I’m a dean at a top engineering school on a mission to clarify the STEM grad admissions process. Ask me anything!
THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR GREAT QUESTIONS! We have now ended the live portion of this AMA. Dean Yun will try to answer a few more questions later in the day.
If you’re interested in learning more about our Pathways to Graduate School program and application process, we will be hosting a virtual information session on May 21st, at 12:00PM ET. Register here: https://princeton.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QZHema-xQYGA7WY838riCw#/registration
Applications for PGS are open until June 30. https://engineering.princeton.edu/graduate-studies/academic-pathways/prospective-graduate-students#pgs
*****
I’m Dean Julie Yun from Princeton University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. I have more than two decades of experience in working with graduate students, guiding them through graduate admissions to the completion of their degrees.
For the past seven years, I’ve been running a program aimed at lowering barriers to access for STEM-focused graduate students and demystifying the process of applying to grad school. That program, Pathways to Graduate School, is free, delivered virtually and open to students regardless of institutional affiliation.
We're gearing up for a new cycle (registration is open), so today I am here to answer the kinds of questions we discuss in our workshops — about getting GREAT letters of recommendation, drafting compelling statements of academic purpose, the significance of GREs and GPAs, how to decide between the Master's and PhD, whether you should even pursue a graduate degree, internships vs research experiences, where to find research opportunities, etc. Ask me anything about grad admissions in STEM!
Proof: https://engineering.princeton.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JulieYun-AMA.jpg
I’ll be answering questions live today from 12pm to 2pm ET.