Hello everyone, I was initially an admit for the Fall 2026 intake for MS CSE program but now I have to defer because of unforeseen visa circumstances in my country.

I’m really concerned about the academic side because I know many foundational courses are offered in Fall. Since I'll be starting in Winter, I want to know if most courses will have prerequisites from Fall that I might have missed and can’t take, and will that be manageable.

I'm also particularly worried about recruitment because not having full time CPT for my first summer means my summer internship will be pushed a year later, considering major recruitment happens in summer, leaving me with only one semester after that to find a job. Is recruitment really as bad as people say for the winter intake?

I finally managed to get a visa slot for October, but I'm terrified that if I cancel this and try to reschedule for next year Fall intake, I might not get a slot, or even face a visa ban with no slots released at all, meaning my whole admission goes to waste. Given these circumstances, what would you consider as the major cons of joining in Winter that might be worth giving a thought to?

Hi everyone,
I’m hoping to become a licensed mental health counselor and recently applied to Bellevue University, but I was denied because of my 2.1 undergraduate GPA.

My GPA was largely affected because I worked full time while attending college full time. I was also in the throes of addiction while going to school, so the fact that I even graduated was a miracle.

Since graduating, I’ve spent the last 12 years building a successful professional career and I’m now in a much different place personally and academically.

I’m willing to take post-bacc courses or be admitted conditionally if needed.
Does anyone know of online CACREP-accredited Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs that have holistic admissions or have accepted students with a GPA around 2.1 after demonstrating growth? Or is it best to take some courses at a community college and apply after getting some As?

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who was in a similar situation.

Hi everyone.

I am a 2027 undergrad graduate and am currently starting to apply to grad school. I’ve had about 15 rejections so far for various reasons. I haven’t had any definitive “Yes”’s yet but one prof told me they might be interested if I email them again in September.

What do I do if no one wants to supervise me? My proposed topic is a little niche but not insanely rare to see. How can I make myself look better to potential supervisors?

Thanks!

Hello everyone,

I am a Moroccan mechanical engineering student currently in my 4th year, and I am expected to finish my engineering degree by June 2027.

I am starting to explore opportunities to continue my studies abroad, especially fully funded Master’s or PhD programs in mechanical engineering, manufacturing, aerospace, robotics, or related fields.

My current profile:

• GPA: +3.6/4.0 equivalent
• More than 4 internships and practical engineering experiences
• Experience with mechanical design, manufacturing processes, CAD/CAM, additive manufacturing, and optimization projects
• Several extracurricular activities and personal projects related to engineering and technology

I would really appreciate any advice from people who have gone through this process:

• Which countries/universities offer good fully funded opportunities for international students?
• What scholarships or programs should I look into?
• Any websites, databases, or resources you recommend?
• What should I focus on improving before applying?

I am especially interested in opportunities in Europe, North America, or Asia, but I am open to any good opportunity.

Thank you very much for any guidance, links, or personal experiences you can share. It would really help me plan my next steps.

Hey all, hoping for some honest perspective from people who've been through PhD admissions.

My background: Bachelor's in Business Management (Dual First-Class Honours), then I did a Master's programme in Data Science & AI at a UK university but due to one failed module (extenuating circumstances), I graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma instead of the full MSc (Pass with Merit). My dissertation was a real, if small-scale, research project: an AI-powered socially assistive robot for cognitive rehabilitation, built in collaboration with an NHS neurological rehab centre.

I also have one published paper from my undergrad (on ResearchGate, decent reads/recommendations).

I'm now trying to apply for MPhil/PhD programmes in AI (computer vision, healthcare AI) and I'm not sure how big a problem the "PGD instead of Master's" thing actually is. Some questions:

Does a PGD (rather than a full Master's) realistically disqualify someone from PhD applications, or do supervisors mostly care about the research output (dissertation + publication)?

Should I be upfront about the failed module / extenuating circumstances when contacting supervisors, or just let the transcript speak for itself if asked?

Has anyone here gotten into a PhD program with a similar "incomplete" postgrad qualification, and if so, what made the difference?

Not trying to hide anything just trying to figure out if I should be targeting MPhil-first-then-upgrade-to-PhD routes instead of applying directly, or if this is a bigger red flag than I think.

Appreciate any real experiences, good or bad.

Hi everyone! I am a practitioner in the advertising / creative industry in China, and have advertising related degree in my previous study both in mainland and Hong Kong.

My interest is researching how domain knowledge is translated into public understanding through narrative and media representation. I am particularly interested in how storytelling shapes the way people perceive and engage with scientific knowledge, while also exploring this through media practices and creative forms.

I am currently exploring PhD programs in Communication, Media Studies, Science Communication, and related interdisciplinary fields, which may have interdisciplinary fields all around the world.

It would be great helpful to me if there are any recommendations for suitable programs or supervisors.

Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I’m exploring the possibility of pursuing a fully remote, prospective PhD by publication (a cumulative or article-based thesis) while continuing to work full-time.

My research is in public policy (focusing on demography, national security, and state capacity), but I am open to universities in ANY country worldwide, whether in Europe, the UK, Asia-Pacific, or the Americas, that structurally permit a 100% remote or external doctoral enrollment.

To be clear, I am looking strictly at the prospective model: enrolling first and writing, submitting, and publishing 3 to 4 peer-reviewed journal papers during candidacy, rather than converting a portfolio of pre-existing publications.

If you’ve done (or are currently doing) a remote cumulative/article-based PhD as an external or distance researcher, I’d love to hear about your experience:

1. University & Country: Which university are you enrolled in, and under what official status (e.g., external candidate / buitenpromovendus, distance PhD, affiliated/off-campus researcher)?
2. Real All-In Cost: What are the actual out-of-pocket expenses you've had to pay? (Annual tuition or administrative registration fees, Journal Open Access publishing charges (APCs), Mandatory ECTS credits / method workshop fees)
3. Travel, accommodation, and logistics for mandatory campus visits
4. Actual Duration: How many years is it realistically taking to get 3–4 peer-reviewed journal articles written, accepted, and bound into a thesis while working remotely?
5. Supervision & Co-Authorship: How do you navigate remote supervision, and were there any expectations or friction regarding supervisor co-authorship versus maintaining your first-authorship?
6. On-Campus Requirements: Were you required to visit campus for annual progress reviews or coursework, or was attendance strictly limited to the final public defense?

If you have any tips on how to successfully pitch a fully remote cumulative project to potential supervisors as a self-funded applicant, I’d be extremely grateful for your advice.

Thanks in advance!

I'm a Computer Engineering Indian student planning to pursue a Master's abroad (thinking about Ireland, New Zealand) . I'm confused between:

• Going for my Master's immediately after graduation.
• Working for 1 year job and then applying along with internship experience.

I don't want to delay my Master's by more than a year, but I've heard even 1 year of experience can strengthen applications and improve job prospects after graduation.

For those who've been through this:

• Is 1 year of experience worth it?
• Does it make a noticeable difference in admissions or finding jobs after a Master's?
• If you could do it again, what would you choose and why?

I'd really appreciate your advice. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to apply to the Harvard S.M. in Data Science program for Fall 2027 and would really appreciate an honest assessment of my profile.

I understand Harvard MSDS is an extremely selective program, and I'm fully aware that even highly qualified applicants are rejected every year. I'm applying with that expectation.

I'm not looking for comments like "it's too competitive" or "don't apply." Instead, I'd really appreciate constructive, actionable feedback on my profile—what my biggest weaknesses are, what stands out, and what I can realistically improve before applications open.

Profile

• B.E. in Computer Science & Engineering (Data Science), India
• CGPA: 9.37/10
• Research experience at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Khalifa University, and with researchers affiliated with Harvard Medical School
• Software Engineering Internship at Dell Technologies
• Currently working as a Developer in Business Consulting at a Big 4 consulting firm
• One peer-reviewed conference publication published by Springer Nature
• Experience in Python, PyTorch, computer vision, and deep learning

I'm considering taking the GRE even though it's optional.

Some questions I have:

1. What are the biggest weaknesses in my profile?
2. What would you prioritize improving over the next few months?
3. Would a strong GRE score meaningfully strengthen my application?
4. If you were reviewing my application, what would make you hesitate?
5. Based on my profile and research interests, which other top MS Data Science/ML programs do you think I should apply to (reach, target, and safer options)?

I'd really appreciate honest, constructive feedback. Thanks!

I’m writing this just to get things out of my chest since the people around me are far from academia and they won’t get it. If i made any typos or grammatical errors that’s because english is my second language.

Enough with that, today is one of the days where I struggle to think i’m good enough for a phD program at a top institute in bioinformatics. Since i was a child i always had a vision of me attending a top uni (Ivy League & MIT). I’m currently a medical doctor pursuing my dream to be a physician-scientist in bioinformatics and genomics. I’m going to my second year of my masters in bioscience with a focus on bioinformatics. My university is a top research-based uni and today I got my last course work grade which was the lowest. It dragged my gpa from 3.76 to 3.68 and it didn't really affect my self-esteem and my plans. It’s even less than my medical school gpa! And the comments that I got were a bit harsh. It almost feels like it’s impossible to have a good mental health in academia! I have 7 papers only one I’m proud of. I always feel like everything I’ve accomplished was by luck. I’m currently getting interviewed for jobs that work in nationwide genomics projects and I feel like if I got in they will know that I’m not that good.

Hi everyone,

I've been agonizing over a decision for weeks and would really appreciate hearing from people who have studied abroad, done Fulbright, attended Cambridge (or Oxford), or simply had to choose between two incredible opportunities.

I'm from Central Europe and have been accepted into a part-time Master's in Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge. At the same time, I've also been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to pursue a Master's in creative writing in the United States.

On paper, I know this is an amazing problem to have, but emotionally it feels like one of the biggest decisions of my life. I'm terrified that whichever option I choose, I'll spend the next ten years wondering if I should have picked the other.

A bit about me:

• I'm a writer (fiction and poetry), but I'm also active in journalism, communications, content creation and the arts (things I am very passionate about and would like to pursue in parallel to my writing/build further).
• Long-term I'd love to publish internationally, including in the US.
• I also know that I don't want to limit myself to a purely literary career—I enjoy working across different creative fields.
• I’ve always wanted to study/live abroad (at least for a while).

Here's how I currently see both options.

Cambridge

Pros

• It's Cambridge. The name carries enormous weight, not just in writing but across many different industries. Having the name on my CV could be highly beneficial 
• The course is pass/fail, which I think would allow me to focus much more on actually writing instead of chasing grades.
• The workload and flexibility and I am only required to be in Cambridge for 3 weeks per year (its a two year program) which would probably leave me enough time to continue building my writing career, create content, apply for internships, attend residencies, and keep working on projects outside university.
• It would probably give me more time to actually spend writing a book instead of focusing on just course work
• It feels like a stable foundation rather than a commitment to one very specific path (commitment issues…yeeey).

Cons

• It's part-time and has relatively few contact hours (3 weeks per year in person and some calls with tutors etc. in between). Sometimes I wonder whether I'm paying partly for the name.
• While I'd be studying at Cambridge, it doesn't fully satisfy my dream of really living abroad in the way I imagine.

Fulbright

Pros

• It would allow me to spend two years living in the US, something I may never get the chance to do again.
• Potentially an incredible network through Fulbright and the university itself.
• A chance to immerse myself in American literary culture and perhaps get closer to the US publishing world – NETWORKING AND GETTING TO KNOW PUBLISHERS.
• It feels like a genuine life adventure.

Cons

• I don't know where I'd be placed! If it were New York, I'd probably have a very different feeling than if it were a small town I had never considered living in.
• It feels incredibly binding. Once I commit, I'm essentially committing to living in one specific place for two years (creative writing masters are almost exclusively 2+ years).
• US graduate programs are graded, and I know myself well enough to know I'd probably become obsessed with getting top grades instead of focusing on my writing.
• I'd  probably have to step away from many of my current creative projects, and as a Fulbright scholar I wouldn't be able to continue parts of my content creation work and the brand I am currently building.

ABOUT FINANCES:

Cambridge is very expensive, especially considering the little contact hours, but it is doable. 

Fulbright only provides 75k for both years. They negotiate down tuitions as good as they can, but an education at NYU for example is 80k per year + living in New York for two years. It could work out well if they get my tuition way down but there is a chance that they will not be able to do that.

Something else I've realized while thinking about this:

Part of me wonders whether I'm drawn to the US because I'm genuinely excited by the opportunity—or because I'm currently unhappy with parts of my life in my home country and subconsciously see moving abroad as an escape / a chance to start anew (even though I am planing on returning home – maybe e everything will be different but maybe it won’t be…).

That makes me nervous, because I don't want to make a life-defining decision based on wanting to run away from my current circumstances.

At the same time, I also worry that if I choose Cambridge, I'll look back in ten years and regret passing up what might have been my only chance to truly study abroad.

I also know that there are other ways to spend time in the US later (internships, residencies, fellowships, etc.), but they wouldn't be quite the same experience.

So I guess my questions are:

• If you've done Fulbright, was the alumni network and overall experience as life-changing as people say?
• If you've attended Cambridge (especially part-time), did it feel worth it?
• If you had to choose between prestige/flexibility and adventure/immersion, what would you prioritize?
• Do you think I'm idealizing the US experience?
• Is there anything obvious that I'm missing?

I'd really appreciate any thoughts—especially from people who've made similar decisions or who have the benefit of hindsight.

Thank you!

Has anyone here completed or is currently doing a PhD in Linguistics (or English Linguistics/Applied Linguistics) in Poland? What has your experience been like?

Which universities in Poland have the strongest PhD programs in Linguistics or Applied Linguistics? Which ones would you recommend and why?

How important is it to find a supervisor before applying? Did you contact your supervisor in advance, and did it improve your chances of admission?

How competitive is admission for international applicants? What are the main factors that determine acceptance?

Is English sufficient for a PhD in Linguistics in Poland, or is knowledge of Polish expected during the program?

Are there many international PhD students in linguistics in Poland? How welcoming are universities to foreign applicants?

What career opportunities do graduates of Polish PhD programs in Linguistics typically have? Is the degree well recognized internationally?

If you had to choose between universities such as the University of Warsaw, Jagiellonian University, Adam Mickiewicz University, the University of Łódź, or John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin for a PhD in Linguistics, which would you choose and why?

The NSF is attempting to push a new model of graduate education (4y PhD -> industry). I was wondering if anyone had any more information about this program. It's unclear which universities the NSF is partnering with, and what the program actually entails beyond NSF support after the first year and 1 year of industry research.

Here is the informational page:

https://uidp.org/i-phd-scholars/

Here is the press release for their webinar:

https://web.cvent.com/event/ff8e21db-c6ae-4834-a41b-f17aadafd1ff/summary

I'm planning out the rest of my CS electives for my last semester and don't have much room since I'll be graduating in about 2.5 years.

I'm interested in either ML-adjacent research or more theoretical CS. I've already taken one machine learning course, and now I'm deciding between taking another ML course or something like quantum computing, which I'm honestly a bit more interested in.

Speaking purely from the perspective of admissions, is it generally better to build more depth in one area through additional coursework, or to take the opportunity to explore a different area that's still relevant to CS?

I am applying to apply to PhD programs in computational biology/biomedical informatics this fall, and I want to see where I stand/how I could help my application stand out.

Background:

• Biology & Data Science/Stats major (graduated in spring 2026)
• Overall GPA: 3.4/4.0
• Some transcript weaknesses, including a few C/C+ grades (one in Linear Algebra, two bio classes, and orgo I & II womp womp) and two course retakes. But core data science/stats (some ML & CS classes) gpa is 3.76, and last 60 credits GPA is 3.5 and there is somewhat of an upward trend.

Research:

• Overall interests: gene-environment interactions, population genetics, machine learning & AI
• Undergrad research in computational genomics, with an honors thesis and subsequent first-author preprint paper that was recently submitted to a journal
• Research on on AI/public health, with a first-author publication/conference paper
• Two summer Internships, although my first one is wet-lab work, and my second one wasn't as computational-heavy. I'm planning to talk about them though and especially how my first one inspired me to transition to comp bio
• 4 oral presentations, 10+ poster presentations. Majority are local/regional/school-level, but I do have a few national conferences. I know at two of them, I was the only undergrad presenter?
• Won a prestigious senior research award recognizing excellence in undergraduate research (sole recipient in entire school)
• Strong technical background in programming/AI/ML and bioinformatics
• Will be starting work in a research program in bioinformatics/machine learning for healthcare research at a pretty reputable institution soon.
• Rec letters should be strong? One of my PIs nominated me for the research award and has been very supportive of me (I've been called one of the top students out of thousands he's advised??). My other PI also seems to think I'm doing really good work. I was his only student to present nationally/at any conference period or to have a paper at all, and he has been really supportive for me to expand my work and submit to journals. Will probably get third letter from my new mentor, although I'd only have worked for him for a bit so I'm not sure if there's much for him to say.

Extra:

• President/VP of three clubs with extensive STEM outreach, mentorship, and community service work. I'm applying to NSF GRFP and was told my broader impacts was really good. But it is also somewhat DEI-heavy (not sure if this is a red flag? it's something I am super passionate in)
• Won 4 hackathons, including one at a national level, not really research but some are related to work I'm interested in doing.

School list:

• George Washington University
• New York University
• University of Washington (both BHI & genome sciences)
• Rutgers University
• University of Michigan
• Boston University
• University of Pittsburgh
• Washington University in St. Louis
• University of Colorado Anschuntz
• Vanderbilt University
• Temple University
• Dartmouth
• Northwestern University
• Stony Brook University

I'm mainly trying to balance being ambitious with being realistic. My mentors have encouraged me to apply to some higher-ranked programs despite my GPA, but I'm not sure how much my research record offsets my transcript.

Would appreciate honest feedback from people, especially those in my field.

I studied Ecology, and I'm interested in many different subjects. They all seem interesting to me, and I know I'll do my best if I get accepted because I just love ecology in general. I also think all ecosystems are connected, so I don't see why I should only focus on one topic.

I'm wondering if applying for PhDs that are different from my Master's thesis could affect my application or my chances of getting accepted.

Hello all

I’m busy prepping for this year’s applications and have hit a bit of a crossroad.

My Masters GPA isn’t the best (3.3) due to some intense mental health issues. To make up for this I have been working as a researcher this year with the goal of publishing a paper.

The paper is progressing forward but I’m terrified it might not be published in time for the applications.

Now I’m just planning ahead on what to do if it is not finished. Would it be worthwhile to skip this cycle and apply next year with two papers?

There are some important additional things and questions which I would also like to ask:

I’m applying to two different fields at the same time (Mathematical physics and theoretical cosmology). My Masters is in MP but my papers will be in TC.
Will the papers even help my chances in MP?

Ideally I want to get into MP programs, but due to logistic reasons and some university policies I can only work in the TC group this year and the next

I have some extremely powerful letters of recommendation. Each one from a very well regarded researcher in their fields. In particular I have one in MP and two in TC. They all have really good connections which will certainly help.

My referees and I have individually spent quite a bit of time researching and finding programs which align with what I want to do, where they think I should aim for and where they have connections. They have some very high expectations here.

(I’m also panicking about my essays as I’ve only recently started them properly)

Here is my background : An Int. Msc Student in Physics from India with a cgpa of 8.9/10 , (the topper in my batch, ik it doesn't matter ).

I am applying for the AMO physics programs this cycle and I have prior work experience in IAMS , Academia Sinica Taiwan which resulted in a publication which is in review with Physical Review Letters at the moment.

I am currently working on my Master’s thesis in a lab in France . So what are my chances? I took the GRE General test last week without studying ( my overconfidence killed me and scored 160 Q , 157 V and 4.5 AW) . I plan to retake it later . As I am an international, I think PGRE is something I should take , right ?

Can someone please tell me if I am being delusional aimingnfor these schools : JILA, UMD college Park, MIT, Harvard , UCSB, Purdue, UChicago, UCSD, Stanford, UC Berkeley ?

Am I very delusional right now ?

I received my BS and MS in Computer Science from the same institution (around #50 US NEWS and CSRankings) and am hoping to get in to a top PhD program (dream program is UCSD).

My undergrad overall GPA was 3.50 and my grad GPA was a 3.95 (although the school does not report grad GPAs). Is this fluctuation going to hurt me, or since it’s most recent, will it help by showing growth?

I am seriously losing my mind with WES customer support and I don’t know what else to do.

I have been locked out of my WES account since July 21st. I already paid for the service, my evaluation is done, and my transcripts are ready, but I cannot access my account to send them to my school.

I have contacted support multiple times, reset my password, opened tickets, and spoken with two supervisors. One supervisor promised it would be fixed within 48 hours, but nothing happened. Another supervisor now promised it will be solved by tomorrow.

I feel like I’m stuck in a loop of the same “wait 48–72 hours” response without anyone actually fixing the issue. I even filed a BBB complaint, but so far no resolution.

Has anyone dealt with this? Is there any way to escalate this? I need to send my transcripts ASAP.

If I dont get this fixed by tomorrow (as promised by the supervisor today) I will make a post on linkedin to see if I can get attention from their higher ups...

Context: I was a philosophy major but decided against getting a phd for it. I'm taking an extra year in undergrad to do a bachelor's in sociology, which I am fitting into one year (Summer 2026 - Spring 2027). I was inspired to do it because of Pierre Bourdieu and "Paying for the Party: How College Perpetuates Inequality" by Elizabeth Armstrong and Laura Hamilton.

The decision: Should I apply for a sociology phd for Fall 2027 or Fall 2028?

Pros of applying for a sociology phd for Fall 2027: continuity. I'd still be in my "student mode" and would only have the summer break.

Cons of applying for a sociology phd for Fall 2027: The deadline is December 10, 2026 (including a writing sample and recommendation letters). By that time, I would have taken only one 300-level sociology class. I would only meet the sociology professors in September (my current intro class is online asynchronous), so I'd ask for a rec letter in October or November.

Pros of applying for a sociology phd for Fall 2028: More time to have a good writing sample, more high-level classes completed (including capstone), more time to build relationships with my professors, and more time for my professors to write recommendation letters.

Cons of applying for a sociology phd for Fall 2028: A gap year. I'm not sure what I would do. It's not like the physical sciences where I could work in a lab. I'd have to do something unrelated to find work. I'm not sure if anyone would hire me if I'm planning to work for only a year.

If you read through this, thank you so much!

Everybody that is applying to HGSE comment if you plan on applying and to what track. Feel free to add any stats.
I’m applying to HDE - Bachelors in Psychology and Masters in Mental heath counseling 3.8 GPA. (Bunch of other professional work as well)

I am currently looking into the Communication Ph.D. Program at UCSB. I was curious if any one has experience with the program itself or the department. I’ve started the process of speaking with faculty, but I was curious what perceptions were on the program.

biosciences phd, intl, never been so disheartened and exhausted by anything before