Grad School Resources
Interested in graduate school, but don't know where to start?
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My graduation from undergraduate in May 2022, with two of my favorite biology professors!
The process of finding graduate programs that interest you and applying to them can be very daunting. Whether you are just finishing your undergraduate degree with little/no research experience, or you are planning on going back to school after full-time work experience, I am here to help.
I’m no expert on graduate school admissions, but I have applied to multiple graduate programs with almost a 100% application success rate. Graduate school applications go far beyond a resume and a perfect GPA.
I’m hoping to provide resources that I have created and passed along to friends and mentees in order to make the graduate school process simpler.
I’m no expert on graduate school admissions, but I have applied to multiple graduate programs with almost a 100% application success rate. Graduate school applications go far beyond a resume and a perfect GPA.
I’m hoping to provide resources that I have created and passed along to friends and mentees in order to make the graduate school process simpler.
Reaching out to a Principal Investigator
A principal investigator, or P.I., is a professor or researcher that runs the laboratory group that you want to apply to. They typically come up with projects, help manage the projects that their graduate students are working on, and recruit new graduate students to mentor.
Remember, when you are looking for a project to apply to, apply to the project/professor, not the university. Of course, location can and likely will play a factor in your choice of graduate school, but your interest in the project, the funding available for your project, and the potential for a relationship with your P.I. is much more important.
After you have researched P.I.s, read some papers, and decided on those who you are interested in working with, it is time to reach out. Most P.I.s that you will reach out to have very little time to check and respond to emails during their busy days, especially from people that they don't already know. In my experience, I would say that about 50% of P.I.s that you email will never reply, and 50% of those 50% that do reply won't have time/funding/interest in taking on another student. Don't be discouraged- reach out to any P.I. that you can imagine yourself collaborating on a project with!
The cold email, or the email that you use to initially reach out to a P.I., should be concise, informative, and polite. You want to use their limited time available to read your email to let them know who you are and why you are contacting them. I use a template two paragraphs long to inform the P.I. that I'm emailing. Here is an example that I have used dozens of times:
Remember, when you are looking for a project to apply to, apply to the project/professor, not the university. Of course, location can and likely will play a factor in your choice of graduate school, but your interest in the project, the funding available for your project, and the potential for a relationship with your P.I. is much more important.
After you have researched P.I.s, read some papers, and decided on those who you are interested in working with, it is time to reach out. Most P.I.s that you will reach out to have very little time to check and respond to emails during their busy days, especially from people that they don't already know. In my experience, I would say that about 50% of P.I.s that you email will never reply, and 50% of those 50% that do reply won't have time/funding/interest in taking on another student. Don't be discouraged- reach out to any P.I. that you can imagine yourself collaborating on a project with!
The cold email, or the email that you use to initially reach out to a P.I., should be concise, informative, and polite. You want to use their limited time available to read your email to let them know who you are and why you are contacting them. I use a template two paragraphs long to inform the P.I. that I'm emailing. Here is an example that I have used dozens of times:
"Hello there, Dr. Duffy!
My name is Gracie, and I’m currently a post-undergraduate research fellow for viral ecology and evolution at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA. In May of 2022, I graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with B.S.’s in Biological Sciences and Earth/Environmental Sciences, performing research on antibiotic resistant gene evolution in natural and manmade environments. Currently, I perform various genetic and immunological tests to aid in the surveillance of poxviruses (such as monkeypox) and rabies, as well as participating in animal studies with rodents to understand pathology. As I begin looking for graduate programs for fall 2024, I’ve been eyeing marine disease laboratories, and I’m so happy that yours came across my radar. The combination of virology, conservation, and One Health practices that your laboratory uses caught my eye and fall both into my current skill set and future career interests.
If you have the time, I would love to have a Zoom chat with you about your laboratory (balance of laboratory, field, or animal work?), future open graduate positions (funding?), and what kind of skill set you look for in incoming researchers (PCR? ELISA? Animal handling? Field skills?). While I would not begin the PhD application process until this upcoming fall, I am putting out my feelers to potential labs to apply to, and chatting with you is at the top of my list.
Thanks for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you!"
After your sign-off, make sure to attach a copy of your C.V./resume to the email. This will allow the P.I. to take a glimpse at your background and see how well of a fit you may be for their laboratory group.
Organizing Your Applications
Below, you can find a link to a Google Spreadsheet template based off of what I created and used to organize my graduate school applications. It is a great way to keep track of what professors you have found, if they have responded to your inquiry, and where you are in the application process.
Interviewing a P.I.
Congratulations, you've made contact with a principal investigator who is (potentially) interested in working with you! You likely have a million questions to ask now that you are in touch. Of course, you will have questions about your project, but you will also want to know more about who your potential future boss. Your potential P.I. will likely want to set up a video or phone call with you to get to know you past your resume- what are you passions? How did you become interested in your field of study? Why do you want to pursue a graduate degree?
Not only is it important for your potential P.I. to get to know you, but it's just as important for you to get to know your potential P.I. Do not be afraid to ask them your own questions. A friend and fellow graduate student of mine, Aidan Branney, helped me brainstorm this list of questions to ask your potential P.I. to get to know them as a mentor:
Not only is it important for your potential P.I. to get to know you, but it's just as important for you to get to know your potential P.I. Do not be afraid to ask them your own questions. A friend and fellow graduate student of mine, Aidan Branney, helped me brainstorm this list of questions to ask your potential P.I. to get to know them as a mentor:
- Please describe your style of mentorship.
- Describe the expectations you have for your masters/PhD student.
- Timeline of when papers/thesis chapters are expected to be published?
- In-office/laboratory vs remote work expectations?
- What have been the biggest obstacles you have had to navigate as a P.I. this year?
- How did you navigate this?
- What did you learn from this obstacle?
- What are 3 new things you have learned from your lab this year?
- Please describe how you cultivate a learning environment that incorporates the multitude of perspectives and philosophies in our field.
- May I please I speak with your current students and talk about their experience?
- Timeline of when papers/thesis chapters are expected to be published?
- In-office/laboratory vs remote work expectations?
- How did you navigate this?
- What did you learn from this obstacle?