2016 Ask a Current Ph.D. Student Thread

[YaSvoboden]

There is a certain modicum of anonymity throughout this forum. Some people have no issue saying where they are at, others prefer to keep it anonymous because of future job prospects. A lot of us have at one point or another said, so if you check through old posts you might be able to figure it out. So while it's not bad to ask, don't be offended if we choose to not respond.

I agree with Xanthu on this. Most of us want to keep anonymity to some degree. I know that I am readily identifiable by anyone that wants to dig through my old posts and do some searching around department web sites. At the same time, I don't want it to be obvious who I am because there are some potential costs of people emailing me out of the blue or professors seeing things on this site that I have said and disagreeing. I have given opinions on schools that some people may disagree with and have probably said some things that are just stupid. There also isn't much upside to people knowing that I contribute on here. That said, my advisor knows who I am on here and has said it is good that I am getting some information out there for applicants. I have also made some connections through my participation on here after getting to know someone on the forum.

[sb29]

You can easily find my name in some of the old posts and there is only one marketing PhD student with my name in Singapore. So much for anonymity :D

[hattrick]

Thank you all for all the insights. All of your posts certainly makes sense about being anonymous. :) You guys are cool. I am glad I found this forum

[gretta19]

Are the first 2 years harder than the next 3-4 years doing research and preparing your dissertation?

 

I'm going to play devil's advocate here and say I think it depends a lot on the structure of your program. Second year was impossibly difficult for me. There are honestly big chunks of time during first semester of my second year that I don't remember. I was teaching for the first time as the sole instructor for a junior level course and taking 4 courses myself, all while trying to push forward research and to develop a new topic for my comps paper. It was awful.

 

I remember talking to more senior students and faculty back then, and the students said that second year was a piece of cake and the pressure didn't really heat up until the (name the year they were in at that point). Junior faculty tended to look back on their time in their respective Ph.D. programs as the most free they ever were, with nothing but time to work on their research. I remember being terrified that if it was going to get worse than it was, I wasn't going to make it.

 

I'm in my fourth year now, and it's stressful, but not the same kind of stress. I worry about actually getting things done but much less about my ability to get things done, if that makes sense. Obviously the looming job market is stressful, waiting on reviews is stressful, fleshing out a dissertation is stressful, but none of it is quite as bad as that semester of my second year.

[beancounter]

Hello again. I am currently applying to Ph.D. programs. After I receive all the required recommendations, I want to send a gift as a token of appreciation to my 3 recommenders. I'd thank them for putting the time to submit a dozen or so recommendations for me. Have any of you done this? Any suggestions? Thanks.

[YaSvoboden]

Hello again. I am currently applying to Ph.D. programs. After I receive all the required recommendations, I want to send a gift as a token of appreciation to my 3 recommenders. I'd thank them for putting the time to submit a dozen or so recommendations for me. Have any of you done this? Any suggestions? Thanks.

If you search through the thread you should be able to find some discussion on this. The general idea is that it shouldn't be too expensive and it is probably best to wait until after everything is in and finished. Some people are good at adding personal touches like getting a mug from the school where they will end up going and a box of the professor's favorite chocolates. Honestly, I think a nice card is just as good.

[XanthusARES]

If you search through the thread you should be able to find some discussion on this. The general idea is that it shouldn't be too expensive and it is probably best to wait until after everything is in and finished. Some people are good at adding personal touches like getting a mug from the school where they will end up going and a box of the professor's favorite chocolates. Honestly, I think a nice card is just as good.

 

Yeah, I think that the general consensus is that you should do something. What that something is depends on your type of relationship, how much money you have etc.. The important thing is that you thank them for their work. Without them you're not getting into any program, so they deserve an Attagirl/boy. But, yeah as YES! said, check through the forum, we've had plenty of discussions in the past on this.

[wannabephd]

Some people are good at adding personal touches like getting a mug from the school where they will end up going and a box of the professor's favorite chocolates. Honestly, I think a nice card is just as good.

 

Hey I did this!

 

After applications/etc were sent in, (conveniently timed since it was the holidays), I mailed them a handwritten holiday/thank you card.

 

Once I got in, I sent them a handwritten Thank You card, a mug from the school I was going to and some fancy chocolate. I mean, everyone likes chocolate. Or if not, everyone can easily regift chocolate :)

 

Someone told me that professors can sometimes feel uncomfortable getting expensive gifts, and there may be a limit to the dollar value that professors can get before it's reported or something.

 

I thought about wine, but that seemed too tricky in the mail (I wasn't in the same part of the country as any of my recommenders).

 

One key thing: don't drop off the face of the planet after you submit recommendations. Professors really want to know what happens to you.

[systemd22]

In your experience, is it "better" to have a junior faculty member as your advisor who will sort of be there to guide you more? Or does it pay off to have senior faculty with a large network that is used in order to help you secure a job?

 

Thanks

[tm_associate]

In your experience, is it "better" to have a junior faculty member as your advisor who will sort of be there to guide you more? Or does it pay off to have senior faculty with a large network that is used in order to help you secure a job?

 

Thanks

 

I believe that this is entirely variable depending on the specific junior or senior faculty member. Some juniors have outstanding networks themselves. Some senior faculty may be able to guide your program very well themselves. If you are an incoming student, I would suggest feeling it out for the first year or two to see what the faculty at specific institutions are like. Individual and institutional differences are likely to have a big determinant on this.

 

Either way, I believe you should pick an advisor based on working relationships... e.g., if you pick a famous faculty member as your advisor, but you don't have that great of a working relationship, a seasoned associate whom you have great synergies with may be better.

[XanthusARES]

In your experience, is it "better" to have a junior faculty member as your advisor who will sort of be there to guide you more? Or does it pay off to have senior faculty with a large network that is used in order to help you secure a job?

 

I agree with TM on this one. Generally you'll have a year or two to figure out who you like before you need to pick an advisor. I would try to work with a few different profs to get a feel for working styles and ensure that you fit both research interest wise and culturally. By culturally I mean you want to work with a professor who has similar styles to you. If you prefer not to work at night, it's not a great idea to pick an advisor who doesn't come in until 4 PM and consistently emails you at 11 PM. That being said you need to be somewhat accommodating as we've all had advisors who ask us for stuff at random times *cough* 3 AM on Thanksgiving *cough*. You're going to be working with this person for the next 10 years, yes you'll continue to work with them post your PhD as you work towards tenure. Make sure you click.

 

On to your specific question, there are pros and cons to each. Junior faculty tend to be more research active. You are likely to get on a topic that is publishable, whereas sometimes experienced faculty, particularly those with tenure, can be more interested in studying things that are interesting to them or have huge impact outside of academia. While these are great, and I highly encourage people to do work like this, they're not always the most publishable in top journals. The flip side is that your likelihood of connections shoots through the roof with senior faculty and there is always a possibility that a junior faculty will leave. Honestly it's a deeply personal decision that you'll have to make for yourself. The best advice we can give is to meet with every professor at your program. Talk to them about what they are doing and see if you can find a situation where you fit in nicely.

[hattrick]

Hey guys,

 

I have a quick question. How does one get an RA position or some research experience or even co-author a research paper when out of school? I am really trying hard to get some research experience behind me before applying for a PhD in 2017. I already have a masters degree so going for another Masters will not be an option.

 

Any inputs welcome.

[ArcticApplicant]

Volunteer with professors you know from your Master's or others you're comfortable approaching at your local university. If you don't have any ins, try attending seminars and introducing yourself after the talk. Whoever you approach, pitch: I'm interested in xxx, would you have some time to talk to me about a PhD, then when you speak to them in person at a one-on-one, pitch that you're looking for research experience and that you come cheap - i.e. $0. It's a high cost strategy, but one that has the potential to pay off. I would weigh it against the quality of your application as it stands today, and your expectations of which schools you want to get into, and then evaluate if it's worth it. Ultimately, it will be a considerable time commitment, both up front to find the RA opportunity, but also to do it, as you don't just want to tick the box, you want to wow whoever you RA for.

 

Hey guys,

 

I have a quick question. How does one get an RA position or some research experience or even co-author a research paper when out of school? I am really trying hard to get some research experience behind me before applying for a PhD in 2017. I already have a masters degree so going for another Masters will not be an option.

 

Any inputs welcome.

[hattrick]

Volunteer with professors you know from your Master's or others you're comfortable approaching at your local university. If you don't have any ins, try attending seminars and introducing yourself after the talk. Whoever you approach, pitch: I'm interested in xxx, would you have some time to talk to me about a PhD, then when you speak to them in person at a one-on-one, pitch that you're looking for research experience and that you come cheap - i.e. $0. It's a high cost strategy, but one that has the potential to pay off. I would weigh it against the quality of your application as it stands today, and your expectations of which schools you want to get into, and then evaluate if it's worth it. Ultimately, it will be a considerable time commitment, both up front to find the RA opportunity, but also to do it, as you don't just want to tick the box, you want to wow whoever you RA for.

 

Thanks for the reply! Unfortunately, I moved out of state from where I did my MBA for a job opportunity. Do you think if I contact universities here where I live, will professors entertain me? I just don't know how I can approach professors and what would I even write?

[purlea]

Hey guys,

 

Thank you for the thread. I find it very helpful and I think it is time to bring my own question. I recently get my first interviewed request and I am not so sure about the dress code for a Skype interview. Should I wear a tie?

Edited January 28, 2016 by purlea

[obhrphd16]

Hey guys,

 

Thank you for the helpful thread. I find it very helpful and I think it is time to bring my own question. I recently get my first interviewed request and I am not so sure about the dress code for a Skype interview? Should I wear a tie?

 

I am an applicant this year and I wore a tie whenever I Skyped with faculty. Most of them usually commented that it wasn't necessary but they seemed to appreciate it. My interactions were never formally called interviews but essentially they were informal interviews. I would recommend wearing a tie. Whether it is necessary or not, I think it sends a signal that you are taking this seriously and consider this a job interview. Perhaps others have a different perspective though.

[wannabephd]

Hey guys,

 

Thank you for the helpful thread. I find it very helpful and I think it is time to bring my own question. I recently get my first interviewed request and I am not so sure about the dress code for a Skype interview? Should I wear a tie?

 

Congrats on the interview request! I pretty much assumed it would be any other professional interview for my Skype interviews and dressed business professional from the waist up. And sweats from the waist down. A tie certainly won't hurt. I also happened to check out the background to make sure it looked clean (I didn't need ad coms to see my piles of laundry).

[hattrick]

Hi Arctic,

So I took your advice and enrolled for information sessions at various local universities that are coming in March. The info sessions are however for MBA programs as they don't have any kind of PhD sessions which I am assuming they don't do. Is this a good way to get in touch with people who are looking for PhD researchers? I just want to make sure that I am going through the right channels.

[XanthusARES]

Hi Arctic,

So I took your advice and enrolled for information sessions at various local universities that are coming in March. The info sessions are however for MBA programs as they don't have any kind of PhD sessions which I am assuming they don't do. Is this a good way to get in touch with people who are looking for PhD researchers? I just want to make sure that I am going through the right channels.

 

I think that MBA info sessions don't include any faculty, so that might not be your best route to go down.

 

The best way to get in contact with professors at local universities is just to shoot them an email. Say something to the effect of, "I just moved to area and I think that I might be interested in pursuing a PhD. I would love to sit and talk with you about your research if you have the time." Say something about being interested in their research. Once you are in their office talking about their research and your potential research interests offer to be an RA for them. Tell them you'd love to get to know more about the research process and would love to be able to work with them and that you'd be willing to do it for free.

 

That's how I got some experience. Honestly most profs I emailed were more than willing to sit and chat with me about the process and their research. As long as you make it clear that you are interested in getting to know them and the process and not that you are trying to wiggle your way into their program, they'll probably be receptive.

[EndlessNameless]

Hey guys,

 

Thank you for the thread. I find it very helpful and I think it is time to bring my own question. I recently get my first interviewed request and I am not so sure about the dress code for a Skype interview. Should I wear a tie?

 

In my interviewing experience, I've found it helpful to be formal, but not SO formal that you're uncomfortable. If you're comfortable in a tie and like wearing ties, wear a tie. If it feels weird, don't wear a tie, just wear a buttoned-up shirt. I'm a girl, and I wore a striped shirt with a white collar. I second the comment about the room: check how the background looks on skype and remove things like stuffed animals.

 

Also, for fly-out interviews: be formal, but formal only to a point of being comfortable. If you look uncomfortable, it may look like you're trying too hard with your outfit. Consider the weather and the structure of your day.

[ArcticApplicant]

Sorry, the sessions I meant were like paper sessions (they're called different things at different institutions). These are usually listed on the respective department websites. Here are a couple of examples:

https://bepp.wharton.upenn.edu/department-information/seminars-conferences/

https://marketing.wharton.upenn.edu/events/colloquia/

 

I think emailing is definitely another, and potentially easier, way to go, per XA's advice. Again, the key is just to put yourself in front of somebody, and offer to do research.

 

Hi Arctic,

So I took your advice and enrolled for information sessions at various local universities that are coming in March. The info sessions are however for MBA programs as they don't have any kind of PhD sessions which I am assuming they don't do. Is this a good way to get in touch with people who are looking for PhD researchers? I just want to make sure that I am going through the right channels.

[ArcticApplicant]

One last thought - perhaps you can contact professors from your MBA whose research you enjoy and ask if they know anyone at the institutions local to you that they might recommend to speak with re: PhD pursuit. It's always nice to have a referral.

[PhinPhD]

Let me state my problem statement first- I am not sure how to go about making the final decision. I have an offer from a T25, T40 and T80 programs (based on UTD rankings) in phd Finance. On the face of it I should just go with either the T25 or T40. However there are other considerations:

 

1. Research Interest: There is near perfect research fit at T80. There is a good fit at T40 and ok at T25.

2. Work Culture: I found a great work culture fit with T80 POI in terms of time I could spend on my own research, how sooner could I start working on research etc. (Not to forget the great sense of humor). At T40 and T25 I could gather that the programs are quite rigorous in terms of curriculum and quite heavy for the first two years.

3. Time for research: As mentioned earlier, I could only start working on research after 2 years at T25 and T40. But at T80, the PoI is ready to work with me from 2nd year itself.

4. Placements: T25 or T40 don't have a stellar record but better than T80 as of now. However, T80 did have a T50 placement recently.

5. Faculty/supervisor: This is a key point. I absolutely would love to work with the PoI at T80 (there was an immediate connect during the interaction!)- publishes well and seems to have a good network (however I am not sure if I could measure the network strength anyhow). However, apart of PoI and couple of other profs, the department at T80 doesn't have active researchers in my area of interest. This is not the case at T40 and T25. There are many active and well publishing researchers. But my research interest match is like 75% at T40 and 50% at T25.

6. Financial support- equally good

 

Future placement is my key criteria of selecting a program. But I would also like to enjoy (working on my area of interest with a great supervisor with whom I get along well) my 5 years of PhD research which I believe is highly probable at T80. I am an international student. I would love to get a research and teaching placement at a T50 finance department. My questions are: if I were to accept T80''s PhD offer-

(1) Can I get a placement at a T50 Fin department after graduating from T80 college?

(2) Would the factors governing this T80 to T50 placement entirely or to a large extent going to be under my control?

(3) How difficult would it be to network and collaborate/work with researchers from T25 or better colleges? Will I be snubbed because I come from a less know program?

 

I came across some really insightful threads especially in the PhD-Econ group by Rslayer and Henders. However, I am not sure how much ranking matters for Finance PhD programs.

 

Thank you for reading this. Would really appreciate some insights.

[XanthusARES]

(1) Can I get a placement at a T50 Fin department after graduating from T80 college?

(2) Would the factors governing this T80 to T50 placement entirely or to a large extent going to be under my control?

(3) How difficult would it be to network and collaborate/work with researchers from T25 or better colleges? Will I be snubbed because I come from a less know program?

 

I'll begin by saying that my opinion will probably differ from most of those on this site and most academics in the world. So take that with a grain of salt. Second the short answer is that going to the T25 school will give you the best chance at getting into a T50 program afterwards. That's just the unfortunate truth.

 

So on to my controversial advice. Clearly you have a strong pull to the T80 program. There are a lot of factors which affect placement that aren't just the ranking of your PhD program. If there are profs at the T80 program who are publishing in A level journals (and this is incredibly important for your placement) then I suggest you go with that offer. To specifically answer your questions, yes you can get a T50 placement out of a T80 program. If you work your butt off and get good research out in A journals, you'll have as good a shot as any. It's not unheard of to move up ranks, but it is uncommon. Those who do, do so because they are great candidates. Which answers your second question, yes it is somewhat in your control. Don't go to a school where profs are publishing a lot, but are publishing in crappy journals. You won't necessarily have a hard time networking if you go to all of the conferences you'll meet people from all programs. You can sometimes makes those relationships into collaborative ventures, but you have to put in the work to do that.

 

To get at the underlying question you are asking with question 3, yes, unfortunately, you will be looked down upon because you aren't at a T25 program. That's just the way the academy works. The best way to counteract that is to be a beast at research. No one will say a word if you're research record is flawless.

[PhinPhD]

Thanks Xan for your frank advice. I have couple of follow up questions: (1) I agree that I will have to be a beast at research at T80 for a good placement. However, I assume that even at T25 I will have to be at least a Sphinx to get an equally good placement. Does the daily routine of a doctoral student, with all the TA/RA and teaching duties, allow to devote 'significantly more' time for research? By significantly more I mean, let's say, 3-4 hrs more everyday than what is sufficient normally. Will it matter if I have a fellowship and so can get away with less TA or teaching duties? I believe RA hours can be very helpful, so wouldn't mind those.

 

(2) Would it be rude to ask the college, before accepting offer, how often do PhD students co-author with profs during PhD? How many papers usually the PhD students are able to publish in A rated journals before hitting the job market?

 

(3) If I am presenting in a conference, is it usual to get scholarship from the conference? Are there budget constraints by univs on attending conferences? Should I ask this- How many conferences typically one can attend?

 

I know what I am asking will vary greatly from department to department and college to college.

 

Thanks again for taking time to answer these.

 

I'll begin by saying that my opinion will probably differ from most of those on this site and most academics in the world. So take that with a grain of salt. Second the short answer is that going to the T25 school will give you the best chance at getting into a T50 program afterwards. That's just the unfortunate truth.

 

So on to my controversial advice. Clearly you have a strong pull to the T80 program. There are a lot of factors which affect placement that aren't just the ranking of your PhD program. If there are profs at the T80 program who are publishing in A level journals (and this is incredibly important for your placement) then I suggest you go with that offer. To specifically answer your questions, yes you can get a T50 placement out of a T80 program. If you work your butt off and get good research out in A journals, you'll have as good a shot as any. It's not unheard of to move up ranks, but it is uncommon. Those who do, do so because they are great candidates. Which answers your second question, yes it is somewhat in your control. Don't go to a school where profs are publishing a lot, but are publishing in crappy journals. You won't necessarily have a hard time networking if you go to all of the conferences you'll meet people from all programs. You can sometimes makes those relationships into collaborative ventures, but you have to put in the work to do that.

 

To get at the underlying question you are asking with question 3, yes, unfortunately, you will be looked down upon because you aren't at a T25 program. That's just the way the academy works. The best way to counteract that is to be a beast at research. No one will say a word if you're research record is flawless.

Edited February 22, 2016 by PhinPhD