How much research experience do I need for PhD programs in the USA?

I am a rising junior, looking to apply to PhD programs in Statistics in a couple of years. I go to a liberal arts school and there is almost no research going on during the semester. I did research (3 months) this summer, which went really well. We managed to write three papers, and one of them is going to get published at a proper research journal while the other two will be submitted to undergrad math journals (hopefully). I will hopefully get into another research program somewhere next summer. Is this much research experience going to be enough for grad schools? I've seen applicants mention that they have 1-2 yrs of researches by working over the semester but I clearly lack that. My GPA is pretty solid though (3.9 + ), and my recs should be fine too. Any feedback will be appreciated. Thanks!

• phd
• graduate-admissions
• research-process
• graduate-school

2 Answers 2

If you apply to a doctoral program in the US with a BA/BS you are expected to have a good academic record, especially in the field of interest, as well as good letters of recommendation from professors who can attest to your likelihood of success.

You aren't, for most applications, expected to already have research experience, though it is a plus. The decision will be broad-based and all positive factors contribute. But the competition is also fierce.

The first years of the doctoral program will be taken up with advanced courses in field, leading to the comprehensive examinations. You may not even do much research for a year or two of doctoral study (though this varies). At some point you choose, by mutual consent, a dissertation advisor and then get down to the serious stuff.

Note that this is a very common path to success in the US, since the undergraduate degree is normally intended to give a broadly based education, not a particularly specialized one.

Your GPA is good. Make sure you get good letters.

Thanks! Does this mean I am fine in terms of research experiences if I have two summer researches? Just worried because many seem to have years of experience throughout their undergrad degree

You will have more than many applicants. Especially those from similar colleges. Get what experience you can, but other things are just as important. Letters. Oh, and letters.

The ideal amount of research experience is as much as you can get. It's great that you can get publications already because of your summer research experience; know that these such experiences are intended for people who would not be able to get research experience otherwise. I would definitely recommend that you do another such program next summer, as you mentioned.

I would suggest you try and see if there is any way to get involved with research at your school during the semester if you would like, although part of me assumes you have tried this already. I don't think that this is necessarily going to limit you though, since many people are in your situation (liberal arts institutions with not much research opportunities available or started research late).

Barring the amount of research that you have done or have been able to do, the best ways to strengthen your application would be on the other portions, which include getting good recommendations from your research experiences. Also, you will want to focus on writing a good statement of purpose and explain what your research interests are and how they may align with your prospective graduate programs, as well as how the research experiences that you have had have shaped those interests.