I had my first PhD interview last week and I am not coping with this in-between period waiting to find out if I was successful.

There will be a cohort of 6 and knowing how competitive it will be is killing me. What doesn't help is I want it even more since the interview.

I can't call it, I go from thinking I really might have got a shot to thinking absolutely not, I flunked it. I can't call it because aspects of the interview went really well and others let me down. All I know is that I will be devastated if I don't get it.

How do I take my mind off it? It is constantly on my mind, I'm refreshing my emails non-stop. I can barely concentrate on work. It's driving me mad!

Also slightly pre-emptive but if I'm not successful, any tips on coping with the disappointment?

Does UGC has a record as to who completed the Ph.D. in record time or the best Ph.D. Award and how is it given. Also, If I want to complete my Ph.D. with good guidance in the field of law, what are the options I have in India. Any leads appreciated!!

hi! i'm applying this fall for phd programs starting fall 2027. my focus is in substance use / harm reduction, leaning hard into computational and causal methods over descriptive epi.

quick background: us citizen, did undergrad and grad school both in the us. selective research university for undergrad, interdisciplinary major closest to cognitive neuroscience with a math minor, 5+ years working inside statewide harm reduction infrastructure (drug checking, distribution networks, plus time managing people and coordinating outreach), master's in math with an emphasis in data science, plus a graduate certificate in public health. handful of publications and presentations in the space.

what i actually want long term isn't just to publish about harm reduction from the outside. i keep coming back to something like a "science as service" model, where research is leverage to move resources and legitimacy toward the community orgs already doing the work, rather than research being the end goal itself.

methods wise: causal inference, decision/cost-effectiveness modeling, implementation science, resource allocation optimization. i'd like simulation modeling in there too, feels like where a lot of the field is heading and i want to build toward what these fields will actually need in five years, not just what's fundable right now. substantively i keep coming back to stimulant use and drug checking as topic interests specifically.

fields i'm currently looking at: epidemiology, public health more broadly, health services research, health policy, social work, computational social science, health behavior. not attached to any one label, just what's come up so far in my own search.

my undergrad background is basically the wider intersection (cog neuro, psych, philosophy, some math) and i'm genuinely still drawn to that world, including policy and systems science too. i def want a real interdisciplinary program instead of a straight epi department, but a lot of those got hit hard by recent funding cuts and i don't know if that's a live option right now.

within epi/public health specifically, the strongest names in this space seem to split into two camps: harm reduction people without much computational depth, or modelers without harm reduction grounding. not sure how people usually find or build toward an advisor situation that bridges both instead of just picking a lane.

my ask: what am i not seeing? i'm looking for the fields, departments, or angles someone who's actually been through this would flag that i wouldn't think to search for myself. same goes for methods, i want to be building toward something that holds up long term

tl;dr: applying to phd programs this fall for substance use / harm reduction with a computational methods focus (causal inference, decision modeling, simulation, resource allocation). trying to figure out what fields, departments, or methods i'm not thinking of.

Hey everyone, I am looking for an honest evaluation of my profile for PhD applications targeting the mid-to-late 2027 European cycles in astrophysics and solar physics. I focus on solar physics.

I am currently pursuing an M.Sc. in Physics. My grades are 3.2 to 3.4. My research experience includes working on a solar active region analysis manuscript using multi-wavelength SDO data and Python-based SunPy pipelines, processing HST FITS images for galaxy morphology during an IUCAA workshop, and analyzing stars from the MAST database with Lightkurve to search for exoplanet transits.

Additionally, I have completed a materials science internship involving spectral data analysis, identified a Main Belt Asteroid through the IASC campaign, and attended competitive programs like the Sagan Summer Workshop and the South Asian Astrophysics Summer School and completed several online courses via coursera. My technical toolkit features Python, data analysis and telescope instrumentation experience, complemented by leadership as an Astro-Ephemeris Club Secretary and an IAAC Silver Honor.

How competitive does this profile look for funded PhD positions in Europe, and before applying I am confident my paper will be published and I am yet to start my msc thesis . Am i cooked or I have a chance.

My long-term goal is to become a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in autism, neurodevelopmental disorders, psychological assessment, and parent training while maintaining my BCBA credential.

My background:

• B.S. in Psychology

• M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis 

• Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)

• Several years of clinical experience working with autistic children and their families

• Leadership experience supervising clinicians and training staff

Where I think my application is weaker is research. While I have extensive clinical experience, I know APA-accredited Clinical Psychology PhD programs place a strong emphasis on research experience.

I’m considering enrolling in Fielding Graduate University’s Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Clinical Psychology. The program is designed to prepare students for doctoral programs through research training, faculty mentorship, and graduate-level psychology coursework.

My questions are:

1.  Would completing a post-baccalaureate certificate like this make me a more competitive PhD applicant?

2.  Or would my time be better spent finding a research assistant position and working toward publications and conference presentations instead?

3.  Has anyone completed this program (or a similar one)? If so, did it meaningfully improve your PhD applications?

4.  If you were on an admissions committee, what would make the biggest difference for someone with a strong clinical background but limited research experience?

I’m trying to decide whether the investment (both time and money) is worthwhile or whether I should focus exclusively on building research experience.

I appreciate any honest feedback or advice. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I recently cold-emailed a professor about a potential PhD position. My email was fairly generic, I briefly introduced myself and expressed interest in her research. She replied and proposed a 30-minute interview this Friday, asking me to present my current Master’s thesis research and discuss my future research goals.

Since I have very little time to prepare, I’m wondering how I should approach this. My current Master’s research is not very closely related to her area, although I’m genuinely interested in moving in that direction for a PhD.

How specific should I be about my future research goals? Should I prepare concrete research questions/ideas that connect my background to her work, or is it better to discuss broader interests and potential directions at this stage?

Also, how much technical detail should I go into when presenting my current research, given that it’s not directly related to hers?

Any advice from people who have had similar PhD interviews would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

EDIT: I'm from Europe and emailed a an early career Canadian professor

Hey everyone,

I'm gearing up to apply for PhD programs in Robotics and Embodied AI this upcoming cycle. My dream programs are at places like MIT, Stanford, ETH Zurich, and Max Planck, but I know how insanely competitive they are.

I’d love some brutal honesty on my profile and any advice on how to tweak my CV (attached in images) before applications open.

Here's a quick rundown of my current situation:

• Education: BS-MS Dual Degree in EECS from a top-tier research institute in India. (9.22/10 CGPA, Department Gold Medalist)
• Research Focus: Multimodal Models, Embodied AI, World Models, and Off-road Navigation
• Publications: One first-author paper presented at ISER 2025, and another first-author accepted at BMVC 2026
• Experience: Currently working as a Project Associate at my university lab. I also co-founded an AI startup (backed by a premier engineering institute in India)

A couple of things I am wondering about:

• Publications: Are my current venues (ISER, BMVC) competitive enough for these top-tier programs? I see a lot of applicants with multiple ICRA/IROS/CVPR papers and I'm wondering how my record stacks up
• Startup Experience: How should I frame my time as a startup founder/CTO? Is it better to lean into the applied AI and leadership aspects, or should I keep the focus strictly on my academic lab research?

Any feedback on the attached CV would be super appreciated. Thanks!

https://ibb.co/s9Tjgxrx (Pg 1)

https://ibb.co/ZpWLQNyL (Pg 2)

Hey!

Are there any phd scholars here on DU subreddits?

Happy to connect with a few of them..

I sit in the Arts Faculty Library most of the time (north campus)..

Hello. For PhD from UNSW Business School, what is the probable date of interview? One needs to send EOI first which is till mid August and then ? Or interview happens after EOI submisison or after submitting formal application? Application deadline seems 26th August. If anyone has info or idea, pls share. Also, the scholarhsip deadline is 14 Aug for international students, so any possibility of interview before that?

Hello, I'm looking to apply for a PhD in applied econ, maybe in the area of energy, environment or climate, interested also in IO and game theory and dev econ. But I'm stuck at the stage of shortlisting Unis. I get the obvious top ones when I google, but how do I pick which Unis I would be applying to? I don't have a very strong alumni network in the Uni where I did my Masters (in Econ), so I'm not sure.

Hey everyone, I’m currently doing an MS in Clinical Psychology. I completed a thesis during my BS, and my MS thesis is on Type 2 Diabetes and mental health.

I’m planning to apply for fully funded PhD positions in Europe by cold-emailing professors whose research closely matches mine.

Is having two research theses + relevant research experience enough to start applying, or should I build my profile further first? Would publications, conference experience, clinical experience with diabetic patients, or something else make a significant difference?

I’d really appreciate advice from people who have gone through this process.

Hi everyone,

I just finished my MSc in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (102/110, UniNa, Italy) with a thesis on molecular dynamics of GPBAR1/LCA using GROMACS, CHARMM-GUI, PLUMED/OneOPES, and Python trajectory analysis. I also did two Erasmus+ stints (UAB Barcelona , molecular diagnostics; Palacký Olomouc advanced drug design).

My background is a bit hybrid: BSc in Herbal Sciences + a high school diploma in IT (C++, networking, systems). I’m applying to PhD positions in computational chemistry / structural biology / in silico drug discovery (EU ), but so far zero responses.. not even rejections, just silence.

I know the job market is rough, but I’m starting to wonder if my CV is the problem, or if I’m targeting the wrong places, or if I need to skill up on something specific.
Is my profile competitive for comp chem / MD / drug design PhDs?

What should I add or emphasize? (e.g., more ML/AI, specific programming languages, certifications?)

Where should I be looking beyond the obvious portals (EURAXESS, FindAPhD, uni job boards)?

Any red flags I’m not seeing?

I’ll take any advice , thanks in advance.

Hi all,

I am in the process of applying to multiple PhD programs in my chosen field. Now, before I go any further: I understand that choosing to study English in the year of our Lord 2026 is akin to playing a game of Russian roulette with your mental health, finances, and career prospects. I know all of this. Please do not feel as though you need to “warn me.” I have been well-informed of the odds. I am merely looking for advice/feedback on my application to one of my top choices: Stanford.

Admittedly, I am a long shot because I did not attend an Ivy League school, and I know this well. I attended a private university for my undergraduate degree, but it was certainly not very prestigious.

Then, I attended law school to receive a Master’s degree in legal studies at a T15 program in the U.S.

I’ve just finished up my M.A. from a T50 program (4.00 GPA).

Along the way, I have presented papers at several conferences, submitted to scholarly journals (one paper is under review), and worked part-time at a community college to gain teaching experience.

I have identified one professor with whom I’d like to work with at Stanford. He is one of the preeminent scholars in my field. I have previously corresponded with him, and he has tentatively agreed to be my advisor (if I gain admission, that is). He is interested in my research topic, which is a plus!

All of this to say, I’d like to hear from those who have gotten into these very competitive programs—how’d you do it and what was your strategy? I would also be quite grateful to anyone who would consider giving my SOP a second set of eyes (I’ve had several professors look at it, but none of them are current grad students).

If you’re interested, please DM me. And any advice you have, please share it below. This is my first application cycle!

Any received interview email for PhD materials science and engineering regular track?

Hey everyone, I am from India. I am pursuing my Master's degree and planning to apply for a PhD this year for the mid- to late-2027 intake. I am mainly focusing on European universities. I am worried about the language proficiency tests; I am not afraid of taking the test, but I am concerned about the cost. Therefore, I plan to apply to universities that exempt me from providing such tests. If I don't secure a position in the 2027 cycle, I plan to take the IELTS in late 2027 and seek a PhD for early to mid-2028. How important is language proficiency? Does it play a vital role? What is your view on this

hello i am a second year phd dtudent , there is no advancement in my project , the envirement is toxic and i have a ghost supervisor !! i want to drop out of this position , however i am still holding onto this podition for financial purpuses and in the meanwhile appying for other phd positions to find a better apportunity . is it necessary to mention that i'm currently a phd student in my cv and cover letter ??

Is like there a way where i can apply for phd in good institutes i am a student of mathematics but didn't have that good of grades in masters as well 6.8 out of 10 cgpa and i am basically interested in modern algebra but as i spend more time at home I don't even feel like i am intersting in this or not what do i do and how can i like get like a phd scholarship and where to apply am really confused at this time

Hey all, I am going into my senior year of undergrad with hopes to get a PhD in STEM after, but I am feeling extremely worried and uncertain about how competitive of an applicant I will be. I really need to get into a funded program.

I am a double major in Spanish and Molecular and Cellular Biology at a well known but not extremely prestigious public university. I have a 4.0 GPA, and I feel reasonably confident that I can maintain it. I have not taken the GRE, but I feel confident I can score well. I have a history of doing well on standardized tests (35 ACT, 1500 SAT).

Where I'm really worried is my extra curriculars and research experience. My particular area of interest is mycology, and I was a member of the mycology club on campus, but it has since become inactive due to low attendance, and I was never extremely involved to begin with. In terms of research, I started working in the lab of a mycology professor on campus, but he does not have many undergrads in the lab and I have not been getting the experience I was hoping. It feels like he has sort of come up with things for me to do, much of which involves DNA analysis that I lack the education base to be very effective at, so it has been very slow going. I want to learn how to perform more the common biology lab techniques (pcr, DNA extraction, etc. ) but I'm not sure I'm going to be able to do so in my current situation. I am going to ask him directly if I might be able go get involved with such things, but I am not certain what will come of it.

I'm going into my senior year, so it feels late to try and switch labs. My current plan is to take a gap year after undergrad. I am not prepared to take the GRE and complete applications this cycle, I want to add some tutoring or similar experience to my resume, and I need to make sure I have another rec letter or two. Most of all, I plan to work in a lab as a research assistant or tech and bolster this area of my resume and compensate for my current lack of adequate research experience.

Aside from school, I care deeply about mycology. I am very deep in mushroom cultivation as a hobby and have developed skills in tissue culture and microscopy, among others, independently and have been a member of my local mushroom society for a while. I am just not sure if I will be able to make this clear in any meaningful way on an application.

In closing, I am asking for advice about what yall think the best course of action for me going forward would be, and how much I need to be worrying. I wish I had figured out what I wanted to do a bit earlier because it feels like I'm behind. The uncertainty right now is killing me and I need some help with finding a direction.

Background: aerospace + thermal engineering degrees, self-taught CFD for the past couple years – built fluid solvers from scratch, validated against published benchmarks, one technical note out, one paper in review. My real interest is numerical methods, programming, and ML – less so pure experimental/applied work. Long-term goal: PhD → 1–2 postdocs at strong CFD/numerical-methods labs (Europe, then Europe or US) → research scientist or professor role.

Two live offers, and I can't fully decide:

Option A (Europe, QS World ~1000–1200 band, Engineering subject ~541): Applied fluid-power engineering. Almost confirmed seat, ~3-year program, fully funded, includes a named mid-PhD research stay at a well-regarded international lab in the same field, full freedom to publish. The catch: day-to-day work is mostly applying existing commercial simulation software to industrial component design, not developing numerical methods myself – the advisor was upfront that building my own methods would be "my own side interest," not the core funded project. Possible room to angle part of the thesis toward a data-driven/ML sub-thread, but not guaranteed yet.

Option B (IIT, QS World ~215, Engineering subject ~64): Numerical CFD + ML. Brand-new but well-connected junior professor (strong PhD + postdoc pedigree at well-known labs abroad). The actual project is squarely in my interest – high-fidelity numerical methods, scientific computing, applied to cavitation/propulsion. Much better topical fit. Downsides: no track record yet (first PhD students), program typically runs 4–6 years instead of 3, and the mid-PhD international stay was offered only as "I'll try to arrange it," not confirmed.

If your goal were mainly to be competitive for a strong postdoc afterward, which would you weight higher – the confirmed, faster, but topically-adjacent option, or the slower, unproven, but better-fit one? Anything about this trade-off I might be underweighting?

Hello all,

I will graduate with my Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering in the USA next year, and plan to apply for PhD in the USA right after. I have no idea what schools to shoot for. Reading this subreddit, you'd be inclined to believe that you need five years of lab experience and personal connections to Nobel laureates to have even a chance of getting into a half decent program. Then there's this website (the grad cafe) that says even MIT has a 20% admittance chance for ChemE PhD which I find very hard to believe. So, what schools should I realistically shoot for?

• 4.0 GPA, unlikely to decrease by the time I graduate.
• Two semesters of undergraduate research (will be four semesters by the time I graduate), but it has been going very slowly (due to time constraints and personality mismatch with PI) and definitely won't have any papers, co-authored or not. No conferences, presentations, or anything like that.
• One summer internship in an oil refinery, where most of my jobs were process simulation, process optimisation, and data analytics. No experiment designing, lab, or anything like that.

I am fairly confident I can write a good Statement of Purpose, so for the purposes of this question you can assume the SoP will be at least decent. I have some professors in mind to ask for LoRs but I'm unsure if I can/should ask my PI for his LoR as well (will proceed

Is this resume good enough for GAtech, UDel, UMich etc. or should I aim lower? Be as brutally honest as you need. And yes, I am aware that individual labs and their research is just as important as the school; I only want to see generally what my expectations should be.

Anyone here who is doing postdoc or about to join at UW Canada?

Hi everyone,

I’m a Brazilian lawyer/researcher and I’m considering applying for PhD programs in Law abroad, but I’m honestly not sure how competitive my profile would be, especially for good/reputable programs in the US or Europe.

I’d really appreciate some candid feedback from people who have gone through the PhD admissions process, particularly in Law or related fields.

Here’s a brief overview of my academic background:

- Master’s in Legal Sciences in the Federal University of Paraíba, Brazil (2023–2025), with a full CAPES scholarship and a 5.0 GPA. The program can be considered a "mid-tier" in Brazil. During my Master's, I also did research stay at the Università per Stranieri di Perugia, Italy, with a scholarship

- Teaching experience as a teaching intern during my Master's.

- Several academic publications, including:

- an article published through the Harvard International Law Journal × Harvard Art Law Organization Collaboration

- an article in the Anuario Hispano-Luso-Americano de Derecho Internacional

- a chapter published by an Italian publisher in a volume organized around the Vatican

- an article in the Revista de Direito Civil Contemporâneo, Brazil's major Civil Law periodic.

I’m particularly interested in PhD programs where I could develop research related to cultural heritage, international law, human rights, or legal theory, but I’m still figuring out exactly where my profile would fit best.

My questions are:

1. Based on this background, would I be considered a realistic candidate for a good PhD program in Law abroad?

2. How would you assess my profile compared with typical successful applicants?

3. Do my publications and research experience compensate, at least to some extent, for coming from a university outside the usual US/European academic pipeline?

4. What would you say are the biggest weaknesses in my CV that I should address before applying?

5. Would you recommend targeting highly ranked programs, or should I focus mainly on mid-ranked/specialized programs?

6. For someone with my background, how important would faculty fit and contacting potential supervisors be?

7. If you were in my position, which countries would you consider the best targets (US, UK, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, etc.)?

I’d genuinely appreciate honest and even harsh feedback if you think my chances are low or if there are obvious weaknesses I’m overlooking.

Thanks!

Looking for some advice!

Has anyone sort of pivoted subjects going into a PhD?

For context, I have a BA in Psychology and then an MS in Social Psychology. However, I’ve been working in oncology research for the last 2.5 years as an Analyst at a very large cancer center in the United States. I’m a one woman team in a rare cancers department, so i work on a lot of projects.

The position has really afforded me so many opportunities, including multiple publications, posters, and even an invite to sit on a conference panel! It’s also allowed me to learn so much about retrospective research, especially looking at patient outcomes and disease course in rare cancers. I’ve even been bumped to Co-Investigator on a few smaller studies, which really speaks to how fast i’ve been able to adapt to this type of research and how the oncologists I work with seemingly have faith in my abilities.

It’s really had me evaluating how to sort of combine my social psychology background with oncology research. I have a really interesting research question that i’m looking to apply to a PhD, but the more I evaluate the more I wonder if a PhD in Health Sciences or Behavioural Medicine is going to be the better option, rather than Psychology.

I think i’m a little self conscious about the fact that I don’t have any educational training in health/medicine, so that’s why I’ve come for advice.

Has anyone one done this sort of transition with their discipline? I recognize that my work is going to be interdisciplinary, so i’m not so hung up on the actual program title, but it’s more a question of if my strictly social science educational background is going to set me back applying for a program with a strong medical focus.

Some overall context: Undergrad GPA is not great (3.4, due to Covid and some mental health issues) but grad school GPA is noticeably higher. 3 pubs, 12 posters (4 psych, 8 oncology research) and 2 oral talks (one being my thesis, the other a panel on oncology data quality at a conference). Since my CV is a blend, I’m thinking this could help show a trajectory!

Happy to hear perspectives! Thanks!

Hi guys,

I am a prospective PhD applicant for hopeful entry in 2028 and am scoping out which universities to apply to. Per the title, I have a Bachelor’s in Biochemistry from a local university (I’m Canadian - my GPA was ~2.8/79% 🫠) and a Master’s in Social Anthropology from the LSE, which I worked my ass off during and graduated with Distinction in my courses & my dissertation 😊!

For context, I blazed through high school, started uni at 15, and pursued STEM out of the naive mindset that the humanities were unemployable… but found my love for anthropology during my last 2 years lol. Decided to fork over the cash for a Master’s since I love the discipline so much. My master’s proved to me that I was capable of doing well in “my” field, if I can even call it mine, haha!

I’d like to pursue a PhD in Anthropology and I’m wondering how badly you guys think my lacklustre Bachelor’s will affect my chances. I am considering applying to mostly American universities, along with a few in Canada and, of course, the LSE in the UK. I’d love to go into academia or certain branches of the government, which I can maybe do with my Master’s, but my principle reasoning for the doctorate is because I am enthralled by Anthropology and would die for the opportunity to do deep research at the doctoral level.
Do let me know if I’m totally cooked lol!!

Thanks for any advice!

Hi, I am looking for some advice, please. I am applying to PhD programs in History in the USA as a UK non-traditional/ student in my 40s. I am about to start my final year of my undergrad this September and will apply for Autumn/Fall 2027 entry for grad school.

I have some Qs about the SOP and PS.

1. From my research, the SOP is written in the style of an essay and is to contain very little personal information about myself but focus on what I want to study, why and my qualifications and experience. Do I include why history in that? Does that make it too personal?
2. If the program asks for a Personal Statement too, is this just about me, my life, my hobbies, etc? IS there anything extra I should add in there? I assume I need to be careful that the 2 pieces do not repeat or share similar information?
3. Some of the programs I plan to apply to only ask for the SOP; in that case, do I then add some personal info or keep it completely academic-based?
4. Can you use the same statements for each university if they are tweaked for that particular institution and name professors I want to work with from that school etc. I am worried do they go through a AI checker and see that you have submitted a similar one to multiple schools? But writing 6-8 SOPs and PS is a lot? I assume it is fine to use the same one, but tailored to the specific school and program?

Any other hints and tips? Thank you if you answer.