Accepted by European university, rejected by all American ones I applied to? Possible reasons?
I've been wondering this for a while.
I'm currently doing the first year of my PhD in Frankfurt. Originally from New Zealand.
I'm not complaining about my situation but if anyone asks me I'll honestly say I would have preferred an English-speaking country.
I'd actually applied to about 9 PhD programs in the US and all rejected me. Yet I was accepted to a (supposedly far more competitive) fully funded European PhD, and rather quickly - accepted late last year and already working now.
It has me wonder. I had very strong letters of recommendation from professors that are well known in my field. I had also published a paper (which has now been cited in Nature) out of the fruits of my research Master's.
My GPA is about 2.8-2.9 by US standards (hard to convert, my school was a "we grade harshly, rarely give out As and we'll make you sweat for a B" style system). Professors at home told me my grades were irrelevant with the strong letters.
People say that I was likely discounted because I had a research master's already and I'd probably see doing more course load as beneath me? That doesn't seem to hold water.
I really don't know. Any thoughts?
phd application
asked 5 hours ago
Countess IsoldeCountess Isolde
361
New contributor
Countess Isolde is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
I've been wondering this for a while.
I'm currently doing the first year of my PhD in Frankfurt. Originally from New Zealand.
I'm not complaining about my situation but if anyone asks me I'll honestly say I would have preferred an English-speaking country.
I'd actually applied to about 9 PhD programs in the US and all rejected me. Yet I was accepted to a (supposedly far more competitive) fully funded European PhD, and rather quickly - accepted late last year and already working now.
It has me wonder. I had very strong letters of recommendation from professors that are well known in my field. I had also published a paper (which has now been cited in Nature) out of the fruits of my research Master's.
My GPA is about 2.8-2.9 by US standards (hard to convert, my school was a "we grade harshly, rarely give out As and we'll make you sweat for a B" style system). Professors at home told me my grades were irrelevant with the strong letters.
People say that I was likely discounted because I had a research master's already and I'd probably see doing more course load as beneath me? That doesn't seem to hold water.
I really don't know. Any thoughts?
phd application
asked 5 hours ago
Countess IsoldeCountess Isolde
361
New contributor
Countess Isolde is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
2
Did you include General and Subject GRE scores with the US applications? Even programs that say these are optional often put a lot of weight on them when making admissions decisions.
– Elizabeth Henning
5 hours ago
1
I'm not sure what you expect us to say. We don't know your CV, and your situation already clearly shows the (somewhat unsurprising) fact that different universities look for different things.
– xLeitix
5 hours ago
The programs I applied to said GRE was not just optional, but unnecessary, since I'm in a very young and interdisciplinary field. I guess it's troubling me because I'm worried that I only got the post on account of academic nepotism - current supervisor is a former student of my MS supervisor - even if the letters were anonymized before anyone saw them. Good old impostor effect.
– Countess Isolde
5 hours ago
3
2.8-2.9 would easily get an American student rejected, perhaps without even reading the letters. If those grades are typical for NZ, I would expect the conversion formula would take this into account (otherwise no one from NZ would ever be accepted). but if your institution grades very harshly by NZ standards, that could easily explain it.
– cag51
5 hours ago
By the way, (I'm in the U.S., in mathematics) I know of no situation in which letters of recommendation are anonymized at all. And for better or for worse, "academic nepotism" is often decisive... Unclear whether or not it really means "inappropriate influence", or, perhaps, "detailed knowledge of the viewpoint of the letter writer".
– paul garrett
2 hours ago
add a comment |
I've been wondering this for a while.
I'm currently doing the first year of my PhD in Frankfurt. Originally from New Zealand.
I'm not complaining about my situation but if anyone asks me I'll honestly say I would have preferred an English-speaking country.
I'd actually applied to about 9 PhD programs in the US and all rejected me. Yet I was accepted to a (supposedly far more competitive) fully funded European PhD, and rather quickly - accepted late last year and already working now.
It has me wonder. I had very strong letters of recommendation from professors that are well known in my field. I had also published a paper (which has now been cited in Nature) out of the fruits of my research Master's.
My GPA is about 2.8-2.9 by US standards (hard to convert, my school was a "we grade harshly, rarely give out As and we'll make you sweat for a B" style system). Professors at home told me my grades were irrelevant with the strong letters.
People say that I was likely discounted because I had a research master's already and I'd probably see doing more course load as beneath me? That doesn't seem to hold water.
I really don't know. Any thoughts?
phd application
asked 5 hours ago
Countess IsoldeCountess Isolde
361
New contributor
Countess Isolde is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I've been wondering this for a while.
I'm currently doing the first year of my PhD in Frankfurt. Originally from New Zealand.
I'm not complaining about my situation but if anyone asks me I'll honestly say I would have preferred an English-speaking country.
I'd actually applied to about 9 PhD programs in the US and all rejected me. Yet I was accepted to a (supposedly far more competitive) fully funded European PhD, and rather quickly - accepted late last year and already working now.
It has me wonder. I had very strong letters of recommendation from professors that are well known in my field. I had also published a paper (which has now been cited in Nature) out of the fruits of my research Master's.
My GPA is about 2.8-2.9 by US standards (hard to convert, my school was a "we grade harshly, rarely give out As and we'll make you sweat for a B" style system). Professors at home told me my grades were irrelevant with the strong letters.
People say that I was likely discounted because I had a research master's already and I'd probably see doing more course load as beneath me? That doesn't seem to hold water.
I really don't know. Any thoughts?
phd application
phd application
asked 5 hours ago
Countess IsoldeCountess Isolde
361
New contributor
Countess Isolde is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 5 hours ago
Countess IsoldeCountess Isolde
361
New contributor
Countess Isolde is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 5 hours ago
Countess IsoldeCountess Isolde
361
New contributor
Countess Isolde is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 5 hours ago
Countess IsoldeCountess Isolde
361
asked 5 hours ago
Countess IsoldeCountess Isolde
361
361
New contributor
Countess Isolde is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Countess Isolde is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Countess Isolde is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
2
Did you include General and Subject GRE scores with the US applications? Even programs that say these are optional often put a lot of weight on them when making admissions decisions.
– Elizabeth Henning
5 hours ago
1
I'm not sure what you expect us to say. We don't know your CV, and your situation already clearly shows the (somewhat unsurprising) fact that different universities look for different things.
– xLeitix
5 hours ago
The programs I applied to said GRE was not just optional, but unnecessary, since I'm in a very young and interdisciplinary field. I guess it's troubling me because I'm worried that I only got the post on account of academic nepotism - current supervisor is a former student of my MS supervisor - even if the letters were anonymized before anyone saw them. Good old impostor effect.
– Countess Isolde
5 hours ago
3
2.8-2.9 would easily get an American student rejected, perhaps without even reading the letters. If those grades are typical for NZ, I would expect the conversion formula would take this into account (otherwise no one from NZ would ever be accepted). but if your institution grades very harshly by NZ standards, that could easily explain it.
– cag51
5 hours ago
By the way, (I'm in the U.S., in mathematics) I know of no situation in which letters of recommendation are anonymized at all. And for better or for worse, "academic nepotism" is often decisive... Unclear whether or not it really means "inappropriate influence", or, perhaps, "detailed knowledge of the viewpoint of the letter writer".
– paul garrett
2 hours ago
add a comment |
2
Did you include General and Subject GRE scores with the US applications? Even programs that say these are optional often put a lot of weight on them when making admissions decisions.
– Elizabeth Henning
5 hours ago
1
I'm not sure what you expect us to say. We don't know your CV, and your situation already clearly shows the (somewhat unsurprising) fact that different universities look for different things.
– xLeitix
5 hours ago
The programs I applied to said GRE was not just optional, but unnecessary, since I'm in a very young and interdisciplinary field. I guess it's troubling me because I'm worried that I only got the post on account of academic nepotism - current supervisor is a former student of my MS supervisor - even if the letters were anonymized before anyone saw them. Good old impostor effect.
– Countess Isolde
5 hours ago
3
2.8-2.9 would easily get an American student rejected, perhaps without even reading the letters. If those grades are typical for NZ, I would expect the conversion formula would take this into account (otherwise no one from NZ would ever be accepted). but if your institution grades very harshly by NZ standards, that could easily explain it.
– cag51
5 hours ago
By the way, (I'm in the U.S., in mathematics) I know of no situation in which letters of recommendation are anonymized at all. And for better or for worse, "academic nepotism" is often decisive... Unclear whether or not it really means "inappropriate influence", or, perhaps, "detailed knowledge of the viewpoint of the letter writer".
– paul garrett
2 hours ago
2
2
Did you include General and Subject GRE scores with the US applications? Even programs that say these are optional often put a lot of weight on them when making admissions decisions.
– Elizabeth Henning
5 hours ago
Did you include General and Subject GRE scores with the US applications? Even programs that say these are optional often put a lot of weight on them when making admissions decisions.
– Elizabeth Henning
5 hours ago
1
1
I'm not sure what you expect us to say. We don't know your CV, and your situation already clearly shows the (somewhat unsurprising) fact that different universities look for different things.
– xLeitix
5 hours ago
I'm not sure what you expect us to say. We don't know your CV, and your situation already clearly shows the (somewhat unsurprising) fact that different universities look for different things.
– xLeitix
5 hours ago
The programs I applied to said GRE was not just optional, but unnecessary, since I'm in a very young and interdisciplinary field. I guess it's troubling me because I'm worried that I only got the post on account of academic nepotism - current supervisor is a former student of my MS supervisor - even if the letters were anonymized before anyone saw them. Good old impostor effect.
– Countess Isolde
5 hours ago
The programs I applied to said GRE was not just optional, but unnecessary, since I'm in a very young and interdisciplinary field. I guess it's troubling me because I'm worried that I only got the post on account of academic nepotism - current supervisor is a former student of my MS supervisor - even if the letters were anonymized before anyone saw them. Good old impostor effect.
– Countess Isolde
5 hours ago
3
3
2.8-2.9 would easily get an American student rejected, perhaps without even reading the letters. If those grades are typical for NZ, I would expect the conversion formula would take this into account (otherwise no one from NZ would ever be accepted). but if your institution grades very harshly by NZ standards, that could easily explain it.
– cag51
5 hours ago
2.8-2.9 would easily get an American student rejected, perhaps without even reading the letters. If those grades are typical for NZ, I would expect the conversion formula would take this into account (otherwise no one from NZ would ever be accepted). but if your institution grades very harshly by NZ standards, that could easily explain it.
– cag51
5 hours ago
By the way, (I'm in the U.S., in mathematics) I know of no situation in which letters of recommendation are anonymized at all. And for better or for worse, "academic nepotism" is often decisive... Unclear whether or not it really means "inappropriate influence", or, perhaps, "detailed knowledge of the viewpoint of the letter writer".
– paul garrett
2 hours ago
By the way, (I'm in the U.S., in mathematics) I know of no situation in which letters of recommendation are anonymized at all. And for better or for worse, "academic nepotism" is often decisive... Unclear whether or not it really means "inappropriate influence", or, perhaps, "detailed knowledge of the viewpoint of the letter writer".
– paul garrett
2 hours ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
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It is sometimes difficult for admissions committees to evaluate applicants coming from universities or university systems that they don't have direct experience with. This is especially true if they also don't know your letter writers. It can help to apply to universities where someone in the dept. has some connection to the country you're applying from. Since someone at Frankfurt knew one of your letter writers, that person may be better informed about your letter writers, the quality of your school, and the meaning of your grades.
answered 5 hours ago
Noah SnyderNoah Snyder
14.7k13368
add a comment |
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It is sometimes difficult for admissions committees to evaluate applicants coming from universities or university systems that they don't have direct experience with. This is especially true if they also don't know your letter writers. It can help to apply to universities where someone in the dept. has some connection to the country you're applying from. Since someone at Frankfurt knew one of your letter writers, that person may be better informed about your letter writers, the quality of your school, and the meaning of your grades.
answered 5 hours ago
Noah SnyderNoah Snyder
14.7k13368
add a comment |
It is sometimes difficult for admissions committees to evaluate applicants coming from universities or university systems that they don't have direct experience with. This is especially true if they also don't know your letter writers. It can help to apply to universities where someone in the dept. has some connection to the country you're applying from. Since someone at Frankfurt knew one of your letter writers, that person may be better informed about your letter writers, the quality of your school, and the meaning of your grades.
answered 5 hours ago
Noah SnyderNoah Snyder
14.7k13368
add a comment |
It is sometimes difficult for admissions committees to evaluate applicants coming from universities or university systems that they don't have direct experience with. This is especially true if they also don't know your letter writers. It can help to apply to universities where someone in the dept. has some connection to the country you're applying from. Since someone at Frankfurt knew one of your letter writers, that person may be better informed about your letter writers, the quality of your school, and the meaning of your grades.
answered 5 hours ago
Noah SnyderNoah Snyder
14.7k13368
It is sometimes difficult for admissions committees to evaluate applicants coming from universities or university systems that they don't have direct experience with. This is especially true if they also don't know your letter writers. It can help to apply to universities where someone in the dept. has some connection to the country you're applying from. Since someone at Frankfurt knew one of your letter writers, that person may be better informed about your letter writers, the quality of your school, and the meaning of your grades.
answered 5 hours ago
Noah SnyderNoah Snyder
14.7k13368
answered 5 hours ago
Noah SnyderNoah Snyder
14.7k13368
answered 5 hours ago
Noah SnyderNoah Snyder
14.7k13368
answered 5 hours ago
Noah SnyderNoah Snyder
14.7k13368
14.7k13368
add a comment |
add a comment |
Countess Isolde is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Countess Isolde is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Countess Isolde is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Countess Isolde is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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2
Did you include General and Subject GRE scores with the US applications? Even programs that say these are optional often put a lot of weight on them when making admissions decisions.
– Elizabeth Henning
5 hours ago
1
I'm not sure what you expect us to say. We don't know your CV, and your situation already clearly shows the (somewhat unsurprising) fact that different universities look for different things.
– xLeitix
5 hours ago
The programs I applied to said GRE was not just optional, but unnecessary, since I'm in a very young and interdisciplinary field. I guess it's troubling me because I'm worried that I only got the post on account of academic nepotism - current supervisor is a former student of my MS supervisor - even if the letters were anonymized before anyone saw them. Good old impostor effect.
– Countess Isolde
5 hours ago
3
2.8-2.9 would easily get an American student rejected, perhaps without even reading the letters. If those grades are typical for NZ, I would expect the conversion formula would take this into account (otherwise no one from NZ would ever be accepted). but if your institution grades very harshly by NZ standards, that could easily explain it.
– cag51
5 hours ago
By the way, (I'm in the U.S., in mathematics) I know of no situation in which letters of recommendation are anonymized at all. And for better or for worse, "academic nepotism" is often decisive... Unclear whether or not it really means "inappropriate influence", or, perhaps, "detailed knowledge of the viewpoint of the letter writer".
– paul garrett
2 hours ago