How to Apply for a PhD in the US?

Edited by Bunty Gill, Krystle C., Ben Rubenstein, Jack Herrick and 24 others

The source was cited from  http://www.wikihow.com/Apply-for-a-PhD-in-the-US

1. Choose your major. This will be determined by your past research experience, your interest and your undergraduate coursework.

2. Get hold of a list of universities with those programs. There are several helpful websites listed below under External Links. Or, you can try searching the web for "NRC rankings."

3. Take the GRE General Test, TOEFL, and the GRE Subject Test as needed by the programs that you are thinking of applying for. Visit the ETS homepage (also listed below) for more information on the pattern of the examination, scoring and score reporting.

4. Assess your chances of getting into a particular school of your interest. You'll need to take into account the following factors:

• funding
• your college GPA
• your research experience
• your citizenship status
• geographical location preferences
• whether you want to go into a research institute or a full university
• GRE and TOEFL scores
  

5. Choose the people you want to write the recommendation letters for you. The best persons to do this are top-notch researchers in the field with whom you have worked, a faculty member from your undergrad school, undergrad thesis advisor or a past employer. Ask them if they want to do it online or on paper. Some universities do not offer the choice between paper and web-based recommendation letters. Inform your references well in advance and keep reminding them till it is done.

6. Write a statement of purpose (SOP) for your interest in each program. While it might be a pain, it's better to write out a different SOP for each school, indicating a fit between you and the program. In your SOP, you can also explain any shortcomings or issues that cannot be dealt with in rest of the application.

7. Arrange for transcripts from each post-school institution attended. Most grad schools require an original transcript to be sent directly by your undergraduate institution. However, if that is not possible, contact the admissions department to know about available alternative possibilities. Often, a certified copy of the transcript in a signed and sealed envelope will suffice.

8. Have the GRE and TOEFL scores reported to the appropriate department of the university. You will need the institution codes, department codes, your credit card number and its date of expiration and of course, your test registration number and date of testing.

9. Use a Calendar program and a spreadsheet to keep track of what documents are needed, which ones of them have been sent and which ones are pending. Also keep a list of the tracking numbers, date of posting and the contents of every packet that you send to universities.