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PhD The Early Process, Application and Interview advice

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Reply 360

Original post
by mcr2288
I didn't do proposals for anyone... i just sent transcript, degree, cv and cover letter... i got 3-4 rejections purely just due to lack of money... they clearly told me. 2 of them apologized as well cause they said they wanted to work with me (?!) but... lack of money! I only apply to advertised ones also..

now i am waiting for 3 more... 1 of them told me i m the perfect candidate... lol... BUT there may be restrictions in funding....****



so, let's wait and see...this is amusing...



My advice is to apply where there are the most funded places available. I didn't get places at Leeds Sheffield ir York, being told I was a great candidate but they just don't have enough money to give a PhD to all the great candidates. Lo and behold I get a place at UCL because there are 36 studentships as opposed to around 5, yet I was expecting that to be the most difficult to get into.

Leeds I was competing with 36 people for one place, then 15 people for 3 places at interview. London I was competing with 400 people for 36 places then with 72 people at interview.

The odds are just better.

Reply 361

Yeah this is true... I guess u are right...

i noticed however nowadays that more people than ever are so keen into phd studies.. I can only explain it due to high unemployment rates possibly... Last year i heard of two cases that people in their 1st year phd, found a job and left the phd...and had funding...its just amazing...

Reply 362

Original post
by mcr2288
Yeah this is true... I guess u are right...

i noticed however nowadays that more people than ever are so keen into phd studies.. I can only explain it due to high unemployment rates possibly... Last year i heard of two cases that people in their 1st year phd, found a job and left the phd...and had funding...its just amazing...


ugh yeah my Masters Supervisor just had a PhD student drop out, it's such a joke. No way am I looking for jobs while I am PhDing.

I was applying to NERC funded ones and they were so ridiculously competitive it was unreal. 36 people applied for the same title I did.

Reply 363

Original post
by redferry
ugh yeah my Masters Supervisor just had a PhD student drop out, it's such a joke. No way am I looking for jobs while I am PhDing.

I was applying to NERC funded ones and they were so ridiculously competitive it was unreal. 36 people applied for the same title I did.


Wait until you graduate and have 300 people going for one lectureship :wink:


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Reply 364

Original post
by Kitty Pimms
Wait until you graduate and have 300 people going for one lectureship :wink:


Posted from TSR Mobile


meh I'm thinking about trying for some economics/political internships afterwards so I have a bit of time :smile:

Reply 365

Anyone apply to Sheffield via their online application page either for this year, or previous years? If so, when did you hear back from them and did they send any emails back to you?

I only applied to Sheffield and I am guessing there are probably no institutions offering funding for this year, as all the deadlines have passed?

Is not receiving a rejection, as of yet, a good or bad sign? If your applications not up to scratch, I'm guessing you receive a rejection fairly quickly?

Reply 366

Original post
by Jedi4
Anyone apply to Sheffield via their online application page either for this year, or previous years? If so, when did you hear back from them and did they send any emails back to you?

I only applied to Sheffield and I am guessing there are probably no institutions offering funding for this year, as all the deadlines have passed?

Is not receiving a rejection, as of yet, a good or bad sign? If your applications not up to scratch, I'm guessing you receive a rejection fairly quickly?


Just phone and ask. That's what I did with York. If you leave it up to them it'll still say your application is being processed this time next year.

Reply 367

Original post
by redferry
Just phone and ask. That's what I did with York. If you leave it up to them it'll still say your application is being processed this time next year.

I know that son had an interview and didn't get an offer but it was months before they actually told him that.

Reply 368

Original post
by olddad
I know that son had an interview and didn't get an offer but it was months before they actually told him that.


Sheffield still haven't got in touch to say I've been unsuccessful even though the places were given out over a month ago. York only told me last week I hadn't been successful officially but I called them before the interviews weeks ago and was told I hadn't been successful. Leeds are still faffing about telling me I'm at the top of the reserves list while the candidates are leaving in droves to go elsewhere. It's a shame as if they had given it me in the first place I would have taken that PhD. Instead they gave them to Oxbridgers who predictably all quit on them to go do PhDs at Oxbridge.

Reply 369

[QUOTE="redferry;46719517"]Sheffield still haven't got in touch to say I've been unsuccessful even though the places were given out over a month ago. York only told me last week I hadn't been successful officially but I called them before the interviews weeks ago and was told I hadn't been successful. Leeds are still faffing about telling me I'm at the top of the reserves list while the candidates are leaving in droves to go elsewhere. It's a shame as if they had given it me in the first place I would have taken that PhD. Instead they gave them to Oxbridgers who predictably all quit on them to go do PhDs at Oxbridge.[/QUOTE
It is always a waiting game. But hang in there - son was rejected by 3 of the 5 he had applied for but then got an offer from the one he had wanted the most, St Andrews.

Reply 370

Original post
by olddad

It is always a waiting game. But hang in there - son was rejected by 3 of the 5 he had applied for but then got an offer from the one he had wanted the most, St Andrews.


Oh I have a place now - In London :biggrin:

It was the best of the PhDs I applied to but one I thought I would never get

Reply 371

Original post
by redferry
Oh I have a place now - In London :biggrin:

It was the best of the PhDs I applied to but one I thought I would never get

there you go then -congratulations!

Reply 372

Original post
by olddad
there you go then -congratulations!


Everyone else faffed about so much, it was such a relief to deal with the straightforward process at UCL.

London living costs are horrific though!

Reply 373

Original post
by redferry
Oh I have a place now - In London :biggrin:

It was the best of the PhDs I applied to but one I thought I would never get


congrats! :smile:
living costs in london are really horrific. that's why i decided not to apply to SOAS at university of london. even though the program seems to be quite good. but without funding i would never be able to afford studying in london.

Reply 374

Original post
by cyclomania
congrats! :smile:
living costs in london are really horrific. that's why i decided not to apply to SOAS at university of london. even though the program seems to be quite good. but without funding i would never be able to afford studying in london.


Thanks!! I was similar at Masters - I turned down Imperial for Leeds :smile:

YEahhh living costs are going to be THE WORST. May be living in a cardboard box next year :P
(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 375

Original post
by olddad
I know that son had an interview and didn't get an offer but it was months before they actually told him that.


What year was this in, I read somewhere they made a student wait till July for an interview then rejected him.

Is the interview really that crucial or is it just a formality?

If my proposal was really bad , surely I'd have been rejected formally by now?

Is no news good news or bad news? In this case.

Reply 376

Original post
by Jedi4
What year was this in, I read somewhere they made a student wait till July for an interview then rejected him.

Is the interview really that crucial or is it just a formality?

If my proposal was really bad , surely I'd have been rejected formally by now?

Is no news good news or bad news? In this case.

That was last year but the two cases are not quite the same because his was for physics and he did not have to give a proposal and would have been almost automatically funded by STFC. But interviews are not a formality - just the opposite. they are quite crucial.

Normally having to wait is not good news. It probably means they have made offers and are waiting for replies. There is usually a lot of action at this time of year as people turn down offers. So don't give up hope.

Reply 377

Original post
by olddad
That was last year but the two cases are not quite the same because his was for physics and he did not have to give a proposal and would have been almost automatically funded by STFC. But interviews are not a formality - just the opposite. they are quite crucial.

Normally having to wait is not good news. It probably means they have made offers and are waiting for replies. There is usually a lot of action at this time of year as people turn down offers. So don't give up hope.


Thanks for the reply.

Fingers crossed. I have no back up plan :frown:

Reply 378

Original post
by Jedi4
Thanks for the reply.

Fingers crossed. I have no back up plan :frown:


Leeds are funding 101 PhDs in any subject so I would start making inquiries about that if I were you.

Reply 379

Original post
by redferry
Leeds are funding 101 PhDs in any subject so I would start making inquiries about that if I were you.


Thanks for that the closing date is April 30th, so I've still got time.Leeds is local too.

It's good that they have clearly stated we are investing 10mil=101 scholarships, whereas Sheffield said on their homepage and made a big deal saying we've invested '5.5' million for PhDs students, so probably under 50 students, or less if they've put money into existing PhDs individual departments want to do.

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