3 Applying to Graduate School

Dianne Prost O'Leary
©1996,1999,2009,2016
Last modified October 12, 2016.

3.1 Where to Apply

It is usually wise to go to a different school from your undergraduate institution in order to gain an alternate perspective. Personal reasons might limit your flexibility, though, and staying at your strong undergraduate institute is not a disaster.

If you are not restricted to the immediate area, apply to your undergraduate institution as a backup, but consider a variety of top departments. For example, computer science students might consider Stanford, MIT, University of California Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Princeton, University of Texas Austin, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Washington, University of Wisconsin, Harvard, California Institute of Technology, Brown, UCLA, Yale, University of Maryland, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Georgia Tech. Even better, talk to a faculty member who does research in an area that interests you and ask for advice about the best schools in that particular subject. The list is often quite different from the list of strong departments overall.

Departments are ranked in a (quirky) yearly survey by U.S. News and other surveys, and by old publications of the National Academy of Sciences.

Apply to several departments: there is an element of luck in the admissions process, and for each research interest, there are a number of strong schools that are good choices.

See Section 15.10 for some helpful links.

3.2 How Do Schools Choose Their Students?

The application process provides a tremendous amount of data to a department admission's committee, but people who have served on such committees can tell you that there is still a large element of uncertainty in sorting out the strongest applicants.

Different departments put different weights on the various components of the application, but here is what an ``ideal'' application might look like:

• A strong undergraduate record, with a substantial number of advanced courses in the mathematical and computer sciences, and a good number of A's in these courses.

• Letters of recommendation by trusted colleagues. (It is only human for an admissions committee member to say, ``Prof. X wrote a strong letter for Z last year, and Z is doing well here. I can trust what X says about students this year,'' or ``Prof. X is a leader in the field, so I can trust X's assessment of whether this student can succeed in our graduate program.'')

• GRE scores that indicate past achievement.

• At least a modest number of outside activities and interests that indicate a well-balanced individual.

• An essay that is well-written, discusses previous accomplishments, shows motivation, and specifies some goals, even if they are somewhat vague.

• Some research experience, perhaps in a summer program labeled ``Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)" or in a summer internship at a corporation.

If you come from a small college that doesn't have a strong program, the admissions committee will be asking questions such as these: Did the student make the most of the opportunities provided at the college? (Evidence might include taking the hardest courses, doing a senior thesis, or doing an internship.) Do the letters say that this student is a self-starter, has gone beyond the course material, or is among the best students at the college? Is the student ready for our graduate level classes? Does the research statement indicate a focus and a motivation strong enough to sustain the transition to a ``bigger pond"?

If you are not admitted to the department you want, you might work your way up the ladder by obtaining a master's degree at the best institution that admitted you and then reapplying to PhD programs.

3.3 Making a Decision

Suppose you are in the lucky position of being accepted to more than one graduate program. How can you decide which offer to accept?

• Think about what factors are important to you. The strength of the department should be high on your list, but you also need a place where you can feel comfortable enough to function well. Make a list of what is important, and then try to find out how the candidate departments measure up.

• Gather as much information as you can--graduation requirements, lists of courses currently offered (as opposed to those officially in the catalog but never taught), lists of faculty and their research interests, staff benefits (insurance, etc.), syllabi for courses and exams, etc. Much of this information should be available on the Web.

• It is becoming quite common for admittees to visit various schools before making a decision. Some departments even pay for part of the expenses of the visit for their top candidates.

  Let the department know when you plan to arrive. Arrange to tour the facilities and talk to one or two professors and a few graduate students.

  Wander around on your own, too. Visit the computer labs, the library, the bookstores, etc. Get a feel for how well the department and the school function.

  Ask lots of questions--about the program requirements, the research strengths, the climate for graduate students, housing--about whatever is important to you. Trust your instincts: if the department feels wrong for you, it may well be!

• If you cannot visit in person, ask the department to arrange a phone interview or chat with some faculty members and graduate students. E-mail can also be used for this purpose.

• Talk to the people who wrote letters of recommendation for you. It is a chance to thank them, to let them know that their letters had good effect, and to ask advice.