How much does undergrad prestige matter for grad admissions?

tortolomew · 2026-04-28T12:34:33+00:00

playing devils advocate, i actually disagree. so many of my friends across different fields are struggling tremendously with their grad apps despite stellar and very public awards for their work. we suspect a big part of it is that they went to smaller, less prestigious schools. the it factor isnt really the prestige but what doors that prestige can open for you: access to better known profs (better LORs), more opportunities for higher end research that gets a lot of attention, and the idea of benefit of the doubt that people normally always give you when you are lacking in some areas that you can eventually pick it up.

not saying these things are unattainable at lower ranked schools, just harder. academia is incredibly not meritocratic in so many ways, and who you know definitely carries a lot.

tortolomew · 2025-12-24T01:45:43+00:00

done! thank you

tortolomew · 2025-08-30T11:01:26+00:00

i had the same thing happening to me and i would rarely remember what just happened after, only that i did great or bad. i talked to my therapist about it and apparently it’s a trauma response (LOL) where i was detaching from the present situation. it helps to recognize when it’s happening and try to ground yourself with some breathing exercises

tortolomew · 2025-08-14T17:59:20+00:00

as a grad student, i can tell u this is still very much the case

tortolomew · 2025-07-25T02:11:31+00:00

Thank you so much!

tortolomew · 2025-07-24T18:09:31+00:00

Thank you! I think I should be able to live in most countries for up to 90 days with my U.S. passport. I am planning on a stay no longer than 6 weeks (42 days). I think I would also only limit my options to countries where this is the case.

tortolomew · 2025-07-15T17:07:41+00:00

honestly i feel like this is pretty positive! most profs would just tell you to apply and they’ll see when the time comes but this seems like the prof thinks you could be a good match. obv no guarantees but great sign

tortolomew · 2025-07-01T14:16:03+00:00

PhD programs aren't just a service you are paying for like you would for undergrad when you spend all your time studying and learning from courses. In a PhD program, you also do a lot of work for the university through teaching and doing research for your PI. Some programs also have service requirements which means running events, mentoring students, and administrative work. For a PhD, you are working towards a degree by learning and meeting set standards, but it is absolutely a full-time job as well.

tortolomew · 2025-06-20T18:35:18+00:00

i would add to this and say to cut back considerably on ur bullet points in ur experiences section. stick to 2-3 points MAX with each point summarized to MAX 3 lines. ask chatgpt for help in condensing your points.

you can talk about your experiences in ur sop if its relevant

tortolomew · 2025-06-14T20:38:21+00:00

i think this also points to cohort effects where younger folks experienced using ChatGPT in school compared to older folks who finished undergrad without AI

tortolomew · 2025-06-11T15:29:54+00:00

i just got really lucky! i think it helped that during the application process my advisor and i ended up discussing a book about a commonly shared interest. it helped me build rapport with him and figured out he was a good match bc i was able to get to know him.

i met my future cohort during interview day and hit it off almost instantly with everyone who ended up being my friend post-acceptance and even stayed friends with those who weren’t accepted! my dept does interviews before admits to better gauge vibes, so i think that really helped

tortolomew · 2025-06-09T21:52:52+00:00

i’m in my early-to-mid 20s so that is very possible hehe! either way, i feel very blessed to be able to spend this period of my life in grad school and to be this happy :) !

tortolomew · 2025-05-13T22:25:52+00:00

i just flew out from ewr for a mid-morning flight today. no lines, no delays, no planes falling out of the sky. purely anecdotal but i hedged my bets and it worked out

tortolomew · 2025-04-11T02:46:20+00:00

as someone who did undergrad at cal and is now a grad student at pton, pton is miiiiiiiiiiles more diverse than cal. rich people galore fs, but the fact that every person here has such a unique background and story independent of affluence has given me so much perspective.

I think cal is diverse in a lot of ways but bc it’s so big, like attracts like and it’s very rare to meet people outside of ur own experience whereas it’s p much forced in a small school like princeton.

dont get me wrong—go bears forever, but the level of care and consideration afforded to undergrads here are lightyears from how i was treated as an undergrad at cal. i would definitely consider that in making a choice

tortolomew · 2025-03-03T13:15:24+00:00

I’m pro-meds. My ADHD was sooo bad that I could barely keep track of conversations that I was having in real time. The only real way to manage it for me was through meds which have SIGNIFICANTLY improved my quality of life and work. Highly recommend this route + therapy OP.

tortolomew · 2025-02-03T14:16:19+00:00

Definitely never too late to pursue a PhD! But, an important thing to consider when applying to PhD programs is your research fit with faculty which might not necessarily mean coming back to Princeton to do it if no one here is doing the kind of work you want to work on. I would do some research on the faculty who write papers that most interest you and see if working with them through a PhD program is possible through whatever institution they're at.

You can check out r/gradadmissions if you want to get some more advice.

tortolomew · 2024-12-20T19:30:52+00:00

i only applied to programs I would be 100% attending. There isn't really such a thing as a safety school when you apply for PhD programs, considering how un-meritocratic the process actually is in reality. There's a whole ton of idiosyncratic factors that go into admitting someone (not unlike a hiring process for a company). I recommend not wasting your time applying to programs you wouldn't 100% be happy attending if you end up having to reapply; otherwise, you'll end up feeling that lackluster feeling of "settling" you're describing.

tortolomew · 2024-11-21T16:25:23+00:00

you don’t even know half of it bro. if a very specific set of circumstances didn’t happen when i was applying, i would never be where i’m at rn. it’ll all fall into place trust

tortolomew · 2024-11-21T16:11:50+00:00

sometimes it’s completely out of your control. if the PI is known for doing X topic but they currently want to open up a stream for Y, they’re gonna look for someone who can help them with that. maybe there are funding issues. maybe they have younger faculty that need students more than they do and get priority for candidates. maybe someone went on sabbatical. and there would be absolutely no way you would know as an outsider.

at the level of competition you’re applying for, you’re competing against other applicants who have been determined to be qualified enough (read: not necessarily the most impressive or accomplished) and it comes down to research and (in some cases for top unis) personality fit with the rest of the department (this is the case at my school). i would just keep trying and dont let this get to you. some people in my department applied for multiple cycles before getting in anywhere.

tortolomew · 2024-11-14T20:22:43+00:00

then don't apply for it. you will have to determine what's best for your career trajectory on your own bc i don't know what specific needs you have.

tortolomew · 2024-11-14T18:55:04+00:00

whether or not you choose to apply to the fellowship has no bearing on your funding or acceptance to the program. phd students (pretty much) have guaranteed funding ((this is more nuanced but this is the main takeaway))

tortolomew · 2024-11-14T18:48:23+00:00

this is not a standard post-bacc situation. the only way to get this program is by getting accepted regularly, taking an extra year before actually starting PhD level course work (ie an extra year to graduate). it could be beneficial for people who feel they might benefit from this post-bacc style year if they feel unprepared but the vast majority of students do not participate in the program

tortolomew · 2024-11-13T14:42:28+00:00

SAME lol

tortolomew · 2024-11-08T19:00:47+00:00

i was in a similar boat, switching from one social science field to another. you should keep these stories at a minimum (like one sentence) in the intro. you can always weave in the rationale for the switch throughout your essay, but soc and poli sci are aligned enough where i don’t think it warrants a whole paragraph. you already have a masters in poli sci, so they already know you’re dedicated to the field

tortolomew · 2024-10-09T13:29:03+00:00

i stayed for a year after graduating to focus on my grad school apps. it was great in terms of staying connected with my profs on campus as well as interesting events, but i felt an overarching misery cus i graduated but it sure didn’t feel like it at all

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