Let me burst your bubble. Irrespective of how outstanding your profile may be & how good you think you are, you’re not a UNICORN. You’ll still compete for a slot.
This’s not what I intended to talk about feel it’s necessary to clear this illusion before I continue.
After my last a prospective student contacted me justifying why reviewing prior work doesn’t apply in his case. According to him, he’s a unicorn with respect to his research interest. He believes nobody has worked on anything related and hence it’ll be a waste of time reviewing previous work. He feels he’ll be doing profs favor.
I like his it’s without bases, hence seems like sheer arrogance. Having first-class honors is not enough!
If you’re like him, better wake up, I’m yet to see a unicorn in research. Not even a can make such a claim. Innovative Ideas Are Not Born In a Vacuum.
If you’re a 1st class holder, focus on showing that you’re not just good at passing exams. Success in research requires much more! If you hold a lesser grade, focus on showing there’s more to you than your results. I hired a 2.1 over 1st class due to complementary qualities.
Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
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