Unveiling the Hidden Curriculum #1 - What do PhD programs look for?

I recently joined Emory University as an Assistant Professor after finishing a PhD in Human-Centered Computing at Georgia Tech. I was the first in my family to get a PhD and pursue a degree outside India, while also launching a nonprofit (MakerGhat ). In the process, I have frequently found myself one of the few South Asian / Muslim / woman (some combination of these) in the room. It's easy to feel like an outsider and struggle to follow norms that seem obvious to others. I have been very fortunate to have had incredible mentors who helped me navigate these sectors, but for most people in positions like mine, a PhD sounds impossibly out of reach.

I now find myself in the position of reviewing numerous student PhD applications, and in the vast majority of these, it becomes immediately clear that the student has not had a mentor to guide them through the process. Many applicants have little visibility into expectations from graduate programs.

Let's consider this scenario: You're a hardworking student at a mid-tier college, passionate about research. You've heard that the US is a great place to get a Ph.D. and decide to start applying in earnest. Only to receive rejection after rejection.

What went wrong?

The reality of the PhD application process

PhD applications are highly competitive. There are many more applications than there are open positions. It is a misconception that being a good student is enough to get into a program. Having stellar grades and GRE scores help, but have limited effect overall on the decision-making process (only the flip side, you can absolutely pursue a PhD even if your grades are not great!). Because of the competitiveness, faculty often use filters to determine who to admit. Many PhD programs have a strong bias towards recruiting from institutions that are highly ranked as a heuristic for student quality. Letters from reputed or known scholars are preferred. Publications in venues that are known to the potential advisors (not predatory journals) are seen as another indication of research ability.

Much of this may sound like things out of your control, and puts students from less-resourced institutions at a disadvantage due to a lack of opportunities.

So what can you do to stand out?

Regardless of the above factors, your personal statement and resume are the most important factors in the process and are really where you get to shine and showcase your ability. Strong letters (not generic ones about class performance but those that speak to your passion and interest in research and come from people who understand you well), even from lesser-known scholars, make a big difference. There are other things you can do to stand out, such as maintaining a blog or social media presence. Collectively, your materials should demonstrate your research skills, research fit, and collegiality.

Think of it this way—admitting a student is not only a huge commitment for the student but also for the faculty advisor. This means that in every interaction you have with them—whether over email, on a call, web and social media presence, application materials, or even secondary interactions with colleagues—they are assessing if you are someone they can work with for the next five years (or however long it takes). Every interaction is a chance to impress.

Below are some tips to help you develop a strong application.

1. Provide a strong motivation for doing a PhD

Before applying to PhD programs, make sure that you are in it for the right reasons. Not only is it a major commitment that frequently comes with a financial cost, but the lack of a strong motivation becomes apparent when faculty review your application or interview you. Think deeply about your answer to this question—why do you want to do a PhD?

A good motivation is that you are passionate about doing research. A better response is one where you explain where this motivation comes from (e.g. prior research or work experiences). Personal life experiences can also shape your interest and are absolutely fine to include in your statement. Express those motivations clearly early on in your personal statement and in your interview.

2. Understand your audience and craft a compelling story

The biggest mistake that students make is submitting a generic personal statement. It is fine not to know exactly what you want to do during the PhD (that's what the PhD is for!), and can even work in your favor in certain cases as you won't get boxed into a topic early on. But it is important to have a broader vision of what you want to do and learn, why at this institute or program, why now, and why with these particular faculty. A caveat—different PhD programs and fields have slightly different norms (such as style of writing, length of a statement, etc). Talk to someone in the program to understand expectations as early as possible. Most of the guidance I have shared is from my experience with HCI (human-computer interaction) and computing-oriented programs, but should apply more broadly.

Your personal statement is an opportunity for you to showcase your writing skills, critical thinking, and ability to generate interesting research ideas. Don't just list what you've done; that is what the resume is for. Explain what motivated you to undertake a certain project, and what you learned from doing it. You can also talk about the kind of ideas that excite you or projects that you would like to take up. Through your storytelling, a clear picture should emerge of the kind of scholar you are, what drives you, and why people should work with you.

Apart from the research experiences themselves, a program committee or faculty will be looking for a research fit. This DOES NOT mean copy-pasting a few papers from the faculty's website, claiming that you have read them, and then proceeding to list the research you have already done. It becomes very apparent that this is a cookie-cutter email that you send to every potential advisor (95% of the emails I receive are like this). Think about what excites you about their work (or if it excites you at all). Engage meaningfully with the source of excitement. Read a paper of theirs and think about if this is the kind of paper you want to write. Find common ground that is not just superficial, but a genuine effort to align interests because you like their work (not just because you want to do a PhD and they happen to be recruiting).

While it can help to reach out to a potential advisor when applying to determine fit, most faculty receive too many emails to be able to get on a call. You can try reaching out to their current students instead. Alternatively, look at where they publish, recent grants they might have received, and the broad research communities they are part of to get a sense of what areas they might be recruiting in. If you are only now discovering that you are interested in their research area, it may be worth doing a few courses or gaining more related research experience. Alternatively, if you are transitioning fields and have research experience, have a compelling reason for how your prior work translates and prepares you to work in this other area.

Finally, get as much feedback as you can from others on your research materials. Increasingly, several PhD programs provide opportunities for prospective students to get feedback from current PhD students before applying. You can also share materials with your mentors, a friend, a family member, really anyone! Even if they are unfamiliar with your specific area, they can give you feedback on the readability, structure, and overall story. Keep in mind that your materials may be read by someone who is not in the exact area that you are interested in, so your materials should be accessible to them. (I will try to share more tips for writing your personal statement in a future post!)

3. Showcase your ability to be a good colleague and team player

This one is harder to define and goes back to the collegiality aspect mentioned earlier. Faculty are looking for students who will also be a culture fit with their lab and institute, and with whom they have a good dynamic in terms of being able to work together. I have had interactions through emails and calls with students where they come across as aggressive or difficult to mentor or don't take feedback well. In other situations, I have had students not follow up on readings or the next steps that I have recommended. These are red flags (especially if you are doing this to junior and women faculty and not others, who tend to experience disrespect from students at a disproportionately higher rate).

Research does not happen in a vacuum. You will be spending a lot of time collaborating, mentoring, or being mentored. Figuring out how to receive and give feedback, and working in a collegial environment is an important aspect of becoming an independent researcher. If you're doing research that involves human subjects, you will also be recruiting participants and engaging in relationship management. All of this requires a great deal of patience, introspection, solid communication skills, and genuine interest in improving through feedback from others.

Reputation is everything in research (and in life and work more generally as well). Even if you get rejected once, you can make a lasting impression that can work in your favor the next time you apply with a stronger portfolio.

4. Continue to build your research repertoire and network

What if you don't get into the PhD program of your dreams? Don't give up!

So much of the application process has to do with how many spots the program has this year, whether the faculty you are working with are recruiting in this round, and who else you're competing with in this cycle. Rejection is a normal part of a researcher's life (rejection from grants, fellowships, journals, etc—if you don't have more rejections than acceptances, then you're not doing it right!) and is an opportunity for you to build your skills further. In all likelihood, it perhaps wasn't the right time for you to do a PhD or wasn't the right program for you, and now you have a chance to slow down and think about whether this is something you want. If it still is, here are things you can do to improve your chances for the next round:

1. Build your research skills and experience in the area that you are interested in pursuing a PhD. Look for predoctoral programs, master's degrees, informal mentorship with faculty, and research internships or fellowships. Read more in your areas of interest, and keep up with the most recent publications in the space.
2. Build your network! Visit a conference or a workshop if you can, or attend a talk or seminar. Many are increasingly offered virtually or in a hybrid format, and many have funding to support students who cannot afford to attend otherwise (e.g. the Gary Marsden Travel Awards for HCI events). These offer an opportunity to network with the researchers you want to work with and build your visibility in this space.
3. Consider widening the scope of universities that you are applying to. There are excellent and renowned researchers in universities that might not have been on your radar initially, who will ensure that you end up producing a remarkable thesis. More than the prestige of the program, look for an advisor who aligns well with your interests and is supportive of your goals.

Most importantly—take care of yourself throughout the application process! Surround yourself with friends and colleagues who are cheering you on, and remember that a PhD acceptance or rejection is not tied to your worth or potential as a researcher.

Good luck!

Unveiling the Hidden Curriculum is a newsletter that aims to make the academic and social sectors more equitable and accessible. I write about the "hidden curriculum" that people learn in privileged institutions and networks.

If there are specific topics you would like me to cover, feel free to send me a DM on LinkedIn.

P.S. I am recruiting PhD students and postdocs at Emory University in the coming year + our team at MakerGhat is hiring for various roles. We are looking for passionate and empathetic people to join, so apply if you're interested!