Ph.D. Eligibility Diaries- Part 2- Academics versus Research Experience

Many students who come to me for advice commonly say that even though their academic performance has not been exemplary, they want to apply to highly competitive research programs owing to the in-depth projects that they executed in reputed laboratories. Well, if you are asking me, this does not work 90% of the time. As for the rest 10%, it might work if you have scored well in the right subjects despite having a low overall GPA. But the odds are not that high.

The first thing to understand is that academics play a very important role in the selection process of Ph.D. applicants. Look at it from the reviewer’s perspective. They think that if you have not built the foundation right by means of your coursework, how would you be able to carry forth with a more advanced analysis of existing knowledge? Good grades in your academics, especially your Master’s degree, on the other hand, show your competence in understanding and communicating the basic concepts on which you can lay more stones.

Does that mean research experience does not count? Well, of course, it does. In the evaluation process, if we consider academics to be a ‘very very important factor’ for example, research experience would then be a ‘very important factor’. It goes to show that you have taken the initiative to understand the application of theory. Moreover, you also get acquainted with conceptualizing projects, framing the right questions, addressing them in the right manner, being methodical in recording your observations, analyzing the results accurately, and finally, drawing meaningful conclusions that add value to the existing knowledge repertoire in your field.

A publication ensuing from such research experience can then become the ‘important factor’ that also fetched brownie points. Of course, a publication is not mandatory to make it to a Ph.D. program, and I have seen many students get admitted even without it. But having one indicates that your research has the depth and significance that make a difference to the scholars’ world. With growing competition, this can definitely give you an edge over other candidates and help ease your entry to graduate school.

In general, it is wiser to target the mid-range of Universities while applying for an overseas Ph.D. We shall elaborate on the importance of ranking in subsequent blogs, but to touch upon it briefly, for now, being too ambitious usually does not bode well for international students. This is a full expense paid program (usually) and top Universities do not have the means to fully trust an international applicant when it comes to their preparations- be it academic or research. Their faith in the education system of developing nations, in particular, is not that deep and as a result, applying to high-end schools can oftentimes lead to rejection, unless you have an exceptional profile and highly effective letters of recommendation.

Academic preparation, therefore, is not in competition with research experience, but in fact, hands-on the two complement each other. You can be a great student (in terms of having a very high cGPA) but have no hands- on experience, and this definitely will not be of any advantage to you. On the other hand, having a great amount of experience in conjunction with poor academic grades will also not suffice. A balanced profile with academic grades ranging in the 90th percentile or above supplemented with a project or two from reputed institutes is ideal. This, together with at least one publication can surely land you into a good program, within reasonable limits of ambition. Considering that there are and so many other factors to consider while applying to a Ph.D. program, we are ready to sort the cobwebs and help you tackle the application process efficiently. Email us, call us and definitely take a tour of www.blossomabroad.com.