Problem: Article: Take some time to reflect on your past academic work and to consider your current research interests. What type of PhD would you like to pursue? What would you like to research in your pursuit of a PhD? Keep in mind that it is not necessary for you to have a dissertation topic already chosen or even to have an extremely specific research focus. At this stage, you should just have a general idea of what you want to study and why. For example, if you are considering a PhD in English, then you should at least have an idea of the literary period that you wish to focus on. Before you start applying to programs, you should take time to research schools thoroughly and find programs that will support your research interests. Look for schools with programs that will allow you to do the type of research that you want to do. For example, if you are planning to pursue a PhD in Chemistry, then you should find out more about the lab facilities at the university that you are considering. Try to identify as many potential schools as you can. Graduate school is competitive and you will have a better chance of getting accepted if you submit multiple applications. Some schools require or at least expect you to identify professors with whom you'd like to work. You may already have an idea of some professors who can help you with your research based on the research you completed during your BA or MA program. Keep in mind that you may be working closely with the professor(s) you identify, so it is important to select professors who you really admire and whose research genuinely interests you. No program can guarantee that you'll leave with the job you want, but you'll want to identify the departments that will make that outcome most likely. If your heart is set on a tenure-track professorship, for example, find out how many of former students were able to land those jobs. Many departments publish this information; others will provide it to you if you ask. While much less important that the program features and funding available, you should also take some time to consider practical aspects of the schools you are considering. Some additional factors to consider include: Location. If you plan to return to your home country during breaks, then some schools may make the trip home less time consuming than others. For example, if you will be flying back to India at the end of each school year, then choosing a school closer to one of the US coasts will make traveling easier than flying out of the Midwest. Keep in mind that it is not a good idea to select a school based solely on location. This will severely limit your choices. Cost of living. Some US college towns can be quite expensive, which can make it hard to get by on your student stipend. Look into the average cost of housing, food, and other expenses in the university areas where you plan to apply. Extracurricular opportunities. Clubs can other types of groups can make the transition to a US university a bit easier. Many schools have clubs for people from certain countries, who speak certain languages, or who share other interests. Check out the extracurricular opportunities that are available at the universities you are considering.
Summary: Identify your research interests. Search for programs that suit your needs. Identify professors whose research interests you. Find out about your potential programs' job placement rates. Consider other factors.

Problem: Article: During the mating season, male ducks will have very bright coloration in their plumage to attract mates. After mating season, the male duck will molt and lose his bright coloration and resemble a female. Mallard ducks are sexually dimorphic, which means the males and females look different to each other. The females are brown and relatively dowdy, whereas the males have a vivid purple sash on the wings and are iridescent colors. The male Canvasback has solid white to light gray plumage. His female counterpart has plumage that is grayish-brown. The male Wood Duck has gray feathers with blue markings on the wings during mating season. The female's plumage is usually grayish-brown. Male and female Mottled Ducks have similarly colored feathers, making it difficult to tell them apart by plumage alone. Bill color is another way to tell the difference between a male and female duck. In many duck species, the bill color does not change during mating season, so this physical characteristic will stay the same throughout the year. In Mallards, the male duck has a bright yellow bill and the female has a brown and orange bill. In Mottled Ducks, the male duck has a bill that is a solid olive green to yellow color. The female's bill is brown to orange with dark splotches. Male Wood Ducks have a red bill that has a patch of yellow at the bottom. During mating season, the bill of the Ruddy Duck changes to a bright baby blue. Across species, male ducks tend to be larger than female ducks. In addition to have a larger body size in general, male Mallards, Rouens, and Welsh Harlequins, have larger heads and thicker necks than the females. Male ducks will have an upwardly curled feather near the tail; this is known as the 'sex feather.' This feather, which will become noticeable in male ducks when they are between two and four months old, remains after molting. Females do not have a sex feather. Female ducks tend to have a loud and hard quack. The quack of male ducks is usually soft and rough. If you have ducks as pets and you are comfortable handling them, you can gently hold the duck by its tail until it quacks. The sound of a quack can be used to differentiate between male and female ducks from the time that ducks are about one month old. In Muscovy ducks, the female's quack sounds like a trill or a coo. A male Muscovy will make a quack that's very deep and breathy (sounds like 'huch-uch-uch'). The female Grey Teal makes a quack that sounds like a cackling noise, which differentiates it from the male Grey Teal.
Summary:
Observe the duck's plumage (feathers). Observe the bill color. Look at the duck's size. Look for a curled feather near the tail. Listen to a duck's quack.