PhD The Early Process, Application and Interview advice

Hi Anna,
Just an update/query - your last message was really helpful in moving the process along. As of last week I've now been offered a place on the PhD starting this October - but I still haven't had my official acceptance from Admissions and am worried as I need to be sorting my student finance out. Is there anybody I should be contacting from my end?

Hello,
thank you so much for your advice. I did everything and was ready for submission but I couldn't log in to the university website (Queens university). I don,t know whether it was a problem from their side. After that I went through many online sites seeking help I found the educational portal relevant but even after following this, I was not able to log in. Due to lockdown I'm far and couldn't reach out to college? what can I do?

Hello everyone, I have a case. I am an international student due to start an MSc in January 2022 and to end by December 2022. However I wish to begin another by September next year 2022 because the course runs only from September. How do I manage this. The second MSc is my dream course of study. it will be a case of my first masters running into the new masters for a lag of 3 months (September to December) please how do I manage this as an international student. Please all your inputs are welcome.

Hello everyone, I have a case. I am an international student due to start an MSc in January 2022 and to end by December 2022. However I wish to begin another by September next year 2022 because the course runs only from September. How do I manage this. The second MSc is my dream course of study. it will be a case of my first masters running into the new masters for a lag of 3 months (September to December) please how do I manage this as an international student. Please all your inputs are welcome.

Hey everyone,

I have been offered a fully funded CDT studentship at the University of Manchester, which I accepted. I am an international student and was wondering if someone could guide me on how the process works from here onwards and what can I expect in the following months.

Also, is the stipend amount enough to support your living costs or do I have to work part time to make ends meet.

Hello, just curious: is your tuition waived or did the CDT cover the overseas fees? I heard that research councils typically only cover the home rate.

Hey everyone,

I have been offered a fully funded CDT studentship at the University of Manchester, which I accepted. I am an international student and was wondering if someone could guide me on how the process works from here onwards and what can I expect in the following months.

Also, is the stipend amount enough to support your living costs or do I have to work part time to make ends meet.

The stipend will support you a basic life but will be ample without any other income although many PhDs will be lab assistants/teaching support/etc. To boost income.

you should coordinate with your supervisor until you start. But mostly not a lot - unless your supervisor has specifically asked you to do something before arriving. You just need to get yourself accomodation etc.

Thanks Mate. I am in contact with the supervisor and have been told to expect some news after Easter holidays so just keeping my fingers crossed.
Really appreciate the information 👍

Hey, I received yet another rejection letter for a PhD program. I’m quite sad and feel really uneasy as my referees sent out recommendation letters on my behalf. Yet, I again failed to secure a place at a university. I don’t know even how I should notify them about my unsuccesful application and whether I should. Don’t know what I should do next. I just lost count of my unsuccessful applications. Argh

How did your conversations go with supervisor before applying?

At that university they didn’t require to contact potential supervisors

Not required, but it is generally the best method (id say it’s really the done thing), and is part of the process in building a rapport and an interest on there end of working with you - also ensures the supervisor is seeking new students, and that your application and research proposal is highly suitable to there current work and longer term research ambition.

Yes, but I applied to a US university. Initially, they sounded really encouraging and inviting when I contacted them. Then in their rejection letter, they stated that they would deny admission to the majority of applicants. And they sounded way too arrogant in their rejection letter.

Oh fair, US graduate school is different to the UK.

It’s pretty standard to encourage all applications who seem qualified enough to be considered. Id request feedback, then see if you can improve your application and reapply elsewhere.

The main problem is that I’m tired of constantly bothering my referees to write a recommendation letter on my behalf. I feel really uncomfortable doing that again