Welcome back to the “’Tis the Season for Ph.D. Interviews” blog series, covering interview questions, what to ask before accepting an offer, and coping with rejection.
Part II is all about what to ask about your prospective Ph.D. program, advisors, and lifestyle. Specifically, we’re covering six(6) often overlooked types of information you should seek.
Do you have:
1) At least one interview? (Congratulations! That’s essential progress.)
2) At least one offer? (Congratulations!) Ideally, visit the program or at least speak with graduate students and professors in the program at least one more time before you decide.
3) A plan to apply during the next round of applications and/or need to find a principal investigator (PI) to endorse your application before you apply? (This is common outside of the US and it happens in many US-based programs too. Find out early.)
Consider the interview, campus visit, or any conversation you have with anyone associated with the program as a crucial moment to find out about the new life you will lead if you join. Whether your prospective Ph.D. program will be full-time or part-time, it is a new lifestyle.
Much like applying for full-time employment, your prospective supervisor wants to assess whether you’d be a good fit for their team, and you should assess whether you’ll thrive in this new environment.
This guide is organized into six(6) categories of information to find out beyond the research. There are great resources online about questions to ask your interviewers (like program or admissions directors), prospective PI’s, and other graduate students, such as the Master List of Interview Questions on Reddit.
I’ve organized by categories rather than types of people because for all categories, it’s best to seek information from multiple sources. That includes alumni, your network online, statistics, publication records, and your own experience.
For each category, I provide examples of questions and, in some cases, different ways to ask different parties. The list is not exhaustive – you’ll find more questions online. More importantly, you have different priorities and preferences than others. Only you can come up with selection criteria right for you, so take time to think about what is most important for you to ask.
Six essential things to learn about before accepting an offer for graduate school:
1) What is required for graduation
2) Funding & visas
3) Your potential advisors and research group
4) What is it like to work there?
5) What is it like to live there and how much does it cost
6) Why should you choose them
Let’s dive in.
1) What is required for graduation
Consult program directors, your prospective PI(s), and current and former graduate students on these:
Some programs are very straightforward, stating the number of courses and number of teaching hours you need to fulfill. Others may not be able to tell you for reasons such as funding – such constraints might require you to teach more to earn your stipend.
2) Funding, tuition & insurance, & visas
On these topics, it will serve you especially well to hear experiences as well as to find written policies.
a. Funding
Your financial situation can dramatically affect your quality of life and thereby your energy and mental sharpness to do the research needed to complete your Ph.D.
Find out specifics from directors, PI’s, and Ph.D. students:
A note on teaching – there’s nothing wrong with teaching as part of your Ph.D. You may love it. Even if you don’t, it is an excellent way to master the foundations of your field, polish your communication skills, and get new ideas. Bright students have great questions and ideas.
That being said, teaching won’t earn you the Ph.D. The more you have to teach to earn your stipend, the more time you will spend away from the essential Ph.D.-earning activities.
One former mentee now at a publicly funded university in the US is earning 7,000 USD from research and 28,000 USD from teaching. This came as a surprise and makes a big difference in one of the country’s most expensive cities.
b. Tuition & other costs
Although Ph.D. students generally do not pay tuition as they would for a bachelor's or master’s degree, there may still be a mandatory reduced tuition. This was the case in my Ph.D. program. Whilst the stipend is enough to cover it, you’ll still need to plan for these payments regularly.
Same story for insurance. Universities generally require you to have health insurance and often you can purchase it through the university. Again, this will take financial planning.
c. Visas
If you will require a visa, research the terms for visa sponsorship. Who signs off on it – the program director, your PI/advisor, or someone else in the university? These are the relationships you will want to navigate well. Get the terms in writing by the time you decide.
If you can, find out from students and alumni if there has ever been an issue with renewing a visa.
3) Your potential PI(s)/advisor(s) and their research group
Visiting a Ph.D. program before accepting the offer will be a golden opportunity to find out everything you want to know in this category.
a. The advisor
Consider this person to be the most influential in your Ph.D. experience and likelihood to graduate. Your relationship with them and the group members will shape your day-to-day experience more than what you choose to research.
(If you are completing or have completed a Ph.D. and this is not true for you, please tell me about it.)
You’ll likely want to know about:
Get as specific as you can. For example, I have seen all of these expectations from real professors:
There's no universal right or wrong style. See what aligns with you considering your goals and a lifestyle that helps you thrive.
4) What is the work environment like?
Beyond your research group, the organization, rules of the department and school will also shape the way you work. Let’s talk about facilities, intellectual mingling, and socializing:
a. Take time to learn about the shared facilities and how they are managed.
For example, if you will require access to a cleanroom, find out how people gain access to it, how time is shared and reserved, how helpful are the staff, how does this facility bill research groups and how much.
Availability, access, and cost will affect what research you do and how you do it.
b. Intellectual mingling
Believe it or not, science progresses through conversations, especially across expertise and disciplines. Guest lectures, internal lectures, symposia, and student presentations are essential activities to the health of the research ecosystem.
Equally important is the collegiality among researchers. How do they present their work? How do they communicate feedback? Are they generally supportive while being intellectually challenging? Or do there seem to be some ego clashes to avoid?
No organizational culture is perfect, but you can be more prepared with a little information ahead of time. That being said, you may hear emotional experiences and even gossip. When you can, make some headspace to sort out what you really know and what is important to you before acting on what you hear.
c. Socializing
On a day-to-day basis, you will likely spend more time interacting with your colleagues than people at home, especially you’re doing experimental research or field work.
Social support or the lack thereof can make or break the experience, especially if things get difficult with research advisors – and there will be conflict at some point, healthy or otherwise.
5) What is it like to live there and how much does it cost?
Your quality of life will shape your capacity to do your Ph.D.-earning research.
Consider:
Group members are the best sources of information about this. On housing, one former postdoc in Los Angeles was told by the PI that all group members live close enough to walk to work. On moving there, the postdoc found out that only ~25% of the group could walk to work while the rest opted for more affordable options further away or lived with family in the suburbs.
6) Why should you choose them?
The universities' and PIs' successes depend on innovations, discoveries, mentoring, and teaching from postdocs and Ph.D. candidates. They will be lucky to have you.
Of course, it may not feel appropriate to ask directly “Why should I choose you?”
You can try phrasing such as, “What do you think attracts students to your program?”
More importantly, you are constructing your own selection criteria. No one can decide for you what makes a choice the right one for you and what is a deal breaker.
By thinking carefully about what’s important to you in research, your career aspirations, and the experience you would like to have as a Ph.D. candidate, you’ll equip yourself with questions on specific topics, such as those suggested here, that will help you decide.
Wrapping up: How to use and trust what you learn
If you’ve read this far, you’re equipped with a collection of questions to make an informed decision when the time comes to commit. No program is perfect. With more information, you can prepare yourself for the experience.
As mentioned earlier, many Ph.D. programs require you to identify your Ph.D. advisor before applying. That prospective advisor must endorse your application for you to be admitted, so you will need to interview before applying.
A senior professor in Materials Science and Engineering in Hong Kong shared that he interviews everyone interested in the program and working in his lab before they apply. They will be invited to apply only if he chooses to endorse their application. In that case, they will also be asked to apply for the Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship Scheme.
In such a case, use these interactions to your advantage. If the PI is endorsing you, it serves them well to let you know how to increase your chances of success. Don’t hesitate to ask direct questions to fill in the gaps!
Finally, I can’t stress this enough – seek information from multiple sources. Consistency among multiple sources (or lack thereof) could tell you something, as could vague or avoidant answers.
Conclude carefully though. Remember that the people you speak to are not you. They’re sharing their experience through their lens of priorities. Yours are different.
Secondly, lack of data is not necessarily a red flag. Newer programs and early career PI’s offer great possibilities for innovation. (Ask me about it, I helped build two new labs!) They just can’t tell you where their alumni have gone if they don’t have any. In that case, look for signs that you can work with this person, align with their road map of the future, and receive sufficient support to reach your goals.
As with any life plans, be open to back-up plans and pivots.
All the best with your interviews and decisions!
Found this post helpful? Let me know in the comments and feel free to share it with a friend!
Facing rejection, uncertainty, or a change in plans? Stay tuned for “’Tis the Season for Interviews, Part III”, where we will cover all of that.
Do you know someone who might benefit from 1:1 help to prepare for an interview?
Part II is all about what to ask about your prospective Ph.D. program, advisors, and lifestyle. Specifically, we’re covering six(6) often overlooked types of information you should seek.
Do you have:
1) At least one interview? (Congratulations! That’s essential progress.)
2) At least one offer? (Congratulations!) Ideally, visit the program or at least speak with graduate students and professors in the program at least one more time before you decide.
3) A plan to apply during the next round of applications and/or need to find a principal investigator (PI) to endorse your application before you apply? (This is common outside of the US and it happens in many US-based programs too. Find out early.)
Consider the interview, campus visit, or any conversation you have with anyone associated with the program as a crucial moment to find out about the new life you will lead if you join. Whether your prospective Ph.D. program will be full-time or part-time, it is a new lifestyle.
Much like applying for full-time employment, your prospective supervisor wants to assess whether you’d be a good fit for their team, and you should assess whether you’ll thrive in this new environment.
This guide is organized into six(6) categories of information to find out beyond the research. There are great resources online about questions to ask your interviewers (like program or admissions directors), prospective PI’s, and other graduate students, such as the Master List of Interview Questions on Reddit.
I’ve organized by categories rather than types of people because for all categories, it’s best to seek information from multiple sources. That includes alumni, your network online, statistics, publication records, and your own experience.
For each category, I provide examples of questions and, in some cases, different ways to ask different parties. The list is not exhaustive – you’ll find more questions online. More importantly, you have different priorities and preferences than others. Only you can come up with selection criteria right for you, so take time to think about what is most important for you to ask.
Six essential things to learn about before accepting an offer for graduate school:
1) What is required for graduation
2) Funding & visas
3) Your potential advisors and research group
4) What is it like to work there?
5) What is it like to live there and how much does it cost
6) Why should you choose them
Let’s dive in.
1) What is required for graduation
Consult program directors, your prospective PI(s), and current and former graduate students on these:
- Course requirements
- Teaching requirements
- Number of publications and how many first author
- Requirements to pass the qualifying exam or master’s defense
- What additional requirements are there
Some programs are very straightforward, stating the number of courses and number of teaching hours you need to fulfill. Others may not be able to tell you for reasons such as funding – such constraints might require you to teach more to earn your stipend.
2) Funding, tuition & insurance, & visas
On these topics, it will serve you especially well to hear experiences as well as to find written policies.
a. Funding
Your financial situation can dramatically affect your quality of life and thereby your energy and mental sharpness to do the research needed to complete your Ph.D.
Find out specifics from directors, PI’s, and Ph.D. students:
- How much will the first-year stipend be? For how many years is it guaranteed?
- How are Ph.D. students funded? This will vary, especially between publicly and privately funded universities. Even within a university, one department might fund students for multiple years while others can guarantee an amount for one year and then the rest will depend on your advisor’s grants, your fellowships, and your teaching.
- What percentage of the stipend is from research funds? How much is contingent on teaching obligations?
- What fellowships are available?
- Which projects have funding now? While you and professors may have many interests, the reality of money will determine what resources and time you can invest into a project.
A note on teaching – there’s nothing wrong with teaching as part of your Ph.D. You may love it. Even if you don’t, it is an excellent way to master the foundations of your field, polish your communication skills, and get new ideas. Bright students have great questions and ideas.
That being said, teaching won’t earn you the Ph.D. The more you have to teach to earn your stipend, the more time you will spend away from the essential Ph.D.-earning activities.
One former mentee now at a publicly funded university in the US is earning 7,000 USD from research and 28,000 USD from teaching. This came as a surprise and makes a big difference in one of the country’s most expensive cities.
b. Tuition & other costs
Although Ph.D. students generally do not pay tuition as they would for a bachelor's or master’s degree, there may still be a mandatory reduced tuition. This was the case in my Ph.D. program. Whilst the stipend is enough to cover it, you’ll still need to plan for these payments regularly.
Same story for insurance. Universities generally require you to have health insurance and often you can purchase it through the university. Again, this will take financial planning.
c. Visas
If you will require a visa, research the terms for visa sponsorship. Who signs off on it – the program director, your PI/advisor, or someone else in the university? These are the relationships you will want to navigate well. Get the terms in writing by the time you decide.
If you can, find out from students and alumni if there has ever been an issue with renewing a visa.
3) Your potential PI(s)/advisor(s) and their research group
Visiting a Ph.D. program before accepting the offer will be a golden opportunity to find out everything you want to know in this category.
a. The advisor
Consider this person to be the most influential in your Ph.D. experience and likelihood to graduate. Your relationship with them and the group members will shape your day-to-day experience more than what you choose to research.
(If you are completing or have completed a Ph.D. and this is not true for you, please tell me about it.)
You’ll likely want to know about:
- Their leadership style
- Their personality
- How do Ph.D. students get their Ph.D. projects?
- What do they expect from the Ph.D. students? How do they choose their group members?
- When are group meetings? How long are they, how consistently do they happen, and what are they like? Observe one if you are blessed with that opportunity.
- How often does the advisor meet students 1-to-1? How else do they communicate?
- What is their style of giving feedback?
- What kind of workspace do group members have? Are they guaranteed a place to sit each day? Some groups here in Hong Kong, where space is at a premium, have only ‘hot desks’.
- What computing resources will be available to me?
- Where have past Ph.D. students ended up?
- What do they expect in terms of presence in the lab?
Get as specific as you can. For example, I have seen all of these expectations from real professors:
- Be here from 8 am to 8 pm
- Be here by the time I arrive, don’t leave before I live
- Get your work done, exact hours are not important, as long as it’s done and timely
- We work on Saturdays. You need only Sunday for laundry.
- Sometimes you need to work for 20 hours to finish the experiment while the equipment aligned and working, then stay home the next day
- I take my group on an outdoor retreat each year
There's no universal right or wrong style. See what aligns with you considering your goals and a lifestyle that helps you thrive.
4) What is the work environment like?
Beyond your research group, the organization, rules of the department and school will also shape the way you work. Let’s talk about facilities, intellectual mingling, and socializing:
a. Take time to learn about the shared facilities and how they are managed.
For example, if you will require access to a cleanroom, find out how people gain access to it, how time is shared and reserved, how helpful are the staff, how does this facility bill research groups and how much.
Availability, access, and cost will affect what research you do and how you do it.
b. Intellectual mingling
Believe it or not, science progresses through conversations, especially across expertise and disciplines. Guest lectures, internal lectures, symposia, and student presentations are essential activities to the health of the research ecosystem.
Equally important is the collegiality among researchers. How do they present their work? How do they communicate feedback? Are they generally supportive while being intellectually challenging? Or do there seem to be some ego clashes to avoid?
No organizational culture is perfect, but you can be more prepared with a little information ahead of time. That being said, you may hear emotional experiences and even gossip. When you can, make some headspace to sort out what you really know and what is important to you before acting on what you hear.
c. Socializing
On a day-to-day basis, you will likely spend more time interacting with your colleagues than people at home, especially you’re doing experimental research or field work.
Social support or the lack thereof can make or break the experience, especially if things get difficult with research advisors – and there will be conflict at some point, healthy or otherwise.
5) What is it like to live there and how much does it cost?
Your quality of life will shape your capacity to do your Ph.D.-earning research.
Consider:
- Rent – How much of your stipend will go to rent? Will you need a housemate to afford living there?
- Family and childcare – What do you need to take care of your responsibilities and priorities?
- Healthcare – Will you have options for the types of services that you need?
- Transport – Will you need a car?
- Legal requirements – If you need a car, what will that entail? Will you need to file taxes?
- Food and cultural experiences – I have known Indian researchers in the Netherlands requiring a quarterly care package of spices sent from home and students who are more than happy with the offerings near campus.
- Outside of the lab – What do you love to do? What hobbies, spiritual practices, cultural practices, and family activities keep you feeling happy, sane, and alive so that you can live well and work well?
Group members are the best sources of information about this. On housing, one former postdoc in Los Angeles was told by the PI that all group members live close enough to walk to work. On moving there, the postdoc found out that only ~25% of the group could walk to work while the rest opted for more affordable options further away or lived with family in the suburbs.
6) Why should you choose them?
The universities' and PIs' successes depend on innovations, discoveries, mentoring, and teaching from postdocs and Ph.D. candidates. They will be lucky to have you.
Of course, it may not feel appropriate to ask directly “Why should I choose you?”
You can try phrasing such as, “What do you think attracts students to your program?”
More importantly, you are constructing your own selection criteria. No one can decide for you what makes a choice the right one for you and what is a deal breaker.
By thinking carefully about what’s important to you in research, your career aspirations, and the experience you would like to have as a Ph.D. candidate, you’ll equip yourself with questions on specific topics, such as those suggested here, that will help you decide.
Wrapping up: How to use and trust what you learn
If you’ve read this far, you’re equipped with a collection of questions to make an informed decision when the time comes to commit. No program is perfect. With more information, you can prepare yourself for the experience.
As mentioned earlier, many Ph.D. programs require you to identify your Ph.D. advisor before applying. That prospective advisor must endorse your application for you to be admitted, so you will need to interview before applying.
A senior professor in Materials Science and Engineering in Hong Kong shared that he interviews everyone interested in the program and working in his lab before they apply. They will be invited to apply only if he chooses to endorse their application. In that case, they will also be asked to apply for the Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship Scheme.
In such a case, use these interactions to your advantage. If the PI is endorsing you, it serves them well to let you know how to increase your chances of success. Don’t hesitate to ask direct questions to fill in the gaps!
Finally, I can’t stress this enough – seek information from multiple sources. Consistency among multiple sources (or lack thereof) could tell you something, as could vague or avoidant answers.
Conclude carefully though. Remember that the people you speak to are not you. They’re sharing their experience through their lens of priorities. Yours are different.
Secondly, lack of data is not necessarily a red flag. Newer programs and early career PI’s offer great possibilities for innovation. (Ask me about it, I helped build two new labs!) They just can’t tell you where their alumni have gone if they don’t have any. In that case, look for signs that you can work with this person, align with their road map of the future, and receive sufficient support to reach your goals.
As with any life plans, be open to back-up plans and pivots.
All the best with your interviews and decisions!
Found this post helpful? Let me know in the comments and feel free to share it with a friend!
Facing rejection, uncertainty, or a change in plans? Stay tuned for “’Tis the Season for Interviews, Part III”, where we will cover all of that.
Do you know someone who might benefit from 1:1 help to prepare for an interview?
By enlisting your dedicated listener and advisor who has been "in the trenches" of graduate school and research, you will:
Or are you an educator who knows students who would benefit from a customized and interactive workshop where they can learn and practice some of these skills?
Fill out my contact form to book a free 30-minute consultation to explore working together.
- Refine your preparation checklist and strategy for getting the answers you seek
- Increase readiness and chance of success
- Avoid years of painful experiences
Or are you an educator who knows students who would benefit from a customized and interactive workshop where they can learn and practice some of these skills?
Fill out my contact form to book a free 30-minute consultation to explore working together.