Review of Application Materials (RAMP) for PhDs

Who is this for?

If you plan to apply to PhD programs in computer science or related fields this year, this is for you. You are especially encouraged to participate if there aren’t many people who can mentor you and help you craft your application materials. For example, if you do not know anyone who has a PhD in computer science, or anyone familiar with graduate programs/admissions at global universities, or you cannot get feedback from any professors or labs that you have already worked with.

If you are an EPFL Master’s student: Before contacting people below, ask members of the lab(s) you’re working with for your semester project/thesis. They will be able to give the most relevant feedback. If you cannot get feedback from your lab, you are encouraged to contact the people below.

Who is this by?

Some PhD students in the Computer & Communication Sciences department at EPFL are volunteering to help review your application materials. This initiative is called EPIC RAMP, and has started its inaugural iteration for the 2022 application cycle.

Please understand that this is a service that the PhD students are providing in their free time, so it may take a few weeks to get a response, and we may have to pause the program if we get too many requests. We may refuse to help people who mass email our list of volunteers instead of choosing one or two, or who do not take the time to first follow the guides on this website.

Steps

  1. Follow the Applying section of the EPIC PhD guide for statements of purpose and resumes
  2. Find one or two people in the list below whose research interest match yours
  3. Send them an email introducing yourself and attaching your statement of purpose and resume (we provide a template below)

Volunteers

Please pick at random from within your area to spread the load on our volunteers.

(You can also reach out to the EDIC Ambassadors)

Email template

Dear <name of the recipient>,

I am <your name>, a <short description, e.g., Bachelor student at the University of XYZ>,
interested in <research topic>.
I saw your name on the EPIC Guide list of volunteers for reviewing application materials,
and I need help with mine.
Could you please give me some feedback?

Attached are my statement of purpose and resume.
<any other questions you may have, e.g., "I didn’t include XYZ, should I?">

Thank you very much for your help!

Best regards,
<your name>