Picking the Perfect Grad School: How I Used a Strategic List to Measure My Options

When I began seeking advice on graduate schools, I remember walking out of my professor’s office wide-eyed, leaving with more questions than I had entered with. I was an eager chemistry major in my second year of college, just starting to think seriously about my next academic steps. As the first in my family to pursue graduate school, and being at a primarily undergraduate institution, I felt like I was starting from scratch. That meeting was supposed to give me a clear formula for finding the right PhD programs, but instead it left me facing my first real roadblock.

“You can’t know which schools are right for you until you’ve looked into all of them,” my professor told me. But how was I supposed to comb through thousands of schools? And even if I did, how would I know what to look for?

It is tempting to focus only on the most popular schools, but I have seen that an individual’s success has barely anything to do with a school’s prestige. What really matters is whether a program offers the resources, environment, and support you need to flourish—both during your time there and beyond. I realized that I owed it to myself to evaluate schools objectively, and I learned that this process did not have to be as overwhelming as I had imagined.

During my third year, I created a spreadsheet to list the aspects of a PhD program that mattered most to me. The key to this list was finding a way to quanitfy and measure those aspects. As I looked into each school, I compared each program to my list and found myself gaining clarity.

I remember the shock of finding out that some of the highest-ranked schools were not the right fit for me, while others I had never considered were perfect! That personal checklist is what helped me to find and choose the right PhD program.

Here are the five key factors I used to guide my search:

1. Type of Research

Quantifier: Research in electrocatalysis for sustainability

I want a PhD program that allows me to conduct independent research and build expertise in a specific field. When considering a school, it is important to check whether there are research labs actively working in the area that you want to study.

Measure: At least three professors conducting research in electrocatalysis

There is no guarantee that I will be able to join a particular lab—or even want to—after getting into the program. Many variables are at play, like funding availability, lab capacity, and the professor’s career stage (they may retire or transfer to another institution). So having multiple potential advisors is essential.

2. Level of Research

Quantifier: Impactful, high-level research

As someone aspiring to pursue a research-based career, I want access to cutting-edge facilities, top faculty, and an overall strong research culture that can enhance my training and trajectory.

Measure: R1 or R2 school status

R1 and R2 are classifications that indicate a university’s level of research activity, with R1 being very high and R2 being high. On the basis of the criteria I used, I know that if a school has achieved R1 or R2 status, it has significant research output. This is marked by large numbers of publications, grants, awarded doctorates, and substantial expenditure on research.

3. Mentorship Style

Quantifier: Close relationship with my research advisor

I value being able to discuss my research with my advisor and get direct feedback in real time throughout my journey. I would like to know whether such a level of interaction is realistically supported within the lab environment.

Measure: Relatively small group size (< 10 grad students)

In my experience, smaller groups tend to foster more personalized guidance and make it easier to build a close working relationship with the advisor. Larger groups may have more hands-off mentoring but tend to have other added benefits. However, I prefer a more close-knit environment.

4. Departmental Culture

Quantifier: Interdisciplinary skill development

Because my research intersects with multiple fields, I want to be allowed and even encouraged to explore beyond my lab and across disciplines.

Measure: Evidence of collaboration between labs

I want to know if it is normal for different labs to work together on projects, and I want to be able to easily fit into that culture and enhance my academic experience. I also want access to collaborative departmental initiatives and centers and joint research projects. One way to discover if a department is highly collaborative is to check the lab’s publications and see how many are coauthored by other groups.

5. Financial Support

Quantifier:  Financial stability provided throughout the program

An advanced degree program has enough pressure within itself already. I don’t want to add a burden of financial instability to my plate or have to work part-time in addition to being a full-time researcher.

Measure: Full tuition and a competitive stipend

Many PhD programs have different funding structures. I want to look more in depth into how the stipend compares with the cost of living in the area, whether incidentals like student fees are covered, and whether there is reasonable health insurance.

Your list will probably look different than mine—and that’s the point! These were my five nonnegotiable aspects, but you may care more about location, housing, teaching opportunities, and external partnerships. Creating your own list may be the key to finding that ideal fit.

Finding the right graduate school is a lot like searching for a pair of shoes; not every pair will fit, but when you know exactly what you are looking for, the search becomes a breeze!

My checklist helped me confidently identify which programs fit my needs, and I encourage you to create your own. Reflect on your priorities and evaluate each school through that lens. You deserve a graduate program that meets your needs—and helps you thrive.