CS PhD Admissions Guidance for Faculty

• Navigate to Slate Reader.
• Log in using your JHED ID and password.
• On the left sidebar, click “Browse.”
• Click on the “EN Computer Science PhD” bin/box.
  • On this page you will find ALL of our CS PhD applicants.
  • You will be able to see applicant Area of Interest and Faculty of Interest on this main page, which should help streamline your process.
  • If you want to open an application, just click on the page icon in the rightmost column.
  • If you want to search for a particular applicant by name or application number, you can do that in the search field located in the top right corner of the screen.
  • To add an applicant to your queue from the PhD “EN Computer Science PhD” bin/box, click on an applicant (highlighting it blue) and then select the “Add to Queue” button in the top right corner.

• The CS PhD Admissions Rubric is a tool of measurement that faculty may opt to use in evaluating PhD applicants. It was developed to help identify qualities that are considered important in a PhD student, as described by CS faculty advisors. The Department would like to stress that theRubric is only meant to be used as a guide for faculty members; its use is not required.
• The Rubric can be used in document form, found here, outside of Slate. Complete it electronically and save, or print it and make notes—whichever works best for your process.
• The Rubric can also be utilized in Slate as a Review Form when you assign an applicant to your queue.
  • To add an applicant to your queue from the “EN Computer Science PhD” bin/box, click on an applicant (highlighting it blue) and then select the button in the top right corner, “Add to Queue.”
  • When you open an application in your queue, click on the bottom right tab, “Review Form/Send to Bin,” which will open a window to the right. Check the “CS Application Evaluation Form” box at the top right to open the rubric evaluation tool. Click the SEND button at the bottom to save your review. Once you have clicked SEND, you cannot make changes to your review. Any edit to the review will have to be done on the back end by WSE Graduate Admissions.
  • You can locate a quick list of all applicants assigned to your queue by using this portal.

• Go to the CS PhD Admissions Interest List and verify that you have communicated with other faculty members interested in the student.
• Send Kim Franklin a completed WSE PhD Student Funding Plan.
• Send an email requesting admission to the CS PhD Admissions Committee—Benjamin Van Durme (Chair), Philipp Koehn, Daniel Khashabi, Matt Green, Renjie Zhao, and Kim Franklin—containing the applicant’s Slate link and CCing at least one faculty member in the Department of Computer Science who seconds this nomination and any additional possible advisors.
• Once Kim has your funding plan and receives confirmation from a committee member that the offer is approved, she will generate a formal acceptance in coordination with the advising faculty member(s). Please do not tell the applicant, or imply to the applicant, that they will be accepted until the committee has authorized the offer and a department welcome letter has been sent to the newly admitted applicant, on which you will be copied.

Recall that in a standard PhD student funding plan, the Dean covers 100% of tuition the first year and advisors are responsible for health insurance (approximately $3,000 for the year), a matriculation fee ($500), and a stipend ($52,000 in AY26–27). In years 2–6, the Dean covers 80% of tuition and advisors are responsible for the remaining 20% of tuition. In year 7 and beyond, the tuition split is 60/40 Dean/advisor.

Also note that when a student TAs within the department, the advisor’s portion of tuition, health insurance, and stipend are commonly covered by the department that semester. With specific permission from Scott Smith, a student may fulfill their TA requirement outside of the department, but under those circumstances the advisor is responsible for tuition, insurance, and stipend.

• The CS PhD Virtual Visit is scheduled for Thursday, January 29 beginning at noon and continuing until Friday, January 30 at 4:30 p.m. We will follow the same pattern of scheduling as we have the last two years, with a department introduction at noon on Thursday followed by an interview block from 1:30 to 5 p.m. EST and a social with current students and faculty in “virtual Malone Hall” at 6 p.m. On Friday, there will be AM and PM interview blocks—the first from 9 a.m. to noon and the second from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST, followed by a department-led wrap-up session. Please see the draft schedule found here.
• The CS PhD candidate On-Campus Visit for finalists and/or already admitted students is scheduled for Thursday, March 5 and Friday, March 6. A schedule of activities organized by the department can be found below. Any additional interviews, lunches, dinners, etc. outside of these times should be organized by sponsoring faculty members.  The department will be funding Thursday’s lunch and Friday’s breakfast and happy hour plus up to $500 toward travel expenses per visitor; faculty advisors are expected to cover any additional costs. If you would like to invite a candidate, please email Kim Franklin with the name and email address of your invitee(s), their planned visit days, and a funding source for expenses that exceed $500. Following receipt of this information, hotel and travel bookings will be made by the department.
  • Thursday, March 5
    10:30 a.m. – CS Seminar, speaker TBD, Hackerman B-17. (No speaker is scheduled as of 1/26/24, but that could change. This is a good optional activity for invitees.)
    12:00 p.m. – Lunch and welcome remarks by Department Head Randal Burns, Director of Graduate Studies Scott Smith, PhD Student Council leadership, and PhD program administrator Kim Franklin.
    3:00 p.m. – Campus tour with current PhD students. Please meet in the CS office suite, Malone 160. This will likely include a visit to nearby student apartments to provide examples of common residential options.
    Evening – Faculty should try to arrange individual meet-ups and dinner with candidates and current student lab groups.
  • Friday, March 6
    9:00 a.m. – Morning meet and greet with bagels, pastries, fruit, coffee, etc. in the Malone Hall lobby for candidates, sponsoring faculty advisors and their student labs, and PhD Student Council members.
    10:00 a.m. – Campus tour with current PhD students. Please meet in the CS office suite, Malone 160. This will likely include a visit to nearby student apartments to provide examples of common residential options.
    5:00 p.m. – Happy hour (with food) for current and prospective CS PhD students and faculty in the Malone Hall lobby.
  • Faculty will continue to have the option to invite their prospective and/or admitted students to visit campus outside of the department-organized visit days. The same $500 department contribution and hotel/travel booking process referenced above still applies.