For Students Applying to Ph.D. Programs in Computer Science in the United States
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In 2018 - 2019, I applied to nine Ph.D. programs in computer science in the United States, with a focus on education technology. I received three offers with full scholarships: Boston University, the University of Rochester, and Rice University. I accepted the offer from Rice.
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I had a good undergraduate GPA: 3.997 out of 4.00, with a double major in computer science and mathematics. I was on the varsity crew team and was named the Student-Athlete of the Year.
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Keys to my successful PhD applications:
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High GPA
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Three research publications at international conferences, including one best student paper runner-up
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Strong recommendation letters - I never saw the letters but I believe they were strong. At least two out of the three letter writers wrote about my research ability (as compared to course performance)
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Strong SOP
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Weaknesses of My Application Package:
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Not coming from a big research university
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OK GRE scores: verbal 159/170, quantitative 168/170, writing 4.5/6.0. (Though I had a very high TOEFL score, 116 out of 120.)
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No publication at top-tier conferences or journals
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My Statement of Purpose from 2018:
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SOP: [pdf]
For Faculty Candidates Applying to Tenure-Track Positions in Computer Science in the United States
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In 2024 - 2025, I was in my final year of the Ph.D. program and applied to a total of 75 tenure-track positions in around 60 schools - for some schools, I applied to multiple positions. I received three Zoom interviews and three on-site interviews: Dartmouth College, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the University of Houston. I accepted the offer from the University of Houston.
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<more stories and resources coming :)>