Asking the right person for personal statement help is vital
You’ve written your draft, you’ve revised it once… twice… three times. You’re now ready to get feedback to inform your last round of revisions. Unfortunately, far too many people take a haphazard approach to getting personal statement advice. As such, we at Gurufi provide you with these tips on getting great advice for your personal statement.
First, the person you choose will play a pivotal role in helping you craft a personal statement that not only shines but truly captures the essence of who you are. You’ll want to find someone with a strong writing background. Content choices and big-picture strategy and positioning are obviously important, but if your prose isn’t clean, clear, and properly structured, you’re doomed from the start. As such, your readers should ALL be experts in grammar, syntax, and style, and know how to give feedback that’s as constructive as it is actionable. If they’ve had experience working with personal statements, even better – they’ll be in the perfect position to guide you through the twists and turns of this unique writing endeavor.
Second, it’s a great idea to seek out someone who’s got their finger on the pulse of your field or the program you’re applying to. You want your personal statement to reflect a deep understanding of what makes your industry tick and thus your editor needs to be able to speak the language of your future colleagues. Plus, they’ll have the know-how to help you showcase your one-of-a-kind strengths and experiences in a way that’ll make you stand out from the crowd.
Third, think about your relationship with that person. Is it based on respect, knowledge of one another, and bluntness balanced by empathy? The best editors know how to give tough love diplomatically, to tell you the difficult truth while also making you believe you have it in your to fix it. There are two poles to avoid. On the one hand, you don’t want somebody who is afraid to step on your toes, so they hold back on tough critiques. On the other hand, sometimes bluntness can go to far if it either undermines your confidence or provides you with clumsy criticisms that don’t have solutions attached. At Gurufi, we never raise a problem without providing paths for solutions because we believe that we can get our clients from wherever they are to a powerful personal statement.
By selecting a person with these outstanding qualities, you’ll be well on your way to receiving the advice and insights that’ll help you craft a personal statement that’s as exceptional as you are.
For more help with your personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top Masters and Ph.D. programs in STEM, humanities, fine arts, and social sciences. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
What metrics do grad school admissions committees use to assess applicants?
Today we’re talking about how graduate school admissions committees assess applications. I’m Brian from Gurufi. In my 17 years in this field, I’ve helped thousands of applicants earn admission into their dream schools, so I have a thorough grasp of how this process works. We’ll look at the main criteria used to evaluate graduate applications in this post, as well as how they differ from undergraduate admissions criteria.
First and foremost, it’s critical to realize that graduate school admissions committees want applicants who can show they have what it takes to excel in their programs and advance their fields. As such, graduate admissions committees take a more comprehensive and holistic approach than those for undergraduate applications, where grades and test scores are frequently the main focus. Graduate school admissions committees take into account a variety of elements to determine a candidate’s potential, including their academic performance, test results, recommendations, personal statements, and “show me” materials. Most importantly, they care in a hyper-specific way about whether you will excel in this field you’re applying to.
Start with your grades and test results. They do play a vital part in the appraisal process, but they don’t occupy the same primary role they do in, for instance, medical school or law school applications. Because graduate programs are challenging, admissions committees look for proof that applicants have the academic background required to succeed. This often implies that applicants must have an excellent undergraduate GPA with an emphasis on courses pertinent to their desired graduate program. Indeed, most graduate programs will either ask you to provide the GPA for just your major or use other metrics to create their own internal GPA that weights higher level courses, classes you took after your freshman year, and classes that are relevant to the grad program. Also, though it’s becoming increasingly rare, a lot of programs demand that applicants take standardized exams like the GRE. In theory, these exams give admissions committees a tool to compare candidates’ intellectual potential and prowess… but in reality they’re mostly used to weed out applicants in the initial phases of evaluation. As such, the fact that you have a strong GPA or test result does not ensure admission.
Another important element in the review process is recommendations. The potential of a candidate for graduate study and research is something that admissions committees are interested in hearing about. This often implies that candidates must provide letters of recommendation from academics or other experts who are familiar with them and can vouch for their qualifications. A candidate’s talents and prospective contributions to the area are highlighted in strong letters of reference, which may also offer insightful information about the applicant’s character and work ethic.
The evaluation procedure also considers personal statements. The chance to demonstrate one’s personality, interests, and ambitions, as well as to argue why one is a suitable match for the program, is provided by the application. Statements that are well-written, considerate, and show a good grasp of the school and area are what admissions committees look for. Good personal statements demonstrate that the candidate is devoted to continuing graduate education in their profession and that they have a strong sense of purpose.
Last but not least, “show me” materials are also quite important in the evaluation procedure. This comprises essays, publications, writing samples, articles, presentations, lab work, and other work related to the graduate program. These resources offer verifiable proof of a candidate’s potential and exhibit their capacity to advance the field. For instance, a quality writing sample might highlight an applicant’s analytical and critical thinking talents, while lab experience can highlight their research capabilities. For students who might not have a great academic history or test scores but who have other experiences that illustrate their ability for graduate study, “show me” materials are especially crucial.
For more help with your personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top Masters and Ph.D. programs in STEM, humanities, fine arts, and social sciences. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
Here at Gurufi, we love working with STEM Ph.D. applicants. Compared to social science or humanities Ph.D. applicants, STEM doctoral candidates have in mind a diverse array of goals for what they aspire to do after earning their degrees. Indeed, one of the superpowers of a STEM PhD is that you have a lot of options after earning your degree. STEM PhDs are in great demand across a wide range of professions and sectors, and they frequently have excellent financial prospects. Here, we will examine the various options and also the possible lifetime earnings of STEM PhDs in a variety of vocations.
Academic Careers: Many STEM PhDs choose to work in academia as professors or researchers in colleges or research facilities. Despite the fact that academic salary can vary greatly depending on the discipline and the institution, tenure-track professor positions can provide steady pay with yearly increments and prospects for advancement. The National Science Foundation reported that in 2017, the median pay for full-time, tenure-track academics in the disciplines of science and engineering was $96,000.
Careers in Industry: STEM PhDs can also work for organizations in industries including biotechnology, engineering, and computer science. In 2020, the American Chemical Society found that engineers with PhDs in industry earned a median income of $136,000 while chemists with PhDs in industry earned a median salary of $130,000. STEM PhDs frequently command greater compensation and more senior positions within their firms as they advance in their careers and accumulate more expertise.
STEM PhDs can also act as consultants, offering knowledgeable counsel to companies and organizations. The typical pay for management consultants with PhDs was $139,000 in 2021, according to statistics from Glassdoor. Consultants can frequently demand even larger fees as they gain more expertise and establish their reputations as experts in their professions.
Science communication is a developing subject that includes explaining difficult scientific ideas to a broad audience.
STEM PhDs can work in a variety of scientific communication positions, including as writing, editing, and generating material for media outlets or for non-profit or governmental groups. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2020, the median pay for writers and authors was $67,120. The pay scale might vary greatly based on the position and sector, although skilled scientific communicators frequently earn greater income.
Science Policy: STEM PhDs can also work in scientific policy, utilizing their knowledge to help make decisions about the environment, health, and other topics. Jobs in science policy are available in the public sector, the nonprofit sector, and the commercial sector. Science policy analysts made a median income of $95,000 in 2021, per Glassdoor statistics.
Intellectual Property Law: STEM PhDs can work in the field of intellectual property law, defending people’s and companies’ rights with relation to their intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. The median annual salary for attorneys in 2020 was $126,930, according to statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while many attorneys made substantially more money.
Job Title
Average Annual Salary
Estimated Lifelong Earnings (40-Year Career)
Professor/Researcher (Academic)
$96,000 (NSF, 2017)
$3,840,000
Research Scientist (Industry)
$105,000 (Glassdoor, 2021)
$4,200,000
Management Consultant
$139,000 (Glassdoor, 2021)
$5,560,000
Data Scientist
$121,000 (Glassdoor, 2021)
$4,840,000
Science Writer/Editor
$67,120 (BLS, 2020)
$2,684,800
Patent Attorney/Agent
$170,000 (Glassdoor, 2021)
$6,800,000
Medical Science Liaison
$138,000 (Glassdoor, 2021)
$5,520,000
If these sound like exciting careers to you, and you’d like to pursue a STEM Ph.D. or Masters, be sure to contact us at Gurufi.com! Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top Masters and Ph.D. programs in STEM, humanities, fine arts, and social sciences. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
The good news, though, is that even if you cannot secure a tenure-track position, there are options available. The assumption is that these fallback options often make than people in other professions, but is this truly the case? Here, we will examine the lifetime incomes of PhDs in the humanities, both in academic and non-academic work tracks. First, let’s define what a doctorate in the humanities is. The wide category of humanities includes disciplines like literature, philosophy, history, languages, and cultural studies. Years of education, research, and writing are frequently required to earn a doctorate in these subjects, and the process culminates in a dissertation that adds something new to the field. In short, becoming a Ph.D. requires that you demonstrate intellect, focus, hard work, and creativity. Thus, it’s not a surprise that you’ll end up possessing skills that make you attractive on the job market.
Academic Career Path
A tenure-track post in a college or university is a typical career route for humanities doctorate holders. The American Association of University Professors estimates that a full-time faculty member made an average income of $94,837 in 2021–2022. Yet, this figure might differ significantly based on the institution, the field, and the region. For instance, research university professors often make more money than their counterparts at liberal arts institutions. In addition, as compared to STEM fields, humanities fields often have lower average incomes.
The job market for tenure-track posts is an additional issue to take into account. Not every PhD graduate will be successful in landing a tenure-track post since the academic employment market can be quite competitive. In reality, just around 25% of PhDs in the humanities land tenure-track jobs, according to a Chronicle of Higher Education survey. The route to tenure may be long and uncertain for those who do land a tenure-track job, with many elements that are beyond their control.
Non-Academic Career Path
While obtaining a tenure-track post is frequently the objective of humanities PhD candidates, this is not the only possible career option. A rising number of people now understand that PhDs in the humanities have significant abilities that may be used in a variety of occupations outside of academia. Among these professions are:
Nonprofit industry: Numerous non-profit organizations need someone with good research, writing, and communication abilities, including museums, cultural institutions, and advocacy groups. These roles, which sometimes entail conducting research, writing grants, and creating instructional programs, might be ideal for those with PhDs in the humanities.
Publishing: Humanities PhDs have extensive writing and editing experience, which is helpful in the publishing sector. Editorial jobs, marketing, and sales positions are all possible careers in publishing.
Government: People with a variety of talents, such as research and writing, are employed by the government. PhDs in the humanities can work in fields including public policy, international relations, and the preservation of cultural heritage.
Education: Although many humanities PhD candidates want to land tenure-track positions as professors, there are additional chances to teach outside of academic institutions. For instance, those with a Doctorate in English could find employment as English teachers in high schools or as instructors in community colleges.
Consulting: Companies that provide consulting services frequently seek out candidates with great research and analytical abilities. These professions, which might entail performing market research, evaluating data, and designing strategies for customers, may be a good fit for humanities PhDs.
The Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce reports that the typical annual pay for humanities PhDs employed in management, business, and finance is $121,000. The typical annual compensation for those working in the media and communications is $96,000, while the median annual salary for those working in education and training is $81,000.
It is vital to remember that, despite the fact that non-academic career paths might be profitable for humanities PhD holders, they frequently call for extra education and experience beyond the degree. For instance, people who work in publishing might need to develop their writing or editing skills, while those who run charitable organizations would need to develop their grant-writing or fundraising skills.
Job Type
Average Salary
Estimated Lifetime Earnings
College Professor
$78,464
$1.5 million
Non-Tenure-Track
$52,500
$1.0 million
Adjunct Professor
$2,700/course
$810,000
Publisher
$68,000
$1.8 million
Journalist
$50,000
$1.5 million
Public Relations
$60,000
$1.8 million
Nonprofit Management
$70,000
$2.1 million
Education and Training
$81,000
$2.4 million
Media and Communications
$96,000
$2.9 million
Management, Business, and Finance
$121,000
$3.6 million
Lifetime Income
It is crucial to take both academic and non-academic career paths into account when estimating the lifetime earnings of PhDs in the humanities. The biggest income potential may be found in tenure-track posts at research universities, but many humanities PhDs may need to look into other professional options in order to make ends meet.
The Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce found that humanities Doctorate holders who work in education and training make an average lifetime income of $1.5 million. Median lifetime earnings for people in the management, business, and financial sectors are $3.3 million, while those in the media and communications sector may anticipate earning a typical lifetime income of $2.2 million.
Earning a Ph.D. can be one of the most meaningful -and even fun!- processes of your life. And, doing so with the knowledge that you have career options on the other side can be genuinely comforting!
For more help with your personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top Masters and Ph.D. programs in STEM, humanities, fine arts, and social sciences. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
When I checked my email this morning, I remembered why this is my favorite time of year! Two of my favorite clients got into their dream schools, and my back-and-forth emails with a client who just found out that he got into Stanford brought a warm feeling to my heart that just about melted the huge pile of snow outside my house!
During the late fall and early winter, we’re incredibly busy at Gurufi, helping clients get into their dream schools. But now, our clients are starting to hear back from graduate and medical programs, and the good news we get is fantastic and justifies all the late nights working with them to perfect their personal statements and CVs. But now, many of our clients face a happy dilemma: how do you choose between two good schools?
Though technically speaking picking from among schools isn’t part of my job, I often give clients some advice about this question based on years of experience. Here are ten thoughts on how to pick between schools after you’ve been offered admission!
Ask yourself: do I want to live there? One of the biggest mistakes that I’ve seen people make is to view their graduate school experience as something that they should just endure or merely Not your preferred location? Well… it’s only a few years! That is the wrong approach. If you’re happy, you’re more likely to thrive, make connections, and get the most out of the experience. So, take the school’s location and size into account. Think about whether you want to attend a large or small school and if you want to live in a major city or a small town. Ask yourself, “is this somewhere I could live?” Don’t be afraid to try something new, but listen to what your gut says and ask yourself “could I thrivehere?”
Once again, look into the academics and how well they align with your goals. Especially if you’re trying to decide between comparable programs, take the time to do another “final check,” perhaps even more in-depth than when choosing whether to apply. Check out the instructors and available programs. Check the curriculum to see if it fits your professional objectives, and look into the professors to see if they have any relevant experience or publications. Contact current students and ask them what they love and what they wish they could change. Write down what you think your two years of coursework, training, resources, and extracurriculars would look like.
Okay, fine… take into account the school’s reputation and ranking. I am a HUGE believer in the idea that fit matters more than ranking, but ranking and reputation do matter. Rankings should not be the primary consideration, but they can help you determine the standing of the institution and the caliber of its curriculum.
Think about the alumni and current students you’ve met. By this point, you’ve likely talked to lots of current students and alumni. Once you’ve been admitted, use LinkedIn and other resources that the school provides to have more conversations about the school and its strengths. You’ll likely find that students are even more frank with students who’ve been admitted. Similarly, find out about how active alumni are and the kinds of things that they’re up to. After graduation, a robust alumni network may offer useful contacts and assistance.
Price compare. Usually, schools provide financial aid and cost information a few weeks after admission. Sometimes longer. As soon as you have this information, it’s time to get down to brass tacks. How much are you willing to spend? Importantly, you can also use this period to bargain. Contact the Admissions and Financial Aid offices if you’ve gotten a more generous package from another school, and ask them to close the gap. They won’t always be able to do so, but they often can, and it never hurts to ask! At any rate, once you have some solid numbers, a basic ROI assessment that includes everything from long-term trajectory to immediate salary bumps can help you figure out your next move.
Don’t forget to do a deep dive into local expenses! If you’re comparing, for instance, NYU and Ross, remember to account for the fact that Manhattan is a lot pricier than Ann Arbor.
Listen to your gut… but you don’t have to obey it! Churchill said that “intuition is reason in a hurry.” There’s real truth to this. In 99% of cases, people have a gut-level preference for one school. Begin by acknowledging what this is, and then ask why. Are you a little too enamored with rankings? Did the campus dazzle you? Whatever the reason, ask yourself a follow-up question: is the basis of my gut’s decision rational and good? If not, then be willing to deny your intuition and take a more thoughtful approach. If so, then you know what to do!
Consider the culture and ideals of the school. To learn more about the school’s culture and beliefs and determine whether they coincide with your own, visit the school’s website and go to informational sessions. If this hasn’t been made clear to you, ask somebody. Attending a school where your values align with theirs is vital, so don’t overlook it.
Dig into the data. Now is the time to get even fussier about all of the relevant data that schools keep. What’s their 1-year and 5-year employment data look like? Average salary? Long-term satisfaction rate (or its proxy: alumni giving percentage)? You probably looked at this information during the application process, but now is the time to do it again!
Take into account the school’s inclusion and diversity. A varied and inclusive school may offer a richer educational experience and can also be a positive reflection of the ideals of the institution. And if that touchy-feely stuff doesn’t move you, remember that you’re hoping to thrive within an increasingly global and diverse world, so be sure that you have the background and comfort level to do this!
I hope that you have the happy conundrum of trying to choose between great options! If you’d like to have this problem, then be sure to check us out Gurufi.com! For seventeen years, we’ve helped thousands of clients craft powerful personal statements and attractive CVs. Check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top medical, law, and graduate programs. We pride ourselves in guaranteeing the satisfaction of every client. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Colleges and universities are freaking out because students are beginning to use ChatGPT to do their academic work. A recent poll of Stanford students found that 10% used it to create homework that they turned in without additional alteration. Now, many people are turning to ChatGPT to craft their personal statements.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT can produce content that is grammatically, syntactically, and structurally sound. BUT, writing a personal statement isn’t a grammar lesson or purely an exercise in basic composition. In short, it needs a human touch and a level of understanding about you, as an applicant, that at present, an AI cannot reproduce. Moreover, personal statements are meant to demonstrate your character, capabilities, and experiences. This implies that they must be particular to you and distinctive. In your voice, from your mind, and reflective of your thoughts and values. Although ChatGPT can create material of a high caliber, it is unable to give it your voice and viewpoint, which is a crucial component of a personal statement.
Second, there are ethical issues with writing your personal statement utilizing ChatGPT. This is an understatement. It is dishonest to have a language model write your personal statement, and if you’re discovered you risk that school telling other schools you’ve applied to. As this video makes plain, schools are investing in high-quality AI-detection software and they are already using them in admissions departments.
Finally, utilizing ChatGPT to draft your personal statement involves some practical issues. Although it might save you time, careful thinking and introspection are still necessary. To create a powerful personal statement, you must reflect deeply on your goals, interests, and accomplishments. If you rely on a computer to do this job for you, your essay can end up being less strong and persuasive.
For more help with your personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top Masters and Ph.D. programs in STEM, humanities, fine arts, and social sciences. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Colleges and universities are freaking out because students are beginning to use ChatGPT to do their academic work. A recent poll of Stanford students found that 10% used it to create homework that they turned in without additional alteration. Now, many people are turning to ChatGPT to craft their personal statements.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT can produce content that is grammatically, syntactically, and structurally sound. BUT, writing a personal statement isn’t a grammar lesson or purely an exercise in basic composition. In short, it needs a human touch and a level of understanding about you, as an applicant, that at present, an AI cannot reproduce. Moreover, personal statements are meant to demonstrate your character, capabilities, and experiences. This implies that they must be particular to you and distinctive. In your voice, from your mind, and reflective of your thoughts and values. Although ChatGPT can create material of a high caliber, it is unable to give it your voice and viewpoint, which is a crucial component of a personal statement.
Second, there are ethical issues with writing your personal statement utilizing ChatGPT. This is an understatement. It is dishonest to have a language model write your personal statement, and if you’re discovered you risk that school telling other schools you’ve applied to. As this video makes plain, schools are investing in high-quality AI-detection software and they are already using them in admissions departments.
Finally, utilizing ChatGPT to draft your personal statement involves some practical issues. Although it might save you time, careful thinking and introspection are still necessary. To create a powerful personal statement, you must reflect deeply on your goals, interests, and accomplishments. If you rely on a computer to do this job for you, your essay can end up being less strong and persuasive.
For more help with your personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top Masters and Ph.D. programs in STEM, humanities, fine arts, and social sciences. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Use these ideas to build a powerful graduate school personal statement!
In our last video, we talked about how to brainstorm and generate content for your personal statement.
This video builds on that exercise, so make sure that you check that out before watching this video! The personal statement is one of the most important -and stressful- parts of a graduate school application! You have limited space to state your case for admission, give a sense of your perspective and values, indicate how you’re prepared for this immense challenge, and describe why you’d fit into the culture and intellectual mission of the program. Though it’s certainly different than other kinds of essays, your personal statement ought to be well-structured, convincing, and logical.
Here are some pointers to help you arrange your personal statement for your doctoral application:
(1) Begin with a compelling introduction… but avoid gimmicks over too much emotionality. The best way to do this is by using storytelling. Once you establish how and why studying this subject in depth is important to you, it’s easier to provide a clear indication of the aim of your personal statement as well as your goals for the Ph.D. program.
(2) Remember that grad school admissions essays are fundamentally different than undergraduate admissions essays! The purpose isn’t to show that you’re zany, quirky, or have lots of personality, it’s to show that you’re ready, mature, and prepared to study this particular subject at a high level. As such, emphasize your research background and / or your familiarity with the field. : Your experience and knowledge in research should be highlighted in your personal statement. Describe how your research efforts, publications, or presentations have prepared you for a Ph.D. program using concrete examples. Be careful to include any research interests or areas of concentration you may have.
(3) Similarly, your essay needs to have a laser-focus on your preparation within the particular field. As such, emphasize your academic successes, such as honors and awards, and describe how these successes show that you have what it takes to be successful in a graduate program. Moreover, make sure to list any pertinent courses you have completed and discuss how they helped you prepare for graduate studies.
(4) Lastly, your personal statement should outline your professional objectives, including why you want to enroll in the program and what you aim to accomplish with your research. Talk about your long-term professional objectives and how a Ph.D. program can help you reach them. #gradschool #gradschoolapplications
For more help with your personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top Masters and Ph.D. programs in STEM, humanities, fine arts, and social sciences. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
You’re never too old to pursue grad school, but there are important considerations
Now here’s the issue… Those who inquire, “Am I too old to begin a Ph.D.?” are typically attempting to talk themselves out of it. This may shock you, but I believe that you should begin this process by trying to talk yourself out of it. If, even after trying to find reasons not to do it, you still feel and KNOW in your gut that you want to and need to, then you should move forward with a more detailed analysis.
The first question in this analysis is often “is this the right time?” or “am I took old?” The truth is that there is no single “optimal” age to begin a Ph.D. because choosing to pursue graduate education is quite individual and influenced by a number of circumstances. When I entered Yale’s History Ph.D. program, I was 27, which was about average. There were no people straight out of college in my program, and the oldest person in my cohort was a man in his early 50s who’d had a lucrative career at Goldman Sachs before deciding that he wanted to spend his retirement years writing about and teaching history. Thus, there’s no set path that people have to follow, and while there are many good reasons NOT to pursue a Ph.D., age isn’t one of them. If you feel like you still have the juice and desire to spend long hours diving into a single subject, then do it!
Going deeper into this question, though, you should at least project out what your timeline would look like. You can assume 5-8 years to finish your Ph.D. People who hope to enter academia with STEM degrees will typically then need to complete postdocs of 2-5 years, after which you’d pursue professorial positions on the hyper-competitive job market. For people in the humanities and social sciences, postdocs and adjunct positions are becoming increasingly common, and thus your path may look a lot like the long road STEM PhDs face.
Thus, the tough reality is that you may find yourself twelve years from now with a Ph.D., a postdoc, and scrapping and fighting for an academic job. While you can certainly find some form of gainful employment with a Ph.D. of any kind, the idea of being 12 years older than you are now and hustling and scrapping to get one of the few jobs out there may be more palatable to someone who’s 27 than 47. Again, this is something that you’ll need to reflect on as you think about your circumstances, family reality, and financial needs and expectations.
It’s also crucial to think about whether you have the time and money to go to graduate school, as well as the needs of a Ph.D. program. In addition to requiring a major time commitment for classroom, research, and writing, a Ph.D. program may also include moving away from home or pausing your existing employment. You could opt to do a Ph.D. later in life if you are not prepared to undertake these obligations now.
When determining whether to begin a Ph.D., there are other practical factors to think about, such as finance options and the employment market. My advice is never to pursue a Ph.D. unless you are certain of funding. The top schools fully fund their Ph.D. students through stipends, teaching awards, and maybe some work requirements. If you are accepted into a program and there’s a gap between what you’re provided and what it costs, it’s not a real admission and you should walk away. This might be doubly so if you’re older or have a family, and thus the idea of pursuing a PhD full-time while ALSO working a full-time job+ to pay for it is just not acceptable.
Lastly, if you’re looking to enter academia, you should accept that this industry tends to love “shiny young things.” So if you enter grad school in your late 30s, you might not be viewed as a promising future star, even if you produce stellar work.
Generally, the best age to begin a PhD will depend on your personal and professional objectives, your level of education and work experience, as well as your availability and commitment level to graduate school. When choosing a choice, it is crucial to give these aspects significant thought and to consult academic counselors, mentors, and other experts.
For more help with your personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top Masters and Ph.D. programs in STEM, humanities, fine arts, and social sciences. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
References:
Association of American Universities. (2018). The academic job market for new PhDs in the humanities. Retrieved from https://www.aau.edu/policy-issues/the-academic-job-market-new-phds-humanities
National Science Foundation. (2018). Doctorate recipients from U.S. universities: 2017. Retrieved from https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2018/nsf18319/
National Academy of Sciences. (2018). The supply of and demand for science and engineering PhDs in the United States. Retrieved from https://www.pnas.org/content/115/9/2062
Association of American Universities. (2018). The academic job market for new PhDs in science, engineering, and health. Retrieved from https://www.aau.edu/policy-issues/the-academic-job-market-new-phds-science-engineering-and-health
Getting an Academic Job Is the Hardest Part of the Ph.D. process!
“Academia is a killing field…” On my first day of graduate school, a fellow Ph.D. student who was a few years ahead of me provided this sobering bit of advice. Though I would eventually get a job at Harvard before deciding to do other things, throughout my time at Yale, I felt a deep sense of dread about the day when I would go out on the job market. Whether, like me, you were a humanities student or you studied social science or STEM, the chances of earning a tenure-track position after graduation are quite low. Some stats:
According to data from the National Science Foundation, in 2018, approximately just 22% of individuals who received research doctorates (including PhDs) in science, engineering, and health fields in the United States obtained a tenure-track position within one year of completing their degree.
In Computer Science, about 35% of PhD graduates obtained a tenure-track position within one year.
In Physics, only about 15% of PhD graduates did so.
My old discipline, History, was a bit better. Roughly 42% of individuals who earned a history PhD in the United States in 2020 obtained a tenure-track position within one year of completing their degree.
According to a report from the American Chemical Society, 20% of Chemistry PhD graduates who completed their degree in the 2019-2020 academic year had secured a tenure-track position as of December 2020.
A survey conducted by the American Political Science Association found that approximately 53% of Political Science PhD graduates who completed their degree in the 2019-2020 academic year had secured a tenure-track position as of September 2020.
The American Economic Association’s most recent data on employment outcomes for Economics PhD graduates indicates that approximately 45% of individuals who completed their degree in the 2018-2019 academic year secured a tenure-track position within one year.
It’s worth noting that these statistics may not provide a complete picture of the academic job market, as they only account for individuals who are actively seeking academic employment and may not include those who have pursued non-academic careers or are still seeking employment after one year. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the academic job market, with many institutions facing budget cuts and hiring freezes. This has made the already competitive job market even more challenging for new PhD graduates seeking tenure-track positions.
Overall, the statistics for PhD graduates seeking tenure-track positions are influenced by a range of factors, including the overall state of the economy, institutional hiring practices, and individual qualifications and experience. It’s important for PhD graduates to be aware of these factors and to develop a comprehensive job search strategy that includes exploring a range of employment options both within and outside of academia. This begins the day that you decide to enter graduate school. Be thoughtful and intentional about building relationships, participating in research, trying to publish, attending conferences, and otherwise doing whatever is necessary so that, in 5-8 years when you earn your doctorate, your CV reflects someone who is ready to become a leader in academia. After all, for most positions you are applying for, you will likely be competing against several hundred other applicants.
In addition to these elements, larger economic and sociological changes may also have an impact on how competitive the academic market is. A more competitive market may result from, for instance, fewer resources being available during economic downturns to hire new academics or researchers. On the other hand, when the economy is expanding, there may be more possibilities accessible, which would reduce market competition.
It might seem like I’m trying to scare you out of pursuing a Ph.D., but that’s not the case! I do believe that if you’re passionate about the field, willing to work within it, and have talent, you can make it. But, forewarned is forearmed, so understand from the start that this isn’t like medical school, law school, or getting an MBA: you may not be able to get a job after you graduate. Approach your studies, your relationship-building, and your nascent research career with a sense of urgency because landing a job and building a career after getting your Ph.D. will be an immense challenge!
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“The American Philosophical Association’s Guide to the Graduate Study of Philosophy.” American Philosophical Association, 2022, https://www.apaonline.org/page/guidebook.
