Applied for MS, Received Admit for PhD After Sending 300 Emails
Hey friends, I am Kunal from Mumbai.
I just got an admit from University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center for their PhD in Neurosciences.
At first there is nothing strange about this admit, but if I say I had actually applied for a MS course for which I got rejected, it actually sounds strange!
Yeah I actually got rejected for the MS course as they converted my application into a PhD , but when they realized that they were too late in that conversion they gave me a reject for both PhD and MS ( the people at Uni of Ok were very kind in that they deferred my application to fall 2013!).
However during this time I developed a very good relation with the program co-ordinator in that I was honest with him to such an extent that he actually guiding me for my other college admits( trust me HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY WHILE APPLYING TO US).
He expressed sadness that he couldn’t give me a chance for even an interview an was giving me a reject.
I replied that it was okay but I also stressed on that even if there is 0.01% of a chance I’ll still take it.
I had admits from Johns Hopkins, UTD, University of Hartford (MS) so I had nothing to lose.
Over a period of a month and a half I used to stay awake till 4am, used to mail him every night asking whether there is a chance( PERSEVERANCE IS THE KEY and IF YOU SHOW THEM YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THEIR COURSE THEY WILL GIVE YOU A CHANCE) I must have exchanged about 300+ emails in that period plus called numerous times (and hats off to the program co-ordinator for replying to each one of them patiently).
During this period another opening came and I was fortunate to get interviewed for it last week itself i.e in the last week of April (a lot of people will say April is very late for PhD and will tell you to lose hope, but I will say till the University begins its year, DON’T GIVE UP, after-all I was going to spend about $2300/ month in the US , now I will earn $2000/month).
At the end of the day what matters is where you want to go.
Apply your will power, be perseverant and determined (TWO VERY IMPORTANT QUALITIES FOR A PhD candidate and which have got me an admit) and you will get what you want.
My profile isn’t that great(infact its nothing, just 64%,315 GRE,106 TOEFL and no work experience, which is very important for my field), but I was honest with respect to my application, to the interviewers and most importantly MY OWN SELF.
That’s the key to a successful application and you as an individual.
And trust me they will take you if you show them your are interested( NOT DESPERATE) Thats all guys. All the best.
PhD Series
- Part 1 : The PhD Experience : What’s Involved
- Part 2 : Is PhD right for me? (this article)
- Part 3 : PhD Phase by Phase
- Part 4 : What does it take to complete PhD?
i have done MS-IT 18 years education. i have total 12 years teaching experiance. i have five years post MS teaching experinace. i want to do my PhD in Computer networks from a univeristy which is accepted all over the world and by HEC in Pakistan.
hey asghar
I dnt think i am the right person to advice u since you seem more exp and know the scenario better!
I think @HSB will b in a better position to answer your question!
Dear Kunal,
Would you mind telling me as to how did you co-ordinate and maintain a good relationship with the program co-ordinator? If you could expalin me in brief what kind of emails you send to him after hearing rejects for PhD as well as MS admission? Awaiting your reply. Can I get connected with you on fb? Have you done ur MTech from DY Patil University
Many Thanks
Ishita Shah
Dear Kunal
I am glad to see your lucrative efforts. This reminds me of my previous times of research internship applications.
I am a final year UG at finest pharmacy school in India. I wish to pursue MS in Public Health. I am aware that my field may be new to yours. In-fact, I have a research experience of working in Neuro-sciences lines at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, along with few other research experiences.
I am a researcher by my approach, not just in documents. I hold a good number of original research publications in various fields, and a few were highly featured (One by Nature-India).
My question is Can I get a scholarship for MS in states. My ideal university will be one with people pursuing broad areas of research, and interdisciplinary research should be promoted.
MY GPA is merely 7.00. I plan to take a break for scoring decent on GRE, and have nation’s best professor’s to recommend me as I am working with them since 3 years.
I will be glad if you could help me overcome my GPA problem. GPA is something that never motivated me. I can assure that I will be an asset for any university. I am currently working on 5 projects, and that may reflect my Patience and Perseverance. Well, I am developing the 3rd important P skill of research i.e. Paper-work.
FINDING is vital in my case. How to approach universities, what else they may want from me!! I will be glad to talk.Regards
dear sharma
1st of all please donot calculate the GPA ON YOUR OWN!! calculation of GPA is a complicated process which shld be left to professionals!( u focus on ur reasearch buddy)
i dnt think u will have problems regarding gettin admits since you have a very strong profile(the university will lk at your profile and not only your marks) + u r applying for MS(i will also recommend you applying for PHD as well).
i am not sure you will get a scholarship but i am sure that you will get assistantship(RA TA etc) by which your fees will also become instate ie halved)
again for finding a university ill say jst go for your topic of interest( while applying for MS, rankings are important, while applying for PHD YOUR RANKINGS DONT PLAY A ROLE)
yeah please do your GRE and TOEFL well since they will compensate for your GPA(if its low)
all the best
do well
Hi Kunal,
Congratulations for your achievement.
I have done my M.Sc. in Biochemistry from a reputed university in India and was the 1st rank holder of the university (72.2%). I want to do my Ph.D from a US university. My areas of interest are biochemistry, neurobiology, cancer, immunology etc. I had done a dissertation during my MSc final semester. I do not have any research experience after that. I have no idea about the demands of admission committe in US univ. Please give me some advice so that I can get into my dream. Please dont neglect, bcoz I’m totally helpless in this matter.
heyy sibin @ashwini as well
do the following things:
1. narrow down your topic of interest 1st
2. read some papers as well
3.start searching for universities for which your subject(generally a university will be working on a number of topics which may or may not suit you)
4. start preparing for GRE & TOEFL simultaneously( please keep your target for gre>315 and toefl>100)
5. start applying to colleges( remember PHDs come under GRADUATE college)
6.Please apply realistically(on basis of your score, acads, paper for eg wit a gre score of 300 please dont apply to JHU) (also start working on your SOP and CV since tey take long))
7. follow up with profs the way i have mentioned for papori below
8. maintain contact with the program coordinators at all times
9. give ur interviews( on the basis of your SOP(DONT EVER DEVIATE FROM YOUR SOP))
all the best
thank u for the valuable lines. unfortunately I didn’t get admission for Phd in Biomedical science.I applied for almost 7 uniersities like connecticut health cetre, georgia health sc centre.But I didn’t receive any accpetance.My GRE scoe is 490+690, TOEFL is 80. UG % is 67 n PG 1st yr is 80%.Can you suggest me for future application.I tried to mail the professors,but diidn’t get any acceptance.
heyy papori
i seriously can say one thing that your toefl score is low( not only for the university point of view but also with respect to a US VISA). the rest is way better than mine! As I said, have a very good relation with program co-ordinators since they will connect you with profs and admissions dept(trust me if they knw you well they do everything fast!) mailing the profs is always a diff task but i guess i can give you some tips like:
1. be very informal(always start with DEAR (the prof’s name)
2. Cut out all the crap and come straight to the point( they hardly have time for their own self y will they spend time on ur mail!)
3. dont blabber about your achievements.( you have ur SOP/CV for that, be to the point)
4. please mention your topic of interest
5. do a thorough investigation of the profs you are mailing( while giving the interview fr OU, i had done a detailed investigation of a prof who gonna take my interview, which helped me alot in answering some of his questions)
6. the prof shld b working on something whch interests you(remember PhD is for 5 yrs an jst cause ur getting 1 dnt go for it)
i hope i answered some of your doubts.
all the best
Thank you Kunal,
I will definitely follow these tips & will try for next session.
I think I will have to retake TOEFL.
no problem!
anitime!
all the best!
hiiii kunal firstly i would like to thank you for sharing this important matter with us all & secondly congrats for ur admission i would like to learn & recommend every one to follow there heart & while following the heart we may go through lot of hurdles but friends ill assure u that when we reach our goal or dream everyone ll accept us & we ll be very pleased by our effort and even though we cant reach our goal i think w shd be proud tht i followed my heart & not anyone…………………….
heyy arun thanks alot!
yeah its important to follow your heart in matters like this. A touch of determination and will power will help you go a long way as well!
i admit with ur views and oyr heart ll never guide us wrong
WoW!another very inspiring story for us life science PhD aspirants!!!Thank you Kunal for sharing your experience with us and thank you HSB for posting this….:)
heyy thanks alot!
all the best to you too!
Hi Kunal, Hearitest congratulations for your admit. I can relate to your experience very well as even I am applying to Ph.D in Molecular and Cell Biology. I had applied this term but did not receive admits of desire. Is it necessary to apply for a Masters in the US first and then apply for a Ph.D?? I have already done my Masters in Biotechnology and I wish to pursue a Ph.D. But looking at the frequency of intake is doing masters a feasible option? Plz guide me through the application process. Thanks a lot.
heyy ashwini
thanks a lot!
its great i cld b of help again. Alot of people will misguide you saying its impossible to get PhD in the US directli w/o an MS from there/publications/good gre score etc etc! The road is difficult but not hard! Ill can say that apply to Universities which will:
1.give u funding
2.You have a realistic chance of getting in(very important)
3. have your work of interest!
4.apply early(the MOST IMPORTANT)
its always important to apply for MS as well since u may end up wasting a year/it doesn’t pain to have options! US will always require researchers since its the only thing that drives the economy apart from defence!
also its very important that you maintain ties with the program co-ordinators(which i still am) as they r the link between you and the profs who will accept you.
my name is kunal dhume an u can add me on fb for any details since email add/phone numbers are prohibited here!
You made it kuntal ! Good Luck !!
thanks manoj!
all the best to you too for your future!
Hey Kunal, thanks for that …….I am looking for PhD’s Neuroscience as well. Can you pls tell me which other universities were you looking out for? What was the time difference between your MS and PhD? Also which subject did you complete your MS into?
hey ishita
i have done my MTech in biotech! Almost all universities offer PhD in neurosciences(when you talk abut MS, not many offer the degree and hence your search will narrow down). Apply realistically is what ill advice you and don’t go by rankings! your work of interest should be happening in that University!
all the best!
Hi Kunal, Thanks for sharing your experience. would you mind sharing your email id pls. Would you mind reviewing my CV and SOP….pls…..
i am sorry i wont be of much help in this matter as i wont tell you about things i am not sure about! there are numerous sites from which u can get on how to make a good SOP! but please dnt copy paste things! be realistic! remember to get it edited from experts(which i am not since i dont have that much of experience in this matter)
all the best! do well
Great help man…. was nice of u to share….
thanks man!!
all the best to you as well!
Hi, I’ve done Master in Business Administration in Marketing Management and Master in Philosophy in Management. I would like to pursue Ph.D in Business Management/Marketing Management. please advice which is the best Business School in US to pursue Ph.D and what is the course duration and total expenditure. What visa should I apply for US for my Ph.D studies.
bro i have no experience in this matter and hence am of no use to you( i dont want to misguide you)!
bt i think itll be f1 visa!
all the bst to you as well!!
it was really inspiring to read ur post, n hats off to preserverance n cheers for the succes. wen u talked abt ur profile, i was rly amazed cz even i share a smwat similar kinda profile as ur’s n yes reading ur post made my decision much more stronger now n ur an inspiration. i thank HSB 🙂
Yeah all thanks to HSB!
thanks alot!
im glad i cld help!
all the best to you too!
Hi Kunal,
congrats for ur admission. even my profile is similar to you without any research experience and avg score in Gre n Toefl. I’m entered my M.Tech(Industrial Biotechnology) final yr now and planning to do my Ph.D in abroad. Ur post surely help me a lot.
Thanks for the post.
thanks dude and all the best to you too!
Thanks for sharing this valuable information. It will reslly help me. All the best Kunal and Regards.
Btw @HSB the girl in pic is beautiful…:)
Probably Kunal will be hanging out with her very soon 🙂
LOL….@HSB never mind I’ll try getting in touch with her sister 😛 😀
@HSB: the number and name please!!
😛
@vandit
thanks man!! all the best to you too esp the sister part!
PS: please share the details with me as well!!!
Great post !! Gives me hope. Neuroscience !! Wow !! Best of luck for the future !!
thats the only reason I posted it! Dont give up!
Thanks alot!
All the best to you too!
Congrats Kunal… All the best for your future 🙂
thanks alot dude!
Hi Kunal,
First of all congratulations for this achievement.
I had applied for PhD in USA, and got rejected despite having decent GRE/TOEFL/Academic scores and also one international and national publication.
The last rejection was on May 1, 2012. Do you think it is logical to call them and tell them that I am interested? I do not want to waste another year and that too without any assurance regarding my admission.
Kindly advice.
thanks ribu.
Okay your case is similar to mine, the only thing is my rejection was in march. With respect to your application ill say call up the program co-ordinators and asess the situation 1st, then go for it. Please dont sound Desperate. In the emails please explain it to them that you are very much interested in their course(dnt lie, read some papers of the profs in the department of your interest as well, this if not this year may help you in applying for next year @ the same University)Do you have back ups in the form of MS applications??? Please while applying for PhD’s its always beneficial for applying for an MS(not at the same university)
Dude Kunal do you know how good JHU is . You shouldnt even be considering the others if you have an admit at JHU
+1. JHU for Life Sciences is considered perhaps the best in US. Unless, the research work doesn’t interest you at all, I believe you shouldn’t look anywhere else. Also, this is highly unlikely as you did apply to their program so obviously you are interested in their research. After MS from JHU you would have the opportunity to continue for PhD at JHU or other top universities in US.
All the best!
to an extent i agree with both of you. But I had already done my masters in Biotech for which JHU was giving me an admission( the course costing 20 lakhs is another matter). This option is good for those who dont knw wat tey want to do in their future and need further exposure. Guys and one more thing never go (with respect to PhDs) for rankings. Your work which you are interested should be @ the University!
Remember some of the work going even at JHU ws carried out by Indian civilizations 5000 yrs ago w/o complicated intstrument/phds.
dude the ms in neurosciences @ JHU costs around 36 lakhs(excluding living costs)! I wanted to do my PhD in that topic an we get around 2000$ stipend/month. When will I pay my loans and start saving! Be realistic and don’t go for glory! I can do my post doc over there if not Phd/even work there and do research(who knows!).
hey Kunal! jus wanted to ask u whether u have ne research publications on ur name?? coz m pursuin my masters in biotech currently n iv heard a publication or two on ur name is a must for appylin to any phd program abroad… is that true?? wud my final year 6 month project suffice??
dude I don’t have publications and work exp. Nope its not necessary at all to have a publication but its an added advantage nonetheless. Your final year projct will suffice since many people do go for their PhD’s after completion of their projects.
dear kunal
you really deserved it..congrats!!!
and what you said…definitely helped me
i am glad i could be of help!
It is not necessary for bachelor’s students as they are not expected to be involved in research. But, as a master’s student to be considered for PhD it is very important to have atleast 1-2 publications or submissions in progress. The PhD admission committee looks for research potential, as a master’s student you have had an opportunity to conduct research, so they will judge your application on how well you performed in research at master’s level.
I am a master’s student dude! Its your inclination towards research that gets you there an that is what I convinced them about! For a person like me who is interested in Neuroscience there is hardly any scope for publications in India unless i spend 2-3 years over here.
Hey congrats dude..good luck!!!
I am currently doing my bachelors(3rd year biotech), can i apply for a PhD directly??
its not too difficult but apply for MS as well to have a safe bet!
all the best to u too!
hi kunal . actually i hav done my MSc in biotech i m 2010pass out aftr tat i hav industry exposure
i hav done 3 research work
n now i wanna apply for PhD
to b frank
i really don no how to proceed for applyin for PhD can u plz guide me i heard we hav to write TOEFL& GRE so whn shall i take up n how to proceed for gettin admission in US.. can u plz guide me ..???
heyy ashwini
I cant really say mch over here as itll be a lenghty process!
Pls msg me on fb, my name is kunal dhume. I can guide u better since i cant share my email id/number over here!
Hi Kunal,
Our university is providing transcripts in which the marks are given in %. Will it be a problem if I’m applying to a US univ? B’coz all the univ. are asking the scores in GPA.
Please do reply.
hey sibin!!
generally this is a problem asso with US universities as a result they will ask you for evaluation from a recognised evaluation services(fr eg WES).
however its not at all necessary to do tis for some uni(so please dont get it eval if nt reqd) Please dont put ur gpa randomly or by estimate since calculating a GPA requires a number of factors an not only ur %.
tc all the best!!