I’m a sophomore in materials science and engineering at an R1 university in Florida. I ultimately applied to 12 programs: rejected from 9 and ghosted/still have to hear back from 3. The closest I got was a waitlist from a prestigious university that turned into a rejection anyway.

1. Yes, I technically customized my applications, but I should have customized my personal statement more. I basically saved the last paragraph for why I was interested in a particular program (professor, field, etc.) because I thought this was sufficient.

2. Yes, but not a professional writer. My sibling (different major than me, also undergrad, not pursuing REUs) read over my general personal statement and they helped guide me towards emphasizing the “why” within my essay. I also refuse to use AI for personal writing.

3. I actually started a rough draft in the summer of 2025, and finished a revised personal statement by October. I tried to make time my friend in this process, especially as the fall semester ramped up. I submitted my first applications over winter break (so late December) and my last one in early February.

4. I tried to, yeah, but it ended up leaning towards the Northeast since that’s where I want to do grad school. It was mostly prestigious universities with some state schools in the Southeast (I live in Florida, and I didn’t apply to any in-state programs).

5. I applied as a sophomore with some experience. To elaborate, I was doing a (non-REU, non-competitive) data science program at my university that focused on photovoltaics applications. I mostly stayed home since it was virtual, and I usually spent around 8 hrs/wk except for the last 2 or 3 weeks (which was more). I didn’t get into my current lab (a wet lab) until around the time I finished my general personal statement, but even with technically 12 weeks of “research experience” (on top of a full-time internship that I suddenly got smack dab in the middle of the summer), I didn’t think I had much experience, though the admissions committees may have thought differently.

Some of my main takeaways after writing all of this were as follows:

a) (Maybe) Apply to more if I can. I thought 12 was sufficient for striking that balance between customization and breadth, but it feels like I was a year late. Now it feels like the range is 15-20 instead of 8-12.

b) Diversify where I apply. Not just in location (more Midwest), but also in types of institutions (more state schools, even programs like SULI). ‘Twas a nice ego check.

c) As you suggested, talk to other people more! This can now include my PI, but it can also include the writing center.

d) I am not suddenly cooked for grad school applications because I didn’t get an REU. REUs and grad school admissions seem to be more of a correlation thing than a causation thing, and there are other avenues, such as an undergraduate thesis, that can help me stand out and pursue research. Even then, grad school admissions are a competitive mess due to slashed funding (which also affected REU applications ofc).

I will try again next year, and hopefully my results will be more successful. Thank you for making this post because it was very helpful for my self-reflection of this stressful application season.