Grad School Application Guide - SOP, LORs, Resume, Shortlist

This is essentially an application material preparation guide. I would soon write a post on what you should do develop you profile, but that's the story for another day! For now, you're all set to apply and smash that "apply now" button on your application portal. But wait, you haven't gone past your first SOP draft yet! Well done! You're in the perfect time to read this article. I will not go over the generic stuffs, we all know that! But, I will rather focus on some of the "secret sauce" that might help you stand out and scream "I'm the one!" Well, putting the drama aside lets jump right in.

I will divide this article in 4-parts:

• How to choose the grad schools you apply to
• Why your recommendation letters could be a game changer
• How to draft your perfect SOP and diversity statements
• How to write a killer resume

And yes, I highly encourage reading them in order.

Here is a step by step guide:

1. Fine tune your research interest. Academics love niche. Your niche should ideally be at an intersection of what you had done in your undergrad and what you would like to do in your graduate studies. It's awesome if you already have some research background in your niche. If not, having any research experience helps, more on that later.
2. Find advisors who works in your niche. This is the most time consuming part of your application. You will scrape the internet during this period! Ideally you should keep 2–3 months for this. Look into various universities, their department websites, head over to the "people" section. Skim through researches done by various professors and see who are working in the same niche as you would like to work. Update everything in an excel sheet. You should track the universities, potential advisors (PI) and how much match you think there is between their work and your niche.
3. Here's a quick trick: Search on google the following phrase to find advisors who are currently recruiting "recruiting PhD students [topic] twitter X" and so some web scraping.
4. Talk with your recommenders. Ask them which universities they have contacts in. I used to take an excel sheet with a fairly long list of university and potential advisors that I wanted to apply and ask my recommenders which places should I finally apply / which groups are doing great in the field / which advisors they have personal contacts with, and so on.
5. Please do not just apply to advisors who are from your country. (ofcourse, this applies only if youre an international student!) Many students think there is a higher chance of getting selected if you apply to someone from your country. NO! In most cases they are already getting hundreds of mails and applications from students from your country and diversity is highly encouraged in most labs / groups in US.
6. Mail. Mail. Mail. Your excel sheet is about to become colorful! Start mailing your potential advisors along with your time in step 2. Color code your excel sheet rows with whether you mailed your PI, whether they replied positively, negatively or did not reply. It's okay even if they do not reply. And most of them wouldn't. They are probably receiving hundreds of such mails. However, they will get a call-back to your email when they see your application. Many professors contacted me after I applied on the same thread that I had mailed them earlier. If they do reply and encourage you to apply, don't forget to remind them once you apply. A simple "I am looking forward to you reading my application" should be good. Your mail should have a structure like:

• Introduction: Talk who you are, your educational background and that you're applying to grad program and state your intent of the mail that you're mailing to ask if they would be recuitiung PhD students this admission cycle.
• Your Background: Briefly talk about your research background, your publications, projects, and conferences. Dont overload. One or two should be fine.
• Why them?: Explain how their research matches with your niche. State the papers of them that are in similar domains to your current work. Explain how they would ideal for your academic aspiarations.
• Conclude: Conclude saying you would love to discuss further with them over video conferencing if they could give some time to you.

Attach your resume and transcripts and hit that send button! Oh, dont forget to proofread!

2/4: How Your Recommendation Letters Could Be a Game Changer!

Well done! You have chosen your graduate schools. The next step is to request your current advisors, professors, and instructors for reference letters. A reference letter can make or break your application. A recommendation from someone very well known in the field with good connections is very helpful in your application.

Try to have a balance between people who know you very well and people who are very well known in the field.

Here are a few people you could request a recommendation letter from:

• Your undergraduate thesis/dissertation advisor.
• A professor you did a research internship with.
• An instructor whose course went very well for you (e.g., you ranked highly in the course and it is related to your niche).

Steps to Ensure Strong Letters:

1. Give enough time: Give your recommenders at least 2 months to write the letters.
2. Remind them: Send reminders once a month and again as the deadline approaches.
3. Meet them: If possible, meet your recommenders a couple of times during the process to discuss the letters.
4. Provide essential documents: Send them:
   • A document with the schools you’re applying to, including deadlines and department names.
   • Your CV.
   • Details of anything you’d like them to highlight (e.g., your top rank in a graduate-level course or a standout project).

For example, if you scored the highest in a grad-level course during your undergrad, you can request your recommender to write about that. Similarly, if you did a course project that is relevant to your application, remind them about it and share the project report.

Why Letters Matter:

In most cases, if you’re applying to a school where someone in the committee knows your recommender, they will reach out to them. If your recommender speaks highly of you, your admission is almost secured!

See? This is why it’s crucial to find the right grad schools to apply to and reach out to PIs who are in contact with your recommenders.

A single piece of paper can't decide your future. Wrong! SOP is that single piece of paper that represents you to the committee. Imagine a closed room, with a bunch of SOPs, and a committee debating why you should or should not get in. Do you want this document to be loose? No! Pour all your heart and brain in, and there you have a perfect SOP. Here's a step-by-step guide:

1. Read quality SOPs and diversity statements:
   • Annotated SOPs are available on websites like MIT's. These examples show what works and what doesn’t.
   • Request SOPs from peers and students already in graduate school in your domain. Reading gives you an idea of "professional" tone and structure.
2. Write your statements:
   • Avoid hiring professionals—no one knows your story better than you.
   • Focus on coherent flow between paragraphs, readability, and clarity.
   • Iterate multiple drafts to perfect your SOP.
3. Your diversity statement: It's not about how diverse you are but how you plan to contribute to diversity. Reflect on challenges you overcame and unique skills or perspectives you bring to the table.
4. Use Generative AI tools: Resources like ChatGPT can help you refine drafts. Avoid copy-pasting—use it for guidance.
5. Perfect grammar and language: Use tools like Grammarly or Quillbot to polish your statements.
6. Seek feedback: Get your SOP reviewed by peers, PhD students, and your advisor. Attention to detail (e.g., proper punctuation, paragraph flow) can make a big difference.
7. Iterate: Keep refining your SOP and diversity statements for each university. Tailoring your statements shows effort and intent.

Your resume is the final piece of your application. Here's how to craft an impressive one:

1. Keep it professional: Use a clean, professional layout (e.g., LaTeX templates).
2. Length: Limit it to two pages with minimal white space.
3. Focus on academic achievements:
   • Include publications, "Manuscripts under review," and conferences.
   • Highlight major projects (limit to the top 5).
4. Relevant coursework: Add a section for courses related to your research area.
5. Organize sections logically:
   • Education
   • Publications
   • Research Internships
   • Projects
   • Skills
   • Scholastic Achievements
   • Relevant Coursework
   • Leadership Roles
6. Iterate and seek feedback: Share your resume with mentors, peers, and PhD students for feedback.

🎉 Bonus Tips

• GRE Scores: Focus on AWA over retaking the GRE for minor score improvements.
• English Proficiency: Meeting minimum scores is sufficient for most schools.
• Research: Look up application statistics to identify safe and competitive programs.
• Community Support: Engage in forums like r/gradadmissions for advice and shared experiences.

Lovely! You've completed your application materials. All the best with your applications. If you're applying to transportation engineering or OR programs, feel free to reach out for tips!