Congratulations! If you’re reading this, you have already taken the first step in fulfilling your dream of pursuing a graduate degree from the United States of America on a full scholarship. Three years ago, I was in a similar position as you and I had no idea how to get started on the long checklist of requirements for a graduate application to an American university. While there are a lot of excellent resources available online, they can be overwhelming for someone starting out in the application process. The purpose of this post is to clearly outline the steps which are critical in achieving a fully-funded offer from an American university for a master’s or Ph.D. admission for Fall 2021.
A fully-funded offer means that the university will essentially pay you to study there. You will not pay any tuition fees, get a monthly stipend that will easily cover your rent and living expenses, and receive free health insurance. To obtain such an offer, you need to target a thesis-based program in which you will get a chance to conduct independent research under the supervision of an academic advisor. American universities have either a spring semester that starts in January or a fall semester that starts in September. Most universities provide funding for those who enroll in the Fall semester, which is why the focus of this post will be on students who are planning to start their classes in September 2021. For those of you belonging to an Asian or European education system, planning for your next degree 15 months in advance might seem like a ridiculous idea. Yet based on my experience of securing a fully-funded master’s and Ph.D. offer as an international student, I can assure you that this is exactly the right time to start.
June – August 2020
The summer before your intended year of matriculation is the best time to prepare for graduate examinations such as the GRE, TOEFL, or GRE Subject Test. GRE stands for Graduate Record Examinations and it is an extremely vital part of your admission process. At first glance, GRE seems like an easy exam, especially when you realize that it only tests your English and Math skills. However, after attempting just one four hour practice exam, you will realize that it tests much more than your English and Math skills. The GRE tests how fast you can think, how well you are able to articulate your thoughts under pressure, and if you can comprehend difficult phrases and interpretations used in an advanced academic setting. For most people with an engineering and science background, the Math section will be quite easy. Still, solving even simple math questions when you have a little more than a minute per question can be a challenging task, especially when most top tier STEM universities expect close to a perfect score in GRE Math. Hence, during the months of June, July, and August, start preparing for GRE and aim to attempt at least 10 practice tests before giving the actual test. No matter how good you are in English or Math previously, please do not take the GRE lightly.
Some of my friends have a deep detestation for the GRE, touting it as unfair and not an accurate assessment of an applicant’s potential to succeed in graduate school. While that might be true to some extent, you cannot forget the fact that an excellent GRE score is your ticket to getting a fully-funded offer. In some cases, the GRE score is given a higher weightage than an applicant’s GPA. This happens especially when the applicant holds a degree from a foreign institution that does not follow the same GPA system as American universities. For those who have exam performance anxiety or simply do not think they will do well in the GRE, I can tell you from my experience that you have nothing to be afraid of especially if you start your preparation early. The GRE can be cracked even if you performed poorly in your English or Math related courses during undergraduate or have been out of the university for a while. It’s just a matter of staying consistent with your practice sessions.
This summer is also when you should start researching potential advisors and universities that align with your interests. There are more than 5000 degree-granting universities in America. This means that you need enough time to browse thousands of webpages and information links. Set a plan to browse at least 5 universities and advisors every day and organize the best ones in an Excel spreadsheet. Another really important point to remember is that in order to get a fully-funded offer from an American university, you need to find a faculty member who is willing to be your advisor and fund you as a teaching or research assistant. There is no upper limit to how many universities or advisors you should shortlist. The only thing that’s important is that they are doing research in your field of interest.
One more thing that most students don’t realize is how expensive it is to apply to an American university. On average, there is a $75 non-refundable application fee for each university (which can be as high as $140 for some) and additional fees for sending score reports and test registration fees. This means that if you apply to 8 universities, you will need at least $1000 just to apply! I know how ridiculous that sounds. Which is why this summer is also a really good time to start saving up or work additional jobs to have enough money for applications.
September 2020
Hopefully, by now you are in the last stages of your GRE preparation and you have shortlisted a handful of advisors and universities. This is when you should register for GRE and language proficiency exams and chose an exact date. I would suggest taking your exams in October so that you have enough time to retake them in case something goes wrong. Most graduate applications willing to give a fully-funded scholarship have a strict deadline of 15th December, so you need to plan everything accordingly.
This is also the time to start emailing potential advisors and asking if they are willing to accept you as a student. Keep the email brief with an introduction, one paragraph about your background, and one paragraph about why you are interested to work with that specific professor. Attach a one-page resume with the email. In the end, politely ask to talk further on a video call or phone. Don’t feel discouraged if the professor ignores your email. This is normal. For every 20 emails you send, expect only one reply. And that one reply might just be the professor saying he or she does not have any open positions. I think sending emails to potential advisors is the most boring and frustrating part of the whole application process, but it is of utmost importance as finding an advisor who is willing to accept you as a student can increase your chances tenfold.
October 2020
The statement of purpose (SOP) is your chance to show the admissions committee why they should choose you over hundreds of other applicants. Starting to write one is a daunting task. I remember the struggle, staring at the blank screen for hours, multiple times a day. My suggestion is to focus on quantity in your first draft without worrying about the quality. Once you have all of your accomplishments in writing, it is much easier to cut things down and strengthen each paragraph. Make sure you ask multiple people for review. The SOP is such a critical part of your application that I think it’s even worth it to pay a professional to proofread your statement. You will also need to “tweak” each SOP according to the university you are applying to. Mostly, these changes are made in the last paragraph in which you should talk about the faculty members you are interested to work with and your specific reasons for choosing them. This is also why you should have a concrete list of the colleges you are applying to by October.
Another really important piece of your graduate application is the letters of recommendation from professors at your current institution. The first week of October is a good time to ask your professors if they are willing to write a letter for you. While doing so, it is an excellent idea to provide a copy of your resume and draft of your SOP to the recommender. Seeing all of your achievements in addition to what they already know about you can amplify their recommendation. Make sure to periodically check the status of your letter with your recommenders and give them clear information about the deadlines. Most universities allow letters of recommendation to be submitted a few days after the deadline but it’s better to avoid such a situation.
November to December 2020
As mentioned earlier, most Ameican universities’ application deadline is 15th December, with some applications closing as early as 1st December. Filling out application forms can take a lot of time. Each university can have its own specific requirements that you were not anticipating before creating the application account. For example, Harvard University asks for detailed records of each and every course that you took during your undergraduate or UCSB asks for a second supplemental essay in addition to your main SOP. Be vary of these anomalies and give yourself enough time to complete one application form every three days.
Make sure to read the graduate admissions page on your department’s website as there can be additional requirements not listed in the online application. For example, some universities don’t accept unofficial transcripts and ask for official ones even for application purposes. Or in one case, I recall a university asking for additional evaluation of my transcripts from an external company as I did not do my undergraduate from an American university. One week before the application deadline, all of your application materials should be complete, leaving enough margin in case something goes wrong.
January to April 2021
Ironically, for most people waiting to hear back the results of their application is the most excruciating part of the process. During this time, continue sending emails to more professors at your applied universities. Decisions can arrive as early as February. In some cases, the university invites some of the strongest applicants to an on-campus visit day so that the students can tour the labs and interact with potential advisors. If you are accepted into a university without funding, email the department head about teaching or research assistantship positions. By 15h April, you should hear back from all of your universities. Hopefully, by then you will have a few offers in hand to chose from!
I will be writing more specifically about each of the application materials listed here in the coming weeks so make sure you sign up for the monthly newsletter. For now, keep your eye on the prize with a clear timeline of how you will proceed for the rest of the year. I wish you all the best in your journey. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below or send me an email via hello@irfantahir.com
Related Post: The Complete Guide to Writing a Statement of Purpose for a Master’s or Ph.D. Application From Scratch
Can you share any materials or links etc regarding the GRE preparation please.
Hi, I will post an article focusing on GRE preparation. Keep a lookout for that in the coming days!