The Student Room Group

PhD The Early Process, Application and Interview advice

Scroll to see replies

Reply 140
Hi Guys,

I had my interview with a London university yesterday for a PhD studentship in Engineering. The interview went really well and I think I have answered the technical and motivational questions really well. I have been waiting for this studentship for a long time so I was really enthusiastic as well. The interview was done by a panel of 3 supervisors.

The main supervisor has contacted me last evening that he will be going on vacation but would like to follow up and asked for details of my referees. I am a bit in rush to make a decision as I have other offers pending.

Do you guys think that it is something positive or negative that I was asked to give details of my referees?
Reply 141
Hello.,:smile: I am currently doing my 3rd Year BE Mining Engineering at College of Engineering,Guindy,Anna University,Chennai,India. I have plans of pursuing my PhD Royal School Of Mines. Can Somebody tell me whether its worth the try? Will scholarship/stripend be provided? Will it cover all my expenses ? What is the scope of it ? Thanks in advance..
Reply 142
Unlikely conversation No. 576:

"Hi John,
yeah about that guy that came for the PhD interview yesterday: he seems pretty hopeless and we don't think he is suitable."

"OK, great, then let's ask him for his references."

TBD


Original post by murdoc_07

Do you guys think that it is something positive or negative that I was asked to give details of my referees?
Original post by gireesh
Hello.,:smile: I am currently doing my 3rd Year BE Mining Engineering at College of Engineering,Guindy,Anna University,Chennai,India. I have plans of pursuing my PhD Royal School Of Mines. Can Somebody tell me whether its worth the try? Will scholarship/stripend be provided? Will it cover all my expenses ? What is the scope of it ? Thanks in advance..


According to this webpage:
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/entryrequirements/graduate/countryindex/india
You need to have a masters degree coming from India in order to apply for a PhD position.

Funding can cover either fees or living expenses or both but they're difficult to come by and are highly competitive. If you do get a stipend it'll include the London allowance which will be enough for you to live on
Reply 144
Newbie here. Just started my mphil at cam. Found a supervisor in my dept. who's the only person here who researches my topic area, which was lucky! She said im the first mphil student in the history of the course, writing a thesis on this topic area.

She said she wants to get one of my undergrad research papers published and take me along to Italy to present at a global conference o.o

So now I'm thinking..should I put in a phd application? I'm sufficiently interested in doing more research on my topic area and would be prepared to commit another 3 years. If my supervisor already likes me and what im doing - would there be a fairly high(er) chance of getting accepted?

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Akkuz
Newbie here. Just started my mphil at cam. Found a supervisor in my dept. who's the only person here who researches my topic area, which was lucky! She said im the first mphil student in the history of the course, writing a thesis on this topic area.

She said she wants to get one of my undergrad research papers published and take me along to Italy to present at a global conference o.o

So now I'm thinking..should I put in a phd application? I'm sufficiently interested in doing more research on my topic area and would be prepared to commit another 3 years. If my supervisor already likes me and what im doing - would there be a fairly high(er) chance of getting accepted?

Posted from TSR Mobile



Haven;t you answered your own question? I mean from a layman's point of view, the answer to the question you have asked is obvious. The only way you are going to know for sure is to apply though, and be compared against that actual competition. However, why don't you ask your current Supervisor all this?
Reply 146
Original post by threeportdrift
Haven;t you answered your own question? I mean from a layman's point of view, the answer to the question you have asked is obvious. The only way you are going to know for sure is to apply though, and be compared against that actual competition. However, why don't you ask your current Supervisor all this?


She's in Japan at the mo :cry: But yeah, I think I may give it a go. It'll open up another option for me alongside the jobs-market.
Reply 147
Original post by Akkuz
Newbie here. Just started my mphil at cam. Found a supervisor in my dept. who's the only person here who researches my topic area, which was lucky! She said im the first mphil student in the history of the course, writing a thesis on this topic area.

She said she wants to get one of my undergrad research papers published and take me along to Italy to present at a global conference o.o

So now I'm thinking..should I put in a phd application? I'm sufficiently interested in doing more research on my topic area and would be prepared to commit another 3 years. If my supervisor already likes me and what im doing - would there be a fairly high(er) chance of getting accepted?

Posted from TSR Mobile


Yes, you have a high chance of getting accepted. However, getting funding is different and may be completely out of your sup's hands. Similar thing happened to me in Oxford. Getting the DPhil offer was the easy part, convincing the Engineering Graduate Board (or something) for a scholarship was much harder. (I didn't get funding)
Re: Writing a good postgraduate research proposal
This link may be of interest to those who are thinking of applying for a PhD to do their own research (and also applying for Scholarships):
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-recruitment/publications-resources/1.58207
Original post by AuldAlliance
Re: Writing a good postgraduate research proposal
This link may be of interest to those who are thinking of applying for a PhD to do their own research (and also applying for Scholarships):
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-recruitment/publications-resources/1.58207


Thank you for this :smile:
Reply 150
I'm proud of y'all :biggrin:
Almost got everything together to submit some applications now - EEK! Got references, transcripts, degree certificate, and just polishing off a personal statement about my skills, motivation and experience etc. I'm so excited but nervous at the same time. I applied last year and only got one offer, so I took a year out to be an intern :biggrin:
Reply 152
Original post by TheRandomer
Almost got everything together to submit some applications now - EEK! Got references, transcripts, degree certificate, and just polishing off a personal statement about my skills, motivation and experience etc. I'm so excited but nervous at the same time. I applied last year and only got one offer, so I took a year out to be an intern :biggrin:


Well done on getting everything sorted- what are you applying for? I'm almost there too...
Original post by Bluth.
Well done on getting everything sorted- what are you applying for? I'm almost there too...


:biggrin: Thanks! I'm applying for astronomy PhDs, how about you?
Oh I forgot I re-did my CV too. They want so much information it's a little overwhelming!
Reply 154
Original post by TheRandomer
:biggrin: Thanks! I'm applying for astronomy PhDs, how about you?
Oh I forgot I re-did my CV too. They want so much information it's a little overwhelming!


I'm applying for a PhD in cognitive psychology at my alma mater and I'm hoping to work with my ex dissertation supervisor, so they know quite a bit about me already! I'm not sure I need a CV as such but I definitely feel like I have told them everything about me in the all the forms...over and over again.
Original post by Bluth.
I'm applying for a PhD in cognitive psychology at my alma mater and I'm hoping to work with my ex dissertation supervisor, so they know quite a bit about me already! I'm not sure I need a CV as such but I definitely feel like I have told them everything about me in the all the forms...over and over again.


Oooh good luck! I'm applying to my undergrad uni too, but not my supervisor. For asto we just apply to a place and they try and match us up with a project at as the interviews etc go along really. Where are you planning to apply to? :biggrin: Part of me really can't wait to get started on interviews.
When did people start looking at PhD's/when do topics usually come out?

I'm currently on my placement year (3rd year of a 4 year course) and I now know that I definitively want to do a PhD. So I've started looking into it and having a look on findaphd.com but the problem is they're all starting in 2013, so when do the 2014 ones come out? I imagine its during summer sometime?

Thanks :smile:
Original post by Ian80
When did people start looking at PhD's/when do topics usually come out?

I'm currently on my placement year (3rd year of a 4 year course) and I now know that I definitively want to do a PhD. So I've started looking into it and having a look on findaphd.com but the problem is they're all starting in 2013, so when do the 2014 ones come out? I imagine its during summer sometime?

Thanks :smile:


The 2013 ones started being advertised mid Nov time with more being released every week so I would suggest the 2014 entry will not start being released until next November time
Original post by GooglyEyedMonster
The 2013 ones started being advertised mid Nov time with more being released every week so I would suggest the 2014 entry will not start being released until next November time


Ah okay then, thanks :smile:

Long wait for me then haha :tongue:
Reply 159
Original post by TheRandomer
Oooh good luck! I'm applying to my undergrad uni too, but not my supervisor. For asto we just apply to a place and they try and match us up with a project at as the interviews etc go along really. Where are you planning to apply to? :biggrin: Part of me really can't wait to get started on interviews.


Check my profile :smile: Trying not to be too identifiable/google-able :tongue:

Quick Reply

Latest