Helping your child apply to grad school
A comment from a reader:
I am looking for a good PhD research placement for my daughter, Christa, and I am trying to educate myself through the internet. I thought that I would look for female research professors in the life sciences because I thought they might be more sympathetic to a female student in a male dominated field. My daughter will graduate in June with a B.S. in Biochemical engineering and a minor in Biology. She is unsure of where she wants to go (she has a short list). Otherwise her only guideline to me is that she would like to do ‘meaningful’ research. She is also struggling with her cover letter. I think she is too much of a perfectionist when it comes to these kind of things but all of the sites I have seen online stress the importance of this letter. She has also had difficulty in the past securing letters of recommendation from the two researchers that she has worked with in the past; both have moved back to their countries of origin and have become difficult to reach. I think letters of reccomendation should be published on line and accessable to all for all time. Perhaps a secure site for professors and researchers that universities can access with students ID #’s. I feel so helpless in my efforts to help her. What are your reccommendations and what do you look for (or hate) in a cover letter?
It is tempting to want to do everything you can for your daughter to help her complete her applications. But I would advise you not to try and overmanage the process. A PhD is a long and challenging period of study that requires tremendous determination and focus while working toward a delayed reward. If she wants to get a PhD, she will have to find the seeds of these qualities within herself and work to develop them. The most important thing you can do is to encourage this process. Ask her about the things she likes about biology, about either her classes so far or about her undergraduate research experience. See if you can get her to talk about the things that make her enthusiastic and passionate. Give her supportive feedback, and encourage her to look at different departments and research that might be related to the areas she enjoys. If you have friends or relatives in the cities where the schools she is applying to are located, offer to give her their email or phone number if she wants to ask about life in that part of the country.
When I read cover letters or talk to prospective students, what really impresses me is when (1) they know why they want to pursue a graduate degree and (2) they explain how their experience so far has sparked their interest in a particular area and prepared them for future study. She should not worry too much about exact phrasing, as long as the main points are clear. I read many applications from foreign students whose grammar, spelling, and syntax is not perfect– what I look for is their ability to explain their motivation and experience.
Note, I am in the physical sciences and engineering, not the life sciences. But the same general considerations apply.
As to whether I am more sympathetic to female students than my male colleagues, it is very important to me to encourage the participation of women, minorities, and nontraditional students to science and engineering. I would not go so far as to admit a female student over a more qualified male student (in terms of GPA, research statement, skills, experience, statement of purpose, etc.). However, I do try and take a look an extra look at the applications from female students and make sure they are evaluated fairly and not overlooked in the shuffle. I believe several physical sciences/engineering departments have similar practices to take a "second look" at female and minority candidates to make sure that strongly qualified candidates are admitted.
