3. 科研经历:top schools到底在不在意publication?
如果有很牛的publication,毋庸置疑绝对会受到青睐。但如果没有呢?
我没有文章。不过我厚颜无耻地认为我自己是一个dedicated PhD candidate:我对自己的课题比老板更了解,出去开会能和同领域老师各种讨论,seminar上也经常问问题。
无论你写essay还是面试,只要你一谈自己的课题,深浅立现。选拔学生的都是导师,他们能一眼看出学生水平,知道什么样的学生适合做科研。
关于招生老师们在科研方面究竟在意得是什么能力,我觉得在UC Berkeley对essay的要求里面体现得非常清楚。强烈建议想申顶校的小伙伴们都读一读:
The Statement of Purpose is a detailed summary (1-2 pages maximum) of your research experience and overall scientific preparation for a research Ph.D. Include your overall research interests and goals and why UC Berkeley and our department would be a good intellectual fit. A mere chronological listing of multiple research experiences is not as helpful as a narrative account of these experiences that explain their trajectory: how did your research experiences help you grow as a scientist and how have they now led to your decision to go to graduate school at Berkeley? When discussing your prior research, do not merely describe what you did or what techniques you employed; instead, explain the motivation behind your research, what question you are asking, why it is broadly interesting, why you took the approach you did, and/or what questions they now raise and how you would follow up on your work. Be specific and show that you are intellectually engaged with your science and can communicate it to a broad audience. Research experience is valuable because it helps the committee see that you understand what you are signing up for in your Ph.D.; so show us you understand what it takes to succeed in graduate school. Publications are always helpful, but certainly not a requirement. We are well aware that authorship on a paper sometimes reflects only a minimal contribution, or that major contributions are not always published prior to your application being submitted. Therefore, if you are an author on a paper that is published or in preparation, let us know; but more importantly, and regardless of the publication status of your research, tell us what your specific contributions were and how they supported the overall story presented in the paper.
5. 推荐信:非常重要!
自己导师的推荐信非常重要,要让导师自己写。大概就是“ta了解你并且ta愿意鼎力推荐你”,如果不满足这点,推荐信将用处不大。
如果老师和你不算熟,让你自己写...说真的,如果是国内教授,除非是“国际知名”咖位,其他都无异于充数。
大家记得waive the right to see the letter哦~
另外,土博三年之后实在想说,读博需谨慎。如果读博只是一个为了逃避“从学生到社会人”转变的选择的话,还是别读了。读博真的不比工作轻松,而且不喜欢的话自然就无法dedicate,然后毕业压力大/百事哀啊…而且等到毕业的时候会再一次面临找工作的困境。如果真心喜欢研究的话,just do it,争取去好的学校和好的faculty和peer共事。You would enjoy it!