Future PhD students: you want to learn how much departmental support your dream school can give you.

What's the one question you can ask current students that will reveal way more than you initially think?

Ask: How long does your department take to reimburse you for, say, conference travel? Are there pre-authorization funds that you can draw from or do you have to use your own credit card first?

Why is this such a powerful question? 👇

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#academia #phdlife #PhDAdmissions

I can always tell where we are in the PhD admissions season by which of my YouTube videos are getting views. Anyway, here's my advice on interviews and/or talking to prospective advisors! #phdadmissions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t51IEfiSMg

Of course, academics are part of the problem here – incentives have been so skewed that forgoing classes for research is actually a rational thing to do to increase #phdadmissions chances, which just breaks my heart.

As an undergrad, I did exactly one semester more than the bare minimum of research credits – most of my research experience was over the summer, which is a better approximation of grad school anyway – and still look back wistfully at classes I couldn’t fit into my schedule! (2/)

Of course, academics are part of the problem here – incentives have been so skewed that forgoing classes for research is actually a rational thing to do to increase #phdadmissions chances, which just breaks my heart.

As an undergrad, I did exactly one semester more than the bare minimum of research credits – most of my research experience was over the summer, which is a better approximation of grad school anyway – and still look back wistfully at classes I couldn’t fit into my schedule! (2/)

A lot of PhD applications are due December 1, and at this point if applicants are still working on things it's probably polishing their statement of purpose. So I thought I would share this video I made a couple of years ago with advice! Most helpful for STEM/social science I think but possibly broader applicability as well. #phd #phdapplication #statementofpurpose #phdadmissions https://youtu.be/B5-lrCaGLOw

Submitted all my #PhD apps now to anxiously wait

#phdadmissions #PhdApplication #epiverse #epidemiology

Props to the graduate programs that have removed the meaningless rating questions for #RecommendationLetters for #PhD programs! I'm amazed at the programs that have substantially expanded the number of questions that they ask.

#PhDAdmissions #gradchat #STEM

Looking into programs that advertise themselves as interdisciplinary and then being passed off to other departments who all think I'm a better fit for someone else. That's just Design I guess. We can out-interdisciplinary the best of them. Interdisciplinarying myself out of ever finding a PhD program that knows what to do with me. Is she medical? Is she HCI? Is she visarts? Is she film? Is she superman? Nobody knows! Or all of the above! #phdadmissions #interactiondesign