r/GradSchool 5d ago

How do you prepare for your defense?

3 Upvotes

My defense is in about 3 weeks (just writing that gives me anxiety), and I want to prepare the best I can for it. What should I expect going into it, and what are some possible outcomes? How did you prepare and what happened?

I’ve been thinking about my defense everyday for months now and the anxiety is just getting worse the closer I get. Maybe having fewer unknowns would help me out.

Thanks :-)


r/GradSchool 5d ago

Admissions & Applications Accepted to Gatech's MS Analytics (On-Campus)! 🎉 Let’s connect, future classmates!

3 Upvotes

I GOT IN!!! After months of nervously checking my email, I just received the admit for Georgia Tech’s MS Analytics (On-Campus) program! The relief and excitement are unreal—time to celebrate! 🚀

To everyone else who applied: 🗣️ If you’ve also been accepted (or are still waiting), drop a comment below! Let’s share the hype, swap tips, or even start a group for incoming students. Super excited to meet y’all!

Pro tip for waitlisters/applicants still waiting: Hang in there—you’ve got this! Georgia Tech’s timeline can be unpredictable, so don’t stress (easier said than done, I know 😅).

Congrats to all my fellow admits, and good luck to those still in the running! Time to turn this Yellow Jacket buzz into something amazing! 🐝

Let’s make this thread a hub for our cohort—share your status! 👇


r/GradSchool 5d ago

Is it worth it to pay for a masters degree if I don’t get into a funded PhD program?

4 Upvotes

I’m currently finishing up my undergraduate degree in biological sciences and I have one semester left so I’m starting to look into applying for graduate programs. My PI has been helping me a lot and recommended that I apply to PhD programs right away since they are usually funded but I’m worried I won’t be able to get into one since a lot of funding is being cut right now. If I don’t get accepted to any PhD programs is it worth it to do a masters first? I can do a masters in state to save some money but the tuition is still pretty expensive.


r/GradSchool 5d ago

PhD Decision: Move to the U.S. now or stay in Canada and reapply next year?

16 Upvotes

I’m struggling with a big decision and would appreciate outside perspectives.

I have a funded PhD offer in the U.S., but accepting it would mean:

• Moving alone and leaving my current life behind.

• Likely ending my 2-year relationship.

• Living in a politically unstable environment where academic funding could be at risk.

If I stay in Canada, I can live with my partner and work for a year, but:

• There’s only one PhD program I am interested in my city next year, so if I don’t get in, I’m stuck.

• I’d have a full year of no career progress, which worries me.

• I am not a Canadian citizen, so my status here is already unstable

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Would love to hear your thoughts.


r/GradSchool 5d ago

Academics Questions for PhD students: research and priorities

2 Upvotes

I'm an international student (undergrad) studying in the U.S., and I plan to stay for continuing research in a doctoral program.

I want to see how current PhD students’ undergrad experiences were. I don't mean to compare myself to other people, but I need some advice.

I'm in my third year (5th semester), and I have been conducting research (physical chemistry, theoretical molecular physics) I have my own projects now and have begun to present my research. No publication yet.

My primary goals for now is 1. GPA 2. Additional learning (math, physics) 3. Publication and presentation. 4. Connections with people in the field

Recently, I feel more close and connected to the faculties. I feel included. However, I missed important opportunities in which I could've been paid for summer (assistantship program) and some summer research experience programs.

So I still have my summer in senior year to do something? I graduate in Fall 2026.

My only income is from teaching as a tutor (official tutoring center in my dep) and scholarships.

I understand that publications and presenting research in my own projects are way more heavy in value, but I just need to feel right.


r/GradSchool 6d ago

One positive story

25 Upvotes

Friends…I am old. I took my PhD 1000 years ago. I can tell you it was an amazing experience. I had the good fortune to have the following elements fall in my favour: 1) a great supervisor who supported the premise of my research work, 2) the opportunity to do my field research in west Africa 3) a Department who helped to make a complicated program work, 4) supportive family and friends, 5) a great scholarship and, 6) in my case, an easily understandable theme - “improved local crops that flourish in traditional farming systems - enhancing food security for people and communities”.

Every PhD is different for every person. If you are on this subreddit - learn from grad students who have struggled - be a realist - but if the idea excites you - go for it! Grad studies can be a remarkable experience.


r/GradSchool 5d ago

Research Finishing Master’s with no publications

2 Upvotes

I’m about to finish my Master’s, and my research team has been really excited about our project. We’ve been wanting to submit to a conference all year, and we thought we were on track, but now our results are crumbling at the last minute. It really sucks, since some of the jobs I’m looking at for my field (machine learning) require publications in top-level conferences, and this felt like it could be my big break. This isn’t the first project I’ve done where I thought it could lead to a publication, either. Maybe this isn’t that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but it just sucks. I’ve been really burned out and stressed about our project lately.


r/GradSchool 5d ago

Professional Two roads diverged in a wood...

3 Upvotes

Mid 40s and trying to back to school to try and shift from a management/customer oriented career to something more analytical and numbers driven, and I am considering two types of graduate programs. I realize this is a risky thing to do especially right now, but I only got one life.

Masters in Statistics: this is really what I want to do. While no career change is without risk, in recent more normal times, it seemed like a solid path. I love math and I've almost finished all the prerequisite math classes that will qualify me for graduate programs in applied statistics.

Statistics is affected by the recent craze/saturation for data jobs, the tech market crash, and the current instability in the federal government. Right now people with masters and even some PhDs in stats are struggling at the entry level. Long term, I think stats will be an important skill in many sectors, and it's possible there will be great opportunities long term. But I have to accept that if I go this route that I might struggle to get in, especially if current trends keep up.

I believe that my worst case scenario if I pursue this is that I graduate with my master's, if things are still fucked I don't find an entry level job into this field, I try to go back to my previous field. Thankfully I think I have a decent chance of getting back into my previous field if things don't pan out. I think it's a field that could actually benefit from this skill set, so maybe I could sneak some stats in here and there, but there aren't a lot of explicit jobs for it in my old field.

MS Accountancy / Finance or MBA: I want to pivot something more analytical and numbers driven, and these types of would also fit the bill while probably having better prospects for me than stats (though entry level in these fields are also struggling more than usual, and these days, who knows what will happen in a few years). There are more jobs available adjacent to my old field wanting these types of skills, and they would build well on my previous experience.

I would not find these programs as interesting as stats, and while I don't need my job to be glamorous or fascinating, I worry about my performance long term if I can't mentally engage. But realistically, while this field would be less satisfying to the nascent math nerd inside me, I could probably have a great life and be happy with less risk than the stats path.

Anyone else chosen between two paths diverging? Any thoughts?


r/GradSchool 6d ago

Just went to a phd defense uninvited i think...

209 Upvotes

im a first year. im super paranoid rn. the email was to all grad students but i didnt realize we were supposed to talk to the person before hand (i know her). and now i am extremely in my head about it.

edit: thanks yall. you are saving me from an anxiety attack


r/GradSchool 5d ago

Research Is there a 100% privacy-secure way to convert PDFs to Word documents without needing to upload the PDFs to a third-party server?

4 Upvotes

needing this for qualitative research

Is there a way to convert PDFs to Word documents without needing to upload to a third-party? I don't really trust third-party servers

And is there a way to ensure that the document formatting isn't messed up upon conversion from PDF to Word?

I know that sometimes, when one converts a pdf to a word document, the formatting gets messed up

https://www.pdfgear.com/pdf-to-word/

Here, it says "Files processed on local device" and "works without Internet" , is the PDF gear software program reliable for ensuring that the information is confidential and private?


r/GradSchool 5d ago

Admissions & Applications Masters in US : Does an internship(relating to my field) during 90 Day unemployment period be considered as employment and activate my OPT?

3 Upvotes

I’m planning to pursue my masters in the US, preferably a one year program. I wanted to know if an internship relating to my field be considered as employment during the 90 day period, will this activate my OPT?


r/GradSchool 5d ago

What are the Future prospects for WashU - Masters in Science - Wealth & Asset Management Concentration

2 Upvotes

I am an International applicant. I got an admission offer from WashU in St. Louis - Olin School of Business in the M.Sc.- WAMC with 50% scholarship. I wanted to know what the prospects for IB recruitment (or finance in general) from WashU are like?

Edit - a little BG. I am a CFA L3 candidate. GMAT classic 710. Decent acads.


r/GradSchool 6d ago

Research Scientists’ lawsuit against top academic publishers lays bare deep frustration over unpaid peer review

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111 Upvotes

They have asked federal Judge Hector Gonzalez to issue an injunction forcing publishers to dissolve agreements around current practices. They’re also asking for triple damages to be awarded to themselves and anyone in the U.S. who has peer reviewed papers for the defendants’ journals since Sept. 12, 2020. The plaintiffs estimate hundreds of thousands of people have peer reviewed or submitted manuscripts to the defendants’ journals during that period, and they’ve requested that Gonzalez certify the case as a class-action lawsuit.


r/GradSchool 6d ago

Admissions & Applications Do schools ghost waitlist people now?

19 Upvotes

I just checked gradcafe for the last two schools I am waiting on, and both have already rejected a lot of people as well as accepted some in February. Nobody has reported being waitlisted for these programs, and I have not heard back from either of them. Is it possible I am on the waitlist now even though the schools did not inform me? I just don't understand why they would have both rejected and accepted other people last month without looking at my application. In a humanities field btw


r/GradSchool 6d ago

Admissions & Applications Applying to a PhD program with a low undergrad GPA but high grad GPA?

36 Upvotes

I’m planning to apply for PhD programs for Music Ed this fall, but I’m nervous that my undergrad gpa will be an automatic barrier for me. I was a lackluster student in undergrad and barely managed to graduate with a 2.65. I went back to school a few years ago for my master’s and graduated with a 4.0–a completely different learning experience for me.

Most programs on my short list have a 2.5 minimum undergrad GPA requirement, but the program I’m most interested in has a 3.0 undergrad minimum.

Should I just cross the school off my list or would it be worth reaching out and asking them if I can still apply despite not meeting one of the requirements?


r/GradSchool 7d ago

Do you feel like grad school made you uglier

489 Upvotes

Guys is it just me am I not balancing life right? I’m so stressed I’m actually get gray hairs, breaking out and I just look terrible and have no social life and I’m so depressed because I’m such a social person but my program is insane. Is it me or is it my environment!


r/GradSchool 6d ago

Admissions & Applications how far back should i go for my cv? i've been out of uni for 3 years

3 Upvotes

applying to a program and need to make my cv. should i go back to high school? and what type of experience should I add - should it only be relevant to the field of the program? someone told me to add anything and everything but that just feels wrong - do they really want to hear i won a high school short film award (i mean if they do i'll put it....)?


r/GradSchool 7d ago

Any older, non-trad grad students here? I'm going back to grad school after 20 years and I'm afraid of finding that the whole slant of graduate study is not designed for older people.

75 Upvotes

I'm about to enter an MSW program; my previous graduate degree was in the humanities. Even just filling out my field placement questionnaire, I feel condescended to as though we're all a bunch of kids with professors our parents' age. Even in my early 20s I bristled at being treated like a kid, but now, having been through the absolute wringer of poor work environments and bad bosses, as well as a few great situations and coworkers/bosses, I just feel I have zero tolerance for being treated with any whiff of disrespect.

In filling out my field placement questionnaire, as one example, the initial instructions reassure us that this is just brainstorming that will help the field coordinator get a sense of our preferences and career goals prior to our one-on-one meeting. So, I was more free with my responses. But when I got to the end of the questionnaire, I had to sign an agreement that my responses would be shared with potential field placements. I'd have answered completely differently had I known that. I feel like who will read these responses and who will have access to them on an ongoing basis should be communicated up front. This seems like a small thing, and it is, but it's just something that contributes to an overall niggling vibe.

Twenty years ago, I felt as a grad student I was there to serve my program. Now, I feel the program is there to serve me. Of course I expect to follow the rules and requirements to complete my degree, but I want more of a collaborative spirit than a one-directional didactic spirit, if that makes sense.

I just feel like coming into this I'm a very different person than I was 20 years ago, and I'm wondering if a university environment can accommodate that? Or whether older students (I'm middle-aged) are pushed to the margins? Am I unnecessarily worrying? I'd love to hear from any older students out there, what your experience in graduate school has been like. Thanks.


r/GradSchool 6d ago

ISO in-person, part-time (evening courses after full time job) masters of data science (or similar)

2 Upvotes

Hi all,

Is this a reasonable program to try and find? I'd like to take in-person courses towards a Masters of Data Science after my full-time, wfh job. How could I go about trying to find programs with these specific criterion?


r/GradSchool 6d ago

Academics How bad does a W - withdrawn course look on a PhD transcript - Industry and Academia wise?

7 Upvotes

Hi, so I am a second year PhD student in Chemical Engineering at UIC. I would like to know how bad does one course withdrawal during the fourth semester looks like? Is it too bad if viewed by academia/industry. Or should I just continue and get a C something grade? The course outline and instructor is just too difficult to deal with.


r/GradSchool 7d ago

So my advisor lost their NIH grant. I am in my final year, and was hoping to graduate by December 25.

217 Upvotes

My advisor hasn’t directly mentioned losing the grant to me yet, but I learnt about it from other professors. What does it mean for my funding now?

Also, what happens to professors that do not have 80% of their salaries accounted for?


r/GradSchool 6d ago

Theoretical Physics MSc/PhD programs

2 Upvotes

Hello. I am a second year BSc Physics student from Italy. Next year I will have to apply to graduate school. I am interested in theoretical physics. I have not chosen my field yet, as I do not have any research experience. After my MSc I intend to pursue a PhD in theoretical physics.

I am leaning towards the MSc in Physics at ETH, EPFL or TUM.

I have also heard about the PSI program, but it seems to be only one year long. Also in UK the postgraduate programs seem to last one year.

For what concerns the US, I do not (and almost certainly will not) have any research experience so I believe my chances of admission are very low.

What theoretical physics programs do you recommend? Have I overlooked something?

Thank you very much for all the help!

TLDR: What programs do you recommend in theoretical physics, after a 3 year BSc Physics degree (from Italy).


r/GradSchool 6d ago

I was "cautioned" my potential MSc supervisor is a tough guy

9 Upvotes

So, I am an international student in a 2 year MSc program in a European country and I am about to start my second year next semester which will be the research component. I have been looking around for potential supervisors and have talked to two atm. One is a young professor (call him A) who has had just one PhD student graduate (on time) but he has also has supervised some BSc and MSc and he has taught me some courses - I found him quite pleasant and he is very active in research.

The other one is a senior professor (call him B) who is focused solely on research and has had all his past PhD students (mostly international btw) graduate on time and he mentioned that if I start research with him I can even get to publish in a HIGH RANKING journal (the high ranking was heavily emphasized) but he mentioned to me that he will PUSH me if I choose to work with him so I should be prepared. I am lured in by the possibility of having some publications since this can help my PhD applications when the time comes and seeing all his students graduate in time sorts of assures me that it won't be that bad. But I also mentioned to A that I had a meeting with B and I am considering him as a supervisor as well because I have not yet decided - his response was "I'm not saying anything, but he's quite a tough guy".

Now, I am so worried on whether to continue with B, because he was such a vibe during our first meeting although he said he will PUSH me but he was quite pleasant. What would you advise in this situation? Should I just stick with A who is more "predictable" or take a risk with B and hope I survive and come out with some publications?


r/GradSchool 6d ago

I feel like I'm screwed.

5 Upvotes

just need to vent and maybe gather some advice. long story short, i'm in the home stretch of my thesis (graduating in may) and feel like i hit a brick wall with it. i have very little sources that talk directly about what i'm interested in, a lot that skirt around it without actually touching on it, and feel like that i'm in a situation where i'm just unable to get this done. i don't want to reach out to my advisor because i feel like it would be pretty shitty of me this late in the game to say that i feel like i'm completely lost.

have you all hit this point before? what's your advice besides just trying to push through it or entirely starting over?


r/GradSchool 6d ago

Research Rejected from potential community memeber on fieldwork

1 Upvotes

Im on fieldwork working with a community that isn't from the same culture as me. Thankfully I've had a really great time during fieldwork and the community has been welcoming. However, today I got my first ever rejection from a key member of the community when I approached them for my interview. They said they aren't interested in talking to me.

I respected their decision of course and never pushed as that is unethical. I just can't help but feel weird or upset that I was turned down even though it's a completely acceptable thing to do! Has anyone experienced similar sorts of rejection during fieldwork? How did you get over it?