About RateMySupervisor
Helping PhD students make more informed decisions about academic supervision
Our Mission
Choosing a PhD supervisor is one of the most consequential decisions in an academic career. The advisor–student relationship can shape research progress, training quality, professional development, and overall graduate school experience.
RateMySupervisor is a community-driven platform designed to provide descriptive, experience-based perspectives on academic supervision. Our goal is to help prospective PhD students better understand different advising styles, expectations, and lab environments by learning from the experiences of others who have previously worked with specific supervisors.
The Challenge We Address
Information about academic supervision is often informal, fragmented, and difficult to access—especially for prospective students who are new to a field or institution.
Our Approach
RateMySupervisor provides a structured and moderated space where individuals can share personal experiences related to academic supervision.
Anonymous Contributions
Contributors use display names to share their experiences while following clear community guidelines and moderation standards.
Structured Ratings
Reviews cover multiple dimensions—such as supervision style, responsiveness, workload, funding, and communication—to encourage balanced and specific feedback.
Contextual Discussion
Replies allow additional context, clarifications, and follow-up questions, supporting more nuanced understanding rather than single-point judgments.
Search and Discovery
Users can browse supervisors by institution, research area, or name to find information relevant to their academic interests.
How the Platform Works
Create an Account
Users register with an email address and are assigned a display name. Browsing content does not require an account.
Explore Experiences
Prospective students can read reviews and interview experiences submitted by current and former students.
Share Personal Perspectives
Individuals who have worked with a supervisor may submit a review describing their own experience, including both structured ratings and written context.
Participate in Discussion
Users may reply to reviews to add clarification or share additional perspectives, subject to moderation.
Our Principles
� Privacy and Safety
We prioritize contributor privacy through display names and secure authentication.
📝 Experience-Based Content
Submissions are expected to reflect first-hand academic experiences rather than speculation or hearsay.
🤝 Respect and Balance
We encourage constructive, professional tone and moderate content to maintain fairness and clarity.
🔍 Transparency in Scope
The platform exists to support informed decision-making, not to make claims about individuals or institutions.
Who RateMySupervisor Is For
Prospective PhD Students
Exploring potential advisors and lab environments before applying or committing.
Current Graduate Students
Sharing experiences to help improve transparency and expectation-setting in academia.
Alumni
Offering retrospective insights that may guide future students.
Community Guidelines
To maintain a constructive and responsible environment, all contributions must:
- Be based on genuine, first-hand experience
- Focus on professional aspects of academic supervision
- Avoid personal attacks, accusations, or defamatory statements
- Respect confidentiality and privacy
- Comply with our Terms of Service and moderation policies
Content that violates these guidelines may be edited or removed.
Content Disclaimer
Reviews and interview experiences published on RateMySupervisor reflect the personal opinions and experiences of individual contributors. They are not statements of fact and do not represent the views of RateMySupervisor or any affiliated institution, supervisor, or organization.
Join Our Community
Help us build a more transparent academic ecosystem
Questions or feedback? Contact us