By Lucie Lopez, Peer Research Ambassador
Engaging in research as an undergraduate student can lead to wanting to pursue research as a career, which comes in the form of a Ph.D. for many students. This path was true for me as my experiences as an undergraduate research assistant, SHARE (Social Sciences Humanities and Arts Research Experience) apprentice, and IDEA Grant Recipient have shaped my career goals. Once I realized I wanted to further explore research by getting a Ph.D., I embarked on the journey of applying.
When I was applying, I had many questions, but I didn’t always know who to ask because I didn’t know many people who had been through the process. However, those people who I did know were invaluable resources, as they had first-hand experience and could give me great tips and advice when going through all stages, from researching programs to interviewing.
If you’ve just started thinking about getting a Ph.D. or if you’re about to go to your first interview, I hope the tips below can help you out with the application process.
1. Creating a timeline
Timing is a key factor in submitting graduate school applications, especially if you’re juggling applications while also in school or working. Most of my applications were due on December 1, with a couple due in January, so I decided to turn them all in by December 1. More specifically, my goal was to get them submitted before Thanksgiving break because I would be traveling and visiting family over the break, so I didn’t want to worry about my applications while on vacation. Part of creating a timeline is giving yourself deadlines to complete certain parts of the application. For example, I said I wanted to email faculty and supervisors about letters of recommendation by the end of the second week of classes. To hold myself accountable, I put these deadlines in my planner and completed them as if they were required for a class. Having these deadlines among my others made it easy for me to plan and time manage everything.
2. Making a list
You should consider many factors when making a list of schools to apply to. First, I would look at the faculty in the program because most Ph.D. programs require you to apply to work with a particular faculty member as an advisor. Finding a faculty member whose research interests align with yours is a key part of the application process. Your interests don’t have to be identical to your faculty member’s but should be relatively similar. My first list was certainly not my last, and that’s ok! It took me about a month to narrow down my list and have it solidified at the beginning of September. After solidifying my list of schools and faculty, I emailed the faculty members I was interested in working with to introduce myself and confirm that they were taking new students. Additionally, I would also be sure to look at GRE requirements as some schools still require GRE scores.
3. Creating a CV
Once I finalized the list of schools I would apply to, I started working on my CV (curriculum vitae) and asking faculty and supervisors if they would be willing to write me letters of recommendation. A CV is essentially a long résumé that is commonly used in academia. I would recommend looking at the Office of Undergraduate Research’s resources for CVs and résumés (https://ugradresearch.uconn.edu/cv-and-resume/) as well as the UConn Center for Career Development (https://career.uconn.edu/channels/write-a-resume-cv-or-cover-letter/).
4. Asking for letters of recommendation
Most of the schools I was applying to required two to three letters of recommendation, with at least one or two being from a faculty member. When deciding who I wanted to ask, I thought about people who could speak to my research skills, my work ethic, and how I performed in a non-research setting. I utilized the resources on the Office of Undergraduate Research website (https://ugradresearch.uconn.edu/letters-of-recommendation/) when asking for letters and preparing to meet with my recommenders. I wanted to give my recommenders about 2.5 to 3 months to write their letters so they wouldn’t feel rushed. Before meeting with my recommenders, I sent them a copy of my CV and transcripts so that they could get a better idea of my background overall.
5. Writing your personal statement
In my experience, writing my personal statement was the most challenging part of the process. Figuring out how to tell my story and not just rewrite everything on my CV was difficult. However, it’s all about the process. My first draft was far from perfect, but it felt really good to get something down on paper.After writing my first draft, I left it alone for a few days and then came back to it. I made more edits and then started asking people I trust for feedback. Getting feedback from people with so many different perspectives was very helpful for me when making edits. Although it’s great to ask many people for feedback (I asked about five trusted mentors), you don’t have to follow every piece of advice they give you. Be sure to take everything with a grain of salt; in the end, it’s your personal statement, so it should reflect your voice. After about six drafts, I finally had a final product I was confident about submitting to schools.
6. Acing the interview
You’ve submitted your applications! Now, it’s time to start getting ready for interviews. I received invitations to interview in December and January, and my interviews started in mid-late January and extended into early February. When preparing for interviews, I made sure to revisit program websites, read over key program features, read faculty articles, and take notes. I prepared for the typical interview questions such as “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” and “Tell me about yourself.” However, I also prepared for more specific questions such as “Why a Ph.D. and not a Master?” and “What is something you’d like to research more specifically as a Ph.D. student?”. You’ll never know what you might be asked in an interview. Still, it’s always good to be prepared to talk about your research and any other influential experiences you had during your undergrad, such as an internship or a particular job experience.
7. Making a decision
You’ve finished all your interviews and, hopefully, received good news, and now it’s time to decide. For me, two of my most significant factors were location and finances. I’m originally from Connecticut, so I wanted to stay pretty close to home. Additionally, I wanted a school that would most likely be able to offer me a graduate assistantship that would cover my tuition as well as provide me with a stipend and benefits such as healthcare. The location and opportunities for graduate assistantships at UConn greatly influenced my decision to come here. One of my most significant pieces of advice when in the decision-making process is to talk to current students in the programs you’re interested in. In my experience, current students will give very open and honest feedback regarding their experience in the program. Hearing their perspectives helped me a lot when I was making my decision.
I learned so much about myself through this process and hope that sharing advice from my experience will help applicants feel less alone. For context, I will be starting my Ph.D. in School Psychology at the Neag School of Education at UConn next year. Having just gone through the process, I can say that applying to PhD programs is no easy feat, so in the end, you should be proud of yourself no matter the outcome. Good luck!
Lucie is a senior double majoring in Psychological Sciences and Spanish. Click here to learn more about Lucie.