So you want to be a Graduate Student? Here is what you need to know.
For many years, I supervised graduate students in the University of Maryland Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental Sciences (MEES) program. I also served on the application review Committee for the MEES Ecological Systems Foundation and typically reviewed 40-50 applications per year. What makes the difference between getting accepted to Graduate School or rejected? How can you make your application stand out from the crowd?​ You need to start thinking about this as soon as you enter college, during your freshman and sophomore years. If you wait until your senior year, it may be too late.
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First, you have to have excellent academics. This means a GPA of 3.0 or better, preferably above 3.5. Although your GRE scores are also important (especially the quantitative score), the MEES program does not consider them when evaluating applications, because they tend to be biased against minority students and those for whom English is not their first language. It is extremely important that you understand how research is conducted; for that purpose, you should participate in one or more internships during your undergraduate years, and you should undertake an independent research project during your senior year. There are many opportunities for this, including NSF-sponsored Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU). Take any opportunity to give a presentation of your work, whether it is at a National Scientific meeting, or a within-campus research day. If you are a contributing author on a publication, that is even better. Hopefully, during your undergraduate years, you found a passion for some kind of research. Public or University service is also important. Were you a member, officer, or founder of a student organization? Did you volunteer at the local animal shelter, or mentor K-12 students at the local wildlife refuge? Did you work as an undergraduate lab technician? Do you have specific skills in genetics, statistics, GIS, SCUBA, or R-language? Include all that stuff in your application.
Make Contact, and keep in touch
It is extremely important that you contact a Professor in the MEES program before you apply. Become familiar with the MEES program, and the various Labs and Faculty. Keep your focus wide – don’t think that you can only do one kind of research – be open to working in multiple fields, and at any one of the MEES laboratories. Find a Faculty member (or more than one) whose work you find interesting. Read some of their publications. Then, contact them and express your interest in their work, and inquire about possibilities for being accepted into their laboratory (we're all suckers for flattery). Most likely, they will tell you that they don't have funds for new students, but to stay in contact. Believe it or not, that's a POSITIVE response! (They could tell you that they don't do what you are interested in and you should look somewhere else).
As a rule, MEES Faculty do not accept graduate students unless they can support them, with salary and tuition, from a grant. The reason for this is that, without financial support, you will probably drop out of the program. I know, I did that during my PhD years. So, you need to bring yourself to the attention of your potential advisor before you get accepted. Just throwing your application into a pool with 50 others is a shotgun approach that is unlikely to get you noticed or accepted.
The Application Process
​After all applications are reviewed each spring, reviewers make recommendations for admission to the MEES program. Students with good academic credentials and research experience will be recommended for admission. About 75% of applicants reach this point. But, you won't be accepted unless a Professor has research funds and wants YOU for his lab. So, you need to have previously identified and contacted a Professor and expressed your interest. The best applicants will be selected as soon as they appear, so submit your application as early as possible. If you want to go one step further, visit your potential advisor to discuss opportunities. If you have the time, volunteer to work in their lab for a summer or a semester during your undergraduate years. That will show that you are serious, and give your potential advisor the opportunity to evaluate your skills and potential. If you are deemed eligible for admission, you will get a letter from MEES telling you that you have been recommended for admission, but you need to have an advisor. Your first choice has not selected you, so what do you do? Contact as many other potential advisors as you can and highlight your skills.
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On average, I accepted one new student each year, depending upon grant funding. One problem we face is that Federal grant cycles do not correspond with the application season. Faculty reviewing applicants in March may not know whether they will have funding for the next year, because grant funds may not be awarded until June or later. Then, they may have to scramble to find a grad student after most of them have been accepted. Thus, even if you are not accepted during the spring season, it is possible you may get a call weeks or months later by a Professor who has just received funding, and is now able to support you. So, developing a network and keeping in contact is critical to your success. Most federal funding comes in 1 or 2 year blocks, and it is extremely rare that a student will be accepted with funding beyond that.
So, you've been accepted. What's next?
Finally, you have found an advisor with funding, who agrees to accept you as a student. Visit their lab if possible, and meet their students. They are most likely to be your new best friends, so learn everything you can from them, and rely on them to help you find housing and any other information you need. Learn what classes you need to take (from the MEES website) and from your new lab-mates. Moving to a new location is a big undertaking, so get started early, and make sure you are settled in before classes start.
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During your first semester you will be adjusting to your new location and circumstances. Scheduling your time is critical to success. During this time you will need to explore research opportunities and the scientific literature. If you are working on a specific grant, you may have a research plan already outlined for you, so you will need to learn what it is that you need to know. If not, you may need to develop your own plan. You will also need to establish your advisory committee, so meeting other faculty and learning what they have to offer is important. During your second semester you will need to write a research proposal. For MS students, this is usually just reviewed in-house. However, if you are a PhD student, you will most likely also write proposals to Federal agencies for additional funding beyond your first year. This is a critical skill to learn, so apply for as many grants as you can. By now you are a seasoned graduate student, and ready to help and mentor new students. Congratulations! You are on your way to your future!