PhD Application Support Program

Not everyone has equal access to information about graduate school or the PhD application process, creating systemic barriers for applicants from underserved backgrounds. The PhD Application Support Program (ASP) helps address these challenges by offering structured, one-on-one feedback on application materials before submission.

ASP is a student-run, faculty-mentored initiative within UCSB’s Department of Computer Science. Trained PhD students and postdocs provide one round of feedback on your Statement of Purpose, Personal History and Diversity Statement, and CV, under the guidance of a faculty mentor.

While the program is open to all applicants, we prioritize support for first-generation college students (those whose parents have not earned a bachelor’s degree) who may have limited access to mentorship during the PhD application process. Applicants are matched with reviewers based on research fit.
 

Participation in ASP will remain confidential and not shared with the faculty admissions committee unless you explicitly consent to do so in the application form. It’s perfectly fine if your materials are still in progress, since the goal of the feedback is to help you refine and strengthen them.

Timeline

Apply here: https://forms.gle/KP7vJ6aTaSPg41929

Please note

• ASP is available only to applicants applying for Fall 2026 admission to the UCSB PhD in Computer Science or PhD in Computer Engineering programs.
• Participation in ASP does not guarantee admission, nor can reviewers evaluate your likelihood of acceptance. We recommend reviewing the list of faculty currently recruiting PhD students to identify strong research matches.
• Capacity is limited, and the form will close once all available reviewer spots are filled.
• Data from this program will be aggregated and anonymized to assess its impact; individual responses will be deleted at the end of the cycle.