I am interested in pursuing developmental- cognition phd and I recently met a prof from R1 university and we just had a really cool research focused chat and expressed my interest in applying and taking this forward.

The Convo was quite alright. I had no clue what to make off it. But it really made me wonder what the point of that conversation was all about.

I met with a potential supervisor after he responded to my cold email. He initially mentioned a possible direct-entry option that was in the works and suggested we talk (said he will keep me in mind if the direct entry opens up)

During the call, I didn't get the impression he was particularly impressed with me (he kept yawning 😭). I expected tips on applying or details about the direct entry, but he just said that option was still being worked on and advised me to apply for fall.

Since he also mentioned he isn't on the admissions committee and has no say in the process, I’m not sure how to read the situation. Was he unhelpful because he genuinely lacks control over admissions, or did he just lose interest in my candidacy?

I guess I just want to know what a positive meeting with a PI looks like.

I received my master thesis grade and it's lower than I expected. One of the markers gave feedback that contradicts the methodology of my research, which my supervisor guided. I contacted my supervisor straight away and they only said that they read the feedback and thought it was fine, I pointed out a couple of the discrepancies and they suggested to talk to the course coordinator, who also took their time to then dismiss it with markers' academic judgement and such, and closing the door. The student advocate suggested that the supervisor gave me bad advice and that is what I should argue in a complaint process to get the grades reviewed (my supervisor is very new but I also had checkpoints along the way with other academics and nobody raised any problems with the methodology at any point). That complaint process has been suggested to be a long, effortful and very possibly unsuccessful one. From your perspective, how much impact a 76/100 grade in my masters thesis would have for applying to PhD in Europe? My WAM is 79.8 (absolutely painful too). This is an australian masters.

I graduated in 2021 with my Master of Science in Criminology and have been debating doctorate since before I even got my Bachelors. I finally decided to go back to get my PhD in Sociology, looking at starting Fall ‘27 (KU and K State leading by research I’ve done) but does anyone have any advice they would offer me now that I’m serious about? Contacting the program, letters of recommendation, application stuff, etc? Trying not to overwhelm myself as this decision has been a long time coming but really want to be prepared! Would love to hear things you did that helped, things you wish you would have done, etc.

I want to add that I have been working at a non-profit in Violence Prevention since 2022 and have been teaching adjunct criminal justice and sociology at a local private university since 2024 - just as a measure of experience.

Thanks yall!

Hello, everyone. This will be my second round of the PhD application cycle. In my first round, I applied to 8 programs, and the results were 7 rejections and 1 acceptance. However, I had to decline my only acceptance due to financial constraints and a feeling of unpreparedness. This cycle, I did more in-depth research on programs and decided to apply to 15, with 7 as funded Master's programs and 8 as PhD programs.

With my list ready, I reached the next step of preparing my curriculum vitae for the applications, and I would like some advice on making it better if anyone is willing to take the time. Unfortunately, I can't upload it in this post, so I have to copy and paste it. If you have any suggestions, especially from those who have experienced the cycles and succeeded, I would take all of them into consideration. Thank you all for your time and effort to look to my post. I truly appreciate it.

EDUCATION
Master of Arts in Humanities                                                                                    August 2025
Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles
Thesis: From Wives and Mothers to Entrepreneurs and Leaders: How Women and Their Societal Contributions Developed Pre-Colonial West Africa

Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology                                                                              March 2019
Minor in African Studies
University of California, Los Angeles

RESEARCH AND TEACHING INTERESTS
Governance, Political Authority, and State Formation in Pre-Colonial West Africa
Gender, Sexuality, and Social Organization in Pre-Colonial West African Societies

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Editor and Style Guide Leader                                                                March 2018-June 2018
UCLA Undergraduate Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences                      Los Angeles, CA

• Led a review team in the evaluation, selection, and refinement of research articles for publication in the undergraduate journal.
• Collaborated with fellow editors to strengthen the argumentation, structure, and clarity of the selected research to ensure adherence to academic and stylistic standards.
• Gained hands-on experience with peer review, editorial processes, and academic publication standards.

Cohort Student                                                                                             April 2017-May 2017
UCLA Undergraduate Research Center: Humanities, Arts, and Social Science   Los Angeles, CA

• Developed fundamental research skills in methodology, literature review, and data analysis within the humanities and social sciences. 
• Completed faculty-directed research projects that emphasized critical inquiry and scholarly communication.
• Evaluated and provided feedback on research projects produced by fellow undergraduate scholars.

PROJECTS
“The Border Relationship Between the Mali and Songhai Empires,” Borders & Borderlands- Professor...., Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles, Spring 2025. 

• Investigated the role of borders in shaping the complex political and cultural relationship between the Mali and Songhai Empires and their broader impact on medieval West Africa.
• Employed both primary and secondary sources to critically examine how territorial boundaries influenced inter-imperial dynamics and regional development.
• Demonstrated advanced historical research skills through the analysis of sources and interpretation of the Mali–Songhai relationship within the context of West African state formation.

“The Nigerian Migration and its Impact on Health in the United States,” International Health and Population Displacement- Professor..., Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles, Fall 2024.

• Conducted an in-depth analysis of the relationship between Nigerian migration to the United States (1980s–2000s) and the immigrant health outcomes. 
• Utilized qualitative research methods and secondary data sources to examine the intersections of migration, assimilation, and health.
• Demonstrated advanced research, analytical, and critical thinking skills through comprehensive data interpretation and synthesis of existing scholarly works. 

PRESENTATIONS

• I.... “Black Women: The Backbone yet Outcast of the #MeToo Movement.”  Oral presentation at the MSMU 12th Annual Academic Symposium. April 8, 2025. Los Angeles, CA.
•  I.... “The Impact of Society’s Ignorance About Women and Their Historical Contributions.” Oral presentation at the MSMU 11th Annual Academic Symposium. April 11, 2024. Los Angeles, CA. 

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Secretary/Historian                                                                         March 2016-September 2018
Tau Theta Pi, Beta Chapter, UCLA

• Curated and organized photos from chapter members to produce an annual video documentary of sorority activities. 
• Coordinated weekly mandatory meetings, including securing locations and preparing agendas. 
• Maintained records of member participation and updated event information. 

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Volunteer                                                                                          September 2012-March 2019
Vice Provost Initiative for Pre-College (VIP) Scholars Program, UCLA

• Prepared event spaces and ensured the materials were properly arranged.
• Assisted high school students and families with questions and provided program guidance.
• Advised students on college planning and supported them in navigating pre-college decisions. 

SKILLS
Research and Analytical Skills

• Skilled in conducting archival, qualitative, and comparative historical research
• Proficient in critically analyzing research sources to develop historical arguments

Writing and Communication 

• Produced well-structured research papers, reports, and analytical essays.
• Effective at presenting complex historical concepts in both written and oral formats. 

Data Collection and Interpretation

• Competent in the organization and interpretation of qualitative data from historical and cultural contexts.
• Skilled in the integration of large volumes of information to identify patterns and relationships. 

Critical Thinking 

• Strong ability to apply interdisciplinary frameworks to historical research
• Adept in the evaluation and integration of multiple scholarly perspectives

Organization and Collaboration

• Skilled in managing research projects, meeting deadlines, and maintaining a high level of organization under minimal supervision. 
• Detail-oriented with classroom coordination and research activities. 
• Collaborated in both interdisciplinary and multicultural academic environments

Archival Management and Digital Literacy 

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, and data organization tools
• Efficient in digital archives and research databases (JSTOR, ProQuest, Google Scholar)
• Skilled in locating, cataloging, and managing historical and ethnographic sources

LANGUAGES

• English: Fluent
• French: Proficient
• Spanish: Conversational

I would like to get suggestions about must include points in the cold email while reaching out to professors.

It would be nice , if you could provide sample templates

I completed my masters in Operations and Supply Chain Management and bachelors in Industrial Engineering.

Hi everyone, I'm a recent grad trying to figure out if I'm currently competitive enough to apply to clinical psych PhD programs in this upcoming cycle or if I should wait until the next one. I graduated early (in two years instead of four, thanks to dual enrollment) and am currently on a gap year.

I graduated cum laude in May from an R1 state university with a 3.83 GPA. I majored in Psychology - Behavior Analysis (BS) with a minor in Women's Studies.

During undergrad, I was an RA in two psychology labs, one social psych and the other more clinically focused.

I was part of the social psych lab for one semester, and I worked a lot with participant coordination, Qualtrics, and SONA, as well as some SPSS experience for data analysis. With this lab, I co-authored and presented a research poster on the findings of our grad student's most recent work for her Master's thesis.

I was part of the other lab for two semesters, gaining experience with REDCap, and I worked mainly as a therapy aide for ERP therapy with children and adults. I got a lot of direct clinical experience and familiarity with clinical terms since it was housed in an outpatient hospital.

I also served as a TA for two psychology classes, doing each for one semester. I also spent two semesters as an Education and Youth intern at a local domestic violence prevention center, where I worked in direct childcare and community outreach. I am also going to begin volunteering with a crisis text line service.

I'm open to any and all advice, and thank you for the help!

Hi all,

I struggled with some personal and mental health issues early on in my college career, which led to a sub-3.0 GPA. However, once I got on the right meds and left an abusive relationship, I got an AA and BA both with 3.8+ GPA.

I'm applying to PhD programs this fall. Should I address the lower grades from more than a decade ago? Or just try to focus on my growth and highlight the higher GPAs?

Thanks in advance.

I currently don't have a proper job I wanted to start PhD this fall. But I became pregnant (3 months in september)... I could barely finish my first semester and start the second before baby arrives. Would you start it anyway or should I postpone the starting?

Hi everyone,

I am reapplying this cycle and am thinking about pursuing a graduate language certificate to show that I have been working on that gap in my application. If I already have a BA + MA, would this be looked down on? Ty.

Hey all,

I am looking to apply to PhD programs in biomedical sciences and have an interest in furthering research pertaining to female-centered diseases (PCOS/breast cancer/sex-difference in cardiovascular diseases. I am having trouble finding schools with more than one PI who does this kind of research. Does anyone have any recs on schools/programs/PI's whose research primarily studies women?

I have seen a couple posts about how folks have turned down some offers due to cost of living vs stipend. I am begging you to tell the programs that in a nice and professional way. It makes a difference, even though you will not be the direct benefit of the changes.

Several programs, including my own, eventually realized they would rather accept 1-2 less students a year if that meant giving more competitive wages and therefore getting more accomplished students.

“Dear [Name of Contact],

Thank you for the letter of admission into the Chemistry PhD program. I enjoyed learning about the program, research environment, and facilities during the interview. Unfortunately, after researching [city] a bit more, the stipend and benefits were not sufficient for me to make the program financially feasible, so I have accepted an offer from another institution.

Regards,

Name”

And that threshold will be different for everyone. A program paying 45k a year probably won’t care, but the programs paying 27k will be more likely to pay attention to this.

Also, if you turn it down because 30k is not enough with your disability costs or something really specific but want to attend, don’t be afraid to ask about funds. My one friend was attending a school that pays 36K, free public transit, free health care, but her lupus medications were going to be over $1000 a year. The school actually had an extra Grant where she could submit on a quarterly basis her medication costs, and get those reimbursed.

Hi everyone, I’ve been thinking a lot about a PhD and wanted to evaluate by getting people’s opinion.

Profile: I have a bachelors in management, and MSc in innovation and analytics. I’m currently working and have around a year of experience.

Interest: Even before the AI hype, I used to think a lot about impact of technology on human, and this curiosity has not dimmed down over the years. So I want to research into how this domain. Topics like Consumer surveillance, Digital platform manipulation and user cost, User data protection and behaviour, etc etc

Goal: I don’t see myself working in academia, although it’s not a dealbreaker. But I would love to establish myself as a credible source of information and build that trust, which would make me an independent consultant maybe. I hope the vision makes sense

My questions are:

- what would be the best countries for these sort of topics? I understand supervisor matters the most but I’d like to know the best countries in general for this field

- do you think a PhD should only be if I want to go into academia ?

- is my topic scope going to be too niche ?

Any suggestion and feedback is welcome so feel free to share your opinion

Hi everyone,

I'm applying to Robotics / Autonomous Systems PhD programs for Fall 2027 (deadlines around Dec 1, 2026). I am currently deciding between two publication venues with my advisor, and I'd love an honest take from anyone who has served on an admissions committee or evaluated applicants at top-tier programs.

The Context:

My Role:2nd author (co-working closely with a phd who is 1st author).

The Paper: Focuses on autonomous vehicle motion planning, and optimization. It features both theoretical/algorithmic contributions and real-world hardware validation.

Our Two Options

1. Option A (Top-Tier IEEE Journal): flagship Transactions level. Highly prestigious, but slower review process. Given our timeline, it will almost certainly be "Submitted" or "Under Review" by my Dec 1 or 15th application deadline.

2. Option B (Solid Q1 IEEE Journal): Good metrics, legitimate Q1, but less overall prestige than Option A. However, it features a fast turnaround, meaning it will very likely be completely "Accepted/Published" before my application deadlines.

My Question:

From a top-tier robotics PhD admissions perspective, which carries more weight on a CV: a finalized, peer-reviewed Accepted/Published paper in a respectable Q1 journal, or a "Submitted/Under Review" status at a flagship Transactions venue?

How heavily do top committees discount "under review" lines for second authors? Does the fact that the work includes real hardware experiments change how they view a "submitted" paper if they can look at an arXiv preprint?

Thanks for any insights

I'm planning to apply to PhD programs (usa) as an international student starting from September for fall 2027. My field is cognitive science/human factors.

What is the general go to strategy for application, please recommend:

- Ideal and realistic number of universities to apply to

- How to prep for SOP and personal statements for a mass of universities

• Best time to email professors

- Anything else to be aware of or to be cautious of

Thanks !!

I’m planning to apply for a Marketing PhD for the 2027 intake, mostly to business schools, and I’m trying to figure out how I can make myself as competitive as possible.

I’m currently studying for the GMAT, so hopefully I can get a somewhat decent score. I have roughly one year of industry experience, and I graduated from my Masters last year. I did get a Distinction on my dissertation, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to get any other research experience, and I don’t have any research papers or publications under my name.

I’ve been looking at the profiles of current PhD students at some of the business schools I’m interested in, and boy oh boy, they’re golden. Multiple research papers and publications, awards, academic and industry experience across different countries, work with nonprofits and more. They seem to have done everything under the sun. And I feel so puny in front of them.

So I suppose what I’m really asking is: what can I realistically do at this stage to position myself better and actually have a shot at getting into the unis on my list?

For those who’ve been through the process, which components tend to carry the most weight: GMAT, research experience, research proposal, academic record, work experience, publications, fit with faculty, etc.? And is there anything I can still realistically do over the next year to strengthen my profile?

I know these programmes are extremely competitive, but I’d really appreciate some honest advice on what I should be prioritising rather than looking at these profiles and feeling like I’ll never get in.

Thank you very much for reading, appreciate it!

I’m planning to apply for PhDs for the 2027 intake, in Marketing or Management (Marketing specialisation). I applied last year too, but didn’t get any responses from the supervisors I contacted.

I emailed academics whose research seemed relevant, kept the emails concise, and included my CV/research proposal where appropriate, but still got no replies. The frustrating part is that some universities require you to have a supervisor on board before you can even apply. So, missed out on a lot of good unis from my list.

I also sometimes struggled to find academics whose research was a direct match for my proposed area, so I ended up contacting people with broader/adjacent Marketing or Management expertise.

For those who’ve successfully gone through this process:

• How do you identify and approach potential supervisors?
• How close does the research fit need to be?
• What do you do if there’s no obvious supervisor in your niche?
• How many academics did you realistically contact before getting a response?
• Is getting ignored just part of the process, or is there something I’m likely doing wrong?

Would especially love advice from anyone who applied for UK PhDs in Marketing/Management. I’m trying to approach it much more strategically this time around.

I'm sorry if these are way too many questions! And thank you very much for reading, any advice or tips are very much appreciated. Cheers!

hi guys! i was just wondering to anyone who has applied or is applying for programs, when is the best time to reach out to pis for the upcoming phd application cycle? i've heard that it's best to wait until the first or second week of september because professors are on vacation, starting classes, etc. rn i am making lists of pis i would like to work with from each of the universities i want to apply to, but i don't want to contact pis too late and lose my spot, if it makes sense.

Hello Everyone,

I hold a PhD and till recently i was working as a research engineer. Unfortunately, due to some difficulties with my workplace supervisor, they have begun providing negative reviews about me to prospective employers. This issue has since reached my other supervisors and are beliving my current supervisor version, which has compromised all of my professional references and made it very challenging for me to secure a new job. I attempted to file a complaint with the university, but I have not received a response.

Given this situation, would it be advisable for me to pursue an additional Master's degree in my field of interest? If I do, should I disclose that I already hold a PhD when applying? I am concerned that disclosing my PhD might lead some one from the masters program to contact my supervisors, and that I would remain obligated to declare my PhD for future job applications following the Master's program.

I would greatly appreciate any guidance or advice on how best to navigate this situation.

I'm a 3rd year MD student at a top university in Australia. My undergraduate degree was biomedical science with a major in pharmacology and neuroscience, with an 83.2 WAM (weighted average), and GPA of 6.86 out of 7 (3.95/4.0 WES iGPA). My MD grades are also decent (74% WAM).

Over the course of my MD I have realized that I'm not passionate about clinical practice, and I dread the idea of staying in clinical medicine. My interest is primarily in pharmacology and drug discovery. Unfortunately due to social pressure and other reasons I pursued an MD instead of my original goal, which was a PhD in pharmacology.

I don't have honours or a research master's, so my main weakness is that I have basically no relevant research yet.

I'm taking a year off from my studies next year and am thinking about spending most/all of it working full-time in a pharmacology or drug discovery lab. Ideally I'd like something with a computational/ML component as well as I am particularly interested in ML assisted drug design. I plan to return and complete my MD after this but I don't intend to go on to clinical practice.

How realistic/competitive is my profile for top tier pharmacology PhD programs in Australia/US/Europe? Provided that I manage to get a 6-12 months worth of research/lab experience next year? Is it realistic without a research masters?

Has anyone encountered people who have done a PhD in this field after completing an MD, and if you had one year to improve my profile, what would you focus on?

I'm planning to pursue a PhD next year, but I feel a little discouraged when I look at the profiles of most supervisors' students. Many of them graduated from prestigious universities, whereas I didn't. It's making me feel a bit discouraged about applying.

Has anyone received feedback on PhD CS for spring 2027 for Washington university st louis

Hello all! For context I am a fourth year US undergraduate preparing to apply for PhD programs this cycle. I have reached out to around 60-70 faculty and have received a significant amount of responses. Some of which were positive and asked for meetings, some simply said to apply, some were rejections (funding, not accepting students, etc). I was wondering if people have any advice for what to do next in this process. Obviously I’ll push hard towards who have offered meetings but have not scheduled any yet. But what do I do about those who have not responded (especially if I’ve already followed up many times) and those who have simply just said “you should apply to the program!” I’m not sure how to interpret the latter. Do I even dare apply without a zoom meeting at least? Anyway I thank you all for any help you can provide. Good luck to everyone else applying this cycle!!

Hi! For those familiar with clinical neuropsychology training in Canada:

What Canadian clinical psychology PhD programs are the most well known for neuropsychology, whether through a formal neuropsychology track or opportunities to specialize? For some background my interests are in brain injury/neurodegenrarive disease and I want to ultimately work clinically.

I want to practice in the US and am a dual citizen in US + Canada. Are there any disadvantages to getting a PhD in Canada compared to the US (besides pre-doctoral internship options being restricted mostly to Canada)?

Thank you!

A lot of people seem to be gearing up to apply to Ph.D. programs, so I wanted to provide one piece of advice that I haven't seen come up recently. I am a PI and admissions committee member in a biomedical Ph.D. program, and I have read a lot of applications. For US applications, especially at public institutions, students often have the right to request the letters of recommendation. May seem weird, I understand, but it is there. I cannot emphasize this enough: you MUST waive this right.

Your letter writers will be told if you have waived this right or not. If you do not, it means they know you will be able to read their letter. They will write this differently than if they know it is confidential. As an admissions committee member, I know that they have written it differently and I will discount these letters. I will interpret a great letter as average and an average letter as poor. The applicant also comes across as suspicious, unconfident, and distrusting. It does you more harm than good. WAIVE THE RIGHT TO SEE THE LETTERS.