It’s that time of the year when prospective PhD applicants ask me what we look for when evaluating candidates. What matters more: grades or letters of reference? What to emphasize in the Statement of Purpose? And so on. Here are some answers.
When we look at an application, we are trying to answer one question above all else: “is this person likely to succeed at research?” While there is some difference between departments and institutions, I believe that most of them have the same basic goal for PhD admissions.
In evaluating research potential, grades don’t matter much. Grades below a certain point could be a sign of inadequate preparation for a PhD, but perfect grades aren’t a predictor of research success, nor are GRE scores. sciencemag.org/careers/2017/0…
The best way to show evidence of research potential is to have done research. A strong paper or two will carry the day. But there can be a big lag between starting research and publishing it, so letters that describe your research abilities & contributions are extremely valuable.
Admittedly, this puts students from non-research-focused universities at some disadvantage. But there are ways around this. One is a research internship (check out the NSF REU program in particular). Another is to do a Master’s before applying for a PhD.
But it's also important to acknowledge the messy realities of PhD admissions. insidehighered.com/news/2016/01/0…
If you're a professor evaluating candidates, please take time to look up the research on predictors of research success and the biases in the process. We need to do better!
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