Tips for a prospective student during COVID-19?

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader writes:

I’m not sure that there’s anything anyone here can say to help, but I am a prospective Ph. D student in the process of picking my program, but COVID has made any visits impossible. Obviously, I’ve tried Skyping/phoning various students and professors in the departments I’m thinking of choosing, but it simply doesn’t feel like I’m getting the same wealth of information I would have with an in-person visit. Is there any fix for this?

I'm not sure that I have any good advice beyond this: I'm not sure that prospective grad students can get the best information from campus visits or talking to people. Why not? Well, what will ultimately matter to your future self, that is, to you once you end up in a program? Judging from my own experience and what I've heard from many others, you're probably going to care about (A) your chances of finishing the program, (B) your chances of getting a job, and (C) the likelihood that you'll be happy in and flourish in the program.

But what's the best evidence of (A)-(C)? Not, I think, first-hand experience during a visit--or what people might say about the program when you talk to or Skype with them. Why? Well, because generally speaking when you talk to people they are either going to try to sell you on the program, or, in the case of those who are disaffected, deter you from entering. What you don't really know is how representative any of what they say really is of actual life in the department, viz. any of (A)-(C). What can give you a better feeling for (A)-(C)? Well, there are job-placement statistics, some of which include surveys of how well students rate their programs. If I were a prospective student trying to decide between programs, these are methods I would prioritize, especially given that decades of empirical research indicate that the most reliable way to make selection choices is to use data-driven methods (rather than personal experience or intuition). But sure, if in addition to studying the facts, you want to talk to people to try to gauge fit, go for it. 

But these are just my thoughts, and I know that I am much more enamored by hard-data approaches than many others are. Given that students normally have until April 15 (I believe) to make decisions, anyone have any thoughts/tips of their own to share?

Comments

[rutabagas]

You're not going to get the same experience, I don't think. But to compensate a little, I would highly recommend talking to grad students who are very far along or, better yet, asking to be put in touch with recent alumni. They may have forgotten what it was like to be an early grad student (so you should talk to early grad students too!), but they tend to have a better sense how one PhD program compares with another.

[Helen De Cruz]

I second Marcus' advice. Have a look at Carolyn Dicey Jennings' reports on placement, which also have qualitative data on how happy students are with the programme. While placement is important, it also seems to me that things like emotional support, or support for you if you intend to pursue a non-academic career, is important. So you can have a programme that looks like it's got low placement but that still have significant and good non-academic placement (CDJ has some data and observations on this too). If you can, try to schedule some Skype calls or Zoom meetings (note: there are concerns with Zoom's privacy and security settings) with grad students from the programme. Not first-year students, but people in their third year or beyond. Try to speak to as many as you can and see if they're happy and how involved their supervisors are.

[Paul]

Yep, I agree with both posts about grad students. They are more likely to be honest with you I think, and they are probably the best shot you have at determining whether you will be happy at said program.

Also, I am sorry but I have to say this. Are you sure you want to start a PhD in philosophy right now? I am at a large private R2 and my spouse is a high level administrator and we are hemorrhaging money. I don't think we will get new hires (that aren't grant or research funded) for YEARS, and it may never be the same. You think the market is bad now? I'm not sure it will get back to the levels it is at now for many years if ever...

Now, on the other hand, if you are very young and really want to take a shot, what you need to look at is the school's financial situation, especially their endowment. I would be looking primarily at R1 privates with fat endowments (although Cornell just announced raise and hiring freezes along with pay cuts of all the top admins, and asked others to voluntarily take pay cuts). If the school looks like they are in good position to weather this storm and pay your stipend for 5+ years, and if you won't go into debt in grad school, then it might be as good of an option as any right now. But, be prepared to not secure an academic position. Sorry to be that guy...

[Michel]

IMO, campus visits are a luxury, and one that's not offered equally to all prospectives. Waitlisted students, for instance, often don't get a chance to visit the campus in-person, and have to gather their information by other means. International students, too.

And those events tend to be attended primarily by students still early in the program, and their outlook on the program can be very different from students further along.

So, like rutabagas and Helen said: email current students at various stages of the program, and email recent alums.