How to apply for a Ph.D. abroad:  USA in focus

Text by Valentin Slepukhin

Editing by Ksenia Kuznetsova

- Familiarize yourself with the application process

- Get ready for the necessary exams

- Mindfully apply for the programs of choice

It was the early summer of 2022. Royce Hall, the landmark of the University of California, Los Angeles, was crowded with people wearing white medical masks and black robes. One by one, we went to the stage, listening to the organ music and the titles of our Ph.D. dissertations. It was the first hooding ceremony after the lockdown, and my Ph.D. journey was finally not only completed but also nicely framed and celebrated.

As a first step, I needed to figure out precisely what the requirements were to obtain a Ph.D. position in both the USA and EU. Fortunately, I did not have to pass separate entrance exams for each university. There was a standard English exam, TOEFL, that was accepted almost everywhere back then, and U.S. schools also required the GRE Physics exam. The application deadlines for U.S. schools were also earlier than anywhere else, so naturally, I focused on preparing for U.S. universities. Then, I simply sent the required documents from the same list to schools in other countries (or to potential PIs in the case of the EU, where the decision is more often made by your future PI rather than by an admission committee).

Application process in the U.S.A.: Insights and Tips

At the end of the day, I needed the following to apply for a Ph.D. position in USA:

1. Good GPA (Grade Point Average)

2. Good recommendation letters

3. Research results (publications, conference presentations etc.)

4. Exams*

TOEFL (standard English language examination accepted in US)

GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) General, 

GRE Physics 

*in some research fields there are no additional exams, in some they are different - check out where you are going to apply

5. Statement of purpose, CV etc.

6. Various administrative documents (diploma transcripts etc.) 

7. List of schools I wanted to apply

The first (1) did not require additional effort for me; I was already an academic overachiever, and every B was a tragedy (though I had a few of those at the end of the day, it worked out anyway, as you can see).

The second (2) and the third (3) came from my research. Firstly, I would try to get a publication and present my research anyway. Secondly, I don’t think I interacted with any of the professors solely for the reason of getting a recommendation letter from them. It wasn't a matter of, 'This professor is well-known and will help with a Ph.D. application in the USA, so I should make a good impression on him.' On the contrary, all the interactions were natural. So, only at the stage of applying did I start to think about who would be the best choice.

The fourth (4), exam, was the one that required the most preparation. The GRE (Graduate Record Examinations in the USA) subject part, which required knowledge of physics at the B.Sc. level, was the easiest Ph.D. application requirement for me. So, I immediately took the Physics exam at the end of my B.Sc. and could focus on the rest of the qualifications, which were mostly English.

English language qualification turned out to be a significantly more complicated task. I am horribly ungifted in languages. I started to learn English when I was perhaps 4 or 5, and at 16, I was still barely able to communicate. I read my first fiction book in English a year and a half before my TOEFL exam in the middle of my fifth year. Disappointingly, after taking a four-month preparation course, I scored only 78 out of 120, which was way below the requirements for the USA Ph.D., which were an admissible score of 90 and an optimal score of 100. The situation seemed problematic. So, I put a lot of time and effort into improving my English skills, concentrating on the ones that were lagging (back then, listening and speaking). To this end, I took another course on TOEFL preparation - significantly more expensive, but also way more effective. Finally, I scored 99 out of 120, and it was enough.

For the statement of purpose and CV (5), I simply used the alumni network to figure out what I should write in the application for the Ph.D. in the USA. I am saying 'simply,' but of course, it was not that simple. For quite a while, I had a writing block. However, when one allows at least 2-3 months for this procedure, with a strict deadline for the first draft and outline, it becomes less stressful.

Finally, the list of USA universities to apply (7). The strategy I used was again to look where lab alumni went for a Ph.D. and also where the professors with whom I would like to work were. Ironically, I did end up doing a Ph.D. in the USA, though, at UCLA where none of the alumni went. Even though the professor who I wanted to work with was still there, I decided to switch my scientific field. So, in the end, the plan worked out differently than I expected (which I do not regret at all).

So, everything was ready: I went to the universities’ websites, filled out the applications, and clicked the button 'Apply'. In January, I received an offer from the University of Minnesota, and in April from UCLA.

Aftermath

Now, as I look back at this story, I understand how incredibly privileged I was to have an alumni community guiding me through the process of applying for a Ph.D. position in the USA and figuring out all the requirements. So, one of the main takeaways for me was that the community network, along with personal efforts and planning, provides incredible support. It's possible that you may not be as lucky, but do not despair. You can find one here with the sci.STEPS.