what do phd programs look for in applicants

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Southern Methodist University

How to get a phd:, a guide to choosing and applying to ph.d. programs.

Here at SMU, we know that the decision to pursue a Ph.D. in any field can be difficult — it’s a significant investment of your time and resources, with several unknowns along the way. When students are just starting their search, here are some common questions we have received: 

• How do you prepare a strong application? 
• How do you select a program that fits your area of interest? 
• Will you get in? 
• What are the years in a Ph.D. program actually like?

In this resource, we offer you the insider information you need to choose a program, apply successfully, and thrive during your years of graduate study. You’ll get answers to common questions, tips for putting together your application, and testimonies from students who made it through the application process and are now pursuing a Ph.D.

Common Reasons for Getting a Ph.D.

Do you find yourself wondering, what would motivate someone to earn a Ph.D.? Only about two percent of adults over 25 hold a doctoral degree, according to a 2018 study by the U.S. Census Bureau . But what drives this group of elite learners?

A 2019 survey of more than 6,000 Ph.D. students asked a wide array of questions on topics ranging from life in a Ph.D. program to students’ satisfaction with their program. Here’s what Ph.D. students liked the most about their doctoral program:

Additionally, although earning a Ph.D. is a large commitment of time and energy, 75% of respondents reported being happy with their decision to pursue a Ph.D. saying they were somewhat satisfied or very satisfied with their decision.

When you start exploring earning a Ph.D., you may encounter some setbacks and deterrence. However, if you have a genuine love for the subject and wish to become a thought leader in your area of expertise, don’t let this discourage you.

Perhaps you’re thinking that a Ph.D. in a STEM field makes sense, but don’t see how to justify your degree in Anthropology or History? In the STEM academic track, the return on investment (ROI) of a graduate degree may seem more clear than in the humanities.

Never fear. Love of the subject, not monetary gain, is what truly motivates students to journey through graduate school. A Ph.D. in any field is a feat in research, critical thought, and dedication, and these skills are extremely valuable even in disciplines with less obvious market value.

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How to pick the right ph.d. program.

So, you know what you want to study, but now you’re faced with the task of finding the right school. It can be easy to become overwhelmed by all of the options. The process of selecting which Ph.D. program is the right fit doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful, you just need an organized plan to help you sort through the factors you need to be looking for.

Not sure what you should be looking for? We can help you with that! In this short video, we walk you through each step of selecting the right Ph.D. program — making it simple and straightforward.

You’ve Decided to Go for It! Take the First Steps to Getting A Ph.D.

Ready to take the leap and begin your Ph.D. career? We’re here to help you take the first steps. To determine what program could be right for you, it’s best to begin your research early, and to consider the following things when analyzing and comparing Ph.D. programs: 

Is there a professor at the school with your same interests?

What sort of funding do  they offer?  

Do the school’s graduates have careers that you would like to have?

Do you have geographic restraints?

Ph.d. faqs: choosing a doctoral program that’s right for you, do you need a master’s to get a ph.d..

Not always, it depends on your program. Some programs will allow you to move straight from an undergraduate degree into a doctoral program that includes graduate coursework. Other programs will require a master’s degree before beginning a Ph.D.

Read more: Here are 4 ways to get a head start on graduate school while pursuing your bachelor’s!

How many years does it take to get a Ph.D.?

It generally takes five to seven years to complete a Ph.D. program, but make sure to contact your program to learn about the specifics. For more information and an overview of the Ph.D. timeline, check out our article: The Ph.D. Timeline – What Can You Expect From Your Program?  

How many doctoral programs should I apply to?

While it is tempting to apply to several Ph.D. programs to enhance your chances of being accepted, this is one example where “quality over quantity” holds particularly true. Ph.D. programs generally accept students based on how closely their research interests align with the work of their professors. 

Rather than applying to a dozen programs, pick 4-6 that are truly great matches for your interests and spend the time necessary to make your application stand out as one of the best.

How to pick a Ph.D. program?

We wrote a resource that covers this exact question!

Read — Comparing Admission Offers and Selecting Your School — to learn how to pick the Ph.D. program that is right for you! 

• Research proposal often determined in conjunction with departmental research
• Typically higher stipends
• Conducting experiments and then analyzing the resulting data
• Research proposal is self-directed
• Often lower stipends, but more likely to obtain a job in academia 
• Analysis of texts and concepts to expound upon in your dissertation

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Applying to ph.d. programs: what do ph.d. programs look for.

When starting the application process, you should review the program’s application requirements and contact the school to ask any of your remaining questions. Starting with this step will help you stay focused as you gather the assets you need and will keep you from wasting time on things that are not required.

Applicant questions usually fall into one of two categories: questions about the substance of the program (e.g. Is there an opportunity to do research as a first-year?), and questions about the logistics of the application (e.g. What is the school code for sending you my GRE scores?). 

Don’t hesitate to contact faculty directly to ask questions pertaining to the substance of the program. They love talking with prospective students about what they do, and they will be able to provide much more detail than the admissions office. On the other hand, admissions or graduate office staff should be able to give you prompt guidance on logistical questions pertaining to your application (faculty are not as familiar with these topics). 

Personal Statement

A student with a clear research direction can write a very compelling personal statement. You don’t need to have your exact dissertation topic worked out yet, but it’s important to have a good sense of the following:

• Your general area of interest;
• The faculty in the department you’d want to work with;
• The resources at the university that would help with your work.

Hitting these points in your personal statements tells the faculty not only that you are prepared for the work, but that this particular university is a good home for you. An applicant can be impressive, but if the faculty don’t see you as a good fit for the school’s program, they won’t be inclined to admit you.

Transcripts

When you order copies of your undergraduate and graduate school transcripts, as well as any test scores you may need, leave plenty of time to meet the deadline so that these documents do not hold up your application. Frequently, schools will accept unofficial transcripts for the initial application, but a final, official transcript will be necessary if you are accepted and decide to attend.

Letters of Recommendation

The hallmark of a Ph.D. program is that it is research-based. Success at the undergraduate level is an important factor, but a better indication of success is research experience. The strongest letter of recommendation is from a professor who knows you not just as a student in their classroom, but as a researcher. Choose someone who can speak to your work in the lab or the archive, making a contribution to the discipline rather than simply absorbing content from a lecture.

Advancing the Field: Stories and Resources for Graduate Students

Advancing the Field is a weekly blog that offers prospective graduate students insight and advice as they consider the challenges and exciting possibilities that come with getting a graduate degree.

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How to apply for a ph.d. program: the ph.d. application checklist.

In addition to the items in the section above, make sure to check off this list (or edit it to include your specific requirements).

Be sure to check your department's website for additional requirements, such as minimum test score requirements and writing sample prompts. Not all departments will ask for additional items, but for those that do, make sure you're prepared in advance.

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Statement of Purpose FAQs

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After all these elements of your application are submitted and reviewed by the department, they may request an interview with the candidates who are moving forward. To help you with your grad school interview, we’ve created a resource with advice from admissions professionals to help you prepare.  

Applications for Ph.D. programs are often reviewed on a rolling basis, but some do have hard deadlines. It’s hard to say exactly when you will hear back, as it depends on the individual department, but generally, you should not expect a response before February of your expected enrollment year. 

As your offers of admission begin to roll in, we’ve compiled some advice for helping you select the best one! Read — Comparing Admission Offers and Selecting Your School .

Apply To Graduate School with Confidence

SMU's Graduate School is proud to offer doctoral and master’s degrees in a wide variety of fields. This resource is designed to give you an overview of the admissions requirements and processes for our Master’s and Doctoral programs.

• Understanding How to Finance Your Ph.D. Program

Here’s some sage advice: when it comes to funding your Ph.D. program, it should be funded by the university as a tuition scholarship and a stipend. If you are not offered any funding, it may be an indication that you are not a good fit for that program.

Your stipend offer depends on the university, but the general range for a Ph.D. stipend is $15,000-$35,000.

SMU currently has 55 Moody School funded Ph.D. students and offers a wide range of fellowships, stipends, grants , and health insurance to financially support students in our doctoral programs. SMU offers the following fellowships: 

In some cases, the stipend is contingent upon the student holding a research or teaching assistantship.

RESEARCH ASSISTANSHIPS

TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS

Typically teaching assistantships are arranged through the university. This arrangement helps graduate students get experience in the classroom and helps institutions balance out the cost of graduate student stipends.

Fellowships beyond your university are also good opportunities for additional financial support during your years of graduate work. Check out fellowship listings like this one dedicated for women across disciplines or this list of STEM-related fellowships .

How a Ph.D. Will Benefit Your Finances?

Although the price tag of a Ph.D. can look steep, the reality is that the vast majority of doctoral students receive full, or significant, funding for their program. This means that you’ll spend 5-7 years earning your degree, but will likely graduate without additional tuition debt, ready to step into your career field as a trained expert. 

But what do the numbers say? Here’s the real story on the financial impact of pursuing a Ph.D. according to research conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics . The truth is, people who have earned a doctoral degree are looking at a significant increase in overall lifetime earnings.

Competitive Funding and the Student Experience

Tune in for a panel discussion with current Ph.D. Fellows about the competitive graduate fellowships and funding opportunities available  and the graduate student experience at SMU.

View the Recorded Webinar

• Advice from Current Ph.D. Students

Amila Nanayakkara

I am Amila Nanayakkara from Sri Lanka. I did my undergrad in University of Colombo. After that I [worked] as a research assistant for 2 years at the Industrial Technology Institute in Sri Lanka.

Now I am in my 5 th year pf my Ph.D. program, studying biology. To be specific, we study multi-drug resistant cancers and how to reverse the drug resistance.

Yes, [I did encounter some doubts during my decision process] especially about the future, or what should I do after the Ph.D. It takes 5-6 years [to complete] which is like the best part of your life. I had my doubts [about] investing this much time on the Ph.D.

But I [realized] that there are other options rather than being an academic after [getting] a Ph.D. Also, I was pretty sure that I wanted to do research, wanted to do new things always. I hated routine work. I had a short time job in a bank and I realized that I do not like office work at all [so the Ph.D. became very appealing].

I liked the research [happening at] SMU. I liked to work in cancer biology specifically, and I knew Dr. Vogel and Dr. Wise’s lab [would be] a place I would like to work. Also I think the PI (Principal Investigator, the lead researcher for a grant project) plays a huge part in your lab [experience]. So I wanted to join a lab where you are given freedom and not micromanaged. When I talked to Pia Vogel and Wise I realized this is the best place for me. The whole Biology department seemed like a very friendly place too. Also, I really liked the environment of SMU as a whole as well.

Ph.D. is like a marriage. You have to think a lot before you make the decision and you can not get out just because you do not like it in the middle.

I think you have to select a program, a lab you really love. You have to love what you do. Because this path to Ph.D. can be very difficult. I remember that I did not get any results [in the lab] during first 2 years. But I still loved what I did , so it kept me motivated.

You have to read a lot, I mean a lot! Also you have to come up with your own ideas as well. Do not always only rely on the path your supervisor shows.

You have to make several mini projects while focusing on one big project. So if you hit a road block, you still have [to keep moving on] other [parts of the project]. It can be a tough journey, but you can make it happen.

• Communication, teaching and presentation skills.
• How to interact with people/students.
• Mentorship skills.
• Problem solving ability.

April Simpson

I am originally from Chattanooga, Tenn. In 2009, I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies (with minors in Math and World Languages) at Gardner-Webb University. I also completed two master’s degrees at Gardner-Webb between 2010 and 2014: Master of Arts in Religious Studies (concentration in Biblical Studies) and Master of Divinity. From the start of my master’s program, I knew I planned to pursue a Ph.D.

I am now in my third year at SMU. I am a student in the Graduate Program in Religious Studies (Dedman College), and my field of study is New Testament. I have completed all my coursework as well as my comprehensive field exams, and I am in the process of writing my dissertation proposal this fall; I expect to be admitted into candidacy sometime in the next few months.

There were three major factors that could have inhibited my pursuit of the Ph.D.: highly selective admissions processes, cost, and rigor of the Ph.D..

I knew long before I applied that elite programs are highly selective due to funding limitations and high standards. At times I wondered whether I would be able to stand out enough to be selected. My response was to do my part—to work as hard as I could reasonably work—to make myself a desirable candidate for admission. I maintained an excellent GPA, prepared intensely for the GRE, gained teaching experience, involved myself in the Society of Biblical Literature (an important professional organization in my field), and sought out references who could speak to my academic and professional abilities and work ethic. I decided that, while the application and selection process was not totally within my control (you cannot make them pick you), I would foster my own drive to work hard and excel in an attempt to accomplish what was in my own control.

Another factor was cost. I knew that, without tuition funding and stipendiary support, I would not be able to afford pursuit of the Ph.D., nor is it advised in my field to take out loans at this level. Fortunately, most elite programs are fully funded, including a stipend that helps cover living expenses (and unfortunately, this means those programs have even more competitive admission, as I already noted). I decided to apply only to fully funded, widely respected programs so that, if admitted, I would be able to afford a Ph.D. program. And, again, I worked hard to make myself the best applicant I could be.

Finally, I knew that the Ph.D. is a rigorous degree. At times I worried that I would not be cut out for this level of work. Interestingly, these worries tend to manifest themselves not only among aspiring students but also among current Ph.D. students, something we refer to as “imposter syndrome.” At any rate, I listened to and trusted faculty mentors who told me I was, indeed, able to complete a Ph.D.; I listened to my own inner voice that told me to keep at it and to give it my best. And, again, I worked hard.

I did a great deal of selection before ever applying to Ph.D. programs, so that I only applied to programs I was fairly confident I would be willing to attend. Despite some overlap in the application process, each program application is different in some way, and it takes time and resources to apply to schools. As I prepared to apply, I looked for well-respected/highly rated schools that had the following qualities (this list is not ranked): (1) full funding, (2) faculty and program structure that would support my research/career interests and goals, (3) generally, an environment of collaboration rather than of antagonistic competition, (4) high academic standards, (5) a professional atmosphere, (6) a clear commitment to the success of students enrolled in the program, and (7) an interest in professional development not only in terms of research and general professionalism but also—and importantly—in terms of teaching.

When I visited SMU, I was very impressed with the faculty (both their achievements and their willingness to work with me and support my work), the Graduate Program in Religious Studies students (including other newly admitted students), the facilities (including SMU’s beautiful campus and especially Bridwell Library), and the funding. I could envision myself as part of the community here. It became even clearer to me that enrolling in the Graduate Program in Religious Studies (Ph.D.) at SMU was such a great opportunity, one that I could not pass up. Although this meant that my husband and I would be moving far away from family and friends and that we would be adjusting to life in a new city, we embraced this opportunity.

One piece of counsel I received early on was to maintain a realistic attitude about the admissions process, specifically how competitive it is. This means taking seriously the task of being a competitive applicant. Just as importantly, it means not being overly critical of oneself when rejection inevitably comes (from one school or another). This process requires the development of thick skin and reflective self-confidence.

Another key piece of advice I received was to be genuine about my interests and preparation. There is always a degree to which school and applicant alike try to determine best fit, and of course as applicants we want to be competitive and appealing to multiple schools; however, misrepresenting one’s interests does not benefit the applicant or the student in the long run.

I would encourage prospective students to seek out their strongest faculty supporters and cheerleaders as references; to consider each aspect of the application process to be an opportunity to highlight a strength or compliment an area that may not stand out as much; to ask questions about the culture and collegiality of the schools in which they are interested; to be professional but also to be themselves; and to be aware that, while having a sense of one’s research direction and career path is valuable even during the application process, there is also value in remaining open to how one’s interests or specific career aspirations might change in the course of a program.

I have had several opportunities to develop my teaching skills, not only through opportunities to teach courses, to teach individual class sessions, and to lead workshops, but also through various seminars and trainings that are aimed at developing pedagogical skills in both a face-to-face and online format.

Other skills I have developed include general professional development, understanding and engaging religious studies and theology colleagues across disciplinary lines, reading and writing against deadlines, identifying and dissecting arguments more clearly, identifying and engaging various methodologies employed across the humanities, book editing, and website editing.

Through my service on the GPRS Graduate Student Organization and the GPRS Faculty Steering Committee (as a student member), I have developed an increased understanding of the administrative matters that relate to university programs in general and the GPRS in particular. Serving in such an administrative fashion as a member on a committee or otherwise is a transferable skill that I anticipate being valuable to me throughout my professional academic career.

I’ll put it this way. If I could go back and give my pre-Ph.D. self a pep talk about what was coming, I’d say the following: (1) You are more prepared than you know. (2) You will learn so much so fast, so there is no need to worry about feeling out of practice or as if you don’t know how to be a Ph.D. student (and this is only natural—you’ve never been a Ph.D. student before!). (3) It is perfectly fine that you still have questions about how you’ll focus your research; these things take time (and it turns out you are on the right track with your ideas anyhow). (4) You’re going to grow and change a lot during this process, and you’ll have good and bad days. It is worth it. (5) Self-care and relationship-care matter.  

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How many years to get a ph.d. our advice for thriving every step of the way.

You’ve applied, been accepted, and decided to attend your Ph.D. program. In the flurry of excitement around your decision, the reality of what the next 5-7 years will look like may have eluded you. What does life as a Ph.D. student really look like? And how long does it take to get a Ph.D.? 

Your time in your Ph.D. program is both exciting and challenging and, depending on your school and program, the next 5-7 years will look a little different for everyone. Here’s what you can generally expect in your Ph.D. program:

In the first year, your department should offer you guidance about what classes to take and requirements to fulfill. It’s tempting to jump right into research, but make sure you pace yourself and take advantage of networking opportunities , such as program and college events, graduate associations, and additional lectures. Each of these will expose you to the field and help you to make meaningful connections that will serve you throughout your doctoral program. 

Read more: 4 Tactics to Help You Build a Professional Network While Getting Your Ph.D.

Much the same as year one, your focus will be attending seminars and honing in your dissertation topic. Continue to network and get to know your professors. Usually, sometime in the second or third year you will take your qualifying exams and be admitted to candidacy, formally moving into the dissertation research and writing phase.

In the beginning of Year 2, (if you have not already done so) you’ll want to begin reaching out to faculty mentors and building relationships with them. As you progress through your Ph.D. your faculty mentor, or dissertation advisor, will become one of your most important connections. 

Read more: 3 Tips for Graduate Students to Consider When Choosing a Faculty Mentor

Read more: 5 Common Myths About Ph.D. Programs — Setting the Record Straight

Typically, course requirements for your Ph.D. will be completed after the first two years, but this can vary depending on the discipline and program. Keep in mind that some programs have average durations far longer than five years. For example, anthropologists usually do fieldwork for their Ph.D. degrees, which extends the program by several years compared to STEM programs.

Read More: The Ph.D. Timeline – What Can You Expect From Your Program?

The Final Step: Writing Your Dissertation

The most general statement that can be made about writing your dissertation would describe the process as: do research, propose a prospectus, and then write about it! Writing is a skill perfected by regular practice, so be sure you are consciously honing this skill during your years of coursework and seeking out feedback about how you could improve.

Read more: Get a sense of what it takes to complete your Ph.D. Here are 5 tips for writing your Ph.D. dissertation  

However, the particulars vary a lot by discipline. In some cases, you will research and write as you go (more often in the humanities); whereas in the sciences, you’ll generally perform research over many years and compile your findings in a dissertation over one to two semesters. In some cases, you are publishing articles throughout your 5 years, and those articles can provide the basis or rough outline for a dissertation. 

As you think about your dissertation, it might seem overwhelming to imagine finding something new or interesting enough to write about it and be deemed an expert. Often your first years in a Ph.D. program, taking coursework and working more directly under faculty, will help you find your research niche that will then become your dissertation. A good Ph.D. program will help you grow and develop as you prepare to work independently as a scholar. 

In almost all cases, dissertation research and writing are self-driven. After you are admitted to candidacy, it is up to YOU to decide what you need to do, when you are going to do it, and what your final product will be. This is where a good advisor, who can provide guidance and help you implement a system to stay on track, is crucial. In addition to having good research, one of the biggest keys to success in writing your dissertation is to be organized. 

• Ph.D. Programs at SMU: A Look at Your Options Across the Disciplines

SMU is a distinguished center for global research with a liberal arts tradition, and our graduate programs are known for their rigor and commitment to research. Here at the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, we are proud to offer 32 Ph.D. programs that are the backbone of the high caliber research taking place at the University.

Learn more about some of the Ph.D. programs offered at SMU

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Data is not the same as knowledge. Without context to understand what types of data are valuable, what makes data reliable, and what the data signify, data are useless.

Discovering Your Planet: A Complete Guide to Earning A Ph.D. In Earth Sciences

Earth Sciences address the complex interactions among the physical and biological components of our planet. Earth Scientists set out to address the most pressing environmental issues of our day and to offer immediate and long-term research-based solutions for geohazards, resources, and climate issues.

Exploring the Universe: A Guide to Studying Physics at Southern Methodist University

Physics is the study of space, time, energy, and matter. Physicists try to ask and answer, in a verifiable and reproducible way, the deepest questions about the origin, nature, and fate of the universe.

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• Want to Learn More?

If your interest is piqued and you’d like to learn more about choosing, applying for, and thriving in a Ph.D. program, you can explore the following resources below. You can also reach out to the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies — we would be happy to assist you.

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• Should You Get a Ph.D.? Exploring the Reasons to Get a Terminal Degree
• You’ve Decided to Go for It! Getting Started on Your Ph.D. Journey
• Putting Together an Strong Ph.D. Application
• Looking Ahead: SMU’s Advice for the Ph.D. Years

What Do Grad Schools Look for in Students?

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What do graduate admissions committees look for in potential grad students? Understanding what graduate schools look for in applicants is the first step to tailoring your experiences and application to make yourself irresistible to the graduate programs of your dreams. 

An admissions committee's goal is to identify applicants who will become good researchers and leaders in their field and on campus. In other words, admissions committees try to select the most promising students. They want students who have the ability to become an excellent graduate student and professional.

The Ideal Grad Student

The ideal graduate student is gifted, eager to learn, and highly motivated. He or she can work independently and take direction and constructive criticism without becoming upset or overly sensitive. Faculty look for students who are hard workers, want to collaborate with faculty, are responsible and easy to work with, and who are a good fit with the program.

The best graduate students complete the program on time, with distinction—and excel in the professional world. Some return to become professors at their alma mater. Of course, these are ideals. Most graduate students have some of these characteristics, but few will have all.

Criteria Weighed by Admissions Committees 

Now that you know the standard that graduate faculty are looking for in selecting new graduate students, let's look at how faculty weigh the various criteria for admission. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer; each graduate admissions committee is a bit different. Generally speaking, the following criteria are important to most admissions committees:

• Undergraduate GPA (especially the last two years of college)
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores
• Recommendation letters
• Personal statement/essay

Sure, you knew these things were important, but let's talk more about why and the part they play in admissions decisions.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

Grades are important not as a sign of intelligence, but instead, grades are a long-term indicator of how well you perform your job as student . They reflect your motivation and your ability to do consistently good or bad work. Not all grades are the same, though. Admissions committees understand that applicants' grade point averages often cannot be compared meaningfully. Grades can differ among universities—an A at one university may be a B+ at another. Also, grades differ among professors in the same university. Admissions committees try to take these things into account when examining applicants' GPAs. They also look at the courses taken: a B in "Advanced Statistics" may be worth more than an A in "Introduction to Social Problems." In other words, they consider the context of the GPA ... where was it obtained and of what courses is it comprised? In many cases, it's better to have a lower GPA composed of solid challenging courses than a high GPA based on easy courses like "Basket Weaving for Beginners" and the like.

Clearly, applicants' grade point averages are difficult to compare. This is where Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores come in. Whereas grade point averages are not standardized (there are enormous differences in how professors within a department, university, or country grade student work), the GRE is. Your GRE scores provide information about how you rank among your peers (that's why it's important to do your best!). Although GRE scores are standardized , departments don't weigh them in a standardized way. How a department or admissions committee evaluates GRE scores varies; some use them as cutoffs to eliminate applicants, some use them as criteria for research assistantships and other forms of funding, some look to GRE scores to offset weak GPAs, and some admissions committees will overlook poor GRE scores if applicants demonstrate significant strengths in other areas.

Letters of Recommendation

Usually, admissions committees begin the evaluation process by considering GPA and GRE scores (or those of other standardized tests). These quantitative measures only tell a small part of an applicant's story. Letters of recommendation provide a context within which to consider an applicant's numerical scores. Therefore it's important that the faculty who write your letters of recommendation know you well so that they can discuss the person behind the GPA and GRE scores. Generally speaking, letters written by professors known to committee members tend to carry more weight than those written by "unknowns." Letters written by well-known people in the field, if they signify that they know you well and think highly of you, can be very helpful in moving your application towards the top of the list.

Personal Statement

The personal statement, also known as the admissions essay, is your chance to introduce yourself, speak directly to the admissions committee, and provide information that doesn't appear elsewhere in your application. Faculty read personal statements very closely because they reveal lots of information about applicants. Your essay is an indicator of your writing ability, motivation, ability to express yourself, maturity, passion for the field, and judgment. Admissions committees read essays with the intent to learn more about applicants, to determine if they have the qualities and attitudes needed for success, and to weed out applicants who don't fit the program.

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How to Choose a PhD Program

Successfully completing a doctoral program requires commitment and perseverance. the most important step in this process is to consider whether academic life is right for you and what kind of doctoral program — from discipline to environment — will be the best fit for your goals and preferences., we asked our current students and faculty, “what is key to making this decision” following are some questions they suggested you ask yourself, and answer, in order to select the appropriate program..

First, a basic description of a doctoral program:

As a doctoral student, you will spend the first two years of your program exploring areas of interest through coursework. In the two to three years that follow, you will select and pursue your own research topic, one which will make an original contribution to the existing body of knowledge in your field. Your original research culminates in an extensive written document known as the doctoral dissertation.

General Questions

If you are considering your career options, answering these questions will help you clarify your goals and ambitions — and determine if a doctoral program is the right decision for you.

• Am I the type of person who is suited for a career in academia? Am I independently motivated to answer questions that I find interesting?
• Do I want to spend the rest of my career doing research, as well as reading and talking about it?
• Do I have a strong enough academic background in order to apply and be accepted by the program?
• Is now the time for me to pursue a PhD?
• What are my goals after completing the PhD?

Program Questions

If you know you want to pursue a doctoral degree, answers to these questions will help you select the right program for you.

• How many faculty are working with students?
• How many faculty members are doing research in areas related to my own interests?
• What opportunities are there to work with a variety of faculty and to be exposed to different approaches in research (modeling, work with data, experiment design)?
• Am I technically prepared to learn to do research in this field?
• Most PhD students change their vision of research and many change their intended concentration area after joining the program and being exposed to a variety of research styles. Does my program of choice offer flexibility needed to do so?
• Is there financial support for students to attend academic conferences to present their own research?
• What opportunities are there for students to participate in colloquia, both as an attendee and as a presenter?
• What is the department’s placement record? What types of jobs do graduates take and where?
• Finally, how well do graduates of the program perform in the long term (contributing to the field through publication, practice of management and earning tenure)?

Hear From Our Doctoral Community

From undergrad to phd, how this phd student discovered a dynamic research community at wharton, faculty expertise in housing economics attracted this phd student to wharton.

What to Look For in A Graduate Program

Here are some general factors to consider when evaluating whether a graduate program is the right fit for you:

• Reputation of the institution and the program
• Faculty’s research interests and accessibility
• Quality of research facilities
• Career paths of the program’s graduates (look for career outcomes data, like these )
• Availability of financial aid
• Geographic location
• Cost of living and the availability of affordable housing
• Social climate and support systems in the department and within the university at large

Tools to Help Your Research

• We have prepared a checklist of things to look for when evaluating graduate programs. Use it to help guide your research and decision.
• Going on a campus visit? Check out a list of questions to ask.

Now that you know what to look for, here are some places to start gathering that information .

Applying to PhD Programs

New section.

A diligent, well-organized approach to applying to graduate school can help you gain admission to a program that best matches your professional goals.

Among the steps you will want to take are:

• Get an early start during your college years
• Explore available graduate programs
• Determine the admissions requirements for the programs that meet your needs
• Learn about financial support

What do I need to do during/after college?

You will want to plan for graduate school long before you begin the official application process. During your college years, establish a timeline that outlines the goals you plan to accomplish each semester and summer. A periodic review of your timeline will help you stay on track, ensuring that that you are prepared for application to graduate school in the following three areas:

• Research experience
• Graduate Record Examination

What should I look for in graduate programs?

Graduate programs in the biomedical sciences differ widely in size, scope, and research opportunities. Your goal when exploring programs is to find the ones that best match your background, research interests, and professional career aspirations. Gather as much information about the structure, organization, requirements, opportunities, satisfaction level of current students, and career outcomes of the program's graduates.

PhD Programs in Biomedical Science

What will I need to apply?

There is no common application form for graduate school, and individual schools may have specific admissions requirements. It is therefore essential that you review the requirements of each school and program as you prepare your application file. In general, there are six elements to the admissions file that most schools require, and they are listed below for your review:

• Graduate School Application Form
• Personal Statement (aka Statement of Purpose or Research Statement)
• Letters of recommendation
• Transcripts
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test scores

How can I finance my graduate education?

Funding for graduate studies as a full-time student pursuing a PhD in the biomedical sciences is usually provided by the programs and includes tuition, fees, and a stipend to cover living expenses. The size of the support package will vary from school to school and among geographic location. The support package may come from a variety of sources, for different durations and usually the source changes within the period required to complete the degree. Independent fellowships from the federal government or from a private foundation are prestigious and usually allow a greater degree of freedom in the pursuit of thesis research.

Financial Support for PhD Candidates

Where can I earn a PhD?

Search among the more than 600 graduate programs in the biomedical sciences that differ widely in size, scope, and research opportunities.

Biomedical Sciences PhD Programs

Helpful tools and information regarding medical MD-PhD programs.

Helpful tools for those applying to medical PhD programs

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Wharton Stories

How to prepare a strong phd application.

Doctoral candidates and departmental coordinators at the Wharton School outline a few tips to help you navigate the PhD application process.

It’s no secret the application process can be intimidating. Where do you start? What exactly are schools looking for on your application? What materials do you need to submit? Doctoral candidates and departmental coordinators at the Wharton School have outlined a few tips to help you navigate the process.

Don’t Delay the Process

A successful PhD applicant starts thinking about their application months or even years before the deadlines. For Alejandro Lopez Lira , a third year student in Finance, the application process began a year before he actually submitted the paperwork. He said, “I spoke to my advisors way before, like one year before, about my letters of recommendation, where to apply, everything involved in the process.”

Each program has different requirements, which can make for a tedious process. Karren Knowlton , a third year in Management, said, “I took a little while to draft a personal statement. I had my mom, who teaches creative writing, and a few other people that I trust just read over it. Then you have to tweak it for different schools because they want slightly different things.”

Taking time to prepare your application is critical. Starting the process sooner rather than later gives you several advantages:

• It allows your letter of recommendation writers enough time in advance to thoughtfully prepare a letter that speaks to who you are as a PhD candidate.
• It gives you more time to review your materials, fix any errors, and proofread, proofread, proofread.
• Finally, it means a lot less stress when the deadline starts rapidly approaching. By planning ahead, you’ll have a much smoother process applying.

Get Letters of Recommendation

Prof. Matthew Bidwell , who previously served as the doctoral coordinator for the Management program , said a common mistake he sees are letters of recommendations from employers. Although he said it is impressive to see work experience, having an employer write a letter is not the best choice.

“We don’t pay very much attention to those because rightly or wrongly, we worry that they’re not looking for the kinds of things that we’re looking for,” he said. “If you have one, it’s not a disaster, but when you see people with two or three — most of their recommendations coming from their work — that kind of heightens our concern. You’re committing to a fairly specialized career, do you really know what that career entails?”

Instead, he suggests getting to know an academic who will be able to write a recommendation attesting to your ability to manage doctoral-level research and work.

Include Research/Work Experience in Your Field

Each program has a unique set of criteria to evaluate applicants, but several doctoral coordinators agree that some research and work experience in your field of interest will strengthen your application overall.

Prof. Fernando Ferreira , doctoral coordinator for the Business Economics and Public Policy and Real Estate programs, thinks work experience can be useful in demonstrating an applicant’s abilities. He said, “Any work experience after undergraduate school is important. If that experience is more related to research it’s even better, but work experience in general is always good.”

Prof. Guy David , doctoral coordinator for the Health Care Management & Economics program , thinks that work experience benefits applicants in terms of giving them a broader view of business. “Work experience creates retrospection about how the world works, how organizations make decisions, and how people function in various situations,” he said.

However, he warns that spending too much time away from an academic setting can have its drawbacks too. “It may lead people to start their PhD later when they are not in the habit of immersing themselves in rigorous studies and have a shorter horizons to develop a name for themselves,” he said.

Although having both research and work experience can strengthen your application, you will not be denied entry because you are lacking either.

Prof. Bidwell said, “I think research experience does give us some confidence that people have some idea about what it is that we do. In terms of work experience, I think we don’t have a strong view. We quite like work experience, but we also take people straight out of undergrad.”

Prepare for the Standardized Tests

Most PhD programs require students to take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Having high test scores is a key part of an application as it tests skills learned over the course of many years in school. Quantitative skills are especially important when applying to doctoral programs in business areas. Much like any other standardized test, the GRE requires preparation.

Karren, who took the GRE twice to ensure her scores were high enough, offered advice to those who may be struggling. “I would absolutely recommend practicing the writing beforehand. Look up examples and have your outline structured,” she said. “So much of it is just getting the right structure and how you formulate your arguments so knowing what they’re looking for is key.”

Test prep can be time-consuming, but like anything else, practice makes perfect. There are multiple text books and online sites to help you prepare for the exam. Karren aimed to improve her math scores the second time she took the GRE and recommended this site to help strengthen math skills.

Taking advantage of resources to help you study can limit the number of times you need to take the GRE while ensuring you score high enough to remain in the applicant pool.

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Posted: August 4, 2017

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• Advancement and Transition

Doctoral Programs

Start your doctoral journey.

Whether you’re just starting your research on PhD programs or you’re ready to apply, we’ll walk you through the steps to take to become a successful PhD candidate.

Deciding to get a PhD

You might be surprised to find out what you can do with a PhD in business.

Is an Academic Career for You ? What Makes a Successful PhD Student

Preparing for the Doctoral Path

The skills, relationships, and knowledge you need to prepare yourself for a career in academics.

How the PhD Program Works How to Become a Successful PhD Applicant

Choosing the right program

What’s the difference between PhD programs? Find out how to choose one that fits your goals.

What to Consider When Choosing a Doctoral Program What Differentiates R1 Universities?

Starting an application

Tips for a successful application process.

Application Requirements Preparing Your PhD Application

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Investment Potential: What Graduate Schools Look for in Applicants

 Ian McDonough

University of Chicago

So you have decided to take the leap into graduate school and want to know how best to apply. How are applicants chosen? What qualities are most desired? Most importantly, how can you stand out from the rest? Some wonder whether groups of faculty members blindly choose applicants by tossing darts on a wheel with everyone’s names on it, but this method is not quite the way it works.

To start, a group of faculty members do get together to discuss incoming applications, but there are no dart boards (at least they don’t actually aim for the applications). There are five main factors that most institutions look for when selecting graduate students: academic records, personal statement, letters of recommendation, research experience (and/or clinical experience, if you’re applying to a clinical program), and match to the program/advisor. For many students, these are the only qualities that faculty members have to choose from among a barrage of applications. In the viewpoint of faculty members, each applicant is a potential investment. The schools often pay for your education and training (usually including your tuition and a stipend), but, in return, they expect production: facilitation of research, publishing papers, acquiring additional external funding, and enhancing the reputation of the school and program. The key question then is to what extent do the five main factors (academics, statement, letters, experience, and match) predict your value as an investment?

Committee members often have some minimum level of academic scores that applicants must pass. Many students will qualify for many schools with a B+ average and Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores greater than 1300. However, academic records may not be a good indicator of your investment value. Lord (2004) stated that undergraduate GPAs and GRE scores are a moderately good predictor of graduate school academic performance (correlation of r = .38). However, he also said that academic performance is not related to graduate school completion, number of published papers, or post-graduate success (correlation coefficients ranging from -.07 to .18). Thus, academic records serve mainly as a first pass, or weeding out, of applicants that have poor grades because they may not have adequate motivation or study skills to flourish in an academic environment. What about other academic scores such as the Psychology GRE? This exam tests your knowledge about all areas of psychology. In many cases, this score does not hold much weight because graduate schools will provide you the necessary expertise; they do not expect you to be experts already. In fact, submitting your Subject GRE scores is optional for many schools. I suggest taking the exam and submitting your score if you do well, but not having it should not hurt your chances. If you choose to take it, Psi Chi or other school groups may have prep sessions to help improve your score.

Another factor that committee members value is the personal statement, which serves two goals. The first goal is to provide a sample of your communication skills. Much of graduate school and post-graduate school success comes from successful communication, whether in the form of papers, presentations, teaching, or providing clinical evaluations. Can you form a cohesive argument with convincing evidence (in this case, arguing for yourself as a good candidate for the program)? The second goal is to get to know who you are as a person. What kinds of past experiences do you have? Are you excited about the program, the faculty member(s), their research, and the prospect of rigorous graduate training? The personal statement is also an avenue to explain why your academic scores, letters of recommendation, or research/clinical experience may be lacking in strength. For instance, maybe you took an uncommon route to get to where you are today and, in doing so, have less academic experience but more life experience and knowledge to contribute. Maybe there was a life-changing event that suddenly spurred your interest in psychology senior year, thus not giving you much time to acquire experience or to get to know faculty members. At the same time, however, you do not want to make your personal statement a long list of excuses. The statement should highlight what makes you interesting and what you have done, not what you have not done. It should convey to the selection committee that you are a worthwhile investment.

Letters of recommendation are a committee’s only official outside perspective as to your potential value. Is the letter coming from a graduate student, a faculty member, or some other source? Academic sources are the most highly valued because they will have the best idea of which qualities are important to emphasize. A letter specifically from a faculty member is best because they have the most authority and are a trusted source. However, the most important contribution from a letter comes from how well the writer knows you. A superficial letter from a faculty member pales in comparison to a rich letter co-authored by a graduate student and a faculty member. Ideally, you want someone to write you a letter that can detail how you would be a good investment to graduate program. Can the recommender speak well of your research, communication, and analytic skills? Does the recommender have knowledge of your motivation level? Do you think they can convey why you are special and important?

Most training programs require some type of research to be conducted while in graduate school. Research experience is the best avenue to gain the basic skills necessary to exceed in graduate school. Even in applied training programs, you will need some ability to search for, read, and critique a vast amount of research articles. Being able to conduct research, whether from archival data or from creating new experiments, is critical to your experience in graduate school. Selection committees evaluate this through the diversity of your research experience (how many labs/projects have you worked with?), the strength of your commitment to research (how long did you work in each lab?), and what skills you will bring with you to the program (did you just enter data or did you aid in conducting, designing, or writing about the study?). If you worked in different labs, is there a common thread that complements your research interests, or do you just lack focus? By integrating your varying research experiences and showing how each lab fills a gap in your research knowledge (via your curriculum vitae or personal statement), you will look like a much better investment. Especially for PhD programs, consider taking a year off and getting more experience. The primary avenue for describing research experience is through the curriculum vitae (CV), which is a resume for the academic world. CVs are often at least 11 point font and formatted in a way that is easy to read.

Lastly, committees will be looking to see if you are a good match for the program and for the specific faculty member(s) with whom you wish to work. If you do not match well, you will not last long, and their investment will be lost. The longest and most productive relationships are those with a good match. How do you know if you are a good match? Start by looking at the school’s website to get an idea of the size and type of school. Also, look at the faculty members’ lab websites to get an idea for the topics they research. Yet the best way to gauge a good match is by going to the school, meeting the faculty members and graduate students, and talking about what life as a graduate student is like in their lab and department. Then ask yourself whether that environment is one that suits you. The most practical way to interact with the faculty and students is to first exchange emails and then go to conferences to meet them in person. Doing so lets the faculty members get to know you as a person. You will no longer be a superficial name with academic scores attached to that name. They will also get an idea about your communication skills and possibly your analytical skills.

When advertising yourself to a school, try to appeal to more than one faculty member. Does your past research experience overlap with more than one faculty member’s research? Have you learned skills that may be applicable to multiple labs (e.g., neuroimaging experience or working with clinical populations)? You will have to impress at least a few faculty members because a committee chooses you, not just one person. The more faculty members that see you as a valuable investment, the more they will argue to keep your application in their “short” list and the better your chances of being chosen. Faculty members will be more likely to vouch for you if they have met you before the application process. One of the most powerful ways that I have seen to increase your chances of getting accepted is to work in the lab for which you are applying at least a year before you actually apply. This method will allow the primary faculty member of interest to really get to know you and your skills. It will also allow you to meet other faculty members in the program, help you to acquire more experience, and to possibly acquire a letter of recommendation from a faculty member in the department. Assuming you can impress the lab for which you are working, your chances are infinitely increased.

Author’s Note:

Ian M. McDonough is a PhD Candidate in the Psychology department at the University of Chicago, researching the cognitive control of episodic memory retrieval in aging using behavioral, neuroimaging, and neuropsychological measures. He has served on the APSSC RISE committee for aging research and as a reviewer for the APSSC Student Research Award and the RISE Research Award.  Ian can be reached via email at: [email protected] .

References:

Lord, C. G. (2004). A guide to PhD graduate school: How they keep score in the big leagues. In J. M. Darley, M. P. Zanna, and H. L. Roediger, III (Eds), The compleat academic: A career guide (pp. 3-15). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Additional Readings:

American Psychological Association (2007). Getting in: A step-by-step plan for gaining admission to graduate school in psychology . Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

American Psychological Association (2009). Graduate study in psychology 2010 . Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Privacy Overview

What Do Grad Schools Look for in Applicants? [2024 Guide]

What do grad schools look for? When beginning the process of applying to graduate school, this is the first question you may want to research.

Applying to a masters program can be a process that requires plenty of preparation, so it’s strategic to know what grad schools prioritize ahead of time. While your undergraduate grades are a factor, programs typically look at a variety of other criteria.

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Adequately preparing yourself to apply can help set you up for a smoother process all around.

What Do Grad Schools Look For in Applicants?

If you’re about to start applying for masters program, you may be wondering, “What do graduate schools look for?” The criteria varies by school, but here are a few common factors that the admissions teams will likely review:

• Undergraduate transcripts
• GRE or GMAT scores (only some schools require them)
• Personal statement
• Letters of recommendation
• Work experience
• Undergraduate extracurriculars
• Internship experience
• Research experience

When reviewing your application for grad school, the above criteria tend to be highly valued. According to Forbes, experience outside of the classroom—whether that comes in the form of work, internship, or research experience—can typically help your application stand out.

In a survey conducted by Kaplan Test Prep , graduate school admissions officers were asked what they looked at first when reviewing a prospective student’s application. Here were the results:

• Undergraduate transcripts: 44%
• GRE score: 28%
• Personal statement: 26%
• Letters of recommendation: 1%

In the same survey, 41% of admissions officers said they considered a low GRE score to be most damaging to an application, with 27% saying a low undergraduate GPA was most damaging. Only 3% of graduate admissions officers said that being related to an alumni of the college could give you an admissions edge.

Attending a top university for undergrad also does not necessarily give you an edge, according to USNews. It’s often more valuable for grad admissions officers to see that you participated in opportunities outside of class to gain experience in your field.

To help distinguish your application from others, you could demonstrate your dedication to your field of study through your undergrad and post-grad experience. This can mean acing undergraduate classes that are relevant to your desired masters program or securing excellent letters of recommendation.

Some admissions officers also suggest building connections at the graduate school you’re applying to. That way, you could have faculty who know your name before your application is even reviewed.

Applying to Graduate Schools

Every grad school application is different, but here are some general tips on how to apply to grad schools and stand out:

• Focus on your strengths . If you got a 4.0 in undergrad or aced the GRE, for example, it’s beneficial to highlight those accomplishments.
• Put time and effort into all aspects of your application . Even if you did get a high undergraduate GPA or ace the GRE, it’s essential to still put effort into writing an excellent personal statement, securing positive letters of recommendation, and more.
• Come to your interview prepared . If your prospective school requires an interview, it’s strategic to come professional and prepared to discuss your goals and accomplishments.

On the flip side, it’s advantageous to try to avoid these graduate school application pitfalls:

• Forgetting to proofread your application materials . It’s worth taking your time to make sure your grammar and spelling are correct across the board.
• Ignoring your weaknesses . For example, if you don’t feel confident in interviews, you can choose to take extra time to prepare and review potential questions.
• Glossing over your unique attributes . Grad schools are interested in your individual skills and passions and why you would be a good fit for their program.

In addition to these tips, don’t forget to highlight any relevant work or extracurricular experience that may help you jump off the page.

How Hard Is It to Get Into Grad School?

The difficulty of getting into grad school varies by applicant, school, and program. If you did well in your undergraduate classes, developed relationships with your professors, and got the scores you wanted on any standardized tests, you may not find the process very difficult.

Most students find some parts of the application process easy and others more difficult. If you are not naturally good at interviewing and your prospective school requires an interview, for example, you may find that area of the application to be harder.

Application requirements can vary from school to school, though. Some do not require GRE scores, and many do not require an interview. Graduate schools with low GPA requirements are also some of the easiest grad schools to get into .

Do Grad Schools Care About GPA?

Most graduate schools take your undergraduate GPA into consideration. Many programs have a minimum GPA requirement, while others focus on the grades you got in classes relevant to your graduate area of study. Some focus mainly on your junior and senior year grades.

But, most admissions teams consider your application as a whole, as they prefer to admit well-rounded students. As such, they can value a variety of factors besides GPA, including your work experience, internship experience, standardized test scores, and personal statement.

What Do Grad Schools Look For Besides Grades?

Grad schools will review your undergraduate grades, but they’ll also take a variety of factors into consideration when reviewing your application. Here are a few other criteria they’ll most likely look at:

• Your experience outside of classes . This can include any work, internship, volunteer, or research experience or your involvement in any projects you’re passionate about.
• Your unique skills and passions . Grad schools want to understand who you are outside of your grades and test scores, and they’re interested in whether your goals align with the program you’re applying to.
• Your ability to take initiative . It may help you stand out if you can show that you have pursued projects or leadership opportunities that align with your goals and passions.

In addition, grad schools are usually interested in students who are organized and can work well with others.

How Many Graduate Programs Should I Apply To?

The ideal number of grad schools to apply to varies for each applicant. It’s beneficial to apply to enough programs that you have a better chance of being accepted into at least one. For this reason, it’s strategic to consider some safety schools just in case.

The downside of applying to too many grad schools is that you may overextend yourself and have less time and effort to put into each individual application. Plus, application fees can quickly add up. The ideal is to apply to just enough grad schools that you get in without becoming overwhelmed. With all this in mind, it’s often recommended to apply to 4 to 6 graduate programs.

Applying to Grad Schools

If you’re interested in applying to grad school, there are a variety of application materials you’ll prepare ahead of time.

If you’re worried about a particular factor, such as having a lower GPA, it’s helpful to know that most grad schools take your application as a whole into consideration. Masters programs typically look at your undergraduate GPA and standardized test scores, but they’ll also consider your personal essay, interview, letters of recommendation, work experience, and more.

You could get started on your journey toward applying to grad school today by exploring accredited universities and seeing which programs stand out.

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The online application is usually available starting in early September. But there's no strategic advantage to applying early; we review all our applications at the same time. Just make sure all your materials get to us by January 7 if you are applying for the PhD program.

The application is accessible online. The deadline for PhD admissions is January 7 (or the first business day after that), and the application must be submitted online . There is an application fee . (Some students in special circumstances are eligible for a fee waiver .)

One part of your application is the online form. In addition to the form, you will also submit several kinds of supporting material. 

You will be asked to provide:

A 1-2 page statement of academic purpose, describing past and present work as it relates to your intended field of study, and anything unusual we should know when evaluating your application.

The application will also prompt you to submit an optional personal history statement. The personal history statement is truly optional. If you do feel that there is information relevant to your application, a brief paragraph will normally suffice. It will not be held against you if you choose not to include a personal history statement.

A CV or resume

A writing sample

This should be an example of polished, substantive philosophical writing. It should display your philosophical abilities at their strongest, and will need to manifest analytical skills on a par with students already in our program. It may be the most important part of your application. A reasonable length for this is 20-25 double-spaced pages. Some applicants submit more than one writing sample; this is alright if, for example, they display very different aspects of your philosophical capacities (for example, a paper in philosophical logic and one in ancient philosophy). If they don't, we'll most likely only look at one of the papers submitted. Short 10-page papers of the sort written for a class or a tutorial rarely show us enough of a candidate's ability to be successful, and sending several of these is no better. Applications to our PhD program are intensely competitive. You're best off taking extra time to select your best philosophical work and develop it into a mature, interesting piece of writing.

Sometimes students send us sections of longer pieces of writing; this is ok in principle but what you submit should be self-contained and should be enough on its own for us to reliably evaluate you.

To enable anonymous review, author's name and other identifying information should not be included in the writing sample.

Transcripts

You are strongly encouraged to scan and submit these electronically when you submit your application (with English translations, if needed). Unofficial transcripts are acceptable but if you are admitted, you will have to submit final and official paper copies of your transcripts later.

If your school is in the US, and your GPA is not shown on the transcript, you'll need to calculate it and supply it in the application.

Here are further instructions and FAQs about transcripts.

We ask that you include all of these documents as part of your online application. 

The GRE general test is optional for the upcoming 2023-2024 cycle only. We will consider GRE test scores if they are submitted.

Either the TOEFL or the IELTS is required of all applicants who are not native English speakers or who do not have a bachelor's or master's degree from an institution where the language of instruction is English.

Finally, you'll need to ask several faculty who know you well to submit letters of recommendation to us. We ask for three letters; you can provide up to five if there are special reasons for doing so. Here are further details about letters.

In accordance with GSAS policy, we do not accept letters of recommendation from credentials services, such as Interfolio. Please have your references upload their letters directly to the online application. Additionally, we do not accept any other documents through Interfolio and other services. The statement of academic purpose should be included in your online application and not sent through them. Transcripts and translations should be uploaded to your online application, as well.

Weaker GREs or grades do not decisively exclude a candidate. Coming from a lesser-known school is not much of a handicap, if other parts of the application are strong. Letters from philosophers (or faculty in affiliated departments) are much more useful to us than any other sort of letter. Finally, the writing sample is what you have most control over.

As a matter of policy, we cannot go into further details about what makes an application successful, or how to improve your application.

In order to enroll in the Graduate School of Arts & Science (GSAS), you must have received a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college or university of acceptable standing. (In some countries, the equivalent degree is there called a "masters" degree.) It is not formally required that your bachelor's degree have been in philosophy. However, your application won't be successful unless we can see you have a comparable level of preparation.

There is no requirement to have done (what in the US we call) a master's degree—in some places, these are called "MPhil" or "BPhil" or "MLitt" degrees—before applying to our PhD program. You can apply directly to the PhD, and many of our applicants do. However many others, especially those with thinner undergraduate backgrounds in philosophy, have done some master's work.

If you think your background and preparation in philosophy aren't strong enough yet to get you into a competitive PhD program, doing a masters degree can help strengthen your application for the PhD. Not because we're impressed you've done the extra degree, but because it puts you in a position to give us a stronger writing sample, and gives more faculty the opportunity to see you doing advanced work, and write more useful letters of recommendation.

Some students without much formal training in philosophy have been extraordinarily talented at it and have been able to demonstrate this to admissions committees: for example, by writing papers of publishable quality. However, the overwhelming majority of untrained students aren't yet ready to enter competitive PhD programs.

Not at all. We often encourage our own students to do just this. It often gives people better lives, and makes them more ready for grad school when they get to it. At the same time, though, when you do apply we'll want to see that you've actively and recently been doing work of the sort our grad students do. If you've been outside of academia for a while, you'll need to find other ways to do that.

No, I'm sorry, we can't make specific such judgments until we formally review your application. And even if we could, we can't give feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of individual applications.

For these and other international student questions, view the FAQs for international student applicants .

The TOEFL or IELTS test is required of all applicants who are not native English speakers. The TOEFL/IELTS requirement is waived if you will have completed a bachelor or master's degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English. You don't need to do anything to inform the grad school that you're eligible for this waiver; they can determine that from your regular application materials.

For further details, review the GSAS Application Instructions  and the GSAS Testing Requirements FAQs .

The graduate school requires official test scores, sent to them directly from the GRE, TOEFL, or IELTS programs. Have them sent to New York University—GSAS, code 2596. The TOEFL requires you to list a department code; you should select the code that is most appropriate for your field of study. You may also use code 99. However, do not use code 00—we will not receive your test scores if you report 00 as the TOEFL department code. Also, do not leave the field blank. If you do, it will become code 00 and we will not receive your test scores. For IELTS scores, they must be sent directly to New York University, Graduate School of Arts and Science, New York ,NY. No code is needed for IELTS.

Often there are constraints on when you'll be able to take the GRE and TOEFL tests. You should schedule them early in the fall. Every year, some students end up scheduling them too late and then email us frantically asking what exceptions we can make for them. There's little we can do. If your test scores won't reach us until (shortly) after the application deadline, then self-report the scores on your application, or email them to us as soon as they are available. However, we may have already set your application aside as incomplete; and we make no promises to go back and reconsider it. Also, the grad school must receive your official test scores by the time we make our final decisions, or we won't be permitted to make you an offer.

We see all of your scores.

Please don't do this. It turns out to be a huge amount of work for us and for the grad school. These are things that DON'T justify sending us any update or new material:

• you accidentally sent us the statement of academic purpose that was addressed to Columbia
• your paper which was under consideration for ... has now been accepted, and you want to update your CV
• you have a newer draft of your writing sample, or you accidentally sent one that left out a few changes

If you have some more compelling reason to update your application, then you can email [email protected] .

GES gets applications to us, and we begin reviewing them, in mid-January. We make no promises whatsoever to include materials submitted late in our review.

Please review your Application Status Page which has a checklist of the various parts of the application and whether we have received them or not.

Philosophy gets over 300 PhD applications each year, and are typically permitted to make fewer than 10 first-round offers, plus a small number of second-round offers, aiming to get an entering class of 4-8 students. This means we accept around 3% or fewer of our applicants. For comparison, Yale Law School's acceptance rate is around 7%, and Harvard Law School's acceptance rate is around 11%.

We aim to make all our admissions decisions by the end of the second full week of March.  Our admissions decision must be finalized with the Graduate School before applicants are informed whether their application was successful, a process which may take up to another week after the decisions have been made.  Graduate School policy does not permit us to answer individual queries about decisions.

If you're worried that an announcement hasn't reached you, the best thing you can do is make sure you update us with changes to your email address. Do so by writing  [email protected] .

There are websites where applicants say what schools they've heard decisions from. Sometimes there are phony reports of NYU decisions on these sites. I don't know why. We will attempt to get our real decisions to you as soon as we can. Decisions are not available by phone.

As stated above, we get many excellent applications and can only extend offers to a small handful of them. Many strong applications are unsuccessful. As a matter of policy, we are not permitted to discuss details regarding individual decisions.

No. The application and all materials submitted to the Graduate School become the property of NYU and will not be returned under any circumstances.

Only your GRE scores (retained for five years) and TOEFL/IELTS scores (retained for two years). Review the FAQ for Re-applying for Admission .

If you are applying for the dual-degree JD/PhD program, you need to apply separately to both NYU Philosophy and NYU Law School. Each program's decisions are made independently, on the basis of their usual standards, and they do not share application materials. The cooperative nature of the program consists in your being able to use certain coursework to satisfy some requirements simultaneously. (Here are more details .) If you're accepted to both programs, we'll gladly discuss this all further, and put you in touch with some other students who have pursued this dual-degree program. As stated above, LSAT scores cannot be substituted for the graduate school's GRE requirement.

Admission to a dual-degree program is contingent on acceptance by both programs. If one does not accept you, the other may at its discretion consider you for admission to that individual program.

Apart from dual-degree programs, GSAS policy permits students to apply for only a single program and degree in a given year. Review the policy around multiple applications .

Exceptions: Students who apply to the Philosophy PhD program and are unsuccessful can ask to be considered for the MA programs in  Bioethics , or the interdisciplinary Center for Experimental Humanities . To arrange this, let Graduate Enrollment Services (GES, they are GSAS's admissions office) know as soon as possible after getting the PhD decision. They will instruct you how to proceed.

You are allowed to apply simultaneously to multiple programs at NYU if they are in different schools, such as GSAS and Steinhardt.

Students tend to take from 5 to 7 years.

All our PhD offers come with the same standard financial aid package. No separate application is required. We will discuss the details with you when we extend an offer.

If you've won an external fellowship, be sure to let us know; this will affect the details of your financial aid.

Typically our students are able to support themselves in modest shared housing on the fellowships we offer. They don't need to take out educational loans. Opportunities for teaching are available and compensation is in addition to the fellowship offer. The terms of the fellowship (as well as student visas for international students) severely constrain your eligibility for other employment.

The university has a subsidized student housing program for first-year PhD students. Details about this will be supplied in your offer letter.

Most US graduate programs, including NYU, have signed the Council of Graduate Schools Resolution.

This promises that admitted students with financial aid offers aren't required to accept the offer before April 15 (or a later date if specified in your offer letter). However, if you're able to make a decision earlier, you are encouraged to do so. This helps students on our waiting list, and helps us better create the incoming class. But it is your privilege to take until the deadline, if you need to.

If you do accept an offer before April 15, you are allowed to cancel the acceptance at any time until April 15.

After April 15, you cannot accept an offer from another school (school #2), without first obtaining a written release from the school you originally accepted (school #1). And school #2 cannot offer you financial aid except conditional on your supplying that written release from school #1.

You can notify us by email of your decision to accept or decline our offer, but you must also follow the instructions in your offer letter, and (if you're accepting) submit a tuition deposit. The details will be spelled out in your offer letter.

In some circumstances this is possible. You have to petition for it, and your reasons for deferring should be academic.

Here are the departmental rules .

We are willing to consider applications from students seeking to transfer from other PhD programs. However, we make offers only to the most exceptional of these; our expectations are much higher than for beginning students.

Our PhD students can get some course credit for graduate-level work done previously (whether in a degree program or not). Generally this will be for up to two courses, and will be subject to approval by the Director of Graduate Studies. Please wait until we've made our admissions offers before asking us to pronounce about your individual circumstances.

Even if you don't get course credit for work done previously, you are welcome to use that work as a seed for work you'd submit here, either for a seminar or for an independent study you arrange with a member of our faculty.

Other local philosophy departments: sure! Sometimes, someone at NYU will have to nominally oversee your participation in the outside course, and approve the grade. But in practice, this doesn't make much difference.

Other departments at NYU: sure, if it's relevant to your philosophical studies. (Otherwise, your fellowship doesn't pay the tuition, and we wouldn't count it towards your degree.) In recent years, our students have attended courses in the Law School, and the linguistics, psychology, math, and physics departments. There are also some programs for language study, in NY or abroad; though this also has to be relevant to your studies, and in practice our students don't have to satisfy a separate language requirement.

One of the requirements of our PhD program is that 9 out of the 11 required courses be taken in the NYU Philosophy department (courses cross-listed in other departments count for these purposes). It's common to audit courses at other departments, even when one doesn't take them for credit.

Our PhD students do coursework for two years and only decide on their dissertation topic during their third year. A dissertation committee is formed at that time. We assign supervisors during your first years in the program, but this is just someone who talks to you about program requirements, problems you're having, and so on. There's no reason for it to be someone who's directly related to your research interests.

There is no general language requirement for the Ph.D. Language proficiency may be required for specialized research in particular areas (e.g., ancient philosophy) or topics (e.g., Kant).

See our placement record .

See our course listings .

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What to Look for in a Graduate Program

Now that you’ve made the decision to pursue your master’s or doctoral degree, it’s time to choose a graduate school program that matches your educational, professional, and personal goals. But what should you look for in a grad school program? What features matter the most to you? And what features will help propel you to the next step in your education or career?

Factors like quality, cost, and geography will likely play a role in your decision. You’ll also consider course offering, program reputation, and the presence of influential professors as you search for the right graduate program.

So how do you prioritize the variables that matter most to you, and how can you weigh these factors in order to arrive at your decision with clarity and confidence? To an extent, this depends on your personal goals, the nature of your discipline, and the type of degree you seek. But there are some common features that you’ll want to prioritize in your search. Let’s take a closer look at these features, first at the master’s level, and subsequently, at the doctoral level.

Choosing the Right Master’s Degree Program

Are you seeking a terminal degree.

Graduate degrees are generally offered at two levels: the master’s and doctoral level. While the doctoral is considered a terminal degree, or the highest academic degree that can be earned, in most fields, the master’s degree may be the terminal degree for some disciplines. For example, the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is the highest degree that can be earned in the field of fine arts.

This means that, depending on your intended profession, the master’s degree may be a terminal degree, or a stepping stone to a doctoral degree.

If the master’s degree is a terminal degree in your field…

…your top priority should be to find a school with a great reputation, both in general, and in the discipline you wish to study.

Once you’ve identified schools that excel in your discipline, look for graduate schools offering your concentration. For instance, if you plan to pursue a master’s degree in fine arts, and you have an interest in Renaissance Era painters, you might be drawn to a school with a specific Renaissance art concentration.

If a school on your list doesn’t offer your specific concentration, this isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker. Find out if the program offers a similar emphasis, or if there are noteworthy or influential faculty working in your chosen area. Reach out to the school or department you’re considering to learn more. You may be able to connect with professors that specialize in the exact area you wish to study.

If the master’s degree is NOT a terminal degree in your field…

…there are a few more things that you must consider. If you ultimately plan to proceed into a doctoral program after earning your master’s degree, you should take a number of factors into greater consideration as you choose a master’s program.

The reputation of your graduate school and your department are both paramount if you plan to continue into a doctoral program. Top-tier doctoral programs will pay close attention to the school where you completed your master’s degree. They want to know that you worked with influential faculty at prestigious schools. Going to a well-regarded graduate school will open more doors for you, both professionally and educationally.

A note about online reviews — As you research reputation, you will find that online reviews are plentiful for most schools. Grad school reviews can be helpful, but you should take these with a grain of salt. If the majority of reviews you encounter are negative, this is a definite red flag. You may want to investigate further. By contrast, don’t let a few highly negative reviews sway you from your other findings. Graduate school is a highly personalized experience, and everybody will face different challenges. Be on your guard for negative online reviews by students who either struggled or failed to overcome these challenges. Your experience may differ.

Just as with reputation, faculty will play an important role in helping you leap from your master’s studies to your doctoral program. First and foremost, you’ll be seeking a graduate school with faculty in your area of interest, noted experts who can push you, challenge you, and prepare you for doctoral work.

As you consider a graduate school, find out if the professors in your discipline are influential in their field. Learn more about their areas of concentration, professional affiliations, important published works and other indicators of their impact on the field you hope to enter.

Their support and endorsement can go a long way in the eyes of a selection committee for a top-tier doctoral program. To that end, as you consider a graduate school, you should also begin to identify any influential faculty in your discipline who might be able to write letters of recommendation.

Whether your master’s will be a terminal degree or you plan to continue into a doctoral program…

…there are a number of other factors you’ll need to consider in your selection process:

Student Body

Visit every graduate school on your list. This is the best way to interact with actual members of the student body. Strike up some conversations, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Is the culture and community one where you believe you’ll feel comfortable? Can you see yourself forming partnerships and friendships with your fellow students?

Even for introverts, friendships with colleagues in graduate school can be a matter of survival. Graduate school is challenging. Whether you need a classmate to share ideas with, a few reliable study buddies, or just some moral support on your academic journey, graduate school is better if you don’t go it alone. Look for a student body where you can see yourself fitting in.

You’ll also want to determine what current students are working on. Beyond the importance of cultural compatibility, if there aren’t grad students studying what you want to study, it’s a good sign that your intended discipline is not among the school’s premier programs. This is probably not the right place for you.

By contrast, if you find that others in the student body share your interest, this common ground can lead to greater opportunity. In an intimate grad school setting, as few as three students with a shared interest may even be able to inspire the creation of a class on something seldom or never offered.

Post-Graduate Opportunities

Whether your master’s degree is a terminal degree, a step on the path to your doctorate, or a means to professional advancement, you will be evaluating prospective graduate schools based on how well they’ll prepare you for the next phase.

In addition to researching indicators like graduation and acceptance rates, find out where students are going after completing their degree programs.

Do most graduates enter work in their field upon completion? And if so, how plentiful are opportunities for graduates from the school in question? How plentiful are these opportunities for students completing a degree in your specific area of study? Does the graduate school have a strong reputation for job placement in your field? How well will your graduate school prepare you to compete and succeed in your job market? Learn more about post-graduate employment rates and earning potential based on the outcomes experienced by real students.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) may be a good source for data on post-graduate employment rates. You should also reach out directly to the university or your intended program to learn more.

Do many graduates go on to pursue doctoral work? And if so, do many of these graduates gain access to highly influential R1 graduate school programs — those noted for “very high research activity”? Or do most graduates transition toward high research (R2), traditional doctoral (D) or professional doctoral (PU) programs?

These classifications can tell you a lot about the doctoral opportunities awaiting graduates, as well as the types of concentrations common among students in a given program. For instance, if you hope to transition from your master’s program into a research role, but the vast majority of graduates from a school on your list transition into professional doctoral programs, it may not be the best fit for your goals.

Once again, this is an opportunity to reach out to each graduate school on your list for answers. Contact the academic department for your discipline and inquire about the doctoral opportunities that typically await graduates.

Whether you plan to enter the job market, continue into your doctoral program, or both — which is not uncommon — seek a graduate school whose real-world performance aligns with your goals.

Conferencing

Conferences are an important part of graduate school, and one often overlooked during the selection process. Conferencing is one of the most effective ways for academics to build networks and share ideas. But attending conferences costs money.

As you consider graduate schools, find out what your discipline’s department does to support graduate student conferencing. Ask what financial support is available for conferences. Will the department help cover conference fees or travel expenses? And what does the department do to help their students create work that will get accepted to conferences? Does the graduate program offer workshops, assignments, or faculty with a focus on presenting at conferences?

The level of support your graduate program provides for conference attendance and presentation may not only be an indication of the opportunities available to you as a student, but a strong conferencing history may suggest that your department is influential within your chosen discipline.

Choosing the Right Doctoral Program

As you begin your pursuit of a doctoral degree, you’ll be considering many of the same features that might influence your selection of a master’s degree program. However, you will likely prioritize these features somewhat differently.

When choosing a doctoral program, faculty may be even more important than school reputation. Your doctoral program will typically focus on the pursuit of original research and the development of a dissertation around your findings. You will rely heavily on the support of faculty to achieve your goals, from partnering with a mentor to defending your dissertation before a committee of faculty members. At the very least, you’ll need a graduate school that employs enough faculty in your discipline to form a dissertation committee. Beyond that, look for schools with influential faculty in your specific concentration.

This step will require meaningful face to face engagement. As you research faculty, make appointments to speak with those who you believe can help you on your journey. Be prepared to travel for in-person meetings. Travel may be costly, but now is not the time to pinch pennies. This decision is too important to cut corners.

You’ll be spending a lot of time with the faculty in your department and concentration. If you don’t get good vibes during a personal meeting, beware! There may be an issue of compatibility.

Ultimately, as you consider faculty, your goal is to find an enthusiastic research partner and a department where your dissertation can garner the support, resources, and feedback it deserves.

Scholarly journal articles are important markers of achievement among academics. Getting at least one article published before completing your dissertation will improve your job prospects dramatically. However, the academic publishing process is extremely competitive, especially for a graduate student. Ask the department what they do to help students develop publishable journal articles.

Does the department offer workshops where students can receive feedback on their research and writing. How effectively does the department prepare students for the peer review process? What additional steps does the department take to improve students’ chances of successfully publishing their own work?

If publishing is a goal for you, prioritize doctoral programs that provide meaningful support in this process.

The Students

Just as in college and graduate school, the students around you can tell you a lot about your likely experience. Once again, visit the school and meet your fellow doctoral candidates. It’s common for departments to dispatch current students to tour you around the facilities, and perhaps even take you out to dinner at the expense of the department.

You’ll want to use this time wisely. Move past the small talk and get right to the heart of it. What are the professors like? What are the students like? Are they happy to be there? Do they have everything they need to succeed? Do students feel optimistic about their educational and professional prospects?

Find out everything you can about the experience from those who have actually been there. And don’t be afraid to eavesdrop on a few of the student conversations around you. Take a “fly-on-the-wall” approach to observing the student body in its natural habitat.

Speaking of natural habitat, how does the campus feel to you? This may seem like a petty question for a doctoral candidate, but it does matter. For the next few years, you’ll be spending a lot of time in this environment, even if you live off campus. So how does the campus feel? How about the department? Admittedly, few doctoral department offices are aesthetically pleasing, but is office space available? Will you be sharing that space with other graduates? Is it a space you can work in? As you visit the campus and its facilities, think about the environment you require to do your best work.

The Commitment

Every doctoral program comes with opportunity and commitment. Completion of your program may require you to make some additional contributions to your department. Indeed, you will usually get a stipend from your school for doing doctoral work, but be sure you know what is asked of you in return.

Do you have to teach, and if so, how much? To be blunt, many universities use grad students as a cheap source of teaching labor. You may be required to provide instruction, grading, proctoring or other services to undergrads at your school. Gaining experience teaching is good, even when the experience of teaching is bad. However, some schools simply require too many courses to be taught by grad students. The burden can be an unneeded diversion from one’s research.

Find out what’s expected of you from each of the doctoral programs on your list. Make sure the burden isn’t greater than the opportunity.

Now that you know a bit more about the selection process, find out How to Apply to Graduate School .

You can also start your selection process by choosing from a list of the the Most Influential Schools in the World Today!

Or begin your search by ranking the most influential schools in your discipline. Choose your graduate program by navigating according to discipline.

Find the Best Grad Schools in Each State

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Find the Best Online Master’s Programs in Each State

The 50 Best Online Master’s Programs in the US

Check out our Guide to Life for Grad Students for more tips and insights on choosing the right advanced degree for you.

Or get valuable study tips, advice on adjusting to campus life, and much more at our student resource homepage .

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

• Undergraduate
• Graduate Studies in Psychology
• Areas of Specialization
• Considering Clinical Psychology

What Does It Take to Get Into Graduate School in Clinical Psychology?

Admission to PhD programs in clinical psychology is very competitive. Ratios of 300 applicants to 8 positions are common (though perhaps 10-15 people would have to be accepted to fill the 8 slots; some who are accepted decide to go elsewhere, or enter a different kind of graduate or professional program ). Different programs emphasize different characteristics, but it is safe to say that in all programs GREs and GPAs are examined closely. Graduate students in Northwestern's program have averaged over 1400 on the GRE (Verbal plus Quantitative), with an average GPA of over 3.5. (GPAs for the last two years of undergraduate schooling are most important, so students with uneven early records have a good chance if they've improved.) There are respectable programs whose students score lower on these measures, but students who have lower than 1200 on the GRE or a GPA of less than 3.3 can expect to find it difficult to get into a top graduate program in clinical psychology without other special qualifications.

Regarding less standardized criteria, most graduate programs in clinical psychology will prefer that you have taken a course in psychopathology, e.g., our Psych 303. Introduction to Clinical Psychology (Psych 306) can also be useful, in part as a way to learn more about the field and your options within it. Most graduate schools also expect students to have obtained some research experience. The primary concern is that students should have conducted some psychological research in order to know whether they find it interesting. From an admissions perspective, it is less important that you have had clinical research experience than it is that you have had meaningful research experiences (e.g., not just entering data). It is also important that you be able to solicit a letter of recommendation from at least one research supervisor. This means that it is important to get involved in research before you do your applications. If you plan to apply to graduate programs during fall of your senior year, then you should begin your research involvement as a junior, or even earlier.

Northwestern’s psychology department offers many  research opportunities  for undergraduate students. Each quarter, many of our students do  research for course credit  through 399-Independent Study or the two-quarter sequence 397-Advanced Supervised Research. You can learn more about 399 and 397, including their requirements and the differences between them, by reading our webpage on research for course credit. This page also includes tips on choosing a professor with whom to do research. Other students obtain paid positions in the department, typically through the federal  work-study program . You should make sure that your research experience provides you with an in-depth look at the nature of psychological research and at the theories and past research relevant for the questions under investigation. Entering data, scheduling research participants, and so on are integral parts of the research process, but it is important to do much more than that.

Some psychology students hope to do research that is outside the specific projects for which their faculty supervisors have funding. In addition, students who want to do research on campus during the summer may need to earn money for living expenses. Northwestern University, Weinberg College, and the psychology department all have funds available on a competitive basis to support student research. Guidelines for applying for the psychology department’s Benton J. Underwood Summer Fellowship are always included in the winter edition of our undergraduate newsletter,  Swift Thinking . See the Weinberg College webpage on  funds for undergraduate research  and the university page on  Research Opportunities for Undergraduates  for additional funding options.

Many graduate schools give a great deal of consideration to the likely match between potential students' interests and faculty interests. Students can convey their interests through the personal statements they include in their applications and in direct contact with relevant professors. If you have strong interests in a professor's research, this will make you a much more desirable applicant to that person. But you must be able to convey that your interests are serious, for example, by discussing a specific study. Faculty will not be impressed if it appears that you merely scanned the departmental brochure searching for topics that sound interesting.

Students may also want to consider trying some hands-on counseling-type work. Many agencies accept and train volunteers. For example, volunteering at a teen drop-in center or a hospital, working as a camp counselor for special needs children, and answering phones for a helpline can all be relevant experiences. If your goal is to work with some specific population – troubled teens, the elderly, autistic children – then you should try to gain some firsthand experience with this population. In part, this may serve as a valuable credential when you apply for graduate training. Perhaps more importantly, it will let you know if working with this population is as rewarding for you as you expect it to be. Two student groups –  Northwestern Community Development Corps (NCDC)  and  OASIS  – are good sources of information about volunteer opportunities in Evanston and surrounding communities

Graduate Student Handbook (Coming Soon: New Graduate Student Handbook)

Phd program overview.

The PhD program prepares students for research careers in probability and statistics in academia and industry. Students admitted to the PhD program earn the MA and MPhil along the way. The first year of the program is spent on foundational courses in theoretical statistics, applied statistics, and probability. In the following years, students take advanced topics courses. Research toward the dissertation typically begins in the second year. Students also have opportunities to take part in a wide variety of projects involving applied probability or applications of statistics.

Students are expected to register continuously until they distribute and successfully defend their dissertation. Our core required and elective curricula in Statistics, Probability, and Machine Learning aim to provide our doctoral students with advanced learning that is both broad and focused. We expect our students to make Satisfactory Academic Progress in their advanced learning and research training by meeting the following program milestones through courseworks, independent research, and dissertation research:

By the end of year 1: passing the qualifying exams;

By the end of year 2: fulfilling all course requirements for the MA degree and finding a dissertation advisor;

By the end of year 3: passing the oral exam (dissertation prospectus) and fulfilling all requirements for the MPhil degree

By the end of year 5: distributing and defending the dissertation.

We believe in the Professional Development value of active participation in intellectual exchange and pedagogical practices for future statistical faculty and researchers. Students are required to serve as teaching assistants and present research during their training. In addition, each student is expected to attend seminars regularly and participate in Statistical Practicum activities before graduation.

We provide in the following sections a comprehensive collection of the PhD program requirements and milestones. Also included are policies that outline how these requirements will be enforced with ample flexibility. Questions on these requirements should be directed to ADAA Cindy Meekins at [email protected] and the DGS, Professor John Cunningham at [email protected] .

Applications for Admission

• Our students receive very solid training in all aspects of modern statistics. See Graduate Student Handbook for more information.
• Our students receive Fellowship and full financial support for the entire duration of their PhD. See more details here .
• Our students receive job offers from top academic and non-academic institutions .
• Our students can work with world-class faculty members from Statistics Department or the Data Science Institute .
• Our students have access to high-speed computer clusters for their ambitious, computationally demanding research.
• Our students benefit from a wide range of seminars, workshops, and Boot Camps organized by our department and the data science institute .
• Suggested Prerequisites: A student admitted to the PhD program normally has a background in linear algebra and real analysis, and has taken a few courses in statistics, probability, and programming. Students who are quantitatively trained or have substantial background/experience in other scientific disciplines are also encouraged to apply for admission.
• GRE requirement: Waived for Fall 2024.
• Language requirement: The English Proficiency Test requirement (TOEFL) is a Provost's requirement that cannot be waived.
• The Columbia GSAS minimum requirements for TOEFL and IELTS are: 100 (IBT), 600 (PBT) TOEFL, or 7.5 IELTS. To see if this requirement can be waived for you, please check the frequently asked questions below.
• Deadline: Jan 8, 2024 .
• Application process: Please apply by completing the Application for Admission to the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences .
• Timeline: P.hD students begin the program in September only.  Admissions decisions are made in mid-March of each year for the Fall semester.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the application deadline? What is the deadline for financial aid? Our application deadline is January 5, 2024 .
• Can I meet with you in person or talk to you on the phone? Unfortunately given the high number of applications we receive, we are unable to meet or speak with our applicants.
• What are the required application materials? Specific admission requirements for our programs can be found here .
• Due to financial hardship, I cannot pay the application fee, can I still apply to your program? Yes. Many of our prospective students are eligible for fee waivers. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a variety of application fee waivers . If you have further questions regarding the waiver please contact  gsas-admissions@ columbia.edu .
• How many students do you admit each year? It varies year to year. We finalize our numbers between December - early February.
• What is the distribution of students currently enrolled in your program? (their background, GPA, standard tests, etc)? Unfortunately, we are unable to share this information.
• How many accepted students receive financial aid? All students in the PhD program receive, for up to five years, a funding package consisting of tuition, fees, and a stipend. These fellowships are awarded in recognition of academic achievement and in expectation of scholarly success; they are contingent upon the student remaining in good academic standing. Summer support, while not guaranteed, is generally provided. Teaching and research experience are considered important aspects of the training of graduate students. Thus, graduate fellowships include some teaching and research apprenticeship. PhD students are given funds to purchase a laptop PC, and additional computing resources are supplied for research projects as necessary. The Department also subsidizes travel expenses for up to two scientific meetings and/or conferences per year for those students selected to present. Additional matching funds from the Graduate School Arts and Sciences are available to students who have passed the oral qualifying exam.
• Can I contact the department with specific scores and get feedback on my competitiveness for the program? We receive more than 450 applications a year and there are many students in our applicant pool who are qualified for our program. However, we can only admit a few top students. Before seeing the entire applicant pool, we cannot comment on admission probabilities.
• What is the minimum GPA for admissions? While we don’t have a GPA threshold, we will carefully review applicants’ transcripts and grades obtained in individual courses.
• Is there a minimum GRE requirement? No. The general GRE exam is waived for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. 
• Can I upload a copy of my GRE score to the application? Yes, but make sure you arrange for ETS to send the official score to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
• Is the GRE math subject exam required? No, we do not require the GRE math subject exam.
• What is the minimum TOEFL or IELTS  requirement? The Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences minimum requirements for TOEFL and IELTS are: 100 (IBT), 600 (PBT) TOEFL, or 7.5 IELTS
•  I took the TOEFL and IELTS more than two years ago; is my score valid? Scores more than two years old are not accepted. Applicants are strongly urged to make arrangements to take these examinations early in the fall and before completing their application.
• I am an international student and earned a master’s degree from a US university. Can I obtain a TOEFL or IELTS waiver? You may only request a waiver of the English proficiency requirement from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences by submitting the English Proficiency Waiver Request form and if you meet any of the criteria described here . If you have further questions regarding the waiver please contact  gsas-admissions@ columbia.edu .
• My transcript is not in English. What should I do? You have to submit a notarized translated copy along with the original transcript.

Can I apply to more than one PhD program? You may not submit more than one PhD application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. However, you may elect to have your application reviewed by a second program or department within the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences if you are not offered admission by your first-choice program. Please see the application instructions for a more detailed explanation of this policy and the various restrictions that apply to a second choice. You may apply concurrently to a program housed at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and to programs housed at other divisions of the University. However, since the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences does not share application materials with other divisions, you must complete the application requirements for each school.

How do I apply to a dual- or joint-degree program? The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences refers to these programs as dual-degree programs. Applicants must complete the application requirements for both schools. Application materials are not shared between schools. Students can only apply to an established dual-degree program and may not create their own.

With the sole exception of approved dual-degree programs , students may not pursue a degree in more than one Columbia program concurrently, and may not be registered in more than one degree program at any institution in the same semester. Enrollment in another degree program at Columbia or elsewhere while enrolled in a Graduate School of Arts and Sciences master's or doctoral program is strictly prohibited by the Graduate School. Violation of this policy will lead to the rescission of an offer of admission, or termination for a current student.

When will I receive a decision on my application? Notification of decisions for all PhD applicants generally takes place by the end of March.

Notification of MA decisions varies by department and application deadlines. Some MA decisions are sent out in early spring; others may be released as late as mid-August.

Can I apply to both MA Statistics and PhD statistics simultaneously?  For any given entry term, applicants may elect to apply to up to two programs—either one PhD program and one MA program, or two MA programs—by submitting a single (combined) application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.  Applicants who attempt to submit more than one Graduate School of Arts and Sciences application for the same entry term will be required to withdraw one of the applications.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences permits applicants to be reviewed by a second program if they do not receive an offer of admission from their first-choice program, with the following restrictions:

• This option is only available for fall-term applicants.
• Applicants will be able to view and opt for a second choice (if applicable) after selecting their first choice. Applicants should not submit a second application. (Note: Selecting a second choice will not affect the consideration of your application by your first choice.)
• Applicants must upload a separate Statement of Purpose and submit any additional supporting materials required by the second program. Transcripts, letters, and test scores should only be submitted once.
• An application will be forwarded to the second-choice program only after the first-choice program has completed its review and rendered its decision. An application file will not be reviewed concurrently by both programs.
• Programs may stop considering second-choice applications at any time during the season; Graduate School of Arts and Sciences cannot guarantee that your application will receive a second review.
• What is the mailing address for your PhD admission office? Students are encouraged to apply online . Please note: Materials should not be mailed to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences unless specifically requested by the Office of Admissions. Unofficial transcripts and other supplemental application materials should be uploaded through the online application system. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Office of Admissions Columbia University  107 Low Library, MC 4303 535 West 116th Street  New York, NY 10027
• How many years does it take to pursue a PhD degree in your program? Our students usually graduate in 4‐6 years.
• Can the PhD be pursued part-time? No, all of our students are full-time students. We do not offer a part-time option.
• One of the requirements is to have knowledge of linear algebra (through the level of MATH V2020 at Columbia) and advanced calculus (through the level of MATH V1201). I studied these topics; how do I know if I meet the knowledge content requirement? We interview our top candidates and based on the information on your transcripts and your grades, if we are not sure about what you covered in your courses we will ask you during the interview.
• Can I contact faculty members to learn more about their research and hopefully gain their support? Yes, you are more than welcome to contact faculty members and discuss your research interests with them. However, please note that all the applications are processed by a central admission committee, and individual faculty members cannot and will not guarantee admission to our program.
• How do I find out which professors are taking on new students to mentor this year?  Applications are evaluated through a central admissions committee. Openings in individual faculty groups are not considered during the admissions process. Therefore, we suggest contacting the faculty members you would like to work with and asking if they are planning to take on new students.

For more information please contact us at [email protected] .

For more information please contact us at  [email protected]

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April 11, 2022

Insider Tips on Applying to PsyD Programs

You need only to poll other prospective applicants to realize that applying to a PsyD degree program cannot be “boiled” down to a simple formula or fit together like a perfectly constructed puzzle. The equation may not balance out and one puzzle piece may not necessarily fit together with all the others. However, most PsyD programs focus on clinical training and are designed to prepare future psychologists to provide prevention/intervention, assessment, and treatment for patients presenting with a wide array of clinical conditions. While most programs offer students the option to pursue an area of specialization, some are limited to a specific patient population or treatment modality. The PsyD in School Psychology and the PsyD in School and Community Psychology are two such examples. Some specializations may be based on a clinical diagnosis or treatment protocol.

Consider your personal candidate profile for PsyD programs

I suggest, based on my 20 plus years of experience as a professor, dean and admissions consultant, that before you begin researching which PsyD program(s) is right for you, take some time to think through your personal candidate profile. Brainstorm answers to questions like:

• Why psychology for graduate-level studies?
• Which degree am I leaning toward? Why?
• What do I hope to do with this degree?
• What are my 5-year and 10-year career expectations?
• Is research my primary objective?
• How and in what ways do my prior practicum/internship experiences match with the program in consideration?
• Where and with which population do I want to work? Why? Will this program prepare me to work with this population?
• What skills have I mastered that will position me for success in this field?
• Which skills from my previous and/or current careers transfer to doctoral studies in clinical psychology?

Answers to these questions will serve as an excellent starting point which can be fine-tuned and expanded as you progress through the application process. Your candidate profile may well drive many of the decisions that you make along the way, up to and including which programs will best fit your needs as well as which admissions offers you accept.

<< Work with an admissions pro to create a PsyD application that gets you accepted to your dream school! Click here to get started. >>

Plan of action for researching “Best Fit” PsyD programs

Keep in mind that you are not only finding programs that best fit your needs, but are seeking a program or programs where you will fit in best . A good strategy would be to start with the earlier referenced personal candidate profile. Review your answers to the questions posed. In other words, what are your professional goals and how will the graduate program in question position you to reach those objectives. Some even ask applicants to include such information in their graduate essays or statements of purpose.

For example, the Palo Alto University/Stanford PsyD Consortium specifically asks that applicants include the following in their Statement of Purpose:

“Please answer the following questions in the Statement of Purpose

(Formatting: Double spaced, typed, maximum 1,000 words)

• Brief autobiographical sketch, including what led to your interest in clinical psychology
• What are the strengths and accomplishments that have prepared you for graduate psychology training in clinical psychology? What skills and knowledge, including academic preparation, research experience, and clinical experience, have prepared you for graduate school?
• Discussion of your future career goals as a clinical psychologist that addresses the following: Why do you want to become a clinical psychologist and what aspects of the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium will help you reach these goals?”

Admissions committees want to be assured that you know where you are going and feel confident that graduate studies will help you get there. As you do your research, you will discover that programs are often named for the area of specialization: school psychology, community psychology, clinical psychology, school & community psychology, counseling. Clearly, you will not want to apply to a program in school psychology if, in fact, you have little to no interest in pursuing a career in this area. Dig deeper to determine “fit.” Review the course curriculum, review information on the teaching faculty including areas of research, clinical background, articles published, professional affiliations. Review the program’s clinical internship policies and partner sites. Peek at alumni success stories that are highlighted on program webpages.

Then analyze what makes you special, what do you bring to the table. What are your greatest strengths? (Academic achievements, clinical experiences, research studies/interests, publications, professional affiliations.) You will want to particularly highlight those areas that you believe will, not only, resonate with the admission committee but will add to the overall strength of your application. Most programs are looking for a balance of academics, research, and clinical experiences. They often enumerate on their webpage the admissions considerations that they consider most important. If you do not meet that criteria, then clearly the program might not be a good fit for you. A comparative study may help you determine how you stack up against the accepted applicant pool in this program? To do so you will need to know the composition of their entering class in terms of average GPA, scores on standardized tests, gender, ethnicity, undergrad background, research and clinical experience. Then ask yourself the all-important question—Is this a program where I will flourish personally, academically, and professionally? Factors to consider will include location, size of program, faculty who might serve as mentors, opportunities for cross disciplinary research, clinical settings, cost, scholarship and TA opportunities, etc. These and any other factors that might drive your decision should be given due consideration and perhaps be organized by priority– Are there any deal breakers? Make every attempt to choose programs that, based on all the criteria, you are likely to be accepted to. But just as you may have done as an undergraduate applicant, feel free to choose one or two “dream” schools as long as you understand that these may well be a “reach.”

Now that you have narrowed down the list of schools/programs you can move to the next step— review each application and prepare the documents needed for successful submission. I suggest that applicants prepare individual resource folders for each program with relevant admissions information, application deadlines, notes about campus visits, phone and email outreach, conversations with faculty, current students, alumni as well as a bulleted list of required application documents: test scores, letters of recommendations, essays (with word and/or character count if relevant), writing samples, CV/Resume.

Apply to PsyD programs

Although the required documents may vary from school to school and program to program, the common denominator includes the following:

• Applications . While the application format will also vary from program to program, all programs require an application. Some programs require applicants to use the APA Centralized Application System (PSYCAS). Individual programs will also request supplemental essays from interested applicants. Receiving a secondary or supplemental application indicates that you may have met the preliminary criteria for the program and they now need to know more about you. Some programs use their own stand-alone online applications. Others may request the PSYCAS application PLUS a School-specific application.
• Undergraduate/Graduate (if applicable) transcripts from all schools attended (college courses taken in last year of high school, summer classes outside of the home school, online and courses abroad, courses as a part of an Associate degree in a local community college, etc.). If in doubt, feel free to contact either the graduate program director or the office of graduate admissions as they regularly answer application-type questions.
• GPA Requirements. While most graduate programs require a minimum of a 3.0 overall GPA, the top PsyD programs are far more selective. They not only review the overall GPA, but carefully consider the grades received in courses like abnormal psychology, statistics, research methods, adolescent and child psychology, personality theory, as well as other upper-level psychology courses. For example, the University of Denver is looking for a 3.5 undergraduate GPA and, if applicable, a 3.0 graduate GPA. Some programs require a far higher GPA in the major course of study (for example –overall 3.0—- major 3.6). The rationale for this is based on both the competitive nature of PsyD programs and the critical need to accept students who are not only committed to their studies but are able to handle the doctoral-level curriculum. Attrition and completion rates are regularly monitored by APA accredited PsyD programs. Earning A’s in the more advanced psychology courses is often a prime indicator to determine applicant competence. To “stand out” some students take a few graduate-level psychology courses prior to application submission and earn A’s to show that they are more than ready to begin their PsyD studies. Even more telling is the comparative admissions data for each program. For example, the Indiana University of Pennsylvania prefers an overall GPA of 3.0 but the accepted pools between 2015 – 2020 had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.64. Take the time to review, if available, the admissions data on applicants who have been accepted in the last admissions cycle. For example, the Palo Alto University/Stanford PsyD Consortium seeks to attract and accept students who exhibit academic achievement with at least an undergraduate grade-point average of 3.3 and a graduate grade-point average of a 3.5. The 2020/2021 accepted cohort for the St. John’s University School Psychology PsyD program had an average undergraduate grade-point average of 3.70. Baylor University’s PsyD program which is one of the top in the country lists the minimum overall GPA at 2.7 and the minimum major GPA at 3.0. However, the website states that “nearly all admitted students have a GPA of 3.5 or higher.” Some applicants with low undergraduate GPA’s might want to consider strengthening their application by obtaining a master’s degree with a strong graduate school GPA prior to applying to the PsyD program.
• Standardized Test Scores.  Although GRE requirements have been waived this year at many programs due to COVID-19, in a typical year, most PsyD programs will require that applicants take the general GRE exam. It is worthy to note, however, that some programs also require that applicants take the GRE Psychology subject examination and others have the Psychology Subject test as optional. And then there are others that clearly articulate that the Psychology subject exam test scores are highly valued but not required. Some universities even allow applicants to meet the psychology prerequisite either through coursework or by obtaining a minimum score on the psychology subject test. Since the Psychology subject test is only administered 3 times a year (September, October, and April), make sure that you sign up well in advance of the application deadline. Late test scores will not factor into candidate selection. Most programs indicate minimum GRE scores as a total of the verbal and quantitative sections and require a minimum (with a few exceptions) score of 300 (quantitative and verbal). If your GRE score is less than a 300, you may want to consider strengthening your preparation  and retaking the exam. Many programs changed their GRE requirements to either “GRE Optional” or “GRE not required” in March 2020. Check the website for the most up- to- date information. The GRE optional is often confusing for candidates. If your psychology and overall gpa and your clinical and research experiences are strong, “GRE Optional” may be a good choice. If you are an international student, you will be required to take the TOEFL exam to fulfill the English language requirement. Although minimum scores vary, a score of 100 or higher will satisfy most schools’ minimum score requirements. Some schools accept the IELTS exam results. Some are seeking a 7 or higher IELTS and some an 8 or higher. Determine which tests are required by reviewing the admissions requirements listed on the program’s webpage. Some programs will waive the English Language requirement if you have already earned a degree from a U.S. college or university or an institution where all courses are taught in English (UK, Australia, etc.).
• Statement of Purpose.  This should include a clear, well stated overview of your educational and professional (if relevant) journey. Prepare with due consideration given to the specific program’s mission statement (if they have one) and/or the academic and professional outcomes. Some programs will request that you answer specific essay prompts. If the program has asked you to respond to a specific question, make sure that what you write does, in fact, answer the question posed. I suggest that you do some role playing. Pretend that you are sitting on an admissions committee and are reading the answers to essay prompts. Then carefully analyze whether the question posed was, in fact, answered. Make sure that you stay within any word and/or character limits and follow any other special instructions. Not following directions is a clear-cut deal breaker. The Statement of purpose is your opportunity to let the admissions committee get to know who you are, and what motivates and inspires you. Of course, your goal is to highlight your strengths, share your short and long-term career goals, and let the committee know not only your expectations of the program, but what you will contribute. Your story should be constructed with an attention getting (in a positive sense) opening, well-constructed middle and a closing that brings the committee full circle by relating back to the beginning. Be very specific in terms of why you want to attend this particular PsyD program . Discuss the courses that you anticipate taking, the professors with whom you hope to work (based on a shared research interest), student group participation, clinical practicum/internships, etc. Do the research so that this does not appear to be a generic template. Refer to specific course offerings, practicum sites, names of faculty and even some of their research publications. Make it personal. Let them know that you know who they are and want to be a part of it all. Read: The “Sizzle Factor”: 5 Tips for Writing PsyD Personal Statements >>
• Resume.  Not every program requires a resume/CV, but if they do, make sure that you carefully consider what you include and the order of the inclusion. Always consider the “audience” you are addressing and custom design the resume to include the qualities and skills that will make the greatest impact. Try to keep it to one page and arrange it so that the reader can scan through and quickly get a synapsis of your education, publications (if you have any), certifications, affiliations, related work experience, community service, practicum/internships, accomplishments, special skills, etc. Highlight any paid or volunteer experience you have had in providing services to clients having emotional, behavioral, or developmental disorders as this will be a real asset. Describe using words like, managed, coordinated, led a team that, collaborated on, organized. In other words, use active rather than passive language.
• Letters of Recommendation. The number and type required by individual programs may vary. However, most programs require 3 letters from individuals who know the applicant and can speak to the applicant’s ability and/or potential for rigorous graduate study, clinical work, and/or research. Most will recommend that, whenever possible, you seek recommendations from faculty members in psychology, or practicing professionals in psychology or other mental health disciplines. You may want to provide your recommender with a “one sheet” listing some of your achievements as they relate to graduate study. When I have been asked to write a reference for one of my undergraduate students, I always ask them for a resume and a sheet with some highlights that I may want to refer to when I am writing the letter. Don’t force it on the recommender. Just let them know you have one and ask if they would like to have a copy. If a recommender hesitates, do not force the issue. Your goal is to get recommendations that shine a spotlight on your assets, achievements and strengths .

Now you are ready to develop a competitive, compelling application for PsyD programs. You can realize your goal with careful preparation, attention to detail, thoughtful organization, and excellent time management skills. Start early and allocate the time needed to take the standardized tests, write a memorable essay, arrange for delivery of academic transcripts, prepare a great resume, and seek out and provide recommenders with appropriate information so they can submit stellar letters in a timely manner.

However you organize your time, make sure that you carefully reflect on each component of the application. Many applicants find it helpful to talk through the process with an objective and interested listener who can help strategize and organize the SOP and resume, choose appropriate recommenders and even provide interview assistance.

Do you need help with your PsyD admissions strategy? Check out our Doctoral Application Packages  and work one-on-one with an expert advisor who will provide you with complete application guidance – from conceptualization to final review .

Related Resources:

• Get Your Game On: Prepping for Your Graduate School Application – a free guide
• Test-Taking Advice for People with Learning Disabilities or Test Anxiety
• It’s All About Authenticity and Community in Graduate Admissions – podcast episode 518
• How to Project Professionalism, Positivity, and Confidence in Your Statement of Purpose
• The “Sizzle Factor”: 5 Tips for Writing PsyD Personal Statements
• You’ve Caught the “Academic Ambition” Bug—Now What?

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What do Graduate Advisors Look For in Applicants?

A big part of applying to research-based graduate programs is finding an advisor. This faculty member will impact your overall education experience and play a critical role in the success of your thesis or dissertation work. But identifying potential advisors is not enough. You need to find someone who is willing to take you on as a student. Limits on space and funding make things very competitive, especially when assistantships are on the line. 

So what exactly are advisors looking for when selecting students?

In this article, we review the top 9 qualities and qualifications graduate advisors look for when selecting advisees. Equipped with this knowledge, you can focus on making yourself into a stronger candidate.

Strong Introductory Email

Graduate advisors receive hundreds of emails from prospective students. To stand out from the crowd make sure to send a strong introductory email. We consulted with professors in ecology and wildlife science to find out what they look for in emails. Check out the popular answers below.

Advisors look for students who…

• Ask about availability to take on new students
• Know the advisors' area of research
• Have specific research interests
• Can explain how their research interests fit with the work of the advisor
• Express an interest in pursuing grant or funding opportunities with the university (if no assistantship is posted). 

Student sample of an introductory email:

Professor Langdon,

My name is Lindsay Keating and I graduated from Franklin University with a Bachelor’s in Biology and a minor in Anthropology. I am looking to get my Master’s Degree in Wildlife Science this Fall (2021) or Spring (2021). In the interim, I am working full-time as a Lab Technician at Ohio State University, College of Medicine, in their Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity and recently finished working part-time, fully remote with the University of Arkansas assisting one of Dr. Kate Fansler’s Ph.D. students. As a result, I wanted to reach out to professors whose research I felt resonated with my interests. Do you anticipate bringing on students and having funding/space for a Master’s student in the following year? I am also willing to work with you to develop a project, write proposals, and apply for outside sources of funding.

I am interested in actionable conservation, moving between conducting ecological fieldwork and then applying the research to develop sustainable solutions by working with stakeholders. In particular, I enjoy working with vulnerable communities and ecosystems and I believe that your research examining the effects of rangeland management, climate change, and restoration on native bee and invertebrate communities corresponds well with these interests. I am very open to exploring many research options and believe that your work would offer me the opportunity to make a meaningful impact. I would love to speak further about how my skills and experience can benefit your research and I’ve attached my CV, transcript, a statement of interest, and a GRE score report for reference. Thank you for your time and consideration!

Best, Lindsay Keating

Relevant Research Experience

Completing an undergraduate degree is a prerequisite to any graduate program, but advisors also want to see that applicants have experience beyond coursework. Relevant real-world research experience will make you a much stronger graduate candidate, especially if you are applying for an assistantship position. If you want to impress to advisors even more, gain experience in a research leadership role. 

Advisors suggest:

• Start early in seeking out research experience opportunities
• Find a graduate student or faculty member who needs help with a research project. 
• Conduct independent research/study 
• Work as a seasonal technician or lab tech

Check out Building Your Qualifications for Grad School: How to Stand Out for more advice on research experience.

“Research is the most important thing you can do to prepare yourself for graduate school because it will teach you not only how to do research, but whether you like research and if so, what areas of research you enjoy the most.” -  Walter P. Carson - Associate Professor | Department of Biological Sciences | University of Pittsburgh

Meets Minimum GPA/GRE Scores

Many graduate programs have set GPA and GRE minimums (typically a GPA of 3.0 and GRE scores of 1000 combined verbal and quantitative). Advisors want students who check those required boxes. Check to see if the advisors you reach out to want to see your scores in your introductory email. 

Specific Skill Set(s)

Every research topic benefits from particular skill sets. Figure out which skills are most important in your area of interest and strengthen them through experience and additional training if necessary. Advisors especially appreciate when you have applied these skills in a real-world context.

“For genomics/genetics, there are skills sets that are high demand, principally bioinformatics and genomic lab work. These skills were relatively rare at an MS level going into a PhD, so immediately became more impressive” - Liz Kiereplka - Senior Research Biologist/Research Assistant Professor | Department of Natural Sciences |  NC State University & North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

Search 1,377 environmental master's and PhD programs. Search Graduate Programs

Concrete Goal/Focus Area

Graduate school is not like undergrad, it's more specific, and involves self-teaching and learning-by-doing. Advisors want to see focused students who know what they want from the experience. Furthermore, you should know enough about your interests to confirm that they fit well within the realm of the advisor's work. 

“Really think about potential research questions and if those questions fit with the professor. Engaging with the professor about what they are interested in and gauging if those interests fit yours will get you far.” - Liz Kiereplka - Senior Research Biologist/Research Assistant Professor | Department of Natural Sciences |  NC State University & North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

Quality References and Recommendations

When actively seeking new grad students, professors rely heavily on network connections. For advisors, bringing a new student into a lab carries risk. When a colleague can vouch for your ability and dedication, the reassurance is worth its weight in gold. This is why you should focus on building relationships with other professors and professionals - not just inside the classroom but, ideally, also in a research setting where they see your work firsthand. You will want these connections to serve as quality references.

“The natural resource conservation and management field (e.g., Fisheries and Wildlife, Conservation Biology, Ecology, Hydrology) is very small and there are very few degrees of separation among professionals...What this ‘small world’ means to potential graduate students is that the professional that you are working with as an undergraduate definitely knows others in his/her discipline and probably knows researchers/faculty in other disciplines.” -  James Peterson - Professor and Leader USGS Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit -  Department of Fisheries & Wildlife | Oregon State University

Compatible Personality

Advisors assess chemistry in addition to qualifications when interviewing students. Remember, you could end up working together for several years. Use your interview as an opportunity to evaluate personality fit just as you might with a new colleague or boss. Be honest with yourself, if your gut tells you the fit isn’t right. 

Advisors want students to ask:

• What do work expectations look like?
• Do you work hands-on or hands-off as an advisor?
• How often do you meet with students?
• Do you have an open-door policy or prefer scheduled meetings?

Active Participant 

Graduate advisors love when students are active members of the scientific community. You can participate by attending scientific meetings and conferences. If possible, present research (paper or poster) at an event. Not only do these experiences provide great networking opportunities they'll expose you to new research in the field, sparking new ideas and ways of thinking. Another way to be involved is to participate in departmental events like socials, clubs or seminar series. 

Willingness to Learn

Graduate school is a wonderful opportunity to advance your education and your graduate advisor is there to guide you. Advisors appreciate when you ask questions rather than pretending to know more than you do. Additionally, recognize that the best advisor/advisee relationships are a two-way street. Open communication with your advisor will help you make the most of your time and efforts. 

“I wish graduate students knew it is fine not to know everything. Admit when you don’t know or understand something. Even the smartest and brightest students have areas in which they are not as smart and bright.” - Graduate Advisor at Lidenwood University

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Credit: Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins graduate programs again ranked among nation's best

'u.s. news & world report' includes 38 jhu programs among the top 10 in the u.s. in its annual rankings, including no. 1 ranked programs in nursing and public health.

By Hub staff report

Johns Hopkins University has 38 graduate schools, academic programs, and specialties ranked among the top 10 in the nation, including nine with No. 1 rankings, according to the latest edition of "Best Graduate Schools" from U.S. News & World Report , published earlier today.

Two schools at Hopkins—the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the School of Nursing —earned No. 1 rankings overall, and the School of Education entered the top 10, according to U.S. News & World Report .

Portions of the publication's annual list were released today but rankings for schools of medicine and engineering were delayed and will be released at a later date.

Among the new rankings released today:

The School of Nursing's DNP program ranked No. 1 for the third year in a row. Its master's degree programs tied at No. 1, up from No. 2 last year. In gerontology, the school moved up two spots to No. 1 for primary care, and up one spot to No. 2 for acute care. In other specialty areas, the School of Nursing's doctoral programs ranked:

• Psychiatric/mental health: No. 1
• Family: No. 3 (tied)
• Leadership: No. 4 (tied)
• Nursing Anesthesia: No. 36 (tie)

Public Health

The Bloomberg School retained its longtime No. 1 overall ranking among public health programs—it has held the top spot since 1994, the year the rankings began. In specialty areas, the Bloomberg School ranked:

• Environmental Health Sciences: No. 1
• Epidemiology: No. 1
• Health Policy and Management (Public Health): No. 1
• Social and Behavioral Sciences: No. 1
• Biostatistics: No. 2

Johns Hopkins tied at No. 8 in the Education category, up from No. 13 last year. The school also tied at No. 23 in higher education administration programs.

Public Affairs

Overall, Johns Hopkins programs in public affairs tied at No. 39. In subcategories, Johns Hopkins tied at No. 6 in Health Policy and Management (Public Affairs), No. 11 in International/Global Policy and Administration, and tied at No. 35 in Public Policy Analysis.

U.S. News & World Report updates some of its rankings each year and republishes the most recent rankings in other areas. Among the republished rankings for Hopkins, which are still current:

Biological Sciences

Hopkins is tied for No. 6 overall with six top 10 specialty rankings:

• Molecular biology: No. 3 (tie)
• Cell biology: No. 4
• Neuroscience: No. 4 (tie)
• Immunology: No. 5
• Genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics: No. 6 (tie)
• Biochemistry, biophysics, and structural biology: No. 8

Biostatistics

Hopkins is ranked No. 1 (tie) for Biostatistics at the doctoral level. (Note: U.S. News & World Report also ranks biostatistics as a sub-category of public health, where Hopkins is No. 2.)

The university is tied at No. 20 in Chemistry and ranks No. 9 in the Biochemistry subcategory.

Computer Science

The university is tied for No. 24 overall and tied at No. 21 in the specialty of Artificial Intelligence.

Earth Sciences

The university is tied at No. 30 in Earth Sciences.

Johns Hopkins' program in economics is tied at No. 22.

English tied at No. 13 overall with the following specialty rankings:

• Literary criticism and theory: No. 3
• British literature: No. 10 (tie)
• American literature after 1865: No. 17

Health Care Management

The university is No. 7.

Johns Hopkins ranks No. 10 overall, with the following specialty rankings:

• African-American history: No. 3 (tie)
• Cultural history: No. 4 (tie)
• U.S. Colonial history: No. 5 (tie)
• Women's history: No. 6 (tie)
• African history: No. 7 (tie)
• European history: No. 7 (tie)
• Modern U.S. history: No. 16 (tie)

Mathematics

Johns Hopkins is tied at No. 20 in Mathematics with the following specialty rankings: + Analysis: No. 18 (tie) + Algebra: No. 23 (tie) + Applied Math: No. 25

Overall, the university is tied at No. 13 with the following specialty rankings: + Living Systems: No. 5 (tie) + Cosmology: No. 7 + Condensed Matter: No. 13 (tie)

Political science

Overall, political science is tied at No. 41. In sub-categories, Johns Hopkins ranked: + Political theory: No. 8 (tie) + International politics: No. 24 (tie)

The university's graduate program in psychology is tied at No. 12 overall and tied at No. 5 in the subcategory of behavioral neuroscience.

Overall, sociology is tied at No. 29. The sub-category of sociology of population is tied at No. 17.

Posted in University News

Tagged u.s. news and world report , university rankings

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Hopkins No. 9 in 'U.S. News' rankings

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• CAREER COLUMN
• 08 April 2024

How we landed job interviews for professorships straight out of our PhD programmes

• Violeta Rodriguez 0 &
• Qimin Liu 1

Violeta Rodriguez is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Qimin Liu is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Boston University in Massachusetts.

By staying organized in their job hunt, both authors received several job offers. Credit: Getty

We met during the last year of our PhD training, after securing placements at the University of Illinois Chicago’s Department of Psychiatry for our predoctoral internships — the final step of our clinical doctoral programmes. V. R. came from the University of Georgia in Athens and was pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology, and Q. L. came from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and was working towards a PhD in clinical science and quantitative methods. It was amid the academic rigour and personal stress of the last year of our programmes that we became friends. We bonded over being immigrants and not speaking English as our first language while navigating the complexities of academia. We both wanted to forgo postdoctoral training and instead immediately become junior professors. Now, we’re assistant professors: V. R. is at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Q. L. is at Boston University in Massachusetts.

The odds we faced in the academic job market had seemed insurmountable, particularly to immigrants, and we had been cautioned by mentors and even junior faculty members about the challenge ahead. But we succeeded: we received a combined total of 27 in-person interviews, leading to 15 tenure-track assistant-professor offers across departments of psychology, paediatrics or psychiatry, schools of education and academic medical centres. (You can check out our hints for nailing job interviews in our other article .)

How to move labs

Despite the positive outcome, the process was stressful, fast and unpredictable. Our friendship became a sanctuary: amid the daunting job market and our own self-doubt, we understood and encouraged each other. We want to offer what our friendship provided us — understanding, support and encouragement — to researchers hoping to stay in academia after earning a PhD, so we are sharing our reflections and insights.

We must first make clear: no amount of job-search tips and tricks can substitute for good science and a strong publication record. To gauge our readiness, we looked up the CV of the most recent hire in each department that we applied to. We also made sure we had backup offers of postdoctoral positions. While navigating this process, we learnt that institutions were interested in candidates who planned to pursue external funding.

Qimin Liu is now an assistant professor. Credit: Qimin Liu

We had both obtained federal and private funding before — making us more competitive. We urge aspiring professors to prioritize their research contributions, external fellowship and grant applications and academic achievements above all.

To readers who’ve successfully navigated this process, many of our reflections and insights could seem obvious. However, this kind of advice can be the hardest to follow during a fast-moving job hunt, with several moving pieces involved and new considerations and job offers or advertisements emerging unexpectedly. Treat this as a checklist before beginning to fill out job applications.

Tips and tricks

Start your search early. Allow ample time to prepare for the job hunt; research potential options, such as jobs in academic medical centres, standard department positions or tenure-track jobs in related fields; and submit applications. Plan to reply to job ads long before the first deadline. Starting early gives you time to collect and incorporate feedback from mentors and colleagues.

Training: Free course on peer review

Prepare your networks. The academic job market can be unpredictable, with opportunities emerging unexpectedly. It is important to think about who can write letters for you — sometimes at short notice. Most of our applications required three letters of recommendation from all applicants. Others requested letters from only shortlisted candidates.

Plan ahead. The final drafts of materials took, on average, one to two months in total to prepare and polish. The initial drafts took about 8 hours, and the research statement required a total of 16 hours. (The research statement summarizes your research programme, the work you’ve done so far and what you plan to pursue in future. It can also highlight why a particular institution is well-suited to support your work.) Preparing drafted statements in advance made it easier to adapt them to different positions later — tweaking materials for specific positions took 30–60 minutes per application.

Research potential job opportunities. Don’t just rely on word-of-mouth or googling specific positions to find things you’re interested in applying to. Use online job boards (such as HigherEdJobs or Nature Careers ), and tap into your professional network by sending e-mails or LinkedIn messages to your mentors and colleagues, letting them know you’re on the job market. Scour social media and department websites to find available positions. We both posted on X (formerly Twitter) that we were job hunting, and several people reached out with opportunities.

Develop job application ‘templates’. Create a set of well-crafted templates for your application materials, such as cover letters and statements, on which you can easily fill in your name, relevant details and where you’ve previously worked. Having adaptable documents allowed us to respond quickly to new postings.

Tailor your application materials. Templates can take you only so far. Take the time to customize your application materials, including your CV, cover letter (each of ours was one page long) and research statement, to highlight your relevant skills, experiences and research contributions. Tailoring your materials to each position demonstrates genuine interest and increases your chances of standing out to hiring committees. Generic applications are easy for hiring managers to reject. Mentioning centres or institutes that align with your research; available resources, such as early-career programmes, that you want to take advantage of; and the names of people whom you are interested in working with can help to personalize your application materials.

Stay organized. Maintain a well-organized system to track application deadlines, requirements and submission statuses. Be ready to remind your letter writers to submit their recommendations. Keep a calendar or spreadsheet to ensure that all required materials are submitted on time and to track when to follow up. An example spreadsheet is provided below.

Practise for interviews and job talks. Run mock interviews with your peers or mentors. Practise answering common interview questions and develop concise, compelling responses that highlight your expertise, teaching abilities and fit. Treat these seriously — you’re likely to be nervous in the real interview, so try to recreate that while rehearsing, perhaps by inviting a relatively unknown colleague or professor to join the practice runs. V. R. recorded her job talk on Zoom and sent it to others for feedback.

Practising your job talk — a presentation of your academic research that is often a spoken version of your research statement — until you know it backwards and forwards will prepare you for the unexpected. In addition, rehearsing how you plan to respond to different questions, and practising saying that you want people to hold their questions until the end, can be helpful.

Prepare a start-up budget to get your lab running. Many academic positions include a start-up fund for incoming faculty members. It is typically used for summer salary and staffing or research costs. You might be asked for an estimated budget before, during or after the interview stage — so you should have one ready in advance. When preparing your budget, keep in mind the spending norms at the institution and for your discipline. Ask for more than you think you need, because this amount will often be reduced during negotiations.

As we look back on our job-hunting experiences, we are reminded of how much we grew in this process, in ways that are not related to just our jobs — and this growth continued in our interviews .

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01044-1

This is an article from the Nature Careers Community, a place for Nature readers to share their professional experiences and advice. Guest posts are encouraged .

Supplementary Information

• Example spreadsheet

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Indiana University Indianapolis

American studies.

Ph.D. Program in American Studies

The program requires students take courses from faculty in various disciplines that offer a variety of ways to analyze and critique a US-based “American experience,” broadly defined. Students will accumulate significant experience collaborating with organizations and institutions throughout the city and region. By mandating a related internship of at least one full year, the program promotes the application of academic research outside of the academy. Universities like IUPUI offer an innovative and interdisciplinary mix of methods and theory courses to develop the knowledge and skills required necessary to thrive in all sorts of environments.

Degree Requirements

90 total hours; 60 hours beyond a M.A. or M.S.

Core courses (6 hours)

• AMST-A 601: American Studies in Theory
• AMST-A 602: American Studies in Practice
• AMST Doctoral Seminar (Research blog and in-person seminar for students)

Methods courses (18 credits)

Most departments consistently teach methods courses as part of their graduate programs. Such courses will comprise the foundation for the doctoral program in American Studies. The courses are distributed across three categories: analytical, digital, and quantitative/qualitative. Consultation between a student, the chair of the student’s committee, and, if possible, input from the internship director will help determine which courses are necessary.

Minor Concentration (12 credits)

Every student will have at least one minor concentration. The list below covers those areas in which minors either already exist or can be easily created. Students also have the option of creating, in consultation with their committee, a minor that brings together courses from a few disciplines.

Electives (24 credit hours)

Because of the interdisciplinary nature of this Ph.D., the student will choose elective courses that complement this applied doctoral program. The student will work with her/his faculty committee to identify those courses that best complement the research questions of the Ph.D. concentration and that supplement the theories and areas of cultural study within American Studies. Electives also can be satisfied by coursework already completed prior to acceptance in the doctoral program such as a master’s degree or other applicable graduate-level work.

Qualifying Exam—Written

All students shall take a written, qualifying examination that aims to assess the student’s knowledge and readiness to carry out successful research. This exam must be completed by the semester prior to the start of the student’s dissertation.

Internship and Applied Dissertation (30 credit hours)

Among the chief aims of the program is to provide doctoral students in the humanities and social sciences with opportunities to train for careers outside of academia. The doctoral internship required of this program places interns in non-profit, for-profit, and government agencies where interns participate full time in the substantive work of an organization. The AMST Program works with the external organization to cover costs associated with graduate training, including health insurance and monthly stipends. The doctoral internship serves as part of the research for student dissertations and therefore must be guided by the student’s research committee.

Dissertation

The American Studies Program encourages a student to investigate problems connected with the internship; therefore, the final product will be an applied dissertation. The applied dissertation will contribute to the literature in a student’s concentration area. The dissertation must be an original contribution to knowledge and of high scholarly merit. The candidate’s research must reveal critical ability and powers of imagination and synthesis. The dissertation is written under the supervision of a research director and a research committee and cannot be a collection of unrelated published papers. There must be a logical connection between all components of the dissertation, and these must be integrated in a rational and coherent fashion. It is the responsibility of the student’s research committee to determine the kind and amount of published material that may be included in a dissertation.

The student must maintain a B+ average (3.3) or higher in order to graduate. In addition, the student must pass the comprehensive examination and complete either a thesis or an applied learning project in order to complete the degree requirements.

Admission Requirements:

Recruitment of candidates for this program will present opportunities that are somewhat atypical for doctoral programs in the liberal arts. Traditionally, doctoral programs attract students who wish to work with specific faculty members within specific disciplines in order to build expertise and future careers in that discipline. The program seeks to attract students who believe contemporary problems require understanding and analysis that a research degree anchored in the liberal arts can provide. Rather than recruit students to become future academics, this program uses academic training to develop expertise that can be applied primarily outside of classrooms. To that end, the recruitment of students will depend on establishing clear connections between external partners for internships, research centers at IUPUI, and faculty who will mentor students by helping them build programs that prepare them for fields in which they will intern.

Candidates are not required to hold advanced degrees in any particular discipline, but this program will likely attract students holding either a B.A. or M.A. in liberal arts disciplines or related degrees. Candidates should have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test (Quantitative, Verbal, and Analytical Writing). While the program does not expect to institute a fixed minimum requirement, students shall be advised that successful candidates typically have scores above the 70th percentile in the verbal, quantitative, and analytic writing sections.

Beyond these measures for admission, the applicants shall submit a written statement of purpose for entering the Ph.D. program, three letters of recommendation from individuals in professional positions able to judge success (at least one letter from a tenured or tenure-track faculty), original transcripts, and a curriculum vitae.

Applicants should submit the following:

• Completed application form for Indiana University Gradu­ate School.
• Personal Statement.
• Official transcripts of all college level coursework.
• Three letters of recommendation (from university instructors and/or professional associates) sent directly to the Director of Graduate Studies.
• *GRE scores are not required for admission to the program if the applicant has a graduate degree; however, GRE scores are required for those applicants who have not completed a graduate degree or who feel their scores will enhance their application.
• Interna­tional students must submit TOEFL scores. Information about TOEFL can be obtained from the International Affairs Office, 902 W. New York Street, ES 2126, Indianapolis, IN 46202 or 317- 274-7000.

Language Requirements:

For applicants whose native language is not English, IUPUI requires a 79 on the Internet- based TOEFL or 550 on the paper-based TOEFL or a 6.5 on the IELTS or a G011 or higher on the IUPUI EAP Placement Exam taken from within the last two years. However, because of the importance of writing skills on a program with a dissertation requirement, applicants should typically score above the 70th percentile (i.e., 94 on the Internet-based TOEFL). Final decisions on admission shall be made by the American Studies Advisory Committee.

Contact Dr. Raymond Haberski , Director of American Studies.

Related Links

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Some Colleges Will Soon Charge $100,000 a Year. How Did This Happen?

Some Vanderbilt students will have $100,000 in total expenses for the 2024-25 school year. The school doesn’t really want to talk about it.

By Ron Lieber

Reporting from Vanderbilt University in Nashville

It was only a matter of time before a college would have the nerve to quote its cost of attendance at nearly $100,000 a year. This spring, we’re catching our first glimpse of it.

Listen to this article with reporter commentary

Open this article in the New York Times Audio app on iOS.

One letter to a newly admitted Vanderbilt University engineering student showed an all-in price — room, board, personal expenses, a high-octane laptop — of $98,426. A student making three trips home to Los Angeles or London from the Nashville campus during the year could hit six figures.

This eye-popping sum is an anomaly. Only a tiny fraction of college-going students will pay anything close to this anytime soon, and about 35 percent of Vanderbilt students — those who get neither need-based nor merit aid — pay the full list price.

But a few dozen other colleges and universities that reject the vast majority of applicants will probably arrive at this threshold within a few years. Their willingness to cross it raises two questions for anyone shopping for college: How did this happen, and can it possibly be worth it?

Who Pays What

According to the College Board, the average 2023-24 list price for tuition, fees, housing and food was $56,190 at private, nonprofit four-year schools. At four-year public colleges, in-state students saw an average $24,030 sticker price.

That’s not what many people pay, though, not even close. As of the 2019-20 school year, according to federal data that the College Board used in a 2023 report , 39 percent of in-state students attending two-year colleges full time received enough grant aid to cover all of their tuition and fees (though not their living expenses, which can make getting through school enormously difficult). At four-year public schools, 31 percent paid nothing for tuition and fees while 18 percent of students at private colleges and universities qualified for the same deal.

Those private colleges continue to provide hefty discounts for people of all sorts of incomes. A National Association of College and University Business Officers study showed private nonprofit colleges and universities lowering their tuition prices by 56 percent from the rack rate during the 2022-23 school year.

Vanderbilt provides discounts, too, and its financial aid is extraordinarily generous. This year, it announced that families with income of $150,000 or less would pay no tuition in most instances .

Still, over 2,000 students there who get no need-based or merit aid will soon pay $100,000 or more. Why does Vanderbilt need all of that money?

Where the Money Goes

At a few small liberal arts colleges with enormous endowments, even $100,000 would not cover the average cost of educating a student, according to the schools. Williams College says it spends roughly $50,000 more per student than its list price, for instance.

In other words, everyone is getting a subsidy. Perhaps its list price should be over $100,000, too, so that its endowment is not offering unneeded help to wealthy families. Or, perhaps, a price that high would scare away low-income applicants who do not realize that they might get a free ride there.

According to Vanderbilt, its spending per undergraduate is $119,000. “The gap between the price and cost of attendance is funded by our endowment and the generous philanthropy of donors and alumni,” Brett Sweet, vice chancellor for finance, said in an emailed statement.

No one at the school would meet with me to break this figure down or get on the phone to talk about it. But Vanderbilt’s financial statements offer clues to how it spends money. In the 2023 fiscal year, 52 percent of its operating expenses went to faculty, staff and student salaries and wages, plus fringe benefits.

Robert B. Archibald and David H. Feldman, two academics who wrote “ Why Does College Cost So Much? ,” explained in their book why labor costs were so tricky at these institutions.

“The critical factors are that higher education is a personal service, that it has not experienced much labor-saving productivity growth, and that the wages of the highly educated workers so important at colleges and universities have soared,” they said. “These are economywide factors. They have little to do with any pathology in higher education.”

Critics of the industry still believe that a kind of administrative bloat has set in, driving up tuition with outsize salaries. But what is bloat, really?

Administrators oversee compliance, like the laws that have made it possible for disabled people to get to and through college and keep schools from discriminating against women. If we don’t like regulation, we can vote for different legislators.

Similarly, families in a free market can make alternative choices if they want fewer mental health practitioners and their bosses, computer network administrators, academic advisers or career counselors. And yet the first (prescreened) question that Vanderbilt’s chancellor, Daniel Diermeier, answered on family weekend this past fall was about whether Vanderbilt should invest even more in career advising in the wake of the school’s five-spot decline in the annual U.S. News rankings .

Is It Worth It?

If many families are not exactly lining up for a cut-rate residential undergraduate education, they’re still asking plenty of good questions about value. So is a $400,000 college education ever worth it?

It depends, and you knew that answer was coming, right?

Most college shoppers wonder about income outcomes, and it’s possible to search by undergraduate major on the federal government’s College Scorecard website . This program-level data exists for alumni who are four years out from graduation, though only for those who received any federal financial aid.

Vanderbilt’s biomedical/medical engineering majors have median earnings of $94,340 four years out. English language and literature majors are earning $53,767.

Those are fine results, but are they exclusive to Vanderbilt? “You could get an engineering degree at a state flagship university that’s just as valuable as something you’d get at Vanderbilt,” said Julian Treves , a financial adviser and college specialist whose newsletter tipped me off to the goings-on there.

I spent a few days trying to get Vanderbilt’s vice provost for university enrollment affairs, Douglas L. Christiansen , to talk to me and answer these questions squarely and more expansively, but I did not succeed. A university spokeswoman sent me some generalities in his name. “We are committed to excellence at all levels, from the quality of our faculty, programming, facilities and research labs to the services we provide to support the academic, emotional and social well-being of our students,” went the statement.

In anticipation of the absence of a substantive reply, I attended a group information session for 125 or so prospective students and asked there, too. The senior admissions officer who took the question refused to answer. I’d never seen that before, and I’ve been to these sessions at dozens of schools over the years.

But really, why should an actor in a competitive marketplace answer that question if the person doesn’t absolutely have to? Without publicly available, industrywide quantitative data on quality — happiness scores, customer satisfaction, measures of learning, return on friendship, the strength of career networks — the list price alone serves as a signal of excellence, to some shoppers at least.

And thousands of applicants respond to the signal each year by volunteering to pay the list price, even as the school rejects the vast majority of applicants. Or maybe they volunteer precisely because Vanderbilt and schools like it reject the vast majority of applicants.

So a $100,000 list price is not our highest-priority outrage. The spectacle of wealthy people freely purchasing luxury services is nothing new, even if it is a totally worthy object of scrutiny (and an understudied phenomenon by academics themselves, ahem).

What is a problem, then? Brent Joseph Evans , an associate professor of public policy and higher education at Vanderbilt’s college of education and human development, started his career as an admissions officer at the University of Virginia. There, he sold the institution to boarding school students in New England and teenagers in the Appalachian foothills.

The former group might pay $100,000 per year, though many of them won’t get into the Vanderbilts of the world in the first place. They will surely find their way somewhere.

But that latter group? Professor Evans is worried about their access to any school at all.

“We should care about whether they get into a state university system at a low cost and find a well-paying career that can keep them in the middle class,” he said. “I do think that sometimes any tension over what elite colleges are doing moves us away from what we should be caring about as a society.”

Read by Ron Lieber

Audio produced by Parin Behrooz .

An earlier version of this article misstated the surname of Vanderbilt’s vice provost for university enrollment affairs. He is Douglas L. Christiansen, not Christensen.

How we handle corrections

Ron Lieber has been the Your Money columnist since 2008 and has written five books, most recently “The Price You Pay for College.” More about Ron Lieber

Advice for Law School Applicants on Choosing a Law Career Path

Shed your assumptions about what lawyers do to explore day-to-day work within different legal fields and law careers.

How to Choose a Law Career Path

Getty Images | iStockphoto

You don’t need to have your future career path mapped out to apply to law school , but it is helpful to have a direction in mind. Clear career goals can help you stay focused and motivated throughout the law school application process, from LSAT practice to weighing competing opportunities.

It's easier to assess whether law school is worth the investment of time, money and energy when you have a vision of what you hope to do with your degree. Applicants with clearer career goals may also have an easier time writing their personal statement and determining where to apply .

Being able to express what you hope to do with your law degree will help you make a more convincing case that you are committed to law school, whether you’re interested in public or private sector law .

Finally, clear career goals can make it easier to express why you are a good fit for where you are applying, through an essay or interview.

However, the wide range of legal fields can be daunting. Even if you take classes related to law in college, you may learn little about what lawyers do in practice.

Here are five ways to explore your law career goals:

• Question your preconceptions about legal practice.
• Think beyond your initial interests.
• Seek internships and volunteer opportunities.
• Conduct informational interviews.
• Pursue further research.

Question Your Preconceptions About Legal Practice

Many applicants’ notions of legal practice come from the dramatized courtroom battles that are a staple of popular culture. But litigation looks a lot different in real life, and most lawyers spend little – if any – time in court.

There aren’t many television shows about mergers and acquisitions, tax law or estate law, but there are good reasons why these specialties attract many lawyers.

So, don’t be afraid to expand your idea of what lawyers do beyond what you’ve seen in the books, films or television series that inspired you to pursue law school.

Think Beyond Your Initial Interests

Many applicants gravitate toward topics they feel passionate about, like constitutional law, entertainment law or environmental law . But when they start internships and entry-level positions, they may find that the realities of legal work differ from their expectations. Entertainment lawyers spend a lot more time negotiating contracts with other lawyers than hobnobbing with celebrities.

Law is a diverse field, and many lawyers ultimately find fulfillment through some mix of intellectual challenge, rewarding work and meaningful relationships with colleagues and clients. But how do you find the area of law that is right for you ?

First, think about what kind of work and environment you would enjoy on a day-to-day basis. What is an average day at your dream job like? What activities take up your time? What are the challenges and rewards? How much time is spent with colleagues and clients? How much of the work is collaborative or adversarial, self-directed or cooperative? How much risk are you comfortable with?

Seek Internships and Volunteer Opportunities

There’s no substitute for first-hand experience. Before applying to law school, look for opportunities to help out at legal offices or organizations. Not only will you gain potential recommenders and excellent material for a personal statement , but you will get ideas for what kinds of legal work you are most interested in and what kinds of environments allow you to thrive.

Admissions officers appreciate work experience . But even if you can’t find a full-time position, see if you can spend just a week or two lending a hand and getting an inside look into how law offices work.

Conduct Informational Interviews

Reach out to people with careers that interest you. Send a polite request over email or social media and ask for an informational interview. Be clear, direct and respectful. Make clear that you are not asking for any favors besides a quick coffee or a brief phone call.

Do your homework and prepare several open-ended questions like: What has been the biggest surprise about your job? How do you know if you’re doing a good job? How do you think your job will change over the next decade? What qualities would set someone in your position up for success?

Not everyone will be open or candid, but you may end up with inside advice about not only whether a field is right for you but also what skills and experiences to highlight on your resume .

Pursue Further Research

The internet has no shortage of personal opinions and views about everything, including legal work. Beyond U.S. News & World Report resources , you can easily access articles and posts from lawyers, law firms and legal news sites.

Don’t worry if your research turns up more questions than answers. In law school, you will have plenty of time and resources for further exploration, like clinics and career services. While it’s helpful to have some informed ideas about your future career, it’s best to arrive at law school with an open mind. 

Questions to Ask If You Want to Be a Lawyer

Tags: law school , careers , graduate schools , education , students

About Law Admissions Lowdown

Law Admissions Lowdown provides advice to prospective students about the law school application process, LSAT prep and potential career paths. Previously authored by contributors from Stratus Admissions Counseling, the blog is currently authored by Gabriel Kuris, founder of Top Law Coach , an admissions consultancy. Kuris is a graduate of Harvard Law School and has helped hundreds of applicants navigate the law school application process since 2003. Got a question? Email [email protected] .

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