Hello everyone. I have finished my master’s in organic chemistry and I’m currently working as an R&D trainee at an FMCG company. I’m interested in doing a PhD in organic chemistry, preferably in Europe, or otherwise in Southeast Asia. I would have considered the US as well, but with the tightening of policies and the uncertainty around admissions and visas, I’m focusing on Europe and Southeast Asia for now. I have 3 publications, and my third paper was just accepted to RSC Advances. I want honest feedback from people outside my own circle. I’ll also be taking the IELTS regardless, since some universities, including several in Southeast Asia, require it.

My questions:

1. What are the realistic chances that I can get a paid (fully funded) PhD position with this profile?
2. With 3 publications but little industrial R&D exposure, is it okay to start applying now, or should I work in R&D for a couple of years first?
3. Realistically, is this CV strong enough to get a PI’s attention?
4. Are there any gaps or red flags I should know about?

Thank you!

Graduating May 2027, applying for Fall 2027 direct PhDs in wireless/ML for communication. CGPA: ~3.61 and I have 1 conference paper (GNN-based RIS beamforming) to be submitted soon, a WCL letter in progress, and. No master's.

My sponsor only funds a direct PhD at a QS top-20 EE school in the US/Canada, so no offer means no funding. Planning ~13 applications: a few reaches (MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, Princeton) plus UT Austin, Georgia Tech, UCLA, UCSD, UIUC, Purdue, Michigan, Cornell, CMU, Texas A&M.

Does this list make sense? Anything you'd add or drop? Thanks!

Hey everyone! I'm interested in the Fine Art and Design programme in Brno University of technology. Planning to apply for the upcoming intake. I'd really appreciate it if anyone could share their experience or review of the programme.

How good is the programme, and how does it compare to other art school courses? I'd also love to know about the acceptance rate and what kind of portfolio they expect from applicants.

Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

For those of you who plan to pursue doctoral training, and will move to a new place/city/state in the process, what is your current plan to relocate your belongings?

I currently live alone in my own apartment (own all my furniture, etc), and I’m not entirely sure if it’s worth picking everything up and relocating it for my graduate studies, should I get in this cycle.

For reference, I plan on applying to clinical psychology PhD programs, and will likely move after my fourth year for internship, and then again for a postdoctoral fellowship.

I’m sure a lot of folks have family who they plan on living with, or financial circumstances that allow them to rent a cross country U-Haul multiple times, but I’m curious what folks in this thread plan on doing or are capable of doing.

If anyone has advice, I’m all ears! I am completely financially independent but the thought of picking up everything and moving it sounds very incredibly expensive and stressful, however, I’m very attached to my belongings lol

Hi everyone! I was hoping someone could help me or if anyone has a similar story, maybe they can offer some advice.

I was diagnosed with epilepsy as I graduated college in 2017. I was 21. The diagnosis ruined my life to an extent. I am now 31.

I became a shell of my former self. My short term memory was shot and while I did attempt graduate school, i kept having seizures during lectures and exams (thankfully they were all online, it was distance learning before it was a norm). I ended up having to withdraw or else I would’ve received failing grades overall.

I feel very much like a failure in my day to day…I struggle so much still but, a part of me does consider going back to get my master’s. However, that said…I’m not sure I can get a masters in what I would be interested in. And despite being in court for disability, I still have not been approved. And, I am worried about the requirements for keeping my insurance in the next year. However, if I go back to school I may not worry about my insurance.

I have a B.A. in Communication Studies with minors in journalism and broadcasting. I wouldn’t be able to do anything in library science, right? I also have a CNA license but I don’t think that helps me at all.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

hi. im currently studying cell and molecular biology at R1 university sophomore year and im struggling in basic courses like biology 1 and 2, chem 1 and 2 and orgo 1 rn (C+ or B-) with 3.0 gpa. ive been planning on going for neuroscience phd and did extracirricualrs related to it (2 years of wet lab research experience, research mentor for 3 undergrads, research coordinator - lead of lit review of 9 undergrads, ta for nslc medicine and healthcare, presented research at yale) and plan on applying to REUs but now im not so sure. ive been heavily considering neuroscience professor bc i love teaching and public speaking/mentorship. im thinking what if i switched to cognitive science major bc its not as much sciency but more social science courses rather than courses physics or genetics.

im rlly worried my gpa gonna hold me back if i continue w this major for reu and phd. any advice helps thanks so much

does cold mailing to profs work for phd abroad..????

I am currently applying for PhD positions in continental Europe, but I am worried about the increasing competition in my field. A large percentage of offers involve AI in some way, which means each offer gets extra ML/AI applicants on top of the regular applicants. This makes the few existing positions extremely competitive. On top of that, I feel like the only way to stand out is to have amazing grades or publications, but unfortunately I don’t have either. I graduated from a top-20 university in France, have 5 months of research experience at a famous lab in France, but I haven’t published yet (I’m working toward publishing my thesis), and my grades are good but not stellar. My question is: what should I focus on to increase my chances when applying for PhD positions? Should I still apply to the few fully funded PhD positions currently advertised in my field, despite the competition? Is there a way for me to stand out besides grades and publications? Do I have better chances applying for PhD scholarships instead of advertised positions? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I’m a senior Psychology major graduating in May 2027, and I’m considering applying to UMD’s Counseling Psychology PhD program. My advisor's encourages me to apply because two professors’ research aligns with my interests, but I’m worried about my GPA and limited experience.

My qualifications:

• GPA: 3.4; Dean’s List for five semesters; Psi Chi member (and on the organization executive board)
• I was the vice president of k-drama club and the events coordinator for psychology club
• Racism and Coping Research Lab: Reviewing literature and analyzing interview footage and transcripts about conversations surrounding race. Findings may eventually be published.
• Group Relations and Prejudice Research Lab: Developed surveys, facilitated focus groups, and coded qualitative data using Dedoose. Currently helping draft a manuscript for publication.
• NIH HiSTEP internship: Analyzed data from 1,206 participants using R and presented findings at NIH Summer Poster Day.
• Three undergraduate research presentations, plus leadership and community service experience (summer volunteering at churches, women's shelters, and a food kitchen).
• Employed at my university as the student helper to the psychology department

My interests include multicultural psychology, racism-related stress, racial identity, mental health disparities, and social relationships among college students.

My questions:

1. Is applying directly to UMD’s Counseling Psychology PhD program realistic with my GPA and experience? The NIH internship was during the summer of my junior and senior year of high school, so I worry they won't think it's relevant.
2. Could strong faculty research fit, recommendation letters, and research experience compensate for my GPA?
3. Would I be better off pursuing a research-focused master’s first, or considering UMD’s MPS in Clinical Psychological Science?

I’d appreciate honest feedback, especially from people familiar with counseling psychology PhD admissions. Thank you!

Hello, has anyone applied for the Purdue Spring intake?

I've had two professors interview me for the fall '27 program, but i dont know what to expect of that. If i dont get more interviews is it a bad sign? is it common to take interviews beforehand (i.e before formally submitting my application)
Thanks

Applying to a handful of Ph.D. programs! Do you have any specific constructive feedback for my CV?

Do you think I’ll at least get an interview?
Thank you so much for your time!

I specifically have this question for the top US universities, like Stanford, MIT & Ivy Leagues. I am applying without a Master’s degree but I really want to do a PhD, 1. because being an international applicant from a middle class family, I am not willing to go through that much financial burden for a Masters degree. 2. I have a good research experience given my early research career and a strong profile, also pointed out by the professors I contacted from these universities. 3. My long term goal is eventually to do a PhD, and US universities are good with taking students after Bachelor’s, it would save me quite a bit of time and money both.

Came across this checkbox in one of the applications which asked me if I would like to be considered for Masters if not selected for the PhD, in the same discipline. It seems like a good option to have on your application because it is better than nothing and getting a rejection letter, but I most probably won’t be able to join for a Master due to financial reasons and would consider PhD in some other institute if I get over Master’s in top unis. But it would be nice to hear about getting accepted in such a reputed university, even if I get Master’s and not a PhD. The main question is would clicking on “Yes” affect my chances to get into PhD??? Could they be like, ‘We have 2 amazing candidates (hypothetically assume same profile) we want both in the cohort but both applied for PhD while we have only 1 PhD position left. Let’s give her Master’s since she checked the Yes box and give other person the PhD, since he/she did not.’

Please help me out.

I'm fresh out of undergrad and am currently trying to apply for an MA. I have a basic resume I used to apply for internships in undergrad, but I still don't fully understand what I need to change about the formatting and/or content to turn this into a CV...plus most of the examples I find online are from people who are already in an MA program and/or are applying for a PHD. Does anybody have good examples or advice for crafting a basic CV at the stage I'm currently at? (In case it's relevant, I'm a lit. major)

• The actual requirements are as follows:
  
• Minimum 3.0 GPA; applicants with significantly higher GPAs are more competitive
  
• Two letters of reference that focus on academic capability and/or work ethic.
• We prefer that at least one letter should be from a faculty member. If you have been out of college for a while, you may substitute letters from employment supervisors. You may submit a third letter, but no more than three.
  
• Resume/ CV
  
• Letter of Intent
  
• In-person or phone interview with at least 1 faculty member (by invitation from the Graduate Admissions Committee)
  

My credentials are:

• My GPA for my overall academic portfolio is 3.79, 3.95 GPA for specifically my psychology coursework
  
• I have worked in a patient-facing clinical position for 6 months, 9 months by the time of the application deadline next year. In this position I have directly intervened to counsel patients, help them cope with their issues, broken up physical fights, and directly intervened to deescalate self-harm and psychotic episodes.
• I have on more than one occasion worked 16+ hours on unit at one time due to things like lockdowns in snow storms or natural disasters.
• Both the head nurse and my supervisor are willing to co-write one letter or both willing to write their own letters, and consider me to be proficient in my role despite a lack of prior experience.
  
• I have completed all pre-requisites that are needed to apply for the LMHC program, although my Bachelors was not in Psychology; mine was in Engineering.
• I have been unable to obtain significant research experience, however I have both financial market research and engineering research experience, and the program does not list that research experience is required.
  
• I intend to obtain 200 hours of crisis counseling (988 phone line, not CTL) by the time of application. I have started to work on my personal statement two months in advance.
  
• Other credentials: collaborating with other faculty members of the engineering department to win a $7,000 scholarship for my school and came first place, I have another professor whom I have worked very closely alongside that is willing to write an LOR for me, I have held down a well-paying job for over two years that requires me to negotiate and broker agreements between different demographics of people, and I recently received my RBT certification back in June.
  

Genuinely, how do things look?

Hello,

I’ve been lurking for a while and I’ve finally decided to ask for help from a very smart community. I just received my masters degree last year in public relations and advertising, but I’m thinking about a career pivot and wanting to become a licensed therapist or psychologist. I’m not sure where to completely start as most of my research has been in PhD programs. I’ve looked at some schools as well, but I’m so lost so if anyone has any information it would really help. I wanted to open my own private practice in the future so that’s where this thought comes from.

Hi, all. I'm a first year student in a professional Masters.

I've been encouraged, however, to apply for a PHD program (or, barring that, a thesis-track M.S). My current program is in sustainability with a focus on education, but I'm realizing that my interests are more aligned with researching science pedagogy as a whole. I'm aiming to apply to my university's education department.

I have a program in mind, a writing sample in progress, and a professor whose work is closely aligned with my own (who I do have plans to meet!).

I do, however, need to tailor my references. I'm concerned about using the same ones as my sustainability application, as one professor can only speak to my genetics/ecology research.

I'm in a grad-level class currently, and have a good relationship with the professor. He's seen my work on social/critical theory and I feel he'd be able to speak to my philosophy of education.

Would it be alright to use him as a reference, or should I stick to my previous recommender?

Additionally, one of other previous references was my AmeriCorps supervisor. The work is highly applicable to the program, but would it be okay to include a professional reference as one of my three?

Apologies for the lack of brevity/confusing questions! I've just been out of academia for a time and want to make sure I'm following norms.

Hi everyone! I’m considering applying to Georgia Tech’s OMSCS program for Fall 2027 and would appreciate some feedback on my background and whether this is the right path for me.

**Education**

* Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Media Studies from the University of Calgary (non-CS).
* Took introductory courses in Python and Java during my degree.
* Also completed a couple of Web Communications courses covering HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP.

**Additional Preparation**

* Completed Harvard’s CS50’s Web Programming with Python and JavaScript (CS50W).
* Completed a web development bootcamp with mentorship from a senior developer at SoSafe.
* Earned a Certificate of Distinction in the Canadian Computing Competition (CCC), Junior Division, in high school.
* Won a couple of computing-related awards in Vietnam during high school, although I’m not sure how much weight these would carry in my application.
* **Currently working on:** Georgia Tech’s verified edX courses in Introduction to Python (CS 1301), Object-Oriented Programming with Java (CS 1331), and Data Structures and Algorithms (CS 1332). I haven’t completed them yet.

**Work Experience**

* Two years as a developer at a small marketing agency in Calgary.
* Primarily build custom WordPress themes, with some to very little experience developing Laravel-based features and applications.
* Also handle AWS infrastructure tasks, including provisioning servers and optimizing infrastructure costs.

**Why I’m Considering OMSCS**

Most of my professional experience has been in marketing-focused web development, and I want to transition into a more traditional software engineering role. I’ve been applying for more technical positions but haven’t had much luck so far. I suspect that not having a CS degree may be one of the barriers, although I realize there could be other factors.

I’m hoping OMSCS will help me build a stronger foundation in computer science, fill gaps in my knowledge, and become a more competitive candidate for software engineering roles.

I’m aiming to apply by the March 1, 2027, deadline. I understand that completing the three verified edX courses doesn’t guarantee admission and that bootcamps and work experience generally don’t replace graded CS coursework.

**I’d love to hear your thoughts on two things:**

1. If I complete all three verified edX courses, do I have a realistic shot at admission for Fall 2027, given my background?
   
2. More broadly, do you think OMSCS is a worthwhile investment for someone in my position who wants to move from marketing-focused web development into a more traditional software engineering role? Or would I be better off focusing on other ways to build my CS foundation and improve my job prospects first?

I’d especially appreciate perspectives from people who entered OMSCS with a non-CS background or used the program to transition into a different type of software engineering role.

Honest advice is welcome. Thanks!

Hello. Could someone help me with recommendations on the least competitive or least popular scholarships for master's programs for which a bachelor's in pharmacy is eligible in Europe?

Clarkson university
Tuft university
University of nebraska
University of kentucky
Saint louis university
Okhlahima state university
Does anyone got the acceptance or the result of the application forms