I've been emailing a lot of professors from different universities. Asking about whether they will be open for supervision for the next cycle. I have two questions:

1. A few professors have replied. One said that she likes my research experience also mentioned that having clinical exposure is also important. Another mentioned that while she cannot go through each email individually as she gets around 300 such emails, she has asked me to go through a few links she's sent. Do you think such replies are a good sign?

2. I'm also stuck with how approach them through email. I usually talk a little about my current work and research, then about what paper I've read published by them and why I am choosing them to be my advisor. Is there something more I should ask them?

Also one last question, my grad advisor also mentioned reaching out to the department to enquire about the professor if they don't respond, should I do that? I'm a little skeptical about this approach. Please let know what more I should do or what I can change about my approach

Im starting off college at a university in the top 300 universities. I was a pretty good student in high school (ranked #5 in my class), and I think I might want to pursue a PhD in the future, but I’m feeling discouraged going to a low ranked university and getting rejected from the top unis for undergrad.

Does anyone have any anecdotes of going to a really low ranked university and then going to an amazing grad school for their PhD?

I was wondering how this even works? You mention to the potential advisor that you’re interested in their work and if they’re accepting students…then what? How do you get to the point where they ask to meet with you? Do you ask them to meet?

I also wanted to ask, I was in contact with a professor last cycle but didn’t get off the waitlist. He sent me a link to his past projects. Should I email him again and mention that I plan to apply again and looked over his past projects and was most interested in XXX? I just don’t want to sound pushy/annoying 😅

I'm first-gen trying to collect my application materials, but there is so much different advice on what to emphasize and how to curate my application. Because the F26 cycle was so competitive, I'm really interested in hearing from people in my discipline (rhet/comp/English or humanities) who had success in their cycle, or who learned from the last cycle!

Many people in other fields have shared that they were in contact with PIs before/during the application cycle, and I'm curious if that is something that humanities (or specifically English) candidates have started doing. Did you participate in cold emails, and if so, how explicit were you in your intentions and how clearly do you distinguish that communication from what would be communicated by your application materials?

I'd also love to hear how people chose their writing samples and how they approached the personal statement—especially if you mentioned specific faculty you'd like to work with.

TIA for any advice!!

A lot of professors I have asked for advice have told me that my research interests are too broad and that I need to figure out exactly what I want to do but I’m not sure exactly how specific they are wanting.

My interests are in molecular biology and I want to study the effects of starvation on the human body, what drives food intake, and how different biomarkers of starvation can be utilized in the clinical management of a starving body.

Would anyone be able to provide input on how and where my research interests are lacking depth? I’m truly fascinated by everything about this topic, I’d be open to doing work on cell biology, molecular biology, clinical trials, basically nothing is off limits. How can I express my enthusiasm while at the same time being more specific?

Hey guys

I will be going to Germany for my MSc in Quantum science, to pursue my research interests in quantum computing and many-body physics. I have offered from RPTU Kaiserslautern, Leibniz University of Hannover, and Ulm University. I am currently awaiting a response from TUM as well.

I have been reading a lot of posts about the fact that it is very hard to get a phd in europe now, germany included for physics. Some of this data are from people on reddit itself, so I do not know what to really take from that. And some of these people are applying to these positions with non-europeans degrees as well. I would really like advice from some people who are doing their phd in physics, so that I have a realistic picture of what to expect and how to prepare.

Although nobody can predict the future, as an Indian I am trying to understand the German system better, and this post is part of that process.

Please give me your input!

I need some advice. This was my second year of applying. My intended field is Structural Engineering.

I completed my BSc in 2023 from a not-so-renowned university in my country. My CGPA is good. Since then, I have had a period of unemployment followed by a few years of research experience, during which I published some research papers.

This year, I applied to 7 unis, including both mid-tier and lower-tier schools. I received rejections from two of them, while the remaining offered me self-funded masters admissions.  I know that they are basically soft rejections.

I have decided that this will be my final application cycle. If I am unsuccessful again, I will shift my focus away from research.

Given my situation, which option would strengthen my profile more for one final application cycle? Taking the GRE before applying or completing an MSc first and then applying for a PhD two years later?

Hey!
I’m a dual major at community college (biotech and biology) in New Mexico
I’m looking to finish summer of 2027 and transfer to a four year college get my bachelor and then get my masters and possibly phd
I love research and animals!
I met with a career advisor yesterday and we couldn’t find anything bio related stuff in the state at all
I had mentioned maybe going to El Paso and studying at state for the animal sciences stuff
She kept pushing for UNM but I was told it’s super biomed focused with a lot to do with cancer research that’s also highly competitive which doesn’t seem to be calling me
She recommended California and Massachusetts
Possibly to do a RUE at a school and then transfer there afterwards
I saw that UC schools were good and that MIT was good but I wanted some actual insight into what made them good from real people
I’m looking to actually move out, and put a down payment on a condo or a mobile home or some land for a mobile home and I don’t think I would ever be able to afford a actual house but I would still like to own where I live
I’m pretty openly queer and would like to go somewhere that’s accepting
I’d prefer if tuition was affordable and that if there was grants or other forms of tuition assistance

Any help is appreciated!
Thank you

TLDR
I’m moving next year and hoping to go to a good biology school
Looking to get masters and maybe phd
Looking to also settle down wherever I go to school (condo or mobile home)
Low tuition or good financial aid is a must
I’m mostly interested in things to do with animals and not super medicine focused
I’m looking for low cost institutions in a city that’s queer friendly

EDIT:
I posted this to a different subreddit and someone suggested NMSU which was my original choice!

Hello, guys! I’ll be having my MBA interview this weekend for University of San Carlos. Can anyone share some tips on how I can ace the interview and what possible questions I should prepare for? I'm going to take the non-thesis program. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! 😊

Having some qualms regarding future career paths.

Background Context: Currently working in academic administration making low 6 figures, salary will capped out in 3 years unless graduate level degree is obtained.

I was initially going to accept a PhD offer, but after running the math I am starting to see that the 5 year work gap and the loss of my current salary for 5 years is pretty stark.

My other plan was to do a Masters then an Ed.D and keep my job and move up the ladder, but will have to pay out of pocket for them.

Another issue is I love research and biomedical sciences and have spent the last 3 years volunteering in a research lab ( have pubs from it) with the thought that I would go into a PhD. But I do not think it would be wise to trade off a stable salary and hope that I land a PI position or a similar job to my current role, post PhD considering the job market and funding uncertainty.

My goal has always been to go for Dean level roles then work myself into Provost/VP level role in academia and educational policy. But reviewing some threads and discussing with higher ups, I was told that Ed.D candidates are usually passed over for PhDs at the 4 year level....

Should I pursue the Masters to Ed.D? Is the PhD still a good idea?

I would really appreciate any thoughts and insight, thank you in advance

Hi!

I'm a hopeful candidate aiming to apply for PhD positions, primarily in Europe and the UK, mostly within psychiatry and developmental psychology, though I have other interests too such as health equity.

The plan is to start cold-emailing potential UK supervisors this week and to apply to any interesting EU positions as they get posted.

Please read through my CV and roast it. Any and all feedback is very welcome. I tried to anonymise it, though many of you can probably still deduce my alma mater.

A few things worth noting. I'm a licensed clinical psychologist in my home country (Europe), where licensure requires a specific clinical psychology study program (listed as my BSc and MSc) followed by a clinical residency. The bachelor's and master's programs don't really have a GPA, they're mostly pass/fail. The one exception is my master's thesis, which was graded, and there I got the highest mark.

As a clinical psychologist I've also had my own study funded through the healthcare authorities, which is the first item under my experience. I've been the lead on literally everything in that study, which I gather is rare for a PhD applicant, so I've tried to underscore it here.

The main weakness I see right now is that neither of my recent projects is published yet, and my main project isn't wrapped up. One has been sent in for review, as noted, and I'm hoping to submit my first-author project in August, which should strengthen the CV.

Thanks!

P.S. The "Methods and Technical Skills" header is sort of cut straight through, this is due to a cosmetic mishap, but I think we'll manage as is for now.

I have two confirmed thesis based MS options at the same low-mid tier Canadian university.

My background is in CS, with a very weak undergraduate CGPA of less than 3.00 out of 4.00, nearly five years of data engineering experience, and a few published independent works. After the MS, I will definitely pursue a PhD.

Option 1: CS based MS

The coursework is more familiar and probably safer for earning a strong GPA. The research is in trustworthy AI and deployment risk mitigation. The supervisor is relatively new, but his research expectations are clear, straightforward, and manageable, which is an upside for me. With the more manageable coursework and research, I may also have more time for deeper or additional independent research.

However, I do not necessarily want to pursue PhD research in this specific topic. It may be something related, but probably not this exact area.

Option 2: Electronic systems based MS

The supervisor and research interest me slightly more, particularly hardware aware AI, software simulation, SNNs, and related areas. However, the coursework is much less familiar and likely harder due to it being electronics adjacent, I could do some CS related courses but overall coursework will most likely still be harder. Even though I built a decent research profile to compensate, my weak undergraduate grade still makes me really doubtful about handling the harder coursework.

I have not yet had a formal meeting with this supervisor about research expectations or a specific research direction. However, I could see myself continuing in this area during my PhD.

Basically, one option feels safer, while the other feels riskier but may have a higher ceiling.

How much should I prioritize supervisor and research interest over coursework difficulty and GPA risk? I would also be grateful for advice on how much MS research alignment matters when applying for a PhD.

When to start cold emailing professors for Fall 27 PhD? My field is ECE.

Background & Stats:

• Undergrad: IIT (Tier 1 India), Dual Degree (B.Tech + M.Tech) in Computer Science.
• GPA: 9.0+ / 10
• Experience: ~3 years at a FinTech firm working in a makeshift research department.
• Letters of Recommendation (LoRs): 2 from IIT professors (strong academic/research backing), 1 from my current industry research manager.

Publications:

• 1 paper published as a primary/co-author in an AI conference (CORE Rank B / e.g., IJCNN).
• Note: The paper is not in Multimodal AI.

Research Interests:

• Looking to transition into Multimodal Artificial Intelligence for my PhD.
• Note: Neither my published paper nor my current corporate research focuses on multimodal AI.

Questions for the Community:

1. Reality Check on Top 15 US Unis: Given the hyper-competitive nature of AI PhDs right now, is a Top 15 US university realistic with one Rank B publication outside my target domain?
2. Domain Pivot: How heavily will admissions committees penalize me for applying to Multimodal AI labs when my publication and work experience are in a different subfield of AI? How can I best bridge this gap in my Statement of Purpose (SoP)?
3. School Recommendations: Which Tier 2 / Tier 3 US universities (or specific labs) have strong Multimodal AI programs and would serve as good "target" or "safe" options for my profile?

Thanks in advance for any brutally honest feedback!

Since the start of my undergrad I knew I was going to grad school for either my masters or PhD in Mechanical Engineering. However, during my time I was never really interested in any of the actual research labs so I never joined any. I am currently doing research through my schools Baja SAE team in relation to modeling and tuning of drivetrain components and have really enjoyed the work I did to improve our teams car.

I know that one of the R1 schools I toured this past spring said I would get accepted with just my gpa (3.63 at the time), but I’m still really concerned I’m not gonna get into the schools I want to go to.

I’m just curious if anyone else had something relatively similar to me.

hi everyone. i am still on the waitlist for a masters in occupational therapy cohort starting this fall. just wanted to ask what is the latest anyone has been accepted after being on the waitlist? trying to have some hope since there is still a month before orientation!

I’m preparing applications for selective MSCS, and I’m worried about my exchange transcript.

My current CGPA is around 3.83/4.00, and my CS GPA is around 3.90. I also have several years of ML/software engineering experience, research experience in HPC/scientific computing, and multiple TA positions.

During one Erasmus semester, I took four CS courses. I received three Bs (Intro. ML + Deep Learning with CV + Software Eng.) and one D (Algorithms & Complexity). (A corresponds to 5/5, no half grades, E is the lowest). The transferred courses appear on my Koç transcript, but only as credits, without the original KTH grades.

Some of the universities I’m considering require transcripts from every institution attended, so I will have to submit the exchange transcript as well. My current list includes programs such as Columbia, NYU Courant, UCSD, Georgia Tech, UIUC, UT Austin, Toronto, and Princeton.

How much could the single D affect my application? Would admissions committees view it as a significant red flag, or more as an isolated result from one exchange semester?

Hi all!

So I made a big mistake and went to wgu online for my bachelor's. Even though I really just wanted to be in university (since I was 14). But money and family and internet and bad judgement. Dumb.

I have also been working, but freelance.

So now applying to a master's program. I can't really prove anything. No one to write recs, a crummy pass/fail gpa, and a huge study/work gap. I have some freelance work and academic papers. I started putting it all togetger on a website to show something. I have a linkedin page and cv. I can craft a fairly compelling story. But I'm terrified that no program will take me.

How do I improve my application? Plus I missed out on the experience. Should I just get a bachelor's?? Or jump to a phd?? I'm so lost.

I'm looking for opinions from people familiar with graduate admissions in Europe, especially in applied mathematics, and particularly in countries such as France, Germany, Austria, and Sweden.

My situation is somewhat unusual. I have a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering with an overall grade of 68% in the Egyptian grading system. After graduation, I enrolled in graduate-level mathematics coursework and completed subjects such as Functional Analysis, Advanced Linear Algebra, Numerical Analysis, PDEs, Integral Equations, and related applied mathematics courses. My performance in this later mathematics coursework was a little stronger, with a GPA around 3.41/4.

I am now applying to master's programs in Applied Mathematics and related fields across Europe, including universities in France, Germany, Austria, and Sweden. My goal is not to continue in civil engineering but to transition fully into applied mathematics.

For people who have served on admissions committees or have seen similar cases:

How would an application like this typically be viewed?

Would the original engineering grade remain the dominant factor, or can strong performance in later mathematics coursework substantially change the evaluation?

Have you seen applicants with a weaker undergraduate record but much stronger later coursework successfully move into applied mathematics programs in European universities?

I realize there is no single answer for all universities, but I would appreciate examples, experiences, or observations from European admissions systems, especially in France, Germany, Austria, and Sweden. Most European countries are fine with me, I just hope to pursue my studies.