Just a quick note to all the people out there who are doubting that they are good enough to go for a PhD. If I can do it, you can do it.

I have a BA (Hons) and no masters. I have a passion for my chosen research field and have a "never say die attitude".

I have already been offered 3 places with two more interviews to go.

The secret is to search down prospective supervisors who have a shared passion for your SPECIFIC area of research, then contact them direct (by-pass admissions). Get them on your side and your half way there.

The only problem I have now is choosing which one to accept. What a great problem to have.

A dynamic and persuasive go-getter indeed! Do you then also have the additional problem of acquiring funding, after you've decided which one of the many phds you wish to take, or have you/will you have similar success with that too (if it's an issue)?

Funding looks like it may well be a problem.
My intention is to start part-time and self-fund and then to transfer to full-time once I can secure funding. Most, not all, of the Universities I have contacted have said this is possible, but finding funding isn't easy once you have started a PhD.

It isn't really that difficult to get a PhD offer (or two or three) if you are not looking for funding. Not meaning that a self-funded PhD is inferior - just that supply and demand for funding means it's at least an order of magnitude easier to find an unfunded position than to get funding.

Woah thats brilliant. Ive been trying to get a place with a 2:1 and a MRes and still no luck. I cant bear the thought of going back to my old job with my tail between my legs, I really didnt belong there. I dont suppose you have any advice for keeping motivated because with every rejection my confidence gets a massive knock... and ironically the feedback Im getting points to "lack of confidence at interview". Vicious circle.

Mambocat

I think that the difference between us seems to be that I have been able to enter the interviews with absolutely no pressure on me. I am not fussed one way or the other, whereas you seem to be putting pressure on yourself and this is coming across in your interviews. Just chill and be yourself. If they don't like you, it's their loss. There is always another university. Keep your chin up. Good Luck.

Thankyou very much. :) That sounds like me!! :D I cant help but get stressed out at interviews, Im a natural worrier anyway! XD But yeah, the hunt continues.. :D

Yeah...erm...what if all the candidates did that? Also the whole point of the interview is to prove how interested you are, there's no point contacting the supvisior before hand and then repeating yourself at the interview. What's the point of the thread? To show off? In sceince is very common for people get accepted onto PhDs without a masters anyway.

Funding looks like it may well be a problem.
My intention is to start part-time and self-fund and then to transfer to full-time once I can secure funding. Most, not all, of the Universities I have contacted have said this is possible, but finding funding isn't easy once you have started a PhD.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Supervisors are happy to have someone else fund the project. It's free cash. Most people can't so when someone can they're very likely to take them. I would always make sure I have the funding beforehand otherwise getting an offer would be meaningless to me.

I can't help but agree with smilodon and VeryPoor - getting a PhD place is not in anyway difficult, acquiring funding is the part where most people fall down. Your post comes across as smug and arrogant, rather than inspiring, when you really have not grounds to be so self-assured.
Two of my closest friends began PhDs with no Masters, and they were both fully funded. When you get that, come back and brag.

I didn't realise there were so many bitter people on here. Ouch.
I am in no way bragging I was just pleased that I had been offered places at such excellent universities.

Shame on me for being so enthusiastic and happy.

Obviously being self-funded makes me far less important than those of you who have received funding.

So if you're criticised it seems we must be bitter? I'm obviously not criticising you for stating your offers, it's the patronising remarks about how so easy to get accepted, not having a masters and the poor advice. No one mentioned anything about importance, that's your twist on words, but as you're being unsuccessful with funding, then the offers does seem less important than ones with funding secured.

As someone else don't gloat until you actually have something to gloat about.I would have sympathised with you about the funding situation if it wasn't for you proclaiming that unlike the rest of us you discovered the key to acceptance.

Unsuccessful with funding??
That's your assumptions. I have not applied for any funding yet.

Poor advice?? What poor advice? I just told it how it worked for me. If it doesn't work for you it doesn't make it poor advice.

I interpreted

"Funding looks like it may well be a problem.
My intention is to start part-time and self-fund and then to transfer to full-time once I can secure funding. Most, not all, of the Universities I have contacted have said this is possible, but finding funding isn't easy once you have started a PhD."

as you already have been searching.

I and others already explained why it's poor advice many times: it's isn't difficult to get accepted onto a self-funded PhD and it hasn't worked until you get funding, which you haven't got and you admit it might be a struggle. If you don't understand that, it'll hit you if it doesn't work out (ie - You don't actually know if you're going to do any of those PhDs, the offers aren't secure). I don't understand why that's hard to understand.

I think it would be very wrong to imply that a self-funded PhD is in any way second-best. Some topics are rarely if ever funded and there be no alternative. But it is misleading to say that you have found the secret to success in finding a PhD place as this is not the real problem. The bigger problem is funding - and that is what most people who post about struggling to get a place are worried about.