8-5 months before application
Write the research proposal
The proposal is the core application document. The goal is not just a complete draft, but one that can survive professor questions.
Traps
Why people get stuck here
These misconceptions aren't rare scenarios — most people hit at least one of them at this step. Knowing in advance doesn't mean you won't stumble, but it can save you a few weeks of detours.
Writing a literature summary instead of a research proposal.
Choosing a topic too large for a two-year master's program.
Using methods that do not answer the research question.
Breakdown
How to break this task down
Follow the checklist below and you won't miss anything important. You don't have to finish it all at once, but every item should be clearly answered within this stage.
- Use the flow: problem, literature, research question, method, contribution.
- Connect the plan to recent work by the target professor.
- Make every paragraph answer why this topic, why this method, and why now.
- Run a structured review and revise the weak dimensions.
Tool
Related tool
There's a ready-made tool for this step. You don't have to use it every time, but it's worth opening when you're stuck.
Research proposal review
AvailableClick to open · use it right here in this step
Open tool