How many PhD applications are acceptable?

Hi! I'm an LLM student at Utrecht University having just finished my LLB in the UK and I'm currently writing my research proposal for PhD.

I'm wondering how many universities I should be applying to? I've identified some potential supervisors. For my LLM I applied to 3 universities and got offered 2 places. I don't want to unnecessarily bother my references if applying for 3 PhD places is not really the done thing.

Maybe 3-5?

Bit difficult to know for referees working in a different uni system.

In the UK, most people are chasing funded PhDs which are incredibly competitive. In my field, academic referees might expect to be providing references over several years before a student either gets funding or gives up. It would be unusual to find more than two or three appropriate funded PhDs per year in my field (I've seen one for which I might have applied, in five years of looking!)

It might be worth having a chat with your referees and just asking them what they would expect, and when the level of work might become an imposition.

Reply 3

holly_1994

I always thought that you could apply to as many or few as you wished, or is this not the case? Surely it's up to you? Not like it's UCAS, where you have 5 options.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 4

chazwomaq

There's no limit. It's like applying for a job. Just go for it! But be polite and honest when you discuss with your supervisor that you are looking at x other positions so they know you might withdraw when you get one.

Reply 5

Jantaculum

Original post by holly_1994

I always thought that you could apply to as many or few as you wished, or is this not the case? Surely it's up to you? Not like it's UCAS, where you have 5 options.

In one way, it would be better if it were more like UCAS, where your referees submit one reference for all of your applications. The problem here is that if you apply to too many postgrad courses, it's professionally inconsiderate towards your referees, who will be asked for a different reference for every application.

But yes, you can apply to as many as you want (subject to your referees' tolerance and co-operation!)

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Reply 6

CCC75

Original post by Jantaculum

A reference isn't that onerous to issue though. An academic referee will have a file copy of their reference for you, that they will spend 5-10 minutes adjusting for the specifics requested by each reference.

It's courteous to give them the heads up about multiple applications, but I wouldn't feel guilty about it at all.

Reply 7

Jantaculum

Original post by CCC75

or, in the case of my referee (who is an absolutely wonderful and wise academic that I have loads of respect for, but he's stepped down as Head of Faculty and has a wonderful life globetrotting, researching in remote locations and giving international keynotes) trying their very best to remember that an ex-student has some deadline or other and that the reference really should be sent at some point….

I'm still traumatised from refreshing the online application and finding out that he submitted the reference five minutes before the very strict deadline… :wink:

But yes, you are correct of course.

Reply 8

1775339

Thanks guys, I'm on really good terms with the staff at my last university so it shouldn't be a problem. I just didn't want to go applying like crazy if its the done thing to focus on one or two.