PhD in the US

Process and Hacks

Questions when we first think of a PhD in US

Application is costly, can I afford it?

GRE and TOEFL are required. My English is not good, will I be able to score
well?
What if I do not get selected, is the application worth it?
My family does not want it, what do I do?
I will be 30 before I get a PhD!
What after getting a PhD?
 Stage 1 : Do I need a PhD ?

This is the first and the most important stage. A mistake at this stage can lead to
a total disaster !

A Ph.D. is the only way to spend 4 to 8 years of being paid to work on

something that the market does not directly value in the short term.
You'll be giving up the chance to earn some real money in a steady job, for
several years of little or no money.
You'll be losing the simplicity of regular hours and a boss who tells you what
to do, for the complications of setting your own agenda and planning your
own work.
Bad reasons to do a PhD The one and only right reason
to do a PhD

To pursue knowledge for the

I want a lifelong career in
passion of acquiring knowledge
academia
I want a higher paying job
Fulfilling the ambitions of others
Misplaced genius complex
Horrible job Nobody here wants their
life to be put up in the
Peer pressure
PhD comics I hope !
Then why would anybody want to do a PhD ?

Reason 1 :

Dramatically more creative freedom for 4~8 years in your area of interest
without the pressure of short term accomplishments in mainstream workforce.

Reason 2 ( The cool one !) :

There is a teeny tiny chance that your work will have unforeseen benefits,
decades later !
Stage 2 : Why US ?

This is something we would like to hear from you !

There is no right answer to this. The solution to this question is absolutely
subjective and situational !

Bottomline :
Statistics provided by expert advisors show that majority of PhD students in
India, if given a chance (right circumstances) would opt to do their PhD abroad.
Demystifying the
Conundrum
Stage 3: Application Process
Spring or Fall ?

Admission intakes happen two times a year : spring and fall.

Most students prefer fall admissions probably because :

Every university offers Fall admission. But not all offer spring admissions !
A similar profile, which has brilliant chances in the Fall, may be rejected at
Spring.
Scholarship chances are less for Spring admits.
Most core courses are offered in Fall.
Shortlisting Universities
Academic Fit and Suitability of the Department
Areas of faculty expertise and your research interests
Size and atmosphere
Location and Campus Setting/Size
Competitiveness of Admission
Costs and Availability of Funding
Accreditation and Reputation

Typically, most of the students apply to 8~10 universities.

USnews, TimesHigherEducation
Components of a typical Application Package

Official College Transcripts (upto the latest semester)

GRE Score

TOEFL / IELTS Score

Statement Of Purpose

Letters Of Recommendation

Resume

Application fee
Time frame for the Application Process (Fall)

The entire duration of the admission process, which begins from the preparatory
stage to landing in your dream university spans over roughly 1 year.

Let us Reverse - Engineer this process to get a better clarity over

the timeline.
Sample Time Task
Frame
August- September 2017 Join the university

May-June 2017 Visa processing

February- April 2017 Receive admits/ rejects

 Sample Time Task
Frame
December 16-January 17 Application deadlines closes

September-November 2016 Prepare SOP, Request LOR,

Obtain Application materials

July-September 2016 Give GRE, TOEFL

 Let us look at each of the
application material in detail
Official College Transcripts

These are essentially provided by the university in a sealed envelope, containing

the consolidated marks over all the semesters successfully completed.

CGPA plays a very important role in admission decisions. An ideal range for
CGPA would be > 8/10.

These transcripts have to be posted through international courier services like

FedEx to the graduate admissions office before the application deadline.
GRE- General Test

Testing Areas :

Verbal (max :170)

Quantitative Analysis (max :170)
Analytical Writing Ability (max :6)

Safe Score ranges :

Verbal > 150

Quant > 160
AWA >3
TOEFL Overall score of around 85+ is needed to satisfy
admission eligibility.

Apart from this, individual section cut-offs must be

satisfied as per the university requirements
Total Score : 120

Test Duration : 4.5 hrs !!

Sections: Safe Score Range:

TOEFL > 100

1. Reading (max: 30)

2. Listening (max: 30)
3. Speaking (max: 30)
4. Writing (max: 30)
Statement Of Purpose

One of the most important material in the package. Start working on it at least
three weeks before the deadline.

How your goals coincide with what the program has to offer as well as how you
will fit in and how your qualifications will benefit the program.

Include relevant experiences such as research you have done and skills you have
demonstrated. Relevance is key, and doing your homework about graduate
school programs will help you determine relevancy.
Your statement of purpose should be about 1 to 1 1/2 pages (500-600 words).
Use normal margins and font 11 or 12.

It is highly advisable to mention faculty members who you might be interested to

work with. It is especially important if you have already done some work similar
to the research some of these professors are now doing.

Also, do not hesitate to contact these (and other) professors personally (via
email). Ask questions about their current and prospective research projects,
about the possibility to become members of their group
Resume

Crisp language use action verbs to describe your experiences

Clean layout use lots of white space so that it is easy to read
No mistakes no typos, no grammatical errors
Is not limited to onepage in length (two pages is fine, though contact info must be on both)
Separates your work and nonwork experiences into different sections
Include all your experiences
Indicates amount of time (per week, month) youve committed to different experiences
References your education but does not provide complete information that will come from your
transcript
Typical Contents :

Objective

Education
Academic Experience/Highlights

Employment

Volunteer, Community, and/or Extracurricular Involvement

Certifications/Professional Development
Letters Of Recommendation

1) Usually grades and test scores factor in most heavily; however, your letters of
recommendation could be the deciding factor in the admission process.
2) In general you will be asked for three letters
3) Choice of recommender :
know you well know you long enough to write with authority
know your work describe your work positively
have a high opinion of you know where you are applying
know your educational and career goals be able to favorably compare you with your peers
be well known be able to write a good letter
Rough Cost Estimate for Application Process
( 10 Univs)
Application Material Cost in Rs. /Univ
Transcripts Rs.500 +Rs.1400

GRE Rs.13,300 ($195)

TOEFL Rs.11,595 ($170)

Mailing TOEFL Scores Rs.1295 ($19)

Mailing GRE Scores Rs.1841 ($27)

Application Fee Rs.5115( approx.$75)

Approx. Estimate for 10 univs ~ 1.15 lakhs

 You still got the nerve ?

Remember ! all of you belong to the Indian motherland ! Go,

acquire the greatest of knowledge but remember to come back
and give your bit for your country.

If it is not us, then who will ?

All the Best !