¿What are your thoughts on my Harvard application?

xraymancs
Sun, 21 Dec 2014 23:47:33 +0000

You really don’t want to self-fund a Ph.D. If they don’t admit you with full funding then they really don’t want you. You have to understand that places like Harvard have lots and lots of excellent applicants and they limit the number of students they take each year because there is a limit to how many they can support as RAs. So, no matter how good your application, it is a long shot to get into these highly selective programs. This does not say anything about how good you are, just how strong the competition. You will see lots of anecdotes on this forum about those who get into these programs and of course they do. The odds are simply low.

You need to apply to Harvard, of course but also find some other programs that are less selective and where you have a better chance to get in. At the end of the day it is better to have a choice than be stuck in a situation where you don’t get into those “dream” programs and have nowhere to go. There are plenty of excellent Ph.D. programs in engineering all over the U.S.