These deadlines are for folks who plan to start in the fall of 2023

Anthropology: December 20, 2022

Civil and Environmental Engineering: January 2, 2023

Computer Science: December 15, 2022

Economics: January 15, 2023

Electrical and Computer Engineering: January 15, 2023

Environmental Conservation Fall: February 1, 2023

Geosciences: January 5, 2023

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering: January 1 2023

Political Science: January 15, 2023

Resource Economics; January 1, 2023

Please double check that these dates are correct, and check for department specific requirements by typing in your prospective department here.

While it may seem like you have plenty of time, there are many parts of the application process that should be done well in advance of the deadline. Please read the guide below for more details.

Advice for contacting professors:

Before applying to graduate programs, most departments require you to have contacted a PI as a potential advisor. You will likely need to reach out to many professors as some won’t be taking students, and some won’t be a good match. When you find one who is a good match and is taking students, set up a zoom/phone interview to discuss your experience and why you would be a good fit for their lab.

The time to reach out varies among countries and universities, but at UMass it is best to email professors you are interested in working with during the summer or early fall (by mid before you apply to graduate school. This may seem far in advance, but it allows for sufficient time to set up a meeting with a potential advisor and to evaluate if they are someone you would potentially like to work with. Below we have compiled a list of tips and a general overview of what that initial email should look like.

General tips for reaching out to professors

• Be formal

• Be concise

• Show enthusiasm

• Look through the professor’s website beforehand

• Use an informative subject line (ex: Prospective Graduate Student)

• Make sure your reasons for contacting them are clear (how your interests overlap with the PI’s)

• Be as specific about the professor’s research as possible

• Attach a CV

Example email

Dear Dr. [name],

State your full name and relevant information (ex: education, current position, what kind of degree you are interested in).

Ask if the professor is interested in taking new graduate students (it is important to know that sometimes professors don’t have the resources or the space to take new students).

Briefly highlight your own experiences, especially as they pertain to research (e.g. share your major, lab work or senior thesis research).

State the reason for your interest in their lab.

Mention a recent paper of theirs that you read and ask a question about that study or say what you found interesting about the paper (optional but helps).

Include goals or reasons for attending graduate school.

Ask to speak with them and provide a range of dates and times with your availability.

Thank them for their time.

Respectfully/Sincerely/Cordially,

[your name]

*Sections do not necessarily need to be in this order — fit it to your own style of writing! Also, sections should not be bulleted in email.

Now that you have put together your email, we would recommend sending it to a current graduate student or mentor before sending it out to potential advisors.

Follow up

It is important to keep an open mind during the process, because you never know which professors have openings or are interested in taking you as a student. If you have emailed a professor and they have not responded within 2 weeks, go ahead and send the email again as it may have gotten lost in their inbox. Remember- do not feel defeated if you are ignored by professors! A lack of response from a professor is more about them than about you. Many of them are deluged with hundreds of prospective students, overwhelmed with other duties, or just not accepting students. If they are not responsive, they probably would not be a great advisor for you. It is also important to keep in mind that a professor may simply reply by saying that they are not accepting students or that they don’t think you would be a good fit for their lab. This is okay and it saves you the trouble of applying for that program. In general, it is useful to think of your interactions with prospective advisors as an interview for both parties. This means you should consider whether the way the prospective advisor communicates with you (e.g., timeliness of response, communication style, etc) will match what you are looking for. Don’t settle for an advisor that doesn’t treat you with respect or doesn’t have time for you.

Once professors have responded to your email, it is time to set up a phone or zoom meeting with them. These meetings are usually 15 minutes-1 hour and will be a chance for you to show your experience and why you would be a good fit for the professor’s lab. It’s also a good chance for you to see if the potential advisor matches your communication style, interests, and mentoring needs. Remember that you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. A PhD can last 5-8 years, so it is important that you pick an advisor that matches your needs well.

Research your prospective professor in advance

It will help you a lot if you do a bit of research on the professors you are going to meet. At the very least read their bio on their webpage and skim the titles/abstracts of the last 5 papers that came out of their lab. Ideally, you should read at least one of their first-author papers to generate questions.

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

Noone is born good at interviews, and the only way to improve is practice. Ideally, you should ask a graduate or faculty mentor to give you a practice interview, but don’t hesitate to also practice with family and friends. Find a list of common graduate interview questions (or check out this guide here) and practice your answers. The more practice the better!

Ask questions

One of the biggest tricks to having a great conversation with a professor is understanding that professors are nerds (in the best way) and absolutely love talking about their research. If you can show genuine enthusiasm for the things they are enthusiastic about and ask a few good questions, most of them will like you a lot. For me, a big part of mastering this was letting go of my fear of coming across as stupid for asking questions. Once you get them talking about their research, it’s usually easy to keep the ball rolling. Don’t hesitate to also ask questions about work you would be doing in their lab, their mentoring style, what the program has to offer, funding, etc.

Building your brand

You are building a brand during these meetings. Who are you and what do you want? You need to figure this out for yourself so you can present yourself accordingly. What are your academic interests and why? What are your career goals and why? And what skills do you have that will make you successful in this career? Take time to think through these things before you have a meeting, and then craft your answers to convey your particular brand.

For more tips on how to identify your strengths, build your brand, and answer specific questions a professor might ask, please see this document on interviewing.

Follow up

Don’t forget to send a follow up email after the meeting thanking the professor for meeting with you and responding to any action items you were given. You can find examples here.

Hopefully, during your interview or in followup discussions, the professors will signal whether or not they want you in their lab.

If you are eligible, please consider applying for the NSF GRFP, or Graduate Research Fellowship Program. It is a fantastic funding opportunity ​for graduate students in social sciences, life sciences, geosciences, engineering and computer sciences. The fellowship provides three years of financial support including an annual stipend of $37,000 and a tuition allowance. This gives you 3 full years to focus on your research without having to worry about TAing. The stipend is also higher than most graduate university stipends.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the NSF GRFP, you must:

• be a US citizen, US national, or permanent resident

• intend to pursue a research-based Master’s or Ph.D. program in a GRFP-supported field

• be enrolled in an eligible program at an accredited United States graduate institution, with a US campus, by fall following selection

• have completed no more than one academic year of full-time graduate study (or the equivalent)

• Current graduate students are limited to only one application to the GRFP, submitted either in the first year or in the second year of graduate school

• Have never earned a doctoral or terminal degree in any field

• Have never earned a master’s or professional degree in any field, or completed more than one academic year in a graduate degree-granting program, unless (i) returning to graduate study after an interruption of two or more consecutive years immediately preceding the application deadline, and; (ii) not enrolled in a graduate degree program at the application deadline.

• More details here.

Application details

GRFP applicants are required to provide two statements: a Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals Statement, and a Graduate Research Plan Statement. The maximum length of the Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals Statement is three (3) pages. The maximum length of the Graduate Research Plan Statement is two (2) pages. These page limits include all references, citations, charts, figures, images, and lists of publications and presentations. More details here.

Tips

• Start early! Ideally, you want to begin writing in the summer before you apply to graduate school.

• Your chance of success will be higher if you can write it with the help of a faculty mentor. This could be a professor who teaches a class you love, your research/senior thesis advisor, or even a prospective advisor who’s lab you want to join for your PhD.

• You will also need to get feedback from as many people as possible. Don’t hesitate to send drafts to any grad student, postdoc, and professor you are friendly with, along with your friends and family.

• If you send drafts to prospective advisors, use this as a chance to evaluate their mentorship abilities. Do they give you feedback quickly? Is it helpful feedback? Do they treat your ideas with respect?

The admissions committee uses this to get to know what motivates you, what experiences or character traits you have that will help you succeed in graduate school, and why you want to go to graduate school (and why specifically at UMass). This statement is an opportunity to show both hard and soft skills that make you stand out from other applicants. Applicants typically draw on a range of life experiences and research/academic experiences in this statement.

In your Personal Statement, try to convey who you are and what you want. Think of a few characteristics that represent you and that will help you succeed (i.e., resilient, communicative, creative, goal-oriented, persistent, curious, hard-working, problem solving, detail-oriented, organized, enthusiastic, practical). Try to frame your statements and experiences around those characteristics.

Additionally, keep in mind that we are looking for scholars who have skills in collaboration and an interest in advancing equity and justice.

Structure, Format, Style

Format

Use a common font such as Times New Roman size 12 and follow the application instructions regarding spacing and length. Check your department requirements for info on length limits.

Include your full name and proposed program of study at the top of each page – if faculty are not reading an electronic version of your essay, pages can become separated.

Personal statements are usually 1-3 pages. Check with your particular department for specific length and formatting requirements.

Structure

1. Conceptually

   This structure is more free-form than the narrative structure and revolves around a key idea you want to convey (e.g., “persistence and curiosity motivate my science”).

2. Narrative

   A narrative statement typically flows in chronological order. You might start with an experience from early in your career or childhood that got you hooked, then outline relevant experiences from then to now, then end with your plan for your graduate degree and future goals. This is a popular structure because it is intuitive.

Style

Write with confidence and in an active voice – doing this makes your sentences clear and less wordy/complicated.

Language should be positive and focused. Since faculty are the ones reviewing your application, it is fine to use discipline-specific terminology, tone and style.

Information to Include

Experiences/background that motivate decision to attend graduate school

Here you can talk about motivations as well as resources that UMass/your potential advisor has to help you succeed in graduate school. A graduate degree is a huge commitment -- the committee wants to know that you have strong motivations. This is a good opportunity to speak to a couple of those characteristics you have (resilient, creative, goal-oriented, persistent, curious, hard-working, etc.) that will help you go the distance. With all of these it is important to be specific. Some motivations that people have written about include the following:

1. Personal Experiences:

   1. Employment/internships/volunteering

   2. Childhood

2. Future Goals:

   1. Job outcomes (e.g. “I love to do research and development and plan to develop wind turbines in the energy transition industry”)

   2. Skills you’d like to gain in graduate school or the kind of research you’d like to do

3. Academic Experiences

   1. What academic, lab or research experiences (coursework, journal articles, jobs, presentations, etc) piqued your interest in your chosen field. If you choose to write about research or job experiences, specify your role and what you learned.

Prior research experience

The Personal statement is the place to describe what specific skills you have gained from your prior research experiences and how they connect to your future academic goals. What have you learned from all of these experiences and how has that shaped your interest in the energy transition and in pursuing a graduate degree at UMass? While you describe the specific skills you have gained, be sure to also briefly include the general context for the research: what was the question being asked, how did you go about answering it, and what did you find? Most importantly, what was your specific role in the project?

Other relevant experience

You can describe other experiences that have prepared you for graduate school, including internships, work experience, and/or leadership in extracurricular organizations. ELEVATE is very active in impactful work and outreach in the community and thus welcomes students who are interested/have experience in engaging with stakeholders of different backgrounds.

Please know that resiliency is a key characteristic for succeeding in graduate school, so don’t be afraid to describe challenges that have come up in your work life and how you have overcome them.

Research questions of interest with specific faculty

In addition to describing relevant prior research experience, discuss the types of research questions you are interested in pursuing during your graduate studies and how they connect to the work that your potential PI currently works on. You do not need to have a specific research project outlined, but it is important to generally describe your ideas for the types of research and questions you would like to pursue. It is very important to describe why you are a good match for the specific lab you are applying for. Show that you know what research they do in that lab (e.g. refer to recent publications and the lab website), what techniques are used, and how that relates to your goals. Describing your goals for graduate school and beyond can help the admissions committee pinpoint whether the PI you have selected is set up to help you succeed. This is a place where you can describe what makes you a strong candidate and a good match for the department and for the specific PI you are applying to work with.

If you have submitted a research proposal such as an NSF-GRFP, please attach it as an additional writing piece.

Provide insight on your potential to advance equity, justice, and inclusion

Do this by discussing either past times you have worked towards equity at whatever level of community is relevant to you, or how you will do so in the program. If you feel comfortable doing so, feel free to share injustices and inequality that you personally have faced and have addressed or wish to address in the future. You can also reference leadership roles you have had or experiences working with diverse groups of people.

Show AND tell

One of the most frequent pieces of advice for writers is to “show don’t tell”, but with personal statements you should show AND tell. The people reading your application will be busy, overwhelmed, and will have 100 other applications to read, so you want to make it easy for them to see what traits make you shine. This means explicitly use those trait words in your text, and back it up with proof. Example-“After a week of my experiment failing, I knew I needed to develop a creative solution. So I drew from my experience with materials research to employ an unusual polymer that fixed the errors I was getting.” or “I independently developed a protocol to collect the data.” The tell part is important too. Don’t just say “I am creative and independent” without evidence.

You can use bolding to highlight key traits or experiences, just don’t overuse it.

What to avoid

• Many people write about childhood experiences as motivation for pursuing a graduate degree, likely because these experiences can be influential. However, it is best to be specific but brief when referencing them -- use them as a jumping off point to talk about who you are/what motivates you now.

• This personal statement is the time for YOU to shine. This is not the time to write long acknowledgements of all the wonderful people who have helped you.

• Don’t be modest. The committee wont know how awesome your work is if you don’t show them. If you have trouble showing off your accomplishments, rope in a friend who will help edit your draft so that it sings your praises.

• Don’t just rewrite your CV.

• Don’t forget to edit for spelling, grammar, clarity, and flow.

It is always useful to have at least one other person (ideally a graduate student or professor) read your statement. It can be helpful to get feedback at multiple stages as you write more drafts. For this reason try to give yourself as much time as possible to write the statement. While friends and parents may not be as knowledgeable about the exact format for academic personal statements they can still offer great advice on grammar, persuasiveness, clarity, etc.

Still feeling overwhelmed and not sure what to write?

Read through the awesome guidance from UMass.

The curriculum vitae, also known as a CV, is a comprehensive statement of your educational background, teaching, and research experience. It is the standard representation of credentials within academia. It should be divided into sections based on subject matter, including:

Education

Relevant experience

Publications and presentations

Volunteer and outreach

Awards and honors

Additional optional sections

We will go into more detail about the contents of each of these sections below, followed by formatting guidance and some general tips to help you make a great CV. At the end, you will find some links to further guidance, as well as example CVs, which you can reference or download in order to use the formatting. When writing your CV, it is important to remember that review committees will spend at most 2-5 minutes looking at your CV, so it should be succinct and clear, with simple formatting.

Sections

Heading:

• Name, email address

• Optional: mailing address, phone number, and social media

Education:

• Undergraduate institution, degree, major, minors

• Honors: E.g. Summa, Magna, Cum Laude; dean’s list (do not list all awards here, just general academic awards)

• GPA: optional

• Thesis title: optional

Publications and presentations:

• Peer-reviewed publications

• Can list “in prep”, “under review” if it has not been published yet

• Presentations at symposiums/conferences

• Remember to include virtual presentations, too!

• Senior/honors thesis projects

• Include all co-author names, bold your name

Research experience:

• One of the most important parts of grad school application CV.

• Include the title of project, lab/organization name, city and state, and dates position was held

• Explain the project in about ~2 sentences

• Be specific about the skills that you have gained

• Emphasize independence where appropriate

• Include results of research (e.g. poster, paper, grant, etc.)

Teaching experience:

• For each position, include the title, organization name, city and state, and dates position was held. Provide a short description of the position, including your responsibilities and contribution to the class/learning experience.

• Examples of teaching experience:

  • Undergraduate TA-ships

  • Tutoring (science, writing)

  • Guest lectures

Volunteer and Outreach experience

• For each experience, include organization name, dates, and position title, when relevant. Provide a short description of the experience.

• Typically only include post-high school activities

• Emphasize leadership, management roles

Awards, Honors, and Grants:

• Competitive scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships

  • Include award name and granting agency

  • Optional: include award amount

• Scholastic honors, teaching, or research awards

• Grants

  • Include name of grant, name of granting agency, date received, and title of research project

  • Optional: include award amount

Optional Sections:

• Skills: A summary of relevant strengths or skills

  • Lab techniques

  • Personnel/volunteer management

  • Software skills (R, perl, etc.)

  • Language proficiency

  • Do not include Microsoft office (Word and Excel)

• Certifications: Relevant certifications and the year received

• Professional Society Membership: List relevant professional societies of which you are a member (e.g. Society for Cultural Anthropology).

• Topic areas in which you have substantial expertise/experience: If there is a specific subject in which you have a lot of experience, you can create a subsection specifically for that subject. For example, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion or Science Communication. This will highlight your experience and dedication to that subject.

• Extracurriculars: This can be a great way to highlight the skills and/or leadership you have gained through clubs, sports, etc.

• Non-research work experience: It is important for the review committee to know if you have spent substantial time on non-research work. This takes time away from available time to work on research/academics. You can also gain important skills through this work.

  • This resource provides some good ideas about skills/traits to emphasize in regard to work and hobbies.

• Hobbies: If you have hobbies that are important to you, include them if they speak to specific skills or traits you are trying to emphasize (eg teamwork, grit, resilience)

• Professional social media accounts: If you have a Twitter/Instagram/Facebook/etc devoted to outreach, this can be great for the review committee to see!

Formatting

• Organize with categories/sections

• Arrange categories in order of importance (to reader - e.g. for a research program, put research experience near the top)

• Within categories, list experiences/positions in chronological order with most recent items at the top, and older items at the bottom.

• In general, place leadership positions within the title of the activity (e.g. President of Engineering Club)

• Place associated dates on the right

• Use succinct phrases and action words (e.g. “researched” instead of “research was performed”)

• Keep formatting clean and simple

• Be concise and to the point

• Be consistent (e.g. Jan. 2021 vs. January, 21)

• Leave empty space (margins, section spacing, etc.)

• Font should be readable and professional, 11-13 pt. font with Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, or Times New Roman fonts

• Use bold, CAPs, underline, italics for emphasis

• Save and send as a PDF - formatting can change slightly between computers when opened in Word. Double check that your PDF is formatted correctly.

Tips

• Align your experiences and skills to the lab/position you are applying to

• For a work/experience item focus on accomplishments rather than job duties.

• Identify your strengths and emphasize them on your CV (e.g. by creating an additional CV section to highlight your strengths)

• Focus on clarity – don’t try to take up space (a short CV is normal at this stage)

• Ask others to proofread your CV!

• Have a master CV with all of your experiences and positions which then you can tailor for the specific position you are applying for

• Remember to update your CV frequently! It is easy to forget things that you did.

Additional Resources

Creating content for your CV: Making the most of a Slim CV, Honestly Padding your CV, Simple CV Tips

The UMass application process utilizes an electronic recommendation letter submission system in which applicants provide the names and contact information for their recommenders as part of the online application. After submission of your electronic application, UMass sends an email to each reference with instructions on how to electronically deliver the recommendation to the Graduate School.

Who should you choose to write your letters?

Do not underestimate the importance of reference letters in determining whether or not to accept an applicant into our graduate program. We highly recommend choosing letter writers who know you well and are able to describe your strengths. Ideally, you want letter writers who are tenured or tenure-track professors who can speak to your research abilities. You really want at least one, and ideally two of these kind of letter writers. If you have conducted research in industry, your manager/boss who can speak to your research abilities is also an acceptable option. Tenured or tenure-track professors who can speak to your academic abilities (e.g. a professor you have taken many classes from) are less good but still an option. If you conducted research that was mostly overseen by a graduate student or postdoc, you can ask them to provide text/details for a letter to the overseeing professor who will then write your letter of recommendation.

Avoid letters from friends or family!

What is a recommendation letter?

A recommendation letter is a letter written by someone who has taught or supervised the applicant in an educational setting that provides detailed information about the characteristics, accomplishments, experience, and preparedness of the applicant for entering our graduate program. This is done by describing what the applicant has done in their educational career thus far, as well as describing the potential of the applicant to succeed.

How to ask for a recommendation letter.

Give your letter writers at LEAST a month to write your letter! Ideally, let them know you are applying to graduate school and need a letter the moment you know. You don’t have to know where you will be applying yet to ask for the letter. Your letter writer will likely write a single letter and then edit it for each program that you apply to anyway.

When asking for a letter of recommendation, make their lives easier by providing content and direction. What qualities are you trying to highlight in your application (e.g. creativity, independence, resilience etc)? Ask them to speak to those qualities. Having a consistent application can look very good. Also send the professor your CV/Resume. They may interact with a lot of students and may not remember exactly what you did or accomplished. Make it easier for them by highlighting any major accomplishments you want them to include.

Remember, writing letters of recommendation is part of their job, so don’t feel bad to ask.

Example

Dear Professor Name,

I will be applying to PhD programs this fall and was wondering if you would be willing to write me a letter of recommendation? I have not yet identified all the programs I will be applying to, but I will get you that list as soon as possible.

If you are able to write a letter for me, I would appreciate it if you could speak to the independent research I did under your mentorship (including the protocol I developed and the poster award I won). In my applications I am really trying to emphasize my independence and tenacity (example of tenacity). I have included my CV below with more details of my research and accomplishments. If there is anything else I can provide, please let me know.

Thank you very much!

Your Name

What should be included in a recommendation letter?

The letter should begin by describing the relationship between the letter writer and the applicant. For example, is this person a former professor who taught the applicant or someone who has supervised the applicant in a research setting? It can be helpful to explain why the letter writer feels qualified to write a letter for the applicant.

The middle paragraph(s) should describe examples of the applicant’s experience, characteristics, and accomplishments that will make them successful in our graduate program. The letter should explain why the applicant is qualified for admission to our graduate program and what makes them likely to be successful.

The letter should close with an offer for the writer to answer further questions or provide more information if needed and an affirmation of the writer’s recommendation of the applicant.

Letter writing resources:

TheBalanceCareers: How to write a reference letter

Cornell Graduate School: Requesting letters of recommendation

University of Idaho: Documental Resources

Please refer to our full and detailed guide on acing visits and recruitment interviews

Many departments do not require the GRE. Check your specific department requirements to see if it is needed at all, and if so what the minimum scores are.

Many departments require application fees. If these present an economic hardship, or would prevent you from applying you may be able to get the fee waived.

Each school and department has their own policy for fee waivers, so look on your department’s website for information. If you are having trouble finding the information, contact the ELEVATE program coordinator for assistance (zgetmanp@umass.edu).

School of Engineering

Waivers of the fee are available only to those applicants who receive a waiver of the GRE test through their undergraduate financial aid office. International Masters program applicants are not eligible for the waiver.

A limited number of waivers are available for International students applying for a PhD program [at the discretion of our Graduate Program Directors].

In their email, international students should provide a resume/CV, an unofficial transcript, and a short description of how they represent a historically underrepresented group in STEM.

Email these items to Paula Rees at rees@umass.edu .

• May- September: Study for GRE (if required) and research potential advisors, plan your GRFP.

• Mid August-mid October: Contact advisors and plan Zoom or phone meetings with them. Start your GRFP if you haven’t already.

• October-Finish your Zoom and phone meetings with advisors and submit the NSF GRFP. Take the GRE

• November-Write your general applications

• December-Submit applications and hope

• January-March-Grad student interviews

• March-you hear back, (at least informally) if your grad school applications were accepted •~April 1st-You hear back about the NSF

• April 14th-Make your decision before the deadline, and let everyone know (even the advisors you decide not to go with).