https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAcademia/comments/m68108/constant_phd_rejections/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

Took me 13 applications I think, only made it to interview once and got it. Your degree qualifications aren’t low for a PhD applicant, a first at undergrad is more than enough for most/all of the PhDs I saw advertised even without the masters!

My only advice would be to think of some questions and contact the lab regarding the project and express interest, other than that getting through the first stages is stuff like presenting yourself well in your CV, talking about relative experiences with techniques etc. A lot of my applications went nowhere too and it’s definitely frustrating, especially when you don’t even receive an email telling you you were unsuccessful.

Also as a heads-up if you’re applying to universities outside the UK they don’t like our 1-year masters degrees that much, only found out after being rejected 3 times from mainland European universities that they wanted a 2 years masters degree program.

Don’t give up hope just yet!

Edit: also consider posting this in r/askacademiaUK as posts and advice here can be skewed to US academia