For graduate programs
Navigating the 2026 realignment
A former UC Berkeley graduate admissions insider helping programs communicate more clearly with prospective applicants during a period of funding shifts and cohort adjustments.
This work matters more now than it did a year ago. With federal funding restructuring, cohort reductions at major institutions, and heightened price sensitivity from prospective students, programs are under real pressure to attract fewer but better-fit applicants. Clearer communication is how you get there.
What I do
I work with graduate programs on how they communicate with prospective applicants. My focus is helping programs share clearer guidance about what committees actually evaluate, so applicants show up better prepared and programs spend less committee time on avoidable confusion.
The PhD-Ready Framework
The four dimensions committees actually evaluate: program understanding, statement legibility, fit signaling, and doctoral readiness.
Dimension 1
Program Understanding
Dimension 2
Statement Legibility
Dimension 3
Fit Signaling
Dimension 4
Doctoral Readiness
SERVICE ONE
Framework workshops for faculty and staff
90 min - Virtual
A workshop for your faculty and admissions staff on the four dimensions from the committee's perspective, with time for Q&A specific to your program.
Useful for programs aligning on a shared vocabulary or onboarding new faculty to admissions.
How I Work With Programs
SERVICE TWO
Applicant guidance audit and redesign
4-6 weeks - Written report + redesign
A workshop for your faculty and admissions staff on the four dimensions from the committee's perspective, with time for Q&A specific to your program.
Useful for programs aligning on a shared vocabulary or onboarding new faculty to admissions.
Who I've worked with
49%
Appicant pipeline growth over 3 years
$700K+
Annual grant + program funding managed
150+
Doctoral students served across two programs
UC Berkeley PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management ยท Joint UC Berkeley + UCSF PhD in Computational Precision Health
Featured
The PhD-Ready Framework has been featured in Dr. Fred Martin's graduate program guide at UT San Antonio's College of AI, Cyber and Computing, where he is Professor and Chair of Computer Science.