I thought it would be timely to talk about ph.d. programs as some students might be considering getting involved for a doctoral program in the following year, the Fall 2011 semester.
Okay, so this is all from personal experience. Take it with a grain of salt, haha.
So at some point, you might decide that you want to pursue more school after getting a bachelor's degree. There's probably a good chance you know this. Let's face it, people doing well in their program, or those who have been successful in a particular area want to specialize in it. Of course there are all sorts of options after completing a bachelors - certifications, graduate school masters programs and of course ph.d. programs.
The field I am in is psychology, and I think early on the better idea you know of what you want to do, the more successful your application will be. If you are just entering college now, or are still a lower classman, consider finding ways to get experience outside of the classroom. In psychology for instance, you can take labs with professors to work on research. Other subjects require tutors, and have additional experiences that would be helpful; it really would be program specific.
In 2009, I applied originally for 13 doctoral programs in the field of I-O Psychology. I got accepted to one program (Alliant University), and had interviews with several, and the whole process was just riveting. While I didn't get accepted this year, I learned a valuable amount of information about how to apply in the future.
Learn from my mistakes. Here are 5 mistakes to avoid when applying for ph.d. programs
1) Limiting Schools You are Applying Too - Okay so here's the thing. Each application is going to a very long time to finish. You have to complete an application, have transcripts, letters of recommendation, essay for the school, and also supplemental forms usually too. Each application cost me at least $40 dollars, usually more, and took over an hour to complete.
Now the more schools you apply for, concievably the better your chances. For instance one of my peers was accepted to a midwestern school and applied to 16 schools. Do what you feel is right, for your time and resources, but be realistic about the number of programs you can connect to.
2) Essays, Make them relevant to the Program - You need to be insanely specific about the type of program you want to be in, the research you plan on doing, and the professor you want to work with. If you don't know, create experiences to learn what intersts you. Join clubs, become active in research labs, travel the globe, read a book.
The more planning you can do on your front-end, the more likely that will reflect well in your personal essays. And your one step closer to being accepted.
3) Letters of Recommendation - Lots of programs are going want to know who recommends you. Letters of recommendation can make or break your application. A positive letter can make up for a poor GRE score, or maybe even a bad score in a class. This is the closest the panel of reviewers will come to learning about your character outside of actually meeting you.
My advice. Be upfront. Ask for a strong and positive letter of recommendation. In most situtations, you will not read these letters of recommendation, so it's essential that you have that verbal trust with the person you ask to recommend you. Ideally, the people you ask a) have a lot of experience with you work b) have relevance to the program your interested in.
Most people are more then willing to help you in this process, but very clear about your expectations for a letter, and even recap the experiences you've had with that professor or manager.
4) Ask Relevant Questions, to Relevant People - Again, most people are willing to help, but it's on you to guide them. The more information you have about what you want: your school, your research, your personal goals, your future; the more specified answers someone can give you.
It's so simple, but so important. This is a good time to get in touch with professors and others who have been through a similar process. Just make sure you respect their time, their intelligence and their resources, and you will be creating even stronger bonds.
5) Stay in Touch with the Programs - Learn what is going on at those universities. Reach out to students and professors currently there. Act in a way that assumes you are going to get accepted to that school. It's just like applying to a job - do your homework, do your follow-up.
People hire who they like, and if you are putting yourself out there as a serious student who wants to be involved with the university, you are going to receive a positive reaction.
Do you want to send 500 emails to the professor you want to research with? Nooo.
But make yourself known.
Good Luck!
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