5 Things that PhD Admissions Committees Consider

by Dr. Sriyash Mangal, PhD

5 Things that PhD Admissions Committees Consider: Almost every PhD Program has a PhD admissions committee which makes all decisions related to recruitment of PhD students. The committee comprises of faculty members who have years of experience in recruiting students. All PhD admission committees evaluate applications on several parameters like past academic record, standardized test scores, potential to carry out excellent research, compatibility of student with the program, etc. Broadly, these can be divided in to five categories:

1. Past Academic Record and Test Scores

Admissions committees carefully analyze Bachelor’s and Master’s transcripts to see what all courses/modules an applicant has studied and how he/she has performed throughout the degree course. This helps them to identify whether a candidate has the educational background as well as the abilities required to be successful in the program. As a PhD applicant, you should have good grades in Bachelor’s and Master’s degree.

Many PhD programs might ask you to write an exam like GRE, GMAT, IELTS, TOEFL to assess your aptitude, knowledge and English language abilities. But, it is not mandatory for all the universities and it depends on the country/ university you have chosen. Admissions committees carefully consider standardized test scores and often employ minimum thresholds, automatically eliminating candidates whose scores are too low.

You should not be discouraged to apply if you have an average or below average CGPA. This is because PhD supervisors are looking for prospective students who are passionate for research and have what it takes to be an excellent researcher. So, if you have been an average student at university, then you must present well-written statement of purpose and research proposal showcasing your research abilities.

2. Research Potential

Doctoral research involves extensive research in the form of fieldwork, investigations or laboratory experiments. Therefore, committees look for evidence that the student will be able to meet the high standards for conducting rigorous doctoral research. This is undoubtedly one of the most important criteria which is taken in to account by all selection teams of all PhD programs abroad. As a PhD applicant, you must show in your CV and statement of purpose that you have engaged in research work during the UG and/or PG studies. This includes:

internships at universities, research institutes, hospitals, industry
bachelor’s and/or master’s thesis
workshops for learning latest research methodologies or techniques

Although publications are not essential to secure a fully-funded PhD position abroad, the prospective supervisor or the admissions committee wants to see that you have the skills required to be an excellent researcher and publications are good indication of this. So, if you have publications, don’t forget to mention them in your CV. And if you do not have publications, then, don’t be discouraged as other things can make up for this. I have written a separate article on this topic and you can read it here.

Also read: Do I Need Publications for PhD Position which is fully funded?

3. Technical know-how and Soft Skills

Besides, research experience and good academic record, admissions committees give consideration to technical expertise and communication skills of a PhD candidate. Although a doctoral candidate is not expected to be an expert in all the research and experimental methods commonly used in his/her area of interest, he/she is expected to have rigorous hands on experience in at least some of the techniques. Since communicating one’s results through oral presentations and written reports/ articles is central to the world of academia, admissions committees look for candidates who have excellent communication skills in English language. This can be demonstrated through English language tests IELTS & TOEFL, publications, presentations at conferences, and nicely written statement of purpose or research proposal. In addition, many PhD programs make PhD students responsible for teaching UG and PG students, which is another reason behind why admissions committees pay attention to a candidates communication skills.

4. Common Goals

The admissions committee looks for candidates whose career ambitions and future goals fit with that of the program. The committee also tries to match the faculty expertise and their research focus with research interest of potential candidates. If a candidate’s research falls outside of the expertise of the faculty, the application will likely be denied. To assess this, committee members carefully read and evaluate every candidate’s statement of purpose. Therefore, a PhD candidate must address this in their SOP. Some universities, especially in the USA, ask to submit a diversity statement, to ensure that the incoming candidate would respect the other students belonging to diverse backgrounds, religions and beliefs.

Also read: Eligibility Criteria for PhD Abroad

5. What your professors think of your – the Recommendations

Most of the universities require Doctoral applicants to submit three letters of recommendation from previous academic advisors, teachers, professors or employer. These letters play an important role in success of a PhD application. The committee wants to know what a professor who had previously supervised the candidate thinks about his or her abilities. They want to have someone who can vouch for candidate’s competence, research abilities, level of intellect, passion for research, character and personality. It is easy to say good things about yourself in the statement of purpose, but here a candidate needs a past supervisor or a teacher to say excellent things about him or her.

Following are some popular destinations to pursue PhD Abroad. To read about them, click on the name of the country.

Author Bio:

Dr. Sriyash Mangal

Ph.D. Cell biology from LMU Munich, Germany MSc Biomedical Sciences, University College London, UK Dr. Sriyash Mangal has been mentoring Ph.D. aspirants to secure fully-funded Ph.D. positions abroad for more than 5 years. He has lived in the UK and Europe for over 7 years and completed his higher studies with 100% scholarship. He is an expert in applying to highly competitive Ph.D. programs and scholarships/ fellowships.

For more information regarding funding opportunities and PhD positions abroad, contact our team at Road to Abroad (+91 8383050912). For more general information about studying PhD in abroad in various countries like UK, USA, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, etc visit our PhD Consultation Page.

Searching for Open PhD Positions Abroad? Click here

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Education Transcending Borders

5 Things that PhD Admissions Committees Consider

by Dr. Sriyash Mangal, PhD

1. Past Academic Record and Test Scores

2. Research Potential

3. Technical know-how and Soft Skills

4. Common Goals

5. What your professors think of your – the Recommendations

Author Bio:

Dr. Sriyash Mangal

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