Grad School Series: University of Pennsylvania

The Scholars’ Avenue is proud to present our Grad School Series, where we get in touch with IIT Kharagpur Alumni who have been admitted into prestigious schools and universities in several countries and domains for both Masters and PhD programmes. Here are some other articles in the series

Grad School Series: Texas A&M University https://thescholarsavenue.medium.com/grad-school-series-texas-a-m-university-bef1170745f5

Grad School Series: Carnegie Mellon University https://thescholarsavenue.medium.com/grad-school-series-cmu-ff34edfb5374

Grad School Series: Oxford University https://thescholarsavenue.medium.com/grad-school-series-oxford-university-f53c5e27928b

Grad School Series: Wharton https://web.scholarsavenue.org/grad-school-series-wharton-de0396490909

Grad School Series: Chartered Financial Analyst https://web.scholarsavenue.org/grad-school-series-cfa-426776fedcb

In this article, we interview Tanmay Verma, who graduated from IIT Kharagpur with a dual degree in Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering in 2021. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania.

Pre-application decisions

When did you decide to pursue a Master’s, and what motivated that decision?

I decided to pursue a master’s during my pre-final year. I was one of those people, confused about what they wanted to do but was always interested in innovating and working in their own field. It’s a hard truth that the opportunities for working in branches apart from the circuital department are sparse in India and not very attractive. The same goes for the Biotech industry, which has just started growing in India, which lacks proper funding and growth, and that was what I was looking for. I really enjoyed the courses provided by our department, but after a certain time, I felt the span of courses provided was limited and wanted more exposure. This motivated me to step aside and pursue a Master’s in the U.S.

How do you decide if you’d want to pursue a Ph.D. or a Master’s?

I would say both of the degrees are great with respect to enhancing your profile and exposing you to better opportunities. Ph.D. is great in the aspect that it’s paid and acts more like a research job. It requires dedication, and you will be working on a more specific area than in a Master’s degree. On average, the time span for completing a Ph.D. is 5 years in the U.S. (and 3 years in Germany and European organizations). So, it is preferable if you like the field you are choosing for a Ph.D. Whereas a Master’s has its own cost, you get to explore more and is a faster way to access the opportunities in a foreign nation. Note: Many institutions in the U.S. allow you to obtain a Master’s integrated with your Ph.D. and drop out of the program after obtaining it.

How did you decide on what colleges to apply for?

I started by listing all the universities according to the subject ranking provided by QS. Then I followed up with the research work being carried out at those Universities to check if they align with my specific field of interest. As some of the programs are more competitive than others, I made sure that I was not overreaching and applying unrealistically. So, I compared my profile with previously selected candidates. You can find this data on Yocket and LinkedIn. Accordingly, I divided universities into three categories, namely ambitious, moderate and safe. This whole process of sorting out universities took me two weeks, and I constantly added and removed universities from the list.

Application Process

What does the application process comprise of?

The application process required me to submit a Statement of Purpose, a resume, 3 Letters of Recommendation from professors, GRE, and TOEFL scores. The most crucial aspect of your application is the SOP and the LoR as they are both elaborate descriptions of the applicant, so try to make them as shiny as you can. Keep discussing with the professor you are requesting a LOR from about your interests and goals. Another recommended part is getting your SOP and Resume reviewed by seniors or professors and keep iterating it.

Note: Since last year, many universities have been waiving off GRE scores, so it’s better to check the requirements and decide early if you need to give GRE, as it involves both preparation for the test and extra cost. I personally applied to universities not requiring GRE, and there were plenty of them.

What is the difference in application procedure between Masters and Ph.D. applications?

Apart from the SOP, the rest of the ingredients are the same. Ph.D. applications require you to be more specific about the area of interest in your SOP and also define the professors you would like to work with and why. A Ph.D. requires a longer commitment from you, so the selection process is more stringent.

When did you start preparing your applications? What can be a suitable time to start for upcoming aspirants?

I started working on my application in early August, beginning with the search for universities and giving TOEFL later that month. After that, September and October involved:

• Finalizing the Universities.
• Attending the programs organized for prospective students.
• Drafting SOP and requesting Letter of Recommendation from professors.

The deadlines for most of the applications fall in December, keep track and try to apply and complete your applications by November. Many universities waive their application fee if you apply early. Again, it’s not a clear-cut rule to follow this timeline, sometimes you might be late, and that’s okay. I have seen people starting applications in late November and getting admitted to good universities. But don’t be late in the process on purpose.

When did you start preparing for GRE, TOEFL/IELTS? How much time did you set apart for this?

I gave TOEFL in late August and started its preparation a week before the exam. TOEFL is an English test and comparatively simple. It’s good to test yourself with a mock exam to check how much preparation you need and then set the appointment accordingly for the exam. Usually, 2 weeks of preparation is enough for it. And as I mentioned before, I did not give GRE so you might need to plan if you intend on giving one, as it requires more rigorous preparation.

Note: After giving your exam you are also required to send your score to the Universities (which cost $20 each). But you can choose three universities before passing your TOEFL or GRE to send your scores for free.

How did you manage the time out of your course curricula and research work to prepare for the admission process, and what major challenges did you face?

The key is to distribute the process over the whole fall semester. This way, you won’t be stressed and will get to make many changes in and out of your application. One major challenge I faced was the dilemma of whether to sit for campus placements or not. I applied for a Master’s when the semester was going online. This was good as the semester load was less but bad because you don’t get the same peer support online that you would get on campus. The whole application process is stressful, and you would be surrounded by your friends getting PPOs, preparing for the placement exams together. This might give you a huge fear of missing out. So, it’s better to surround yourself with constructive people having similar goals and help each other out.

What are the important factors that make one’s application stand out from the rest of the crowd?

Keep working on your profile until the last moment; if you feel you lack on the number of projects, indulge in one. If you lack coursework, complete them online. At last, when your profile is set, you have nothing else but to present it in the best way, which is through your SOP. The reviewers love applications that show passion and dedication in the applicant. So, having a good CGPA, publications, internships, or participation in competitions improves your application a lot but is not everything. Remember, you are graduating from a top college in India, and it means something even to the reviewers so believe in yourself.

How are you managing expenses for your degree?

Doing a Master’s in the USA is expensive. If you can get a scholarship from the University, that is the cherry on the top. I am covering my expenses through an education loan, and personal funding. Also, I have a part-time research assistant job on the University campus, which helps cover a fraction of it.