I am a first/second year graduate student interested in academia. When should I apply to iFEAT?
Our program is very intensive. It requires you to be far enough along in your research to have your own ideas plus ideas about your teaching philosophy. As an applicant, being past qualifying exams is necessary, but we recommend being closer to prelims.
This is my last year and I am starting the job application process. Is it too late to apply?
Unfortunately, yes. Our program takes a full year to get drafts of documents.
What is the time commitment of the program?
The program has meetings every Friday for an hour. Outside of that, time is required to properly prepare all your documents. On average, it would take a couple of hours extra per week, depending on how much work you want to put into your documents. The more work, the better feedback you will get.
The application says the essay needs to be 300-700 words. Is this a hard requirement?
Yes. If you do not follow the instructions, your application is subject to rejection.
How competitive is this program?
Very! Please spend time on your application. We take this program very seriously and as a participant, so should you!
How do I get more involved?
The program is run by graduate students, so there is an option to become a coordinator. We send out coordinator applications in late spring. If you are interested, please email us!
*Note that coordinator is not the same as being in the program. Please read all applications carefully!
What if I just want to attend one session?
The purpose of the program is to go through the entire process. We do not let students or postdocs attend just one session. However, if you are faculty and/or staff on campus and are interested in sitting in on a session, let us know!
What can I do to learn more about the academic application process?
The College of Engineering hosts an Academic Career Seminar Series that goes over the entire process. We highly recommend going to this as well!