Part Two: Understanding the Overall Process

Happy Friday everyone! Welcome to the first post of my series, Navigating the Graduate School Application Journey (for wanna-be biology researchers). 

I’m adding (for wanna-be biology researchers) to the title because the process for applying for graduate school as a different major (let’s say….for someone that wants to become a librarian) is completely different. It’s also very different from applying to undergraduate school!

You probably applied to your undergraduate college using the Common App, or maybe a portal that the University had set up. You chose the school based on the classes they offered, the scholarships they gave you, and the major that suited you. After you applied, you got in! Throughout that whole process, you probably never talked to a professor (I actually did since I reached out and asked to meet with professors to learn more about the Zoology programs). But, that isn’t necessary for most people. 

For most people, applying to Graduate school (specifically a non-thesis program) is the same way! Now, if you want to get a Ph.D. or Masters in the sciences on a thesis track, it’s quite different.

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Quick Side Note: 

A thesis program involves taking a few classes, but then developing and carrying out a research project. You’ll analyze your data and then write up a manuscript! For a Master’s degree, it normally takes 2-3 years. If you’re interested in doing research or pursuing a Ph.D., a thesis track is the way to go. 

A non-thesis Master’s program is more class-based and lays the groundwork to do professional work in a setting where research isn’t at the forefront. They can be common before professional schooling or for biology students needing a graduate degree, but not for research. 

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So, let’s jump into applying to a graduate school for a thesis track program in the sciences!

1. You’re applying to a PERSON FIRST, not the school 

In your graduate program, your PI (principal investigator, aka the professor you’ll be working with), is going to be your best friend. This person helps you design an experiment, analyze results, encourages you when you’re feeling down, and all around teaches you how to do science. You’ll most likely be meeting with them once a week, asking questions about confusing statistics, and needing them to help you learn how best to write a manuscript. It’s extremely important that your PI matches up with your personality and will support you!

The advisor you have could make or break your experience (I know this sounds scary). It doesn’t matter if your University is in the BIG 10, or if it’s 1 hour from your college town with your old friends; if it’s not a good fit, it’s not worth it. So, I encourage you to find a professor that you love - and especially that has research you love!

2. Emailing professors + zooming!

Once you find professors you like (stay tuned for info about that), you need to reach out to them. We’ll get into details later, but if they have room and funding, they will be willing to meet with you over Zoom. Depending on the PI, you might go back and forth a few times, have some meetings, and then they’ll encourage you to apply if you’re a good fit. But, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be accepted. 

3. Applying to the University

Once the professor is interested in you, you’ll apply to the University. This is normally like applying to undergrad; you’ll attach your CV, essay, and some letters of recommendation. There’s normally a spot in the application where you mark down the name of the professor. 

From previous professors, this is what I’ve heard: The university ranks the applications of all the potential graduate students that have applied. Then, they have some sort of cut off and if you make that cut-off, they check with the professors about who wanted to join their lab. Some applicants apply generally and don’t reach out to a professor if the school allows it, but I don’t recommend that. Now, some schools DO want you to do this. They want you to choose an advisor once you get in (that was never the case though with all the places I applied to). 

4. Graduate Recruitment Weekends

At some point in January, you’ll get an email about your pending acceptance or denial. If denied, don’t worry about it - that means it wasn’t meant to be. If you got an invitation to the recruitment weekend, you’ve made it to the next step. This weekend (see here for more details) is packed with interviews, socials, and time to learn about the program. It can be intimidating, but when there, you’ll be able to answer questions and feel the environment of the program and advisor. 

5. The final notification

Going to a graduate recruitment weekend doesn’t guarantee acceptance. You could go, love the college, and be denied. This indeed happened to me and it was really hard. When you build up a relationship with a professor and know them for months, it hurts to be told no. But, I want to encourage you with the beauty in this decision. Again, the decision was made for you. You’re not meant to be there. Just a few days later, I accepted my position at the University of Saskatchewan and was bursting with joy. I’m 100% positive that that is where I’m met to be. 

On the other hand, you’ll get an acceptance! You might even get one from more than one university. Then, it’s up to you to make the hard decision, accept one, and deny the others. Again, I’ve also had to deny an offer, and that’s quite difficult too. I felt bad (and you might too) telling a professor, whom I had talked to for months, that I made a different decision. But, these professors KNOW that this is a possibility, and I can guarantee that it has probably happened before. 

There you have it! Hopefully, this little guide helped outline a bit of the process for you. I would also encourage you to reach out to friends and family that may have gone through the process. It’s always great to get everyone’s opinion on this. Everything above was just my experience; yours could be different.