Grad School Applications — What to Know

Written by Curtis Ehlert, CUBEC Co-Chair 2024

For undergrads that choose to continue their education, either in the form of a master’s or a PhD, the task of applying to postgraduate programs can be very daunting, and despite providing years worth of academic training, Canadian engineering departments do very little to give their students the tools to navigate the application process. While resources are usually available to review specific parts of an application, such as the statement of purpose or the CV, ‘big picture’ questions are often overlooked. What sort of programs can I apply to as an engineering student? Should I reach out to professors ahead of time? What goes into an application? What goes into a recommendation letter? A CV? What should I include in my statement of purpose? These are all very normal and very common questions that students have when thinking about grad school applications.

As a current Johns Hopkins PhD student having recently earned my bioengineering degree from McGill, I’m very familiar with this application landscape. However, I’m also constrained in my experience, having applied mainly to American PhD programs. As a result, I will try to focus on these big picture questions, and I hope this brief review can help you navigate applications over the next couple of months. Or longer — we’ll get into that.

Firstly, as an engineering student, what sort of programs can I apply to? The answer is any subject you have experience in, or any subject complemented by your undergraduate degree and research experiences. (Please know research is not always synonymous with academia— many industry internships can be considered research, depending on what you do.)  While more research experience is always better, the barrier of entry varies from program to program and school to school. Of course, this barrier is usually higher for PhD applicants, where multiple years of research (and potentially paper authorship, depending on the school) is generally considered competitive. Whether it be computer science, or molecular microbiology, or physics, or even the humanities, it’s all fair game.

Whether or not you should reach out to a professor of interest ahead of time depends on your situation. As an American PhD applicant, you certainly can — no one will punish you for it — but it probably won’t help. Choices are made by a selection committee who parse through applications and make decisions as a group, and as a result, the advocacy of one person is usually insufficient for admission (unless that person is your billionaire donor dad, but I won’t get into that). However, there is usually greater impetus for establishing a professor-student relationship prior to your master’s application. Keep in mind these processes can change between programs and between schools, so it may be best to reach out to the program of interest if you have any questions.

Applications are usually composed of information completion (standard personal details); recommendation letters; and submission of your CV and statement of purpose (or personal statement, or statement of purpose and objectives, or personal essay… variations on a theme). Although the application process may seem overwhelming, breaking it down into these components makes the whole experience much easier. You may also notice the only original submission required is your statement of purpose, since everything else only needs inputting (or in the case of the CV, inputting after refinement). The next few paragraphs will cover these components in greater detail.

While many students dread asking for letters of recommendation from previous bosses and supervisors,  this trepidation is usually unfounded. The important thing is that you reach out to these contacts early — 2-3 months in advance is usually good.  The longer  you wait, the less willing they will be to deliver quality letters. In addition, students tend to fret over whether or not their referees are the right fit. Generally, you want your referees to have closely supervised you, or to have been in sufficiently close proximity to you, to speak directly and honestly to your strengths as a candidate. In many cases, the school will directly send them a link to upload the letter, which you may be required to waive the right to see. It’s very common for applicants to never see their recommendation letters, and as a result, you should have a confident and trusting relationship with your referees.

In terms of drafting your CV and statement of purpose, universities typically have resources offered by student career planning services that will help you in the writing process, and I strongly recommend using them. I also recommend revision from your friends and family, especially for your statement of purpose, which can be challenging to write effectively. Remember, these are often the only original aspect of your application, and should be treated delicately as a glimpse into your personal experiences and motivations.  A statement of purpose should cohesively explore your personal background, your relevant academic and research experience, your goals for the future, and a description of how the postgraduate program would help you achieve those goals.

As you work on your applications, always keep submission deadlines in mind. Most PhD submission dates fall between mid-November to early December, while master’s applications typically come later in the school year. You should also always keep an eye out for possible scholarship opportunities — as an example, NSERC offers postgraduate scholarships at the master’s ($17500 for 12 months), doctoral ($35000 per year for 36 months), and postdoctoral level. For your own sake, please do not skimp on these possible funding opportunities (even though completing the Canadian Common CV is a horrible affront to the senses). If you can apply to grad school, you can apply to a grad school scholarship.

Depending on the results of your application, you may be required to complete a round (or multiple rounds) of interviews for further selection, though this occurs more frequently at the PhD level. While I won’t go into depth on the interview process, it’s important to take them seriously, try your best, and to come prepared to answer questions about your experience and to ask questions about the program and its research activities.

Whether you’re in the thick of grad school applications, or are just starting to consider them for the future, I hope this article was of some use to you. Regardless of the outcome, remember that your acceptance status does not define you as a person, nor as student and researcher. Schools can vary wildly in what they look for in applicants, and there is substantial year-to-year variation within programs based on funding and lab position availability.  Be patient with yourself, and you will find your own pace. Best of luck.

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