57 Ways to Screw Up in Grad SchoolDont think about why youre applying. Select a topic for entirely strategic reasons. Choose the coolest supervisor. Write only to deadlines. Expect people to hold your hand. Become that student. When it comes to a masters or PhD program, most graduate students dont deliberately set out to fail. Yet, of the nearly 500,000 people who start a graduate program each year, up to half will never complete their degree. Books abound on acing the admissions