r/gradadmissions

I’m in the midst of sending emails to find a lab that’s willing to take me before I apply for a thesis-based Masters in Canada.

I sent out a ton of emails (all personalized, of course) and so far I’ve only gotten rejections. Most, however, have been left unanswered. I feel as though I’m pretty qualified as I have a good GPA and have ~3 years of solid wet-lab research. So I’m getting pretty worried that maybe I overlooked something or I’m just not as good of an applicant as I thought.

It has only been a few days since I sent the email, so I wanted to ask: how long until I can consider myself rejected from a lab?

I've been reaching out to supervisors, there are a couple of heavy weight academics that genuinely are considered super stars in their niche. their topics do really fit with my proposal - they inspired quite a bit of it. is it worth reaching out to them or would they be too overloaded ?

Hello everyone!

Per the title, I am seeking advice about US PhD programs in microbiology/immunology that are less GPA focused and more research oriented.

I have several years of strong research experience in several labs (I’ll spare the details, this isn’t a CV). But my GPA is low- sub 3.0- due to some documented health issues. Attempting to go undergrad -> PhD. I’m also looking for funded master’s programs. My research focus is polyunsaturated fatty acid utilization to increase antimicrobial compound efficacy through the cell membrane of specific bacterial species (lab 1). I also have a large amount of experience in serum metabolomics, focusing on human disease (endometriosis and endometrial cancer), as well as a study on heavy metal contamination in placenta samples. I was the manager of this lab for 1.5 years!

I’m on the hunt for programs that focus on research, and the vast majority claim to. But the reality of truly holistic seems to be tricky to determine. Does anyone have any insight into programs that may fit? Did any of you achieve admission to a place while having a lower GPA? Is there a sweet spot between holistic website listings and cohort size?

If I’m missing something in my online searches please let me know! I’m not attempting to use you guys as Google. I’m new to the world of graduate academic applications.

TLDR; looking for microbiology/immunology programs with flexible GPA requirements

I see a lot of people here ask if they have a shot at top programs, but I always see people telling them to wait or that they don't have a chance. Obviously fit is important, and I know your statements need to be great, but what are the stats of people who are getting into the very top programs at Harvard or similar rank? Or is it about LORs or their connections to labs, already coming from an Ivy undergrad/ master's? Would love some insight into what people think- or those who were admitted to top programs, what did your application look like?

I realize there's a lot of luck involved, but even those lucky individuals must have amazing applications and I’m curious what they look like.

As the title might imply, I’m applying to PhD programs in higher education administration / educational leadership, and I have a general idea of a research question, but I’m unsure of how specific I have to be in a personal statement. I’ve worked in different functional areas, so I know what area I’m interested in doing research in, but I’m still trying to figure out specifics.

I sent out a cold email to a professor for an engineering PhD, and he asked me to schedule a 30 minute get-to-know-you chat, which ended up extending to a 1 hour long interview with him going through everything on my resume, and I asked him a few questions as well.

In the end, he told me he was interested in me, but he had to interview other people so he would let me know later.
He also told me to stay in touch with him and asked any other questions I might have on email. He also asked if I could send him some reports pertaining to some work on my resume, and that we may have another interview.

Since then, I sent him a thank you email, attached the reports and asked him a few questions. It’s been a month since the interview, and I haven’t heard back since.

Should I take his silence to mean that he simply expects me to apply? Is complete radio silence on his end a sign or am I overthinking this?

Do professors ever let students know that they have been selected?

to everyone that submitted today, congrats!!! idk why there isn’t much talk around khs this year im barely seeing any activity here lol but huge congrats if you submitted before the deadline! its a huge application so yall are already amazing just for finishing.

& now we wait…

p.s. is there a community for the applicants that i can join this year or something?

Want to be interdisciplinary! Rank matters!

It's application season and I'm applying to a few MA and PhD's. I'm not set on having to go this cycle but I still want to know my chances. I ultimately want a PhD but I might want/need more experience before jumping right in. I want to go to a top school and if I don't get in, I will reapply until I do. I also don't know whether I should prioritize MA applications or PhD's, I don't want to waste time applying for a PhD, when I'm not going to get in

About me:

20 year old, First Gen, Child of Immigrants

3.97 gpa at a small commuter state school, History-Social Science BA, Bay Area, Poli Sci Minor. Graduating in 2 years (Fall 2026).

Published in my school's history journal, presented same paper in my school's history conference. Presented an EITC Policy proposal at a R1, presented my research methods regarding my research topic at a a separate R1. One Public History presentation and demonstration

R1 pregrad research program , A diff R1 Pregrad program, Another R1 pregrad program, R1 Graduate Seminar, Phi Alpha Theta President, Conducting Faculty mentored research with stipend on a State's water policies, Conducting Faculty mentored research about aanhpi patients partnered with a diff r1 with stipend, Invited but not attending an ivys pre grad program, One award for a piece of Historical Writing.

Worked and continue to work in food industry/customer service since 13 (7 years), editor on a history journal, writing tutor, language and history instructor, Cultural/historical martial arts coach, captain, expert, previous legal intern, Air National Guard, Non-Profit Coordinator,

Volunteering: Youth mentor, Flood relief fundraising, 2020 Global Farmers protest solidarity organizer

History, Diaspora, Religion, Politics, Erasure, Very Interdisciplinary, Anthropology

Research skills: Primary-source analysis • Historical research • Translation • Manuscript study • Manuscript binding

2 relevent fluent languages, 1 relevent language working proficiency,

Please Help!

I have a master's in engineering and have spent the past year looking for a PhD position. I've worked as a researcher for the last 3 years, so this felt like the natural next step.

I've now received an offer, and I was thrilled at first. One thing is making me hesitate, though: the stipend is $1,300-1,400 a month. I have heard that the area is cheap. As a single person I could live on that, but only just, and only if inflation stays under control over the next few years.

The workload doesn't worry me. Peers have told me it's demanding, but I've been doing research for three years. I'd be close to mid 30s by the time I finish, assuming four years. Being single, moving isn't an issue.

What's bothering me is the bigger picture: AI changing the job market, weak hiring, a near-minimum-wage income, and four years without a clear career progression. I enjoy research, especially the technical work, but I also need to be able to support myself. I also don't want to start and then drop out, since that would waste a professor's time and feel unethical.

I'd appreciate any perspective, especially from people who've been in a similar situation.

Hi, I am an international applicant planning for fall PhD 2027 in the US and UK. I have currently started emailing professors for Fall 2027 PhD, but I feel I am a little late. I did not get the time before as it took time for me to settle down at my new workplace and I also had to move to a new place. From what I have got to know from online, that October can be a correct time but I also feel that the professors are busy settling down with the new students as well. So I am not quite sure if I am doing the right thing or not or am I very very late?

Hi everyone! I’m considering applying to NJIT’s MS in Bioinformatics for Fall 2027 and wanted to get some honest opinions before spending money on the application.
I’d especially love to hear from current students, alumni, or anyone who knows someone in the program.
How is the program in terms of:
Research opportunities and coursework
Internships/job opportunities after graduation
Faculty and overall academic experience
Funding/scholarships or assistantships
Overall ROI considering the tuition and cost of living
Basically, is NJIT actually worth the investment for an MS in Bioinformatics, or are there better options for a similar cost? I’m trying to decide whether I should apply or skip it.
Any honest experiences or advice would be really appreciated!

Hi everyone! I’m considering applying to Stony Brook University’s MS in Biomedical Informatics for Fall 2027 and wanted to get some honest opinions before applying.
I’d especially like to hear from current students, alumni, or anyone who knows someone in the program.
How is the program in terms of:
Coursework and research opportunities
Faculty and overall academic experience
Internships and job opportunities after graduation
Scholarships, assistantships, or other funding
Overall ROI considering tuition + living costs
Also, how has the experience been for international students, particularly regarding internships/jobs and the overall transition to Stony Brook?
Basically, is the MS in Biomedical Informatics at Stony Brook worth the investment and would you recommend applying?
Any honest experiences or advice would be really appreciated!