• PhD in US ranges from 5-6 years. That's a long time if you really think about it. 
• In the first year, you rotate through 3-4 labs to choose your thesis advisor and lab. Along with that, you also complete coursework, both general and specific. Most programs also have Teaching Assistant duties associated with your first and second year. 
• Lab is chosen in the second year. Here is when you start your thesis research. You also need to appear for the candidacy exam (which is quite rigorous), which proves your caliber for extending your research. 
• From the third year till the fifth/sixth year, you devote entirely to your research. 

• You don't need to narrow down too much into a topic as you can explore it after you reach the grad school.
• You can even change your field if your interest changes during the lab rotations.
• You get to do teaching assistantships which helps you get experience for the academia. 
• The PhD degree is long (i.e. 5-6 years), therefore, you get enough time to do your research. You get to develop your own research question/project (though it highly depends on the lab).
• US PhD is highly recognized all over the world. So you won't find it difficult to get a job or post-doc after that.

• US PhD being long won't suit students with a very specific topic or project in mind. The rotations and coursework might seem a lot of burden and a waste of time. 
• Students willing to go for an industry career may not like the US system, as it's long (again), and all the teaching experiences etc., aren't asked for!  

• April–July: Start searching for potential schools and supervisors. Go through the university websites (have patience!); they might seem complex, but the time is worth it. Follow the papers and reviews of the professors you find interest in. Applying to around 10 universities is considered a safe number. The strategy should be 3-4-3 for ambitious-moderate-safe tier universities. However, this "tier" is subjective and solely depends upon you. Generally, students use world rankings to categorize, but it is entirely up to you how you want to go about it. Nevertheless, you are completely free to play around with these numbers. Don't overestimate or underestimate your academic stand; this will help you avoid rejections. Moreover, I recommend not to shortlist a school with a rank >500. You can also reach out to your MS thesis advisors for their advice regarding your grad school applications. Your shortlisted universities should have at least 3 professors whose research interests match yours. Happy SHORTLISTING!

• July–August: Be done with the TOEFL and GRE registration. Look out if most schools you selected need it. Otherwise, you can go for a skip, especially for the GRE! Register for exam dates around September or early October. Because in case anything goes wrong, you will have dates to reappear.  

• August-October: Start cold-emailing your shortlisted professors. Take time for it. Never write a general email! 2 to 3 emails per university should be considered a good number. However, for the same university, don't send them all at once; send one at a time and remind them after 7-10 days. If you don't hear back even after that, go for the second one. However, feel safe to mail one professor from each university simultaneously. It will save you time. But be sure you have done proper research before clicking the "Send" button.  

• September: The application portal opens. Be prepared for the adventure! And simultaneously prepare well for the exams, and I am sure you will come out with flying colours (NEVER TAKE COACHING FOR THESE). Start drafting the SOP (Statement of Purpose/Personal Statement) for your programs of preference and building the CV (prefer LaTeX). Moreover,  reach out to your referees and note if they are available to give you a recommendation. In the meantime, start mailing the current and previous grad members of the labs you have shortlisted. They can provide valuable input regarding the program and the professor. 

1. Writing an excellent SOP
2. Curating a professional CV
3. Sending a cold-mail
4. GRE/TOEFL Exam Guide

• October:  Start filling out the application forms. Be careful and patient. It takes time! Reach the referee information section as soon as possible so that your advisors get enough time to write their recommendations. By the end of the month, you should have a draft of the SOP, which you can start sending for peer and faculty review. While cold-emailing, ask the professors if they would be okay  with reviewing your SOP. Believe me, that sometimes works out!

• November: Complete your applications one by one and pay the requisite fee. The fee can range from $50 to $150. But if you really look, it has a very high ROI (Return on Investment)! Once you enter your dream school, you will start earning and saving a lot of money (obviously not as in a job!). Hence, don't hesitate. If you have any problem paying the fees, you can reach out to your friends or seniors, who are always willing to help you. Nevertheless, some universities are willing to offer waivers for students from weak financial background, you can email them if you think you need that. 

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Questions pertaining specifically to a research experience in the past, or regarding your master thesis research. 
3. Questions about why you are interested in that field, or why you chose their university/program. 
4. Simple logical questions

• https://www.indeed.com/

1. You get only one admit. 
2. You get multiple admits.

1. The first and foremost thing to do is to request  the I-20 form, which your university will issue on your behalf.
2. Once you have your I-20, pay the SEVIS (I-901) fee ($350) and fill up the DS-160 form. This form is a bit long and is quite extensive.  Reach out to your university if they help students waive off the SEVIS fee.  
3. After that, complete the US visa application form and pay the visa appointment fee ($185). This payment page takes some time (1-2 days) to update. 
4. Next is the time for scheduling the visa interview. There are five US consulates in India: Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. This process is really notorious, believe me. Join telegram groups that give live information on where slots for the interview process are available. It needs a bit of luck, but finally, you will be able to get a slot. Once you get a slot, start preparing for the interviews. Be confident and genuine–the only suggestion I have! You can read about my visa detailed experience here. 
5. While all this, continue checking the flight ticket prices. Flight prices can soar very high upon high demand; so, if you are confident that you can crack through the visa interview and ready to take a bit of risk, I suggest you to go ahead and book the flights. Always book the flights from airlines' official websites, which give student discounts and free-rescheduling options along with extra baggage allowance.  Also, keep checking the off-campus housing options near your university. On-campus housing in the US is generally not affordable for students under a fellowship or assistantship.  
6. If you have friends going with you, that's good. Otherwise, start searching for roommates/apartment-mates. Post in the social media groups or join the WhatsApp groups of your university, where you will find your future friends and mates. 
7. Some immunizations must be taken before you reach the US, or you can also take them after reaching it if they are covered under your medical insurance. So, also take a look at that.  
8. Watch out. You can follow different YouTube channels which give valuable information on moving to the US as an Indian student. Some of them which I have followed are: Yudi J, Singh in USA, Parth Vijayvergiya and Yash Mittra - YMGrad. They also have a lot of videos regarding life in the US and many other kinds of stuff. 

All the information and suggestion provided on this page are my own views that I have garnered from my experience through the session 2021-22. It's just a step to help students get a better view of what the overall application process looks like. So, please do your own due diligence. Moreover, nothing on this page is a paid promotion! I would love to hear back from you if this page helped you in any way ❤️. I welcome your valuable suggestions. Please write back to me HERE if this page was helpful.
Happy USing . . .