First impressions: CV or research statement?

Question

When hiring PhD students, what document is used most frequently for a 'first impression': the CV or the research statement/statement of purpose?Context: I am currently in the process of applying to several PhD positions. A constant factor seems to be the necessity to submit both a CV and a research statement-like letter. As I can imagine professors who get a lot of submissions cannot read all submitted documents entirely, I was wondering which document would be used more as a first impression, and which one as a more detailed insight into the candidate?

Answer 1

hi,

most professors are interested in the research statement to begin with, if they like it then they will look at your CV. i would recommend to keep short but affirmative and clear!

if you need more help let me know.