10/27/2022
Hello and welcome back!
College has started up again, which means less time working on research and a lot more time working on graduate school applications. Summer was very successful, and I am going to miss spending that much time in my lab. Unfortunately, spending the majority on my time on applications has been necessary this last month. I have looked into my science career up to this point and decided the section of chemistry that I am most interested in continuing is with organic chemistry. This means I am applying for PhD programs with an organic focus, which are very difficult to get into.
Choosing Graduate Schools
I already had a spreadsheet with schools I was interested in and recently my mentor was able to provide a national ranking for organic graduate programs. This was very helpful since most of my choices were very high on the list. Although I want a top-tier program, I do want to spread out my applications in order to get the highest chance of being accepted. He also provided a list of some smaller schools that have strong organic chemistry programs, which is important to me as well. Based on his recommendations, I did switch a couple schools that would fit my needs better than others.
A College Recommended by my Mentor - Dartmouth College
My Progress
So far, I have completed applications to six graduate schools, and I am very happy with my progress so far. Most of the schools that I have applied to are my mid-tier schools. I like their programs, but in the progress of applying I am working out the possible issues with my personal statement or CV. Since starting the applications, I have found the most time-consuming part of these applications is filling out the basic information since the McNair program prepared me with a personal statement outline. Dealing with the stress in an acceptable way has also been a key part of my schedule, since mental health is more important than ever right now. Sitting down in a cafe or outside has helped a lot when filling out these applications.
A Morning spent in a coffee shop applying to Graduate Schools
What's Next
Virtually all of the programs I am applying to have December 1st due dates, which means I have around a month left to complete the remaining four applications. My general plan has been an application every five days. This helps me to spread out the stress and make sure everything gets done on time. The process of applying would have been exponentially more difficult without the McNair program and my mentor. I think the saddest part of applying and moving on to graduate school will be leaving my research lab. I am very comfortable there, love the work, and my mentor is the most supportive person I could have asked for.