The following article aims to shed light in graduate school applications, with a focus on MS programs. My stats at the time of applying:
First things first, getting into a reasonable PhD program requires a strong research background. Depending on the research area, a certain number of publications are necessary. The art of managing research in the undergraduate program will require a separate blog post. Here, the aim is to talk about the application process.
MS vs PhD
Before I dive into the application process, one must first decide between pursuing an MS or a PhD. While a PhD is ideal for those inclined towards full-time research and are generally funded, MS applicants do not have an implicit requirement of publications (in reputable conferences) that is a bigger factor in more competitive fields such as AI. MS programs are also shorter (around 1.5 years) which would allow you to accelerate your career in industry. PhD applicants need to be prepared to devote 5-6 years in research, and their choice in guides is much more critical than MS applicants. It is for this reason that if you are doubtful of your research interests, I would recommend pursuing an MS/ working to gain a better understanding of yourself and the various prospective fields.
Proficiency Tests
Now, the very first step in grad apping is the proficiency tests, namely GRE and TOEFL. I would recommend getting done with both in the summer/the beginning of the Fall semester. Both tests require significant preparation in memorizing new vocabulary and gaining proficiency in timed essays. Of the two tests, GRE is the harder test, and I would recommend giving that first and taking your TOEFLs soon after. Preparing for GRE would also cover the preparation needed for TOEFL, with the exception of TOEFL’s speaking section that you would need to devote time to master in the interim. I recommend the Barron’s GRE book (especially its wordlists – review all 3000 words!) along with Magoosh’s Vocabulary Flashcard app to review. A big stumbling block for many is the Reading Comprehension section, where the passages are too long for most to read through. This is less of a hurdle for seasoned readers but for the others here is a quick tip for beating the clock. While in TOEFL, the questions are ordered to match the pertinent paragraph, GRE makes it harder by lacking any discernable order in the questions. A trick here is that to scan the first and last lines of the paragraphs to get a quick overview, and then read the question before reading the pertinent paragraph to obtain the correct answer. For the writing sections, the Barron’s Comprehensive Guide (or whatever is your preferred prep book) will guide you on how to structure and approach your essays. You can practice using from the prompts in the complete list of Issue and Argument topics on ETS’s website. Upon registering, ETS provides 2 free tests whose scores are a very accurate indicator of your actual performance. I would recommend giving one test once you’re reasonably ready to benchmark your performance and save the last test for the very end of your preparation period. Sample tests from Princeton Review or Manhattan Prep are also good for practising. TOEFL’s speaking section requires one to plan your speech in a very short period of time. I recommend following the ‘Notefull TOEFL Mastery’ YouTube channel for strategies for this. Practise speaking in a noisy environment (preferably with loud voices) to acclimatize yourself to the actual test setting. At the end of these tests, you would be offered a chance to send your scores to 3 universities for free (that you would have to pay ~$25 each for each test later). Do look up the relevant department codes before the test to save yourself the money.
Picking the schools/profs
When picking the schools, remember to distribute your selections amongst dream, good and safe schools. However, every selection should be one you are prepared to join. There is no point in picking a “low tier” university just because it is safe, but when push comes to shove, you’d be unwilling to go there. Each university program differs from the other. So have a look at the course plan and offered courses before committing. I plan to pursue a PhD after my master’s, and so I picked universities that allowed for a Master’s Thesis to improve my future credentials and chances of publishing. The applied university should have at least 3 professors who interest you. Don’t apply on the basis of a single professor as that may put you in a difficult position if he/she shifts/takes a sabbatical. I suggest you be open with your research interests; have a look at the research interests of all the profs in the department with an open mind when you select professors. Many professors explicitly state on their websites to not contact them before admissions; look out for such instructions before you damage our chances in our overeagerness. Before applying, make a shared spreadsheet amongst your batch to share your research interests and your picks in the universities and diversify your picks of schools and professors to reduce competition.
Relevant Documents: Transcript, CV, SOPs and LORs
For MS applications, I would recommend sticking to a 2 page CV, focusing on your research and course projects. Unless otherwise impressive, stick with projects related to the field you are applying to. For grad apping, your research experience and CPI are the most important parts of your academic history – relegate your PORs and extracurriculars to the bottom half of your CV. Please use LaTeX to make your CV; it will be much cleaner and you would have a lot more flexibility in formatting. I would recommend supplementing your CV with a personal website. Detail your projects (that may/may not be mentioned on your CV) and share links to your project reports and publications. Jekyll templates hosted on Github are a quick way of setting up an elegant webpage. SOPs carry the most weightage in your application. An SOP is a reflection of your personality and must be uniquely yours. It should be a reflection of your background, outlook and qualities (for qualities, remember that show is better than tell). I strongly discourage reading other SOPs before you draft your own as that invariably results in them blending into your own. In the bulk of an SOP, you are essentially expounding on the story behind the crisps points in your CV – detailing the why and how of your projects. An SOP is the story behind your academic life, and like any good story, the points should flow – avoid having it feel like a listing of your achievements. Add relevant anecdotes and takeaways to add flavour. [DO NOT BEGIN WITH YOUR CHILDHOOD FASCINATIONS as frankly, no one cares]. Personalize your SOP to the target university by talking about the professors and projects you are interested in and how you could contribute to the university – don’t bother singing praises about the university for they already know that. Begin on this early as you would have to devote time on getting feedback and reworking your SOP. Take the help of your friends, seniors and even parents for their feedback. Use Grammarly to proof-check for spelling and grammar mistakes. LORs are meant for the university to gain insights on the applicant from an outsiders point of view. Most universities require 3 LORs, although some allow for a few extra. Stick with 3 to 4 LORs. Pick professors with whom you have a good rapport. Project and internship guides are especially useful in this regard. Give your recommenders time and contact them well before the deadline (preferably before the midsems – giving them at least 2 months).
To be Placed or not be Placed
A common question raised is if one should sit for placements and secure a backup. This is really up to you. What I can say is that the grad application process runs in the same timeframe as the placement process, and both require considerable work. Balancing both, along with the semester load is difficult, but not impossible (but please lighten your course load as much as possible to improve your odds).
How COVID-19 will affect grad apping
As most of the application process is online, there is no significant change there. ETS has made provisions for remote test-taking, wherein you take the test at home with invigilation via webcams and so there are no major roadblocks created in the application process as a whole. What has changed is that there would be a percentage of graduate students (more MS than PhD) students who would have joined in Fall 2020 that are deferring. That may result in a reduced intake of students from the 2021 batch. This is a speculation and has not been confirmed by any university so far.
Submitting your Application
It is highly recommended to submit your applications well before the deadline. Do not treat it like an assignment to be submitted on Moodle a second before the deadline. The deadline to submit the LORs is usually after the date you submit the rest of your application, so keep monitoring (and if need be pestering) your recommender to upload the LOR in time. It is your responsibility to ensure everything is submitted on time; there are no extensions to said deadlines.
Post Apping and Results
Once you have submitted your application, relax! Don’t obsess over GradCafe waiting for results. PhD students usually have interviews for which professors contact them. PhD applicants also receive their admission decisions before MS applicants. It is natural to become anxious when decisions begin rolling out for your peers, and you don’t have any news. But remember, admission decisions dates vary across different departments and different universities. Sometimes, results of the same department (of the same university) are released in batches, so until you get a rejection letter, there are no guarantees. Conventional logic such as if univ A is better than univ B, a reject/accept from A implies a reject/accept from B do not hold. One of my friends can attest to this as he received rejections from all universities before he was accepted into the fully-funded PhD program at Stanford. What was important here is that he did not let the rejections pull him down and focused on the subsequent interviews. The decision-making process is complicated and shrouded in mystery – a multitude of factors beyond academics and research influence the process. So, simply do your best preparing your application and then hope for the best. Finally, a rejection in no way detracts your worth. Don’t get disheartened and stay positive; things will work out eventually.
All the best!