Applying to PhD Programs

Where do I start?

1. Choose your field and then choose departments/universities.

2. Look for a program where people are doing interesting things and publishing in the topics that are important to you.

3. If no one is working on exactly what you’re interested in, look for people working in areas closely related to yours to start to build your own thematic focus area.

4. PRO-TIP: The classes offered are not as important as the individual research projects of faculty members.

5. Look at the research centers you’d be interested in getting involved in.

6. Talk to faculty in MCC who have a range of experiences and might be able to point you in the right direction. For example, Juan knows about programs in Texas, Lisa knows departments that highlight the intersection of English and Communications, etc. Faculty are busy, but they can often find 15 minutes to help you identify some key differences between programs.  

What makes a good program?

1. Consider location: You should ask yourself “can I live here?” Is this the type of place you’d feel comfortable living long term? Do you know anyone there? Are you going to be able to make connections? How dedicated are you to a specific program?

2. A common mistake is to apply to a program where there is only one person who you see as a superstar. It is strongly encouraged to think twice about the type of place where there is only one person who you can really work with. What will happen to you if that person leaves? 

3. If you want to be employed at an R1 institution after you get your PhD, get your PhD at an R1 institution.

4. If you’re just interested in teaching, don’t worry about R1.

5. You want to have at least 2 people you can work with in any department you apply to; also look at faculty in other departments at that institution.

What makes a good writing sample?

1. The writing sample is important. If you have a strong thesis and/or writing sample it is an indication that you are capable of writing a dissertation. 

2. If you are not done with your thesis and have some other piece of completed writing that you are proud of, then by all means use that. You can mention what your thesis is about and what the guiding questions are, but that you just aren’t done yet. 

3. Make sure your writing sample is well written and genre appropriate. 

4. For your writing sample, if available, consider sending the first 25 pages of your thesis. This is useful because it shows your ability to develop an original question and intellectual curiosity. You should then attach a cover sheet that explains that this is only a portion of your thesis. 

How do I figure out what to write the personal statement about?

1. Personal statements must show curiosity, passion and excitement. Stay away from the “intellectual autobiography” format! 

2. The real paradox of these personal statements is you have to show a drive to specialize but you have to also signal a willingness to be trained. 

3. Think about your research interests in the courses you’re taking in MCC. What is missing that you want to contribute? What do you have to add? (i.e., Look for the so-called “gap in the literature”).

4. One thing you may need to do when you feel like you have a different academic background than what is traditionally expected for that program, is to try and make that difference an advantage to your application. It is a delicate line of bringing the common language that is familiar to the department but still being able to highlight the differences in a positive way. 

How formal should my statement be?

5. It is important that when you send in your personal statement it is evident that you understand who you are as a scholar. You can identify the faculty you want to work with but this should be addressed towards the bottom of your statement. Do this very carefully and make sure you do your research to accurately represent the faculty and their research.

6. You should start with the questions that drive you to pursue a doctorate in your particular field of choice. Highlight the scholars and the works that your questions are derived from and bring specific questions and issues to the present. Your MA thesis can serve as evidence of your particular intellectual curiosities.

Who should I contact at my programs of interest?

1. It is important to get a sense of the environment and community of your prospective programs. Try and figure out how you are going to be treated when you get there. To the extent possible, visit campuses. Also try to find out if there is mentoring, if so what that mentoring structure is. Does this program encourage publishing? Teaching? What is the relationship between senior and junior students? Can you talk to current students? Etc. 

2. To the extent possible try to get in touch with current students to learn more about the student perspective and reputation of a program.

3. Use your contacts! Take advantage of the people you know, especially MCC faculty, to learn more about your programs of interest. Also see if your professors can be used as a contact to put you in touch with other institutions. 

4. Always follow up with a thank you. Thank you notes go a long way! 

Should I email faculty/will that improve my chances of admission?

1. A lot of times faculty members won’t be available to meet with you, but you can reach out to a Graduate Advisor or administrator to get your questions answered. Those advisors may also be able to help you set up a classroom visit. 

2. Keep in mind that there is no way for faculty to meet with all interested/prospective students who reach out to them. 

3. Don’t reach out to professors on school breaks or during finals; the best time is September–October in the fall and March–April in the spring. It can be helpful to send them your resume. Keep emails short: “My name is X, I’m interested in X and I wanted to reach out to you because you’re working on X. Do you have time to talk?”

Should I take any standardized tests, like the GRE?

1. The MCC PhD program has waived the GRE requirement, and most similar programs have also done so. It's best to track the requirements of each of your institutions, then decide if you should take the exam. 

Who should I ask for a rec letter? How do I go about that?

2. Plan ahead. Ask more people than you actually need to write you a letter of recommendation. It is better to be prepared in case there is an unforeseen circumstance that prevents them from getting you your letter in time. 

3. Give your recommenders plenty of notice. Reach out to them early to determine what type of time frame can work best with their schedule. 

4. When requesting a letter be sure to “manage up.” Provide your recommender with all the relevant information they will need in order to write a powerful letter, e.g., research papers, application materials, CV, etc.

Join/utilize professional associations based on your academic interests. These associations often have a list of ranked doctoral programs around the country and sometimes abroad. Identify the works and scholars that speak to you and use these associations to find out where these people are currently teaching (not necessarily where they were when they wrote the article). Follow the scholarship! 

Attend conferences. They are a great way to network. Even if you don’t get a chance to attend before you submit your applications, try to attend after. 

Search external resources for funding opportunities, insight into applications, and more. Don't be scared to do your research!

If you receive an award or honor and choose to include it on your resume and/or application, don’t simply put the name of the award, unless it is universally known (e.g. Fulbright) Be sure to include what the award was for and why it is significant. 

Don’t stress yourself about being too precise and creating the “perfect” application. Remember that at the end of the day it can be arbitrary how the final cohorts are defined. Being a strong candidate may help you become a finalist, however the last part of narrowing down the finalists to accepted students is often not about you but more about the faculty and the needs of the department. It is about what they want and what works for them and their department. 

You need to get used to being rejected. Don’t take it personally, it’s just part of the process.