A M A SESSION
By Ria Sonigra
1 My journey exploring Research
2
Founder, Research Community
All about PhD applications Incoming PhD Candidate @
University of Washington, Seattle
3 Acing your TOEFL 101 Intern @ Université Laval
Intern @ IBAB
TOEFL - 115/120
GRE - 325 /340
QUESTIONS I FACED
How do I begin exploring research?
What career paths are there after an MS/ PhD? Do I want to do that?
Am I fit for research? Is it the right career for me?
Is my profile good enough for this internship/ PhD?
Why aren't these professors replying!!
Am I doing it right?
Should I sit for placements? How do I deal with this peer pressure
If I don't get an PhD offer, I don't have a backup. What will I do?
What field exactly do I want to work in? How will I know that?
SO, HOW DO WE START?
Courses - EdX, Coursera, etc.
Google top innovations in your field - Read
Take a project in your department
(I didn't complete them, but they built intern
application CV)
Make a post - email prof. + Sophomitra
Apply in as many scholarships as possible
A LOT DEPENDS ON LUCK
Keep building your knowledge and skill set
RC - to connect with like-minded people
Make a post on what you're unsure about!
Link
MY JOURNEY - A ROLLERCOASTER
4th year
GRE
2nd year Review @ dept. (I)
Completed course finally 3rd wave - stayed here
Project in dept.(I) - gene allign Manuscript for stream
Didn't get IASc DAAD - reject 01/03
Cold mailing - Covid Landry/NIH offer
How I landed IBAB! - CRISPR Juan Santiago -->LOR --> talk series
Barry Lutz - UW!!
Self doubt year
1st year 3rd year 5th year
Bioinformatic MITACS - how I applied --> Wet-lab experience
course spam story --> Landry Lab Thesis + Intern +
Didn't want 100s of cold mails Applications - LinkedIn
Branch change ThoughtWorks Case Comp. to check SOP
CRISPR Ted-Ed Stream MolES - only native
Poster!!! Indian!!
If I can get here without guidance, you can surpass me & I'll be most proud <3
AN IDEAL JOURNEY?
But a research journey can also look like:
Graduating with a 9+ CPI
Graduating with a low CPI, still ending up
1-2 foreign interns (3rd/4th year summer)
in EPFL
Research Intern every summer
Having no foreign interns, still going to
2-3 papers/ articles published/ under
UCB (MS)
review by the time you apply
Working in corporate for a year because
poster/ paper presentations
you're unsure about research and ending
Earned 1/2 scholarships + RAship
up in UIUC (MS)
Read many papers & sure about your field
Getting multiple PhD offers without any
IDEAL IS RARE!
published paper or submitted manuscript
YOU ARE NOT LATE!!
YES, THIS HAPPENS!!
APPLICATION PIPELINE
IDEAL WHAT I DID
Dec-March:
Dec-March:
GRE - 20th Dec. (prepared for 1.5 months)
GRE
March - Aug. :
List of Profs/ Uni.: My application My My
GSAS favorite
papers you've read favorite favorite
Intern film hobbie
food
top uni./ labs in your field
List of Profs/ Uni.: (Excel)
March - Aug. :
Google top uni. ---> check dept. --->check labs
GSAS application
previous prof. suggestions (intersecting uni.)
Intern
3 profs min. to apply
SOP start writing
Sept. - Dec.:
Sept. - Dec.:
Cold-mailing (biting my nails off) + Apps.
Cold-mailing + Interviews + Apps.
SOP writing & finalising by 25th Nov. - 6-7 reviews
US VS EUROPE
TOEFL PREP.
Need : English test for non-native
English speaking countries
Format : 4 sections (30m each) -
Reading; Listening; Speaking; Writing
Examples of tasks/ questions
Score > 90 acceptable
Score > 110 considered good
Prep. Time = 1-2 weeks
My scores :
Total - 115
What I did :
Reading - 30; Listening - 29
Official site videos to understand format & types of questions
Speaking - 28; Writing -28
Knowledge drive apps for practice + test (focus - speaking + listening)
Free official tests + offical book practise All content is in Knowledge drive
THANK
YOU
