It wasn’t until the third year of my PhD that I stopped seriously thinking about quitting and leaving academia.

Recent undergraduates have several advantages in applying to PhD programs, in that they’ve frequently just completed the expected coursework and often have active relationships with letter writers. But there are some significant risks too. If you’re currently an undergraduate, it’s good to start thinking about these tradeoffs, and I’ll give you some tips on becoming a stronger candidate…

Getting into PhD programs in science and engineering is a surprisingly elaborate process, and I’ve seen so much advice out there that misses the point. Unlike for many professional degrees (think: MDs and MBAs), getting a PhD includes working very closely with a small group of dedicated experts for years. They’re not thinking of you as a student so much as a future collaborator whose performance will impact the future of the research group.…

Most applicants treat the cold email as an introduction. Faculty treat the conversation as the start of the interview, which is why the timing depends more on your readiness than on the date…

Don’t freak out if you are asked to draft your letter of recommendation for PhD admission. It’s not that uncommon…

Some people ask if they should start with a masters instead. Unless a masters is a key degree for professional positions that interest you (as it can be in public health, for instance), I strongly discourage it. In many STEM fields, masters programs are primarily moneymakers for the university, and many faculty I know consider them vaguely unethical and fight hard to keep masters programs from forming in their discipline…