"Take your time and do a thorough job of filling in the forms. Take
a break when you need one. Start early and mail them early!"
— Clinical psychology student from Ghana
Your application form should be neat and clear to create a good
impression. Unless it specifically asks you to complete the forms by
hand, use a typewriter or word processor. You should fit your
information into the application form provided and only use
additional pages where necessary. Keep your personal information
consistent and always spell your name the same way on all documents.
This will help schools keep track of your application materials more
easily. Remember that large U.S. universities handle thousands of
student records annually.
Do not worry about providing a U.S. Social Security Number — either
leave the section blank or write "none," according to instructions.
Avoid abbreviations; it is better to write the names and addresses
of your schools, employers, examinations, and awards in full. Always
provide information about your education or employment experiences
in a logical order that is either chronological or reverse
chronological order, as required. You will also be asked when you
want to start your studies and the degree you hope to receive. The
information you receive from each institution should include a list
of the exact majors and degree programs offered by that school. Be
sure you list the major as stated in these materials.
Almost all universities charge a nonrefundable application fee that
covers the cost of processing your application. It must be paid in
U.S. dollars either by a dollar cashier's check drawn on a U.S. bank
or by an international money order. These are obtainable from banks
or American Express offices. Check the school's application form,
Web site, or catalog for the current application fee and possible
methods of payment. Be sure to submit the appropriate application
fee with the application. If someone in the United States or
elsewhere is paying the fee for you, send the application to that
person and ask that the fee and application be mailed together to
the university.
Each university will specify the types of official records it
requires to document past education. In American terms, these are
called transcripts and include a list of courses that students have
taken, when they were taken, and grades received for each course.
Usually, the university will require your entire scholastic record
from secondary school and/or university sources in a similar manner.
The U.S. school may furnish special forms on which authorities at
your school are asked to write your grades and academic performance
relative to other students in your institution. If such forms are
not provided, your school still will be expected to submit official
documents that provide this kind of information on university
letterhead with the school stamp. If the admissions officer requests
an explanation of the grading and class ranking system or
descriptions of courses that you have taken, this information should
be furnished by an official of your school or university, if
possible.
U.S. universities will either evaluate your grades and documents
themselves, or they sometimes require international applicants to
pay an outside company, called a credential evaluator, to evaluate
your documents.
As requested, send certified copies of the originals of diplomas,
degrees, or professional titles, and copies of full records of your
performance in any comprehensive examinations administered in your
home country. U.S. admissions officers prefer that transcripts of
previous educational work be sent with your application in an
envelope sealed by your former school or sent directly from the
school. Do not send original documents unless there is no
alternative; usually they cannot be returned. Copies should be
certified with an official seal from the school or university, or
certified by a public official authorized to certify such documents.
If English translations are necessary, you may use the services of a
professional translator or translate the documents yourself. Such
translations must also be certified by an acceptable agency. Some
EducationUSA information and advising centers translate and certify
documents to assist you with the application process. There may be a
charge for such services. Do not attempt to convert your school
results and courses into American terms. Instead, try to provide as
much background information as possible on the grading system used
and the types of degrees awarded.
When you apply to take the GRE, GMAT, MAT, TOEFL, or other
examinations, you should know which universities you wish to apply
to. In this way, you will be able to specify at that time that you
wish your scores sent to those universities. You will save time and
money by sending the scores at test time rather than requesting
separate scores at a later date. When you submit an application,
also include a photocopy of your test score reports, if possible.
The admissions office can more easily match the official scores with
your application and, in some instances, they may begin processing
your application with only the photocopy.
"Think about what you want to achieve in the U.S. — you can be sure
that each college will ask you this question, and a well thought out
answer is critical."
— M.B.A. student from the United Kingdom
"It is important that your dedication to your field resonates in
your application. Be sure and explain any academic difficulties you
might have experienced and what you did to correct them.
Extracurricular activities give the admissions committee an idea as
to the type of person that you are."
— Medical student from Ghana
"Remain truthful not just because it is ethical, but because it is
powerful."
— Management Information Systems student from India
Almost all graduate programs ask applicants to submit a personal
statement, or statement of purpose, as part of the application
process. The personal statement gives universities a chance to get a
glimpse of you as an individual, an insight that is not possible in
the grades and numbers that make up the rest of your application.
The goal is to write a clear, concise, and persuasive statement that
sincerely reflects your views and aspirations. The admissions
committee that reviews applications wants to see if there is a good
match between you and the department or school and whether the
degree program can meet your needs.
The statement of purpose is an important part of the application,
and it is essential that you write the best statement possible. It
is an opportunity for you to distinguish yourself from other
applicants. The personal statement is not meant to be an
autobiography in chronological order; instead, use your imagination
to come up with an interesting format and content that will maintain
the reader's interest.
Four important questions should be answered in the statement of
purpose:
- Why do you wish to pursue a graduate degree, and why now?
The university will often ask about your career goals and how
they relate to your past experiences and your decision to apply
for graduate study.
- What are your academic or research interests? The admissions
committee will be looking for a good match between you and the
department to ensure that they can satisfy your interests. They
are also looking for a demonstration of intellectual maturity
and understanding of your field.
- Why are you applying to this particular institution and
degree program? Tailor each statement of purpose to the specific
program and institution, including, if possible, references to
professors you wish to work with, courses you wish to take, and
unique facilities available at the institution. Admissions
officers want to see that you have done careful research about
their program and that you are a serious candidate.
- What can you contribute to the department or program in
terms of your background, abilities, or other special qualities
and interests? Discuss any relevant past experiences and
achievements, as well as any special qualities you feel you can
bring to the program, such as your international perspective.
Some general tips:
- Make sure you answer the question that has been asked. Once
you have done an outline for a statement, go back and check that
it answers the question, then do the same with each draft of
your essay.
- Stick to the word limit given. If a limit is not given, keep
the statement to two or three sides of paper, typed or word
processed, and double-spaced.
- Make sure that your statement is a true representation of
yourself and your abilities — it is important that the essay be
genuine and honest.
- Admissions officers read many essays. Since some programs
are extremely competitive, try to have an interesting first
sentence that grabs the reader's attention and makes the essay
more memorable.
- Address any obvious gaps or weak points in your application
either in a separate cover note or in the application essay, but
always keep the explanation positive. For example, state what
you learned from a difficult experience and how it has made you
a better student.
- Get someone you trust to proofread each statement of purpose
for grammatical and spelling errors. Make sure statements are
clear, interesting, and logically organized. The personal
statement is an important demonstration of your written
communication skills.
"Anecdotes are much better than strings of adjectives and adverbs."
— Associate Dean of Admissions, University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill
You will usually be asked for at least two recommendations. Your
recommenders (or references or referees) must be able to write about
your work and be able to assess your potential to do well in
graduate school. Ideally, they should be written by professors who
have taught you in the past, if you are applying for an academic
degree program; however, if you are not a recent graduate, one
recommendation can be from an employer. For professional programs,
references from employers and professors are acceptable.
Some universities send recommendation forms with the application; if
so, ask your recommenders to use these forms and to follow the
instructions printed on them. If there are no specific instructions,
ask three or four professors, administrators, or employers who know
you well to type letters on their own letterhead in English, and
either place them in a sealed envelope for you to send with your
application or send them directly to the university.
Recommendations should include:
- a statement about the type and amount of experience they
have with your academic work or employment;
- an estimate of how your work compares with others in the
same field with whom they have experience;
- an assessment of your particular strengths;
- your rank in their class, department, or university, if they
know it;
- an assessment of your research experience and ability, if
known.
U.S. universities expect letters of recommendation to emphasize a
student's positive qualities and to be longer and more detailed than
might be customary in your home country. It is important to
understand these cultural differences when choosing your
recommenders. Poorly written, negative, or late recommendations will
reflect on your judgment in picking referees. Recommendation forms
may ask a list of questions or just one general question. Since
recommendations carry considerable weight in the admissions process,
take the time to brief your recommenders about your plans, where you
would like to study, and why.
A recommendation form may include a waiver where you can relinquish
your right to see what is written about you. If this option is
offered, most admissions officers prefer you to waive your right so
that recommenders may feel more comfortable when writing their
evaluations. Admissions officers usually interpret waived
recommendations as more honest. If your recommendations must be sent
directly from your referees, it is common courtesy to give them
stamped, addressed envelopes. Also allow plenty of time for your
referees to write their recommendations. Remind them to sign the
sealed flap of each envelope before mailing it to an institution.
Check back with your recommenders to confirm that the reference
forms have actually been sent to the United States.
Most universities include a form called a Declaration and
Certification of Finances or Affidavit of Financial Support in their
application packets. This document must be signed by whomever is
meeting your university expenses. It may also have to be certified
by a bank or lawyer. Keep a copy of this form since you may also
need it to apply for your student visa. Schools usually need to know
that you have sufficient funds to cover at least the first year's
expenses, although many may also ask you to indicate your source of
income for the entire period of study. If you know when you apply
that you will need some form of assistance from the university or
other sources, such as scholarship programs, indicate how much you
plan to request or apply for. Please note, however, that the
university will issue the relevant certificate of eligibility for a
student visa only if you are able to document fully your source(s)
of income.
Some academic departments or schools operate a policy whereby your
application for admission will be considered first, and then they
will consider your need for financial aid. Other schools and
departments that have limited or no financial aid available for
their students will give higher priority to applicants who do not
need financial support from the university.
Each graduate department within a university sets its own deadline
date, and it is usually firm about not accepting applications after
that time, particularly if a program is very popular. For the fall
semester, which begins in late August or early September, deadlines
are usually between January and March, although they can be as early
as November or as late as June or July. If, however, an institution
indicates that it operates "rolling admissions," late applicants may
still have a fair chance of acceptance. In this case, a university
will admit and reject candidates until the program is filled. It is
nonetheless a good idea to submit your application as early as
possible.
Some universities accept enrollment for any of their terms, although
many institutions prefer to enroll graduate students for the fall
term. For schools that operate on a semester calendar, midyear
admission is some time in January. Universities that use the quarter
system (three terms) may offer admission both in the winter term
(January) and the spring term (March). The precise date differs for
each institution. Deadlines for mid-year admissions are usually six
to nine months in advance of enrollment. If you are applying for
admission in January, take any admissions tests at least six months
beforehand.
It is your responsibility to ensure that all documents, application
forms, references, and official test score reports reach the
universities safely and on time. Often the closing date for students
from other countries is earlier than for U.S. students. Usually
applications for scholarships or fellowships must be submitted
earlier than applications for admission.
If at all possible, send all required documents, including certified
academic credentials and letters of recommendation, together in one
envelope that have been placed in sealed envelopes. (Some
institutions require that all materials arrive together.) Attach a
note to any documents that bear a different name or different
spelling from the standard one that you are using, and give the same
first, second, and family name you used on your application form.
Again, use the name on your passport if possible.
Send your application by registered mail or by courier, or submit
the electronic application and mail all supporting documents. Keep
copies of your application and documents just in case your material
gets lost in the mail; you will be relieved to know that you can
supply another set of information quickly, if this should happen.
After you have submitted all required documents, you should confirm
with the university that your application is complete. Allow a
reasonable amount of time before following up, probably three to
four weeks after submission of the documents. Do not correspond too
often. Remember that the admissions office is trying to process a
large number of applications, and the more correspondence it has to
answer, the slower the application process. Allow at least six to
eight weeks after completion of the application for a decision to be
made. Some programs and institutions may take as long as three to
four months, and many institutions review all completed applications
at the same time and issue acceptances between March and May.
Throughout the application process, do your best to comply with
instructions. If some procedure is impossible for you to complete or
some document is lost or cannot be obtained, state the situation in
a letter and send it to the school along with a letter from the
relevant authorities who can support or authenticate your problem.
Sometimes accommodations will be made for difficult circumstances. |
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