BIMODAL - Belonging in Media: Opportunities in Digital Academic Landscapes
I founded and facilitated the BIMODAL - Belonging in Media: Opportunities in Digital Academic Landscapes workshop for students in the Northeastern University College of Science. Read more here about our first workshop iteration! This workshop aimed to help retain diversity in STEM fields by connecting underrepresented students with digital professional development opportunities and broadly investing in building science communication skills.
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All student-facing lecture curriculum that was developed for BIMODAL is available open-source on my GitHub. Many of the exercises from the interactive curriculum are also available to do as self-paced modules.
Lecture Curriculum:
Interactive Curriculum:
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I developed the BIMODAL workshop with an Equity Action Grant from Northeastern University College of Science. The inaugural workshop was co-facilitated with fellow PhD student Angela Jones, Helmuth Lab (center) and M.S. student Lindsey Forg (left).
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Graduate School Application Process Resources
There are increasingly more resources online for navigating the graduate school application process. As such, I include resources here that are unique to the EEB (ecology, evolution, biology) & Marine Science fields that I personally used. All resources linked below are also here.
NOTE: Most EEB programs will only admit students who have identified an advisor who accepts them into their lab. Alternatively, programs may admit to lab rotations, but this is less common in EEB. Given that an advisor must accept a student to their lab, the majority of the application process is focused on finding a mentor and building a relationship with them before the actual application to the university.
APPLICATION TIMELINE
Students should begin the application process a full year before the desired entry date (e.g. begin in Summer 2024 for Fall 2025 entry). You'll find that much of the preparation and work occurs BEFORE the actual application to the university.
NOTE: Most EEB programs will only admit students who have identified an advisor who accepts them into their lab. Alternatively, programs may admit to lab rotations, but this is less common in EEB. Given that an advisor must accept a student to their lab, the majority of the application process is focused on finding a mentor and building a relationship with them before the actual application to the university.
APPLICATION TIMELINE
Students should begin the application process a full year before the desired entry date (e.g. begin in Summer 2024 for Fall 2025 entry). You'll find that much of the preparation and work occurs BEFORE the actual application to the university.
Summer (e.g., June - August 2025)
Find out what kind of research interests you! Make a short list of 15-20 labs that you think do cool research and prepare to email them. Don't worry if the labs explore different research topics - that's ok. Focus primarily on finding out more about the PI and their lab. Apply to attend EEB Preview Days (see below) and sign up for mentorship programs (see below) that can provide feedback on application materials.
EEB Preview Days
Some universities offer "Preview Days" as an opportunity to learn more about the grad school application process, speak with faculty, practice interviews, beef up your CV, have Q&A sessions with current graduate students, and present your research. These are great opportunities to participate in the summer or fall before applications are due!
I attended Brown University's EEB Preview Day in 2020 and it was very helpful for informing my application process. As far as I can tell, they unfortunately no longer run this program. I also prepped an application to Dartmouth's EEES Scholar Program but didn't end up applying.
Michigan State University, Yale University, UC Davis, and Princeton University all run Preview Days on an annual basis. Northeastern University BEACHES is a 3-day intensive application workshop each year in June with full travel funding.
Mentorship Programs
I participated in the MIT-WHOI JP-ASK mentorship program in the fall of 2020. This program paired me with a current PhD student in the MIT-WHOI joint program, and they offered individual feedback on my NSF-GRFP application as well as my grad school personal statements. I had a really positive experience and would recommend the program. I also highly recommend the EEB Mentor Match Program run by the American Society of Naturalists as another option!
EEB Preview Days
Some universities offer "Preview Days" as an opportunity to learn more about the grad school application process, speak with faculty, practice interviews, beef up your CV, have Q&A sessions with current graduate students, and present your research. These are great opportunities to participate in the summer or fall before applications are due!
I attended Brown University's EEB Preview Day in 2020 and it was very helpful for informing my application process. As far as I can tell, they unfortunately no longer run this program. I also prepped an application to Dartmouth's EEES Scholar Program but didn't end up applying.
Michigan State University, Yale University, UC Davis, and Princeton University all run Preview Days on an annual basis. Northeastern University BEACHES is a 3-day intensive application workshop each year in June with full travel funding.
Mentorship Programs
I participated in the MIT-WHOI JP-ASK mentorship program in the fall of 2020. This program paired me with a current PhD student in the MIT-WHOI joint program, and they offered individual feedback on my NSF-GRFP application as well as my grad school personal statements. I had a really positive experience and would recommend the program. I also highly recommend the EEB Mentor Match Program run by the American Society of Naturalists as another option!
Fall (e.g., September - November 2025)
Send initial inquiry emails to PIs to express your interest in their lab, complete “pre-evaluations” or preliminary interviews if they ask, apply for national grants such as the NSF-GRFP*, and secure strong letters of recommendation from your undergraduate advisors or professors.
Sending Inquiry Emails
Perhaps the most intimidating step in the grad school application process is sending an (often cold) email to a PI to introduce yourself as a prospective PhD applicant who is interested in learning more about their lab. In this email, you want to briefly (!) introduce yourself, explain how your research interests overlap with the lab, and ask if they are planning to accept a PhD student in the coming year.
Here's my template for sending an email to a PI - I received a great response rate from PIs that I emailed using it!
Pre-Evaluations or Pre-Application Interviews
A PI may respond to your email with an opportunity for further evaluation, either a written set of questions or a request for a short 15-30 minute interview. This is great news! This means you passed through the first hurdle of their email inbox, and they are interested to hear more from you. These evaluations will likely play a large role in if you're invited to submit a formal application to the university. If you don't receive a response from the PI, kindly send a follow up email a week or two after to make sure they didn't miss your email.
National Fellowship Applications
A competitive PhD applicant will apply for the NSF-GRFP* if they are eligible. This is a national fellowship that funds students for 3 years. There are many other national fellowships, including the NOAA Nancy Foster Fellowship and Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship. You can either prep these applications with your undergraduate advisor or ask a prospective graduate advisor well in advance to apply together.
* If offered in 2025-2026 application cycle
Finding PIs that are Recruiting
One of the realities of applying to grad school is that not all labs recruit every year because a PI usually needs to have available grant funding to recruit a student. It can be disappointing to connect with a PI who thinks you're great but can't accept you due to lack of funding. So, how can you find PIs that are doing interesting research AND have funding?
Sending Inquiry Emails
Perhaps the most intimidating step in the grad school application process is sending an (often cold) email to a PI to introduce yourself as a prospective PhD applicant who is interested in learning more about their lab. In this email, you want to briefly (!) introduce yourself, explain how your research interests overlap with the lab, and ask if they are planning to accept a PhD student in the coming year.
Here's my template for sending an email to a PI - I received a great response rate from PIs that I emailed using it!
Pre-Evaluations or Pre-Application Interviews
A PI may respond to your email with an opportunity for further evaluation, either a written set of questions or a request for a short 15-30 minute interview. This is great news! This means you passed through the first hurdle of their email inbox, and they are interested to hear more from you. These evaluations will likely play a large role in if you're invited to submit a formal application to the university. If you don't receive a response from the PI, kindly send a follow up email a week or two after to make sure they didn't miss your email.
National Fellowship Applications
A competitive PhD applicant will apply for the NSF-GRFP* if they are eligible. This is a national fellowship that funds students for 3 years. There are many other national fellowships, including the NOAA Nancy Foster Fellowship and Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship. You can either prep these applications with your undergraduate advisor or ask a prospective graduate advisor well in advance to apply together.
* If offered in 2025-2026 application cycle
Finding PIs that are Recruiting
One of the realities of applying to grad school is that not all labs recruit every year because a PI usually needs to have available grant funding to recruit a student. It can be disappointing to connect with a PI who thinks you're great but can't accept you due to lack of funding. So, how can you find PIs that are doing interesting research AND have funding?
- Check university websites for lab websites and scroll through to see which labs have announced they're recruiting
- Search job boards and listservs for hiring announcements (e.g. EvolDir, New England Marine Sci Opportunities, TAMU Job Board)
- Use Bluesky (Twitter is where I found my current grad position, but many science pages have moved over to Bluesky). Make a professional Bluesky account and follow professors or grad students that are tweeting about science topics that interest you. Retweet articles and funding opportunities to get into the algorithm.
Winter (e.g., December 2025 - February 2026)
Submit applications to universities where the PI you've been in contact with has encouraged you to apply. If a PI hasn't told you to apply, you should follow up with them to confirm. This will save you the application fee for the university if they're no longer interested in your application. You will likely submit applications for anywhere from 1-5 programs, and deadlines for programs are usually between December 1st and February 1st. Make sure to receive feedback on your application materials from mentors before submission!
Spring (e.g., March - April 2026)
Visit universities and complete in-person interviews with the department. They’ll likely pay for the expense of traveling to the university for your recruitment visit. This is an exciting time, so make sure to engage with all activities offered on the visit, take notes, and reflect on the potential fit. If you are lucky enough to have several offers, weigh your options carefully. A PhD is a long time commitment, so it is worth it to fully consider all options and be confident in your choice. April 15th is generally considered a standard reply-by date. Accept an offer!
Acing the Interview
Interview days can be intimidating, but practicing great interview technique ahead of time can help you feel confident. Prepare for interviews with your prospective PI as well as other faculty members, graduate students, and even the department chair or dean. You may have 1:1 interview or group interview formats. Here's a list of questions that your prospective PI may ask you, and here are some general tips for Acing the Interview!
Acing the Interview
Interview days can be intimidating, but practicing great interview technique ahead of time can help you feel confident. Prepare for interviews with your prospective PI as well as other faculty members, graduate students, and even the department chair or dean. You may have 1:1 interview or group interview formats. Here's a list of questions that your prospective PI may ask you, and here are some general tips for Acing the Interview!