Lessons from applying for PhD positions

I applied to a number of universities in the US and a couple in Europe, apart from emailing professors that I was interested in working with. Here are some lessons I learned that I would pass on as advice to my past self:

1. Practise writing down thoughts, ideas, and reasoning

   Most, if not all, applications need you to express yourself through words – big things like the statement of purpose or a diversity statement to small things like cold emails and scheduling interviews. This makes it extremely important to have a good grasp of words so that you are able to put down what you think instead of trying to fit thoughts into the words you already have. I wish I had more practice so that the first couple of applications did not become the effective warm-up for the rest. It felt like I didn’t do justice to the initial ones, and I could feel the steep improvement I was making as I wrote more and more applications. So get used to writing down what you think, what you feel, and why. You need not have the perfect language, vocabulary, or grammar (there are people and software to help with that); you just need to get used to making points and stringing them together across paragraphs so that your ideas, passion, motivation, and personality survive the long journey from your mind till the reader’s.

2. Don’t be intimidated

   PhD applications require a lot of interaction with strangers. Don’t be afraid to be yourself while doing so – people are not so judgy, they just want a good student at the end of the day and they are usually not turned off by too many questions or clarifications. Make sure you are respectful, polite, and keep to deadlines and show up on time. Other than that, don’t be afraid to ask silly questions, don’t be afraid to ask whether you qualify even if you think you probably don’t, don’t be afraid to admit that you don’t know or haven’t thought about something.

3. Introspect

   The application process showed me what a PhD is going to be like. Before that, I was not sure that was the right choice. So I encourage you to take the time to think about what you want, and how what you are doing will help you towards that goal. If at any point during the process you think that what you are applying for or where you are applying to is not what you want, then wait and think. Is this your choice or someone else’s?

4. Keep track of your and your recommender’s deadlines

   This is obvious, but still worth talking about. There are lots of deadlines, and if you are like me, they get overwhelming unless I make a system. For me that system was a spreadsheet. So schedule reminders for yourself, and don’t be afraid to remind those who have agreed to write recommendations for you. Of course, there’s no need to nag them about it, but they have lots of commitments and it’s easy to forget so choose times appropriately and try to make their job as easy as possible (make a list of pending recommendations ordered by the deadlines, provide links, etc.)

5. Talk to people

   This is similar to the point about not being intimidated. Asking actual students, professors, alumni, and anybody with information to share their advice, opinions, and experiences about whatever you feel doubtful or uninformed about is extremely valuable in knowing what to value, potential pitfalls, and department- or university- (or even professor-) specific details that will never be available outside of one-on-one conversations. Most people I got in touch with were ready to spend an hour or so to answer my questions, and never hesitated to share their thoughts. I assume the same will be true with most people, and having a bunch of unrelated people each give their opinion made blurry notions or hazy pictures so clear to me.

6. Find other people who are also applying for positions

   This is just a morale booster when sometimes the mood is low because of a certain application (maybe the website is too finicky, or the questions are complicated to answer, or the instructions are not clear). More importantly, they also serve as a safety net – people you can cross-reference deadlines with, share clarifications so that you don’t have to write the same email and wait a day or more for a response. The application process is quite demanding because they force you to think about yourself, and that made me question myself all the time. Seeing other people going through the same helped.

7. The people matter most

   This is just my opinion (just like the rest of the points) that your PhD depends a lot on your guide. So ensure that the people you are going to be working with and around are good, caring, and well-intentioned. Otherwise, one can end up in a position where the student is struggling on their own without anybody to show them the way.

8. Be patient

   You will be spending a lot of time (and money) with very little to show for it. All of that builds up to the last round of applications until we either give up or accept an offer. The journey teaches us about ourselves, the way we work, and forces us to think about our dreams, our ideals, our future. I don’t think I would have spent so much time doing that if I wasn’t forced to, and in hindsight, I appreciate the opportunity. So I hope with patience you too will find something rewarding from the process even if it doesn’t stick to your expectations.

9. Keep emails concise and to the point

   Professors receive tons of emails, so the fewer words you use, the easier it will be for them to understand what the email is about and whether they should spend time to read and reply. Ask direct questions, don’t use too many words, and be as clear as possible.

10. It’s never too late

    Positions keep opening up, and professors are always on the lookout for good students. Even if a particular professor has no positions to offer, if they find a good student, they make note of it. So keep trying, keep reaching out, show them your motivation, your passion, your love for the subject, and they will not only see it, but try to help you out. I have seen this happen more than once.

11. Start early

    There is nothing to lose, but a lot of risks to mitigate by starting and hence finishing early. To name a few:

    • A sudden requirement for a document you don’t have on hand
    • An optional question you choose to now answer
    • A new position comes up, with a deadline on or sooner as this one
    • Straightforward mistakes in reading or noting down dates
    • Technical issues
    • A bad day/week
    • Extra lectures, homework, or other emergencies

Hope this helps! Good luck!