Application preparation
Documents, recommendation letters, the statement of purpose and your CV.
Documents
The usual set. Individual universities and countries add to it, so treat this as the floor rather than the whole list. Ticks are saved in this browser only.
Letters and statement
The two parts of an application nobody can write for you, and the two that decide most borderline cases.
Recommendation letters
- Pick two or three people who have seen your actual work, not the most senior names you can find.
- Ask six to eight weeks before the deadline.
- Send each a short brief: your goal, the course, the projects you worked on together, the deadline.
- Remind them gently at the two-week mark.
- Thank them, and tell them the outcome either way.
Statement of purpose
- Why this field, and why now.
- Two or three experiences that prove the interest is real.
- Why this university and this course specifically.
- What you intend to do afterwards.
- Get it read by someone honest, then cut it to the word limit.
CV
Pick the right form
An academic CV and a one-page resume are different documents. Which one you need depends on the country and the course.
Rewrite the bullets
Lead with a verb, end with a number. “Ran the lab rota” becomes “Scheduled 14 students across 3 labs weekly”.
Check the local norms
Photo or no photo, date of birth or not, one page or two. This varies by country and getting it wrong reads as careless.
Document lists and letter conventions here are general guidance, not the requirements of any particular university. Every university publishes its own, and theirs is the one that counts.