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>I think there are two critical elements that need to be there:</p>
<ol>
<li>It needs to be popular <em>science</em> - it needs a rigorous scientific backing behind it. The popular, fun, Discovery Channel part of my work is backed by peer reviewed publications and conference talks to scientific audiences. That's a g... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/285 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>Tagging is only useful if you use it with discipline. Look at Wikipedia or Stackexchange, most articles can be determined by 5-6 categories (science - math - geometry - euclidean geometry - metric). Stackexchange has a max. of 5 tags, often you only see 1-2 on questions, which is often pointless, as those tags will ... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/288 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>Also consider to <strong>not only tag by topic but also kind</strong> (review, letter, peer-reviewed, experimental results, theoretical analysis, explanation of new measurement method, meta-discussion...), <strong>year, personal rating</strong> (very interesting article you learned a lot from and should read again f... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/288 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>A last note. I use myself <strong>Copernic Desktop Search as a supplementary tool</strong>, I download all papers of possible interest (disk space is cheap ;) ), papers I read, will read or maybe will never take a look at. The point is that <strong>Desktop Search software often has more powerful search operators and... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/288 - chunk idx 2 |
<p>Conclusion:</p>
<p><strong>Don't use tagging for creating a pure thematic and linear directory structure</strong>, if finding again your papers or bits of information can be done by learning a good Desktop Search software. Use your tags in a personal way and remember, the point is not to structure your bibliography... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/288 - chunk idx 3 |
<p>This may be useful for someone considering a career at a teaching-first school, but I've never seen such portfolios asked for or even considered at research universities in the US and the larger European countries. </p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/290 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>I've seen it work both ways: some people realize that they have a limited amount of time to work as a result of their external commitments, and therefore make themselves super-productive during the hours they are able to do research. I think, to some extent, that most of the people with severe external obligations f... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/300 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>The people who I've seen with considerable external commitments who have still gotten through in a reasonable amount of time all boil down to one thing: They treat grad-school like a job. From 9 to 5 (or 10 to 6, 11 to 7, whatever works for their schedule) they're <em>working</em>. No, they're not available for the ... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/300 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>I think the answers given by aeismail and EpiGrad are correct, however, I just want to add one particular point, the one of traveling. Indeed, if it's true that many jobs from 9 to 5 can also include some traveling duties, it's particularly true when doing a PhD (and later on during the whole academic life). In this... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/300 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>Similarly, I've known a case where a speaker could only attend one day at a conference, the one where he was giving his talk, as he couldn't be far from home more than that, because he had to take care of his baby. </p>
<p>I'm not saying that an academic life means no private life, but in some cases, it can require... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/300 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>I had a similar dilemma (mine was whether to become a parent during grad school), and what solved it for me is the realization that, if all goes according to plan, my post-PhD life won't be too different from my grad student life. I'd like to stay in academia, and all the current difficulties will remain (e.g. short... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/300 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>If you're on OS X, then a great solution is to use the <a href="http://www.chachatelier.fr/latexit/">LaTeXiT</a> package, which allows you to create graphics files for individual LaTeX equations, which can then be copy-and-pasted into your favorite presentations program (Keynote, LibreOffice, Powerpoint, or even LaT... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/301 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>I've found that the secret is (1) good tools to create equations, plus (2) liberal use of arrows and text, plus (3) animations linking the two.</p>
<p>I've found the following two programs to be indispensable for writing talks:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.chachatelier.fr/latexit/">LateXiT</a> for the Mac</li>... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/301 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>My technique (you can see it in action in <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/eykanal/meg-preprocessing">this presentation</a>) is to put equations in a <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/eykanal/meg-preprocessing/73">unique font</a> (I use Times New Roman, with bolding and italics), and using the above tools to <a h... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/301 - chunk idx 1 |
corner of the slide</a> - with arrows and text sometimes included - so that (1) they remember what you're talking about, and (2) so you can <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/eykanal/meg-preprocessing/90">refer back to those equations</a>.</p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/301 - chunk idx 2 |
<p>An answer involving "not LaTex" based on both finding it utterly unnecessary in my field (which <em>does</em> involve a fair amount of math) and finding an endless stream of LaTeX-based presentations to feel very boring and same-y.</p>
<p>Have you considered MathType? I've found it far stronger for equation layout ... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/301 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>It involves some Latex programming, but you can do all of these things with Beamer and Tikz; see for instance <a href="http://www.texample.net/tikz/examples/beamer-arrows/" rel="noreferrer">http://www.texample.net/tikz/examples/beamer-arrows/</a> and <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/kaarebmikkelsen/in-the-news... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/301 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>The main benefit with respect to other solutions is the quality and consistency of Latex typesetting, which we all know and love.
The main drawback is the (possibly) cumbersome Latex programming, which we all know and loathe.</p>
<p>Also, it's all plain text (with simplifies automation, version control...)</p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/301 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>The short answer is yes, you can.</p>
<p>There is no need to be in a university, a research lab to work on a research project. There is also no need to have a PhD or any other specific degree/position.
This is however somehow unusual. But, there is a bunch of people in industry that publish on a regular basis some ... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/306 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>If you have no idea of the problem you want to address, or at least a broad domain, this will be even harder. I can only advice you to offer your manpower to people who are established researchers. For that purpose, you can go to seminars, you can maybe, if this is possible where you live, lurk into some graduate le... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/306 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>It's certainly possible, though admittedly somewhat harder outside the framework of a university. Some potential avenues, answering generally - not all of them might apply to your particular circumstance.</p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/306 - chunk idx 0 |
<ol>
<li>Academic/Business partnerships. These are a new hot topic, and in some fields quite active. Universities love them because they're a revenue stream. Businesses like them because its harder to get closer to the cutting edge than at a major university. Look for companies that do this as potential employers? They... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/306 - chunk idx 1 |
<li>Consulting. Research groups occasionally have funding for outside contractors of one sort or another - and if someone really wants to work with you, they may write such a position into a grant with you in mind. For example, I have some grant support for a freelance programmer. I've known other people hired for a pa... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/306 - chunk idx 2 |
<p>This is not meant to be an official opinion, since obviously the rules depend on the local labor laws.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>We should distinguish school holidays—days on which classes are cancelled—from official holidays, on which the university offices are closed.</p></li>
<li><p>A graduate student not working on a sch... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/317 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>Given that information, my personal opinion is that research cannot be done according to a timecard. There will be days when you go into the office and figuratively spin your wheels all day, and there are days where you are firing on all cylinders and getting tons done. In my own group, so long as someone:</p>
<ul>... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/317 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>It depends on where your weaknesses are. If they're in both the master's and the bachelor's degrees, you're in a lot of hot water, because it says, as you suggest, "student not serious enough about studies." (As someone on an admissions committee, I can tell you I need a heck of a lot of convincing to overlook a wea... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>Given your field, this may not be the easiest task to pull off, but I don't see many other options. </p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>I can answer as far as Computer Science(CS) is concerned - don't know how applicable that might be in your scenario.</p>
<p>In CS, you can make up for your transcripts being less-than-average by undertaking research projects/internships in the next few years, ideally in the area you want to pursue you Ph.D. in. Onc... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>Some universities impose a minimum undergraduate GPA requirement for all incoming PhD students. For example, the University of Illinois <a href="http://www.grad.illinois.edu/admission-faqs/domestic/requirements-deadlines">requires a GPA of at least 3.0 (out of 4.0) for the last two years of undergraduate study</a> ... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 0 |
<p><strong>Short answer</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li>Know what area you want to work in and be fluent with it.</li>
<li>Construct an honest, compelling narrative illustrating your strengths, how you've learned from mistakes or pitfalls, and why you're a good candidate for your chosen PhD programs.</li>
<li>Talk to as many pr... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 0 |
</ul>
<p><strong>More details:</strong>
There is some <a href="http://www.quora.com/If-I-contact-a-professor-for-research-graduate-school-and-he-asks-for-my-resume-transcript-what-should-I-do-if-my-transcript-is-embarrassing" rel="nofollow noreferrer">excellent advice here</a> and <a href="https://www.quora.com/Graduat... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 1 |
meaningless. <strong>Your goal is to have your work speak for you so strongly
that, when people look at your grades, they feel silly for even giving
them a second thought.</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>This was precisely why I was willing to give my unofficial transcript to professors at my school who asked for them (w... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 2 |
<p>For the record, I'm an undergrad with a 3.16 GPA (with 3 grades of 0.0s and 3-4 courses I retook with grades of 3.0-3.1 on the retake because I didn't even bother going to class on either class attempt). Despite all this, I managed to get into both the University of Chicago and Brown University - both with fellowshi... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 3 |
<p>You should also try schools that do interviews (especially in-person interviews) before they do acceptances, since the interview is where you have the opportunity to shine (and where they can at least give you a chance). Yale is one of those schools.</p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 4 |
<p>You should also look into very interdisciplinary graduate programs that are expanding faster than what their textbooks (and courses) can keep up with. Newer fields also tend to be <a href="http://www.cogsci.msu.edu/DSS/2012-2013/Simonton/2010BVSRcombmodPoLR.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">low-consensus</a> fields, wh... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 5 |
<p><a href="https://www.quora.com/Graduate-School-Admissions/If-I-have-good-research-projects-and-publications-but-a-low-GPA-will-top-grad-schools-accept-me/answer/Alex-K-Chen/comment/1524987" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Biology is another area that's often tolerant of those with low GPAs</a>, from what I've heard. In bo... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 6 |
(or through paper-based qualifying exams), so their quals cannot be based on coursework. In that case, performance in prior courses doesn't matter as much. In fact, some geoscience programs (like Berkeley EPS) don't even have admission committees because the interests of faculty members are so diverse that applicants o... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 7 |
<p>The MIT Media Lab <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-most-important-tips-for-getting-accepted-in-MIT-Media-Lab/answer/Drew-Harry" rel="nofollow noreferrer">is the perfect example of this</a>, in fact (though most geoscience/biology programs will have more of a committee than the MIT Media Lab). The tips in ... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 8 |
<p>You should also look for fields with very low people-to-problems ratios. Many of these fields don't offer courses that are part of the core requirements of numerous majors, so there won't be hordes of undergrads who take their courses. Fields like atmospheric science and various areas of biology are particularly kno... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 9 |
<p>Also, just write 2000-word personal statements. I wrote 2000-word personal statements for all the schools I applied for (they were <strong>necessary</strong> since I had to do some explaining), and they didn't prevent me from getting in. They can annoy some schools, but that's going to be a matter of fact if you're ... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 10 |
<p>If you need some extra inspiration, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Smale" rel="nofollow noreferrer">you should read about Stephen Smale too</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>He entered the University of Michigan in 1948. Initially, Smale was a
good student, placing into an honors calculus sequence taught by Bo... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 11 |
hard. Smale finally earned his Ph.D. in 1957, under Raoul Bott.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>One word of caution: Graduate programs have gotten a lot more competitive in the last few years, so what applied 5 years ago (or 40 years ago, for that matter), may not necessarily apply today.</p>
<p>By the way, elite private schools ... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 12 |
<p>Also - I would definitely look for areas where the department is trying to expand into, but where the department has no reputation for as of yet (visits/contacting professors can help you learn more about that).</p>
<p>Going to academic conferences can also <strong>really</strong> help as well - but only when you ca... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 13 |
<p>When evaluating graduate applications, I weight recent evidence more than stale evidence. One way to recover from bad undergraduate grades is to take classes through a community college or extension program and get great grades or recommendations.</p> | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>I had a very mediocre transcript from a very good school. I worked five years, then applied to a good school in a foreign country paying international fees for a masters degree. Then I worked very hard and got decent grades and great letters of reference and got into MIT for my PhD.</p>
<p>In general, if you work... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>You need to have good connections. I.e., a senior, well-respected person in the field who can put their word for you. Or a terrific work experience -- being say the top 10 person on Obama's or Romney's election team would certainly speak for itself in your field. Bad grades + mediocre work experience + bland letters... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>A former student of mine whom I taught at University A applied to the department I used to work at in University B. He got rejected on the grounds of having a D in the one of the classes in our department's major in the University A. (He later retook the class and got something like a B.) About 20% of our faculty go... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 1 |
<p>One other approach you can try is to find the PoliSci department with a heavy computing component, so that you could leverage your computer science experience. These would be the top departments, though, which would make it even more difficult. Pick a computation-heavy book published recently by a department member,... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 2 |
<p>Do not limit yourself to top 20 schools. There are over 200 degree granting schools in the USA and a good percentage have Ph.D programs. While applying to grad school I even found a school with a 2.5 GPA cutoff. Just be realistic about where you are able to get in. What matters ultimately is not where you go to scho... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/324 - chunk idx 0 |
<p>I'll give you my own opinion, as something of an interdisciplinary scientist in a nearby field (I work in mathematical epidemiology) with publications in both places (the conference paper frankly by accident):</p>
<p>First, your impression is indeed correct. CS and related fields very heavily weight conference pres... | https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/331 - chunk idx 0 |
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