Before PhD applications

PhD applications is a tricky thing. To assure admission to a good University, you need to plan it well in advance and do it systematically.

• Long before the PhD applications

  • Enhance your profile: Start building your profile at least a year or two before. You should have published papers, appearances in the conferences and relevant work experience. All these cannot be done at the time of the applications. It would help if you did it well within time. If possible request your organization to allow on projects connected to your areas of interest. If it is not possible, then take up some work as a freelancer. In the worst case, you can do volunteer work to gain that experience.

  • Reestablish contacts for the recommendation: It is absurd to connect with your professor or manager after three years and asking for the recommendation. You need to think it through carefully. Figure out who has experience in the relevant field. Reestablish the connect, if possible, meet a couple of time. Please share your ideas, thoughts and take their suggestions. Help them remember few of good things happened in the past and how those shaped your choices latter. You will be able to mention all those later in your recommendation letters.

  • Document your previous work: There are high chances that you have worked in the area of your interest, but that was not appropriately documented even if its a slightest of the things make sure that its documents. It doesn't matter whether you are coming out with the 10-page academic paper or half pager note.

  • Collect your academic and professional writings: Get all your scripts in a folder. Don't worry if it was just an academic submission or a report for your boss. Everything matter here. Once you have those at one place, you need to see what all can be of relevance to you now. Most of the work can not be used as it is but will an excellent base for preparing better articles.

  • Prepare your website or blog: Once all your old articles, new writings and proposals are done, then most important is to make it available for the public in a presentable manner. I believe every PhD aspirant should have their website. It's very much affordable to buy a domain name and put everything on the google site. A simple website will sufficient. You don't need to do the fancy stuff if your technical skills or time doesn't permit you much.

  • Create your professional email account: It is advised to have your professional email id. Once you purchase the domain name, then it will be easier to get one immediately (for example mine is me@sachinmohite.com, I don't know how professional it looks). In case, you cannot have your domain name at least create an email id which will look professional. Don't use something like crazyguitarist@gmail.com (unless you are applying for the course of this sort).

• Just before PhD applications

  • Write a good Statement of Purpose (SOP): SOP is a reflection of your profile and intend to the PhD. It should be very crisp and clear. Don't exaggerate things to make it look good. Internal inconsistencies will lead to more problem. You will be submitting a lot of documents apart from SOPs. It will not be tough for the Universities to understand whether SOP speaks for you. Must mention your work and volunteer experience. You must connect it with your PhD interests and indicate how it helped you reach these decisions. The SOP should give concrete examples than vague statements. It is alright to accept your vulnerabilities in the SOP and mention your plan to deal with it. Just make sure that you are not copying your CV or Resume here. You writing this document with a single motto and that is to convince the professor that you are well-prepared to take this new challenge.

  • Write detailed proposals: It is crucial to write a good proposal which will give an idea about your plans. It should cover the problem statement, questions you want to pursue, identified solutions, more significant implications and analysis plan. Readers will be academic and therefore, whatever you are writing should be clear. Use concepts or terms which you are aware of. Appropriate use of the Research Methodology will be very good. It an opportunity to let your readers know that you already understand few things about research and you don't want to join it for the sake of it.

  • Prepare work plans and timelines: If you want to land into good Universities, then you must have nicely prepared schedules and work priority lists. You cannot miss the deadlines for collecting recommendations, finalising the proposals, sending it out to professors, submitting the University applications and, most importantly, applying for the scholarships. It is tough to keep track of everything. Therefore maintain proper documents with all the timelines and keep updating progress in it. Every country has defined window during which applications are accepted. Even though it's flexible for PhDs, but even admissions teams follow specific deadlines for them.