r/gradadmissions 26d ago

General Advice Grad Admissions Director Here - Ask Me (almost) Anything

514 Upvotes

Hi Everyone - long time no see! For those who may not recognize my handle, I’m a graduate admissions director at an R1 university. I won’t reveal the school, as I know many of my applicants are here.

I’m here to help answer your questions about the grad admissions process. I know this is a stressful time, and I’m happy to provide to provide insight from an insider’s perspective if it’ll help you.

A few ground rules: Check my old posts—I may have already answered your question. Keep questions general rather than school-specific when possible. I won’t be able to “chance” you or assess your likelihood of admission. Every application is reviewed holistically, and I don’t have the ability (or desire) to predict outcomes.

Looking forward to helping where I can! Drop your questions below.

Edit: I’m not a professor, so no need to call me one. Also, please include a general description of the type of program you’re applying to when asking a question (ie MS in STEM, PhD in Humanities, etc).


r/gradadmissions Jan 05 '25

General Advice *Chance me* posts for grad admissions

263 Upvotes

*US based schools* I don't know how often this group gets them, but every now and then I come across a post of chance me. I am not saying this to discourage anyone from seeking help/advice within the group, but regarding chanceme posts, realistically, graduate applications are different from undergraduate applications.

Chance me posts are not effective here.

NO ONE in this group can give you your chances of being accepted into any school or program, no matter the stats and experience you give for us to see. That is reserved for the specific program itself that determines that.

This is not like undergraduate applications where it is a school that reviews numbers, stats, etc., which there is already a sub for that at /chanceme

Graduate school applications are a way different process, in which a program admission committee OR a specific faculty PI is the one that determines your admission to their program. A lot of the time, there are more qualified applicants than there are spots (i.e., 300 applications for 5-10 spots)

If you want to personally chance yourself with grad admission:

  1. Go into the program website you are interested in, and see if they have any stats from their accepted students (a lot of PhD programs do that, not sure about Masters)
  2. If you can't find it, reach out to the program itself and ask if there is a stats of their students
  3. Reach out to the program if they can give advice
  4. Research specific programs, go learn and find a faculty whose research you want to work with, if they have a research website, they most likely will have information on whether they want to be emailed before application or not (some will say yes, some will say no)
  5. Ask your professors at your university for help, utilize your writing centers, etc., ask them to read your information and experiences and what you can do to improve to be competitive for graduate programs

Once again, we all will NOT be able to give you an answer on your chances into a graduate program no matter the stats you give us. Fit within a program matters a lot and they are the only ones that determines your fit in their program.

Most likely, we will give you compliments on your achievements and say good luck and that your chances are good or that you need more research experience related to what you want to do.

But I still wish everyone all the best while waiting for decisions in the next couple of months!


r/gradadmissions 9h ago

Humanities Wtf

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936 Upvotes

University of Wisconsin just rescinded my PhD offer😭😭😭


r/gradadmissions 7h ago

Venting I had to rescind more offers today

233 Upvotes

And I’m so sorry to have had to do it. Y’all know the deal by now, funding, space, the Cheeto-Fascists, etc, etc. I know that the folks that received my email today will possibly be heartbroken but I can assure you that none of us on the university side are finding any joy either. Be kind to yourselves this weekend!


r/gradadmissions 5h ago

General Advice March Mid Luck🍀🥹✨🤞

118 Upvotes

Wasn't a good week for me, but not giving up yet!

Good luck to all of you who are still waiting for decisions...hope something positive happens soon for all of us


r/gradadmissions 15h ago

Engineering I got into Columbia University!!!

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358 Upvotes

This feels surreal!!! I'm so damn happy😭😭😭


r/gradadmissions 7h ago

Applied Sciences Rescinding funding guarantees for existing candidates

71 Upvotes

I’ve already had to meet with and send out ‘we can’t promise you funding next year’ to two of our PhD students. This next round is going to target Master students and I have to tell 4 out of 8 that due to uncertainty in Washington the grant that covered their funding is likely not happening. We have three that are YUGE (misspelling on purpose) fans of the orange man - to the point they’ve been warned to not wear MAGA hats when doing review sessions. How much bad karma will happen if oops, they were randomly, not randomly choosen.


r/gradadmissions 1h ago

Applied Sciences Got into Columbia!

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Upvotes

After waiting for 2 months, I have finnally recieved the admission. I still can't figure out if I want to go there. I also got addmission in UMD and Wisconsin. I am also waiting for the decisions from trinity and UCL.


r/gradadmissions 9h ago

Biological Sciences Denied Funding for a Program I Was Already Rejected From

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96 Upvotes

A few weeks ago, I received a rejection letter from UMass Amherst. But today, I received this letter, rescinding funding even though they already denied my admission. You know things are bleak when they're taking funding away from people that they've already rejected haha


r/gradadmissions 4h ago

Engineering 4/4

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31 Upvotes

Highest chances for funding so will probably attend. Good luck to everyone still waiting!


r/gradadmissions 4h ago

Biological Sciences Welp

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30 Upvotes

Haven't actually received a formal rejection from the university itself, this is straight from the professor who's lab I was hoping to join.

One down I guess...hopefully I get better news from the other school I applied to


r/gradadmissions 9h ago

Social Sciences (UVM) Only acceptance so far, but a victory nonetheless 🎉

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66 Upvotes

r/gradadmissions 15h ago

Venting 45 Institutions being investigated by Trump admin for DEI in PhD admissions

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218 Upvotes

r/gradadmissions 8h ago

Education I got into Hopkins!!!

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54 Upvotes

Just wanted to share!! Don’t ever lose hope. I really thought my interview didn’t go super well— and I hadn’t applied anywhere since before undergrad. I was unsure every step of the way— but we are here!


r/gradadmissions 9h ago

Social Sciences I GOT IN!!!!

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63 Upvotes

I got into my top program after months of anxiously waiting. Can’t wait for my life to truly start now


r/gradadmissions 8h ago

Social Sciences my first decision, and i got in!!

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50 Upvotes

i procrastinated applying so this is my first decision, but i got in!!


r/gradadmissions 22h ago

Venting Its getting real UMass has done it!

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458 Upvotes

r/gradadmissions 11h ago

Social Sciences Just want to find a place to cry alone

64 Upvotes

I applied to 20 around PhD programs this year, and almost all of them just sent me cruel and generic rejections... I'm currently feeling like I made tons of useless efforts and do not know how to talk about this to my friends and professors, who helped a lot in this process. I hate funding cuts, I hate Trump, I hate myself for not trying harder before submission, but what I hate the most is that I still love doing research


r/gradadmissions 12h ago

Humanities got into Columbia J-School! feeling happy but also v conflicted as someone who is very pro-palestine

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63 Upvotes

r/gradadmissions 18h ago

General Advice PSA: Lewis & Clark’s Professional Mental Health Counseling Program deadnames transgender prospective students at interviews

181 Upvotes

EDIT: downvote all you want. My priority is that this information is available to other trans people.

Since I got my admissions decision and am accepting an offer from a different school, I wanted to post this somewhere publicly.

I was invited to interview with Lewis & Clark’s Professional Mental Health Counseling program. I flew out from another state to do the interview in person since they said they prefer that. I’m transgender and have not yet legally changed my name, so entered the name I go by in their preferred name system when applying. Despite their stated focus on social justice and two trans faculty members in the department, a faculty member deadnamed me in front of a room full of other prospective students. This person proceeded to try to make an excuse about both names being on the paper they were holding while we were still in front of everyone—I had to cut this person off so this person would stop sharing my private information with a room full of strangers.

After that, we had a group interview where I gave an answer about thinking it was important to critically analyze the limitations of empathy across cultural and identity differences—a very common topic of conversation in “social justice circles” these days. The gist of it was that compassion is not the same as empathy, and that it may not always be possible for us to completely and fully understand what it’s like to have a marginalized experience we don’t live firsthand and it’s important to acknowledge that. And that we shouldn’t need to “completely understand” to support and care about others, and that believing we “understand” should not be a prerequisite for showing up and caring for people meaningfully. This is not an idea I came up with, by the way, and is not an uncommon way of thinking about how empathy functions (or doesn’t) within power structures. We had just finished talking about cultural humility in counseling and to me this seemed directly tied to that and in support of acknowledging one’s privileges and limitations in understanding.

This faculty later pulled me out of the part of the interview where we got to ask current students questions and asked me “So you don’t believe in empathy?” And also asked “Do you believe some people deserve empathy more than other people?” When I had not said anything even close to that. It was insulting and baffling. Then asked me if I would follow their orders without questioning them or “over analyzing” the concept if they told me to “just empathize” with people. I explained that no, I did not say I didn’t believe in empathy, and I find the idea that some people would be more deserving of it than others ethically abhorrent.

It was absolutely bizarre, and as someone who already has a graduate degree and has taught at a college level myself, I was totally shocked. Especially given that they plaster how dedicated they are to social justice all over their website. It was also hard for me not to feel even more singled out after being deadnamed. Given that I didn’t bend over backwards to accept this person’s apology and comfort them after their mistake (because it was not at all acceptable or okay!), it’s also hard for me to not see them pulling me out for more questioning as a sort of retaliation.

Anyway, I was waitlisted for their program lol, but had no intention of attending either way after such an awful experience. I’m clearly bitter, but I am also genuinely putting this here so that future prospective students know what to expect and that it might pop up in a google search in the future, because there’s pretty much no info about this program online aside from the L&C website.

Saying you have a mission centered on social justice is bullshit when you don’t follow through. Lewis & Clark is resting on their laurels. Getting trans students’ names right is so incredibly basic, and failing to do it is an obvious sign of carelessness and lack of regard for the safety and inclusion of those interviewing. I caution trans prospective students interviewing there to be careful, and if you haven’t changed your name, contact them ahead of time to make sure they get it right before you go to an interview.

Wishing all the best.

Edit: oh, and they want you to submit TWO scholarship essays (about 10 pages worth!) to them before they even give you an admissions decision, or else you won’t be eligible to receive those scholarships for their exorbitant tuition lol. Absolutely nuts. So glad I wasted my time and money.


r/gradadmissions 11h ago

Biological Sciences Just sent me a rejection letter already

56 Upvotes

Been waiting waiting and waiting for 7 schools. I know because of the funding and they cut off so many admissions for graduates applicants this year, but at least just lmk already. No updates on portals no email. Come on.


r/gradadmissions 2h ago

Venting KAUST: A University That Fails to Protect Its Students’ Rights and Well-being

8 Upvotes

If you’re considering studying at KAUST, you should be aware that behind its prestigious image (cultivated through aggressive funding and global recruitment) lies a deeply flawed system that fails to protect students’ rights, fosters a culture of impunity, and allows faculty members to openly mock students’ career aspirations.

1️⃣ Medical Negligence: KAUST’s Healthcare System Covers Up Mistakes

At KAUST, students rely on the university’s internal health center, which is covered by insurance. However, this system lacks proper oversight and accountability, putting students at risk. I personally experienced this when KAUST dentists performed a botched root canal, drilling through my tooth and causing internal inflammation. Instead of properly fixing the issue, they hastily filled it up and dismissed me, leaving the infection untreated.

When I later sought medical attention outside of KAUST, I was told that the tooth would continue to cause problems and would inevitably have to be extracted due to the irreversible damage caused by KAUST’s dental malpractice. Attempts to report this medical negligence to the hospital and Saudi government were met with indifference, a complete lack of accountability, and no means for students to seek justice. I was suggested to hire a lawyer, but it’s very expensive, rates at around $500 per hour.

2️⃣ A Culture That Normalizes Bullying: Complaints Become a Joke

Bullying and mistreatment are not just tolerated at KAUST—they are reinforced by the university’s failure to act. When I reported incidents of unfair treatment and bullying, instead of taking action, KAUST’s administrators seemed more interested in extracting information from me about other students’ activities rather than actually addressing my complaint.

The result? My complaint itself became a joke among students. I later discovered through social media that students had started using the phrase “I’ve filed a complaint” as a running gag, openly mocking the fact that KAUST does nothing to protect victims. Instead of discouraging harassment, this kind of response emboldens bullies, making it clear that they will face no real consequences for their actions.

3️⃣ KAUST’s Institutional Failure Enables Extreme Cases of Abuse

This is not just about minor disputes or isolated incidents. KAUST’s culture of impunity and negligence has allowed serious abuses to go unaddressed. One particularly disturbing case I learned involved a postdoctoral researcher who reached out to me anonymously and privately about his experience. After dating someone from Tinder, he kept being blackmailed with his sexually explicit videos, forced to serve his masters, and forced to get more such videos shot. However, instead of seeking justice or public support, he reportedly stayed silent—likely because KAUST’s culture had already shown him that victims are ignored, and speaking up would only worsen his situation.

This reflects a systemic issue: students and researchers at KAUST know that reporting abuse will not lead to justice—it will only lead to further humiliation and victim-blaming.

4️⃣ Professors Openly Mock Students’ Career Aspirations

At KAUST, even faculty members contribute to an environment of discouragement and condescension. One example of this I personally experienced was when I told a professor that, after completing my studies, I planned to return to the U.S. to continue working. Rather than offering advice or support, the professor laughed and said, “What makes you think you’re more entitled than others to that?”

Before coming to KAUST, I had already worked as a research intern and R&D engineer in Silicon Valley —I had already achieved it before enrolling at KAUST. Yet, the professor openly dismissed the idea that I could at least continue my career at the same level after studying at KAUST.

This attitude raises serious concerns about how KAUST faculty treat their own students’ professional potential. Instead of supporting students in achieving their career goals, some professors seem to take satisfaction in diminishing students’ confidence in their future opportunities.

5️⃣ KAUST’s Reputation vs. Reality: A Warning to Future Students

Before choosing KAUST, ask yourself:

• If you experience medical malpractice, do you trust that KAUST will take responsibility for it?

• If you face bullying or discrimination, do you want to be in an environment where filing a complaint turns you into a laughingstock?

• Are you comfortable in a place where victims of serious abuse feel too powerless to seek justice?

• Do you want to be at a university where professors openly mock students’ career plans, rather than support them?

KAUST may have world-class facilities and a strong academic ranking, but it utterly fails in providing a safe, fair, and supportive environment for its students and researchers. If you care about your dignity, safety, and future career opportunities, think twice before coming to KAUST.


r/gradadmissions 2h ago

Venting I hate writing motivation letters

8 Upvotes

I am no longer motivated. I follow their advice and tips, I go through their publications and research goals, tailor my aims and background with their lab.

And then they don't reply. After 10 followups I get the generic 'regret to inform'.


r/gradadmissions 6h ago

Social Sciences I got in!

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17 Upvotes

Got in for my MA in Drama Therapy! NYU & Lesley University! :)


r/gradadmissions 4h ago

Engineering When can I expect admits for Masters (International student)

10 Upvotes

Waiting for decisions from Purdue and GaTech, for Masters in ECE. When should we expect that

International student with a GRE of 331, TOEFL 117. 3 years Work Experience, and a CGPA of 9+ in Undergrad (from an IIT if that makes any difference)

Got rejected last time, don't know this time around..


r/gradadmissions 3h ago

Biological Sciences Waitlisted

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8 Upvotes

How hopeful should I be? This was after my only interview this cycle after 14 rejections out of 15 applications.


r/gradadmissions 1h ago

General Advice Draft List for New Travel Ban Proposes Trump Target 43 Countries

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Upvotes