Applying to PhD programs in the US is admittedly intimidating, as it is a process that is, of course, unfamiliar, but also vastly different from the relatively straightforward process of applying to higher-education programs in India1. A friend recently asked me to share any resources that I found useful during my application cycle, and having spent some time collecting them, I decided to put them here for future reference.
I do not necessarily agree with everything said in these resources, and did not follow all of their advice. I did, however, find them immensely helpful in demystifying many aspects of the application process and providing insight into the inner workings of graduate admissions. Some of them are worth reading out even if it is a long time before you send out applications. I thank Darko Marinov for sharing some of these with me.
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How to Write a Grad School Personal Statement by Mike Hicks.
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HOWTO: Get into grad school for science, engineering, math and computer science by Matt Might.
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Advice on Contacting Faculty for Prospective Research Students by David Evans.
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Getting into CS graduate school in the USA by Mark Corner.
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Getting a Computer Science PhD in the USA by Shriram Krishnamurthi.
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Applying to grad school by Michael Ernst.
I might add to this list as I rediscover more resources I found useful.
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Usually, the process can be summarized as follows: (1) identify the standardized test you need to take, (2) prepare for the test, and (3) take the test. ↩