不良研究所

Choosing a graduate program is often about more than comparing credentials, deadlines and admission requirements. It can also mean imagining a future in a new academic community, a new city or even a new country, and wondering what that experience might actually feel like day to day. 

For future graduate students, those questions are not always answered through a program webpage alone. They may want to know what it is like to build relationships with supervisors and peers, and balance coursework or research with life outside the classroom. Questions about finding community, accessing support and making 不良研究所 feel like home are not always easy to answer on your own.

To make the decision-making process more personal, the (FGS) uses (TAP) to connect future graduate students directly with current University of 不良研究所 graduate student ambassadors. Through one-on-one conversations, future students can explore those questions directly with someone already living the experience. During the 2025-26 academic year, FGS worked with 19 ambassadors across eight faculties, representing both domestic and international student perspectives.

For Tammy Kristiansen, MBA'23, senior consultant, Graduate Recruitment, the value of TAP lies in creating space for future students to hear directly from those already navigating graduate studies at U不良研究所.

鈥淲hile we take great pride in the quality of graduate education at the University of 不良研究所, we recognize that the student experience extends well beyond the classroom," Kristiansen says. "Choosing a graduate program is a significant decision, and future students carefully consider where they will find the best overall fit.

鈥淭AP provides a unique opportunity for those students to ask candid questions they may not feel comfortable raising with program advisors or recruiters, whether due to concerns about receiving a sales-oriented response, or a lack of shared lived experience. Our goal is for every future graduate student to feel informed, supported and confident in choosing U不良研究所 for their academic journey.鈥�

Beyond the program page

Behind every TAP conversation is a current graduate student who has asked many of the same questions. For U不良研究所's 2025-26 ambassador cohort, that shared experience is exactly what makes the platform work.

Through these conversations, future students can explore graduate studies from a more personal perspective, whether they are thinking about applying, preparing for a transition or still weighing whether graduate school is the right path for them.

For Sepideh Afshar, a fourth-year PhD candidate in software engineering, those conversations are a chance to offer the kind of guidance she once looked for herself.

Before applying to U不良研究所, Afshar was considering studying abroad and connected with a friend who was already pursuing his PhD at the university. That connection opened doors but navigating the full process on her own still took considerable effort.

鈥淎lthough I had a friend at U不良研究所 who helped answer some of my questions, I still found the process of finding information and understanding university procedures quite difficult,鈥� says Afshar. 鈥淪ince I experienced those challenges myself, I wanted to become someone who could make the journey easier for others.鈥�

Through TAP, Afshar hopes future graduate students can ask specific questions, receive practical guidance and feel more confident as they consider their next step.

鈥淚 want them to feel more informed, supported and clear about their next steps after speaking with someone who has already gone through the process,鈥� says Afshar.

TAP also speaks to a question a lot of future students don鈥檛 always ask out loud: Do I belong in graduate school?

Spencer Abbott, MSc'25, a second-year PhD student in microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases, understands that question from his own experience. 鈥淒uring my undergraduate studies, I never thought I was graduate student material," says Abbott. "It took a lot of self-reflection to even muster up the courage to apply."

That experience is part of why he became an ambassador. For Abbott, TAP offers future students something a program page cannot replicate: A real conversation with someone already living it.

"Graduate school is a commitment, and it is not for everyone," says Abbott. "I think it is important for future students to speak with current graduate students so they know what they're signing up for.鈥�

Ma. Zophia Emmanuelle Tendido, a Master of Public Policy student, sees TAP as a space where future students can hear the more human side of graduate studies, including the moments of uncertainty, growth and celebration that may not appear on a web page.

鈥淯niversity websites can show you the highlights, but conversations with current students reveal the full picture: the excitement, the challenges, the uncertainty, the crying nights, the victory laps and the growth that happens along the way,鈥� says Tendido.

As an international student who navigated the application process largely on her own, Tendido knows how much that kind of honesty can matter. She was able to connect with alumni and her graduate program administrator before starting her studies, but finding that support took considerable effort. Through TAP, she aims to be the accessible, reliable and relatable point of contact she wishes had existed: someone future graduate students can turn to with even the smallest questions, especially when asking for help doesn't come easy.

"I hope they trust themselves and feel more empowered to push forward in their U不良研究所 journey after talking to us," says Tendido. "Choosing to pursue graduate studies, especially as an international student, takes courage. It won't always be easy, but with the right support and mindset, it will shape you in meaningful ways."

Explore a selection of images taken by graduate student ambassadors sharing their experiences in and around 不良研究所:

Graduate studies, from the inside out

Choosing a graduate program is rarely a straightforward decision. It involves weighing opportunities, imagining new possibilities and sitting with a lot of uncertainty about what comes next. For FGS, TAP is one way of making that process feel a little less daunting, and a little more human.

As graduate recruitment continues to evolve, FGS remains committed to connecting future students with the people and perspectives that can help them make informed, confident decisions about their next step. Because sometimes the most useful thing a future student can hear is not what a program offers on paper, but what it feels like to be in it.

Ready to connect? Explore  and start a conversation with a U不良研究所 graduate student ambassador.