WISE cosponsors grad school application panel

This November WISE cosponsored an informational panel on applying to grad school. The PhD candidate panelists included Cara Hartz, a 3rd year in pharmaceutical sciences; Amy Payeur, who is in chemistry; Michelle Adan, who is studying physics; Blair Sutton from neuroscience; and Kamali Sripathi, a first year in medicinal chemistry. The panelists spoke with 20 students.

General consensus was that students should cast a wide net when researching schools and then apply to a narrower range (five of ten seemed like an average figure); they got suggestions from professors and made their selections based on criteria geography and academic standings. Contacting students at potential schools can also give you a feel for the environment there.

An important part of applying to grad school is obtaining good faculty recommendations, and this should be done sooner rather than later. Another important element for many students was researching what faculty at their potential schools were doing.

Part of the process of applying to grad school is the inevitable statement of purpose, along with research summaries and personal statements. These cover information like: who I am, what I have done, what I want to do, why I think this program would be a good fit, experience that sets me apart, and my work style. Applicants should make the most of the statement of purpose and show strong research experience.

Another workshop will follow in the spring on how to choose a school once accepted.

December 2008 eNews

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