So you want to apply to graduate school?

[ X-Post from r/GradSchool ]

It's about that time again, where people start applying to graduate school and asking all sorts of questions about the application process, etc. This last year I had the opportunity of being on our school's graduate admissions committee, and thought I would share some thoughts on the process and how you can maximize your chances for getting in to the school of your choice.

I work in a Biology department at an R1 institution with ~40 Ph.D. and 10 master's students. We're not Ivy League, but what our department does, we do very well. I suspect most R1 bio departments are similar. The information below is tailored to applicants for this type of program, though it should be applicable to most hard science programs where they pay you pretty well to go to school.

Our application process opens in August and closes in January, with interviews occurring between Feb and March, and acceptance/rejection letters start going out in April. We accept, on average, 4-6 Ph.D. students a year. Last year we had 5, however the year prior we had 12. Those 5 students came from a pool of ~50 domestic and ~50 international students. Don't be afraid of those numbers--theres a few things you can do to improve your chances a lot:

1.) Be a domestic applicant - Times are hard, and it costs a lot to fly in international students. Only the most stellar international applicants will be interviewed.

2.) Complete the damn application. Make sure you've completed everything you need to complete. This includes filling in your GRE scores, personal statements, grades, research statements, getting those letters of rec, etc.

3.) Apply as soon as possible. Applications are considered as they come. If you are a good applicant, you can get a invitation to interview a month ahead of the application deadline.

4.) GPA. GPA should be, at a minimum, above a 3.0. Average acceptance last year was fairly low at a 3.4. If your GPA is below a 3, you have to do a lot of ass kicking to get in. Our department has to write a letter to the college if we want to accept someone under a 3.

5. GRE: GRE scores are less important for us than say a philosophy department, but it's an important factor to prove you're literate. Quantitative should be nearing the 90th percentile. Verbal should be above 75%.

6.) Letters: Good letters of recommendation are worth their weight in gold. Choose people that have known you for a while and can accurately evaluate your potential for success in graduate school. If you don't have a relationship with several professors, it's going to be hard for us to evaluate you. If two of your three letters are neutral or negative, you won't be considered.

7.) Experience: Successful applicants will have some significant history of research. Publications are also worth their weight in gold. Be able to talk about what you have done.

8.) Statements: I rejected many applicants because they couldn't put together a cogent statement of purpose/research. Take some time to write something that is good. Run it by some of your professors and peers to vet it. Great statements stand out.

9.) Communication. Be quick in your replies from your schools of interest. Also, write well-formulated, courteous responses. Admissions committee members may contact you by email--reply quickly and for the love of god try to use correct grammar.

10.) Problem areas: If you are defficient in an area (poor chem grades or bad GRE) TALK ABOUT IT. Do not ignore it. Try not to make excuses but explain as best you can. Also, it helps if your letter writers know about your skeletons so they can talk about them too.

11.) Interviews: If you've been called for an interview, you are up for consideration. Congratulations, your chances for an acceptance letter just went from 5% to 60%. Dress approprately. Know who you are interviewing with and what they do. Be able to communicate your science and understand the interviewer's science before they ask you about it. Ask smart questions and dont do anything stupid. ALSO, be nice to the graduate students--they are secretly vetting you too. Feel free to relax when they take you out, but dont get in a fight, pissing match, or talk down to anyone. We are evaluating your potential to be successful, and your mental stability.

Overall, good applicants will stand out. It's easy to separate the top 25% from the bottom 75%. Once you're in that top quarter, though, it's really hard to look good. Solid letters and experience will help you the most here.

Good luck applicants!

Edit: Just to clarify, the above information is most appropriate for those entering a biomedical Ph.D. program, but may be applicable to other programs.