GRAD SCHOOL 101:
NAVIGATING THE GRAD SCHOOL APPLICATION PROCESS IN ECOLOGY-RELATED FIELDS
October Seminar 2021
Check out our Field Guides grad school application cheat sheet:
full of hints and tips for the PhD application process!
No need to rush! Grad school is a long commitment.
WHY GRAD SCHOOL?
I had worked as a research technician for several years, so I knew I liked doing research, but I wanted to ask my own questions!
I waited 16 years after my BS in biology to apply to graduate school! I didn't have much experience as an undergraduate with research and the small amount of research I did conduct was completely unappealing to me at the time. It wasn't until I was helping high school students conduct their own research that I was realized that I myself wanted to pursue a graduate degree. It took another two years after making that decision to determine what I wanted to work on (type of program and research) and who I wanted to work with.
I decided to go to grad school because I wanted to learn more about why some plants can grow in pretty degraded ecosystems but sometimes not in healthy ones. I also love the life style academia offers so that was another plus.
WHY GRAD SCHOOL?
YOU ARE EXCITED ABOUT
RESEARCH!
MASTERS?
PhD?
↘
↘
MASTERS
PhD
I chose a PhD because I wanted to do big research and get the credential that would qualify me to teach in higher education or to be in charge of a lab. Also I'm the sort of person who has basically always chosen the most rigorous option for myself.
I did an internship at Smithsonian in Panama because I wasn't sure if I was ready to go to grad school for a masters or a PhD. After meeting a bunch of PhD students, working on their projects and learning about their PhD experiences I realized that was ready to commit to a PhD.
Given that I am a mid-level career shifter and had already been working for 15 years, I didn't feel like I had time to get a Masters degree. Secondarily, I already have a Master's degree and while that process was worthwhile, I didn't want to pay for another Master's degree and then go onto a PhD. If I wasn't accepted into a PhD program this past cycle, I anticipated applying to a few MS programs that had onramps to a PhD program.
MASTERS OR PhD?
I started with a masters to start because it was easiest for me to understand and seemed most attainable at the time. I knew I wanted to study plants but wasn’t sure about what I specifically wanted to study beyond that.
I chose to do a masters first because a lot of the positions that I was interested in, e.g., researcher 2 and 3 and government jobs, only required a masters level degree. I also only had guaranteed funding for a masters. By starting with a masters, I had a better sense of what I wanted to study, was able to apply for grants and fellowships to fund my PhD, and the majority of my coursework was completed already.
MASTERS OR PhD?
APPLICATION TIMELINE
~ 1 year prior to program start
Disclaimer:
There is no ‘right’ way to apply to programs. Each applicant and application is unique.
Feel free to use the following timeline as a guide - but move at your own pace. It is ok to start earlier or later!
Honing interests
Finding programs
Finding potential advisors
Testing
(GRE/TOEFL)
Fellowships
Contacting potential advisors
Prepping CV
Meet with potential advisors
Finalize written statements
Submit applications
Interviews
Program selection
Honing interests
Finding programs
Finding potential advisors
Testing
(GRE/TOEFL)
Fellowships
Contacting potential advisors
Prepping CV
FOCUS OF SEMINAR TODAY
Meet with potential advisors
Finalize written statements
Submit applications
Interviews
Program selection
SUMMER
Decide what you want to study
Research graduate programs
Identify potential advisors
1
2
3
May - August
WHAT DO YOU WANT
TO STUDY?
IDENTIFY POTENTIAL
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
IDENTIFY POTENTIAL
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Other things to consider:
WHAT MAKES A STRONG PROGRAM?
IDENTIFY POTENTIAL
ADVISORS
FALL
Organize your CV
Contact potential advisors
Begin applications
Apply for fellowships
Study/take GRE (if needed)
1
2
3
August - October
4
5
ORGANIZE YOUR CV
CONTACT POTENTIAL ADVISORS
Send an short and direct email
Don't be discouraged if you don't hear back immediately
Don't take it personally if you never hear back
WHAT MAKES A GOOD
INTRODUCTORY EMAIL?
Parts 1 and 2 can be the same text sent to multiple potential advisors:
Parts 3 -5 should be personalized to the specific lab:
Parts 1 and 2 can be the same text sent to multiple potential advisors:
3. Why you think their lab would be a good fit.
4. What you think you could study in their lab.
5. Ask if you can chat over phone/Skype/Zoom
BEGIN APPLICATIONS
FELLOWSHIPS
This can help:
FELLOWSHIPS: NSF-GRFP
If interested in applying next year, we highly suggest getting paired with a grad student mentor!
Contact us at fieldguides@umn.edu
TESTING: GRE/TOEFL
Ecology/Life science programs typically do not
place a ton of weight on GRE scores.
LATE FALL &
WINTER
Meet with potential advisors
Finalize written statements
Submit applications!
1
2
October - December
3
SPRING
Interviews
Select program
Celebrate!
1
2
February - April
3
Look for Field Guides Seminar on preparing for interviews in December!
Check out our Field Guides document full of hints and tips for the PhD application process!
That PIs valued diversity in experience. Initially, I felt that my work experience and short list of previous research experiences put me at a disadvantage in the application cycle. Throughout the application cycle, I realized that my other skills were attractive and that I could leverage my experiences to my advantage when interviewing.
I also want to note that acceptance is also about luck. Finding a PI is who is a good fit AND has funding availability, felt like finding a needle in a haystack. I used a spreadsheet to keep track of everything.
I checked everything out really carefully before I applied. I guess things I'm glad I knew to check out: finding a good match with your advisor - you need someone who is willing to be flexible in the ways you need them to be flexible; Department support: summer support and health insurance (not all departments do this); and Grad student community: I didn't get this until Welcome Week when I visited campus, but the students in this department felt supported by the department and supported by one another (This is DEFINITELY not the case everywhere).
WHAT CURRENT GRADS WISH THEY KNEW WHEN THEY WERE APPLYING...
I wish I knew more about how the application process works and that sometimes you can request an exception from application fees.
Grad school is hard. It's worth it if you have that burning desire for the long term commitment to research (I have loved grad school and I'd do it again in a heartbeat). But finding the right program for you is critical. Also, my best advice is to just get a therapist in your first year and see one for your entire graduate career.
I worked with a group of people at Project Short that helped me tremendously. This is a free program where you are matched up with a person who recently went through the graduate school application process. Your mentor can offer a number of different things such as reading your application materials, giving advice (Zoom/phone/email), explaining their mistakes, offering encouragement, etc. Lastly, the organization also offered mock interviews and other large group help sessions.
WHAT CURRENT GRADS WISH THEY KNEW WHEN THEY WERE APPLYING...
?