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Guide To Writing Your Grad School Admission Essay

Updated: Jan 2, 2024, 5:46am

You’ve made a big life decision: applying to grad school . The transcripts are ordered, the letters of recommendation requested, and the interview is on the books. Now you just have to complete what might be the hardest part: write the perfect grad school admission essay. How do you get started? What should a grad school admission essay include? Follow our guide below to get started.

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What Is a Statement of Purpose for Grad School?

A grad school college essay , otherwise known as a statement of purpose, is a required part of the grad school admissions process that tells school officials who you are, your academic and professional interests, and how you might contribute to the program.

A statement of purpose should generally be between 500 and 1,000 words, but check with your individual program for length, font size and spacing preferences.

Why Does It Matter?

Most graduate schools require a statement of purpose as part of the application process because it allows them to learn more about you in a personal way and decide if you will be a good fit for the program.

Applicants should convey that they have a decent amount of experience in their desired field of study and will be successful in a graduate school program. If there’s anything lacking or missing in your GPA or transcripts, you can briefly address it in your statement of purpose and explain why it won’t be an issue. Schools also like to see that applicants are resilient and can overcome challenges, so bring up any personal anecdotes that pertain to that as well.

What Makes a Good Personal Statement?

A good personal statement should include information about your work and academic experience. It should be detailed but concise. Your statement also provides a chance for you to share a personal side of yourself with the admissions committee, explain why you’d be a good fit for the program and showcase how you could add value if accepted.

Shows You’re a Good Fit for the Program

Above all, your personal statement should demonstrate that your interests would fit in the program and that you would do well there. For example, if applying to a master of business administration program, you might want to talk about your undergraduate studies in business, internships with high-profile companies, past jobs you’ve held, or even future entrepreneurial ideas that you’re passionate about.

Demonstrates How Well You Handle a Challenge

Graduate school is no easy task, and admissions officers want to know that you’re up for the challenge. Talking about other times in your life when you’ve struggled but persevered through hard work and dedication can assure school officials that you’ll rise to the occasion at their program if given the chance.

Indicates How You Respond to Criticism

Receiving positive and negative feedback is important, especially in an environment of growth like grad school. Including experiences like rewriting a paper after getting a bad grade or stepping it up at a job after getting tips from a boss can show an admission committee that you’re able to hear hard things and learn from them.

Exhibits Open-Mindedness and a Desire to Learn

Convey that you’ve had previous academic success, while also admitting that you still have more learning and growing to do. Admissions departments often find these qualities appealing when assessing candidates.

How To Write a Strong Admission Essay

You’ve researched and brainstormed, but now it’s time to actually write the admissions essay. Make sure your personal statement is strong and stands out by understanding the prompt, outlining your essay, including a clear thesis statement, personalizing your essay and making it relevant to your desired program.

Understand the Prompt

Most schools will want to know about your academic and professional experiences as well as how you will add value to the program. However, every program and application is unique and your school might have a unique prompt or specific questions they want you to answer in your statement of purpose. Be sure to read the prompt carefully several times so you answer all of the questions it asks.

Outline Your Essay

Before you start writing, make a plan for your personal essay by creating an outline. Not only will this make the writing process easier and faster, but it will help you thoroughly address the prompt in a clear and cohesive way.

Include a Clear Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is the central idea or argument of your personal statement. Essentially, your thesis statement should preview the arguments for why you would be a good candidate for a particular program.

Personalize Your Essay

Applying to veterinary school? Be sure to include your lifelong love for animals or your time spent working in an animal shelter. Or perhaps you’re pursuing graduate studies in psychology. Experience with, say, a peer counseling program in high school or college, will help you stand out. The point is to make your essay so personal it only could have been written by you.

Make It Relevant

Admissions officials for a healthcare administration program will be perplexed if you talk about the time you set up a lemonade stand as a child. Similarly, a graduate engineering program probably isn’t too concerned about your recent dance recital. Make sure the information you include in your personal statement is relevant to the program and school you’re applying to.

Finalizing Your Grad School Admissions Essay

After writing your statement, it’s time to perfect and refine it before you attach it and click submit on your application.

Edit the Essay

Now it’s time to edit. Editing is different from proofreading as it focuses on structural changes and even content revisions. Read the prompt again. Make sure you’ve addressed all questions asked by your program. Then, look at the structure. Try reading it out loud. Does the information flow in a way that makes sense? Are there parts that should be moved up or down? Could sections be cut and new parts added?

Proofread for Grammar, Punctuation and Style

Run a spelling and grammar check in Microsoft Word or Google Docs. You can even use a program like Grammarly to make sure your personal statement is free of typos and errors and adheres to the formatting required by your application.

Get Feedback From Peers and Mentors

Fresh eyes will only improve your writing. Ask classmates and professors to read your personal essay and provide you with feedback. They might see something you missed or have ideas for ways to improve. Make sure you give any readers enough time to go over your personal statement before it’s due.

Revise as Needed

Writing is really all about editing and rewriting. No one gets it right on the first try and sometimes not even on the second try—don’t be afraid to revise your statement of purpose as needed before your grad school application deadline.

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Stanford Online

How to write a compelling statement of purpose for graduate school.

A statement of purpose (SOP) is a critical component of most graduate school applications, and are often required for various types of graduate level programs, including Graduate Certificates and Master’s Degrees .

An SOP offers you the opportunity to showcase your motivations, qualifications, and aspirations to a school’s Office of Admissions. Crafting an effective SOP requires careful planning and attention to detail. Whether you're applying to Stanford or any other institution, here's a guide on how to write a standout statement of purpose that shows how your goals align with the program's expectations.

Understanding the Prompt

A prompt's comprehensive nature offers you the chance to provide a holistic view of your journey, motivations, and aspirations. Be sure to check the websites of any programs you’re applying to, as they often have additional information or suggested frameworks to get you started.

Stanford Master’s Degree

If you are applying to a Stanford master’s degree program , the recommended maximum length for your SOP is 1,000 words and the prompt for the statement of purpose emphasizes several key elements:

• Reasons for applying
• Preparation for the field of study
• Research interests
• Future career plans
• Relevant aspects of your background

Stanford Graduate Certificate

If you are applying to take individual graduate courses or pursue a graduate certificate through Stanford Online, the prompt contains less elements than for the master’s program. This statement of purpose should be brief, as you’re limited to 4000 characters. You should summarize:

• Specific course work on your transcript that meets the course and or certificate prerequisites
• Relevant aspects of your professional experience

Tips for Writing your Statement of Purpose

After you fully understand the prompt for the program you’re applying to, use these tips to guide your writing:

• Be Concise and Focused Most institutions have maximum lengths for words or characters. With limited space, it's important to be concise and focused. Use each word purposefully to convey your message. Ensure that every paragraph adds value and contributes to your overall narrative.
• Start Strong Your opening should be attention-grabbing. Consider sharing a personal anecdote, a relevant quote, or a thought-provoking question that sets the tone for your SOP. Engaging the reader from the beginning can make your statement more memorable.
• Address the Prompt Thoroughly Cover each aspect of the prompt thoroughly, addressing your reasons for applying, your background preparation, your research interests, and your future career plans. Use specific examples to illustrate your points. For instance, if you're applying to a computer science program, discuss projects, coursework, or experiences that highlight your passion and readiness for further study in this field.
• Showcase Fit with the Program Demonstrate a clear understanding of the program you're applying to and explain why it's an ideal fit for your academic and career goals. Highlight specific courses, professors, research opportunities, or unique features of the program that attracted you. This showcases your commitment to the program and demonstrates that you've done your research. You may consider including reasons your presence will benefit the program as your uniqueness may help set you apart from other applicants.
• Highlight Research Interests Discuss your research interests in detail. Explain how your past experiences have shaped your interests and how the program's resources can help you further develop them. Share any relevant research projects you've been a part of and explain their impact on your academic journey. If your program includes a capstone, you may want to include more actionable, compelling examples.
• Connect to Your Future Career Articulate your future career plans and explain how the program will prepare you for success. Whether you plan to pursue academia, industry, or another path, convey how the skills and knowledge gained from the program will contribute to your career trajectory.
• Weave in Personal Background Share aspects of your personal background that are relevant to your journey. This could include challenges you've overcome, experiences that have shaped your perspective, or unique qualities that set you apart. Ensure that these details contribute to your overall narrative and that adding them showcases your qualifications.
• Edit and Proofread After writing your SOP, review it meticulously for grammar, punctuation, and clarity. Typos and errors can detract from the impact of your statement. Consider seeking feedback from mentors, professors, or peers to ensure your SOP effectively conveys your message.
• Tailor for Specific Programs If you're applying to multiple programs, make sure to customize each SOP to align with the specific program's offerings and requirements. Avoid using a generic SOP for all applications, this tends to be very noticeable to admissions.
• Seek Inspiration from Examples If you’re applying to a Stanford Master’s program, the Stanford Graduate Admissions website provides specific guidance on the statement of purpose. Review your program’s recommendations and, if available, consider reading sample SOPs from successful applicants to gather inspiration and insights.

Writing a compelling statement of purpose for graduate school requires thoughtful reflection, careful planning, and clear communication. By addressing the prompt comprehensively, showcasing your fit with the program, and demonstrating your passion and readiness, you can craft an SOP that stands out and may even increase your chances of admission to your desired program. Although it’s far from the only criteria that will be considered in the admissions process, your SOP is your chance to tell your unique story and show why you are a perfect candidate for graduate study. We hope you find this guide useful as you write your statement of purpose, please know that following this guide does not guarantee your admission to any program.

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Grad school personal statement examples.

Get accepted to your top choice graduate school with your compelling personal statement.

You are a thoughtful, intelligent, and unique individual. You already know that – now you just need to convince top grad school adcoms that you’re a cut above the rest.

By reading the sample graduate school essays provided above, you should get a clear idea of how to translate your qualifications, passions, and individual experiences into words. You will see that the samples here employ a creative voice, use detailed examples, and draw the reader in with a clear writing style. Most importantly, these personal statements are compelling – each one does a fine job of convincing you that the author of the essay is a human being worth getting to know, or better yet, worth having in your next top grad school class. Grad school statement of purpose sample essays should be engaging and attention grabbing.

Here are the 5 things to include in a grad school personal statement:

• Engaging opening
• Consistent use of opening imagery
• A clear theme that ties the essay together
• Solid structure
• Good use of transitions

Grad school essay example #1: The environmental studies student

Two scenes stand out in my mind from my visit to Brazil’s Wetland: Forests burning before seed planting and trees as hedgerows. Before the planting season, I could see the leafless remnants of burnt trees still standing.  READ MORE>>>

• Attention-grabbing opening: The author immediately grabs your attention by placing them in the midst of the scene and vividly conveying what the author saw.
• Vivid, visual opening: You can almost smell the burnt trees and see the ranches and farms thriving behind their protective forests.
• A clear theme that ties the essay together: The writer clearly states an interest in the clash between economic and environmental concerns throughout the essay. Discussion of coursework taken and how it influenced the author’s decision to pursue both master’s and PhD in Environmental Studies also flows through the essay.
• Solid structure: Thanks to the continued theme of the clash between economic and environmental concerns, this is a very easy essay to read. Mentions of different courses that piqued the writer’s interest also help to hold this essay together.
• Good use of transitions: Transitions help your reader move from one topic to the next as you connect the topic in the preceding paragraph to the topic in the next. They can consist of a few words or a phrase or simply the repetition of the topic by name as opposed to using a pronoun.  The writer used the terminology connecting economics and the environment at the end of the first paragraph, and uses the same words at the beginning of the second one.

Grad school essay example #2: The engineering student

A simple bridge truss was the first structure I ever analyzed. The simple combination of beams that could hold cars, trains, and trucks over long spans of water fascinated me. Having the tools to analyze the loads on the truss further increased my interest in structures.  READ MORE>>>

• Attention-grabbing opening: This writer immediately shared his fascination with bridge truss designs and makes the reader want to learn more about structural engineering.
• Consistent use of opening imagery: The writer begins his essay with the image of the first structure he ever analyzed – a simple bridge truss. This bridge truss becomes the basis for all of his future study of structural engineering and design. Toward the end of the essay, he states that design structure has fascinated him since he saw that first image of a bridge truss for his first engineering class.
• A clear theme that ties the essay together: The theme of structural design runs throughout the essay. It is mentioned right at the beginning of the essay, in following paragraphs and in the final paragraph as well. Toward the end of the essay, the writer discusses how a grad degree in engineering will help him reach both his short- and long-term goals. 
• Solid structure: Since the theme of structural design and engineering are so strong throughout the essay, it is easy to follow along as the writer talks about different classes he has taken, an internship he did, and even an experience as a student volunteer. 
• Good use of transitions: The author ends his first paragraph talking about the textbook for his first engineering class, and continues on this theme in the next paragraph. He then transitioned from classes he took to student volunteer research he participated in. When discussing what he plans to study in grad school, the same terminology is used again, joining the whole essay into one cohesive whole. 

Grad school essay example #3: The public health student

What if people lived healthier lives, practiced preventive medicine, and took precautions against illness and disease? My days in the physical therapy department often made me think about the prevention of injuries as well as the injuries themselves. I was already doubting my future career choice as a physical therapist.  READ MORE>>>

• Attention-grabbing opening: The author of this essay makes an early case for why he wants to leave the field of physical therapy and move to the public health arena. You can almost feel the writer’s frustration with physical therapy and their need to find a way to reach a broader population, provide primary care to them, while challenging and motivating the writer to improve.
• Consistent use of opening imagery: The idea of providing primary care to large populations and the benefits the population could get from this care are woven through the whole essay. Finding ways to improve the health of underprivileged populations is also found throughout the essay.
• A clear theme that ties the essay together: Provision of primary care to large communities is a theme that runs throughout the essay. The author’s work at a county health clinic cemented this idea and led to him choosing to pursue an education and career in public health.
• Solid structure: The theme of providing primary care to large underprivileged populations is a theme that ties this personal statement together.
• Good use of transitions: The words “public health” occur in every paragraph. The author ends the second paragraph talking about work in the field, and begins the next paragraph by mentioning field experience. This makes it easy to follow the flow of the essay.

Grad school essay example #4: The physician assistant student

I was nine years old and in the middle of Mrs. Russell’s third grade class when my stomach began to itch uncontrollably. I remember thinking to myself, “Did I get bitten by a bug?” Completely distracted by the incessant itching, I asked Mrs. Russell if I could go to the nurse’s office. When the nurse lifted my shirt, I saw the biggest “bug bites” I had ever seen covering the majority of my stomach.  READ MORE>>>

Note:  The character limit for the CASPA PS is 5,000 characters with spaces. You need to keep this limit in mind as you write your personal statement.

• Attention-grabbing opening and consistent use of opening imagery: The writer of this essay immediately grabs the reader’s attention by making them feel her fear and frustration of having an undiagnosed medical condition. You can also feel her relief when she is finally diagnosed – and treated – by a PA.
• Vivid, visual opening and consistent use of opening imagery: Your heart beats a little faster as you read how a 9-year-old girl’s medical condition couldn’t be diagnosed until a visit with a PA who helped her discover her passion. She continues to illustrate her love of all things medical throughout the essay.
• A clear theme that ties the essay together: Her essay has a clear theme – her interest in medicine and healthcare, and her connection with PAs. This theme is touched upon in every paragraph of her personal statement. Whether discussing her love of learning or the skills learned through sports, the ultimate goal of becoming a PA comes through. 
• Solid structure: The author’s themes of love of learning and medicine, and the desire to become a PA to help others flow through this essay. They make it cohesive, readable, and interesting. 
• Good use of transition: The writer shows how her interest in being a PA grows throughout her life through a series of events – her illness, attending a youth leadership forum where she first saw infected human organs, and finally her mother’s own illness and the care given by the same PA who diagnosed the author at the age of 9. The imagery of the “itchy little” girl from the first paragraph appears again in the last paragraph, pulling the entire personal statement together.

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In your grad school statement of purpose, get expert help with your graduate school application.

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AN OUTSTANDING GRADUATE SCHOOL STATEMENT OF PURPOSE IS CRITICAL IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS

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Gre prep online guides and tips, 3 successful graduate school personal statement examples.

Looking for grad school personal statement examples? Look no further! In this total guide to graduate school personal statement examples, we’ll discuss why you need a personal statement for grad school and what makes a good one. Then we’ll provide three graduate school personal statement samples from our grad school experts. After that, we’ll do a deep dive on one of our personal statement for graduate school examples. Finally, we’ll wrap up with a list of other grad school personal statements you can find online.

Why Do You Need a Personal Statement?

A personal statement is a chance for admissions committees to get to know you: your goals and passions, what you’ll bring to the program, and what you’re hoping to get out of the program.  You need to sell the admissions committee on what makes you a worthwhile applicant. The personal statement is a good chance to highlight significant things about you that don’t appear elsewhere on your application.

A personal statement is slightly different from a statement of purpose (also known as a letter of intent). A statement of purpose/letter of intent tends to be more tightly focused on your academic or professional credentials and your future research and/or professional interests.

While a personal statement also addresses your academic experiences and goals, you have more leeway to be a little more, well, personal. In a personal statement, it’s often appropriate to include information on significant life experiences or challenges that aren’t necessarily directly relevant to your field of interest.

Some programs ask for both a personal statement and a statement of purpose/letter of intent. In this case, the personal statement is likely to be much more tightly focused on your life experience and personality assets while the statement of purpose will focus in much more on your academic/research experiences and goals.

However, there’s not always a hard-and-fast demarcation between a personal statement and a statement of purpose. The two statement types should address a lot of the same themes, especially as relates to your future goals and the valuable assets you bring to the program. Some programs will ask for a personal statement but the prompt will be focused primarily on your research and professional experiences and interests. Some will ask for a statement of purpose but the prompt will be more focused on your general life experiences.

When in doubt, give the program what they are asking for in the prompt and don’t get too hung up on whether they call it a personal statement or statement of purpose. You can always call the admissions office to get more clarification on what they want you to address in your admissions essay.

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What Makes a Good Grad School Personal Statement?

A great graduate school personal statement can come in many forms and styles. However, strong grad school personal statement examples all share the same following elements:

A Clear Narrative

Above all, a good personal statement communicates clear messages about what makes you a strong applicant who is likely to have success in graduate school. So to that extent, think about a couple of key points that you want to communicate about yourself and then drill down on how you can best communicate those points. (Your key points should of course be related to what you can bring to the field and to the program specifically).

You can also decide whether to address things like setbacks or gaps in your application as part of your narrative. Have a low GPA for a couple semesters due to a health issue? Been out of a job for a while taking care of a family member? If you do decide to explain an issue like this, make sure that the overall arc is more about demonstrating positive qualities like resilience and diligence than about providing excuses.

Specific Examples

A great statement of purpose uses specific examples to illustrate its key messages. This can include anecdotes that demonstrate particular traits or even references to scholars and works that have influenced your academic trajectory to show that you are familiar and insightful about the relevant literature in your field.

Just saying “I love plants,” is pretty vague. Describing how you worked in a plant lab during undergrad and then went home and carefully cultivated your own greenhouse where you cross-bred new flower colors by hand is much more specific and vivid, which makes for better evidence.

A strong personal statement will describe why you are a good fit for the program, and why the program is a good fit for you. It’s important to identify specific things about the program that appeal to you, and how you’ll take advantage of those opportunities. It’s also a good idea to talk about specific professors you might be interested in working with. This shows that you are informed about and genuinely invested in the program.

Strong Writing

Even quantitative and science disciplines typically require some writing, so it’s important that your personal statement shows strong writing skills. Make sure that you are communicating clearly and that you don’t have any grammar and spelling errors. It’s helpful to get other people to read your statement and provide feedback. Plan on going through multiple drafts.

Another important thing here is to avoid cliches and gimmicks. Don’t deploy overused phrases and openings like “ever since I was a child.” Don’t structure your statement in a gimmicky way (i.e., writing a faux legal brief about yourself for a law school statement of purpose). The first will make your writing banal; the second is likely to make you stand out in a bad way.

Appropriate Boundaries

While you can be more personal in a personal statement than in a statement of purpose, it’s important to maintain appropriate boundaries in your writing. Don’t overshare anything too personal about relationships, bodily functions, or illegal activities. Similarly, don’t share anything that makes it seem like you may be out of control, unstable, or an otherwise risky investment. The personal statement is not a confessional booth. If you share inappropriately, you may seem like you have bad judgment, which is a huge red flag to admissions committees.

You should also be careful with how you deploy humor and jokes. Your statement doesn’t have to be totally joyless and serious, but bear in mind that the person reading the statement may not have the same sense of humor as you do. When in doubt, err towards the side of being as inoffensive as possible.

Just as being too intimate in your statement can hurt you, it’s also important not to be overly formal or staid. You should be professional, but conversational.

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

Our graduate school experts have been kind enough to provide some successful grad school personal statement examples. We’ll provide three examples here, along with brief analysis of what makes each one successful.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 1

PDF of Sample Personal Statement 1 – Japanese Studies

For this Japanese Studies master’s degree, the applicant had to provide a statement of purpose outlining her academic goals and experience with Japanese and a separate personal statement describing her personal relationship with Japanese Studies and what led her to pursue a master’s degree.

Here’s what’s successful about this personal statement:

• An attention-grabbing beginning: The applicant begins with the statement that Japanese has never come easily to her and that it’s a brutal language to learn. Seeing as how this is an application for a Japanese Studies program, this is an intriguing beginning that makes the reader want to keep going.
• A compelling narrative: From this attention-grabbing beginning, the applicant builds a well-structured and dramatic narrative tracking her engagement with the Japanese language over time. The clear turning point is her experience studying abroad, leading to a resolution in which she has clarity about her plans. Seeing as how the applicant wants to be a translator of Japanese literature, the tight narrative structure here is a great way to show her writing skills.
• Specific examples that show important traits: The applicant clearly communicates both a deep passion for Japanese through examples of her continued engagement with Japanese and her determination and work ethic by highlighting the challenges she’s faced (and overcome) in her study of the language. This gives the impression that she is an engaged and dedicated student.

Overall, this is a very strong statement both in terms of style and content. It flows well, is memorable, and communicates that the applicant would make the most of the graduate school experience.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 2

PDF of Sample Graduate School Personal Statement 2 – Musical Composition

This personal statement for a Music Composition master’s degree discusses the factors that motivate the applicant to pursue graduate study.

Here’s what works well in this statement:

• The applicant provides two clear reasons motivating the student to pursue graduate study: her experiences with music growing up, and her family’s musical history. She then supports those two reasons with examples and analysis.
• The description of her ancestors’ engagement with music is very compelling and memorable. The applicant paints her own involvement with music as almost inevitable based on her family’s long history with musical pursuits.
• The applicant gives thoughtful analysis of the advantages she has been afforded that have allowed her to study music so extensively. We get the sense that she is insightful and empathetic—qualities that would add greatly to any academic community.

This is a strong, serviceable personal statement. And in truth, given that this for a masters in music composition, other elements of the application (like work samples) are probably the most important.  However, here are two small changes I would make to improve it:

• I would probably to split the massive second paragraph into 2-3 separate paragraphs. I might use one paragraph to orient the reader to the family’s musical history, one paragraph to discuss Giacomo and Antonio, and one paragraph to discuss how the family has influenced the applicant. As it stands, it’s a little unwieldy and the second paragraph doesn’t have a super-clear focus even though it’s all loosely related to the applicant’s family history with music.
• I would also slightly shorten the anecdote about the applicant’s ancestors and expand more on how this family history has motivated the applicant’s interest in music. In what specific ways has her ancestors’ perseverance inspired her? Did she think about them during hard practice sessions? Is she interested in composing music in a style they might have played? More specific examples here would lend greater depth and clarity to the statement.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 3

PDF of Sample Graduate School Personal Statement 3 – Public Health

This is my successful personal statement for Columbia’s Master’s program in Public Health. We’ll do a deep dive on this statement paragraph-by-paragraph in the next section, but I’ll highlight a couple of things that work in this statement here:

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• This statement is clearly organized. Almost every paragraph has a distinct focus and message, and when I move on to a new idea, I move on to a new paragraph with a logical transitions.
• This statement covers a lot of ground in a pretty short space. I discuss my family history, my goals, my educational background, and my professional background. But because the paragraphs are organized and I use specific examples, it doesn’t feel too vague or scattered.
• In addition to including information about my personal motivations, like my family, I also include some analysis about tailoring health interventions with my example of the Zande. This is a good way to show off what kinds of insights I might bring to the program based on my academic background.

Grad School Personal Statement Example: Deep Dive

Now let’s do a deep dive, paragraph-by-paragraph, on one of these sample graduate school personal statements. We’ll use my personal statement that I used when I applied to Columbia’s public health program.

Paragraph One: For twenty-three years, my grandmother (a Veterinarian and an Epidemiologist) ran the Communicable Disease Department of a mid-sized urban public health department. The stories of Grandma Betty doggedly tracking down the named sexual partners of the infected are part of our family lore. Grandma Betty would persuade people to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases, encourage safer sexual practices, document the spread of infection and strive to contain and prevent it. Indeed, due to the large gay population in the city where she worked, Grandma Betty was at the forefront of the AIDS crises, and her analysis contributed greatly towards understanding how the disease was contracted and spread. My grandmother has always been a huge inspiration to me, and the reason why a career in public health was always on my radar.

This is an attention-grabbing opening anecdote that avoids most of the usual cliches about childhood dreams and proclivities. This story also subtly shows that I have a sense of public health history, given the significance of the AIDs crisis for public health as a field.

It’s good that I connect this family history to my own interests. However, if I were to revise this paragraph again, I might cut down on some of the detail because when it comes down to it, this story isn’t really about me. It’s important that even (sparingly used) anecdotes about other people ultimately reveal something about you in a personal statement.

Paragraph Two: Recent years have cemented that interest. In January 2012, my parents adopted my little brother Fred from China. Doctors in America subsequently diagnosed Fred with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). My parents were told that if Fred’s condition had been discovered in China, the (very poor) orphanage in which he spent the first 8+ years of his life would have recognized his DMD as a death sentence and denied him sustenance to hasten his demise.

Here’s another compelling anecdote to help explain my interest in public health. This is an appropriately personal detail for a personal statement—it’s a serious thing about my immediate family, but it doesn’t disclose anything that the admissions committee might find concerning or inappropriate.

If I were to take another pass through this paragraph, the main thing I would change is the last phrase. “Denied him sustenance to hasten his demise” is a little flowery. “Denied him food to hasten his death” is actually more powerful because it’s clearer and more direct.

Paragraph Three: It is not right that some people have access to the best doctors and treatment while others have no medical care. I want to pursue an MPH in Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia because studying social factors in health, with a particular focus on socio-health inequities, will prepare me to address these inequities. The interdisciplinary approach of the program appeals to me greatly as I believe interdisciplinary approaches are the most effective way to develop meaningful solutions to complex problems.

In this paragraph I make a neat and clear transition from discussing what sparked my interest in public health and health equity to what I am interested in about Columbia specifically: the interdisciplinary focus of the program, and how that focus will prepare me to solve complex health problems. This paragraph also serves as a good pivot point to start discussing my academic and professional background.

Paragraph Four: My undergraduate education has prepared me well for my chosen career. Understanding the underlying structure of a group’s culture is essential to successfully communicating with the group. In studying folklore and mythology, I’ve learned how to parse the unspoken structures of folk groups, and how those structures can be used to build bridges of understanding. For example, in a culture where most illnesses are believed to be caused by witchcraft, as is the case for the Zande people of central Africa, any successful health intervention or education program would of necessity take into account their very real belief in witchcraft.

In this paragraph, I link my undergraduate education and the skills I learned there to public health. The (very brief) analysis of tailoring health interventions to the Zande is a good way to show insight and show off the competencies I would bring to the program.

Paragraph Five: I now work in the healthcare industry for one of the largest providers of health benefits in the world. In addition to reigniting my passion for data and quantitative analytics, working for this company has immersed me in the business side of healthcare, a critical component of public health.

This brief paragraph highlights my relevant work experience in the healthcare industry. It also allows me to mention my work with data and quantitative analytics, which isn’t necessarily obvious from my academic background, which was primarily based in the social sciences.

Paragraph Six: I intend to pursue a PhD in order to become an expert in how social factors affect health, particularly as related to gender and sexuality. I intend to pursue a certificate in Sexuality, Sexual Health, and Reproduction. Working together with other experts to create effective interventions across cultures and societies, I want to help transform health landscapes both in America and abroad.

This final paragraph is about my future plans and intentions. Unfortunately, it’s a little disjointed, primarily because I discuss goals of pursuing a PhD before I talk about what certificate I want to pursue within the MPH program! Switching those two sentences and discussing my certificate goals within the MPH and then mentioning my PhD plans would make a lot more sense.

I also start two sentences in a row with “I intend,” which is repetitive.

The final sentence is a little bit generic; I might tailor it to specifically discuss a gender and sexual health issue, since that is the primary area of interest I’ve identified.

This was a successful personal statement; I got into (and attended!) the program. It has strong examples, clear organization, and outlines what interests me about the program (its interdisciplinary focus) and what competencies I would bring (a background in cultural analysis and experience with the business side of healthcare). However, a few slight tweaks would elevate this statement to the next level.

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples You Can Find Online

So you need more samples for your personal statement for graduate school? Examples are everywhere on the internet, but they aren’t all of equal quality.

Most of examples are posted as part of writing guides published online by educational institutions. We’ve rounded up some of the best ones here if you are looking for more personal statement examples for graduate school.

Penn State Personal Statement Examples for Graduate School

This selection of ten short personal statements for graduate school and fellowship programs offers an interesting mix of approaches. Some focus more on personal adversity while others focus more closely on professional work within the field.

The writing in some of these statements is a little dry, and most deploy at least a few cliches. However, these are generally strong, serviceable statements that communicate clearly why the student is interested in the field, their skills and competencies, and what about the specific program appeals to them.

Cal State Sample Graduate School Personal Statements

These are good examples of personal statements for graduate school where students deploy lots of very vivid imagery and illustrative anecdotes of life experiences. There are also helpful comments about what works in each of these essays.

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However, all of these statements are definitely pushing the boundaries of acceptable length, as all are above 1000 and one is almost 1500 words! Many programs limit you to 500 words; if you don’t have a limit, you should try to keep it to two single-spaced pages at most (which is about 1000 words).

University of Chicago Personal Statement for Graduate School Examples

These examples of successful essays to the University of Chicago law school cover a wide range of life experiences and topics. The writing in all is very vivid, and all communicate clear messages about the students’ strengths and competencies.

Note, however, that these are all essays that specifically worked for University of Chicago law school. That does not mean that they would work everywhere. In fact, one major thing to note is that many of these responses, while well-written and vivid, barely address the students’ interest in law school at all! This is something that might not work well for most graduate programs.

Wheaton College Personal Statement for Graduate School Sample 10

This successful essay for law school from a Wheaton College undergraduate does a great job tracking the student’s interest in the law in a compelling and personal way. Wheaton offers other graduate school personal statement examples, but this one offers the most persuasive case for the students’ competencies. The student accomplishes this by using clear, well-elaborated examples, showing strong and vivid writing, and highlighting positive qualities like an interest in justice and empathy without seeming grandiose or out of touch.

Wheaton College Personal Statement for Graduate School Sample 1

Based on the background information provided at the bottom of the essay, this essay was apparently successful for this applicant. However, I’ve actually included this essay because it demonstrates an extremely risky approach. While this personal statement is strikingly written and the story is very memorable, it could definitely communicate the wrong message to some admissions committees. The student’s decision not to report the drill sergeant may read incredibly poorly to some admissions committees. They may wonder if the student’s failure to report the sergeant’s violence will ultimately expose more soldiers-in-training to the same kinds of abuses. This incident perhaps reads especially poorly in light of the fact that the military has such a notable problem with violence against women being covered up and otherwise mishandled

It’s actually hard to get a complete picture of the student’s true motivations from this essay, and what we have might raise real questions about the student’s character to some admissions committees. This student took a risk and it paid off, but it could have just as easily backfired spectacularly.

Key Takeaways: Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

In this guide, we discussed why you need a personal statement and how it differs from a statement of purpose. (It’s more personal!)

We also discussed what you’ll find in a strong sample personal statement for graduate school:

• A clear narrative about the applicant and why they are qualified for graduate study.
• Specific examples to support that narrative.
• Compelling reasons why the applicant and the program are a good fit for each other.
• Strong writing, including clear organization and error-free, cliche-free language.
• Appropriate boundaries—sharing without over-sharing.

Then, we provided three strong graduate school personal statement examples for different fields, along with analysis. We did a deep-dive on the third statement.

Finally, we provided a list of other sample grad school personal statements online.

What’s Next?

Want more advice on writing a personal statement ? See our guide.

Writing a graduate school statement of purpose? See our statement of purpose samples  and a nine-step process for writing the best statement of purpose possible .

If you’re writing a graduate school CV or resume, see our how-to guide to writing a CV , a how-to guide to writing a resume , our list of sample resumes and CVs , resume and CV templates , and a special guide for writing resume objectives .

Need stellar graduate school recommendation letters ? See our guide.

See our 29 tips for successfully applying to graduate school .

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Ellen McCammon

Ellen is a public health graduate student and education expert. She has extensive experience mentoring students of all ages to reach their goals and in-depth knowledge on a variety of health topics. View all posts by Ellen McCammon

L.A. Affairs: I’m young and attractive. So why am I on a date with a much older man?

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The outside tables at Figaro Bistrot are far too close to one another. A group of women is seated beside us, drinking white wine and leaning together to murmur while giving me side-eye. My date gets up, excuses himself and heads to the bathroom. One of them leans over: “So is that your dad?”

I’m pretty sure I turn bright red and simply reply: “No.”

When he gets back, he places his hand on the thigh poking through the slit of my dress. The women’s eyes widen, and they look at one another and giggle. I’m not sure if I’m really into him. There’s a part of me that twists with disgust at the whole situation. But I ignore this — and ignore the giggles.

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July 15, 2024

The conversation up until then revolves around a film he once wrote. “I spent about 10 years trying to get it picked up. But hey, it worked out in the end,” he says. His film won a number of awards and was widely critically acclaimed. “Everything I’ve written since then I haven’t really cared about.”

It shows. He hasn’t written a single film since his first that wasn’t panned. But I still feel a sense of pride that he wants me, this lowly grad student; maybe this is what it really means to date in L.A.

Until then, most of the men I’d dated in L.A. (who were around my age) were starving artists, aspiring filmmakers and musicians who worked in the meantime as grips and waiters.

L.A. Affairs: I hooked up with a dreamy musician at the beach. Was I asking for trouble?

On my birthday, I met a handsome musician at a beach bar, and we spent many nights together. He even told me that he loved me. But would our romance become an everlasting love?

Aug. 2, 2024

Their dreams were always endearing, and having money doesn’t particularly matter to me. I was just never a part of their dreams. The previous men I dated always told me that I deserved better, that they weren’t looking for anything serious (always after a few months of dating, and it always turned out that I wasn’t the only one they were dating). I wasn’t sure whether I was looking for something serious either, but what I really wanted was someone who would see me as girlfriend — or perhaps even wife — material. There’s nothing more important than being lovable, even if the basis for this is being young and decently attractive.

My date is about two years younger than my father (who didn’t have me at a particularly young age). However, he has an Instagram and an iPhone and is a writer, which makes me feel like he isn’t too dissimilar to me after all. He finally asks me about myself: “What is your research about?” As a master of none, I never really know how to answer this question, so I recite a list of areas I’ve dabbled in. One of them is the bildungsroman.

“What’s that?” he asks. My image of him crumbles a little.

It dawns on me that the real reason I’d taken the upper limit off my Hinge settings and agreed to this date is that I thought I might find someone like my former professor, whose class on the bildungsroman was my main motivation for applying to grad school. I had a major crush on him; he had the exact same taste in music as me (think classic college-radio male manipulator), made stupid jokes and had a smile that made me melt. He was from Los Angeles, and I can’t deny that some of the motivation for me applying to USC was a subconscious desire to trace his steps.

L.A. Affairs: I expected Prince Charming at dinner. But then he wouldn’t shut up

I was walking home when a handsome man stopped to pay me a compliment. In the days leading up to our date, I kept wondering if we would have a fairy-tale connection.

July 12, 2024

But this man, my date, clearly wasn’t him.

Then he asks me if I want kids. “No,” I firmly reply. But then I find myself backtracking: “At least, not now.” I’m surprised that I say this. Am I scared that he won’t want me anymore if I don’t want kids, even if I’m realizing that I don’t want him?

“Women always say that. Why is it that every woman I’ve met has said that?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’m not really in the position to support a child right now.”

“But I am.”

He grins, and the twist of disgust grows. There’s something sinister about his smile that makes me realize that maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all. But I find myself ignoring this.

“I guess we’ll have to see.”

L.A. Affairs: I was on a date with my husband when I spotted a guy who was just my type

I’m polyamorous; my husband and I date and have relationships with other people. I was holding my husband’s hand when I saw a man who caught my attention.

July 19, 2024

The evening turns into night, and we end up inside the restaurant, sharing the same side of a booth. At one point, he asks to take a selfie. I oblige.

Should I be on a date with this man? I’m not attracted to him and I don’t find him interesting. But he seems like a man who actually wants me even if he doesn’t really know who I am. The other reason I agreed to this date is my deathly fear of aging and losing my attractiveness to men. I remember the first time I looked in the mirror at age 21 and realized that I was deteriorating.

Since then, I’ve religiously followed a retinol and sunscreen regime, but I still found the bags under my eyes growing and growing. I asked Reddit what I should do about this, and I was recommended under-eye filler. I debate the pros and cons of this every day. It pains me to know that one day it’ll be too late. As a decently attractive but still somewhat average woman ( r/Rateme classified me as a 6 or 7, and in L.A., that means a 4 or 5), youth is mostly what I have going for me. And I know all too well that L.A. men aren’t interested in my pursuit of a PhD in comparative literature, which might even be intimidating.

The next day I apologize to him over Instagram. I never got his number. I tell him that I had a great time, but I don’t think we have enough in common.

L.A. Affairs submission guidelines

L.A. Affairs is a first-person column in the Los Angeles Times chronicling romance and relationships. We are looking for original essays. Here’s how to send us yours.

June 3, 2024

“I think we have more in common than you think. I’m always here if you change your mind.”

A few hours later, he sends me the selfie he took.

Beside him, I look like his teenage daughter, and in a sick way, that makes me happy.

The author, a comparative literature PhD student at USC, lives in Studio City. She’s on Instagram: @sarahgarrodwrites

L.A. Affairs chronicles the search for romantic love in all its glorious expressions in the L.A. area, and we want to hear your true story. We pay $400 for a published essay. Email [email protected] . You can find submission guidelines here . You can find past columns here .

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Analysis: ICJ Opinion on Israeli Settlements, Explained

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ICJ Opinion on Israeli Settlements, Explained

The top court’s historic declaration is a major boon to the palestinian solidarity movement..

• United Nations

Last month, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a historic advisory opinion declaring Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestinian territory—comprising the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip (together the Occupied Palestinian Territory, or OPT)—to be illegal under international law. The ICJ opinion also called for the immediate and total withdrawal of Israeli settlers from the OPT.

Given Israeli and U.S. intransigence, the nonbinding decision is unlikely to change the course of the current war and will do little to prevent the imminent regional conflagration. But it will have profound diplomatic and political implications beyond this moment and is a major boon to the Palestinian solidarity movement’s program of isolating Israel on the international stage. Whether it alters U.S. policy in the near term, particularly in the event of Vice President Kamala Harris’s electoral victory, is a question of political will: Though the Biden administration claims to abide by international law and has already declared Israeli settlements illegal, it has declined to use the ample leverage at its disposal to pressure Israel into compliance.

The 83-page advisory opinion came in response to a request from the U.N. General Assembly, which in a December 2022 resolution asked the court to opine on the legality of Israel’s occupation and the consequent ongoing denial of Palestinian rights.

The opinion is the second time the top international court has taken up the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (A third, South Africa’s case accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, is ongoing.) In 2004, the ICJ, in an advisory opinion, declared that the border wall Israel erected loosely following the Green Line separating Israel proper and the West Bank—including significant incursions into the OPT—violated international law and must be torn down. However, this is the first instance in which the court addressed the legality of the occupation as such.

What did the ICJ advisory opinion establish? 

The opinion began by determining the legal status of the territory in question, holding that East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza have all been under Israeli occupation since 1967. The pronouncement reaffirmed that despite Israel’s 2005 withdrawal of settlers from Gaza, it has retained direct economic and military control of the area’s land, sea, and air borders and regulates the inflows and outflows of goods and people. This has been especially true since Hamas’s attack on Oct. 7, 2023, with Israel obstructing the flow of aid into Gaza. Thus, Israel retains its obligations as an occupying power over the whole of the OPT, which arise from the Fourth Geneva Convention, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), and other treaties.

Next, the court determined that Israel’s practice of transferring settlers into the OPT along with civilian infrastructure is an attempt to integrate settlements into the territory of Israel in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The court noted that by 2023, nearly 700,000 settlers resided in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. This is a drastic increase from approximately 520,000 settlers in 2012—in the first six months of 2023, Israel advanced a record-breaking 12,855 new settler housing units across the West Bank.

The opinion also found Israel’s regular diversion of natural resources and the displacement of Palestinians in the OPT (the court notes the displacement of thousands of Palestinians in the past three years alone) to be a violation of international law. Finally, the court determined that Israel’s regime of comprehensive restrictions on Palestinians throughout the OPT constitutes systematic discrimination under the relevant human rights treaties. Taken together, the court declared that these policies and practices represent a violation of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination—a right the court had already established in its 2004 advisory opinion.

Responding to the second question posed by the General Assembly, the court ruled that Israel’s occupation is illegal and that it is obligated to withdraw from the OPT and transfer the settlers residing there into Israel proper. The court also added that Israel must provide reparation for the damage caused by its illegal acts to the affected Palestinians, including returning land and other confiscated property and allowing the reentry of those who have been displaced since 1967.

Lastly, the court declared that states and international organizations have a duty not to recognize the occupation as legal and to work to bring Israel’s unlawful presence in the OPT to an end. However, it left to the other bodies of the United Nations—namely, the General Assembly and the Security Council—the task of determining what specific actions to that end are required.

What impact could the opinion have?

The opinion is a significant step forward in the long struggle for Palestinian self-determination. In essence, it supports a growing international consensus that the state of Palestine already exists de jure despite its actual creation as a sovereign entity being materially impeded by Israel’s belligerent occupation.

This marks a conceptual displacement of the Oslo paradigm, according to which a Palestinian state can only be achieved through U.S.-mediated bilateral negotiations—the so-called peace process—which, marred from the outset by power imbalances, has been abandoned by a succession of increasingly right-wing Israeli governments. However, it is important to note that the opinion excludes acknowledgement of the Nakba, the forced displacement of more than 700,000 Palestinians from their ancestral lands in 1948, thus declining to address the long-standing Palestinian demand for a right of return for those displaced and their descendants.

More pressingly, the decision is unlikely to meaningfully alter Israel’s ongoing genocidal war in Gaza or prevent the rapidly accelerating threat of a regional war. Israel has already flouted binding legal dictates from the U.N. Security Council and the ICJ itself, vis-à-vis South Africa’s case, both of which directly ordered it to end the war. But so long as it sustained the diplomatic and military backing of its chief sponsor, the United States, the Israeli leadership has calculated that it can continue its campaign, the law be damned .

But there is some hope. In the medium term, the impact of the decision will be felt as states alter their foreign policies so as to conform with the requirements of international law. In practice, the decision portends the further isolation of Israel on the international stage through targeted sanctions against settlers, embargoes on goods produced in the OPT, and other diplomatic actions such as public condemnation.

Already, the Labour government in the United Kingdom, one of Israel’s principal allies, is reportedly considering an arms embargo against the state as a consequence of the advisory opinion. Nine nations—including Ireland, Norway, and Spain—have recognized the state of Palestine since October, and this and other formal legal processes will accelerate that trend.

How was the ruling received?

Since its release, the ICJ opinion has garnered mixed reception. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki has called it a “watershed moment for Palestine, for justice, and for international law,” whereas Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the ruling as “mendacious,” with Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich even calling to formally annex the West Bank. Though the U.S. State Department issued an ambivalent statement , affirming that “Israel’s program of government support for settlements is … inconsistent with international law,” it criticized the breadth of the court’s opinion.

Washington’s unequivocal backing of Israel is the key impediment to Palestinian self-determination and regional peace. This ruling, in addition to South Africa’s ongoing genocide case against Israel at the ICJ and forthcoming criminal prosecutions at the International Criminal Court, can provide a basis for an incoming Harris administration to condition that support on Israel’s compliance with its obligations under international law. In practice, this would mean telling the Israelis that unless they follow the law, the United States will pause all arms shipments and decline to veto enforcement resolutions at the U.N. Security Council. Although insufficient, these steps are likely necessary ones on the path to breaking the U.S.-Israel alliance and achieving justice for Palestinians.

Dylan Saba is a civil rights attorney and writer based in Queens, New York.

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Can I use ChatGPT to Write my Personal Statement for Grad School?

Recently during an Office Hours session for my Fully Funded Course and Mentorship Program , a graduate school applicant asked “Can I use ChatGPT to create my application materials, including my personal statement?”. I’m not surprised this question came up because ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence (AI) tools have been all over the news and touted as great resources to outline, prepare and write content of all types, including articles and essays. Because many graduate schools do not yet have explicit rules about using AI tools like ChaptGPT, applicants might assume it is perfectly fine to use them while preparing their application documents. Use might range from brainstorming essay ideas to using an AI tool to write an entire personal statement.

Although there are no clear rules just yet from all universities, my advice is applicants beware . There are several reasons you might not want to lean on tools like ChaptGPT as you prepare personal statements, essays, your CV and other application materials.

ChatGPT sometimes generates inaccurate information.

While ChatGPT can generate text based on the prompts you provide, it’s important to verify and fact-check the information it produces. Fast Company author Harry McCraken recently shared that the CEO of Open AI, the company that owns ChatGPT, said that ChatGPT “can occasionally produce incorrect answers”. The author went further to share concerning examples of their own experience with ChaptGPT producing false information . This is bad news for those who want to rely heavily on ChatGPT to produce essays and other types of content, including “examples of winning essays”. While the accuracy of AI is certain to improve over time, there’s no guarantee if and when these tools will produce 100% accurate information (and in fact, many are concerned AI will be deliberately used to spread misinformation , if it is not already).

AI-influenced essays may trigger plagiarism alarms.

Open AI Master confirmed that ChatGPT-generated content can be detected for plagiarism . Although this tool is a language model and not copying and pasting information from other sources, ChatGPT doesn’t add citations or sources to its generated content, which means you can’t either. Further, it is problematic from an ethics standpoint that you didn’t produce the content yourself. Don’t assume your AI-generated essay, re-worded by ChatGPT 50 times, will pass a plagiarism sniff test. Academics, who have more experience than most in detecting plagiarism, may easily spot that your personal statement was not written by you.

Your essays will not be in your own voice.

The purpose of the graduate school personal statement is to help selection committees get to know you – including your personal background, motivations, world views and career aspirations. How you express these things matters. Your personality and passions should shine through in your statement; your essay should not be a cookie-cutter version of essays produced by other people (or bots). If you relinquish your own voice in your personal statement, you put yourself at a disadvantage.

You’ll “trick” people into believing you have skills that you don’t yet possess.

Graduate schools are seeking people who have strong writing and analytical skills. If you rely on AI tools to do your writing for you, neither you nor the selection committee can assess if you truly have the skills to succeed in a rigorous graduate program. Some can argue that AI is the way of the future and that leveraging AI tools is a learning experience in itself. However, even if an AI-generated application could help you eke your way into graduate school (and this is already a big “if”), how will you cope when you need to take timed exams to demonstrate your writing, analytical, comprehension and critical thinking skills? AI can only take you so far.

The use of ChatGPT is controversial.

Because the use of ChatGPT in universities is controversial , you are wading into “red flag” waters when you use it to prepare your graduate school applications. While some academics view AI as a harmless tool like spellcheck or a calculator, others in academic leadership believe these tools are a crutch that inhibits learning, and worse, crosses ethical boundaries. Dean of Harvard College Rakesh Khurana said in an interview with the Harvard Crimson , “The goal [of a Harvard education] is to think for yourself — not read a summary of what other people have done, a summary that might be inaccurate.”

Are there ways applicants use ChatGPT effectively and ethically?

There may be some ways to use ChatGPT effectively and ethically when working on your applications for graduate school. The key is to use AI tools for discreet activities with work you have already produced yourself, such as:

• Re-writing a sentence in your essay using other words and phrasing
• Reducing the word count from a paragraph of your essay
• Summarizing your ideas for dissertation research

In these cases, you should still carefully check and edit for accuracy and to ensure the document remains in your own voice.

Should I disclose I used AI when preparing my application essays?

If you are concerned about whether you should disclose the use of AI in your application, I would say you should avoid using AI altogether so a disclosure statement is not needed. There is a wide range of opinions in academia about the use of AI. A disclosure statement may trigger concerns about the authenticity of your application and skills. Likewise, it may be very obvious to a selection committee that your essays were generated by AI, and the lack of a disclosure statement can also ruin your credibility and chance of acceptance.

In conclusion, whether disclosed or not, the use of AI tools can put your graduate school application in a precarious position.

What does ChaptGPT say about all this?

I asked ChatGPT: “What is the guidance or restrictions on using ChatGPT for application materials?”

It responded: “ As an AI language model, I can provide some general guidance on using ChatGPT for application materials. However, it’s important to note that specific guidelines and requirements may vary depending on the context and purpose of the application. Always refer to the guidelines provided by the organization or institution to which you’re submitting your application for the most accurate and up-to-date information. Here are some general considerations:

• Originality: Ensure that the content you submit is original and created by you. Plagiarism can have serious consequences and may harm your chances of success.
• Accuracy: While ChatGPT can generate text based on the prompts you provide, it’s important to verify and fact-check the information it produces. Make sure the content is accurate, truthful, and reflects your own experiences and achievements.
• Professional tone: Maintain a professional tone throughout your application materials. While ChatGPT can assist with generating content, ensure that the language and style align with the expectations of the application, whether it’s a resume, cover letter, personal statement, or any other document.
• Review and editing: Even though ChatGPT can assist with generating text, it’s crucial to carefully review and edit the content. Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, as well as clarity and coherence of ideas. Take ownership of the final product to ensure it represents you effectively.
• Tailoring to the specific application: Customize your application materials to match the requirements and objectives of the specific opportunity you’re applying for. Use the information provided by the organization or institution to guide the content and structure of your application.

Remember, while ChatGPT can provide suggestions and help with generating text, it’s important to take responsibility for the final result and ensure that it truly reflects your abilities, experiences, and aspirations.”

Well, you heard it from the horse’s, er robot’s, mouth itself.

Best of luck!

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• How to a Write Personal Statement for Graduate School
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Essay Papers Writing Online

Writing an outstanding graduate school essay – insider tips from experts.

Are you ready to embark on the next stage of your academic journey? As you contemplate pursuing a graduate degree, it’s crucial to recognize the significance of your statement of purpose. This essential document serves as your opportunity to stand out among the highly competitive pool of applicants and persuade the admissions committee why you belong in their esteemed program.

While the thought of distilling your accomplishments, goals, and motivations into a single essay may seem intimidating, fear not! With a strategic approach, you can create a captivating statement of purpose that showcases your unique qualities and potential contributions to your chosen field.

One key strategy to master is storytelling. Rather than simply listing your achievements and aspirations, weave a narrative that engages the reader and conveys your passion. By sharing experiences that have shaped your academic trajectory and personal growth, you can craft a compelling narrative that demonstrates your commitment and drive.

How to Make Your Grad School Essay Stand Out

Ensuring that your grad school essay catches the attention of the admissions committee is crucial to increasing your chances of acceptance. To achieve this, it is important to focus on crafting a unique and compelling essay that showcases your individuality, strengths, and potential contributions to the academic community.

One strategy is to begin your essay with a captivating anecdote or personal story that relates to your field of study or demonstrates your passion and dedication. This approach can help to engage the reader from the very beginning and create a memorable impression.

Another way to make your grad school essay stand out is to showcase your research and academic accomplishments. Highlighting any relevant publications, research projects, or awards can demonstrate your commitment to your chosen field and establish your credibility as a prospective graduate student.

Furthermore, it is important to tailor your essay to the specific program or institution you are applying to. Researching the program and understanding its unique qualities and values can allow you to effectively demonstrate how your own goals and aspirations align with those of the program, making your essay more compelling and convincing.

Additionally, focusing on your future goals and aspirations can help to demonstrate your motivation and potential for success in graduate school. Clearly articulating how the program will help you achieve your career objectives can showcase your ambition and dedication, distinguishing you from other applicants.

In conclusion, crafting a grad school essay that stands out requires a combination of creativity, research, and self-reflection. By showcasing your unique qualities, academic achievements, and future goals, you can create a compelling essay that grabs the attention of the admissions committee and increases your chances of being accepted into your desired graduate program.

Why a compelling opening is crucial

Having an attention-grabbing introduction is essential when it comes to writing a standout essay for graduate school admissions. The beginning of your essay sets the tone for the entire piece, capturing the reader’s interest and making them want to keep reading. It is the first impression you make on the admissions committee, and it can make a significant impact on their decision-making process.

A compelling opening establishes your voice and demonstrates your ability to engage the reader. It showcases your writing skills and creativity, indicating that you possess the qualities necessary for success in graduate school. An impressive introduction helps you stand out from the competition and makes your essay memorable.

Moreover, a strong opening can also help to establish a connection with the reader. It can evoke emotions, create empathy, or raise thought-provoking questions that stimulate their interest. By capturing their attention from the beginning, you have a better chance of keeping them engaged throughout your essay.

Additionally, a well-crafted introduction should provide a glimpse into your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree. It should convey the reasons behind your choice and highlight your passion and commitment to the field. By communicating your genuine interest and dedication, you present yourself as a desirable candidate to the admissions committee.

In conclusion, a compelling opening is crucial for a successful grad school essay. It sets the tone, showcases your writing skills, and establishes a connection with the reader. By crafting an attention-grabbing introduction, you increase your chances of making a positive impression and standing out among other applicants. So, take the time to develop an engaging beginning that captures the reader’s interest and leaves a lasting impact.

Highlight your unique experiences and achievements

Shine a light on the aspects of your life that make you stand out from other applicants by highlighting your unique experiences and achievements. Show the admissions committee the qualities, skills, and talents that make you a compelling candidate for their graduate program.

When writing your grad school essay, consider the different experiences you have had that have shaped you as an individual. Maybe you have lived in different countries or have volunteered in a unique community service program. Highlight these experiences and explain how they have influenced your worldview and your desire to pursue advanced education.

Besides experiences, also focus on your achievements. Have you received any awards or recognition for your work? Have you published any research or articles? Have you completed any notable projects that demonstrate your skills and abilities? These achievements can help demonstrate your commitment and ability to succeed in graduate school.

It’s important to remember that while talking about your experiences and achievements, you should also tie them back to your goals and aspirations for graduate school. Show how these experiences have motivated you to pursue further education and how they have prepared you for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

In conclusion, when writing your grad school essay, don’t shy away from showcasing your unique experiences and achievements. They can help differentiate you from other applicants and demonstrate your potential as a graduate student. Use specific examples and vivid language to paint a clear picture of who you are and what you have to offer to the graduate program you are applying to.

Showcase your passion and commitment for the subject

One of the most important aspects of writing an effective grad school essay is to showcase your genuine passion and unwavering commitment for the subject you are applying for. Admissions committees are not just looking for applicants who meet the academic requirements; they want to see individuals who are truly passionate about their chosen field of study.

When writing your essay, it is essential to convey your enthusiasm and dedication in a compelling way. You can achieve this by sharing personal anecdotes that illustrate how you discovered your passion for the subject and how it has shaped your academic and professional aspirations. By painting a vivid picture of your journey, you can help the admissions committee understand why you are the ideal candidate for their program.

Furthermore, it is vital to demonstrate your commitment to the subject by highlighting your relevant experiences and achievements. This could include internships, research projects, publications, or any other activities that demonstrate your active involvement within the field. Showcasing these accomplishments not only highlights your dedication but also provides tangible evidence of your abilities and potential for success in graduate school.

In addition to describing your experiences, it is essential to explain how these experiences have influenced your goals and aspirations. What specific lessons did you learn? How have these experiences shaped your understanding of the subject? By reflecting on these questions, you can provide deeper insights into your passion and commitment, showing the admissions committee that you have a thoughtful and informed understanding of your chosen field.

Finally, while it is crucial to showcase your passion and commitment, it is equally important to maintain a professional and concise writing style. Avoid excessive enthusiasm or exaggeration; instead, focus on presenting your genuine interest and dedication in a clear and concise manner. Strive to strike a balance between showcasing your passion and commitment while also demonstrating your ability to communicate effectively and professionally.

In conclusion, showcasing your passion and commitment for the subject is essential in writing an effective grad school essay. By sharing personal anecdotes, highlighting relevant experiences, explaining the lessons learned, and maintaining a professional tone, you can convince the admissions committee that you are not only passionate but also well-prepared to contribute to their program.

Emphasize your potential for future success

Highlighting your potential for future success is crucial when writing your graduate school essay. This section allows you to showcase your unique qualities, skills, and experiences that make you stand out as a candidate.

• Focus on your achievements: Demonstrate your past accomplishments and how they have shaped your character and professional aspirations. Highlight any leadership roles, academic awards, research projects, or internships that have contributed to your growth and development.
• Showcase your passion: Share your genuine passion for your field of study and your drive to make a meaningful impact. Discuss specific experiences or events that have inspired you and how they have influenced your career goals.
• Highlight your skills: Identify the key skills and strengths that will enable you to succeed in your chosen field. Whether it’s critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, or teamwork, provide examples of how you have demonstrated these skills in the past.
• Outline your future goals: Clearly articulate your short-term and long-term goals and how attending graduate school will help you achieve them. Explain how your previous experiences and skills have prepared you for these goals and how the graduate program aligns with your future plans.
• Demonstrate your dedication: Show your commitment to your field of study by discussing any relevant extracurricular activities, volunteer work, or professional experiences. Highlight your ability to balance multiple responsibilities and how you have gone above and beyond to pursue your passion.

This section of your graduate school essay allows you to paint a picture of your potential for future success. By showcasing your achievements, passion, skills, goals, and dedication, you can convince the admissions committee that you are not only qualified for the program but also have the drive and potential to excel in your field.

The importance of proofreading and editing

Ensuring the accuracy and clarity of your writing is essential when it comes to presenting your ideas effectively in a graduate school essay. That’s why proofreading and editing play a crucial role in the writing process. They go beyond simply checking for spelling and grammar errors, and involve reviewing and revising your content to improve its overall quality.

Proofreading involves carefully reading through your essay to identify any errors or inconsistencies. This includes checking for spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and punctuation errors. It also involves reviewing the structure and flow of your sentences and paragraphs to ensure they are clear and coherent.

Editing, on the other hand, focuses on making revisions to improve the content and style of your essay. This includes clarifying your ideas, removing any unnecessary or repetitive information, and rephrasing sentences for clarity and conciseness. Editing also involves checking the overall organization and structure of your essay to ensure it follows a logical and cohesive format.

The importance of proofreading and editing cannot be overstated. When you take the time to carefully review and revise your work, you can eliminate any errors or weaknesses that may weaken your argument or confuse your readers. By ensuring your writing is clear, concise, and well-structured, you can effectively convey your ideas and make a strong impression on the admissions committee.

Proofreading and editing also help you to improve your writing skills. By carefully reviewing your work and identifying areas for improvement, you can learn from your mistakes and grow as a writer. It allows you to develop a critical eye and attention to detail, which are valuable skills that can benefit you not only in your graduate studies but also in your future career.

In conclusion, proofreading and editing are essential steps in the writing process for a graduate school essay. They ensure the accuracy, clarity, and overall quality of your writing, allowing you to effectively convey your ideas to the admissions committee. Additionally, they help to improve your writing skills and develop important attention to detail. So take the time to thoroughly proofread and edit your essay to make it the best it can be.

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I gave up my dream of being a doctor at a local hospital just one year out of medical school. That decision cost me close to half a million dollars, but it was worth it.

• Faith Choo became a doctor after she graduated from medical school in 2021.
• However, feelings of burnout drove her to leave the public healthcare system a year after graduating.
• She had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to break her service bond with the Singaporean government.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Faith Choo , 27, who left Singapore's public healthcare system and is now working as a locum doctor. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified her employment history.

Since I was 13, I knew I wanted to be a doctor.

I was inspired by my parents, who are doctors too. My parents find great fulfillment in their profession. Even though they've been practicing medicine for over three decades, they still love doing it.

But it was also my parents who tried to dissuade me from pursuing a career in medicine. They told me some horror stories about what being a doctor was really like and warned me about how taxing it could be.

However, I remained deeply inspired by their careers and decided to press on.

Medical school was fun but grueling

The first two years of medical school felt like high school all over again. There was lots of studying as well as material to memorize.

Things got a lot more exciting but taxing from the third year onwards. That was when we got to shadow junior doctors at the hospital. We also had to spend full working days in the hospital before going home to study at night.

It dawned upon me then that we would be taking over from those junior doctors in just a few years. The burden and responsibility of having to take care of patients began to weigh on me.

Back then, our seniors in medical school would warn us about life after graduation. They would tell us about the terrible working hours that came with being on call, like having to work for two days straight without rest.

I began to worry if I could live up to the challenge. I remembered asking myself, "Can I physically cope with this? Can I mentally step up to this kind of challenge? Do I have the resilience and skills required to do this?"

Related stories

Confronting the long hours and feelings of burnout

Before college, I did hospital attachments and worked with general practitioners at their clinics. But even that wasn't able to give me a full taste of the role.

The biggest transition that came after graduation was the long hours. It wasn't long before the exacting routine, manpower constraints, and feelings of burnout began to pile up on me.

The thought of leaving first crossed my mind after I clocked 19 consecutive days of work in the hospital.

At some point, you feel like you are more tired than the patients in the hospital. Even the patients get a chance to rest, but for doctors, when you're on a call, you have to make life-and-death decisions.

You are still held to a high level of accountability, and you want to do the best for your patients, but you physically can't because you are just so exhausted — and it doesn't feel safe.

I realized then that such a job wouldn't be sustainable.

Life as a medical graduate in Singapore ain't easy

In Singapore, our medical education is heavily subsidized by the government. After graduation, students have to fulfill a service bond of five years. This is on top of the one year of residency that takes place right after graduation.

Junior doctors could put in about 60 hours of work in a good week, though that can sometimes go up to 80 or 90 hours.

This means that you could find yourself spending a huge part of your late twenties to thirties working just to fulfill your bond obligations.

This wasn't going to work for me. I didn't think I was physically or mentally able to get through that journey.

Even though breaking my bond and leaving then would entail paying back over $375,000 — roughly $75,000 per year.

I felt that there was no use destroying my long-term health for money, which could be made back.

Surprisingly, my family, friends, and colleagues were supportive of my decision to leave. I also received overwhelming support for the move when I blogged about it .

Taking a career break and charting a new course

After resigning in July 2022, I took a career break to recover from the burnout and traveled for about three months.

I now split my time between working as a locum doctor and studying for my graduate diploma in mental health. I'm not craving for a full-time role at this point because I enjoy the freedom that comes with being a locum.

For instance, I can just take leave and go off whenever. I also get to choose between working in a clinic or as a telemedicine physician.

That said, I wouldn't mind pursuing new ventures that delve into my areas of interest like lifestyle medicine or mental and preventive health.

The truth is, I don't think it's easy for governments around the world to tackle the problem of burnout and exhaustion in healthcare.

Younger doctors now want work-life balance, and they're not afraid to speak up about it. We know that we can't set ourselves on fire to keep others warm.

Watch: Rikers Island is one of the world's most notorious jails — here's what it's actually like

• Main content

How to write a compelling diversity essay for graduate school?

• May 5, 2022
• GRADUATE ADMISSIONS

What is a diversity statement?

A diversity essay for graduate school is a one-page document explaining your experiences and commitments to diversity.

You can safely assume that any university that requests one is very committed to inclusivity and supporting their diverse population, so they are looking for someone who would support that mission.

Much like a teaching statement, what you include will vary depending on what you believe or have done.

Diversity statements aren’t just for organizations or for faculty job postings. Many law schools and some graduate programs may ask applicants to provide a short statement about their background and potential contributions to the school or program.  

Students can feel overwhelmed by these prompts – especially if they are optional – but these can provide an excellent opportunity to showcase your individuality and contributions to your future program. 

Most of the time, diversity statement will be optional in your grad school application.

The Graduate committee might ask for a diversity statement as a qualifications evaluation for scholarships or funding. This is the most common reason to ask for a diversity essay for graduate school.

It’s an opportunity for you to talk about any hardship and/or barriers you’ve overcome.

For example, you may have overcome something challenging, but that may not have been relevant to your SOP(Statement of purpose) or your personal statement.

What does diversity means?

This can refer to a variety of things.

This can be your personal diversity regarding your racial-ethnic background or socioeconomic status.

The best diversity essay for graduate school is the one that is unique to you. So try to make the best out of the previous experiences you had.

As an example, it could be where you grew up, your sexual orientation, any physical disabilities, educational debility disabilities or mental health struggles that you’ve gone through.

This could also be having dealt with systems or institutions that may have been challenging, such as foster care or having an incarcerated family.

Also, it might be a good idea to talk about diversity in a way that makes sense to you.

It would help the reader to understand the values you might bring to the table.

Sometimes, your personal background would not be as diverse, but you might have experience working in a diverse work environment. You can talk about such experiences.

You also can focus on the intersectionality of many different pieces of your life that make you diverse or bring in unique perspectives.

You can also think about unique challenges that you faced or overcut came.

Suppose you were in a situation where you were the only person with a different perspective about things, in terms of pollical orientation or cultural orientations.

In that case, you can mention such experiences in your diversity essay.

To summarize, three areas that might be included in a diversity statement are,

• Your values regarding diversity,
• Your experience dealing with a variety of people
• Your plans for the future in terms of inclusion.

Questions for Drafting a Statement

It will take some time to write a diversity statement. Answer these questions as a basis for drafting your diversity statement.

• How do you view diversity, equity, and inclusion as an individual?
• Why is diversity important to you?
• How will you ensure to keep the fundamental values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in your work environment?
• Do you provide any services or work with underrepresented or diverse populations? If so, what?
• Is your research relevant to efforts to promote diversity? If so, how?
• Do you have any personal attributes relevant to your work? Were you, for example, a first-generation student or a woman in STEM working to promote opportunities for these groups?
• What do you want to do to promote diversity and equity in future?

Tips on Writing a Diversity Essay for Graduate School

Be subjective.

Consider what diversity could mean for that program. They may define diversity in general in the website, but you may also do some research by looking at the facts and information for that institution or program to learn more about the student body.

Let’s say you’re not sure if you’re physically or culturally diverse. What sets you apart from your peers or the school’s culture? Do you have any experiences that may help you gain a new perspective on the school or program’s community?

Don’t repeat what you’ve already said; instead, focus on providing new facts for the review committee to evaluate. You will almost certainly be requested to submit a separate personal statement explaining why you apply to the programme.

Include your personal experiences

When it comes to variety, no two people will have the same experience. Don’t be frightened to showcase your individuality.

If you are uncomfortable with sharing all of your personal information, you are not obliged to do so.

However, it might be helpful to share these experiences, especially if they provide a unique perspective on dealing with a specific community.

However, any mention of mental health issues that would make you appear incapable of handling the work responsibilities should be avoided.

Be more specific

Diversity essay for graduate school, like teaching statements, are more assertive if you can be particular rather than vague. Come up with a story.

Without specifics, statements tend to seem more like vague clichés. Unique and specific stories will bolster your claim and provide the reader with something solid to picture when they consider who you are.

A school with a large Hispanic and African American population may value diversity in slightly different ways than a school with fewer ethnically diverse students but many first-generation or religiously diverse students. Prepare to think explicitly about the students at those schools, especially in terms of any future programmes you might want to undertake.

Follow the word limit. If you don’t have one, try and keep the statement to 500-800 words.

Check your document at least three times, and have some of your colleagues double-check it once you’ve checked it.

Images courtesy: Photo by African lady photo created by cookie_studio – www.freepik.com , Students group vector created by redgreystock – www.freepik.com

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Is grad school really as horrible as people say? Is it worth it? ( self.GradSchool )

submitted 1 year ago by lemonlymen

Every grad student I talk to laments about how they hate it.

Professors. ABDs. Candidates. Master's. Every single person I've talked to told me it isn't worth it.

But I don't know WHAT to do. I love English and I have things I could continue studying, but people tell me it isn't worth it, that they're burnt out and exhausted, that they make no money, and academia is hell.

I know it's not all sunshine and rainbows but there HAS to be a reason why people do it. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

• 140 comments

Want to add to the discussion?

Post a comment!

[–] mikeber55 268 points 269 points 270 points 1 year ago   (6 children)

Take a step back and define your goals. You should not attend graduate school because “you don’t know what else to do”. If it’s part of your long term goals, then do it by all means even if professors aren’t nice. It’s a transitional step which you will probably forget after you start working.

So, what positions you hope to pursue after school? Are they worthy of the effort? Can you get equal jobs without this diploma?

[–] PurplePeggysus Evolutionary Biology 95 points 96 points 97 points 1 year ago   (1 child)

Grad school is helping me pursue the career I want. In that regard it's worth it to me .

But yeah parts of this whole process has absolutely sucked. I'm so glad I never have to do qualifying exams again. It's exhausting. And it could be better than it is.

So, is it worth it for you? - that's what you have to answer

[–] mikeber55 20 points 21 points 22 points 1 year ago *   (0 children)

Indeed so, but apparently many students do not have well defined goals. I read some posts saying “First I will graduate and then I’ll see what I can do”. Or “I’ve heard there are good opportunities in STEM”… But what that exactly means?

[–] Throwawayyy792 48 points 49 points 50 points 1 year ago   (2 children)

ou should not attend graduate school because “you don’t know what else to do”.

I think this is it. A LOT of folks in grad school are, whether they are self-aware about it or not, just there because they didn't know what else to do and/or were wanting to put off entering and having to figure out navigating the Real World. They then go through grad school and have surprised pikachu face that it didn't magically solve all of their problems, and because they lacked clear goals or direction they probably were pretty mediocre students and didn't take full advantage of the program. Grad school also shows you how academia operates, and the picture isn't often flattering. All ingredients for a bitter post-grad.

[–] r3dl3g Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering 5 points 6 points 7 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I think this is it. A LOT of folks in grad school are, whether they are self-aware about it or not, just there because they didn't know what else to do and/or were wanting to put off entering and having to figure out navigating the Real World.

Jesus Christ, this .

Hell, I was this way too, but I figured it out pretty early.

[–] [deleted] 1 point 2 points 3 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

This is so well worded yes yes yes

[–] Choufleurchaud 6 points 7 points 8 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

This is the answer.

I quit grad school after my MA with a "never again" kind of mindset. Two years later I started my PhD because I realized it's where I belong, it's the kind of work I actually want to do and the intellectual environment I want to be in. I went into my PhD with a project that was clearly defined about 6 months before term started and that hasn't changed much in the last 2 years.

It's hard at times, but I see my colleagues struggle a lot more because they went into grad school without really knowing what to do, whereas at the end of the day I feel like I belong here.

[–] RemarkableReindeer5 MSc*, Chemistry and Molecular Biology 82 points 83 points 84 points 1 year ago   (4 children)

Grad school can be stressful but I find your PI/lab atmosphere can make or break your experience

[–] sthaup 11 points 12 points 13 points 1 year ago   (1 child)

This. My PI is breaking me!!

[–] -jautis- 1 point 2 points 3 points 1 year ago   (1 child)

Sounds like OP is in English, which I think is a very different culture where your lab doesn't matter as much and advisors are much less involved in your products than in the sciences

[–] RemarkableReindeer5 MSc*, Chemistry and Molecular Biology 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Fair. I had no idea they were in English; only speaking from my own experience

[–] N8_90 100 points 101 points 102 points 1 year ago   (3 children)

I hate it, I’m suffering, but I would still do it. These are two different things.

[–] Phantommy555 10 points 11 points 12 points 1 year ago   (2 children)

Same, especially since it’s finals time for me

[–] sophtine MA econ 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (1 child)

[–] Phantommy555 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

[–] pcwg Faculty 110 points 111 points 112 points 1 year ago   (1 child)

I loved grad school. Most of the people I went to school with at least liked it. It was 100% worth it. I couldn’t have the job that I love without it

[–] workerbee77 2 points 3 points 4 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I liked grad school, too

[–] [deleted] 71 points 72 points 73 points 1 year ago   (6 children)

Is it as horrible as people say? Yes. Is it worth it? It depends on what you are trying to do.

[–] strawberry-sarah22 13 points 14 points 15 points 1 year ago   (1 child)

I should read comments before posting my own because I said this exact thing lol

[–] [deleted] 6 points 7 points 8 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Well there is something to be said for quantitative data in certain situations.

In fact I’m going to add something else with some influence I got from Donald Rumsfeld:

Is grad school a great honor? No. It’s what they call in the military a shit detail. But it is an excellent opportunity to network with some of the most brilliant (or at least eccentric) minds in the country, if not the world.

[–] jollymo17 7 points 8 points 9 points 1 year ago   (1 child)

Yup. I personally would…not recommend PhD to basically anyone. I’m torn on whether I should have done it, as I’m closing out my PhD in the coming weeks, but it’s hard to disentangle how shitty the experience in school was from the great life I’ve built for myself outside the program. I wouldn’t have met my partner if I didn’t come here, I wouldn’t have been able to as easily be near family, I wouldn’t have my sweet cat…it’s complicated. And I didn’t even have a truly disastrous experience, it was mostly run of the mill, I think.

I came in desiring an academic career, expecting to stick it out until I got pushed out, basically. After a horrible quals experience and bad first couple years, I stopped wanting that for myself almost overnight. I’ll get a job (in industry) that requires/strongly recommends a PhD. But I don’t think it is necessary, ultimately, for me to feel fulfillment in my career.

[–] 54321Newcomb PhD Student - Soil Science 2 points 3 points 4 points 1 year ago   (1 child)

Disagree, I’ve overall loved my experience so far. Is there tough moments? Yes, but that’s any job. I’ve never felt this free before to explore my interests and research a topic I love.

[–] morePhys 24 points 25 points 26 points 1 year ago   (1 child)

It can be that bad. The deal with grad school is that you are at the whims of your advisor and department and you are for the most part left to fend for your self, no one is really looking out for your best interests unless you get a good advisor and a lot of students don't have the skills or resources to make that work well in their early 20s. That's why a lot of people recommend not doing it unless you really want to or have clear career pathways.

[–] jollymo17 2 points 3 points 4 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I think this is the most frustrating part. Some universities/departments have more clear rules and guidelines than others. But when quals rolled around in my program I realized it was the fucking Wild West and it’s all up to the whims of your advisor/committee. Then I checked out lol.

And I took a lot of time to decide it was what I wanted to do; I was mid/nearly late 20s when I started. I wonder a lot how many small things going just a bit differently would’ve changed my experience drastically, and if in that case I’d want to stay in academia.

[–] Retro__virus 13 points 14 points 15 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I did a STEM PhD and even though my grad school time had some ups and downs (and trust me, the downs were really rock bottom-level downs), overall I enjoyed my time as a graduate student. Sure, you don’t make a lot of money and are under constant stress but you get to spend you day among like-minded people and can study what you love. I would not advise you to pursue grad school if you are just doing it because you don’t know what else to do, though, you need to have a genuine reason and motivation, otherwise you will be miserable.

[–] student_f0r_life 11 points 12 points 13 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I think a lot of people who are good at school get channeled into grad school without actually knowing what they want to do. The first few years of grad school are often quite similar to undergrad and then you feel stuck in the sink cost fallacy. Then you're expected to actually develop as a researcher and the structure you've relied on for the previous 6 years drops off of a cliff.

Grad school is necessary for a few very specific jobs the primary one an academic professor which happens to be a fairly difficult job market.

[–] [deleted] 27 points 28 points 29 points 1 year ago   (4 children)

I just got my masters in philosophy and have a bachelors in english lit. However, I graduated at 22 and came back for grad school at 27. I am very happy with my choices. Here's why:

• I made a lot of progress in my career (digital marketing and now data analytics) and was actually able to keep my remote job while taking classes, so money wasn't an issue (or at least, not in the way it is for PhD students)
• Because I did the whole 'adulting' thing, I had much better time management skills than my peers, and had much more realistic visions of the future. I'll catch some downvotes for this, but you miss out on a lot of maturing by going straight from undergrad into grad school. Yes, PhD students do have a lot of work and are their pay for it is criminal, but when it comes to keeping their position and getting through the program, they are coddled. They can take incompletes in courses, they can start fights with faculty, they can do SO MANY MORE THINGS that would get anyone fired at a 'regular' job. I was able to avoid a lot of the pitfalls my peers experience because I 'got a real job' first. (This is based on my experience so and what I've heard from others, so I apologize if this is too much of a generalization)
• I actually know how to negotiate and balance work/life/school. When you get into academia, especially as a Phd Student, you are taken advantage of. You are also led to believe you have to be perfect to get ahead, and follow a set of arcane rules that academics themselves often don't follow. One option is to just not do that bullshit, but at 22/23/24 with not 'real world' experience, its hard to see how.

So, I do think you should do it, but I also think you should make a list of jobs you think you might do well in and apply. Give it a year, and if cutting your salary in half and multiplying your working hours by 2 sounds good, then go for it!

Final note, most of the people I know getting their PhDs are trying to do something else, not just because they don't see themselves getting an academic job, but their current job of PhD student isn't fulfilling. One of the big lies of academia is that its this entirely different experience than 'industry' (a silly term), but its not. Work sucks.

[–] iambush 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (2 children)

Philosophy masters is cool! Can you share more about why you did it and why it was worth it for you?

[–] [deleted] 1 point 2 points 3 points 1 year ago   (1 child)

Sure. I did it because:

1) I wanted to see if it was a possible career path (I determined it wasn't)

2) I wanted to develop my own set of ethics that I could discuss with others and refine over time

3) I wanted to learn more about philosophy in general because I've always enjoyed it and while its obvious possible to read philosophy and write on my own, it's certainly not the same as discussing with peers and getting feedback from professors

I feel it was worth it because I achieved these goals (thought 1 was a bit disappointing) and I developed a niche (ethics of career choice) that I've written about and gone to conferences to speak on, which I plan to continue doing. If you really love philosophy and can find a way to make it work financially (I didn't take out loans) then I think its worth it even if you don't specifically use it for your career.

[–] iambush 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Thanks for the reply! I studied philosophy in undergrad alongside a “practical degree” but I really loved philosophy. Never thought of going for a masters but I can imagine it would be really fun

[–] jordantellsstories 8 points 9 points 10 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

My creative writing MFA was awesome. I never expected it to give me any material reward and just did it for the love of the work. It was like a two-year summer camp. Plus, even today, all these years later, my professors are some my most valuable friends and mentors.

[–] AllAmericanBreakfast 9 points 10 points 11 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

It might be worthwhile thinking in terms of a cost/benefit analysis.

As you're noticing, there are HUGE costs to grad school - tuition if you're a US master's student, the opportunity cost of not working, and the workload, which may be meaningful but may often be unfun and take away from your ability to do self-care and maintain personal relationships.

The professional benefits, especially in humanities, are also low. Most work is unsteady, low-paid, no-benefits adjunct work with little-no prospect for growth.

For whom is this cost/benefit package worthwhile?

• The very best of the best, who are correctly confident that they'll be the exception to the rule, forming the next generation of tenured English professors (or whatever)
• People who are fine with an adjunct lifestyle, perhaps because they love teaching college students and either don't mind having little money or have independent wealth
• People who want the experience of doing research in grad school, but intend to branch out beyond academia. Think of your philosophy PhD who ultimately builds a career in marketing, but treasures their experience of having done philosophy research for 5 years in their 20s.

If you have good reason to think you'll be the exception to the rule and snag a tenure-track job, or get a degree that you can use to pivot to a career outside academia, or just don't care about money, and you're passionate about research, then grad school in the humanities might be a good next step.

But in my experience, there are also just a lot of young people who are book-smart, have good grades, have a genuine interest in the humanities, and drift into grad school because they can't think of a better alternative. They get 5 years in and still don't have a realistic plan for what they'll do afterward. To your question of "there HAS to be a reason why people do it," a big part of the answer is "a high GPA + inertia."

[–] NY_VC MS, Finance 13 points 14 points 15 points 1 year ago   (2 children)

You should decide what career you want. If your goal is to be a professor, then research the lifestyle, income, competitiveness, day to day responsibilities and then yeah, you'll have to go to grad school.

If you don't know what you want to do professionally, do not go to grad school. I think the majority of grad school students, at least in my program, simply didn't know what they wanted to do as a career and were just killing time. Which is the worst thing you can do.

If you're wanting to be a copywriter, author, journalist, editor, etc I'd advise not going to grad school unless its an Ivy or similar where you're inheriting a network.

[–] FilthyGypsey 1 point 2 points 3 points 1 year ago   (1 child)

With the last few careers you mention, I think those programs are fine outside of ivy league as long as you go in with realistic expectations. You are not promised employment, and should treat those years in the program as your time to build a resume/portfolio that’s impressive.

[–] NY_VC MS, Finance 1 point 2 points 3 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

It's moreso that I don't think you need to do grad school to build that portfolio. There's tons of ways to learn writing and build portfolios and be critiqued without going to grad school.

[–] Huge_Pay8265 3 points 4 points 5 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

This is an important question to ask and different people will have entirely different experiences. I got my PhD in philosophy and I'd recommend people not do it unless they were passionate about it. The main downside is the competitiveness and how it affects your mental health. I actually made a video about it. https://youtu.be/zU04AaMd7F0

[–] mimariposa 10 points 11 points 12 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Only go to grad school if you know 100% that you need it for a career path. Don't go into a program thinking you'll figure it out along the way, because you'll be too busy to figure it out until you're (almost) done (or not) and maybe you finally figure it out but realize you should have done a different program or spent your time on different projects more oriented to a career.

Or if you are already wealthy and don't have to worry about an income, then do whatever you want.

[–] strawberry-sarah22 5 points 6 points 7 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Is it as horrible as people say? Yes. Is it worth it? That depends on your goals. Many of us do it because of the love for learning and for opportunities post-grad school. The academy has problems but there are also a lot of good things such as the freedom to research and think about what we enjoy all day, work-life balance for many jobs (not R1 in my field but many LACs have a lot of freedom), and personally I love teaching and wanted to be able to teach at a university, and the PhD was the simplest path to a college teaching job for me. I would recommend thinking about what you want out of it. You should also keep in mind that it sucks for everyone. It is hard work, the imposter syndrome is real, and it is a unique experience so it can feel lonely. But you are not alone and you deserve to be in the program if you go that route.

[–] goosemcnoose 5 points 6 points 7 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

It's pretty terrible for me, but I know people with better PIs who are happy with it so I guess it depends on the lab.

I'm also in chem/bio engineering where I think academia just tends to be more work and more competitive.

Mind you, I'm probably just not the type of person for academia long term. I'm looking to graduate and get out and do an industry job with a normal 9-5 work balance

[–] Sunflower077 3 points 4 points 5 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I hate it. I won’t deny that I’ve learned a lot about digital technology and cultures. However, my mental health takes a huge hit when classes are in session. Really I was fine until I got this one professor 3 times. I really did not like her. I just feel like there’s more to life than stressing over a big assignment that just seems like busy work. It’s not about how smart you are, but how well you can argue and endure the work load.

[–] moulin_blue 8 points 9 points 10 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I'm enjoying my time in grad school. I love my advisor, she's got high standards and expects me to figure stuff out but she doesn't throw me to the wolves or let me go too far into frustration and being stuck before helping out. I stay out of politics within the department, my cohort is decently nice and despite a shoe-string budget, I make just enough to pay my bills.

I'm here because I wanted to study glaciers and learn. I'm doing that. Not quite sure what I'll do afterward at this moment since the job prospects are low for that specialty without a phd. But I'm still optimistic and willing to be creative. Plus, I could still go for a phd if there's a recession or something. It's work, it can be frustrating, I don't really have money, I guess it just matters how much you care

[–] ThaneToblerone PhD* (Theology), ThM, MDiv 4 points 5 points 6 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

It depends on a lot of factors. Personally, I'm pretty happy in my program and glad that I've done all my grad school stuff to date.

As for why people do it, that'll also, of course, vary. In my case, I do it because I essentially think it's a part of my calling in life and it's hard to imagine being at peace with myself pursuing another path.

[–] [deleted] 2 points 3 points 4 points 1 year ago   (1 child)

Depends on your work and advisor. My work is interesting and my advisor is amazing and dependable. So right now i like it alot.

[–] NiteNiteSpiderBite 2 points 3 points 4 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I hate being here, but I love the opportunities it is creating for me in the future

[–] isaac-get-the-golem 2 points 3 points 4 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

"I don't know what to do" is the single worst reason to go to grad school. Particularly grad school that you have to pay for.

[–] Kacksjidney 2 points 3 points 4 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Not for me. My masters experience was pretty chill. Hard work, stressful at times, I gained some weight drinking lots of beer with new friends. I've had harder jobs and I doubled my income in 9 months. so for me it was fuckin awesome even when it sucked. I just kept thinking "holy shit I'm doing grad school. This is cool".

But there's a lot that can vary. If you can get into a fully funded program. Not taking debt for school takes a huge load off stresswise. You know yourself best though. How do you handle stress? How hard was your undergrad? Are you self motivated? Do you have a support network?

Edit also, I'll say I would never do a PhD. Every PHD candidate I knew hated it. I did my masters in a very hireable field and make more than most of the PhD friends I have. It really varies by discipline but I have 0 desire to do a PhD in biology

[–] suutoasu 1 point 2 points 3 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I loved my masters (applied psychology) but I've hated my PhD (brain and cognition). Part of the reason I hate it is because is because I don't necessarily think it was a good fit. I never did any neuroscience before my PhD, it was all social/behavioral. Another part is that I have a hard time with my advisor because our research interests are different. And the last part was because I started my PhD just before COVID then COVID closed our lab for 2 years so research was halted.

It depends on a lot of factors. Your program, your advisor, your funding, your project, your personal circumstances. There are annoying parts of grad school, but I like my advisor, overall I like my program, my research area is 100% what I want to do, I'm funded and overall my life is pretty good.

[–] mushroompone 1 point 2 points 3 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I'm three years into grad school, and I love it. It's definitely stressful, but it's been great to have some more autonomy and control over what sorts of things I pursue. I also can see just how much growth I've had as a critical thinker and communicator - it's been really incredible, and I feel so good about how I've spent these past three years!

I think the biggest things I see other grad students struggle with in my own department are work-life balance/boundaries and receiving real criticism.

I've been happy and fairly mentally/emotionally healthy because I have worked hard to enforce boundaries between school and home.. it can be really hard sometimes, but I'm renting a good 30-mimute drive from campus, and I try to enforce the "I won't email you back outside of school hours" policy many recommend. It can suck because it really is on you to state and maintain these boundaries, butits been pretty critical to my happiness! You should spend some time thinking about where your boundaries are (what are your hours? Will you work weekends? Will you give coworkers your cell number? How about professors? Will you attend non-required work events? Etc.) so that you can enforce them from day one. It will help a lot!!

The other thing is receiving feedback. You'll get a lot of it - more than you did in undergrad, and at more stages, and it won't always be nice or helpful. Preparing yourself to receive feedback is SO important to your mental health. I really can't stress it enough. Before I turn anything over, I always ask myself (a) where I think the weak points are in my work, and (b) what I think the reviewer is most likely to pick at. This way you can be ready not only to hear negative things, but also determine whether those negative things are meaningful/useful, and act on those things. There's a lot of advice out there about how to receive feedback in a healthy way (even when it sucks), so I'll leave it to you to investigate further if you're interested.

But, as I said before, I love grad school. I feel like I'm getting a lot out of it and really challenging myself in a way I haven't been able to before. I think of the advice above as the biggest survival skills to dealing with the challenges that will come at you. If you love to learn and really want to push yourself, grad school can be a very rewarding experience!

[–] TheLovelyLorelei PhD | Physical Chemistry 1 point 2 points 3 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Depends on 2 things:

1) how much does your advisor (and program as a whole) respect your time and emotional stability? Can you have a work-life balance?

2) How comfortable are you living on a low income?

For me personally grad school has been one of, if not the happiest, period of my life. But that's only because I'm lucky on both points.

[–] Independent_Force_7 1 point 2 points 3 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Depends on the program and university

[–] evaj95 1 point 2 points 3 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I'll be honest.

I just finished my masters (literally, hooding ceremony is on Saturday) and it is horrible a lot of the time, but I don't regret it. I definitely need it for my field and I'm glad I will have it. But grad school screwed with my mental health for a long time and I don't feel like I've fully recovered yet.

[–] manaswamp40 1 point 2 points 3 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

every grad program is going to be astronomically different, if you are interested in english as a masters then I would reach out to people in that specific area of experience

[–] thecosmicecologist 1 point 2 points 3 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

It depends on the field. Look up what positions are out there on job boards right now with a master’s in your field. Are they better? The same? Do they pay well? Grad school is extremely hard and if your advisor and team is bad enough, not only will it make it not worth it but it might completely ruin the subject for you.

[–] brilliantcheese 1 point 2 points 3 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Maybe I’m in the minority, but I have never found grad school to be horrible. I enjoyed my master’s program immensely and am feeling the same about my PhD program. I don’t know if I’m just lucky or what, but I’ve had supportive mentors in each program, enjoyed the coursework, and while the workload is heavy, it’s manageable for me.

The only things I wish I could change are the stipend (I still have to work full time because it’s not enough to live on and I have kids) and grading. I hate grading.

[–] Octavious440 1 point 2 points 3 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I got a PhD in organic chemistry back in 2020. I still love chemistry, research, and the puzzles that come with it all. I was able to lock in an excellent job that I really enjoy and can see the career I had envisioned, now actually playing out in front of me.

I fucking hated grad school though. So much of grad school had absolutely nothing to do with chemistry. Teaching responsibilities and department politics were just constant work, stress, and distractions. The politics made me feel so fucking powerless at times. This is all on top of the stress inherent with just trying to do my own research and work toward a degree.

The entire structure around grad school has been transformed into a hellscape BUT the degree and education can be worth it if it means that much to you.

[–] solotraveler22 1 point 2 points 3 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

What everyone has said is great advice. I will add- your PI is a HUGE factor. Do not underestimate this. I love my PI, he is 100% supportive in any way he can be, he facilitated a good lab environment, he gets us out in 5 years, he actively pursues funding, he spends a huge percentage of his time hands on with us. He makes grad school possible. Ask the people who you’ve talked to who hate grad school. Many of them probably hate their boss. Maybe it’s still worth it for them based on their aspirations, but a bad boss is a big deal in grad school.

To add: my PI laid his expectations out from the beginning so I make my own schedule and can balance my responsibilities as I see fit. I LOVE grad school and wouldn’t want to do anything else.

Edit to add: I’m niche chemistry PhD so your experience may vary based on your field. I understand that for some fields (including some branches of chemistry) grad school is only “worth it” if you need the advanced degree

[–] fireguyV2 6 points 7 points 8 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

No its nowhere as bad as people make it. You need to remember that this is Reddit. People are more likely to come here and vent say their negative stories then to share their "normal" (positive) experiences. Now that's not to say that their experiences aren't valid. There's definitely some shit supervisors, departments, etc. But at least for me, even attending a top school in the world, the experience has been enjoyable.

[–] Mordalwen 9 points 10 points 11 points 1 year ago   (10 children)

It's a cult. We drank the Kool-Aid. We all thought we were intelligent and resilient enough to make it, but the truth is you're just willfully signing up to be exploited for your intelligence and resilience until you are no longer those things. That's why it's not worth it.

Isn't it objectively delusional to spend 5+ years on a project that maybe 5 people will ever read?

[–] pickledmath 20 points 21 points 22 points 1 year ago   (5 children)

It’s not delusional. If you enjoy researching a niche topic and you go to an institution willing to fund it, then why not? Plus, many of the great advances in science were made possible in the last century because of grad students. I’m not saying it’s all sunshine and rainbows, but to say that everyone gets exploited and shit out the other end isn’t fair.

[–] Mordalwen 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (4 children)

I wouldn't say everyone gets exploited, but it is an exploitation power structure, in which all your hopes/dreams/novel discoveries are held prisoner by your advisor who gets paid 9x more than you and hasn't had their hands in gloves in a decade.

I do enjoy research and niche topics, but that is not the reality of science in 2023. PI's exploit students. Universities exploit PIs. Corporations exploit universities. Academic publishers exploit all academics. Doing science for the sake of discovery and not profit barely exists anymore.

[–] NY_VC MS, Finance 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (3 children)

Are you on the wrong comment? Lol. OP is talking about grad school for english.

[–] Mordalwen 2 points 3 points 4 points 1 year ago   (2 children)

Obviously I’m speaking from my own experience which is in STEM, but I think the exploitation angle remains due to the power differential in graduate programs.

[–] NY_VC MS, Finance -1 points 0 points 1 point 1 year ago   (1 child)

I would assume it's the same power differential that exists between any employer/ employee, no? I left grad school a while ago, but in the private sector my boss obviously makes money off of my labor, as does the company I work for.

[–] Mordalwen 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Sure but as an employee you are adequately compensated and treated differently than a “trainee” in academia. Plus PI/advisor recommendation letters will always be sought post-grad by every employer giving them power over your future positions. However employers are also sought for reference but not a particular individual per se.

[+] [deleted] 1 year ago *   (2 children)

[–] Mordalwen 1 point 2 points 3 points 1 year ago   (1 child)

I meant the actual whole dissertation.

[–] r3dl3g Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Only if you think the project matters more than the credentials.

I'm doing much more interesting work now than I did during my doctorate, but I only got to this level because of the fact that I had the doctorate.

[–] Primary_Excuse_7183 2 points 3 points 4 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

For a long while it was simply to avoid having to pay student loans back. People would enroll and take it a class at a time.

[–] radpandaparty 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Keep in mind that many, many people come to reddit to rant. I am about 75% done with my time in grad school and all of the professors, classmates, classes, etc. have been awesome! From what I've heard, with the PhD, unless you genuinely feel a calling Master-out.

[–] OriginalKraftMan 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I love graduate school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm finishing my first year, my advisor is supportive, wise, friendly, and kind. The department and my cohort is supportive. The courses have been challenging and instructive. My research has some snags, but also a lot of successes!

You got this, don't let the Debbie Downers here get you down!!!

[–] Teddylupin888 -2 points -1 points 0 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

If it were people would stop going. But they don’t and if anything more people are going to grad school now. It’s a difficult journey but it’s also at the end of the day a chance to better yourself and your career prospects. As long as you’re going for the right reasons and find a supportive environment, you will get by and maybe even enjoy it.

[–] SlackPriestess 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I'm just finishing up my grad program and I loved it. It is a lot of work, it's stressful and feels overwhelming at times, but I also learned a ton and I've actually enjoyed working on my final project.

[–] sadderskeleton 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I love my MA. It is one the largest joys in my life. I feel fulfilled and challenged every day. It was one of the best decisions I made in the past five years!

[–] spin-ups MS Applied Statistics, Biostatistician 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I guess I’m lucky but i really feel like I am were I’m supposed to be in my masters program. It’s really allowed me to career change into a better industry and learn what I just couldn’t get from udemy / online courses. It’s more work than I’ve ever done before though that’s for sure. If working in industry for 3 years didn’t discipline me hard after undergrad I’d be failing rather than getting As.

[–] Sero19283 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I personally loved my masters program. I'm kinda sad it's over as I met some great people, forged new professional relationships, got some good guidance from professors that truly have my best interest, and learned a lot about things that I love and enjoy. Small program, but was funded through the entire thing with a teaching assistant position.

It was worth it to me for all the previous things but also for what that education will do for me down the line as a clinician. I love teaching, learning, and working with patients so ultimately I get to educate patients on things I've already learned while also get to continue to learn new things to better treat and educate future patients.

[–] boringhistoryfan Grad Student History 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I can't speak to everyone, and its not all ponies and gold. But I'm having a blast honestly. Sure the job market stinks, but I'm sure I'll find something. The work is fun. Teaching is exciting. I have supportive faculty, decent funding, and a great set of colleagues. I'm quite happy with my professional setting. My research work is interesting, and others seem to find it fun. And I get to travel and read and explore places on someone else's dime. Plus I can be as WFH and flexible with my hours as I want. Can't really ask for much else. Sure the pay is shite, but its not all terrible

[–] CalifasBarista 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

There’s parts of this that absolutely suck, but there’s a reason why some people power through. What’s your reason? Have a strong enough reason and you’ll make it through despite the trade offs and uncertainty of it all.

[–] danceswithsockson 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Masters is no biggie. Doctorate a little more of a biggie. Maybe a huge biggie, depending on the program. I have a friend with a few English based masters degrees and she loved the programs. I think one is English and the other is Shakespeare specifically. Or Elizabethan English maybe? Anyway, she really got into the programs, loved all the professors, and probably still keeps in touch with them. She’s a romantic and is in love with her subject. If that’s you, definitely go for grad school.

[–] eng2016a PhD, Materials Engineering 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I did mine in materials engineering with the goal of working in R&D so my experience may not be the same as yours, but I don't regret grad school at all and am very glad to have had that experience. Got to work on some pretty neat projects, learn a bunch of new skills and went to conferences on my advisor's dime, and had a fairly chill schedule I was able to decide. The money wasn't good, sure, but I made it work.

No one will read my dissertation (and frankly, I hope they don't! I'm sure it'll be embarrassing to look back at how incompetent I was in a decade) but I learned a bunch of skills that are directly related to what I do as a research engineer now.

[–] Broad-Conversation41 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Grad school has qualified me for a bunch of jobs that I've wanted for a long time. I love it, but I'm temporarily poor until I finish.

[–] [deleted] 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Just to add some additional voices - I have friends and family who went to grad school in the social sciences, and they LOVED it. They're the ones supporting and encouraging my aspirations to go to grad school. They now work in jobs where their grad work or the skills they learned in grad school are relevant - in industry, in healthcare, in government.

[–] thriftyplantmomma 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Honestly I'm loving grad school. Yes it's difficult, there are ups and downs, but I'm grateful. I feel supported. Choose your PI wisely - basically everyone who dislikes or regrets grad school has a PI that isn't a good fit

[–] Throtmorton 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I'm in my last semester finishing my Thesis. While it's been stressful and crazy I wouldn't take back my choice. I learned a lot about myself, became a better academic, found new passions and options for the future I hadn't considered. I also found my soulmate in my program. 💜

I would do it all over again because of that.

[–] drzowie PhD Applied Physics (late Triassic) 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Graduate school is absolutely wonderful. At no other time in your life will you feel so much personal growth, so quickly. You start out drinking from the fire hose of graduate classes, in which you weekly do exercises that, the first time they were done, won someone a Nobel. If you're going for a PhD or in a thesis-masters program, you transition to research and to doing things that most people simply can't do - or won't get the opportunity to do. If you're into space physics, you'll probably launch something into space or collect data on an operating spacecraft. If you're into chemistry, you'll create compounds that nobody has ever made, or carry out analyses that have never been done. Similarly for biology, or economics, or what-have-you. You'll probe the secrets of the Universe.

The process is grueling, and burny-outy -- but also (for the right kind of person) invigorating and thrilling. A lot of the push-'em-away attitude you get as a prospective is there because people who go to graduate school and aren't the right kind of broken ... generally don't have a great time. Many folks come in and don't get excited or invigorated -- they just get ground down.

When I was in graduate school I joined the school's spirit band, which was a "scatter band". It was really great. We had a ton of fun, played great music, got front-row seats at sports events, and generally did all the drunken, awesome things that fun-loving college kids do to blow off steam. But the games and rallys themselves were also grueling -- scattering and looking zany and madcap from the stands requires sprinting around the field in all kinds of weather, while wearing a band uniform and toting a heavy instrument -- then having the breath control to play from the new formation. It was a total blast! But also totally physically draining! At the end of a game you'd have aching feet, ringing ears, sore limbs, general fatigue and malaise, and generally a hangover. Graduate school is like that, only in the mental realm instead of the physical realm; and spread out over 3-7 years depending on your field and personal pace.

So ... is graduate school grueling? Yes. Is it worth the effort? Yes, absolutely ... if you are the sort of person who can appreciate the "good bits" and motor through the "bad bits".

[–] skyroberts 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

There is no single answer.

My best advice is to make sure you get a worthy return on your degree for the time and money you put in. That doesn't only mean monetarily as education, social life, and career pivots matter just as much.

For most people there will be a hefty time and financial commitment so make sure you enjoy it enough to dedicate yourself to it.

Don't be afraid to quit. Check in with yourself often and judge if this is worth it or if this is the right time to do it.

MY EXPERIENCE

I quit my first attempt at a masters because I didn't enjoy the material or where it was taking me career wise.

I have since changed to a degree in data analytics which I am very passionate about and relates to my current job as a software engineer. My previous employer also paid for most of it and I can cover the remaining balance out of pocket. This will not lead to a raise or promotion but opens the door for me to teach college part time which is a dream of mine.

There have been many ups and downs as the commitment has taken time away from my family, friends, and hobbies. That is ok as I take every other semester off to not burn out and the goal of being a college professor excites me in the difficult times.

Education and Social: My wife is taking art classes. This won't make her more money or get her a promotion. Yet, she has learned many painting techniques and made a few friends. The classes are cheap enough we can pay for them as she goes. She 100% believes it's worth it.

Financially: I have a few friends who became doctors and lawyers. They have six figures of debt; however, they make A LOT of money and will have it paid off in ten years or less. They also work in a field they love. They 100% believe it is worth it.

Career Pivot: My dad was a salesman and eventually a middle manager. He grew to hate his job and became so depressed he had panic attacks about work and quit on the spot. He substitute taught to make some extra money and fell in love with teaching. He got a masters in teaching, switched careers and did it until he retired. He agrees it is 100% worth it.

Education and Social: I knew a guy in undergrad who loved the party life at college and kept trying to prolong graduation. Eventually he was going to lose his financial aid so he graduated and entered a masters program full time to keep partying. He racked up six figures of debt and got two degrees with no intention of using them. He works in retail and would say the education was totally not worth it but the party life was awesome.

Financially: One of my friends stayed in school to get a masters degree in hopes of higher pay than undergrad. The undergrad starting salary at the company he worked at was 60k. When they completed their master's they were offered 61k. It was a 1 year masters for 25k. So the opportunity cost and degree cost was 85k for a 1k salary increase. They would say it wasn't worth it.

Career Pivot: A friend of mine got a bs in marketing. Hated it. Got a MBA with intentions to move into IT. He hates it. Tried a degree in film, then quit when he realized he hated it. He would say all the degrees weren't worth it.

[–] Ariganooo 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I personally love grad school. Your lab and PI really do influence your entire experience, and if you luck out and find a great group of people to work with, it's very enjoyable. At times it can get stressful but I'm very passionate about my research area and every time I accomplish something or make progress, I find a lot of joy in it and everything seems worth it.

Going to grad school really depends on what your priorities are and how much you're willing to work for it. It's really not for everybody and you need to introspect if this is something you're willing to spend a lot of time on in exchange for next to no money and low funding. You could find joy in getting a job and a stable income or you can find joy in working towards advancement in your research field but have unstable financial situations as a student. It mostly depends on you on how you enjoy your grad school life.

My advice is to find a great lab and then think about your research next. With a great support system your thesis will flow, but if you get a shitty lab and PI then you're just going to waste time and contemplate quitting.

[–] northernlaurie 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

My reasons for school have changed and evolved over time. I know several people who took time away from careers to pursue a Masters degree for the accomplishment of doing a masters - they had no other agenda beyond spending a year or two immersed in their passion. Others who realized that they needed a Masters degree to move ahead in their careers - they chose a program based on clear research on what profession they wanted and the program that suited their needs. A few who pursued grad school because they wanted a profession as a professor, instructing at the college and university level - this generally hasn't worked out too well.

School is hard. It can also be wonderful. Most of us have a mix of experiences - some good, some bad, some that we think is bad and then discover two years later that it wasn't as bad as it felt at the time.

I just finished my Masters - still waiting for confirmation that I've graduated, but I am pretty sure I am ok. The feelings I have right now include profound gratitude that I was able to do it, and gratitude that it is done. I've stretched myself in ways that are unlike any other experience in life. I'm 45, so I was looking at things I'd taken for granted in my 20s and 30s and being more critical of them - it gave me a flexibility of thought not many people in my age group have the ability to pursue (as we get stronger in our professions, we lose flexibility - this is normal).

But OMG. It was so hard. It pulled me and my partner to the limits of our resilience in ways we couldn't expect before my program started. I felt so lonely and so out of place.

And I am profoundly grateful I did it. No regrets. Well, I regret not doing it earlier.

I will say that if you have any doubt about what to do, a break after undergrad is a brilliant idea. Live a year or two and be really open to new ideas and new ways of living. You might discover a desire you didn't know was sitting inside of you. Set yourself up for serendipity - get a subscription to a publication and read articles. Travel as much as you are able. Look for events and forums in your area. Get a job and notice what you like and don't like about it.

You might realize that an English degree is 100% what you want. You might also realize that its Creative Non-Fiction, Editing, or Law - or something completely different.

And if you do go to school, the people that found joy in the work they were doing and who remained connected to that joy were the ones that came out on the other side feeling grateful for the experience.

LOATHED my program but for the career I wanted, I needed a master’s.

[–] blai_starker 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Finishing my Masters in English Literary and Cultural Studies right now. Heads-up for the non English Lit majors, everything I’m saying is specific to this field. There is cross over but not entirely.

1) do not go to grad school if you do not have a career path in mind. 2) if you haven’t read any Critical University criticism—you need to. There is a long history, especially in the humanities and literary studies, of the dynamics that got us here. Guillory, Bousquet, Ohmann, Graff, and Williams are good starting points. 3) if you’re not a fan of the theory and criticism side of the the literary field (or if you didn’t get a general primary in undergrad), start prepping. This is usually the “hard” part but also the best part imo. 4) don’t just know the programs you’re interested in, stalk them like they cheated on you. Seriously. Bad and not great programs work hard to hide that. 5) if you don’t know, Masters programs are cash cows. It does not matter that you are paying, the resources and investment of the university into MAs is NOT comparable to PhD programs. Apply to PhDs that offer a terminal MA—your MA will be funded if you decide to tap out. Other wise, aim for smaller state colleges. They may not have the prestige of some big names, but there a good number of smaller humanities programs with excellent MA programs because they don’t have PhDs —you’ll get far more attention and support from faculty. 6) If you go for it (welcome to the team!) aim for snagging some technical writing courses or an additional certificate. While we are often snatched up for jobs because of our communication skills, that tech add on is huge and opens more opportunities. Tech writing is pretty much just translating information from one field to another.

Personally, if I had to do it again, I would go part time instead of a one year program. I also would have gone to a smaller university. Lots of Lit programs are gone or on the chopping block right now, so be sure you figure out what’s going on with the university politics and the humanities departments.

[–] childoflilith 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Your program will likely be a different experience than mine (science PhD) but it was really stressful at the beginning. We had essentially three or four rotations with different professors and had to choose (and be chosen by) one at the end of the first year. Combined with the stress of teaching and qualifying exams, I get why someone would hate it.

I see it as more of a transition from a really stressful time to an opportunity to contribute to your field. A lot of (if not all) programs are going to have difficult parts and easier parts. I also am hoping to contribute to medicinal development after grad school, so this has been an amazing learning experience. Although academia is tough (and definitely not for me) I don’t regret my choice one bit.

[–] Phantommy555 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago *   (0 children)

Depends. Even if it’s a program with awesome professors and a fun cohort there’s still the high expectations and workload that comes with grad school. So even if everything else is great there still is that, and unfortunately many grad programs don’t have nice/good professors and fun cohorts on top of the stress of schoolwork.

Thankfully my program has (mostly) great professors, including some I can talk frankly about mental health with and are very understanding/supportive. My cohort is also (mostly) great and we hangout often and I’ve made some great friends that I love. All of that helps lighten my mental load but still it can incredibly stressful because of those high standards and workload.

[–] Independent_Owl_6401 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

It's not FUN, but it's useful and worthwhile. Some classes/semesters suck more than others.

Taking 2 years to get work experience and then go for a masters was perfect for me. Working FT while in school sucks in its own way, but having the material more directly relate "real world" experience makes it both easier to understand and more interesting.

[–] Flamingo9835 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I love grad school. I also strongly think that for many fields where the job market is so uncertain, you have to enjoy the process more than any anticipated career outcome. If you are only going to grad school to be a tenured prof at an R1, it’s much harder to work through the years and hoops of grad school since that’s increasingly unlikely. If you love your classes/work/research - and genuinely cannot imagine be satisfied if you don’t go - grad school can be wonderful.

Edit: this is about pursing a PhD. MA is a totally different calculus I think.

[–] fredelina 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I like it. But I have a good advisor, I like my research and I want to be a professor so it makes sense long term.

[–] bingeflying 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I think everyone’s experience is different. I am having a great time but I’m also only doing 1 class a semester in a thesis program.

[–] seeking-jamaharon PhD student (1st year) 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I mean it sucks but no more than any other thing I’ve done. I keep it framed like a job and don’t bring it home and I make an effort not to bitch and moan about my program super often or for no reason. Both of those things have made a huge difference in how stressed I am. Unfortunately for some of us (like me) grad school is just required for a career, so you make the best of it.

[–] Poke-Party 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Grad school to pursue an English degree seems unnecessary. When asking yourself if you should do grad school or not the question should always be “Will getting this degree help further my future career in some significant way?” If not, then it indeed would be a waste of time and money.

[–] Rude-Illustrator-884 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I hate grad school. Would I do it again if I had the chance? Maybe. But I wish I went out and explored other options before settling on grad school. I don’t know if I regret grad school, or I regret going to grad school straight out of undergrad more.

[–] SnowblindAlbino Ph.D./history 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Grad school was mostly fun for me, through three degrees. Most of my former students have reported enjoying grad school as well. It's the job market in academia afterward that's soul-sucking for most.

That said, most of what I hear about stem grad programs does indeed sound awful.

[–] umuziki 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I absolutely loved grad school. I miss it 😅

[–] cyrusromusic 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Some people have had bad experiences. Mine has been very fulfilling and honestly manageable when it comes to workload. If you find the prospect of research and the freedom it offers alluring, you'll probably enjoy it.

[–] politico66 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

No I didn’t think it was bad at all. I actually enjoyed my classes and I think the hardest was working and going to school so I took how many classes I could afford a semester or fit into my job. So I worked M-F went to school Friday night, all day Saturday and half day Sunday. I had no life but I look upon it as the hardest thing I accomplished without giving up.

[–] TheGrandData PhD Psychology 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Depending on the circumstances it absolutely can be as horrible as people say, but for me it's also been some of the best times of my life too.

I can honestly and earnestly say, my first year of grad school, while I was regularly working until 2am and coming back at 8am for weeks in a row, living in a red state I absolutely would not be caught in if I had any say in it, and getting paid just absolute dog shit, was absolutely the happiest year of my life.

Objectively overworked and underpaid, but if I wasn't happy as hell doing it. It felt like a dream come true. Spending as much time as I wanted (which was all the time I had) learning about my subject area, getting the best 1:1 stats training I could ever hope for, and being surrounded by like minded people who I wanted to hang out with outside of the lab too.

I may have taken one too many sips of the kool aid to get there (and for what it's worth I decided to leave academia for the same reasons why grad school sucks), but it absolutely was worth it in my eyes. The 5 year pause on making progress in other areas in my life isn't a sacrifice I should have had to make, but I was more than willing to make it because I really really did love the work and the people. Hell, I STILL have semi-regular meetings with my old labmates and PI just because we want to stay in touch (all of us are in different careers now) and talk about the work we're doing, and help each other.

I feel it’s very industry specific and very based on your own goals. Also, grad school can mean masters or PhD and there is a HUGE difference.

In my field, for example: Urban Planning. A bachelors is enough to land a decent paying job, and you can even advance to senior roles with it. But you’ll never be the department head. If you’re okay with that, grad school might be a waste of time. But, on the flip side, a masters degree helps you advance much faster and puts a higher ceiling on your overall career. A PhD, however, makes you overqualified. You’ll have a tough time finding meaningful employment with it outside of higher education, and a masters with a professional cert also qualifies you to teach at university level.

Some professors require PhD’s for meaningful roles. Understanding your industry is crucial.

As to how bad it is…it fucking sucks. There’s no two ways around that. When you get to a masters program, they tell you it’s the biggest leap you’ll make in academia, and they’re not lying. You go from 16 years of reading textbooks and writing on the knowledge of others to suddenly being in a position where you not only need to know as much as the textbook writer, but you need to be able to generate your own original research to advance your field. That’s brutal.

But it’s not supposed to be easy. You remind yourself of that every day. If it was, more than 20% of the population would have one. Again, it all boils down to how much it helps you achieve your professional goals and how much you want them.

[–] blowhardV2 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

It’s just a status symbol - the teachers are often worse than the ones in undergrad - just another way to make it more difficult to join the middle class and extract time / money / energy from young people and create further class division

[–] speciosa012 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Honestly wished I skipped the undergrad for the grad. I was more graduate school ready during my undergrad years and now juggling all this is overwhelming albeit I'd be happy when it is all over cause having an master's or PhD is so worth it when you have a realistic idea of what you'll do next.

[–] InfinitePoolNoodle 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I honestly loved grad school

[–] joseph_sith 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I loved the academics and what I was learning, but hated how infantilizing the administrators of my program could be/the hoops I had to jump through. By the time I went to grad school I was in my late twenties, and they still wanted to treat us like college freshman for some reason.

[–] jenkneefur28 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Hardest thing I have ever done was grad school. Its exhausting. Its so challenging. It was one of the most rewarding and growing experiences I have ever had in my entire life. One assignment/test at a time

[–] pm_me_ur_ephemerides 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I freaking love it. But I’m in my 30s, my wife works in tech and brings home the bacon, so I’m not under financial stress or even in a hurry. Just the joy of learning and discovery here.

[–] netsky3 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I really enjoy my program, however I made a promise to myself to only do a masters post many years of professional work experience in a mid senior level role. This way I was able to assess if a masters was for me and also choose a program that was meaningful and improved my practice while learning. If doing a masters is about landing a specific job, then that may impact your timeline. Don’t get me wrong, the workload is challenging and stressful. Now a PhD I’m not 100% about.

[–] Xostali 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

It's not easy but it's worth it if you love the subject and want to go into it more deeply. It was amazing to join my dept and have all these awesome people who were into the same things and could discuss then at length.

[–] Handsolo2069 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

If you are a masochist who is willing to put yourself through hell to pursue knowledge and contribute to a body of work that YOU find worth years of self-doubt and opportunity cost, then a Ph.D. is right for you. Otherwise a masters degree isn't too bad and really not that much work relative to the work of an undergraduate degree. Additionally, if you are wanting to do a Ph.D. you have to pay for out of pocket, especially one that has a comparably low income following graduation, I would heavily consider just how important it is to you to have that doctorate.

[–] PKMNsandy 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Probably depends where you intend to do a grad school. I am did my Masters in Germany and it is easily one of the best time of life. Aside from the education is free, I also managed to get student assistant jobs that pays a decent salary if you are frugal and lives in a shared apartment. My professors and colleagues are great but not perfect. I mean, there is no perfect Uni or program. I'm going to start my PhD who pays a decent wage that will enable be to live a comfortable life here.

[–] threecuttlefish 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Have you talked to grad students in real life or just online?

Online forums skew HEAVILY negative. People come to these forums to vent and commiserate.

In real life, my friends' grad school experiences cover a range:

• So toxic they dropped out
• Fine but not for them so they left to pursue other things
• Fine and they finished and are now working in that field or another
• Good but got a full-time job and either left grad school or area in verrrry slow finishing mode
• Good followed by a bad postdoc (followed by a better postdoc/faculty job)
• Good rolling straight into a decent academic career (postdoc to faculty or research institute position in a few years)
• Good, went on to work outside academia (may or may not have been the plan all along)

In general, in my anecdotal experience, the ones who did their degrees outside the U.S. and UK, especially in Northern Europe, have been. In the Nature Careers grad student satisfaction survey, Nordics and possibly Netherlands stand out dramatically for both overall satisfaction, lower stress levels, and ability to live on the salary (shockingly, being able to comfortably pay your bills without a side job is a big stress reliever). The department matters, and supervisor fit REALLY matters. So does a strong grad student union.

Grad school can be a great experience that opens interesting doors if

• You get along well with your supervisor
• Your supervisor is an effective mentor
• You like your project
• You are paid well enough to not take on extra work just to make ends meet
• You have good healthcare access
• You are in a department with a reasonable work culture where people take actual vacations and you are not expected to be on call 24/7 (outside of short-term situations like monitoring an experiment). Performative overwork departments aren't more productive, they're just more stressed
• You make sure to take the opportunity to develop skills that are applicable outside academia
• You are not absolutely set on becoming faculty - most PhDs don't, so you need some non-faculty options you are genuinely excited about
• You will enjoy the experience for itself regardless of where you end up working afterwards

If the only reason to do a PhD were for a tiny chance at becoming a professor (especially in the U.S.), I would not personally be doing it. If I didn't think the opportunity to do largely self-directed research for 4 years and get paid a living wage for it was worth it even if I never have a research job again, I wouldn't do it.

Whether it's worth it depends on why you want to do it, where you do it, and who you do it with.

[–] JoeSabo Ph.D., Experimental Psychology 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

If EVERY person said that you are talking to some pretty jaded folks. It is definitely a unique kind of suck, but if you play your hand just right you will end up with a really rewarding career.

[–] Gwenbors 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

It was a fair amount of work, but I really liked it. It’s weird to me when people say they didn’t.

Like, it’s a lot of work, sure, but you’re also always playing with new ideas and learning new stuff.

Frankly, if you’re not constantly learning new stuff, you’re in the wrong graduate program, and if learning isn’t an activity you enjoy, you probably shouldn’t be in academia in the first place.

(“You” in the abstract sense, not “you” personally, OP.)

[–] BigFloppyDonkeyDck 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

My PhD in Biomedical Science was basically required for the career I wanted so I had to. It had its ups and downs but overall was alright. Just pace yourself as best you can and enjoy it.

[–] Professional_Tax150 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Could I complain about the challenges that lie ahead? Well, perhaps I could, but I choose not to. I am immensely blessed to have been granted this incredible opportunity—a chance to mold myself into a better version, to amplify my capabilities, and to reach new heights. This journey is my furnace, where my character is refined, my horizons expand, and my purpose evolves. With every step forward, I embrace the fiery path that shapes me into the best version of myself.

[–] WayneHudsonIII 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

There's nothing grad students love more than complaining about how awful it is. So I'd take that info with a grain of salt.

If you like school and want to keep going, then go for it.

[–] balderdash9 PhD Philosophy 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago *   (0 children)

If you can get paid to do what you love and don't mind potentially putting your life on hold (e.g. living with roommates for five years and barely making enough money) then go for it. I find what I learned in grad school to be inherently useful.

But there is a cost. Jobs in academia are hard to come by. There will be imposter syndrome. You will have to manage your work-life balance (even when it seems like everyone is working harder than you). You will be paid less than you're worth. And if you have the grit to make it through grad school, you could be doing something else that actually makes money. That may not be so important for the ascetics among us, but for those of us who want to start a family or buy a house, it is a heavy price to pay.

[–] blue_suede_shoes77 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I had a great time in graduate school! In the US at least, many graduate programs are in idyllic settings on picturesque campuses. You’re surrounded by hundreds or thousand of smart intellectually curious people. If you’re into the life of mind, it’s a great experience.

The biggest downside to me was lack of money. I did receive funding to cover tuition along with a stipend, but it’s still a relatively low income lifestyle.

[–] namesmakemenervous 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

The key for me is to identify intrinsic motivation. Even when I’m doing the hardest work I remind myself that it is helping me grow intellectually and that completing hard tasks is good for me. Oh and at the end I get a career.

[–] Toomanyacorns 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

As a 30yr old undergrad student, it's wild to me thinking that folks are getting masters/phds in their 20s.

I wasn't doing shit for myself until I was like 23. Can't imagine trying to stay focused on college at that age lol

[–] 0falls6x3 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

I’m definitely burnt out, exhausted, make no money, and fuck academia BUT I’m near the end so checking out prospective jobs gives me a little hope. English wasn’t my first language so for me writing publish-quality work is hard. That’s probably my biggest complaint. Everything else is pretty enjoyable. Grad school perks, I work on my own schedule, I’m in STEM so the stipend is on the higher side and I have a part time job to offset my costs, life is chill in grad school. But my PI also isn’t the kind of dude expecting me to work 60 hours a week

[–] chutchens08 MA, Linguistics 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Grad school, for me, was my first taste of 'real life'. I lived with my family during undergrad and didn't really have any major responsibilities. Compare that to being in a new city/state/country completely on your own in the body of a 30 year old. Life got real very quickly. On top of this, I've heard it's not uncommon for mental health issues to surface in your late 20s early 30s which is what happened for me.

My school/professors/friends/studies were fantastic. It's just that being an adult with a broken brain sucks. I finally sought help and am doing better, though, so I'll be ready for another degree soon. Don't know if that helps, but it's what it is.

For humanities do not do it. Only do it if the program is funded and there is a stipend. Do not pay for graduate school. You will never find a professorship. But having a master's will give you an edge on resume for sure. Be prepared to lose any love you had for the field. Sorry to be negative, but this is the experience of most people. If you really wanna do it find a funded phd that has a decent stipend. You can always master out then...DO NOT PAY FOR A MASTERS (in humanities, cannot speak for stem etc.)

[–] Pickled-soup 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

Whether something is “worth it” is totally subjective. Everyone has their own goals. I’m getting my PhD in English and I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. I love my program, my work, my colleagues, love teaching, and I make an okay wage. I also have TONS of autonomy. To me it’s worth the effort to enjoy the experience. But if it wouldn’t be worth it if you didn’t end up with a TT track job or x number of other goals you might have, that is okay too.

[–] JasaProxy 0 points 1 point 2 points 1 year ago   (0 children)

The best advice I can give (that one of my undergrad mentors told me) was to get a book called "Getting What You Came For". Now, I personally regret the outcome, but that's because my program left me high and dry without any help of employment and a whole lot of debt. I loved my time in school, not so much being out.

Now that being said, a lot of my friends from law school were English majors. Everyone was either English, Business, or some sort of engineering. I'm not saying there weren't others, but that was the general trend.

My biggest regret is not knowing how little career services knew about how to help after the program.

Also, Getting What You Came For is a pretty old book, but the advice was still applicable.

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Three Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School grads named Mitchell Institute Scholars, earn $10,000 scholarships

The Mitchell Institute has extra connection to Oxford Hills through its CEO Jared Cash, a Norway resident and class of 2000 Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School graduate.

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Three Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School graduates have been named Mitchell Scholars, an honor that comes with a $10,000 scholarship. From Left: Cindy Choi of South Paris; Patrick Wilkinson of Otisfield; and Jaxton Stain of Harrison. Submitted photo

REGION — The Mitchell Institute has announced that three recent Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School grads have been named Mitchell Scholars and each awarded a $10,000 scholarship to assist them through their college careers.

Cindy Choi of South Paris, Patrick Wilkinson of Otisfield and Jaxton Stain of Harrison all say they were inspired to apply after meeting with Viking Class of 2000 graduate and CEO of the Mitchell Institute, Jared Cash of Norway.

According to Cash, OHCHS’s director for college, career and extended learning opportunities Vincent Kloskowski was instrumental as a liaison between the school and Mitchell Institute and a mentor for students.

“Oxford Hills was one of only a few schools with three student awards,” Cash said. “With his guidance, our students approached the process seriously. OHCHS put forward a strong showing of applicants.”

The Mitchell Institute names Jared J. Cash president and CEO

“It was an email that our class advisors sent to the seniors of my class,” Choi told the Advertiser Democrat. “That a representative from the Mitchell Institute was coming to the high school to talk about the institute and what it means to be a Mitchell scholar.”

She said she was a nervous at first, as she and Wilkinson were the first students to enter the room where Cash was waiting. He quickly put them at ease. Advertisement

“It was a little awkward, being the first ones there. But once we started talking about college and our plans the mood lightened up,” Choi said. “He talked about the application process and the events we could go to if we became a Mitchell Scholar.

“To me, becoming a Mitchel Scholar is to really dedicate yourself to education and persevering through the hardest challenge you face in high school and age.”

Among the challenges Oxford Hills kids face, being part of lower-income communities, being able to even pay the fees to apply for scholarships can be a barrier, she said. “For some students, it’s very difficult to get into a dream college and then to afford to go. I’m very fortunate that I have been able to overcome that with scholarships and the aid of my counselors.”

Choi’s dream college was Boston University, which she will start attending in a few weeks. She says her passions as a student have been chemistry (“I really enjoy the periodic table, yes … and chemical reactions”) and graphic design. And her future dream job is to combine the two and become a museum curator specializing in restoration.

Wilkinson found his passion as a student in Oxford Hills Technical School’s Marketing Management program. His participation in DECA has taken him to competitive events throughout Maine and different parts of the country. He has served as one of DECA’s annual crafts fair organizer, merchandised school swag at Val Halla, the Viking store at OHCHS and served as a state officer in the program.

“DECA has been my biggest friends group,” Wilkinson says. “Within school but also going across the country and meeting so many people – Anaheim, Orlando, Atlanta. More than 30,000 kids from across the world go to these competitions. Last year, I had the pleasure of waving the Maine flag across the stage, in front of 32,000 people. Advertisement

His next stop is Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. He sees his future career in the real estate business. Coming from a large blended family, the Mitchell Institute scholarship will be an important asset for Wilkinson to achieve his college dream.

“My METS advisor (Maine Educational Talent Search) told me about the Mitchell Institute and had me go to the meeting with Jared Cash,” Wilkinson said. “He told us all about it and the different things they look for, so I applied.

“They want people who are passionate about their community and making connections with others on an every day basis. It affords people who might not have the resources and opportunities [for college]. I feel very secure financially and that’s because of scholarships like the Mitchell Institute, and other scholarships available at Oxford Hills.”

In Wilkinson’s case, he applied for 40 different scholarships, making the school library almost a second home as he spent hours and hours researching opportunities, assessing how he fit with them and writing application essays.

“It took a lot of time and effort, after school and even at home on my own time.”

Stain admits to feeling overwhelmed by being named a Mitchell Scholar. But he is preparing to start as a freshman at University of Maine Farmington majoring in psychology. Advertisement

“I’m still wrapping my head around it to be honest,” he said during an interview last week. “I don’t know if I can put into words how much of a relief it is for me. It’s people I can fall back on. I’ve been given an extra support network that has told me they will be there for me.

“Since I’m a first-gen with parents who aren’t overly supportive money wise, I was reaching out to any scholarship I could find. I really doubted I’d get a [Mitchell] scholarship and I was pleasantly surprised.”

In addition to the financial support and honor of being named a Mitchell Scholar, Stain was chosen as a Bonney (formerly known as Promise) Scholar. He agrees it is a life-changing experience.

“Being a Bonney Scholar, it’s a group of about 20 students who are invited to additional meetings at the Mitchell Institute,” he said. “I just went to a Mile III event, where we got to know some of the people there, ask questions and become more integrated with the scholars’ community before everyone attended the welcome reception. I believe a majority of us were chosen because of what we had written in our essays about our personal struggles to get to where we are now.

“I always want to know more, I have a thirst for knowledge. I didn’t always want to go to college but it grew with me. Wanting independence and getting out in the world. I love research, to be in the place where it happens, is amazing. I’ve always been one of those people who does go to school just to learn.”

“Cindy, Patrick and Jaxton represent the promise of Maine’s future,” Cash said.

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