DISCLAIMER: These views are my own based on my personal experiences and do not reflect the opinions of Duke University or any other institution where I have been affiliated.

Starting the Application Process

  • You should begin the graduate school application process by first thinking about why you want to go to graduate school in your chosen field. You should ask yourself what interests me about this field? What do I want to get out of my graduate school experience? What excites me about conducting research?
  • Once you have thought about your goals for graduate school, start doing research into different advisors and programs. Ask your mentors if there’s any advisors or programs they would recommend.
  • Another way to search for prospective advisors is to look for advisors who are specifically advertising that they have funding for a new student. Field-specific listservs such as cryolist are a great resource for this (for people interested in polar research).
  • Before starting work on your applications, you should reach out to prospective advisors ideally in early fall of the year you apply to graduate school. This inquiry email should be brief and to the point, describing (in a few sentences) your background and research experiences and why you’re interested in the advisor’s work. Be specific and demonstrate that you have done your research into the advisor and program. You should also attach your CV.
  • Do not be discouraged if you do not get a response from a professor. While many faculty try to respond to all applicants, the reality is that faculty get many inquiry emails and may not be able to respond to all of them. Also, not every advisor recruits new students every year, so even if you are an excellent candidate, they simply might not be taking a student the year you apply.
  • Some faculty will speak with prospective students prior to the application deadline, whereas others may choose to wait until they have reviewed applications. Regardless, if you do have the opportunity to speak with a prospective advisor, come prepared with questions about their research group and the graduate program at their institution.
  • Questions to ask prospective advisors include asking about current research opportunities in their lab, what sort of positions students usually go onto after completing their degree, their mentorship style, and how students are typically funded.
  • It’s important to note that if you are doing a PhD (and often a research-based MS) in the US, you should be fully funded – in other you should words, you should be PAID to do your program. Your salary can come from multiple sources:
    • Fellowship: These can be either internal (i.e. university or department-specific fellowships) or external (e.g. NSF GRFP or NASA FINESST). The external fellowships and some internal fellowships require separate applications, so keep this in mind.
    • Research Assistant: You are funded by your advisor’s grant and thus are expected to work on research relevant to that grant.
    • Teaching Assistant: Teaching a lab or discussion section, grading assignments, etc.
  • After speaking to an advisor, it’s always nice to send an email thanking them for their time. Follow up if you have any further questions, but do not expect advisors to have multiple conversations with you prior to the application deadline.
  • Lastly, be organized. Make a spreadsheet for yourself with a list of all the programs you are considering apply to, which advisor(s) you have contacted, when the application is due and what the application requirements are.

How to Have a Strong Application

  • Your application should communicate (1) why you want to go to graduate school, (2) why you will be successful in grad school (i.e. through discussing your previous experiences), and (3) why you particularly want to go to your chosen program/work with a specific advisor.
  • Advisors are generally looking for a student who has a solid background in their chosen subfield, is independently motivated, has a good attitude and works well in a group (i.e. will contribute to a positive research group dynamic), and has clear passion for the subject. Being a strong writer and having the necessary technical skills (i.e. programming, field experience, lab experience, etc) to conduct research in your field are certainly a bonus, but you can always learn (and will certainly improve!) these skills during graduate school.
  • Having research experience is especially valuable. This can come through working as a research assistant, through summer programs like an REU, or through a senior thesis/capstone project. Through your statements and recommendation letters, you should demonstrate that you are ready to conduct independent research.
  • Reference letters are really important. Make sure you choose letter writers who can write you a strong letter and give them plenty of time to do it (asking at least 6 weeks in advance is a good rule of thumb). Send them your CV and application materials (if you have them done in time) so that they can clearly understand what you’re applying for and what your strengths are.
  • You can also demonstrate your commitment and passion for the field by applying for an external fellowship like the NSF GRFP. Some advisors may even be willing to help you with this process.
  • Finally, show what makes you unique! Whether through your research experiences, extracurricular activities or general life experiences, your statements should communicate your passion for the subject and your leadership potential.

Decision Time

  • In my opinion, there are four primary things (in no particularly order) you should consider when deciding where to accept an offer and attend graduate school:
  1. Your advisor and research fit – Am I excited about the research I would conduct in this research group? Does the advisor seem like a good fit for what I’m looking for in a mentor? What do the advisor’s current/past students say about their experiences and the advisor’s mentorship style?
  2. Funding – How much will I be paid? Is my salary (including summer salary) guaranteed? If so, for how many years? How often will I have to TA? Are students in the department generally happy with the financial support they receive? Does the advisor have enough grant funding to support my research?
  3. Quality of program – Is this a reputable program in my field? Does the program have the resources to allow me to achieve my goals for attending graduate school? Are current graduate students generally happy with the program and the academic/research support they receive? Where do students typically end up after they complete their graduate degree?
  4. Location – Can I see myself being happy living here? Could I reasonably afford to live here as a graduate student? What is the community like?
  • When making a decision, it is important to consider all four of these things. Graduate school is 2-6+ years of your life, and you want to go to a place where you will not only be supported for future success but also where you will be happy.
  • It is very important to speak to current graduate students (both your advisor’s students and other students in the department) at the programs you have been accepted into. Ask them if they feel well supported by the department, what your prospective advisor’s mentorship is like, whether they feel there is a strong graduate student community, and what they feel the strengths and weaknesses of the program are. 

Specifics for Environmental Research

  • Unlike in some fields, in environmental research, many subfields, such as hydrology, glaciology and carbon cycle science, fall in different departments at different universities, such as Geography, Earth Science, Environmental Science/Environmental Studies, Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences and/or Civil and Environmental Engineering.
  • When I applied to graduate school, I applied to a range of departments. This is normal – it is generally not a problem to apply to a graduate program in a field in which you do not have a degree (e.g. switching from Earth Science to Geography or Engineering, or vice versa) as long as you can explain why you want to do so.
  • In terms of your research, the department that you’re in likely will not make much of a difference (this will depend much more on your specific advisor and their interests), but it will affect your graduate school experience and can potentially influence your career options post-PhD.
  • In my view, the biggest differences between departments are going to come in coursework and comprehensive exams.
  • Broadly speaking, in Geography departments, you will likely be required to take some coursework in human geography and/or a core course covering the history and development of geography. Your comprehensive exams will also likely be more writing intensive. At the other end of the spectrum, in Civil and Environmental Engineering, your coursework will likely be a bit more quantitative and there may be some math/physics/engineering course requirements you will need to meet. Similarly, the comprehensive exam is more likely to be an actual test (as compared to a series of essays or an oral exam). Other disciplines (e.g. earth science, environmental science) fall somewhere between these two.  Of course, it’s important to note that this is a generalization and every department is different.
  • The other differences are the other students you will be surrounded by as well as the department culture.
  • Keep in mind that regardless of what department you are in, you’ll likely be able to take coursework in different departments. During my PhD, I took coursework in four different departments – Earth Science, Geography, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences!
  • In my opinion, the most important thing here is to keep an open mind about different departments but do your research (speak to advisors and current students!) to make sure you are making an informed decision and are choosing a department that best suits your research and career goals.