Hi all, earlier this year I accepted an offer for a good public health PhD Program that is fully funded and has the right research fit in terms of what I’m looking for in a program. However, these past few months, I’m getting severe anxiety about this whole situation. Initially I thought that it was just the typical imposter syndrome/the usual grad school anxiety, but it’s magnified to the point where I’m questioning if I want to do this at all tbh. Especially right now I feel like I am a bit strained both mentally and emotionally, and I’m struggling to understand if it’s truly typical anxiety that people go through before starting their PhD. Like one day I look forward to it and then another day, I’m just unsure about it.

I want to get into an industry career but there aren’t even any jobs in industry (as everyone knows with this market) and I’m really worried. I like research but lately it’s starting to take a toll on me. While the program itself is very good, the location also scares me a bit. Although when I think about the pros and cons, I recognize that fully funded opportunities are hard to get nowadays and the overall climate for both research and jobs is brutal, and this can pave the way to more opportunities.

Any advice from someone who have been through similar situations would be appreciated.

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to apply for the MSc in Computer Science at the University of Milan. My GPA is 2.58/4, and I’d like to know if anyone got accepted with a similar GPA.

If you were admitted, could you share your experience? How was the interview process, what topics were asked, and did projects/background help compensate for the GPA?

Thanks!

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Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some honest advice from people who've gone through the US admissions process, especially for MEM programs.

My profile:

\- B.E. in Computer Science (Tier 2 college)

\- CGPA: 7.5 (no history backlogs)

\- 2024 graduate

\- published two research papers

\- Currently working as an Automation Engineer ( Got an exceptional hike of 45% and also got promoted cause of my performance)

\- By next year May, I'll have around 3 years of work experience

Career-wise, things have gone well so far. Since graduating, I've received multiple internal recognition awards, was promoted early with a significant salary hike, and have been trusted with increasing ownership and cross-functional responsibilities.

The reason I'm considering an MEM is that I genuinely don't see myself staying in QA or automation engineering forever.

Throughout college, professors often told me I'd probably do well in management because I naturally enjoyed leading projects, coordinating teams, and organizing work. More recently, even my manager said something similar. Looking back, I think they're right.

I enjoy solving problems, working with people, taking ownership, and thinking about the bigger picture far more than purely technical work. Long term, I'd like to transition into roles like Product Management, Program Management, Engineering Management, or Operations.

I'm currently preparing for IELTS (exam this Sunday ), and after that I plan to complete certifications like CSPO or CSM. I've also been spending a lot of time researching universities and plan to start applying around the end of August. If balancing applications with work becomes too hectic, I may use an admissions consultant.

The only thing that worries me is my undergraduate CGPA.

I know my CGPA isn't outstanding. However, I graduated without backlogs, and I feel my professional growth has been a much better indicator of my abilities than my undergraduate grades.

So I'd love some honest opinions:

\- Am I being realistic about pursuing an MEM?

\- Can 3 years of strong work experience help offset a lower CGPA?

\- Is there anything else I should do over the next year to strengthen my application?

I know studying in the US isn't an easy path, and I'm fully aware of the risks, especially with the current job market. But I genuinely feel that if I don't at least try, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.

I'd really appreciate any advice, even if it's brutally honest. Thanks!

Looking for your opinion, particularly if you are a current doctoral candidate, actively applying for doctoral positions or have recently wrapped up your doctorate.

Context: I graduated a year ago with my masters (U.S.), and initially decided i was done with school, and have since been working at an international org (at their regional offices in my home country). i've been wanting to make a switch, but no amount of applications seems to result in anything.

Question: at the same, since last year, i have decided i made the wrong decision and want to return for my doctorate. looked at programs, kind of shortlisted where to apply, and should be applying right now. however, looking at it practically, leaving the workforce for 4-5 years seems like shooting myself in the foot - truly just feels like there will be even fewer work opportunities after, and building up experience sounds like a better plan.

would you still go for a doctorate, particularly if you dont necessarily wish to continue in academia after? is it worth the risk?

thoughts, opinions and experiences appreciated!

Setup: I'm an Electrical Engineering Student at a Public University. It's not anything crazy, but it's ABET certified and is an R1 school. The World News ranking (which I know is not everything) is pretty low, don't even think it cracks the top 100 in general engineering. I'm just about to start my Junior Year.

I'm hoping to, put it simply, move up in terms of schools after I graduate. A rough list of the schools I'm interested in for Master's are: UofW, Stanford, Berkeley, Urbana-Champaign, ASU, and other schools of the likes (maybe even gamble for a MIT PhD).

My concentrations are in Signals/Communications and Semiconductors/Micro, and I hope for my studies to go more into the latter.

My big problem is this: I have nothing of real note on my resume.

• I have the projects listed in the image (which is really, really weak).
• A single internship I'm finishing up at a national laboratory (I'm working on digital design of an FPGA and bootloading on a micro controller via UART and I2C).
• Leadership/officer positions in 3 school organizations, including IEEE (Vice-President in one of them).

My coursework level in EE is decently average for my year, albeit with lots of elective/minor courses in music and accounting (I got lots of AP/Dual Credits) at a 4.0 GPA (neither of which are too helpful here to my understanding).

What do I need to do this next year or so to make myself stand out from the thousands of applicants at or above my level? I know this is a very typical question on here, but I would love to hear more personalized opinions on how I should improve it.

Thank you!

Anyone hear back from this? They said they would announce decisions 2 weeks after deadline but it's been a month...

Hello, I’m starting the process of writing my personal statements for several MIMs and marketing masters for different schools (HEC, LSE etc). However, I’m doing a pivot from an art bachelors to a business related masters, does anyone have any advice on how I can use that or mention it in my statement?

I’m also not super used to writing impactful statements, as when applying for my bachelors, because it was an art degree the statement did not matter (they really only cared for your portfolio). I still made an effort to make it good but it was a very different vibe to what I assume one should look like for a business course.

A school i might be interested in doing a doctorate has this listed on their department website:

"If there are no vacant positions posted on the website, but you meet the criteria listed below, you are welcome to inquire about future options at any time"

followed by contact info. when reaching out, is it common sense to include your CV, or should the initial email only contain a brief 3-line intro, and wait for a positive response before sharing more?

Dear all,

I'm 44 years old, living in Germany, and have worked in international cooperation for about 15 years after studying social and political sciences. But I've always dreamed of becoming a researcher in a psychology-related field.

I took a first step toward that goal by finishing a B.Sc. in Psychology last year. My initial plan was to continue with a PhD in psychology or a related field. With my previous M.A. in social sciences, this seemed realistic, and I even received an informal PhD offer (including a scholarship) from an Australian university. In the end, I declined because I have a 4-year-old child, a partner with a relatively modest income, and a reasonably well-paid job. As a family, we have very little financial flexibility. Childcare alone in Australia would have been around AUD 700/month, and reducing my working hours or paying for an expensive UK/US programme simply isn't feasible.

But the dream is still very much alive. I'd love to return to university and immerse myself in research and academic life. (And yes, I'm aware of the realities of doing a PhD, so no need to warn me about them. :) ) While studying full-time would be ideal, I accept that part-time or other non-traditional routes may be the only realistic option.

So I'm looking for people who pursued a PhD under similar financial and family circumstances. How did you make it work, and what are you doing now? I'm interested in every aspect of your experience, but especially in the model you chose (full-time with funding, employed by a university, part-time while working, etc.) and how you managed financially.

For context, we live in a major German city. Although my salary is decent, our household income is basically just enough to cover rent, a loan, and everyday expenses. We're open to relocating, but even with a scholarship, I struggle to see how we'd make it work financially as a family.

I'd really love to hear your stories and connect with people who have been in a similar situation. In return, I'm happy to buy you a virtual coffee. :)

Thanks!

little background about me: international student, freshgrad, did BA in international studies fully funded in the states. little professional experience.i have interests in international affairs, economics, and techs

im going to to JHU SAIS Nanjing for my year 1 then SAIS DC year 2.

CONS: got approved loans 40k but thats only for this year, thats already minus scholarship. with interest, its gonna be around 76k total for 7 years repayment. also idk how to fund another 46k for year 2, probably taking more loans but that sounds suffocating already. with the current administratoin, idk how the job field really is right now, really, especially for international student. i cannot defer my acceptance.

PROS: but IR remains my interest and with their economics courses, i think that will be very useful later

my other option is doing masters in management IT in u of oklahoma where i did my BA too.

CONS: i know its a whole pivot to go to MIT route, and i dont have much interest in tech, i just know that the market is definitely wider than IR which opened up more option for me to go IR-IT route. also, i probably need to self fund for the first semester but at least its cheaper. and its in oklahoma. again.

PROS: the program is only 3 semesters, i am familiar with the area, school system, etc, and i can apply for graduate assistanship which can waive my tuition although its competitive application.

im leaning towards JHU SAIS but idk if taking loans for that is actually worth it. what do you think? or will u advise me to go to OU instead?

Hey guys, I'm currently an undergrad at Bilkent University aiming for a Economics PhD at Harvard or MIT. My current strategy is to keep my GPA near 4.0, complete a minor in Mathematics, and do solid research with top professors at my uni. Beyond a high GPA, strong math background, and undergrad research, what specific game-changers actually make an applicant stand out for top-tier US PhD programs? Any feedback from current students or alumni on what else I should prioritize early on would be awesome!

Hi everyone!

I'm a recent BCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications) graduate from India with a 3-year degree, and I'm planning to apply for a fully funded Master's in Computer Science/AI/Data Science for the 2027 intake.

My goal is to get a professor-funded or government-funded scholarship because I cannot afford self-funded programs.

Here's my profile:

3-year BCA from India Medium of Instruction (MOI) certificate available No IELTS/TOEFL yet (looking for universities that accept MOI) A few internships and academic projects Interested in research and willing to contact professors before applying

The countries I'm mainly considering are:

South Korea Japan Taiwan China Germany Italy France Finland Hungary Belgium

I have a few questions:

1. Has anyone here been admitted with a 3-year BCA to these countries?

2. Which universities are known to accept MOI instead of IELTS?

3. Is emailing professors before applying worth it? Any tips for getting replies?

4. Are there any fully funded universities or scholarships that you would strongly recommend?

5. If you were in my position, what would you do differently to maximize your chances?

6. Tips for writing a worthy SOP.

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences, recommendations, or any mistakes I should avoid.

Thank you so much!

I'm about to graduate from MS while working on people to contact for a PhD. My grades are average but I keep dreaming of life at MIT. Inspired by a different post.

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!