In your PhD cover letter, don’t just mention how the professor’s work has “inspired” you, talk about how you will advance their research agenda. The difference is what decides your acceptance or rejection.
A professor already knows their work is important. What they don’t know is whether you can extend it. If your cover letter spends an entire paragraph explaining how their research inspired you, you’ve used valuable space without answering the question that drives admissions decisions: What will this applicant contribute to my lab?
Suppose you’re applying to a lab studying T-cell exhaustion in cancer immunotherapy. Instead of writing, “I have closely followed your work on T-cell exhaustion and find it highly inspiring,” write something like: “My Master’s research on single-cell RNA sequencing has prepared me to investigate the transcriptional heterogeneity identified in your recent study. I’m particularly interested in extending this work to understand how early exhaustion states influence response to checkpoint inhibitors.” Within three sentences, you’ve demonstrated familiarity with the lab’s research, identified a future direction, and shown why your background is relevant.
Before submitting your cover letter, highlight every sentence that talks about the professor’s work. Then ask yourself a simple question: Does this sentence also explain how I will advance it? If not, you’re describing your interest. A successful PhD application describes your future value.
Do not sleep on these UK companies offering visa sponsorship.
1. Greenpeace UK
2. Carbon Trust
3. Barclays
4. Deloitte
5. pwC
6. KPMG
7. Goldman Sachs
8. Google
9. Microsoft
10. Amazon
11. Unilever
12. She'll
13. British Red cross
14. Cancer Research UK
15. Wellcome Trust
16. The Global Fund
17. Various NHS Foundation Trust
If I got laid off tomorrow & had to replace my salary asap, here’s exactly what I’d do:
1. Go to Instagram and start a fresh account. Use a spare email. No one has to know.
🚨💣 BREAKING: Real Madrid sent official proposal to Bernardo Silva, advanced talks to try sign the midfielder.
Deal underway with Mourinho pushing and Real confident to anticipate Barça & Atlético.
He’s a priority for JM, as @jfelixdiaz reports.
🎥➕ https://t.co/D7gSUofHIl
Our planet is sending us signals.
Too wet. Too dry. Too hot.
But listen, listen again.
Do you hear something else?
This #WorldEnvironmentDay, we turn the volume up on the urgent signals the Earth is sending and how, together, we can act #NowForClimate.
📽 Open Planet
🚨 Universities will face a ban on recruiting international students if they fail to enforce new rules to tackle visa abuse:
Visa refusal rates must be below 5%
Course enrolment rates must be at least 95%
Course completion rates must be at least 90%