PhD陶瓷经验介绍 by 黄子文

黄子文

关于套磁重不重要一直是历年申请 phd 的同学的一个争论不休的问题。一方面一旦套磁成功能够得到该学校录取的可能性将会非常大；另一方面，大多数人的大部分套磁信都会石沉大海渺无音讯。例如我一开始在暑假阶段的所有套磁信几乎都没有得到任何回复；申请阶段发的套磁信也只有三到四个老师给了正面的回复，有几位老师礼貌地回复了拒绝的电邮，其他绝大部分都没有任何消息。

但是最终我所得到的几个比较优秀的 offer，如西北大学、普度大学，都要归功于套磁成功的老师的推荐。因此套磁一旦成功几乎就可以保证你的录取。但也并不是说没有成功的套磁的学校就不会发 offer，例如我也收到了Penn State的 fellowship，尽管我并没有给任何老师发任何信息。

但必须承认的是，对于一个海外知名度不是非常高的大学（东南大学），想要得到phd项目这样严苛要求的 offer，如果不说服可能会招你做学生的老师，你录取的可能性真的是极低的。例如那些没有套磁成功的而物理排名十分靠前学校几乎无一例外拒绝了我的申请。

因此可以这么说，给自己的意向老师发套磁信是申请前以及提交申请后自己能做的为数不多有益工作。但是套磁信的格式、内容却直接体现了你个人的学术态度，对对方老师的了解程度，对本专业的了解情况，对研究的熟悉程度等。下面我将总结一些写套磁信的忌讳和注意点。

套磁信最忌讳的莫过于让对方老师觉得你给所有老师发的信都一样。例如你只自顾自写自己的成绩，科研等情况，最后对对方老师的研究只一笔带过说喜欢或者感兴趣，那么给对方的感觉可能就是你在敷衍这件事。这样的套磁信自然是得不到好的回复。不要在套磁信中只写自己的成绩或是直接将简历发过去，一方面教授并不想下载你的简历，另一方面文中足够写你需要写的所有重要的事情。对自己的介绍要恰到好处，只介绍那些你觉得教授会感兴趣的内容。如果你在某些项目上做得非常出色以至于你自己对这件事非常骄傲，但是对方教授却不太可能感兴趣（因为这样的工作对你在他手下的工作没有任何意义），那你就不应该在你的套磁信中提及这件事情。

一个要注意的内容是，教授最关心的事情是你能不能在来到他的小组之后迅速地进入状态并为他工作。因此在一封成功的套磁信中，对方的研究情况，你的研究潜力，以及你们之间的搭配，应该是你应该要谈的最重要的内容。你的信中应该包含以下一些内容：你喜欢什么方向，老师做的是什么方向，老师做的工作中哪些内容你最有兴趣（这部分能不能说得详细、有针对性、概括性而又简洁地恰到好处，将会体现你对相关问题理解的深刻程度），老师的哪些论文你并觉得有兴趣或有感想等。

另外要注意的一点是语言的风格。不要在套磁信中显得过分严肃，呆板，对对方老师研究工作的肯定和赞扬将会让对方对你也有好感；你的对自己实力自信和在对方的成绩表现的谦虚将会让老师觉得你是可教之才；字里行间你的略显轻松的行文风格也会让对方觉得你是个好相处的人。（然而我发现我并没有做到）

我将在下面提供一个写套磁信的思路：

问候之后，第一段，介绍自己的个人信息，学校，国家。简要介绍自己的成绩（如排名，或者一件你认为重要并且对方也认为很重要的，比如你说你是一个科研突出勤奋好学的学生，然后你举一个能打动他的例子。这个位置我觉得成绩是最好的例子，如果成绩不是很突出，就写你在某个他感兴趣的方向做了很多重要的工作）。

第二段谈自己的研究兴趣，可以简要结合自己的研究背景，谈谈自己的研究兴趣。注意，这里不要一股脑把自己的所有经历和兴趣都写上去。需要写的只有对方教授也感兴趣的兴趣和对方感兴趣的你的背景。

第三段将是最重要的，你要谈到对方教授的研究工作如何吸引了你。如前面所说的，他的研究有哪些过人之处，你有怎样的兴趣，具体体现在哪篇论文里，这篇论文研究了什么（简要而又水平地概括），然后谈谈你的研究背景如何和他的研究相关，以显示你可以在他简单的引导下迅速进入工作。（当然，大多数情况我自己也做不到这么好，希望大家比我做得好）

第四段应该写自己对于进入他的研究组的强烈意向。这里可以简单赞扬一下对方教授的名气，研究的知名度，以及自己对进入他的研究小组的渴望之情，以显示对方给你offer之后你将会有很大的概率接受。

当然以上的顺序也可以不那么写，我自己也没有严格按照这个顺序。

最后我将附上几个我自己的成功套磁信和对方的回复。

Dear Prof.xx,

Greetings!

I'm an applicant from Southeast University, Nanjing, China. Now I'm ranking 1st in my department with a xx GPA. I'm very skilled in programming in C++ and Matlab due to my previous research experiences (in polymer physics and nonlinear optics). I also have a good basis in mathematics, as I always got the highest scores (over 95) in these math courses.

I'm very interested in topics in theoretical condensed matter physics, such as superconducting, quantum Hall effects, topological insulators, etc. This semester I took the course "Superconducting Physics" and learned about the interesting BCS theory, G-L equations and applications of superconductors like Josephson junction and SQUID. This topic really fascinates me a lot. Because of my interest, my undergraduate thesis is about the mathematical expression of BCS coherent state. Specifically, its link to super-lie algebra. Right now I am learning Lie group theory to further understand this topic.（这些其实都是他感兴趣的方向）

I found in your website that you have research interest in topics in superconducting. You have done a lot of renowned work in He3 super-fluid as well, which sounds fascinating to me as well. You said in one of your publications that they share a common property as a symmetry breaking and Bose-Einstein condensation. That is interesting. I want to know more about it.

I have submitted my application to your department. Your research group has a reputation in this area, so it will be a great honor for me if I could be one of your group members. I am wondering whether you have gradaute student positions in Fall 2016?

Thank you very much!

Regards,

Ziwen Huang

Southeast University

Nanjing, China

回复：希望对我做一个电话面试

Dear Prof. Gregory A Fiete,

Greetings!

I'm an applicant from Southeast University, Nanjing, China. I'm very interested in topics in theoretical condensed matter physics, such as topological insulators, superconducting, superfluid, quantum Hall effects, etc.

I read some of your recent publications about topological insulators, which sounds fascinating to me. Your discussions about crystalline protection in a class of TIs topological insulators, a protection mechanism besides time-reversal symmetry, is really fancy. Your publication about fractionalization in topological insulators, where strong correlation makes band theory ineffective, is also interesting to me. I learned about fractionalized charge in quantum Hall effect before, and your discussion in this effect in topological insulators sounds intriguing.

Currently I rank first in my department and have submitted my application to your department. I am very skilled in programming in C++ and Matlab, and have two first-author theoretical publications during my undergraduate session. Your research group in UT Austin has a fame in the area of topological insulating. I am wondering whether you have graduate student positions in your research group? It will be a great honor if I can be one of your group members.

Best wishes,

回复，每年都有位置，希望你的申请（其实这个算不上成功啦）

Dear xxx,

Merry Christmas!

I'm seeking a graduate position in US. Now, I'm going to submit my application to the graduate program in Purdue University. I found in your website that your research area fits my interest. My research interest lies in theoretical condensed matter physics. I'm very fascinated by the surprising phenomena of superconducting, topological phases, various quantum Hall effects and many other interesting topics in today's physics research in condensed matter physics.

Your group's research in quantum Hall effect and topological insulators fascinates me a lot. I heard from my supervisor that you have a fame in this area. It will be a great honor for me if I can be one of your group members.

Right now I'm ranking first in my department, with a xxx GPA and 990 GRE subject physics. I have several theoretical research papers during my undergraduate session, and have a good basis in math and programming in C++ and matlab.

I'm wondering whether you have graduate positions next year? If you have interest in recruiting me, please pay attention to my application.

Thank you very much!

Regards,

回复，感谢你的介绍，请把我们的沟通写在 SOP 里面

就写到这，希望对大家有所帮助。