Applying to STEM Ph.D. Programs

George Iskander

Email: georgeiskander@uchicago.edu

If you want to see my CV and SOP, feel free to email me.

COVID-19 Pandemic and Grad School

A lot of students have had questions about the pandemic and how it could potentially affect the application process. When I wrote this guide last year, in 2020, virtually every program went test optional. Some even refused to ask for test scores. The advice I gave then was that if the majority of programs folks were applying to were test optional, it was best to not take the test and focus efforts on the rest of the application. I had hope that programs, forced by the pandemic to abandon standardized tests, would continue to not require them. It seems that many aren't asking for them anymore, but some have unfortunately gone back to requiring them. Furthermore, the pandemic forced many schools to cut funding, and the number of grad school positions was first on the cutting block for many programs. So, in light of all this, my advice is this. Apply to as many programs as you are financially able to, because it's, frankly, gotten harder to get in. So, cast a wide net. Furthermore, I don't think it's a bad idea to take some time during winter break to apply to jobs, post-baccalaureate opportunities, or internships to expand your options in case admissions do not pan out (but I sincerely hope you get into the programs you want to).

As for standardized tests, make your list of schools and see how many require or don't require tests. If you have a ton of programs you want to apply to and maybe only one requires the GRE, say, then is it really worth it to study and pay to take the test for that one program? Not really. But if a sizeable percentage of your programs require the GRE, then it's probably best to revise for it.

Thankfully, however, a lot of schools have been flexible, because taking the GRE nowadays especially is tough. If you genuinely cannot take it for whatever reason (financial, health issues, and so on), it's worth talking to the program director and asking if they can waive the test requirement. I've heard folks have had success in doing this, so it's worth considering doing this.

What is this guide?

This is a guide on how to apply to graduate school and fellowships. My philosophy in this guide is to give you the tools and knowledge you need to create a strong app. In the end, I will link to some great guides you may have heard of (Prof. Guo's for example). But my focus is different. Guo, for instance, emphasizes the role of research in the evaluation of your SOP and tells you what's important, but he does not tell you how to craft a strong app. I hope I can give some pointers in that regard. I'll also emphasize it throughout this guide, but if you ever need anything, don't be afraid to contact me, I'm more than happy to chat and discuss grad school!

Caveat: I write for my experience in physics, and this advice will largely transfer to other STEM fields, with some exceptions. In mathematics, undergraduate research is difficult to conduct, and less emphasis is placed on the research a student has conducted, for instance.

About Me (and why this guide?)

My name is George, and I am currently a PhD candidate at the University of Chicago. I'm passionate about physics as well as about outreach in STEM. Along my journey, I've been helped by amazing mentors. I credit where I am today to them, because they were lovely folks who gave me their time and effort; because of them, I am pursuing my PhD. I wrote this guide because, in my opinion, graduate admissions is much more opaque compared to undergraduate admissions, and I believe this guide might be helpful to folks thinking about applying.

For instance, there's typically many factors that are beyond your control in graduate admissions. Strong candidates get rejected all the time, even if they were a good fit for the program and the faculty. Why? Maybe a person didn't get in because all the faculty they want to work with aren't taking students. Or because they didn't talk to faculty, and some other student did talk to the faculty. And this is what makes the process opaque. People will tell you to talk to faculty, make connections, sure, but I've always found this advice sort of vague.

This is in part due to the hidden curriculum. At every rung of academia, there's hidden norms and processes. If you're rich, if your parents are professors or work in academia, you know all this stuff. Networking and all that is second nature to you. If you're like me, however, first-gen and low-income, you have no clue. And people don't really teach you how to navigate academia, how to apply to grad school, and so on and so forth.

So, my goal with this document is to cut through the cruft and distill the most important advice I've gotten. I want you to know what the process is like and how to optimize your chances. I know that the idea of having a non-insignificant part of your career in someone else's hands is really frustrating, especially when you know you're being judged by metrics that you may find unfair (such as the GRE and GRE subject tests). So, I spent months thinking about how to improve my application. In retrospect, I realize there is only so much you can do. After a certain point, it's out of your hands. But there are some important things you can and should do. I got rejected from a lot of schools, but I got into many other programs and now I am thriving at UChicago.

At the end of the day, it is a crapshoot. You will get in somewhere, absolutely. The question is just where. I hope with this guide in hand, you are more informed about the process and can craft the strongest application you can. I recommend keeping organized through the whole process. Keep a spreadsheet of places you're applying to!

I've also put my email at the beginning of the document. Do not hesitate to email me if you have any questions and need any help. I want to make admissions equitable, and I believe the best way to do so is to make myself as available as possible. I am more than willing to chat, email, etc. if I can help you.

One last thing before I dive in: your mileage may and will vary. This is advice I've heard and what I've seen in my experience. This is not an atlas, but rather, a survey of the landscape. Take from it what helps, and if you feel like some advice is inapplicable, then trust yourself and your common sense. Again, if you need any advice relevant to your situation, feel free to email me.

The Question of GPA

I need to dispel this right from the outset. I've had a lot of people ask me if they can get into grad school with anything other than a 4.0. Or they'll ask, hey is a 3.8 good enough? I used to be an undergrad too, I know what it's like: you aim for the best GPA and you focus on that, perhaps an inordinate amount. But with the benefit of a year of retrospect and from having learned about the process, I want to say that when it comes to reading your application, GPA is far from the most important thing in your application. Grad schools care first and foremost about your ability to be a capable researcher. GPA does not reflect your ability to do research. That is not to say it's not important. I will say that once you're over a certain GPA, it doesn't really matter what the exact number is. This number depends on the school, but once you're past this hurdle, your GPA is not going to be the reason you've been rejected (if you get rejected). So, if you are set on going to graduate school, give it a shot, and don't worry about your GPA.

Tips for Freshmen/Sophomores

Comments

If you find this document and you're a freshman or sophomore, you might be considering going to grad school, and you're worried about what to do now to ensure you have a strong application later. This is definitely something to think about and take action on, but it is not something to stress about. Getting into grad school is predicated on being a good student and doing well in research and to a certain extent, your classes! So here's the advice I will give you:

Advice

1. Do well in your classes and go to office hours. At the beginning, I mentioned GPA is not the most important part of the application. This is still true, but all things equal, you want to ensure you do the best you can in your major classes. If you've had a bad semester, it's not the end. I had a very tough time in my first three semesters, and demonstrated an upward trend after that in my application. Showing an upward trend demonstrates to the admissions committee your tenacity and your ability to do well.

   Go to office hours as well, for any reason: if you have questions about the material, think the professor's cool, or you just want to make a connection. Once it comes time to ask for recommendation letters, having this connection with your recommenders will be very beneficial.

2. Get involved in research, whether on campus or at external programs. I could write another document just on this topic, but I've written some FAQs on this subject so I'll link them here:

   1. Research Guides/FAQ (click here)

   2. List of Research Programs (click here)

   I have to emphasize this point. Research is important, and having letters of recommendation from research advisors can be a very strong boost.

The M.O. of Graduate Admissions

How do grad committees judge your app? They are looking to answer this one question: **do you have the abilit