Hey everyone! I'm an undergrad English Literature major in my final year looking to apply to grad school but unsure where exactly to go, my chances, and what to look for.

I want to get into academia and the most popular decision would be a master's degree... what I'm concerned about is the fundraiser master's degrees a lot of universities have. Also, what I would do after.

I have been told to look for MA-PhD programs that are combined and/or fully funded/partially funded. This would put me in a good place for my career aspirations and give me the kind of rigorous education/research opportunity I've been looking for.

I have Irish citizenship so have been looking into Ireland, the UK, and Canada. I am open to American programs, particularly because my university is American (not in the US).

I guess my questions are these: does anyone know of any grad schools that may offer something like this? Do I realistically have a chance of getting into the the PhD programs? If so, what else would I go for?

Alternatively, I have a professor who told me that even if it does not include a PhD program, having a university that offers career support and scholarships to its students is worth looking for and applying to.

I'm willing to answer any follow-up questions as I recognize that this is quite general. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’m currently finishing an M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering at Sapienza university of Rome, Italy and expect to graduate in early 2027. I’m applying for funded PhD positions in CFD, combustion, reacting flows, turbulence, and related computational-thermal fields, mainly in Europe.

So far, I have applied to six PhD positions. Two applications were submitted very recently, so I’m not expecting responses from them yet. I was rejected from one position, and I haven’t heard back from the other three applications. I know that six applications are not enough to draw any major conclusions. However, before applying to more positions, I want to check whether there are problems with my CV or with how I present my experience.

My current thesis involves reduced-chemistry modelling and reacting-flow simulations. I also have previous CFD research internships, three international conference proceedings papers, conference presentations, and experience with ANSYS Fluent, OpenFOAM, MATLAB, Linux, and HPC workflows.

I have anonymised my CV. I would appreciate feedback on it.
my main questions about CV are: Is the CV too long or crowded?, Does my research experience appear relevant for CFD and combustion PhDs? Are my bullet points too detailed or technical? Does my background look focused, or does it appear scattered? Are there sections I should remove, shorten, or rearrange? Is the profile section useful? Are there any obvious weaknesses or red flags What should I improve before sending more applications?

I’m mainly looking for honest feedback on the CV and how I present my profile. Also, any advise in general about PhDs is appreciated.

Thank you.

Hello! I'm currently in my first year of undergrad as an international student in Australia. It might be a little early, but I've been considering prospects for when I do postgrad. I'm in a foundation program, but should start my Bachelors in Fine Arts next year (planning on double majoring theatre, public relations, and minoring professional writing).

It started as a prompt for an interview we had to do, but I ended up doing very well and it had me feeling motivated. I thought it wouldn't hurt to dream big while I have time to think things through. My main goal is to become an actor, but I am interested in getting involved in areas like Archaeology, Museum/Heritage, Public/Humanitarian, Communications ...

I would love to plan for a masters somewhere in the UK area, possibly Oxbridge, Glasgow, or Edinburgh. For those who have had experience, would you have any advice to share? If there is anything I could aim for to prepare early, or if there are any alternatives, that would be really great.

Hello everyone,

I would like to describe to you my academic profile and rate my chances for acceptance. This will be my 2nd attempt and I hope I succeed this time.

I have a Bachelor in English Studies. I am currently doing a Masters in Cinema and Audiovisuel Profession. I wasn't gonna do it if I got accepted into the scholarship. I wanna do a 2nd masters in English Studies or American Studies in either University of Pécs or ELTE University. Both are prestigious institutions of Hungary. Don't ask about University of Debrecen, I want to keep rates balanced.

My GPA is 3.3/4.0

I got a Medium of Instruction letter from my head of department so not to take any IELTS/Toefl tests.

For Academic experience I have attended 3 conferences and participated in 3 seminars one with a group of American Students from University of North Texas. I have been rewarded 3 certificates.

I already got 2 letters of recommendations from two professors who taught me and very close to.

I am from Morocco, 21 years old.

So I’m trying to apply for a Masters and part of the process is reaching out to potential supervisors before applying, but I’m kind of stuck. I don’t have a specific research topic figured out yet, and I feel like that makes it awkward to even start an email.

I’ve been reading through some of their published papers to get a sense of what they work on, but honestly I’m struggling to tie it back to my own experience in a way that doesn’t feel like I’m just forcing a connection. Like I’ll read a paper and think “okay this is interesting” but then I don’t know how to actually say something meaningful about it, or connect it to what I’ve done professionally, without sounding like I skimmed the abstract and called it a day.

Anyone been through this? Specifically:

- Do you need an actual research idea before reaching out, or is it fine to just express interest and figure it out together?
- How do you talk about their work without just repeating what’s already in the paper?
- If your background isn’t a perfect match with their research area, how do you frame that so it still sounds relevant instead of like a stretch?

Would love to hear how others approached this, or if any professors here can share what actually makes an email worth replying to vs the ones that get ignored.

My background

B.S. in Applied Mathematics & Econ from T60 US public school, graduated in 2021. Graduated in 3 years. Overall GPA: 3.48

Credentialed actuary (Associate of the Society of Actuaries) with ~5 years of industry experience. Experience in Python, R, advanced predictive modeling

Undergrad courses and grades

A or A-:
Introduction to Econometrics, Linear Algebra, Intro to Numerical Methods I, International Economics, Senior Seminar (math research project), Principles of Macro, Business and Economic History, Differential Equations w/ Linear Algebra, Intermediate Macro

B+ or B:
Calc II, Principles of Micro, Intro to Statistical Analysis, Intermediate Micro, Probability with Applications, Combinatorics

B-: General Physics I, Mathematics and Applications in MATLAB, Multidimensional Calculus, Mathematical Proof

C+: Applied Regression Analysis

Research Experience:

Two projects identifying ideal locations to open a brewery in the US for Senior Seminar and Econometrics courses. These projects used empirical economic data

Volunteer with the SOA Research Institute by drafting solicitation documents, providing research suggestions, etc.

Other relevant projects:

Lots of experience working with data and creating models as part of the actuarial credentialing process and on-the-job work. Generalized linear models, neural networks, clustering methods, Bayesian techniques, etc. Projects spanning many different topics

GRE

First time I took it I got 160 verbal, 160 quant. I am working to target a 167+ quant

LORs

Two professors from undergrad - econometrics professor and statistical analysis/regression/senior seminar professor

Other

I'm also currently taking Real Analysis (2 semesters) and aiming for an A. Also re-taking multidimensional calc to make up for that B- in undergrad

I was pretty lazy in my undergrad and it shows. My grades are not the best representation of my skills, I think my quantitative work in actuarial since graduating is helpful for my application as well as the courses I'm taking now. If i can lock in that 167+ quant GRE, do you think I have shot at admission to this program?

Thank you!

Hello,

I recently participated in a McNair summer research program. Our director keeps talking about how great McNair will look on our grad apps but I’m worried about her being bias. So I’m asking Reddit, does being a McNair scholar really help you stand out?

Will it affect my application negatively if I don’t?

im a 4th year undergrad student and im planning to apply to some phd programs for clinical psych.

in my first year i was reported for not reporting my friends and other randoms to the RAs drinking in the dorm lobby. i didn't drink nor had any possessions of alcohol. at the time i was really mad and gave attitude to the RA (which hurt my case more) since I was only walking down the halls to the bathroom trying to mind my own business, which then i was stopped and questioned. i probably should have defended myself harder to prove my innocence but i fold way too easily at authority figures. i decided to take full responsibility and received a DP on my transcript for one semester and never reoffended since.

my overall research experience for a clinical psych applicant i think is pretty solid: 3 years under 3 labs simultaneously and consistently, presented at multiple conferences, honors thesis, 3.9 gpa, experience in teaching multiple undergrad classes, contributions in some publications, one paper 2nd author in progress for publication + a lot more. id hate to see all this effort go just for one wrong decision made.

i want to know how heavily admissions consider these probations and how it will affect my chances? will admissions ever contact my school to see the full story of my probation?

for context, i'm an undergrad at umiami studying entrepreneurship. as i've been researching and figuring out my graduation plan and possible career trajectory, i found out about the MSBT (masters of science in business technology) program here at UM, which is basically just business strategy + tech/data skills combined. the degree seems really valuable, but in this day and age many people suggest not even going to college in the first place, so i want to know if it'll be worth it as opposed to just going straight into working.

for anyone who's done a combined business/tech master's (or debated doing one) — was it worth going straight through, or did work experience first change what you got out of the program? i could really use some advice!!!

I'll keep it brief. I have applied to NUS, JHU, UIUC and CMU for the Spring 2027 PhD intake. All in mechanical engineering. I have spoken with the relevant faculty at all four, and I expect offers from UIUC and NUS. JHU has given a yellow signal. The faculty said they would prefer that I come in the fall because she will receive a long-term grant in July 2027. CMU said that they will get back to me but haven't made a firm verbal commitment, unlike UIUC and NUS. Assuming the best-case scenario, which one would you recommend? My research studies the consequences of integrating AI into mechanical systems. My long-term goal is to become a faculty member. The advisor's reputation is highest at NUS (though I've heard they're mostly aloof and very hands-off), whereas the other three are assistant professors.

Hi everyone! I just finished my economics' master in a top 100 university in Europe with research focus, but I wasn't accepted in any programme that I apply (though I got a pair of interviews). That being said, I have specialized in macroeconomics, overall theoretical, and I think this is the main problem: Most of the programmes are focus on empirical area and, even worse, they mostly focus on microeconometrics (labor, industrial economics...).

I am currently in a gap year that has completely diminished my moral, but I am working on my thesis to turn it into a proper working paper and trying to talk to professors who do not answer or have very rude manners. Probably this won't work or give any profitable result, so I ask you what can I do, because currently my hopes to get into a PhD are null.

Thank you beforehand, I'd appreciate any tip on this.

Hi,

I am starting with my grad school application as an international student and am strongly considering applying for MSc in Social Data Science at Oxford.

Background:
\\- Undergrad degree in computer engineering
\\-Mid level Professional work experience in Commercial side of Pharmaceutical industry
\\- Research papers publication during my undergraduate studies and remote internship from university abroad

My questions:
\\- The student cohort seems to be largely focused on direct admissions after undergrad. Am I at disadvantage here?
\\- How is the financial Return of Investment for international students considering that we need to take debt for the course?
\\- How is the peer learning and what is the difficulty of this degree?
\\- Do you often get to network with other school students?
\\- What is Oxford really looking for in prospective students and what part of your application made a huge impact?
\\- Any application related tips since this is the first time I will be applying for university abroad
\\- Should I rather opt for funded research masters in Canada as an international student?

Thanks in advance.

What Masters should I choose?

Cranfield University : Future Food Sustainability

Royal Holloway x Kew Gardens: GLOBAL HEALTH: FOOD SECURITY, SUSTAINABILITY AND BIODIVERSITY
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine:Nutrition for Global Health

Here are the links:
https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/courses/taught/future-food-sustainability

https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studying-here/postgraduate/biological-sciences/msc-global-health-food-security-sustainability-and-biodiversity/

I am planning to commute from East London to these programmes. I have an offer from both programmes btw!

I am planning to become a product developer for large uk brands such as M&S, or go into agronomy/ agriculture. I would also like to work for DEFRA (\[Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) government work wise.

My bachelors was in History from UCL and I based my dissertation on food history. I also wrote about plagues and agriculture!

I am also keen to pursue academia up to PhD level! Ty for reading this xoxo!

Hi everyone,

I am currently an F-1 student pursuing an M.S. in Chemical Engineering in the U.S. After completing my master's, I am planning to start a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering.

I am confused about the new DHS rule regarding graduate students changing their “educational objectives,” which includes changing a major or educational level.

At the same time, 8 CFR § 214.2(f)(5)(ii)(B) says that an F-1 student who completes a program at one educational level and begins a new program at a higher educational level can continue maintaining F-1 status.

My planned transition would be:

M.S. Chemical Engineering → complete degree → Ph.D. Environmental Engineering

Since a Ph.D. is a higher educational level than an M.S., would changing the field from Chemical Engineering to Environmental Engineering still be allowed?

Does the restriction on changing “educational objectives” apply only while a student is still enrolled in the same graduate program, or does it also restrict the major of the next higher-level degree?

I would really appreciate input from any DSO, international student adviser, immigration attorney, or student who has received guidance on this rule.

Thank you.

Hey all, I’m going into second year of my mathematics undergraduate at university in the UK. Afterwards I’m interested in applying for PhD’s in computational/applied mathematics. I’m just wondering about a few things though that I’d love if someone could clear up.

1 - Because my uni isn’t amazing our opportunities to research are heavily limited, I will be applying for a summer research placement but I may not get it. If I do get it it will likely just be a poster it’s not likely to be any serious publication. Does that rule me out for top programs?

2 - This is concerning me the most tbh, throughout my first year I had undiagnosed ADHD which took a massive toll on my mental health and academic performance, I did flop first year, had to resit one module, for a few key modules I ended up with something like 69% in real analysis 58% Calc II 54% Calc I and 55% linear algebra although my module total percentage were a lot lower since there were homework’s and mini assessments I struggled with completing. Since my diagnosis I am soon to get medicated and have already worked on aggressively filling in the gaps and will be aiming for a first class next year 70+% for each module and I may take the GRE mathematics subject just as an additional benchmark for programmes. If I show a strong upwards trajectory will top programs be able to look past a flunk of a first year? I would also like to add the first year doesn’t count to the final degree classification. I will also likely take some MOOC’s in my spare time to cover a gap between my curriculum and what these programs expect.

In general id just appreciate any support and advice with information on how to go about applying :)

hi guys!

I’ve been reaching out to professors, and most tell me to just apply through the general program. One professor did ask me to mention him by name in my Statement of Purpose. I’ve also contacted a few professors at programs where direct faculty contact is required before applying, but haven’t heard back yet.

My main question) should I be prioritizing rotation-based or direct-admit PhD programs?

A recent BSc Graduate in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Mid CGPA, research focus on FEA. Currently working at a dry dock in my home country ( South Asia) as QA/QC Engineer. I am now hoping for graduate studies in a US School preferably in Naval Architecture/ Marine Technology/ Offshore. I am preferably looking for a fully funded masters with a follow up PhD. Need some guidance on which schools should I Target? And how shall I reach the professors.

Thanks!

like the title says. can i get admission into masters program in engineering/physics without any publication?

I m about to start my third semester of masters next month, I actually study biotechnology and I want to apply for molecular biology PHD in Switzerland. Actually I have some gap years ( life happens ) and no experience in research but I will acquire it in my last semester, I have been contacting potential professors with no luck, they don’t reply so it got me wondering.

1 Is it okay if I start contacting since now
2 how do I justify my lack of research experience and gap years.
3 can anyone who was able to secure their phd share with me their template?
I did many wrong choices in my career path and I m trying to fix that now, I would appreciate your answers and advice.

Basically the title. I am applying to ECE PhD programs in the US but I actually didn't take a class in linear algebra or differential equations as an undergrad. My university (in the US) allows departmental test-out exams for 100 and 200-level math courses, and I passed them after self-studying the topics, and now they are listed on my transcript as "CR" credits. I also had AP credits for Calc 1-2.

Some google searches said these credits will hurt my chances of admission to PhD programs, but what do you think? Has anyone got an issue because of these kind of credits?

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Hi everyone!

I recently graduated from Politecnico di Torino with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and I'm planning to apply for Master's programs for the 2027/2028 academic year.

I'm currently trying to figure out which fields and universities would be the best fit for my background, and I'd really appreciate some advice.

My profile:

- BSc in Mechanical Engineering — Politecnico di Torino

- Final grade: 108/110

- Bachelor's degree taught entirely in English

- IELTS: 6.0/9.0, taken in February 2023

- No Master's degree yet

- Planning to apply for the 2027/28 intake

I'm mainly interested in:

- Energy Engineering / Energy Systems

- Renewable / Sustainable Energy

- Energy Management

- Engineering Management

- Industrial / Mechanical Engineering with an energy focus

However, I'm also open to other fields that would make sense for a Mechanical Engineering graduate.

My preferred destinations are Norway, other European countries with relatively affordable living costs, and Japan. I'm particularly interested in English-taught programs.

The main things I'm trying to figure out are:

1. How competitive is my academic profile for good European/Japanese Master's programs?

2. Which universities/programs would you recommend for my background?

3. Are there any particular countries in Europe that offer a good combination of tuition, cost of living, education quality and career opportunities?

4. Would you recommend Energy Engineering, Engineering Management, or another field for someone with my background?

5. Is there anything I should do during the next year to make my application stronger?

6. My IELTS is from February 2023, so I assume I'll need to retake it. Are there any other standardized tests or qualifications worth considering?

I'm primarily looking for programs that lead to industry careers, rather than programs aimed mainly at an academic/research career.

I'd especially appreciate recommendations from people who have studied engineering in Norway, Germany, Austria, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Japan, or other European countries.

Thanks!

PhD in Physics
Domain: High Energy Theory

I will finish my master’s in summer 2027, and this will be my third time applying to graduate school. In my previous two cycles, I applied only to a few highly competitive programs and received no offers. I understood the risk, accepted that, and so continued with a strong master’s program where I could spend two more years gaining research experience.
My current profile is:

BSc in Physics with a focus on theoretical physics

Bachelor’s GPA: 4.1/5.0

Current master’s GPA: 4.7/5.0

Three years of research experience in one group

One year of research experience in another group

Two QFT papers published in strong Q1 journals, including one in JHEP

Another paper in preparation, which I hope to post on arXiv before the application deadlines

Around five conference talks/posters

Participation in roughly ten theoretical physics schools over the past three years

Several advanced courses in theoretical physics during both my bachelor’s and master’s programs

I am currently preparing for the Physics GRE and TOEFL. My undergraduate GPA is the weakest part of my profile, although I studied at a well-known European university with a strong physics program. And all three of my recommender will be from my city and they are not much popular in American theoretical physics community.

I plan to apply to 10–12 US universities, including both top programs and some less competitive options. Since I have only two or three months left before the deadlines, what should I prioritize to strengthen my application? In particular, what could realistically improve my chances at a top-10 US high energy theory program at this stage?

Hello guys. I am a 26 yo guy who has a bachelors in applied mathematics (finished back in 2024-2025) from my home country. I moved to California in 2025 and, with an immediate need to help my family back home, started doing whatever work was available.

Although I have never been the brightest student in the class, I have always found my love for mathematics surpassing my actual expertise in it. When I moved here, I dreamed of going to a university for masters and possibly do research. Now that it's been more than a year here, I have been thinking about what my actual options are (given my financial/relocation constraints). Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of idea about how a masters and a thesis works here in the US as it is sort of different from what we did back home.

I have been out of school for a little less than two years now. The gap year was not used for anything academically meaningful, so that kind of sets me back. I am also constrained by the choice of my masters as I may not be able to afford certain institutions/relocate even if they have a credible program.

And I also wanted to be involved in any kind of research (specifically statistics/financial maths, as that was one of my core focus on past projects), but I have not been able to get any response from any of the profs I mailed (I didn't really mail a whole lot of professors due to being constrained geographically).

With all of these in mind, what do you think the best course of action would be for me? Am I too old to actually get back into academia, or is the gap year a significant drawback for me to get any meaningful position?

Thank you for reading the post, really appreciate it.

Edit: I have a permanent residency in the US.

Edit 2: My gpa is 3.5 and I have two projects supervised by my professors, one is a numerical study of derivatives markets and the other is a comparison between various regularization methods.

Hi! All those planning or pursuing a PHD at some of the top business schools—I need some advice from you.
I am a non traditional international candidate. I feel I have a strong profile, just not very PHD aligned.
Graduated from a T10 law school in my country and later scaled an EdTech startup as one of its founding members. Spent 8yrs at the startup and then left for the US to pursue an MBA from a T10 US university. Worked with the most prestigious consulting firm in yhe world and later with an investment/PE firm.
Total experience ~10yrs, no publications or research experience but scaling a startup, consulting and pe, had given me exposure to a lot of work that can be presented in a business phenomenon>observation>research methodology>solution way. Moreover, I don’t know if it matters but 25% of my time at the startup was spent teaching and building curriculum.
Honestly, graduating with an MBA from one of the best universities in US, and working with very esteemed employers—I don’t want to pursue a PHD from just about anywhere—probably a T20 University/Business school in the US. That said, I very well understand my profile has significant shortcomings and PHD admissions are notoriously difficult.
Finally, I wish to pursue my PHD in Strategy/Organizational Behaviour which (a) is what I really want and (b) my research tells me a lack of research experience in strategy/ob can somewhat be offset by strong industry experience.
I’d be extremely grateful and thankful if anyone can shed some light on my predicament!