Applying to Graduate School IMMERSE 2018 June 20, 2018 Jeff Goeders Brigham Young University Provo, Utah, USA

Outline What should I do to get in? What schools should I apply to? Your application package Grades GRE Personal Statement Letters of Recommendation

Application Timeline (Fall 2019) Fall of 2019 Entrance to Graduate School Spring of 2019 Admission decisions received Nov 15-Mar 2019 Admission deadlines Fall 2018 Work on application Sum/Fall 2018 Take GRE Early 2018 Investigate graduate schools Before 2018 Decide to go to graduate school You are already behind!

Lets start at the end… You have been admitted into a Masters or PhD graduate program: Two models: The department admits a pool of applicants. During your 1st year you take courses and find a faculty advisor. A faculty member must agree to take you on before you are admitted. Less common for Masters. Very rare for PhD. You get a letter from the Department admitted you. PS. Professor XXX will be your advisor. YOU MUST HAVE CONVINCED PROFESSOR XXX TO ACCEPT YOU.

Your faculty advisor admits you… What does that mean? You have convinced your advisor: That you are capable of doing research To pay you for 2-5 years You are more or less tied to a research area Research potential advisors at the schools you are applying to: Look for and build connections Check if they are looking for students

Top Factors in Getting Admitted You have done research for your faculty advisor You have worked with someone your advisor knows. (They can personally vouch for you and your research potential) Your application package Publications Letters of Recommendation Grades, GRE, Personal Statement

Outline What should I do to get in? What schools should I apply to? Your application package Grades GRE Personal Statement Letters of Recommendation

Where Should I Apply? Consider: But don’t ignore… Research programs and prospective advisors University ranking and reputation Location (personal circumstances) But don’t ignore… Chances of being accepted (Avg. GRE, GPA, etc.) Funding support (grants, TA/RA, tuition, etc.) Job opportunities/Alumni networks Opportunities for further growth

Outline What should I do to get in? What schools should I apply to? Your application package Grades GRE Personal Statement Letters of Recommendation

Investigating Graduate Schools How many schools should you apply to? Depends on personal circumstances If you know exactly where you want to go and are confident you will get accepted, one may be okay If you do not know where you want to go, carefully work through a list of potential graduate schools Avoid applying to too many schools Applications take money (usually $50-$85) Applications will become more “plain” Places burden on those providing recommendations Limit applications to 6 or less Everyone here should apply to BYU!

Application Strategy The application process is tedious and cumbersome. An important requirement for being a graduate student is to have the patience and thoroughness to complete all aspects of a graduate school application on time It is easy to misunderstand the requirements or misunderstand the deadlines Carefully review all application requirements for each school Read and reread all application requirements Application requirements vary from school to school Graduate schools are generally not forgiving if you forget an item or are late with your submission

Application Strategy Create a schedule for completing each application Application deadline Complete application a few days before deadline Checklist of all items needed for application Allocate time to complete application process Follow-up with application Make sure you receive the appropriate confirmation emails when items are submitted Follow-up on those who are assisting you with your application (i.e., recommendations)

Graduate Student Selection Process The application is reviewed by a general admissions committee Are all components of application present? (applications with missing items are not evaluated) Does the applicant meet the minimum published qualifications? (applicants without meeting minimum qualifications are rejected) Applications are reviewed by a graduate committee Review all applicant materials Identify applicants interests Identify potential match between applicant and advisor Applicants are reviewed by a potential graduate adviser

Graduate Student Selection The graduate school committee is actively seeking the best students who meet the following criteria: Academically prepared in the subject area Demonstrate ability to work hard Interested in attending institution Demonstrated potential for successful research Communicate well and get along with others For highly competitive schools, many qualified students will be turned away

Application Components Transcripts/Grades Standardized Exams (GRE) Personal Statement Letters of Recommendation Resume/Sample Work

Transcripts and Grades This is relatively easy – just send the school all related transcripts There is not much you can do with your grades at this point of the application process – accept them how they are Most schools publish average admission GPA Many schools have minimum GPA (3.0 for BYU) Your grades will be carefully reviewed by committee Don’t plan on “hiding” grades (or overstating grades) Comment on your grades in your personal statement if there is anything unusual or that deserves an explanation

GRE Many schools require GRE Importance of GRE depends from school to school Understand GRE scores of students attending schools you are applying to Prepare for GRE and give yourself plenty of time to take and retake it Students routinely take it at the very last moment during a stressful senior year Consider taking it before the Fall

Personal Statement Answer the following questions: Why you want to go to graduate school? Why you want to go to the school you are applying to? Adapt this portion for each school you are applying to Be honest and specific Consider listing specific faculty members you would like to work with List specific research groups that sound interesting to you What do you want to study as a graduate student? What are your goals for graduate school

Personal Statement Include the following: Describe how you are prepared to succeed in graduate school Highlights from undergraduate experience (IMMERSE!) Unique experiences that prepared you for graduate school Discuss any research you have done as an undergraduate Research publications are very helpful

Personal Statement Pitfalls Avoid long and boring personal histories Avoid flowery, non genuine language (“I want to attend your highly esteemed university . . .”) Do not misrepresent your academic record (“I was among the top students in my class . . .”) Do not include controversial, political, or religious material that some may deem offensive

Research Focus/Interest You should state a specific research focus or interest (even if you don’t have one) Make one up (it is your current research interest) Expand on your current IMMERSE work Try to tie your research interest to the institution you are applying to Demonstrates your initiative and your interest in the school Avoid overly general “research focus” “I want to study computers” “I want to build robots”

Letters of Recommendation Letters of recommendation are one of the most important aspect of your application Indicates the depth and strength of your professional relationships Provides external evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses from other people Provides validation of research involvement, work experience, and technical competency Build relationships early in your program to help you with your recommendations when you graduate Like grades, it is too late to build new relationships when you start the application process Three recommendations are typically required

Typical Recommendation Part 1: Survey: Answer standard questions in web form on student competency Rate student in one of many categories (research, communication, get along with others, etc.) Indicate how long you know the student Rate the student in a class of cohorts Part 2: Personal Letter Provide more depth and personal description Focus on personal interactions and unique traits

Letters of Recommendation Recommendations are carefully read and reviewed How well does the recommender know the applicant? Weight of the recommendation will be based on the strength of the relationships Strong relationships: boss, advisor, research mentor Casual relationships: co-worker, teacher of one class What are the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate?

Choosing Recommenders Those that you have worked closely with in a professional/technical capacity Faculty members (you should get at least one recommendation from a faculty member) Former bosses (internships, etc.) Avoid recommendations from those who cannot comment on your technical competency Bishops, mission presidents, roommates, parents, etc. Successful professionals in your field Those that you believe will actually complete the recommendation on time Those that will write a positive recommendation Consider an extra recommender should one of your recommendations fall through

Requesting Letters of Recommendation The success of your application will depend in a large part on the quality of your recommendations Be respectful and considerate to your recommenders Request letters of recommendation well in advance of the deadline (months++) Provide specific, clear instructions on the recommendation Deadline, procedure for submitting recommendation Provide materials to help the recommender write a strong recommendation Resume and work experience Transcript or ABC report Avoid asking a recommender to submit too many letters of recommendation Provide gentle reminders as deadlines approach Provide a thank you email/note or follow-up to recommenders

Letters of Recommendation Completing letters of recommendation is one of the most difficult and frustrating part of the application process You don’t have control of the recommender You may miss a deadline because of a late recommendation

Summary of My Advice: Don’t just throw your applications out there Find prospective advisors and build connections Your advisor matters as much or more than your school Don’t procrastinate – this takes time and smart planning Do a good job in IMMERSE – you want an excellent reference letter from your advisor.