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A compilation of stories, telescopes, internship resources, and other things radio astronomy.
The Professional Student is a blog about everything grad school from the application process to my experiences living as a grad student, being a parent in grad school, and researching the role of chemistry in the evolution of our universe.
Filtering by Category: Applying to grad school
Emailing potential advisors for a fellowship opportunity is super intimidating. When I was writing my first fellowship application, I spent a lot of time searching for how to even write that first email. I had a difficult time finding something useful, so here is an overview of things to think about and what to write so you don’t have to wonder how to write that first email anymore!
Read MoreThe application for the NSF GRFP includes a two-page research statement. In these two pages, you have to provide a brief plan of what research you plan to carry out in grad school, address your intellectual merits and broader impacts, and provide enough background information so that a scientist in the same discipline (but likely a completely different area of research) can easily understand the ideas you are trying to convey. How can you possibly fit all of that into two pages?
Read MoreUnsure about whether you should apply to a "gap year" program and grad school at the same time? There are a number of things to consider, but ultimately you should decide what you think is best for you.
Read MorePersonal statements are often limited to one or two pages, but when applying for the NSF GRFP, you have up to three pages to tell your story. How do you use all of that space? How can you incorporate your past experiences with your future goals (especially if you don't know them yet)? No matter how you tackle these questions, it is important to tell your story.
Read MoreIf there is a most understated key to success, it would have to be networking. Networking might just be a buzzword overused by your undergrad institution's career center, or it might be something more. And, it isn't just for business majors or for those savvy at wining and dining. Networking also comes in the form of chance meetings, emails, and letting others do the work for you.
Read MoreIn research, having an external source of funding definitely has its perks, something I found out while at the Universität zu Köln on a Fulbright research grant. While I have yet to learn more about the extent of the benefits from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP), it is already clear that being an NSF Graduate Research Fellow will do more for me than give me another line on my CV.
Read MoreOver the past couple of months, I've been struggling with where to go to graduate school. I had no "safety schools," so narrowing down my list of schools was virtually impossible. I only applied to schools where I could pursue my research interests (astrochemistry) under people for whom I wanted to work. Trying to decide over research that all sounded interesting and people who all seemed supportive and excited about what they did made choosing where to decline more difficult than where to accept. In the end, I decided to accept where my heart told me to go (cheesy, I know).
But first, I had to consider some non-academic factors.
Submitting a CV with your graduate school application is an important part for the admissions committee to get a sense of your accomplishments and interests. In an earlier post, I described the functionality of a CV, what to include, and some formatting tips. Here, I've included an annotated copy of the CV I included in my own applications to give a concrete example of what you may want to include and how to present it.
Read MoreIn addition to copies of your transcripts and personal statement, graduate admissions often also require a resumé or curriculum vitae (CV). Your resumé or CV is an important component of your application materials; it is an opportunity for you, the applicant, to list for the admissions review committee what you've accomplished. It is also a great place to list things like service or work experience that won't fit into the application form itself or the personal statement. But when preparing this document, you have to decide which document will be most conducive to your application. More importantly, you have to think about what to include and how to present this information.
Read MoreFor three or four months, you've obsessed. And now, applying is over.
Or not....
Read MoreThe decision to go to graduate school is perhaps one of the biggest decisions in a student's life. Choosing a graduate education is fraught with a number of challenges much greater than those encountered when applying to college at the end of high school. Some of the questions you'll have will remain the same at the core, but are often much more complicated.
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