You worked hard preparing and submitted the application package. Now the only thing you could do is refresh GradCafe every 30 mins and feeling anxious of the endless waiting, right? Some ideas of what you could work on!

How to improve graduate application after submission

https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1472410988322377732

Get a website

Setting up a website and continuously updating your portfolio gives you opportunity to further strengthen your application! It helps host materials difficult to present in your package. Trust me, the reviewers will google you.

Check if all the letters were submitted

Kindly remind your letter writers to update the letters before the deadline (if you cannot track the letter status in the system). They may be submitting 100+ letters each season so it’s likely that some fall through the cracks.

Document your projects

For each of your research/course project, create a simple page documenting the tasks, your proposed approaches, and results. This provides much needed contexts for reviewers to access your technical background (esp if you are not from “top institutes”).

Share your work

Read some papers that you found interesting? Write a blog or share a presentation! Implemented some tools that you found useful? Share them on GitHub!

This shows how enthusiastic you are about the field.

Contact potential advisors

You won’t be admitted unless the committee believes that you will find suitable faculty advisors in their program. Do your homework about potential advisors before sending a cold email.

Writing Cold Emails

https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1420611683035324425

Writing Cold Emails

Writing emails to a stranger could be daunting, but it’s a great way to build connections, explore opportunities, and even advance your career. How do we write an effective cold email? Check out below for some ideas.

Content

Your email should contain the following four elements.

• Greeting: “Hello” • Introduction: “My name is Inigo Montoya.” • Context/Connection: “You killed my father.” • Call for action: “Prepare to die.”

Greeting

Understand basic email etiquette. Do not use Miss / Mrs. particularly if you know the recipient has a PhD. Respect their expertise.

Introduction

A simple one would work. My name is . I am a from . I am writing to

Context

Provide SPECIFIC context, personal connection, background information in your email. Do your homework!

Call for action

Spell out what you expect the recipient to do after reading the email. Make it ACTIONABLE (e.g., set up a short meeting, answer a question, or prepare to die).

Consistent format

This pitfall is quite common in inquiry emails from prospective students. Ex:

“I am fascinated by your work and." where paper titles are of inconsistent font type/sizes. This almost surely indicates that you are sending massive emails.

Your name

Make sure that you full name “in English” appears as the sender. Don’t use your favorite anime character’s name or some unmemorable ID (e.g., A90291053@school.edu).

Make it clear and structured

Emails are not just plain texts. Make the main points stand out using bold/italic fonts. Itemize your talking points to make the email easier to read.

Quality

For prospective students looking for advisors, remember that your email is a WRITING SAMPLE. If your email is not clear or has lots of errors, it could actually hurt your case. Revise the emails before you send them.

Check out this great thread on writing an email asking for a research opportunity!

Tips for writing an email

From https://twitter.com/hgupta84/status/1437081893254701056?s=20 (1/6) Tips for writing an email - asking for a research opportunity

Subject line:

You should have a clear and simple subject line, which should also reflect the content of your email. It will not only help to keep you out of the spam folder but also help a PI to find you again.

(2/6) Keep it formal:

Don’t start the email with “Hey XXX” or “Hi XXX” but start with “Hello Dr. XXX” or “Dear Dr. XXX”. Sign off with “Sincerely” followed by your full name. It may sound super formal, but it is a way to show respect.

(3/6) Be to the point:

PIs get a lot of emails, so keep your intro & request short and simple, which doesn’t require multiple readings. Clearly state/include your

• research question(s) matching lab interests & don’t forget to cite lab papers
• explain what new or extra you would bring to the group
• briefly explaining your qualifications, expertise, and experiences
• attach your brief CV

(4/6) Few things to avoid:

• Don’t use abbreviations & emoticons
• Don’t send emails over the weekend or long holidays. Instead, send your email during office hours (esp. mornings).
• Don’t make spelling mistakes esp. while writing their names as it is going to offend a PI

(5/6) Proofreading:

Before you send, do a couple of readings to make sure the message of your email is clear, and it has no errors.

(6/6) Consider following @hgupta84 and @hapyresearchers for tweets on academia and MentalHealth.

I am not an expert, just sharing my experiences.

Retweet, so this 👆 can reach to many.