Formulas are beautiful, aren’t they? Whether the elegance of a binary logarithm or the universe contained within the laws of thermodynamics, it’s wondrous to see how much we can explain through gracefully arranged information. Prose writing is no different. Even with the statement of purpose for PhD …
Graduate School Applications
How to Get Into Grad School with a Low GPA (With Examples)
Listen, I understand. Grad school admissions are daunting for everyone. But if your undergrad GPA was less than golden, the process can seem demoralizing. You know you have potential. You know can succeed if given the chance. But is it even possible to get into grad school with a low GPA? Yes. …
Scholarships for Master’s Students (By Academic Field)
When discussing scholarships for master’s students, people tend to sound like Sancho Panza rolling his eyes at Don Quixote’s windmills. Do these giants even exist? Everyone knows PhDs get full funding, and most assume that master’s degrees just come with a boatload of debt. (Hence the growing …
Kisses of Death in Graduate Applications: Review and Summary
If you haven’t read about the five “Kisses of Death in the Graduate School Application Process,” then please allow me to save you a boatload of trouble and anxiety. In 2006, two researchers surveyed admissions chairs from eighty-eight psychology graduate departments. They didn’t want to find out …
Diversity Statement 101: An Essay Guide for Champions
The Diversity Statement, and its close cousins the Personal History and Personal Contributions essays, might be the hardest part of graduate applications. The prompts are so vague and open-ended. They often make applicants shudder. What am I supposed to write about? What if I’m not a …
Luminous Intelligence: Why Hiring an SOP Writer Doesn’t Work
Would you believe you can hire an SOP writer on Fiverr for only $20? Or that there are over 4 million hits if you Google ghostwriting services for your essays? Really, it’s astounding how many people are willing to submit applications they didn’t write. Obviously, there’s an ethical problem with …
How to Write Your Engineering SOP (Master’s Success Story)
Ever wonder what kind of statement of purpose impresses engineering admissions committees? I think about this every single day. I think about the structure. I think about the stories that Computer, Electrical, and Industrial engineers tell. I think about the style and the “Why This Program” section. …
How to Write Your Neuroscience SOP: A PhD Success Story
I fully admit, editing a neuroscience statement of purpose is a daunting task. When working with a PhD applicant, it’s even more intimidating. The research nuances are mindboggling. (Literally?) Molecular assays and signaling pathways - the jargon is dense, and the details are important. It takes a …
The 5 Habits of Highly Successful Grad Applicants
Some grad applicants are different. While everyone else seems stressed, overwhelmed, and anxious they won’t get accepted anywhere, others breeze through the process like it’s nothing. These astoundingly successful grad applicants often earn double-digit admissions. They receive scholarships. And all …
How to Improve Your Focus by 400% While Studying and Coding
As a writer, I’m obsessed with my ability to focus. As a student, you should be too. Whether writing application essays, dissertations, or novels, the ability to sit down and work without distraction is vitally important to producing good work. PhD students know this better than anyone. You can’t …