I bought a hundred envelopes, a hundred stamps, and a lot of paper, and I typed letters to every single graduate department in the country that was listed in Peterson's guide under "ecology and evolutionary biology." This was, after all, the late 1980s, before word processors were popular and before information was available at one's fingertips and within seconds via the Web. After sifting through pages of faculty research interests, looking at departmental brochures, and finding out which schools offered teaching or research assistantships to M.S. students (a lot of schools reserve these for Ph.D. students only), I narrowed my choices down to five.

I never even heard back from my first choice, a top-rated research university. My second choice accepted me with no immediate funding but promised me a teaching assistantship if I could "prove" myself by the end of the first semester. A third school rejected me but kindly informed me that they had received over 60 applications for only two slots. School #4 offered me a 12-month research assistantship on a faculty grant, although the project I'd be working on didn't exactly make me want to jump up and drive to Utah. But it was the best offer running, until—one day before I was expected to notify school #4 of my decision—the University of Vermont (UVM) pulled through and offered me an attractive, three-year teaching fellowship. I eagerly accepted, never imagining that I would enjoy myself so much at UVM that I would stay on for a Ph.D. Graduate school was an intensely satisfying time for me and, as it turned out, I don't think I could have picked a better school to meet my needs.

There is no one school that is best for everyone. But finding the school that is right for you can take a lot of footwork. Word processing and the Web have probably made the whole process a bit easier than it was ten years ago, but still there are many schools and programs to choose from, admission requirements vary, and getting all the requisite test scores and papers in order can be a chore. And sometimes the actual "getting in" is not so cut-and-dry.

Where do you want to go?

Figuring out where you want to go to grad school has a lot to do with why you want to go. Why are you driven to do research? What area of chemistry do you want to study? What research topics interest you, and why? Do you want a career in academia or industry? Do you want to go for an M.S. or Ph.D.? Not only will a clear focus help you narrow the playing field, but it will also make you a more attractive applicant.

Many applicants pick schools based purely on the presence of a faculty member who they want to study with. No matter where you go to school or what you study, your relationship with your research advisor is key, and selecting a research advisor might very well be one of the most important decisions that you make as a young chemist. Not only can a good relationship make or break a good experience while you're in grad school, but the connections that you make through your advisor can serve you well throughout your career.

Indeed, many Ph.D.s would argue that seeking out potential research advisors is the best strategy not only for figuring out where you want to go, but for getting in to grad school as well. A professor who knows that you are interested in working with them can advocate for your admission into the program. A departmental committee usually handles graduate admissions, and faculty can often influence decisions about who is accepted. For example, it may be your potential research advisor's turn to "draft" an applicant from the applicant pool, and that applicant may very well be you.

Find out who is doing research that interests you by talking with your undergraduate professors or, if you've worked in a chemistry-related job or internship, talking with the chemists you work with. Or search departmental Web sites. You'll probably also come across names in your reading. In fact, that's what led me to UVM. I had just finished a book "Ravens in Winter," by Bernd Heinrich, a biologist on the faculty at UVM. I was so inspired by his dual biologist-writer lifestyle (he had authored several popular natural history books) that I contacted him and, through a convoluted course of events, ended up at UVM, although in a different lab. When you come across particular faculty members who you think you might be interested in, contact them and tell them about yourself and your interests.

For some very helpful tips for building relationships with potential advisors before you apply to grad school, I would highly recommend reading Chapter 5 of Robert L. Peters's book "Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student's Guide to Earning a Master's or PhD." (In fact, the entire book is an excellent read.)

For those of you seeking a career in industry, many graduate programs have strong relationships with particular industries, so it might make sense to look into those programs first. When you are researching schools, ask about campus recruitment opportunities and job placement records.

Although many Ph.D.s would agree that your research advisor is the most important component of your graduate school experience, a school's prestige probably weighs more if you are planning a career outside of academia. Even though your advisor may we considered "famous" in their field, their name could mean nothing to folks outside of academia. For rankings, see PhDs.org's customized graduate program ranking service, which is based on the National Research Council's 1994 evaluation of graduate research programs; or rankings by U.S. News and World Report.

Applying

Although grades and GREs are important factors in the selection process, applicants are package deals. And most admissions committees look at the whole package. What are your educational and career aspirations? How well do your interests fit with those of the department? How dedicated and focused are you? Have you had any work experience in the chemical industry or another relevant field?

Give yourself plenty of time to think about and write your statement of purpose. For me, writing the statement of purpose was as much a way to really try to understand what I wanted as it was a part of the application.

Outstanding letters of recommendations can make all the difference. Letters from professors who are known by members of the department carry the most weight. Of course, you may not know who knows whom. A thoughtful letter from a lesser-known scientist probably means more than a short letter from a big-name researcher who doesn't really know you from the hundreds of other students they have taught that year. Consider asking the professor of a course that you've done exceptionally well in and who knows more about you than the fact that you can do A-level work; the faculty advisor of an independent study or research project you've been involved with; or, if you've worked in a chemistry-related internship or job, your work supervisor (especially if they hold the PhD themselves or are in a high position in the company).

Most graduate schools require the general GREs, and some will require the subject examination in chemistry or another appropriate area (e.g., physics). Find out when the tests are offered and plan ahead so that your results will be available in time for the application process. If you are a bit shy about taking the tests, look into test preparation courses. As much as you may scorn standardized scores, the truth is that when all the applicants are listed on a single sheet of paper alongside their GRE scores, the high scorers stand out; and many departments use GREs to make the first cut in the applicant pool.

Whether interviews are part of the application process or not, you should probably try to visit the schools you are most interested in and arrange meetings to talk with students and prospective faculty mentors. Interview them as much as they interview you. Not only will this provide you with insight about whether and how the program fits your needs and expectations, but also appearing interested and asking thoughtful questions makes you a more attractive candidate.

Not Getting In

When I first started thinking about graduate school, I doubted there was anything I could do to make up for my embarrassingly low undergraduate GPA. I asked a couple of my undergraduate professors what I should do. I was relieved to hear that my fears about having to do it all over again, as in get a second B.A., were a bit exaggerated. They suggested that I either take some classes as a continuing education student or go for my M.S. at a less competitive school to get some focus and prove that I can handle research. I ended up taking some classes at a couple of different schools, traveling, and working in biology-related jobs before I finally applied.

Try to be realistic when applying to schools. Do your GREs and grades match up with the average qualifications? Are you really ready for a Ph.D., or would it make more sense to pursue an M.S. first? Do you really need a Ph.D., or would you just be as happy with an M.S.? Are there certain classes that you still need to take to make up for any deficiencies?

Never bank on just one or two schools. Not even the best and brightest always get in to their first-choice school. Don't take the rejection personally if you sincerely believe that your scores and qualifications are good enough. You never know what politics are at work behind the scenes. Of course, if your heart really is set on one school and you don't get in, you can always contact a member of the admissions committee or the research professor who you want to work with and ask them to advise you as to whether or not to re-apply the following year and, if so, what you should do to increase your chances of being accepted.

Even if you don't get in to your first, second, or even next-to-last choice, grad school still can and should be an incredibly enriching and rewarding experience. After all, the person who is most responsible for making it such is you, and you can do that at any number of places.

Leslie Pray is a freelance science writer based in Leverett, MA. She has written extensively on the educational and professional development of grad students and postdocs for Science's Next Wave and the Chronicle of Higher Education. She is also a regular contributor to The Scientist. Leslie earned several national awards from scientific societies in recognition of her accomplishments as a graduate student. She received her Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Vermont.

 

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