Graduate School Application
Webinar on "Applying to US graduate schools in STEM fields"
On August 23,2021, Prof. Sossina Haile and Dr. Iwnetim Iwnetu Abate presented a webinar on "Applying to US graduate schools in STEM fields". Here are the slides that Prof Sossina Haile and Dr. Iwnetim Iwnetu presented during the webinar.
The video recording of the webinar can be found here.
Section 1: The Application Process
US has several universities with excellent graduate school program. Most (if not all) universities offer PhD programs in STEM for FREE plus monthly stipend. In addition, one can directly apply to the PhD program right after Bachelors without Masters degree.
The following are the main requirements for graduate school application in the US. Please refer to documents at the bottom of the following list for details on the application process.
Note:
Statement of Purpose (SOP): Statement (essay) about why you want to attend university “x” and why you are a good fit. Details and examples of SOP are provided in section 4 of this page.
Diversity Statement: Statement (essay) about how you add to the diversity of the institution
Letter of Recommendation: letters from previous research mentors (from academia and industry)
Strong transcript:
High GPA with challenging courses; top of the class, particularly if from an unknown school
Competitive GPA: above 3.7/4.0
Test scores:
GRE (Graduate Record Examinations)
Competitive GRE scores:
Quant = 160 (70th percentile); Verb = 155 (67th percentile); Writing = 4.0 (50th percentile)
Many graduate programs no longer accept GRE scores
TOFEL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
Three types of test (take the one that is the most convenient for you)
PBT (Paper Based Test); CBT (Computer Based Test) and iBT (Interent Based Test)
Competitive TOFEL scores:
PBT:310-677 (Above 600); CBT:0-300 (Above 220) iBT:0-120 (Above 90)
CV/Resume
Shows that you have had research experience, participated in more than just coursework
Here additional documents that cover the application process in detail in addition to the slides Prof. Sossina Haile and Dr. Iwnetim Abate used during the webinar.
Section 2: Identifying Programs
Choose a field/program that excites you and help you achieve your short/long term goals.
Use the following websites to see the ranking for your program (choose 5-10 to apply to)
Once you identify the programs; explore the research groups and the application requirement
For example: www.mit.edu/graduate/prospective/faq
For programs outside the US:
www.scholars4dev.com
Section 3: Timeline for the application process
Section 4: Statement of Purpose (SOP) Samples
The SOP is where you articulate why you want to PhD at X university and why you are a good fit. The main components of an SOP are as follows. Please refer to documents at the bottom of the following list for details on the application process.
Introduction of applicant/interests and motivation.
Be practically ambitious, changing the world through research, relating your background with what you want to do in the future
Summary of undergraduate and previous career.
Talk about your research/work experience and relate that to what you want to do in PhD.
Relevance of recent and current activities; how they influenced you and what you want to study during PhD
Talk about how the institutions have the resources and the focus you need to achieve your goal. (How it is the best fit for you)
Here samples of SOP and documents that cover the SOP writing process in detail.
Section 5: Curriculum Vitae (CV) Sample
Resume vs CV
Resume (~1-2 pgs, for MSc) vs CV (no length requirement, for PhD)
Shows that you have had research experience, participated in more than just coursework
Examples are provided on the website
Section 6: GRE and TOFEL Resources
Exam Resources:These are some resources to study for these exams.
Study Plans: Magoosh has different study plans you can adapt
Example of study plans
Day 2 upto two or three weeks before taking GRE: Magoosh
The last 2-3 weeks before the exam: Practice question from the ETS GRE book and do the POWERPER again.
Those questions are very much like the actual exam.
The figure below summarize how one can prepare for these exams.
Section 7: Funding your education
While most (if not all) PhD programs in STEM are offered for Free at US universities, funding your Masters degree can rather be difficult. The figure below summarize how one can fund their higher education in the US.
You can refer to these websites on how to get:
Loan for your education (not comprehensive but a good place to start)
Note: There are several Masters programs in Europe and Asia which are for free. You can refer to this website to find them.
