How to Select a PhD Program that’s Right for You
As you might have already imagined, the answer is going to be different for every person. My goal is not to persuade you into thinking that a specific program is better than others, but to discuss the different factors you should start thinking about when deciding which programs to apply to. Disclaimer: I am currently in my third year of my PhD in the University of California, Santa Barbara’s (UCSB) molecular, cellular, and developmental biology department.
For most universities, grad school applications come with a price tag. So it is important that you evaluate your finances and determine how many programs you can apply to without exceeding your budget. However, I encourage you to dig around at each program’s websites and see if they offer fee waivers. Each university might have different criteria, and if that information is not easy to find, reach out to the contact person (such as a graduate program advisor) and get the information you need.
Okay, let’s say you know you want to apply to five programs, and are beginning to sift through your options. Here is a breakdown of some of the more relevant factors to consider as you navigate the process:
Location, location location. You’ve definitely heard this before if you’ve ever watched HGTV, but it also matters when talking about grad school. Personally, I did not want to leave California which helped me narrow down my options by A LOT. Maybe there’s a state or country you’ve always wanted to live in – well, now is your chance to try to do so!
- Ask yourself: (1) where do I want to live? (2) is staying close to family an important factor? (3) can I afford to live in the city of the university? (4) does the political state of the state matter to me?
Stipends. I’ll be the first to admit it, I was naive about stipends when I was applying to grad school. The narrative of being a ‘broke graduate student’ had already been ingrained in my head so I figured all programs were similar. Since then, I have learned that not all programs pay the same.
- The cost of living from city to city can change drastically and is important to consider. Living somewhere in California will make the price of certain things like rent and food more expensive than in other states.
- Will you be paid a liveable wage? The UC graduate student unions recently negotiated increased stipends. While the agreed-upon contract does not technically match the cost of living, it does provide graduate students with a higher stipend than before.
- What is the housing market like? Rent is increasing all across the nation, and while it might be bad everywhere, maybe some cities are better suited than others. Does one program guarantee you subsidized housing for a certain number of years? That could make a difference in how much of your monthly stipend goes towards rent.
The people. As silly as it might sound, what vibe do you get from touring the campus and from the people in the program? This is easier to answer after interviews/open house but it’s a huge factor. Try to befriend a graduate student in the program you’re interested in and ask them about their experience! Getting a sense of the other grad students' happiness and sense of belonging is huge.
Direct admittance or lab rotations? Does the program have lab rotations? I’m an advocate for doing a year of rotations, but perhaps you know exactly who you want to work with and don’t want to spend time elsewhere. Knowing which way you lean could help you narrow down programs.
Potential for future advisor. Are there multiple faculty members who you’d be interested in working with at a university? If you are set on only one, it is important to get a sense of their space availability and funding situation. It can be really disappointing to join a program thinking you’ll work with a certain lab group, only to then find out they cannot take you on. In this case, it would be wise to be somewhere where you have options.
Graduation requirements. Every program differs and knowing what each program expects from their students could help you narrow down your selection.
- How much teaching are you expected to complete?
- Are you expected to have a separate qualifying exam and advancement to candidacy?
- How many courses are you required to take? Is there freedom in course selection?
- What is the average length of a PhD for students in that program?
If you made it all the way to the end and feel concerned that you don’t know the answers to many of these questions, that’s OK! I learned a lot of this information only when interviewing during recruitment weekend. For now, focus your efforts on your applications, but keep the mentioned factors in mind so that as you start to visit universities, you will have a good intuition of where you belong. And remember, every program has their problems, so it’s not so much about finding “the perfect program.” It’s more about finding a place you can feel the happiest to be a part of during your time as a graduate student.
