While we are already squarely in 2022, the 2021 tax filing process is just getting started. The final 2021 Quarterly Estimated Tax Deadline is January 18, 2022. Whether this is your first time paying estimated taxes or your tenth, you may have questions. Please take some time to watch our 2021 Estimated Tax Workshop along with our other Financial Wellness resources, and reach out to gradhelp@uchicago.edu with your questions related to taxes and University payments.

 

Covid-19 Updates

Students are reminded to check the university’s GoForward website to find updated information regarding the Covid-19 pandemic.

As you head into the new year, jump-start your job search by attending UChicagoGRAD’s flagship career exploration and employer events. Here’s what you can look forward to:

February 2022

The Nonprofit and Social Impact Career Forum, scheduled for February 3, 2022, offers students and postdocs a chance to hear from professionals through presentations and 1:1 chats. Attendees can expect to learn about how their academic training sets them up for mission-driven work in fields such as arts and culture, media, policy, and community impact. This is a great event for grad students and postdocs in Humanities, Divinity, Social Science, as well as those at Harris and Crown; however, it is open to all. To learn more about this year’s participating organizations, please visit the GRAD Gargoyle page for this event, which will be updated soon.

The Data Science and Business Analytics Career Fair will take place on February 24, 2022 and will be virtual. Each year, we welcome employers across industries to this fair intended specifically for graduate students and postdocs in computational and quantitative fields who are interested in careers in data science and analytics. Student registration for this event will open in GRAD Gargoyle in January, at which time an up-to-date list of registered employers will be available. Lists of past employer participants can be found here.

April 2022

On April 1, 2022, GRADUCON will take place in-person at Ida Noyes Hall. GRADUCon is an annual career exploration conference – a day of panels of alumni speakers discussing their work in a wide variety of industries (consulting, data science, publishing, quant finance, UX, to name a few) and meeting 1:1 with students and postdocs. GRADUCon is a great opportunity to hear from UChicago alumni about their career paths in fields you may be exploring. Panel topics differ slightly from year to year, but past panel topics and speakers can be found here.

June 2022

Consulting Summer Camp is a week-long event series for graduate students and postdocs interested in careers in consulting. We kick off with a session on the landscape of the consulting industry; offer workshops on resumes and cover letters, behavioral interviews, and case interviews; and finish out the week with “Meet the Firms,” an opportunity for attendees to connect with recruiters and consultants from a variety of consulting firms. Whether you’re just starting to explore consulting or are working on job applications, this series can help you prepare for the next step in your process.

July 2022

Are you planning to apply for academic jobs this fall?  Put your best foot forward by attending UChicagoGRAD’s Academic Job Market Summer Camp. You’ll receive advice from UChicagoGRAD and CCT advisors as well as faculty from a wide range of institutions. Camp topics include document best practices (CVs, cover letters, research statements, teaching portfolios, and diversity statements); interview best practices (first-round and on-campus interviews); and decision-making (navigating identity, getting a postdoc, and considering international, lecturer, and visiting positions).

As always, UChicagoGRAD will be offering our monthly resume and cover letter workshops, along with additional programming to help you feel prepared for your job search, interviews, and every other step along the way. Keep an eye out in GRAD Gargoyle for the most up-to-date schedule of events.

By Sasha Warren, UChicagoGRAD Career Advising Intern

Application deadlines for many PhD programs in the United States are coming up in December. So, whether you’re an aspiring cancer biologist or an up-and-coming theologian, now is a great time to make sure your application materials are in the works.

One document you’ll need to apply to almost any U.S. PhD program is a Statement of Purpose (SoP), and I’ll be honest – when I started my Planetary Science PhD applications, I had no idea what this meant. The SoP is essentially a description of the research you intend to do: it should draw from the research and learning experiences you’ve had so far, with an eye toward what you hope to do in the future.

Most SoPs follow the same “three act structure”:

Act 1: Who are you, and what research do you want to do? You might address what questions you want to ask, how you intend to pursue them, and why they are important in your field of study.

Act 2: What experiences have prepared you to do this research? Be sure to include how you want to build on your experiences through the research plans outlined in Act 1.

Act 3: Why are this particular program and its faculty a fit for you and your work?

You’ll only have a few pages for all of this, so taking the time to refine and polish your SoP is worth the effort. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Make sure to read the prompt carefully for each program. Schools may ask for different lengths, content, and formatting, so you need to tailor your SoP to each one.
• The balance of each “act” in your SoP depends on your field of study.
  • For STEM PhD applications: The main focus of the SoP is Act 2 – aim to make about 70% of the SoP about the methods and subject areas you’re most thoroughly versed in (and excited by) through giving concrete examples of research projects and related experiences.
  • For Humanities & Social Sciences: Acts 1 and 2 should each make up about equal portions of your SoP, with more of a focus on defining the research you want to do during your PhD rather than your past experience.
• The Statement of Purpose is also a writing sample. Writing clearly and concisely is an important skill for all PhD students, so be intentional and specific with your sentences and word choices.
• First impressions count. Check and re-check your spelling and grammar, then have a friend proofread your SoP for you.

UChicagoGRAD offers a variety of PhD application support resources. For feedback on your SoP or CV, consider making an appointment with one of the UChicagoGRAD career advisors (including me, if you’re a STEM Masters student). If you’re looking for help with writing samples, you can set up a Graduate Writing Consultation. For feedback on diversity, equity, and inclusion statements, consider meeting with our Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Dana Bozeman. It’s also a good idea to work with your faculty advisor on content and norms specific to your field.

For more information on PhD applications, you may refer to:

1. UChicagoGRAD’s PhD Application Guide
2. The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Gentle Guide for Applying to Graduate School

About Sasha:

Sasha is a 4th-year PhD candidate in Geophysical Sciences researching the evolution of rocky planet atmospheres over geological time. At UChicagoGRAD, they help STEM masters students explore their academic and professional goals, and prepare documents for PhD program applications.

 

 

 

Welcome from GRAD Council!

We’re so excited to be back on campus with all of you! It has been incredible to see students walking across the quad,  attending in-person classes, and continuing research responsibilities in a more dynamic environment. We know that many of you are eager to participate in events, be a part of our community, and make the most of the time that you have here. This quarter, GC is trying to offer as many opportunities as possible to connect with your classmates and community.

You can find out more about events related Health & Wellness, Diversity & Inclusion, Social Programming, and Community Initiatives on our GC website: https://gc.uchicago.edu/our-initiatives-1

UChicago Graduate Council also provides funding to individuals and groups for COVID-compliant student-run programming, as well as academic and professional development programming outside of the University. Find out more at the link above.

If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions, you can reach us and our fantastic team of VPs by clicking on the photos on this page: https://gc.uchicago.edu/our-team

This week, we want to highlight our big social event for the Fall Quarter! After a year of virtual programming, we are excited to announce the return of the Gargoyle Gala! Join us for an evening of food, drinks, and dancing in the iconic Mid-America Club, located on the 80th floor of the Aon Center, and overlooking Millennium Park! Tickets are available here: gargoyle-gala-2021.eventbrite.com

We hope to see you there! Contact our VP of Social Programming, Olivia Pura, with any questions.

We hope to make this year wonderful for you!

Nikita & Kim

GC Co-Presidents 

Grace

Graduate Liaison to the Board of Trustees 

How Can GRAD Fellowships Help You?

What can fellowships do for you? They can fund your research internationally or domestically and help you acquire language proficiency, support your professional development, and connect you to larger networks of peers and scholars. In GRAD Fellowships we believe that applying for grants and fellowships is a critical skill in every graduate student’s professionalization. Our goal is to empower graduate students now with the durable skills they’ll need to become independent grant seekers and competitive applicants in the future. To these ends, the Fellowships Office offers a number of resources for help navigating the complex world of applying to fellowships. We offer tools to identify the right fellowships for you and assistance in putting your best foot forward in application processes. Keep an eye out for one of our many information sessions, like Exploring Fellowships for Master’s Students, or schedule a one-on-one advising appointment with one of our skilled advisors here.

Beyond what’s mentioned above, there are several things you can do to stay up to date on our latest offerings. You can join our Canvas page, a library of curated fellowships lists and other helpful guides, here.

 We also offer monthly newsletters that describe upcoming fellowship deadlines. Each newsletter, one in the humanities and social sciences, and the other in STEM, focuses on awards that are accessible to UChicago graduate students. Sign up here.

 

Financial Wellness: 2021 Estimated Tax Deadline

The fourth and final 2020 estimated tax payment deadline is January 18, 2022, and it’s not too early to make sure you’re ready for it. Do you need to make an estimated tax payment on this date? How much do you need to pay? Confused? Graduate students can find more information about quarterly estimated tax payments here or, watch the recording of our 2021 Estimated Taxes for Graduate Students session. if you have general questions, please email gradhelp@uchicago.edu.

The UChicagoGRAD Diversity Advisory Board (DAB) advises UChicagoGRAD and other graduate-serving units in its continuing efforts to develop targeted programs and resources related to diversity in graduate education and experience. It also serves as a liaison between and among campus-wide graduate student groups and leadership and as a convener of these constituents. The GRAD Diversity Advisory Board comprises graduate student representatives from academic divisions and the professional schools whose students regularly utilize UChicagoGRAD resources. Currently, board membership reflects students who have consistently demonstrated a commitment to enhancing diversity, inclusion, access, and equity in higher education. Our executive board is comprised of 4 members. The executive board members are interns with UChicagoGRAD Diversity & Inclusion. We are especially grateful for the leadership, commitment and innovation that this year’s executive board has contributed already.

 

This year, DAB has started the year supporting the MOSAIC Graduate Student Engagement and Resource Orientation. They are currently recruiting for the 3^rd year of Maroon Mates, a peer mentoring program that connects 1^st year PhD and master’s student mentees with 2^nd year and above mentors to create a support network and help to facilitate community. DAB is also currently recruiting for the general DAB board. Last year DAB launched the first ever UChicagoGRAD Diversity Advisory Board Awards. Please check out this awesome article about the outstanding winners.

 

Applications for DAB and Maroon Mates are open from now until October 15^th.  See the list of GRAD Events in the full GGW for further detail. Email graddab@uchicago.edu or visit our website for more information.

 

Executive Board

Frania Lua                     Board Chair
Cintia    Hinojosa          Community Engagement Chair
Rachel  Chery                Race and Pedagogy Chair
Brandy  Williams          Diversity Outreach Chair

UChicagoGRAD welcomes – and welcomes back – graduate students and postdocs to campus! We are delighted to resume in-person operations on the third floor of the University Bookstore. We hope you will consider UChicagoGRAD to be a one-stop shop to find services that help you navigate your academic and professional careers.

 

You may be familiar with some of our admissions team through your application processes and now that you are here, our advisors look forward to meeting with you about fellowship applications, public speaking training, career exploration and planning, diversity and inclusion, work/life balance strategies, and more. We host programs that build helpful skills while connecting you with fellow graduate students across the university – from practicing research presentations through Expand Your Perspectives, to discovering destinations around Chicago with Maroon Mates, to meeting other grads/postdocs with children at the Family Resource Center. Sign up for our programs and make an appointment with an advisor on the GRAD Gargoyle, our online registration portal. You can always get help with any payment issues by emailing gradhelp@uchicago.edu, and keep an eye out for programming related to taxes and financial wellness throughout the year.

 

Lastly, we are excited to announce that the new Graduate Student Lounge will open on October 13 on the 4^th floor of the Bookstore, just upstairs from UChicagoGRAD. The Lounge is the outcome of a student, faculty, and staff working group that was charged with creating a dedicated space where graduate students from across programs can drop in for individual study or small group collaboration, get helpful information about campus resources and services, and socialize with fellow grad students. First- or second-year students who did not get a GRAD Gargoyle t-shirt at Orientation can stop by the Lounge to pick one up after it opens. We can’t wait to welcome you all – stay tuned for updates about an official Grand Opening in the coming weeks.