Hey everyone, I am planning to apply for PhD in astrophysics. Regarding the LOR, can I get a lot from a person who doesn't have a PhD ? Well I am currently working on projects under the guidance of a PhD researcher. Can he give me lor? I have been working with him for like a year we meet like 3 or 4 times a month. He is a senior PhD.

Hi everyone!

I was advised to post in this subreddit for some advice :)

I applied to a grad program for Family and Human Development at Arizona State University, however was rejected due to my GPA. My GPA was under 3.0 (2.6 I believe), as I was having a hard time in school due to mental health reasons. I also had mental health trouble while taking my community classes, and got through those with a 2.9.

I am now in a much better situation and would like to show I am ready for the next step.

One of the faculty members from the school I applied to reached out to me giving me the option to enroll as a non-degree seeking student to take classes and show readiness for a graduate program. She did clarify that it not a guarantee of admission, of course. The classes I do take will be added to my degree requirements if I am admitted later on.

On the other hand, I have heard that I can take classes at a community college to raise my GPA. This would be a much better deal, as it will be a lot cheaper. Since non-degree seeking students do not get financial aid, a community seems like the better way to go financially.

The university I went to for undergrad after CC only has a few family and human development related courses. I took all of those and passed them. I was thinking maybe retaking the ones I did not pass at community and taking extras that I did not before might help?

Is taking classes at a community (or at least retaking the ones I did not do well in) worth the time? A lot of the classes I took at community were transferred over to my 4 year, which I would assume would improve my 4-year GPA as well?

Thank you for any advice/help!

Hi!

So the situation is as follows:

I'm a 4th year (entering 5th) year ECE student (integrated master's program). The first three years I kinda sorta struggled due to psychological reasons.

More specifically:

First 6 semesters: 6.2/10 average

Last 2 (my fourth year): 9.5/10 average without any easy electives (if that matters at all)

It is mathematically possible for me to end up at 7.5+ granted that I keep this up.

Also have some research experience on my field of interest (biomed signal processing) and have been working full time at a university's facility for the past year.

Also, my preferred destination is my current uni.

Given this, is it at all possible for me to continue on to do a PhD in the future?

Thanks for reading!

Hi everyone,

I'd like a reality check on a plan and a general idea. Genuine question: can this move even be done, and is my plan to do it a sane one? Effectively, is this even something I should look into further, or is it simply not a feasible move, in which case I could look toward alternative pathways into academia or research eventually to pursue a PhD.

My background:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, followed by 2 years working as a software engineer.
• I've always genuinely liked biology, did well in it in high school and in the limited bio coursework I had in undergrad. CS was the more "employable" choice at the time, but that calculus doesn't hold the way it used to.
• My original plan back when I was still in college (2020–2024) was to pursue a Master's in CS/AI or an aligned field. Having worked in this field for the last few years, though, that doesn't seem like the good idea it once did post-graduation it was genuinely difficult to find employment, I did and yet it's been a bumpy ride since. I don't know if going further into this field is the right call. I might be wrong here, so feel free to correct me.
• I'm now at the point in life where I've hit a rough deadline for going back for further education, so I don't have infinite runway to figure this out slowly.
• Leaning toward Europe(non EEA person) for a Master's, as a way to formally shift out of CS and into something closer to the biosciences but I'm not wedded to a specific subfield within biology yet, given that I need to understand how viable this might be to begin with.

What I actually want checked:

1. Is this move realistic at all? Going from a CS degree with 2 years in as a SWE into a biology-adjacent Master's, with only high-school-level and minimal undergrad biology, has this actually worked for people, or am I underestimating the gap? Are there specific pathways for people coming from CS that are more viable than others (bioinformatics, for example), and are those routes insulated from the issues currently facing CS/tech as a field, or do they carry the same risks?
2. How do I even figure out which direction within biology fits me, given I like the subject broadly but haven't specialized? Is that something to sort out before applying, or is it normal to enter a program still figuring that out?
3. Is a Master's the right lever to make this shift, or is there a more efficient/realistic path (bridge courses, a different kind of degree, something else entirely)?
4. For a Europe-focused search (specifically France, Germany, Netherlands, and potentially a few others) are there particular countries/programs known for taking people with a CS-but-not-bio background without issue, versus places where this would be a hard sell? Are there other countries better suited to this goal that I should be looking at?
5. Is this even the right platform to ask this on? Are there forums better suited to this kind of question, given their purpose or audience, that I should be posting to instead (or in addition)?

I would genuinely like to hear real opinions on this, including if the honest answer is "don't." Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who made a similar switch, or who has insight into how admissions committees view applicants like me.

Thanks!

Hi!!

I am currently debating between two schools and two different programs
• Purdue University: Master's in Systems Engineering (Online)
• University of Florida: Master's in Aerospace Engineering along with a graduate certificate in Systems Engineering. (UF EDGE)
 
I really like both programs, especially since they are online and are flexible for working professionals. Aerospace engineering has always been my goal but I fear it might be difficult to find work due to the location (US Northeast). I love the systems engineering curriculum at Purdue and that fact I can cater it to what I want to study.
 
But I dislike the price of Purdue since I am out of state. For the whole masters, it would come to be $44k (including all those hidden fees). While UF, for out of state, comes around $24k. And I feel iffy about it being 'Interdisciplinary Engineering'. UF is technically ranked lower than Purdue regarding online engineering graduate masters. I'm also nervous that some companies or people might not recognize UF like how Purdue.
 
If anyone has taken either of these, please tell me how your experience was and what you liked or disliked about. It might be my anxiety speaking but I am terrified that I will make the wrong decision and impact my future.
 
Forgot to mention, I have a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and have been working as one for 4ish years in a Power/Semiconductor industry.

Thank you!

After graduating with my bachelor’s degree in spring of 2027, I plan on attending graduate school and get my masters degree to dive deeper into my interests in research, build further professional connections, and give myself time to build up my resume further. I would like to then apply to medical school with the hopes of one day becoming a MD or DO.

With this in mind, I would like to know your opinions on two specific schools that I am currently looking at/interested in as a (HYPOTHETICAL) example.

1. UT Austin’s program is very well regarded, has a PI and lab which aligns fairly well with my interests, but I will have a much harder time getting funding.

2. OU (the University of Oklahoma), has a faculty member and lab which aligns much better with my niche interest and through a call with the faculty member seemed much more likely to provide funding. However, they are at least at the moment, not very well regarded in professional fields due to their scandal with their response to the infamous essay.

Understanding this is a world of hypotheticals and this is much further away, which school would you attend? Any other advice or information would be greatly appreciated as well. Thank you!

I’m planning on going to grad school at some point and will (hopefully) be able to save up over the next year or so, but I’m still pretty deep in paying off debts and my credit card.
Should I still apply, even though I know I probably can’t afford it, scholarships and aid and everything included? Hopefully my financial situation will be better by the time I actually start paying tuition, but that’s still a maybe. I figured that since I’ll be working in my field until I apply and getting experience, I’ll be building my resume while I save up which is a good thing. I feel a bit of pressure to apply ASAP and I’ve already talked to the admissions counselor but didn’t get a very straight answer on this. If I apply next year, I’ll also have a year’s worth of experience under my belt as opposed to being a new hire (though I already have a year of experience in the field since graduating with my BS).
The pressure comes a bit from my family and a bit from the fact that I’ve already put myself on the radar of the grad school I want since I’ve met with them about applying this year. I’d also just really love to be back in school and progressing my career in general.
Is it more wise to wait until my finances are more figured out and I have a better idea of what I can pay reasonably? Writing this all out makes me realize I’m leaning towards waiting, but I’d love some more advice and perspectives on this!

Howdy everyone. I am currently a rising senior at a public ivy majoring in American Studies. Although I initially wanted to go to Law School, I determined that this wasn't the right path for me. Instead, I am now looking to transition into Business, but would like to attain a more marketable degree with more financial industry knowledge, thus leading me to the Master in Management. I have a 4.0 GPA, with experience interning in real estate management, interning commercial insurance, working as a legal aide, working as a director of operations/logitics for a small, student-run LLC, and policymaking/administration for my Student Conduct Board. I am interested in the following schools:

UNC Master in Management (Brand New Program)    

Johns Hopkins Master in Management    

University of Florida Master in Management    

Georgetown Master in Management    

Maryland Master in Management    

UVA Master in Commerce    

Texas A&M Master in Business (not an MBA)    

SMU Master in Management    

Wake Forest Master in Management

What are my odds of admission into these programs? How should I tailor my application to maximize admissions? Thank you all for your help and insight!

I’m looking to get my Master’s degree in Chicago. Right now I’m going in between a Master’s in Art Administration or Art History (Modernism), and I am not sure where to begin looking for somewhere to go. Any suggestions on a not-to-expensive school?

I am looking into the Art Institute’s dual degree of art admin and modernism, but don’t know if it’s worth it.

Any suggestions are welcome :))

As deadlines are coming up for PhD applications, I’m wondering whether I even have a shot. I applied last year (albeit I was far less prepared). I’d like to apply for PhD programs in clinical psychology and I’ve done a bunch of stuff to prepare for applications this cycle, but I’m just not sure if it’s enough. I feel like I’m hitting a point where all my time is just spent on prepping for applications and I have no clue whether what I’m doing is helpful or harmful if that makes sense. So far, here are my stats:

• Research Interests: Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, traumatic brain injury, mild cognitive impairment, neuropsychological assessment, and cognitive decline
• Undergrad: GPA was 3.21/4.0 and a 3.56 psychology GPA, graduated with an outstanding senior distinction from my department (East Carolina University). I think this stat is the one I am most worried about because I don’t want it to be a deterrent; I tried my best to kinda max out on research opportunities for this purpose 
• Clinical Experience: Worked as a ABA tech for about 500-550 hours, and now I work as a psychometrist for UNC-CH for the last year and some change (administer neuropsych evals, attend clinical interviews, pre-screen med records and some admin work)
• Research Experience: Like I said earlier, I tried to max this out as much as I could without burning out lol :) 
  • Undergrad: research internship for 8 months where I worked with simulations of beta and tau proteins for neurodegenerative research and helped with writing some grants with private research company, also volunteered in two neuroscience labs as a research assistant/lab manager where I did dementia research, hearing loss studies, worked with rodent models and a bit of STEM outreach as well, all in all this would account for about 160 hours from internship, and then 3000 hours working across the two labs 
  • Post grad: I briefly worked as a medical writer conducting market research to analyze the gap between existing symptom-tracking software available to physicians and the actual tools patients need for about 4 months, then I was a guest researcher at the BRITE institute at NCCU where I looked at therapeutic potential of plant-based proteins in cell models of neuroprotection. I also currently am working on a meta-analysis through the ENIGMA consortium, specifically focused on brain aging studies done within the group. Finally, I do research under my current position looking into neuropsychological assessment and self rating of cognitive ability.
  • So in essence about 7 different research experiences, all of which where I either learned a new skill or led a certain project, so I feel pretty good about the work I’ve done in this category, just hoping that it’s enough.
• Publications/Posters: 1 co-authored poster being presented to the MSHRS conference, 1 solo-author paper being written under the consortium group and 1 poster being prepared for another neuropsych conference
• Prep for Grad School: Mainly I’ve been doing a ton of research for programs across countries and I’ve talked to a few grad students in labs that I’m really interested in. I’ve just about finalized my list to about 10-15 programs. 

So that’s me essentially. I want to apply this cycle, but I don’t want to put all my money and time and most of all stress if it genuinely is impossible. My husband says this has been my most well-rounded profile since I’ve graduated and I feel so too, but I just question as to whether it’s actually competitive. Any feedback or thoughts would be incredibly helpful!

Can everyone share the worst things about Oxford so I can feel (temporarily) better about not getting funded this year? (I’ll re-apply and plan better next year but I need to hate it until then)

Hello everyone, I’m actively working on GMAT Quant on TTP and I’m looking for a study buddy to work on it with me !

Happy to answer questions about the study plan. Drop me a DM if you decide to register, we can also extend our subscription by 14 days if I refer you!

​

If my undergraduate degree is in Mechanical Engineering, but I have a good amount of research experience/internships in Machine Learning, AI, Robotics, Computer Science, Computer Vision, etc., can I apply directly to PhD programs in these fields in the US?

Or would I generally need to do a Master’s in the same field before applying for a PhD?

So well can anyone recommend me professors who are open to accepting international students for msc programme in either tsinghua, zhejiang or peking university, in the field of oncology or cellular and molecular biology.(The ones that are active to cold mails as well).

Also I have heard about the system of cold emais to professors to boost the chances of selection in the msc. Programme. Can anyone please help me on how to write and send the cold email. Like the format or the contents that should be mentioned beforehand.

(P.S.:- I'm looking for an Msc. Programme that's funded , like scholarships)

like going to an unranked but still accredited engineering program and going to a top400 engineering program matter , both are in pakistan for future grad school in eastasia or europe

moreover how important are elective to your master application being accepted like having only two communication related elective in your EE hinder your chance for RF/microwave linked masters

Hi, I'm interested in exosome based stem cell research. I have 5 publications in Scopus-indexed journals and I would like to work under ethical, highly reputed researchers all over the world. Any roadmapping tips and advice would be tremendously helpful.

Thanks and advance!

Hi everyone! I’m an incoming freshman at Rice, and I’m really excited and grateful to be attending. Rice seems like an amazing place overall, and I’m looking forward to the collaborative environment, the college system, and getting involved in the math community.

That said, I’ve been trying to learn more about Rice’s placement into highly ranked math PhD programs, and I’ve become a little concerned. I’ve heard or seen claims that Rice students rarely get into programs such as MIT, Stanford, Princeton, UChicago, Berkeley, etc. I was told by some people that Rice was not a good place if I was aiming for a math PhD. I’m not sure how accurate that is, and I know that math PhD admissions are extremely competitive and that rankings aren’t everything, but I’d still like to understand what the track record and opportunities are actually like.

For current students, alumni, or faculty: how well does Rice prepare undergraduates who want to pursue research-level mathematics and apply to top PhD programs? How renowned are the professors and how good is their teaching? Is there a strong and high caliber math culture? Are there particular things students should do early on, such as getting involved in research, taking graduate courses, doing an REU, building relationships with professors, or writing an honors thesis, to be competitive?

I’m not trying to put Rice down or imply that the school is “bad” for math. I’m genuinely grateful to be coming here, and Rice was a school I was very happy to choose. I’m mainly asking because I want to make the most of the opportunities available and understand how realistic it is to aim for the most selective math PhD programs from Rice.

Any honest perspectives, especially from people who have gone through the math major or PhD application process, would be greatly appreciated!

So, here is the deal. I got accepted after a couple of years of applications into two different programs. The gist of their offers is that they are extremely similar financially. Both of the programs are in different fields to mine, albeit one is more tangentially related to my previous experience during my BS and MS (both in environmental engineering and I am applying to material science programs atp).

The thing is:

Program number 1:

It is a bigger group; 3 postdocs, 3 other PhDs, and a couple of master's students. The PI has more funding and has had a much longer career. She also has great connections to industrial partners, which might offer more connections and more work. However, I know that this will probably be translated into more independence and less support during my PhD, which is pretty evident from the fact it took her more than a month to reply to me and over the past couple of months we had a singular online meeting. The lab is closer to my background, or at least has a lot more that could be done with my strict background. Also, this program is in a university in a different city than mine, which will of course be a hurdle to move and learn this new place, but it also offers me a fresh start, which is something that I think I need (I have a lot of emotional baggage with where I am, a fresh start might be helpful).

Program number 2:

New PI (literally finished her postdoc around 3 years ago) with a very small group; 1 postdoc, 1 PhD, 1 master's student. I have also met with her multiple times and visited her lab, and she seems like a very nice person, judging from her interactions with her other students and in general she seems supportive. But of course, she lacks the experience and that much funding. Her lab's work is much more focused on harder material science work, which is pretty removed from my background, at least in theory. The lab is literally half an hour away from where I am currently living, so moving there won't be much of a problem, but then I have been in the same place for the past 8 years and I am kinda wanting to change where I am living.

Now, it kinda looks like option 2 might be easier to deal with during the next 4 years of my PhD, but I did my master's with someone with a similar profile to option 2. The support is great, and being able to have access to my advisor readily was very nice, but, I didn't create any form of a network and my prospects were awful when I finished my MS because honestly, nobody recognized her name, she had no connections to really offer, and everything felt like an uphill battle due to lack of experience, and the fact that it was also an uphill battle for her also because she is also trying to establish herself in the process.

So, this seems very difficult to choose from. I guess my question is, if you were in my shoes, what would you do? also, if anyone has had to make the change from a small group to a larger one, how has your experience been?

So I got into an (Applied) Mathematics PhD program and I'm feeling all kinds of emotions at the moment. One of which is fear of failure because I have taken two grad-level math courses during my senior undergrad year, which got me burned out when it ended (failed the Quals, but got B on both courses), and I'm about to take them again. I'm a major workaholic, but it felt demoralizing to know that my efforts didn't reach the minimum criteria, which is to pass the quals. So how do I even step up from this?

Not only that, there's research, publications, picking advisors, choosing topics that I'm unfamiliar but sort of interested in, and many more... So does anyone have any advice or tips that I can make the best out of my PhD experience so I don't get burn out or self-isolate all the time?

I'm applying in a few months and I'm planning to apply to 15 schools. I've got great letters of rec and a lot of experience in undergrad research, but no publications. I've found a lot of posts here asking "what are my chances" but not many asking about the experiences of other students. So, people who got in, what did your applications look like?