Personal experience: how to enter a master's or graduate school in the USA
'15.05.2020'
Source: Yandex.Zen
Many people dream of studying in the United States, but they do not know which side to approach the choice of an educational institution, filing documents and applications. The author of the blog "Russian in the USA" on Yandex Zen successfully passed all these stages and is ready to share experience.
This is one of the most popular questions asked by me, Russian in America. The topic is extensive and includes many details, omitting which, it is easy not to achieve the cherished goal. And let not everyone dream of an American degree, to familiarize themselves with and evaluate the complexity of the process for everyone.
Step 1. Choose colleges and universities according to your specialty (major)
I also advise you to evaluate the university’s place in the national ranking and focus on the top 100, especially if it's graduate school.
If you are not a major, then, of course, it is important to check whether the university has financial assistance for hiring students as assistants (to teach or help professors) or other options for external financial support. Also pay attention to deadlines, requirements for applicants of this particular university and its program. Therefore, carefully study the site and write emails to the department.
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Step 2. Order an apostille (at the Ministry of Education and Science) and a notarized translation of all received diplomas of higher education
The requirement may vary from university to university. In the best case, they will accept copies of the diploma with stamps from your university stating that the copies and your free translation are correct. At worst, you may also be asked to send a complete set of documents to an American agency for a comparative analysis of the equivalence of your items with American ones. This can be long (if shipping during high arrival season) and costly.
This is due to the fact that transcript - an appendix to a diploma with a list of disciplines and grades - is considered confidential information in the United States and is transmitted only between universities directly; in Russia the system is different, we get the whole diploma in our hands, so in the USA it will be considered unofficial. For this, the agency's help is needed to verify its officiality and send it to a potential university.
Step 3. Prepare and pass two exams:
1) GRE or GMAT - a mixture of scientific analytical English and mathematics.
2) TOEFL or IELTS - exam for the level of English proficiency.
Some (but not all) universities also indicate a minimum score threshold for each exam.
Step 4. Write a unique motivational letter revealing your personality, experience and professional goals
It can be called in different ways (Statement of Purpose, Statement of Intent, Personal Statement, Academic Statement), depending on this, it is necessary to focus on one or another aspect. It is possible that you will have to significantly change your letter for each program, taking into account your goals and their requirements.
Step 5. Fill out and pay online application form on the website of selected universities
When filling out, all copies and versions of documents in electronic form are attached. Create a personal account in advance, look at the content and be prepared to return to it whenever you need to download files and enter additional information. The cost of one application (application fee) varies from $ 50 to $ 100.
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Step 6. Provide 3 letters of recommendation
These can be letters from your teachers, employers, diploma supervisor, etc. General condition - written in English and provided online. In the questionnaire, you indicate the email address of those who recommend it, and they receive a link to download the letter and additional comments.
And also depending on the university:
- Submit your CV or CV
- Submit Sample writing - a file with your written work in English. For example, an article, term paper or thesis. The goal is to look at your scientific writing skills.
Conveniently, almost all steps are available online, You don’t need to travel to the USA, which greatly facilitates the application process.
Each item on this list deserves a separate post - there are so many nuances and secrets of success here. It is not for nothing that the business of assistance with documents for admission abroad is now developing. Perhaps I'll do it one day too.
Original column published on the blog. "Russian in America" on Yandex Zen
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