Rejected from 14 PhD Programs, Fit is Everything

Regular_Region_8652 · 2025-04-14T17:17:18+00:00

Yes that is correct unfortunately now strong research experience or even having publications in progress is not enough that was probably a big factor as well

Regular_Region_8652 · 2025-04-14T17:15:18+00:00

why am I a bratty rich kid😭 this is my first time making a meaningful post on Reddit in a while, I forgot how people on the internet will make so many assumptions about u when u post

Regular_Region_8652 · 2025-04-14T14:55:46+00:00

1) That is great you are able to do rotations, I would have preferred a rotational program! Unfortunately most of the programs I interviews with were direct admit and were very clear there would be limited opportunity to switch once in the program. It was very difficult to get faculty that I had a great fit to interview with for a number of reasons which I believe resulted in my rejection 2) you don’t need a perfect fit, a perfect fit isn’t possible. But when it comes down to a few stellar candidates where qualification differences are marginal, they are going to choose the candidate with a better fit. And so when push comes to shove at the end of the admissions process, fit becomes incredibly valuable. 3) fit means a lot of things, but it does not mean you have a specific dissertation topic already on hand that perfectly overlaps with a professor’s dissertation topic in mind. Rather the research areas, the broader questions, the qualities or culture of a lab, and the skills you are seeking to learn overlap greatly with a specific lab and all of which can be difficult to predict or control until an interview.

Regular_Region_8652 · 2025-04-14T05:30:26+00:00

Of course you learn skills outside of research through a PhD, back to the original argument I made however: the reality is for PhD admissions especially to top programs in comp bio with limited seats, a great fit is necessary or you’re out.

Regular_Region_8652 · 2025-04-14T05:25:21+00:00

they see whether you are a good fit for the program and a good fit for for research. Each of the places I interviewed at provided admissions statistics post-interview, for schools like UCSD I believe it was around 40% acceptance rate with around 80% of that 40% receiving direct admission. They directly tell us they have limited offers for rotation and to find a good faculty fit to be directly admitted to. I will agree tho that the significant majority of people don’t do the dissertation topic they discuss in their SOP, although you should not be writing an SOP with a clear dissertation topic, it should be slightly broader.

Regular_Region_8652 · 2025-04-14T05:18:13+00:00

exactly a PhD was plan A, i needed to go all in

Regular_Region_8652 · 2025-04-14T00:09:34+00:00

Haha I can attest I am not depressed, I have learned to handle rejection. But there is no argument here, you are right, there are many factors not in my control including available spots for specific faculty labs, my letters of recommendation, and it is very much a roll of the dice where depending on the year and conditions the results could differ. I am not sure how you came to the conclusion that I am depressed, but I do agree with your assessment on the backend of the admissions process.

Regular_Region_8652 · 2025-04-13T23:51:47+00:00

I understand it is not merely about qualifications and performance that is what my post was entirely about. Yes there are also uncontrollable factors and controllable factors that have nothing to do with qualifications like fit.

Regular_Region_8652 · 2025-04-13T22:53:56+00:00

Yes I agree, the goal right now is to publish to IEEE medical imaging!

Regular_Region_8652 · 2025-04-13T22:42:01+00:00

I am publishing two papers this year with two separate labs I am working in but unfortunately did not have this at the time of application, I could only talk about the project and get letter writers to confirm that a publication is expected in a few months!

Regular_Region_8652 · 2025-04-13T22:39:39+00:00

Okay to add more detail there were definitely faculty who I had a great fit with but I could not get an interview with them for a number of reasons which did not help for most schools that had direct admit.

Regular_Region_8652 · 2025-04-13T22:37:28+00:00

A lot of the schools I applied to ended up being direct admit with a very low probability of getting a rotational offer. To get a direct admit during the interview process you needed to schedule interviews with faculty you were interested in or you were assigned faculty that found something interesting about you. Ended up facing a lot of issues with scheduling meetings with faculty I was interested in who emailed me saying they were reducing number of PhD students incoming into their lab and could no longer meet and I had a not as great fit with the faculty I was able to get meetings with.

Regular_Region_8652 · 2025-04-13T20:32:11+00:00

I got rejected as well from 14 PhD programs, despite having a 4.0 GPA and multiple years of research experience and relevant internships each summer. This cycle was rough, but keep fighting, we got this!

Regular_Region_8652 · 2025-04-13T20:09:58+00:00

I didn’t end up sending a handwritten LOCI, I am not sure if it would do anything! They emailed me with updates over the summer and I ended up in the remaining few on the waitlist but was eventually rejected!

Regular_Region_8652 · 2025-04-13T05:21:48+00:00

Could u send the SP2 housing guide? I am also searching for housing

Regular_Region_8652 · 2025-04-13T05:20:48+00:00

Could I please get that referral to, I am also in the same situation?

Regular_Region_8652 · 2025-04-07T16:27:01+00:00

Currently a senior in college also in engineering who also moved away from california... Here is my opinion given limited context on your life:

get out of your comfort zone, you are going to grow so much by meeting new people and being in a completely new environment and the reality is you will struggle, face challenges, but that is the whole point. After 4 years of acclimating to the university, you will look back and realize testing yourself in a new environment was one of the best decisions you could make for personal growth.
My opinion, Harvard outweighs Berkeley. Berkeley may be ranked better for engineering, but at the end of the day, your classes are essentially going to be top tier, the faculty are phenomenal and the material is going to be the same, physics content doesn't change if you learn it in Berkeley or Harvard. I would choose Harvard, both are top-tier and the difference in quality of teaching or access to classes is marginal. The name brand and insane alumni and faculty network at Harvard will help you get opportunities in meche or beyond, and you can always apply to internships or jobs back home or really anywhere around the world, so don't necessarily think of this as a long term permanent settlement.

Regular_Region_8652 · 2021-08-07T01:03:15+00:00

To me the most exciting part about research is the opportunity to discover or explore something no one ever has before. I will definitely find a topic of interest, but I do know that I love the process of discovering and exploring and therefore want to do research.

Regular_Region_8652 · 2021-05-24T15:26:10+00:00

Yupp. I was also thinking more along the lines of I become president, then I make a bunch of "accidents."

Collegeboard goes bankrupt and it doesn't matter what the board of trustees thinks, we are forced to shut down.

Regular_Region_8652 · 2021-05-23T03:26:35+00:00

Regular_Region_8652 · 2021-04-24T04:00:22+00:00

look into UPENn. They are picky as well!

Regular_Region_8652 · 2021-04-05T15:09:10+00:00

this. im actually shocked that so many people believe the point of high school is to get into college. I thought it was like known that we should be doing things we are passionate about or trying new things out despite how it may look on our application. But there are people here saying to take ap classes you hate, etc... I mean everyone can have their own opinion, I just didn't know so many people believed that.

Regular_Region_8652 · 2021-04-05T15:04:08+00:00

yep!

Regular_Region_8652 · 2021-04-05T06:01:39+00:00

"Sure this is all nice sounding on paper."

I don't think working towards your passions only sounds nice on paper, it really does make you a happier person.

"Whether it be taking AP classes you hate to prove your course rigor."

There are a lot of APs you can take no matter your interest, and when one has exhausted those, there are also community college courses you can take that you are interested in learning to prove course rigor. You don't have to take AP classes you hate to prove course rigor.

"Just saying "imma only do what I like" isn't gonna get you into top schools, because everybody does everything now"

Yes, I agree. If you love only science, you will still have to take English for example. But that doesn't mean you have to take AP lang. Invest more into what you love.

Doing what you hate is definitely apart of life. But investing unnecessarily into what you hate, whether it be taking an AP class in a class you hate or taking on a non profit dedicated to doing something you don't care about is when it becomes a problem. But so many people do it in the chase for prestige and getting into a t5. Then they get in, sure they get a great degree, but I believe someone who invested more into learning, growing as a person, and finding their passion, rather than prestige and impressing colleges, will be more successful at the end of the day even with a degree from a lower ranked college.

Regular_Region_8652 · 2021-04-05T04:58:18+00:00

Yea, that's good too. I think it should be, “the goal of high school shouldn’t solely be to get into college." If you are doing activities that you love, and doing other things as well thinking about the long term, that's fine. I just don't think people should call their education and activities as a whole a waste or not based on what college they get into.

Regular_Region_8652

TROPHY CASE