What should you look for in a grad school program/advisor/school?
Ask a Biologist Monday 4/4/22
Answers from Biologists:
Being paid a living wage/health insurance.
A teaching or research assistantship. No one should be paying for grad school in this field.
Communicative and available to connect you to good funding and opportunities.
Resources, money for TA positions, vehicle to use for labs and research, lab space.
Someone who is kind. Ask previous students. Look at their drop out/drop down rates.
Mentoring style.
Funding. Is it provided? Will you have to find your own? Any additional work study or stipend?
A place where you can form a mutualistic relationship with advisors/lab.
Adequate pay/benefits.
An advisor you get along with.
A good grad student community. It makes everything so much easier.
Look into how supportive the program/school is to marginalized groups.
I went to a mostly online program so I could work full time while in school.
Look into their pass rate and gender ratio of former students. Talk to students who have finished/left.
Fully paid (includes fees, out of state tuition match, and healthcare)
Internal funding
Affordable housing nearby
On campus resources (food assistance, mental health services, etc.)
Student bylaws that serve you
Someone who is invested in your success and willing to make it happen (with grants etc.)
Ask about lab drop out rate as well as average grad timeline to graduation.
A compassionate and human advisor who cared for your well being (mental especially)
Ask others in the field about the reputation of the potential advisor and if they’re well liked/respected/respectful
Make sure your funding will last for the entirety of your grad school.
Quality connections in academia/industry/government that can help you find your next role.
Look at where graduates go, what jobs they get, and what kind of people the program and advisor put out.
Funding, project that align with your interests, advisor you click with.
Advisor should be upfront about stipend/funding/health insurance. If not, they’re hiding something.
Make sure they engage in actions that make the work environment a safe space for all backgrounds.
Check how long it takes their students to get their degrees.
Talk to current lab members and other faculty about the advisor.
Perspectives and advice from the current students in the lab/department.
Your potential advisor’s availability and how often they meet their students.
Mentoring style. Arguably more important than the project itself.
An advisor that understands what you want from work/life balance.
Current student load of the advisor, especially if you need more guidance/direction on your project.
The advisor supports the mental health of their students and values their well being above their productivity.
Accomodations in lab for disabled students/if they have mentored any in the past.
A mentoring style that fits you, a living wage, and a nice place to live.
Paid tuition
Check that no previous complaints have been made against the advisor (ex: bullying, sexual advances, etc.). Ask current and former students.
Advisor that supports your goals of fieldwork/lab work in your master's thesis study.
