Edyssy Support Center
In 2014 these were the thirteen questions applicants asked most, pinned to the top of the help desk (the story of Edyssy explains where it came from). The original replies did not survive. We wrote new ones from the professor’s side of the desk, with current rules and plenty of detail.
Top 13 Questions
- Sample Email to contact professorSample Emails to a Professor, Taken Apart Line by LineSelect Advisor/Professor
- The procedure of Graduate school applicationInside the Department: What Happens to Your Application After You Click SubmitSelect University
- How to Apply to Grad School with a Low GPA?Applying to Grad School With a Low GPA: What Actually Moves a CommitteeGPA calculation
- How professors will consider your (so so) GPA and GRE scores?How Professors Actually Read a So-So GPA and GRE ScoreGRE/TOEFL/GMAT/etc
- 4 Tips to email professors for graduate school admissionFour Rules for Emailing Professors Before Grad School AdmissionSelect Advisor/Professor
- What kinds of students professors are looking for?What Professors Look for in a Grad Student, From the Other Side of the DeskResearch
- How to contact professors?How to Contact Professors: Follow the Grant Money FirstSelect Advisor/Professor
- Steps for Applying to Grad SchoolsSteps for Applying to Grad Schools: A Month-by-Month Plan for Fall IntakeSelect University
- Is it worthwhile to get a CS PhD when I can get a $150K job right now?CS PhD or a $150K Job? The Opportunity-Cost Math, Done PlainlyDecision on offers
- purdue vs southern californiaPurdue vs. Southern California: How to Compare Two Graduate AdmitsDecision on offers
- What is the difference of In-state vs Out-of State tuition?In-State vs. Out-of-State Tuition for Graduate Students: What Actually Applies to YouSelect University
- How to get recommendation letters from guru?How to Get a Recommendation Letter From a Famous Professor (and When Not To)Recommendation Letters
- What are TA/RA/GA?What Are TA, RA and GA Positions? How Graduate Assistantships Actually WorkResearch
Categories
The old help desk filed every question under one of these headings. Some now hold several answers, some hold one, and a couple are covered by tools elsewhere on the site.
Decision on offers
GRE/TOEFL/GMAT/etc
Interview and Visits
Personal Statement
Recommendation Letters
Research
Select Advisor/Professor
Select University
About the Support Center
- Why are these 13 questions and not others?
- They are the questions the 2014 Support Center pinned as its top 13, preserved in the web archive. The original replies were lost, so each answer here is new, but the questions and their categories are the ones real applicants asked.
- Can I ask a new question?
- Not through the site; there is no account system or comment form anymore. Most follow-up questions are already covered in the question-and-answer section at the end of each article.
- Which answer should I read first?
- If you have not contacted any professors yet, start with how to contact professors and the sample email. If you already have offers, go to the comparison pages. If you are deciding whether to apply at all, read the CS PhD versus job piece.
- How current are the rules quoted in the answers?
- They were checked against official sources in November 2026, including the Council of Graduate Schools April 15 Resolution, ETS test policies and federal rules for F-1 students. Policies change, so confirm deadlines on program and agency pages before relying on them.