A Highly Subjective Guide to Applying Objectively

Created on June 01, 2025

2025

Filling grad applications is a tiresome, confusing process, where self-doubt is bound to creep in. This blog is an attempt to compile the knowledge I was lucky to receive from professors, seniors, friends, along with my two cents. There exist various such blogs on the internet, but I wanted to overcome my inertia of writing, and this felt like the perfect first blog given that I have just completed the whole process and have opinions. Disclaimer: this blog is most relevant for people applying for a PhD in the USA, but most of the things here are relevant for MS applications as well.

PhDs in the USA vs Europe/UK/Asia

I applied solely to US universities (and NUS) because their five-year PhD programs include two years of coursework, and you choose your supervisor after those two years. This is different from the UK and Europe, where PhD programs are typically three years long and require you to begin research under a specific supervisor right from the start. If you’re already confident about your research direction and don’t feel the need for structured coursework, then Europe/UK may work well for you. But if you’re still figuring things out, the US model offers more flexibility. So, assuming you’ve decided to go the PhD route, here’s a fairly optimal way to go about the application process!

What an application comprises of

For a PhD application, one typically requires:

  1. A resume
  2. The most recent transcript
  3. 3 letters of recommendation
  4. Some version of a Statement of Purpose
  5. TOEFL scores (for Indians)

Some other things universities might require:

  1. GRE scores
  2. A list of all courses you have done related to your target program with the book followed, professor, topics covered, and grade obtained
  3. A personal statement or diversity statement
  4. Some questions on describing leadership or overcoming challenges

A rough timeline

Deadlines for fall intake usually begin in mid-November of the previous year till February of the next year. A good time to start thinking about applications is the summer of the previous year. Booking your GRE and TOEFL as early as possible has two benefits: you have enough time to gauge how much time you need to prepare for the GRE, and you can register for a summer dhamaaka offer available to Indian applicants who book their tests on the official ETS site between 15 March and 30 June. Doing that allowed me to send my TOEFL scores for free to 8 additional colleges (on top of the original 4) and GRE scores to 4 additional places, given I sent these scores by September 30. Choosing your universities early is not only wise, but a fiscally optimal decision.

TOEFL / GRE

Depending on one’s English exposure, TOEFL requires low to no prep. Give the mock test on the official site to gauge which areas you might need to work upon. Some places waive TOEFL scores if you get a certificate from your undergraduate institution stating that the primary mode of instruction was English (IITK gives this).

GRE however, does need prep, more so if Shashi Tharoor’s English seems like an entirely different language. A good score in the GRE would be 167+ in Quant, 153+ in Verbal, and 3+ in writing. However, a few programs have higher bars for the GRE—check the department websites for this information.

There is a document with the math convention used for the GRE quant section. Go through this once before the test. Other than this, a few mock tests are enough for the quant section.

For the verbal section, learn the high frequency words from the following resources:

For the writing section, they have a pool of topics, and the prompt is always from that pool. I didn’t look at this before the GRE, but skimming through the topics is a good idea to avoid panic induced opinions during the test.

TOEFL and GRE allow you to send scores for free to 4 institutions each. For TOEFL, you have to fill these places a day before your test, and for GRE you have to do this immediately after you give the test, at the testing centre itself. So have a list of 4 places you are surely applying to which require the GRE ready (remember their codes if possible, the number of universities with similar names in the USA is astounding).

Choosing universities

If you have a clear research interest, choose professors first, then apply to the universities they are in. But if you’re unsure (which most of us are after undergrad), flip the process.

A professor once advised me: instead of deciding what you want to work on, decide what you don’t want to work on. Then go through the top 40 departments (I used USNews), browse faculty pages, and eliminate those with too many profs in the areas you’re not keen on. Then consult seniors and professors to refine the list. Especially consult professors, as they may have some not so obvious information about the program (some programs prefer students from particular institutes) which could help you decide.

Check the following factors while deciding the number of programs to apply to:

  • The maximum number of universities your LoR givers are willing to send LoRs to.
  • The number of SoPs you are willing to write (customizing each one)
  • The amount you’re willing to spend on application fees (though there are workarounds to this).

I applied to a total of 11 PhD programs and 3 MS programs. Opinions on what department fits your research interests change over time, but that’s okay. A very, very important thing to do is to match your universities list to your profile. A breakdown of universities:

  • At least 3 “Safeties” : where your profile is better than the program’s average applicant
  • 3–4 “Matches”: where your profile aligns with the average
  • “Reach” programs: you can shoot as many shots as you wish to. The best way to judge which program falls into which category is to consult a professor.

LoRs

For a PhD program, 2 academic LoRs are compulsory. The third one can be academic or professional; however, getting 3 academic LoRs is ideal. Who can you ask for LoRs (in decreasing order of priority)?

  • Project mentors
  • Profs you’ve taken courses with, and earned a good grade
  • Profs you have interacted with (even for a single course)
  • Mentors/managers from internships

Ask for LoRs at least 2 months before the deadline, and confirm the number of LoRs they would be willing to send beforehand. Log in to the application portals and send requests for LoRs early, you can then fill the remaining application at your convenience. Additionally, send a reminder to them to send their LoR 2 days before each deadline.

SoP

Writing an SoP is the most tedious part of the application. Some programs require just one statement, some require a separate personal and professional statement, and some require answers to questions like “give an instance where you showed leadership qualities.” I do not know how much weight an SoP holds in an application, but one thing to avoid is to use AI assistance while writing your SoP. Admission panels will know.

It is tough to balance the technical and personal aspects in an SoP, but 70–80% technical and 20–30% personal is a good ratio. You should make the first draft of your SoP when you finalise your decision to apply (or 2 months before your first deadline), and write it for your dream program. Revisit it weekly and make changes as you see fit. Get it reviewed by seniors and professors. The final editing should be done when you submit your application.

Customise your SoP for each program. It is obviously infeasible to write separate SoPs for all programs, so the trick is to keep the skeleton the same and change lines here and there according to the story you want to tell each department. One paragraph should be devoted to which profs you want to work with—look up their work beforehand and try to be descriptive. Read a few abstracts of their papers, and write about what appeals to you about their work. Add how the program will help you and how well aligns with your (possibly made up) future goals. Try to be as specific as you can here.

CV

There are multiple academic CV templates available on overleaf (or you can make your own). Get feedback from seniors. A CV should either be one full page or two full pages- nothing in between. If you have a two page CV, remember to add the most important stuff in the first page: research experience, publications or conferences (if any), scholastic achievements (if significant). You can make your own professional website on GitHub before applications, it is a nice brownie point.

Transcripts

Some universities require you to convert grades to a 4.0 scale, but most don’t. Very few programs require a WES evaluation of your transcript (none of mine did), so confirm before getting an evaluation done.

PS: For IITK, the official transcript including the 7th semester comes around late December. So in places with December and earlier deadlines, you can send the transcript till the 6th semester, and for later deadlines, you can send the updated transcript. If your GPA increases, then you can upload your updated transcripts in the additional documents section of your application even after you submit.

Application fee waivers

Some programs give application fee waivers. Some examples:

  • Harvard waives the fee if the (self-reported) income is below a certain amount.
  • Ohio State waives the fee if one attends their webinar (they send links via mail once you start your application).
  • Some departments waive the fee if the applicant is a member of some societies like SWE, and the membership fee is mostly less than the application fee :

To mail or not to mail

Cold-emailing professors is low-risk, high-reward—but only if you’re genuinely interested in their work. For departments where admission is to the department (not a lab), you don’t need to email profs unless you want to. Still, mailing someone, and requesting a meeting can help, especially if they are on the admissions committee —they’ll remember your name.

For departments where admissions are made to labs, you must approach professors, preferably a month before the program’s deadline, so you can ask them for insights on the admissions process, as well as express interest in their work. This is important, because if the meeting goes well, they are likely to push your application.

Organisation is key

Make a spreadsheet or Notion table to keep track of stuff like the university name, department, deadline, whether GRE/TOEFL is required and if yes, has it been sent, SoP status (done/reviewed/final), LoR status (requested/sent), whether the application fee has been paid or waived, portal login info, and interview status and outcome. This will definitely save your sanity once the deadlines start clustering. This is the template I used.

Interviews

Out of all the places I applied to, only NUS had an interview. They asked about my projects and asked which professor I would like to work with and why. From what I have heard, most PhD interviews are similar.

The unbearable wait

Whereas it is tempting to sit and refresh your email every hour once you submit your application, it is definitely not a good idea—once a day suffices. Join a few Reddit threads or GradCafe (at your own risk) just to keep track of which universities are sending results, and check your spam folder regularly. Remember that no news is good news, as it means you haven’t been straight out rejected yet—you are probably on the waitlist, or your application is still under review. If you haven’t heard back from places till as late as mid-March, mail the grad admissions committee for an update.

Conclusion

The whole PhD application process can feel like you’re constantly swinging between “I got this” and “I have no business applying here.” That’s normal. Every rejection stings a little (or a lot), and every acceptance brings joy—and confusion, because now you have to decide. But remember, a rejection is not a comment on your worth or abilities. Admissions are a black box with way too many variables, many of which you simply can’t control (funding, lab space, diversity quotas, timing, even who reads your SoP on a given day). What you can control is putting in a thoughtful, well-researched, and honest application—and that’s a win in itself.

Be kind to yourself through the process. Take breaks. Rant to friends. Treat yourself after submitting each application. And most importantly, don’t let this process eat into your confidence or love for learning.

Best of luck!