"Being a (Ph.D.) graduate student is like becoming all of the
Seven Dwarves.
In the beginning you're Dopey and Bashful.
In the middle you are usually sick (Sneezy), tired (Sleepy), and
irritable (Grumpy).
But in the end, they call you Doc, and then you're Happy."
Ronald T. Azuma
Computer Science Graduate School Survival Guide
http://www.cs.unc.edu/%7Eazuma/hitch4.html
Choosing and Applying to Graduate School
Brian W. Tague
Department of Biology
Wake Forest University
Time table for graduate school
ACTIVITY
SUGGESTED TIME
Start earning good grades
Freshman
Approach faculty about research experience
Sophomore/Junior
Seek related work/volunteer experience
Sophomore/Junior
Take GRE
Summer Before/Fall of Senior Year
Request information on graduate programs
Junior/Senior
Finalize decision about which programs to apply to
Early Fall Senior Year
Request faculty to write letters of recommendation
Mid-Fall Senior Year
Perfect your Statement of Purpose
Mid-Fall Senior Year
Submit applications and
Late Fall, Winter Break, Senior Year
check deadline for each application
Check to be sure your applications
Late Fall, Winter Senior Year
are complete
Interviewing and visiting
Winter, Spring Senior Year
.
How does graduate school differ
from undergraduate programs?
• Research first, classes second
• Teaching experience
• Focus on process, not just information
• Scientific process
• Experimental design
• Critical thinking
• Problem solving
• Costs
Financial support for graduate
students
• $15-25,000/year
•
•
•
•
Teaching Assistantship
Research Assistantship
Training Grants
Fellowship
• Tuition Waiver
How can you judge if you would
enjoy graduate school?
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•
•
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Enjoy independent research
Enjoy teaching
Work before entering graduate school
Talk with faculty
Intellectual aspects
Practical aspects
A bad reason to go to graduate school
When do people go to graduate
school?
• Immediately after undergraduate school
• After several years of practical work
experience
• After a career change
Choosing a graduate program
•
•
•
•
M.S. vs Ph.D.
Institution
Department
Individual Research Lab
M.S. versus Ph.D. programs
•
•
•
•
•
Duration 2-3 vs 4-6 years
Career options
Area of study
Certainty of research direction
Amount of independence
What can I do with an M.S. degree?
• Enter a Ph.D. program
• Research scientist:
• Industrial, academic, government lab
• Teaching:
• Community college, high school
• Science policy or administration
• Other professions:
• Law, MBA, health professions
What can I do with a Ph.D.?
• Post-doctoral research
• Teaching and Scholarship
• College and university professor
• Research Director
• Corporate Research
• Government Research
• Academic Research
Choosing a graduate program
•
•
•
•
MS vs PhD
Institution
Department
Individual Research Lab
Judging graduate institutions and
departments
• Research reputation and productivity
• The key to your future!
• Range of research options
• Medical school vs. academic department
• Potential research advisors
• Size, geographic location, urban/rural
• Contentment of graduate students
Resources for evaluating programs
Peterson’s guide: Searchable database of schools
http://petersons.com/
Jobweb: directories of graduate programs
http://www.jobweb.com/catapult/gguides.htm
Getting into Graduate School: an applicant’s look
http://dave.burrell.net//guide/guide1.html
US News and World Report: Rankings of graduate programs
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/beyond/bcphd.htm
Talk to your professors!
Surf the web to particular departments
Visit schools, interview, meet current graduate students
Judging graduate institutions and
departments
• Research reputation and productivity
• The key to your future!
• Range of research options
• Medical school vs. academic department
• Potential research advisors
• Size, geographic location, urban/rural
• Contentment of graduate students
Graduate School
Applications
Eugene
Santa
Cruz
Santa
Barbara
San
Diego
Growing up and
undergraduate
Judging graduate institutions and
departments
• Research reputation and productivity
• The key to your future!
• Medical school vs academic department
• Range of research options
• Size, geographic location, urban/rural
• Contentment of graduate students
• Visit schools, interview, meet current students
Choosing a graduate program
•
•
•
•
MS vs PhD
Institution
Department
Individual Research Lab
Choosing a research advisor
• Common research interests
• Peterson’s guide, web sites
• Laboratory rotations
• Compatible working styles
• Visits, interviews and rotations
• Laboratory environment
• Visits, interviews and rotations
• Availability of the advisor
• E-mail, snail mail
Applying to graduate school
Research experience
• One of the best ways to be competitive is to
have worked in a laboratory
• At your home institute
• NSF and NIH
• Summer Undergraduate Research Experiences
• Volunteering or working summers
• Intensive summer lab courses
Taking the Graduate Record Exam
(GRE)
• Visit GRE website
• http://www.gre.org/atglance.html
• Register well in advance
• Most schools require the GRE general test
• Many require (“strongly recommend”) the GRE
subject test
Makeup of GRE general test
• Verbal
• Analyze and evaluate written material
• 30 minutes, 30 questions
• Quantitative
• Basic math skills and concepts
• 45 minutes, 28 questions
• Analytical
• Reasoning skills, deduction, evaluation of arguments
• 60 minutes, 35 questions
Preparing for the GRE general test
• Kaplan GRE preparation books
• good software
• Barron’s GRE preparation books
• Sample questions at www.gre.org
Taking the GRE general test
• Where?
• Prometrics Testing Service
• (336-854-4230)
• 3 Centerview Drive
• Greensboro, NC
• Also in Asheville, Boone, Charlotte, Durham,
Fayetteville, Gastonia, Greenville, Raleigh,
Wilmington
• Full list at www.gre.org
Taking the GRE general test
• When?
• General test
• Anytime, online
• Register well ahead of time
– Saturdays are difficult to schedule
• Allow about 4 hours total
• Cost: $105.00
– Fee waivers available
Taking the GRE subject test
• When?
• Designated dates: 11/10/01, 12/8/01, 4/6/02
• Where?
• On paper: Wake Forest University
• Other locations: see www.gre.org
• Cost: $130.00 (Fee waiver available)
• Format: 100-200 questions, ~3 hours
• Subjects:
•
•
•
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Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Application deadlines for graduate
school
• Apply to 7-10 schools
• From very competitive to “safety” schools
• Many schools have on-line applications
• Wake Forest
• Application fee: $25
• Fall application deadline - February 1st.
• Reply deadline - April 15th
• Others
• Application fees: $0-100
• Fall application deadlines: 12/15 – 4/1
Letters of recommendation (3)
• Ask a teacher you know well.
• Helps to have research experience
• Cultivate relationships with a few of your professors!
• Best if professor is in your field, in science
• Provide recommender with a resume.
• Ask well in advance of the deadline.
• Provide any necessary forms and an addressed
envelope with instructions on whether it is to be
sent to the school or returned to you.
Statement of purpose
• Similar to essays written for undergrad applications
• Read the directions!
• Be familiar with the school
• Discuss the science you have performed or an
interesting topic from your classes
• Mention particular faculty members
• Specific reasons you are interested in a field and in
the particular school
• Be concise! Be focused! Rewrite!
• http://www.rpi.edu/dept/llc/writecenter/web/gradapp.
html
Interviewing
• Usually arranged and financed by department
• Individual interviews
• Group interviews
• Go to department web site
• Learn about school
• Read/review journal articles by faculty
• E-mail faculty and ask for reprints of recent articles
• A couple of intelligent questions go a long way!
The realities of graduate school
• You are being paid to do science!
• A great privilege
• Things won’t work for a while!
• Different than undergraduate experience
• Long hours
• Work hard/play hard
• Tremendous satisfaction and achievement
Graduate school:
One final view