Meet Mutahar, a CS undergrad, who landed the PhD of his choice after successfully applying a second time.
-
During my senior year of undergrad, I applied for MS Computer Science programs with hopes of starting in Fall 2023. I received offers from the University of Virginia, the University of Arizona, and the University of Iowa. I chose the University of Arizona, largely because I secured a TAship for a course on Linux Operating Systems that would fund my first semester. However, I found myself yearning for more research opportunities in my field of interest, which were limited at Arizona.
My advisor saw my potential and suggested I pivot to a research assistantship (RAship) and reapply. Embracing this new direction, I dived into research and discovered a deep passion for it. This journey transformed my goals, leading me to pursue a more research-intensive degree: a PhD.
Learning from my previous application experience, I meticulously curated my university list, ensuring each program aligned with my research interests and had faculty whose work genuinely intrigued me. With the guidance of my advisors, I applied to 12 universities.
I had seven interviews with faculty members from various institutions. However, as the weeks passed, the tide turned; I began receiving rejections from places where I had interviewed. Doubt started to creep in, but I remained hopeful and resilient.
In my last interview chance with UC Irvine, i crafted my presentation slides with great care and sent follow up emails sharing my after thoughts from the meeting and connected my proposed research as a synthesis of my PIs past research and new developments in the field. These personalized efforts helped me finally received a fully funded PhD offer.
