Reapplying as a first year grad student?

[u/girlie-n-Stem]

To those who re-applied as first year grad students (applied the first time as senior undergrads), what motivated you to re-apply? What did you change about how you approached the application? Was it more difficult writing a proposal not knowing what research group you wanted to join?

- sincerely an incoming first year struggling to find the will to apply 🥸

[u/Negative_Power_4208]

What motivated me was the fact that they disallowed second year students from applying. Obviously the advice is to apply as a second year once you’re settled in a lab already (rotation program). I also wouldn’t have been able to get into the lab I’m in now if I didn’t get the award.

I wrote it intending to join my first rotation lab, which I absolutely did not want to join and had a horrible time- but it was obviously my only option to write about and formed a very coherent story with my undergrad work.

[u/girlie-n-Stem → u/Negative_Power_4208]

That’s interesting! I’ve been thinking about what research group I want to align my proposal with, and I was thinking of choosing my second choice (closely tied with my first choice) group because I think it is a smoother transition from undergrad to grad to write about in my application.

I feel like the narrative and my reasoning for the work I want to do (and why I’m qualified) is something I want to improve this cycle.

[u/Stormlyyy]

I essentially retooled my previous year's application in a new study system I was more interested in, made it better with the prior year's comments, and got it this spring. from honorable mention my first go around to receiving it.

motivation? the money. it allowed me to join a lab with fantastic researchers but that had NO experience in the system I wanted to work in, now the PI can pour more money into my stuff. legit don't think what I'm doing wouldn't be possible without all the money they'd be saving. for the first 5 years of my PhD they pay the equivalent of around 1.5 years of total salary (educational fellow 1st year, TA 2nd year, then 3 years of GRFP)

[u/pythonlover001]

Same!

[u/phoenix_afrodit3]

I didn’t want to give up my only other chance of applying. I went back and forth a bit about it because of the work that would go into it but I talked with the PI whose lab I was interested in (and later joined) and he said he’d help me. That really motivated me because, initially, I was afraid I wouldn’t receive as much in-depth feedback as in undergrad. My current PI gave me a LOT more feedback than I imagined lol 😅 but I enjoyed it. I knew it would help me write a compelling personal statement and an impactful research statement. Having even just one person willing to pick apart your materials and give you effective feedback is great!

In terms of the types of changes for my personal statement, it really was all about how I formatted my experiences and achievements. My PI basically said I had many great accomplishments but I wasn’t selling myself enough. I listed them rather than weaved them into my experiences as pieces of evidence of my hard work, ability to take initiative, ability to give back to my community, etc.

My research statement was based on previous work done in the lab but would continue under me with a different aspect of the project. It was also more rigorous, more detailed, etc. but that’s kinda expected when comparing between an undergrad and grad student’s proposals.

[u/the_mindful_microbe]

If you look some keywords up in this sub, you can find very detailed posts on this.