9 MISTAKES to avoid while applying for graduate programs ❌
This thread is based on a survey done on 88 graduate selection committees (Appleby, 2006).
@olumuyiwaayo @baba_Omoloro @OpenAcademics @PhDVoice @PhDfriendSana @hapyresearchers @AcademicChatter #phdchat pl amplify:
This thread is based on a survey done on 88 graduate selection committees (Appleby, 2006).
@olumuyiwaayo @baba_Omoloro @OpenAcademics @PhDVoice @PhDfriendSana @hapyresearchers @AcademicChatter #phdchat pl amplify:
1. Damaging personal statements📄
❌ Avoid heavy emphasis on your mental health problems:
Grad school is a training program for your academic interests that pays you for your intellectual abilities.
Referring to untreated mental illness or severe trauma may indicate….
❌ Avoid heavy emphasis on your mental health problems:
Grad school is a training program for your academic interests that pays you for your intellectual abilities.
Referring to untreated mental illness or severe trauma may indicate….
that you might not be suitable for grad school.
If you wish to refer to them, be subtle and show you overcame these challenges in your life & how you can build on this resilience in grad school.
❌ Excessive desire to help people:
Selection comms are not impressed by….
If you wish to refer to them, be subtle and show you overcame these challenges in your life & how you can build on this resilience in grad school.
❌ Excessive desire to help people:
Selection comms are not impressed by….
statements such as “I want to help all people” or “I want to save all lives”.
Focus more on your academic and professional interests than just the personal motivation to be kind.
Your personal qualities should be highlighted more in your LoRs (not SoPs).
❌ Don’t sound……
Focus more on your academic and professional interests than just the personal motivation to be kind.
Your personal qualities should be highlighted more in your LoRs (not SoPs).
❌ Don’t sound……
professionally inappropriate.
Don’t use clever or cutesy humour, or write statements like you experience a “sense of thrill” every time you see blood or dead bodies.
One applicant wrote: “God has given me natural talents that make me a very good clinician. This was….
Don’t use clever or cutesy humour, or write statements like you experience a “sense of thrill” every time you see blood or dead bodies.
One applicant wrote: “God has given me natural talents that make me a very good clinician. This was….
demonstrated when I helped my devil-worshipping brother go on the right path, God’s path”.
2. Harmful letters of recommendations (this one’s for potential recommenders)
❌ Undesirable personal characteristics
Grad committees generally look for:
Team-spirit
Resilience……
2. Harmful letters of recommendations (this one’s for potential recommenders)
❌ Undesirable personal characteristics
Grad committees generally look for:
Team-spirit
Resilience……
Intrinsic motivation
Humility
Patience
Integrity
Punctuality and so on.
Mentioning qualities like
Self-centeredness, rudeness, arrogance, immaturity will immediately throw out this applicant.
❌ Inappropriate sources:
Your LoRs should ideally be from your profs……..
Humility
Patience
Integrity
Punctuality and so on.
Mentioning qualities like
Self-centeredness, rudeness, arrogance, immaturity will immediately throw out this applicant.
❌ Inappropriate sources:
Your LoRs should ideally be from your profs……..
supervisors, school counsellors and so on (unless otherwise stated).
Just because your family member or your friend can write you a strong LoR doesn’t mean they are the appropriate source.
Choose your references who are close enough to your academically not just personally….
Just because your family member or your friend can write you a strong LoR doesn’t mean they are the appropriate source.
Choose your references who are close enough to your academically not just personally….
Ask your prof if they’ll be able to write a “strong” or “enthusiastic” letter for you.
A good recommender will decline your request if they don’t know you well enough.
That’s better than sending an average letter.
You know that you have to look for another source……..
A good recommender will decline your request if they don’t know you well enough.
That’s better than sending an average letter.
You know that you have to look for another source……..
3. Lack of information about the program
❌ Program research:
It becomes evident that you have not done a thorough research on the faculty members, programs if you write a generic SoP.
If you can’t clearly tell why THIS program or THIS faculty matches your aims the best…..
❌ Program research:
It becomes evident that you have not done a thorough research on the faculty members, programs if you write a generic SoP.
If you can’t clearly tell why THIS program or THIS faculty matches your aims the best…..
you are unlikely to be selected.
Plus, make sure you are not writing about a faculty who has retired, died or has been relocated.
Always provide evidence that you are a good fit by talking about any research/lab experience/conferences/workshops that you’ve been a part of……
Plus, make sure you are not writing about a faculty who has retired, died or has been relocated.
Always provide evidence that you are a good fit by talking about any research/lab experience/conferences/workshops that you’ve been a part of……
4. Poor writing skills 📝✍️
❌ Avoid any grammatical or spelling or formatting errors.
These are the signs of substandard writing.
Use the following software to enhance your documents:
@Grammarly
@IntelligentEdit
@ProWritingAid
@languagetool
Also, ask your profs once..
❌ Avoid any grammatical or spelling or formatting errors.
These are the signs of substandard writing.
Use the following software to enhance your documents:
@Grammarly
@IntelligentEdit
@ProWritingAid
@languagetool
Also, ask your profs once..
if submitted well in time, your own supervisors can give you great feedback on your errors.
❌Poor writing skills.
Make sure that you don’t write a cluttered and scattered story of your experiences.
Weave them into a coherent, meaningful narrative. Own your story………
❌Poor writing skills.
Make sure that you don’t write a cluttered and scattered story of your experiences.
Weave them into a coherent, meaningful narrative. Own your story………
❌Misfired attempts to impress
Don’t write anything that may be perceived as insincere flattery by the committee.
Don’t simply write that they are the “best school in the world”, be more intentional & specific.
Do they give you access to certain skills/equipment? Mention……
Don’t write anything that may be perceived as insincere flattery by the committee.
Don’t simply write that they are the “best school in the world”, be more intentional & specific.
Do they give you access to certain skills/equipment? Mention……
research oriented assets that you will gain from the department.
Do not blame other academic institutions to impress the one you’re applying for.
Do not blame other academic institutions to impress the one you’re applying for.
What else do you think makes for a bad graduate application? Share your thoughts below.
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I’m Sanya, I post content on successful grad school applications and the psychology of wisdom! 💪🏼
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Retweet the first tweet to educate others.
I’m Sanya, I post content on successful grad school applications and the psychology of wisdom! 💪🏼
Follow me if u liked this 🧵
Stay tuned💃🏻
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