Here are some emails I've gotten from students who've read my guide to grad admissions (I got permission). I've been floored by the response, even months after publishing. So, I want to talk a little about the importance of open-access academic resources & their purpose.

Since publishing, I've gotten a few comments asking why I wrote the guide. Somebody once said that if a student is going to apply to grad school, all this information can be found online by students who are sufficiently dedicated. Essentially, this helps nobody.

First, I think these student emails demonstrate how important it is to make academic resources available --- all the students I've talked to are accomplished and brilliant, but are a bit overwhelmed & confused by the process.

And make no mistake, these students *are* dedicated! I think if anybody makes the decision to apply to a fellowship or grad school, that already speaks volumes about their persistence & love of the subject. Grad school isn't known for being easy, nor are fellowships easy to win.

Thankfully, there are resources out there to help students with these things. There are tips, tricks, and forums that can help with every step of bachelors -> postdoc. The problem is just that, there's so many, and there's few things that are truly comprehensive.

The importance of having thorough & detailed resources is understated. It's really a different experience to get advice from 10 sources, all offering different advice, compared to 1. Nothing beats that. But inevitably, no matter the source, there's always questions from students.

Consequently, I think making yourself available as a resource is important. What I mean by this is answering emails, talking one-on-one, and making time for students who seek you out. I've always been a techie, and I've been impressed with the open-source community on this.

No matter what level of expertise you're at, if you email anybody who's written open-source code with a question, they will respond with a detailed & thoughtful response. This is a maxim of the open-source community. It's a pervasive attitude, and it's one I've tried to adopt.

You can't replace human-human interaction. Just hearing someone say "yes" can give a student a large boost in confidence. I can write a 200 page guide and you can read every word, but there's something more meaningful in asking a question and getting a response.

This is why I believe it's crucial to try, as best as we can, to make resources for students & to make time for them. It never hurts! I think adopting this attitude especially helps POC students, who are often a little hesitant to reach out for help.