This skill should be used when the user needs structured research and ranking of US academic programs (PhD, Master
Run structured research on US academic programs with credential analysis, parallel discovery, adaptive scorecards, and generation of an actionable application plan in a deliverable format.
Use this skill when the task requires:
Display progress before each research phase:
[███░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 15% — Phase 0: Program Type Detection & Input Collection
[██████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 30% — Phase 1: Profile & Credential Analysis
[█████████░░░░░░░░░░░] 45% — Phase 2: Parallel Discovery (4 subagents)
[████████████░░░░░░░░] 60% — Phase 3: Parallel Deep Research (4 subagents)
[███████████████░░░░░] 75% — Phase 4: Adaptive Scorecards & Ranking
[█████████████████░░░] 85% — Phase 5: Document Generation
[████████████████████] 100% — Phase 6: Inline Report & Recommendations
Follow the phases defined below in sequence, maintaining source traceability and separating facts from inferences.
Personalized research on US academic programs (PhD, Master's MS/MBA/MPS, or Bachelor's). Analyzes the candidate's profile, runs parallel searches via subagents, identifies hidden gems, applies an adaptive scorecard, and generates a complete ACTION_PLAN.md with rankings, curricula, costs, and a step-by-step checklist.
Output language: Portuguese (matches user research context). Queries/subagents: English (required for search quality).
CRITICAL: All search queries and subagent prompts MUST be in English.
Use AskUserQuestion with: "What type of US academic program are you looking for?"
Options:
The entire workflow adapts to this answer.
Additional type-specific question:
Optional inputs (offer, do not require): CV, academic transcripts, prior executive courses, US immigration status (Green Card / F1-OPT / H1-B / other).
Determine foreign degree equivalency and evaluation strategy BEFORE scoring any program.
Action: Consult references/credential-analysis.md for:
Brazilian Tecnólogo = HIGH RISK. WES may evaluate as Associate's instead of Bachelor's. Recommend institutional letter + ECE as second opinion if WES result is unfavorable.
CRITICAL: Launch all 4 subagents in ONE SINGLE message (Task tool × 4 simultaneous).
Divide research among 4 subagents with subagent_type="general-purpose":
| Subagent | Focus | Minimum Programs |
|---|---|---|
| A | Regional / Local In-Person | 4 |
| B | National Online / Brand Equity | 5 |
| C | Hidden Gems (low cost) | 3 |
| D | Reference Rankings | Top 20 context |
Action: Consult references/subagent-prompts.md for the full prompts (in English)
for each subagent, including all fields to collect and search queries.
After all 4 subagents complete:
CRITICAL: Split the 12–20 programs into 4 groups (3–5 each) and launch in ONE single message.
For each program, collect: full curriculum, verified cost on official website, student reviews (Niche/Reddit/GMAT Club/GradCafe), admission requirements (GMAT/TOEFL/letters/deadline), alumni network.
Action: Consult references/subagent-prompts.md for the full deep research template
(section "Deep Research Template") with all queries in English.
Action: Consult references/scorecards.md for the complete scorecards.
| Type | Scorecard | Key Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Master's | Scorecard A | Brand + Exec Readiness + Flexibility + Network + ROI + Satisfaction |
| PhD | Scorecard B | Research Reputation + Advisor Fit + Funding + Placement + Satisfaction |
| Bachelor's | Scorecard C | Brand + Career Launch + ROI + Campus Life + Satisfaction |
| Criterion | EXECUTIVE | SENIOR | STANDARD | CAREER_LAUNCH | OPT_CRITICAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand Equity | 25 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 |
| Executive Readiness* | 25 | 22 | 18 | 10 | 20 |
| Flexibility | 16 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 16 |
| Network Quality | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 |
| ROI / Cost-Benefit | 12 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 14 |
| Student Satisfaction | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| STEM Designation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
*For VP/C-Level = "Executive Readiness". For non-executives = "Career Launch Potential".
| Tier | Score | Label | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 5 | ≥ 80 | Highest Priority | MUST APPLY |
| Tier 2 | 70–79 | If Budget Allows | IF BUDGET ALLOWS |
| Tier 3 | 55–69 | Backup | BACKUP ONLY |
| Tier 4 | < 55 | Avoid | AVOID |
💎 Hidden Gem = Score ≥ 70 AND Cost ≤ 50% of budget AND Satisfaction ≥ 8.0/10
Save as: {CANDIDATE_NAME}_US_PROGRAM_ACTION_PLAN.md (in current directory).
Action: Consult references/action-plan-template.md for the full document template
in Portuguese, including all sections, ~30 aligned tables, and the Table Formatting Policy.
Required sections in the generated document: General Status → Priority Next Actions → Phase 1 (WES/ECE) → Phase 2 (Tests) → Phase 3 (Contact) → Phase 4 (Submission) → Evaluators → Selected Programs by Tier → Adaptive Scorecard + Full Ranking → Curriculum Comparison → Detailed Curricula → Cost Comparison → Admission Comparison → Why Each Program → Document Inventory → Notes.
Present to the user in chat (in Portuguese) after saving the file:
Block 1 — Candidate Profile (max 5 lines): type, field, role/education, estimated GPA, immigration status.
Block 2 — Top 5 Recommendations (compact table):
| Rank | Program | Score | Cost | Highlight |
Block 3 — 💎 Hidden Gems (if identified): score ≥ 70 + low cost + satisfaction ≥ 8.0.
Block 4 — ⚠️ Alerts: programs without reviews (red flag), daytime-only for executives, advisors without recent publications (PhD), borderline degree → WES urgent.
Block 5 — URGENT Next Action: "What to do TODAY" — usually: start WES/ECE or contact advisor.
Block 6 — Generated File: ✅ Document saved: {NAME}_US_PROGRAM_ACTION_PLAN.md ({N} lines, {N} tables)
Consult as needed during execution:
references/credential-analysis.md — Degree equivalencies, full WES/ECE logistics,
anti-downgrading, advisor fit (PhD), in-state tuition logicreferences/scorecards.md — Complete Scorecards A/B/C with detailed rubrics, ROI formula
with numeric example, tier thresholds, and hidden gem definitionreferences/subagent-prompts.md — Complete prompts (in English) for the 8 subagents:
4 discovery (Phases 2A/B/C/D) and deep research template (Phase 3)references/action-plan-template.md — Complete ACTION_PLAN.md template in Portuguese
with all sections and aligned tablesreferences/research-sources.md — Mandatory research sources and universal red flags
by program type| Error | Likely Cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Program URL unavailable (404) | University program page moved or removed | Note inaccessibility; use cached data or alternative sources for that program |
| No funding data found | Program doesn't publish funding info publicly | Mark as "funding data unavailable"; recommend user contact program directly |
| Insufficient programs match criteria | Filters too restrictive (budget, location, ranking) | Relax constraints and explain tradeoffs to user |
| Budget eliminates all options | Target budget below typical program tuition | Inform user of realistic cost ranges; suggest funded programs or assistantships |
| Credential gap detected | User credentials unlikely to meet minimum requirements | Flag disqualifiers; recommend strengthening credentials before applying |
| WebFetch blocked by university site | Bot-blocking or requires login | Use alternate sources (US News, Grad Cafe, QS rankings) for that program's data |