I just cannot make myself work on something where I’m supposed to go on about how awesome I am when my transcript shows, like, abject failure. 2.7 GPA, a million withdrawals, took 8 years to graduate. I have to imagine the admissions committee is going to take one look and think “seriously who does this woman think she is”. I know I have a lot of other stuff going for me (been working in the field for 12+ years, already have a professor who wants me, great references, some medical issues that contributed to the terrible transcript)…but is that really enough? I feel like it’s not. Just incredibly anxious right now and need to vent. And some words of encouragement if you have them.

Long story short, I know funding for master’s programs is few and far between. That’s why I uprooted my life to move to the one school that gave me full funding (GTA, summer GRA, tuition waiver, stipend, health insurance).

When I signed my offer letter it stated I was guaranteed 4 semesters of funding. 5th semester only if it was in budget. I never planned on going into a 5th semester anyways.

But still, just heard through the grapevine that the College at the university that my department is in is restructuring and planning on cutting master’s students funding for next year. I figured that would apply only to master’s students who are incoming, not current ones. But they might cut it even for existing master’s students because our offer letters were “loose” and not fully “secure”. What???

Are they able to just take away funding?? I’m a 4.0 student and was rated 4.92/5 and 5/5 on my GTA surveys by my students in each lab. I’m performing well. I care about this position. I care about everything here!

But I’m panicking because without funding I’ll have to drop out and my entire life’s plans of PhD and research about a subject I am so passionate about will all go down the drain.

As the title says, my labmate joined our lab a year ago. I have been in this lab for 3 years but she has prior experience at her undergrad institute. We are in computational genetics (sequence analysis and alignment) and we both did research in another area (ML stuff) at the same place. We have the same degree from different institutions (hers more prestigious than mine). I am just curious what would happen if a program sees two applicants from the same lab and same recommender. I have gotten emails back from PIs saying they look forward to my application but since she is applying too I am assuming they will see the both of our applications. How does adcomm decide if two people come from the same place?

Our PI has connections to the places we are applying and I have a feeling they might call him to possibly break a tie if both of our apps pass an initial screening. How likely is it that if two people fit that they will admit both?

EDIT : Sorry for posting my vent thoughts here. I didn't know who else to go to at the odd hour and thought it might help calm me down. I feel awkward fully deleting because some nice people messaged, but I get it. I'm a mess who prolly can't handle the stress of a phd. Ignore the post entirely, I'm a sensitive bitch and ig internet isn't for me. /s

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hi I know this is more of a rant, but idk I feel like my heart is beating out of its chest. this post is going to be so deliriously written, im so sorry.

I know that it is possible to overcome lower grades with research experiences / pubs and I do have a lot of those. and I did improve my grades in my masters and they're better, not the best but better. (I just got medicated for adhd, im not mentioning that in application but just for your context for why my grades were terrible, I know that)

My undergrad grading scheme as following

A+ = 10, A = 10, A- = 9, B = 8, B- = 7, C = 6, C- = 5, D =4, F = fail = 2

this grade conversion to the US GPA is compulsory for some colleges and using Scholaro and what not, my gpa usually comes out to be ~3.5. which is not the greatest. but doable since I have a masters to make up for it.

But the grading conversion system for this college is (compulsory)

"The worksheet defines A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, and F = 0. For intermediate grades, add or subtract 0.3 (e.g., B+ = 3.3 and A− = 3.7). An A+ is capped at 4.0."

This literally lowers my grades from 3.5 to 3.12 since I did not have a B+, C+.D+ etc in undergrad, so it goes from A (3.7) to B(3) to B-(2.7) to C(2)

And I know I brought this upon myself but I feel like throwing up. I had had a meeting with a professor at this college and was so excited to apply since he seemed really receptive. (professors have a say in this program after initial selection, it becomes almost direct recruitment) but now I feel like this grading system has ruined any chances I had and I can't calm down.

I'm so sad, I had a call with my mom and she told me how great I was doing, but I feel like I'm just having constant panic attacks. I hate that I'm such a disappointment, I hate that she has this false faith in me when I know that this cycle is going to be the same as the last one. I hate disappointing everyone who has these hopes for me.

I love research, but these applications makes me feel like I'm being crushed under my failures and worthlessness. I can't stop spiralling. why does working make me feel on the top of my world and why do applications make me feel like the most useless person ever.

Hi everyone :) I am currently applying for a MSCA (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions) doctoral position (in the field of chemistry/chemical biology) and I was wondering what questions I could expect from the interviewers?

Will they ask more about the research I did during my studies or will they ask me more about the topic of the doctoral position?

I have also heard that you will have to present your master's thesis for the MSCA interviews. Is that true? And how will the presentation of the master's thesis look like? Was it a presentation with slides?

Maybe some of you who applied for a MSCA position and got invited to the interviews might be able to help me out. 😄

For anyone who got accepted, do you have any tips on how you got the position? Any information and tips about the MSCA application/interview would be of great help since I do not know anyone personally who has went through the MSCA application process. I know it is very competitive, so I would like to be as prepared as possible.

I would be super thankful for anyone who could share some information about their experience! Thank you so much in advance already!

Hi all, I reached out to my former senior project advisor to ask for LORs and she is able to write them (yay!), but for only 3 of the 4 schools I am applying to. Does anyone know what might be the cause of this? I worry she thinks I am not suited for the program.
Thank you in advance.

Hey Everyone! I am currently an undergraduate senior planning to apply to clinical psychology phd programs this year. I have never made a CV before, so I would love advice about how to optimize the experiences I have and make me a more competitive applicant. I know the chances of admission are slim, but I am applying to mostly R2/R3 schools to have better chances. I think my goal is to at least get one or two interviews to improve for next cycle. Any advice about how to improve my CV, present my experiences/research in interviews/my SOP, and interview tips are super helpful. Also just advice about the graduate school application process is very appreciated!!!

Also some additional context:
- I will have two more posters by submission time. The first is my honors thesis which will be submitted to a regional conference. The second is a poster from one of my labs which will be submitted to a national conference.
- All the posters/presentations I was first author.

I’m preparing for English PhD and my project is about Victorian and neo-victorian literature (mainly in neo-vic). I have chosen three novels and a professor I contact suggests it would be rather few for a PhD. Then usually how much is the appropriate choice? And should I reach a balance like two for Vic and two for neo-Vic? Or mayby all in neo-victorian literature? Sometimes it really costs time to find a suitable one🥹

I'm about to graduate uni and is in the process of applying for Master. I hope that someone that has been on the same page can help me answer some question

1. Should I wait until I have my full transcript to start applying ? I'm currently at 86-87 (out of 100) now, which is around 3.4 - 3.6. My grade expected after this last year is gonna be around 89-90 which is 3.7 - 4. Maybe my GPA will look better in the admission's eyes if I wait ?
2. I tanked my first few sems pretty bad. Withdrawal from 4 classes across 3 sems (only one of them is a core requirement related to my major, the rest is just university elective) and failed a core class pretty bad. I was going through lots then, and after getting back up and started to get my ADHD treated, I've retake all the classes and get an A+ then. Realistically, would that tanked my academic profile, or worse will they just stop being intersted in my profile ?
3. I'm more confident about my publish than my internship, mainly cause I'm international and unsure if my internship at a local company holds much weight. But after graduate I want to work in a less techniclal industry (I'm doing and informatics degree right now, thinking abt applying to data science/mis) and was thinking about applying to an applied program rather than a research program. Should I apply for the research one just for the sake of competitiveness on my publishing aspect ?

I hope these questions doesn't seem too paranoid, my parents only give me one chance for grad school and if I didn't get in would probably have to join the work force which I dread lol. Any pointers would be well appreciated !

I took GRE test today my unofficial score is 313 158 quant and 155 verbal, my toefl is 110/120 (5.5) , my GPA is 3.87 I am targeting 5 phd programs in pharmacoepidemiology in Canada and USA but I am not sure if my score is harmful or neutral for my application

Hi everyone!

I'm planning to pursue a Master's in the USA and am looking for universities with a strong focus on Digital VLSI, RTL Design, ASIC Design Verification, and Computer Architecture.

A little about my background:

• Bachelor's in Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) from India
• CGPA: 7.93/10
• Interested in RTL design, SystemVerilog, UVM, Computer Architecture, and digital IC design

I'm specifically interested in the digital side of VLSI rather than analog or RF design. My goal is to build a career in the semiconductor industry, preferably in RTL Design or Design Verification roles.

Hello, I am looking into some Japanese literature focused masters programs in Canada right now but I don’t even meet the basic requirement of having at least a B+ in the last two years. I got my bachelor’s from a liberal arts college in the USA in Japanese. I initially wanted to do a Physics-Astronomy and Japanese double major, but I had to drop the Physics-Astronomy cuz I sucked at it and had no interest and was just pursuing a childhood dream that wasn’t really what I wanted to do as an adult. My gpa is at a 2.9/4.0.

I’m really interested in Japanese and Japanese literature though and I want to do a thesis based masters on one of my favorite Japanese author’s books. But I don’t have any research experience in Humanities. I know I probably won’t be able to qualify for these programs but would doing a post-bacc or post-grad diploma program in Canada help make up for the last two years rule? If I get better grades, I mean. And would I be able to qualify for a student visa (I’m not from North America)?

My situation seems kinda impossible to me, so if I can get any help or advice into this matter, I’d really appreciate it!

Hi everyone,

I'm applying for Canadian PR through Express Entry and need a WES ECA for my bachelor's degree from an Indian university.

My WES checklist lists NSDC, Qualification Check (QC), and my university's Docswallet route as options for submitting the official Statement of Marks.

I initially used the university's Docswallet route and paid the document-verification fee. My documents are now marked as verified, but Docswallet is asking for an additional fee to transmit them to WES.

I also checked NSDC, where the total shown at checkout is around ₹3,865, including tax. I'm trying to avoid paying for duplicate services unnecessarily.

I'd really appreciate advice from anyone who has completed this process, especially for Canadian PR:

1. If you used NSDC, did the displayed payment cover both verification and sending the documents to WES, or were you asked to pay anything extra later?
2. How long did NSDC take to verify and transmit your documents, and how long did WES take to acknowledge them?
3. Has anyone managed to have their university send the documents directly to WES without using NSDC, QC, or a paid third-party transmission service? If so, how did you arrange it?
4. If you used Docswallet, was the additional transmission fee mandatory to complete the submission?
5. If you started with one route and switched to another, did you run into any issues?

I'm mainly trying to understand the actual costs, processing times, and most reliable way to get the official records to WES.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!

I'm applying for a PhD program for Fall 2027, with an application deadline in December 2026.

I'm expected to graduate in August 2027, but my university only issues expected graduation certificates during the final semester.

I visited the Academic Records Office, but they refused to provide either the certificate or a simple letter confirming my expected graduation date.

I can provide my current transcript and enrollment certificate, but I'm worried my application might be considered incomplete.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation? Were you able to apply without an expected graduation certificate, and what did you do?

I'm finishing an MSc in Economics at Università Cattolica in Milan, a good university but not a target one (not LSE/Bocconi/TSE tier), graduating in March 2027. I'd appreciate honest input from people who've been through PhD admissions or work in central banks.
My profile:
GPA: approx. 3.6/4.0. Solid, but not top of the class.
Research experience: about 4 months as a research assistant for a professor, building a bank-level panel dataset to calibrate a DSGE model.
Next step: I'll most likely start a post-graduation traineeship in the monetary policy department of a euro area central bank.
No GRE yet.
My dilemma:
I've always had the idea of doing a PhD, but I'll be honest about my motivation. I want it mainly for the career, not out of love for academic research. My goal is to work as an economist at a central bank or in similar roles where a PhD is basically required. I'm not aiming for an academic career.
That makes me think a PhD only makes sense at a top program. If I'm doing it purely as a career investment, five years at a mid-tier place seems hard to justify. But with my grades and background, I'm not sure top European programs are realistic.
My questions:
With this profile, plus the traineeship, what are my realistic chances at good European PhD programs?
Does the "top program or nothing" logic hold for central bank research careers, or do central banks hire PhDs from mid-tier programs too, especially with prior central bank experience?
Is career motivation alone a red flag, for admissions or for getting through the program?
Are there other paths I should consider?

Hi, I'm a domestic applicant in the US with foreign background (non native). I just took GMAT and got a disappointing score of 615.

I'm applying for MS in accounting, not MBA, thus GMAT score is optional.

Here's my rough profile:

Undergraduate - Business admin, CGPA 3.62 (home country)

Post bacc - Accounting, CGPA 3.77 (US)

And an intership and a few extracurricular activities

Would submitting my GMAT score hurt my overall profile if this is the case?

Thank you for your help.

I'm preparing for apply for Master's in AI (thesis track) and for potential supervision (as directed by admission portals) and application support i spent almost two weeks going through hundreds if faculty pages and finding faculty having research interests close to mine or overlapping. Then another week to write tailored email for 80-85% of them. and i scheduled mails on recommended day and time so emails reach at appropriate time. But its been more than a week and this is what i got! Totally disappointed at the moment... 😭

My profile isn't the issue, even professor (one of three responses) explicitly made a remark that it is quite impressive, and i also got it reviewed by grad students already at those unis, and they don't find any issue. Idk what went wrong or it is reality!

This "Hard work always pays off" started feeling like a myth to me!!

Hello! I am currently planning to apply for clinical psychology Psy.D. programs and I’m concerned about getting accepted out of undergrad. I haven’t graduated yet, but I will have a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology by May 2027. I have a 3.827 overall GPA and a 3.754 psych gpa currently. I plan on taking an independent study next semester (in a lab) and currently am volunteering with the Crisis Text Line. I don’t work in a mental health based job, I have a daycare job during the summer and a front desk/customer service job during the school year. I don’t have much research or experience yet aside from research methods which I’m aware is a bare minimum, and a field research class I will be taking next semester. I don’t want to have to take a gap year, but if I do not get accepted I plan to as my backup. I am wondering what my chances are if I apply to, say, 6-8 schools? I have known I want this to be my career since high school senior year and I specifically want to be a clinical psychologist, which is why I’m not diverting to a masters program. All advice and stories are appreciated!

What I am trying for

I would particularly like to attend a university with a strong reputation (but it's quite random as well in the sense that CMU which is low in MSE is still a school I am excited to attend) and I'm open to consider different programs within a university to make that happen. PI fit has been a secondary consideration for me mostly focusing on if the Department has Materials informatics/Computational materials research happening or not.

Because of this I'm also undecided between a direct PhD and doing a master's first, as I mostly want to attend certain schools for now (master's funding is not an issue if that helps with your advices).

An additional option I have is a Dual degree (1 year master's after my bachelors is done) where I will work with HoD of the ML department as co supervisor on a Materials Informatics thesis and have an additional master's transcript and CGPA to offset the low bachelor's one.

My current list

US — PhD programs

• MIT — Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) PhD
• MIT — Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) PhD
• Harvard — Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering PhD
• Stanford — Materials Science and Engineering PhD
• Carnegie Mellon — Materials Science PhD
• Georgia Tech — Materials Science and Engineering PhD
• Georgia Tech — Computational Science and Engineering PhD
• Purdue — Materials Engineering PhD

US — Master's programs

• MIT — DMSE SM
• Stanford — MS in Materials Science and Engineering
• Carnegie Mellon — MS in Materials Science (Research)
• Carnegie Mellon — MS in AI Engineering
• Cornell — MEng in Materials Science and Engineering
• UC Berkeley — MEng in Materials Science and Engineering
• Columbia — MS in Data Science
• Georgia Tech — MS in Materials Science and Engineering
• Georgia Tech — MS in Computational Science and Engineering
• Northwestern — MS in Materials Science and Engineering / ICME
• Purdue — MS in Materials Engineering

Europe

• ETH Zurich — MSc in Materials Science and Engineering
• EPFL — MSc in Materials Science and Engineering
• TU Munich — MSc in Materials Science and Engineering
• RWTH Aachen — MSc in Materials Engineering

Singapore — PhD programs

• NUS — Materials Science and Engineering PhD
• NTU — Materials Science and Engineering PhD

1. Any advice on programs Im considering?
2. Am I being far too optimisic on how much my first-author publications and research experience offset a weaker transcript?
3. Would you recommend applying directly to funded PhD programs, pursuing a research master's first, or keeping both pathways open?
4. I really want to do an MS in ML but I feel my profile won't ever let me, any advice on that?
5. How should I think about completing my IITK dual degree versus spending two years on a master's, at a institute im not quite excited about, abroad?

Thank you for all inputs

Hi everyone, I'm applying to statistics master's programs this cycle, and I'm trying to gauge my chances of getting into a decent program. I'm a former math major who has several years of work experience as a data scientist, and my academic profile has some strengths as well as some weaknesses. First, do you think I'd have a realistic chance of getting into some of the most competitive statistics master's programs (such as Stanford, University of Toronto, or ETH Zurich)? If not, do you think I'd have a realistic chance of getting into other less prestigious, but well-regarded programs (such as University of Minnesota or University of Wisconsin-Madison)? Also, are there any programs that you think would be a particularly good fit for my experience/background? FYI, I'm mainly interested in theoretical statistics programs, and I'd also consider programs that have a slightly more applied focus. However, I want to avoid programs that are known as “cash cows”, or programs with material that is overly tailored to present-day data science tools and less adaptable to future changes in the data science industry. Also, I am applying to programs in the US, Canada, Europe, and maybe Australia.

• In my undergrad at University of Chicago, I took the Honors Analysis (MATH 20700-20800-20900) sequence, which is regarded as one of the most difficult undergrad real analysis sequences in the country. I got an A for two quarters and an A- for the third quarter. This is a particularly strong point since statistics master’s programs really prefer candidates who have a strong background in real analysis. My professor for Honors Analysis passed away for a few years ago, but my former TA (who is now a tenure-track professor at a different university) has offered to write me a letter of recommendation. I also took the Honors Algebra sequence, and got one A grade and two A- grades.
• In my undergrad, I only took the introductory two-quarter sequence for statistics majors (STAT 24100-24200), but I got an A in both quarters.
• One weakness about my undergrad: I got a C in one upper-level elective math course (Intro to Commutative Algebra, which focused on the theory of modules) in my third year, due to medical issues that I was dealing with during that quarter. However, I finished with fourth year of undergrad with a strong performance, with entirely A grades in math and stats classes. My undergrad GPA in all math and stats classes is a 3.7, but it would have been a 3.85 without the one C grade during third year.
• In my data science jobs, I have used a wide variety of machine learning algorithms and statistical tools, such as gradient boosting, neural networks, support vector machines, ARIMA models, and linear/logistic regression (including Lasso and elastic net). I have also used Python and SQL almost every day at work, and I am very comfortable with both languages. I have also used R occasionally, but not as much as Python and SQL.
• Also, the first three months of my first data science job consisted of a training program, where all the new hires took classes and completed problem sets all day at work (much like a real mast). The classes and problem sets focused on linear algebra, statistics, and the theoretical underpinnings of machine learning algorithms. I did really well in the training program, probably the best out of all the 14 new hires. Also, my former manager (who also co-directed the training program) has offered to write me a letter of recommendation.
• One thing that could potentially be viewed as either a weakness or a strength: I started the OMSA (Online Masters of Science in Analytics) at Georgia Tech, as a part-time student taking one class per semester while I worked full-time. I completed 6 of the required 10 courses, and my cumulative GPA was a 3.83. My courses in the OMSA program included probability theory, regression theory, time series analysis, and other statistics classes that I did not take during my undergrad at UChicago. However, I had to withdraw from the OMSA program before completing it, due to caregiving responsibilities for a close friend who was fleeing a domestic violence situation and was also dealing with a severe mental health crisis. (My friend is doing better now, but the OMSA program has a policy that students can only take off 1 semester in a row, which means that I unfortunately can’t return the OMSA program and complete it.) So I’m unsure if my partial competition of the OMSA program will be an advantage or a disadvantage - on one hand, I took statistics classes that I did not take in my undergrad, but on the other hand, I withdrew from the program (although I had a compelling reason to do so). Also, one of my former professors from the OMSA program has offered to write me a letter of recommendation.
• Also, more recently, I think I’ve discovered two entirely new mathematical results! First, if n is a positive integer, and f(n) is the greatest integer m such that all the binomial coefficients (m choose k) are nth-power-free, I’ve found a set of lower and upper bounds on f(n). Second, for a set of n independent random variables with the Unif(0,1) distribution, I’ve found a formula for the probability that exactly k of the random variables are greater than their collective geometric mean. I haven’t published my findings, but I’m thinking of self-publishing on arXiv.

In summary, my strong academic math background and data science industry experience are my greatest advantages, but my previous withdrawal from the OMSA program is potentially a disadvantage. Also, do you have advice on things to include in my Statement of Purpose, and the best way to address my withdrawal from OMSA in my SOP? I'm thinking of briefly discussing the extenuating circumstances that came up (supporting and caregiving for my friend) and also saying that in retrospect, I've decided that I want to pursue a master's program with a more theoretical bent, as well a full-time program with in-person classes. Thanks for all your help!

Hey guys! I applied to HEC’s MSc Marketing (Consumer Goods & Luxury) for R1 but got a “Not Admissible” decision. Trying to figure out what might’ve gone wrong and what I can work on for the next round.

Would love to hear from people who got in! If you’re comfortable sharing your profile (academics, work ex, internships, etc.), it would really help me understand where I might be falling short. Also open to any advice from those who’ve been through this.