“There is timing in everything. But timing in strategy cannot be mastered without a great deal of practice.” Miyamoto Musashi, Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer and rōnin
Career Development Services (CDS), IITGN recently organised three workshop sessions sparsed across the month of November. Conducted for the UG and PG students, the workshop focused on providing the tips and tricks of submitting effective graduate-school applications to them. The workshop, titled Putting Your Best Foot Forward: Preparing effective grad school applications, was conducted by Prof Himanshu Shekhar of Electrical Engineering at IITGN. The topics covered during the workshop included the admission processes of universities abroad and their respective timelines, criteria for shortlisting universities while submitting applications, preparing productive application material such as curriculum vitae and statement of purpose, and the strategies for contacting faculty members seeking a position in their group. Professor Shekhar also highlighted the distinctions between masters and PhD applications and busted some common myths associated with the process.
The first part of the session kicked off with the basic question – Why Grad School? Because it expands one’s qualifications and influence, and provides a launching pad for exploring various research areas. It also paves the way for promotion and increase in salary, and is often a great opportunity to gain work experience abroad. Emphasising on the importance of application timelines, Professor Shekhar discussed how a masters’ degree is different from a PhD.
How to choose between pursuing a Masters’ and a PhD? “A Masters’ is more about gaining specialised knowledge whereas a PhD is more of creating specialised knowledge. It trains you to identify a problem and tackle it scientifically,” said Professor Shekhar. “One should consider the long-term goal viz. how much time one can invest and funding-related issues, to name a few,” he continued. Although a PhD is essential for a career in academia, it is also valued in research and development-focused positions in the industry.
The next significant concern is selecting the right school for applying. There are numerous criteria and considerations. One may not be familiar with the universities abroad. The rankings of universities based on academics, research, infrastructure, facilities, future prospects, etc. could be the starting point. It is crucial to shortlist schools based on the right type of rankings. For example: according to the highly-regarded US news rankings, Harvard University occupies the sixth position worldwide in Physics rankings and 21st position in engineering. These numbers also vary department-wise. Also, the rankings are a valuable reference but do not set arbitrary ranking cut-offs for selecting universities. Therefore, one must consider whether the university can help him/her achieve their long-term goals.
Faculty of one’s current institute plays an essential role in the hunt for the right future university. Their advice, feedback and letters of recommendation form the backbone of this process. They can also put one in touch with the faculty of a good grad school based on their experience and network, which serves as a boost. Moreover, programmes such as student exchange for research internships and projects can also pave the way for admission to a particular (target) college or university, based on the student’s performance there. It constitutes direct experience on the student’s part. Another important factor is communication with the current students and alumni of the target institute to get honest reviews. In present times, social media (Linkedin/ ResearchGate) could serve as a great platform to have such discussions. Exploring the faculty and student profiles helps in acquiring in-depth knowledge of the target school.
Looking into the average standardised examination scores (e.g. Graduate Record Examination) which that school accepts can also help assess one’s prospects. Furthermore, books, blogs and articles from reputed sources help in gaining an understanding of these schools. In the words of Professor Shekhar, “After zeroing-in on some schools based on the above factors, gathering information about their research and professional environment benefits in narrowing of one’s choices further. Consider the potential of the research ecosystem to support multidisciplinary projects and provide rigorous training in research and communication skills. One should also be aware of the availability of financial-aid opportunities viz. fellowships, assistantships, fee-waivers and loans at the target institute. Analysing the graduate outcomes – the ability to launch a successful career after graduating – is yet another principle feature to consider.”
Based on the above factors, one should select 8-10 schools to apply and choose schools in the “ambitious, moderate and safe-bet categories” depending on self-assessment of academic accomplishments, standardised test scores and CV. After all, plan B might come in handy if plan A doesn’t work!
The third crucial step is preparing and managing one’s CV, personal statement/SOP and letters of recommendation. Approaching the individual faculty members of the target institute via email comes after it. Identify two or more research groups (instead of just one) with whom one would like to work. Try to cast a wider net both in terms of research interests along with the potential advisors; it enhances the chances of a successful outcome.
It is advisable to frame the email body, bearing in mind one’s strengths, skill sets and how they can be beneficial in pursuing the research in question. Align these traits in a way that matches with the goals of the said research groups, highlighting the impact they can potentially have on one’s career. Following the prescribed set of guidelines while writing these documents is also a must.
The second part of the session started with discussions around the salient points for effective SOP writing. “One approach to writing a good SOP is to think of it as a story; it could include a narrative component followed by descriptive and persuasive components. Focus on what brought you here and where do you plan to go in the future. It is your perfect chance to show your skills – so give specific examples to support your statements. Do not just list your virtues; in the absence of specific examples, the evaluators have no reason to believe you! Explain why you are a good fit for a particular research group and an institute. Navigate crisply between your motivation, relevant research background, personal (curricular and extra-curricular) experiences, and short- and long-term goals. Clearly state your reason to fit at the target institution. For example, you could mention how your research interests and personal qualifications/values are aligned with those of the institution. Also, mention how pursuing your education at that particular institution will help you achieve your long-term goals. Work very hard and be very specific and organised – spend enough time to draft, edit and re-edit it. Seek feedback from your colleagues and mentors to improve it further,” explained Professor Shekhar.
Continuing further, he explained the importance of persuasive recommendation letters to the participants, and hence, the need to get them done correctly. It is always better to approach the professors who know the student well, through multiple courses and/or research experiences. The student should provide them with the CV, SOP, bulleted list of accomplishments, transcripts, precise details of the target institutes along with their deadlines and contact information, and enough time to write these letters. The students should follow up with the professors (politely!) to ensure that the letters are submitted timely.
Establishing a correspondence with the professor of a particular research group at the target institute is always a good idea. It smoothens the application process up to a great extent. Approach with an email to confirm whether that lab is interested in taking students. The subject line should be informative with a brief description of one’s accomplishments, preparations and the reason to work with them. For example, IIT undergraduate seeing potential PhD position in (specific area/keyword of mutual interest). The subject should not be more than 10 words. Do not address the professor as “Dear sir or sir/madam; it appears like a generic/spam email. One could use “Dear Prof X. The email body should not be too long; consider that professors get dozens of such emails daily. Two brief, well-written paragraphs should do the trick. Be concise, confident, and avoid writing vague content. Do not patronise the professor (e.g. “I think that your work is of good quality”), rather explain what makes you interested in their work. Do not plead, “Please give me a kind opportunity to work under your guidance”, remember that hiring a good student is a win-win situation. Attach your (brief) CV and wait patiently for the response, following which more detailed communication can be initiated. Use LinkedIn or ResearchGate as an alternative means of communication with faculty, but avoid using Facebook. Lastly, consider the entire situation by putting yourself in their shoes; it gives the hang of what to do.
The third and last session of this workshop began with a simple yet crucial question – CV or Resume?
The difference between the two lies in the layouts and purpose of these documents. A CV details the whole course of a candidate’s academic career and comprises of name, contact, research interests, education, work experience, awards and recognitions, publications, presentations, certifications, activities related to aspirations, volunteer work, professional memberships and references. On the other hand, a resume is the summarisation of the candidate’s skills and work experience. Mainly, academic purposes utilise CVs and resumes find their use in non-academic job applications.
While preparing any of these documents, considering the sequence of topics is of utmost importance. Avoid typos, redundancy and fancy formatting. Use a formal and grammatically correct language, strong verbs during description (example, pursued instead of did) and professional email id. While describing one’s research projects, do not just state the protocols or programmes followed but also stress on the broader picture, such as the long-term goal of the project, the hypothesis tested, etc. Lack of a broader picture may make one seem like a technician rather than a researcher/scientist. In terms of presenting the information, students should consider the right word choice. For example, if one created, developed or evaluated something in one’s project, it is generally considered more impactful than using the words ‘did’, ‘implemented’, or ‘programmed’.
Towards the end, Professor Shekhar expressed, “Be organised, have a coherent and compelling story, seek help, don’t feel intimidated, and have fun applying!“
The workshop concluded with the exchange of many interesting questions and answers between Professor Shekhar and the participants. He also reviewed their SOPs and CVs, highlighting the positives and negatives, and guiding on how to improve upon various aspects.
| The article is authored by Apeksha Srivastava (Senior Project Associate, External Communications, IITGN) with inputs from Prof Himanshu Shekhar (Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering, IITGN). |