happyday:


Hi,

If you have a gmail account, I can share the materials with you on Google Drive.

Dear colleague,
I would also be grateful if you can share with me. My email is ibrahimsheriff048@gmail.com

I will like to add on what have been said on the OF Program. On the Opportunity Fund Program for Engineering students,you guys are too many, so the hustle is real . I will suggest you score above 320 on the GRE to be considered competitive. It is strictly for students from public universities.

[quote author=mymzo48 post=66708660]

Dear colleague,



I would appreciate also if you can share with me. My email is musabelloa7@gmail.com

BiggyB242:


I will do research if that's all it takes to get funding bro, "I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me". Talking about Canada they usually need account statement over 10million but for US it can be bypass, or is there is anyway around it.

If you get admission with full funding in a Canadian University, you do not need to show that amount. Even 600k will normally scale through.

paulbets:
Pampaya009
It took a lot of courage to post your low GRE score here, given that most scores posted here are usually above 300 and some getting close to 330.
The truth I want to tell you is that, the GRE is a tough exam and one is most likely to come out with an abysmal score if they prepared in a month or less. Also, preparing with technically insufficient materials is another straight way to scoring well below 300.

That been said, I want to encourage you to write another GRE test, and to give yourself at least 3 months for intensive preparation. Remember the Fall 2019 cycle you are targetting is still far; the applications become active from around October.
You also need to prepare with adequate materials; and so many have been mentioned in this thread.. Thus you will need to search for them.
Materials like
Manhattan 8 strategy series
GRE official guide
NOVA GRE Bible
Magoosh videos (which the link has been shared here, please search for it).
And other materials you will come across in this thread.
Do a lot of timed practice tests online.

Please endeavour to read this thread well for study guides, strategy and materials.
You could check all posts by Scholastica16, Akatovic, Time2smile etc.
I am confident that with enough preparation with good materials, you will score well above 300 in your next try.

Another advice; in this pursuit for US Admission, you will have to do a lot of personal research and use peoples experiences shared here and else where. Browse and research very well about your schools of interest; lookout for faculties of interest that works on your area of interest; call the program coordinator of the course you want to know more about and also do not hesitate to call any faculty you like his or her work on the phone.
You should send emails for enquiries or to show interest; but always follow it up with a phone call. You can also call first. Whenever you call, if the call goes to voicemail, do not be shy to leave a short voice mail on why you called and nudging them to reply your mail.

It's a tough process; but you will end up loving the experience.
You have my best wishes

Thanks so much for this. I really appreciate you

Shanid:
your whatsaap number ,let's study together

Is there space for an extra partner, am also targeting Juntle/July

kylexy61:


If you get admission with full funding in a Canadian University, you do not need to show that amount. Even 600k will normally scale through.

Like seriously, bro I never knew. The truth is I never knew I could get full funding in the US just found recently when I going through the thread.

Meaning I still got hope, wow I dey dull since.

reDazey:
I will like to add on what have been said on the OF Program. On the Opportunity Fund Program for Engineering students,you guys are too many, so the hustle is real . I will suggest you score above 320 on the GRE to be considered competitive. It is strictly for students from public universities.

Shuu.. doubt I would apply tho, seems the GRE is compulsory and preps are not in top gear yet. Even if I do it by June, there is still the time laps before you can get your official results and that may be after June 30.
@jumybecks I've sent you a pm. Sir happyday thanks for the materials.

So I think it is the right time to share my complete testimony

I have been following this thread since 2015 though as a guest. I had a lot of misconceptions about getting PhD admissions. I thought you must get a supervisor before you apply. I also did not know that it was possible to get funding for one's research as an international student. It is all about getting the right information and taking time to research on different schools. I also learned that the key is to start really early and mail professors. I sent mails to more than 100 Professors!( I kid you not!). Finally I took the bull by the horn and applied to many schools.

This is my profile:
1)Mechanical Engineering B.Eng 3.3/4 (Top Nigerian University)
2)Masters degree Top UK Mechanical Engineering (3.6/4 Unofficial WES evaluation. Two Professors from different schools told me during the skype interview that my CGPA was 3.58 and 3.7 respectively. What that means is that different schools have their own ways of evaluation but the different is not so significant.)
3)No publications but I showed evidence of work in progress.
4)GRE scores -First Attempt 303, Maths 153 ,Verbal 150 , AW -3.5.
GRE scores -Second Attempt 327, Maths 166,Verbal 161,A.W -4.0.

5)My work experience is mostly research based .I do not know if that helped in anyway.

Schools I applied to:
Texas A and M, College station- Accepted with Funding
Stanford University- Rejected nicely
University of California, Berkeley- Waitlisted since 1920
Michigan Tech- accepted with research assistantship
University of Alabama - Accepted
RPI- Accepted with Teaching assistantship.
Oregon State- Accepted in both Mechanical and Industrial Engineering programs.
George Washington- Pending;No decision yet.
University of Virginia- Pending;No decision yet.I suspect my application is on the waitlist.
Washington State University- Accepted; Teaching Assistantship is assured after the 1st semester.

Most schools have a deadline of April 15th to accept offers. I have opted for TAMU, College Station.


My GPA is not spectacular but from what I understand, my Masters degree thesis is a strong area of research that attract alot of funding. The reputation of my masters degree supervisor helped me alot. He is a well known expert in my field.He has over 200 publications and some patents.He wrote superb letters of recommendation for me also. Then, I put in my best in the skype interviews I had. I also spent time drafting my statement of purpose. Then God did the rest- Crowned my effort with success.

Tips and advice

1)Use Quora and Linkedin well. On Quora,I met alot of Professors there. They answer questions on what goes on among the graduate committee. I found students on Quora and Linkedin who told me about admission and funding. I follow a Nigerian guy on Quora who is an expert in graduate admissions. He helped me a great deal. He also told me of this forum. I initially thought he was the same scholastica16 here lol.

2)From my own observation, apply early. Some Professors pick their students early and try to extract some form of commitment especially if they will fund you.

3)If a school has rolling admissions, the probability that you will be funded is low. Beware of schools that offer free applications.

4)Different schools have their own ways of admitting students. Some will not admit you if they do not have funds. Some wont admit you when there is no supervisor. Just find out.
5)Contacting Professors on time helps. One told me that he will look for my application when they start screening. When I mailed him later, He told me that my application is good but that there were stronger applicants in the pool
6)When you mail a Professor, do not write an episode. They will most likely not read it. Be brief. I have tested this many times.
7)Try as much as possible to use official email addresses or even your school email. It helps kind off. Professors receive loads of emails.
Network and search different school forums. You can attend webinars and you will get classic information. Use gradcafe also.
9) For PhD, read and at least know the basics and various research areas. Also try and be flexible.

I hope this helps someone. You are free to ask me questions here. Unfortunately, I have limited access to my nairaland email. Unto the next level- Visa pursuance.

Special thanks to everyone who has posted here from time immemorial. I read all the pages of this thread. Scholastica16, you are a blessing.
DreManuel, thanks for the GRE materials.

Dream.Believe.Achieve.

(Pardon my errors).

Congratulations. Amazing application outcomes you've got. God indeed crowned your effort.

Quoran:
So I think it is the right time to share my complete testimony

I have been following this thread since 2015 though as a guest. I had a lot of misconceptions about getting PhD admissions. I thought you must get a supervisor before you apply. I also did not know that it was possible to get funding for one's research as an international student. It is all about getting the right information and taking time to research on different schools. I also learned that the key is to start really early and mail professors. I sent mails to more than 100 Professors!( I kid you not!). Finally I took the bull by the horn and applied to many schools.

This is my profile:
1)Mechanical Engineering B.Eng 3.3/4 (Top Nigerian University)
2)Masters degree Top UK Mechanical Engineering (3.6/4 Unofficial WES evaluation. Two Professors from different schools told me during the skype interview that my CGPA was 3.58 and 3.7 respectively. What that means is that different schools have their own ways of evaluation but the different is not so significant.)
3)No publications but I showed evidence of work in progress.
4)GRE scores -First Attempt 303, Maths 153 ,Verbal 150 , AW -3.5.
GRE scores -Second Attempt 327, Maths 166,Verbal 161,A.W -4.0.

5)My work experience is mostly research based .I do not know if that helped in anyway.

Schools I applied to:
Texas A and M, College station- Accepted with Funding
Stanford University- Rejected nicely
University of California, Berkeley- Waitlisted since 1920
Michigan Tech- accepted with research assistantship
University of Alabama - Accepted
RPI- Accepted with Teaching assistantship.
Oregon State- Accepted in both Mechanical and Industrial Engineering programs.
George Washington- Pending;No decision yet.
University of Virginia- Pending;No decision yet.I suspect my application is on the waitlist.
Washington State University- Accepted; Teaching Assistantship is assured after the 1st semester.

Most schools have a deadline of April 15th to accept offers. I have opted for TAMU, College Station.


My GPA is not spectacular but from what I understand, my Masters degree thesis is a strong area of research that attract alot of funding. The reputation of my masters degree supervisor helped me alot. He is a well known expert in my field.He has over 200 publications and some patents.He wrote superb letters of recommendation for me also. Then, I put in my best in the skype interviews I had. I also spent time drafting my statement of purpose. Then God did the rest- Crowned my effort with success.

Tips and advice

1)Use Quora and Linkedin well. On Quora,I met alot of Professors there. They answer questions on what goes on among the graduate committee. I found students on Quora and Linkedin who told me about admission and funding. I follow a Nigerian guy on Quora who is an expert in graduate admissions. He helped me a great deal. He also told me of this forum. I initially thought he was the same scholastica16 here lol.

2)From my own observation, apply early. Some Professors pick their students early and try to extract some form of commitment especially if they will fund you.

3)If a school has rolling admissions, the probability that you will be funded is low. Beware of schools that offer free applications.

4)Different schools have their own ways of admitting students. Some will not admit you if they do not have funds. Some wont admit you when there is no supervisor. Just find out.
5)Contacting Professors on time helps. One told me that he will look for my application when they start screening. When I mailed him later, He told me that my application is good but that there were stronger applicants in the pool
6)When you mail a Professor, do not write an episode. They will most likely not read it. Be brief. I have tested this many times.
7)Try as much as possible to use official email addresses or even your school email. It helps kind off. Professors receive loads of emails.
Network and search different school forums. You can attend webinars and you will get classic information. Use gradcafe also.
9) For PhD, read and at least know the basics and various research areas. Also try and be flexible.

I hope this helps someone. You are free to ask me questions here. Unfortunately, I have limited access to my nairaland email. Unto the next level- Visa pursuance.

Special thanks to everyone who has posted here from time immemorial. I read all the pages of this thread. Scholastica16, you are a blessing.
DreManuel, thanks for the GRE materials.

Dream.Believe.Achieve.

(Pardon my errors).

Thanks

Nwabu007:
Congratulations. Amazing application outcomes you've got. God indeed crowned your effort.

Quoran:
So I think it is the right time to share my complete testimony

Dream.Believe.Achieve.

(Pardon my errors).

Thanks for sharing your experience with us. All the best in your future endeavours!

happyday:


Hi,

If you have a gmail account, I can share the materials with you on Google Drive.

pls send it to this email mayokun5000@gmail.com Thank you

Finally Quoran...

Congratulations on all your admits. You had a beautiful admission season. Texas A&M, College Station is a wonderful choice.

Thank you for sharing those admission tips.

Thank you very much.I appreciate

reDazey:
Finally Quoran, you've let the cat out of the bag.

Congratulations on all your admits. You had a beautiful admission season. Texas A&M, College Station is a wonderful choice.

Thank you for sharing those admission tips.

Quoran:
So I think it is the right time to share my complete testimony

I have been following this thread since 2015 though as a guest.

Dream.Believe.Achieve.

(Pardon my errors).

Well-deserved congrats! You definitely can't go wrong with a PhD MechE at Texas A&M. Hope you'll agree all the sweat was worth it?

That being said, I think you reinforced some lessons for everyone here - applying, waiting, or current students.

1) Pure hard work: Sending emails to over 100 professors is a lot of pain. I've been there. I know how it feels like to not get any reply, or worse start second-guessing yourself, that maybe this US grad school thing is not for you. But, you kept at it. And it worked!

2) The incredible leap between your GRE attempts: Again, this confirms that acing the GRE does not require special talents. If you think others are more talented than you are in taking tests, then make up for your weakness with the sheer amount of practice you put in.

We should talk sometime.

Congrats!!! Wishing you greater achievements!!!

Quoran:
So I think it is the right time to share my complete testimony

I have been following this thread since 2015 though as a guest. I had a lot of misconceptions about getting PhD admissions. I thought you must get a supervisor before you apply. I also did not know that it was possible to get funding for one's research as an international student. It is all about getting the right information and taking time to research on different schools. I also learned that the key is to start really early and mail professors. I sent mails to more than 100 Professors!( I kid you not!). Finally I took the bull by the horn and applied to many schools.

This is my profile:
1)Mechanical Engineering B.Eng 3.3/4 (Top Nigerian University)
2)Masters degree Top UK Mechanical Engineering (3.6/4 Unofficial WES evaluation. Two Professors from different schools told me during the skype interview that my CGPA was 3.58 and 3.7 respectively. What that means is that different schools have their own ways of evaluation but the different is not so significant.)
3)No publications but I showed evidence of work in progress.
4)GRE scores -First Attempt 303, Maths 153 ,Verbal 150 , AW -3.5.
GRE scores -Second Attempt 327, Maths 166,Verbal 161,A.W -4.0.

5)My work experience is mostly research based .I do not know if that helped in anyway.

Schools I applied to:
Texas A and M, College station- Accepted with Funding
Stanford University- Rejected nicely
University of California, Berkeley- Waitlisted since 1920
Michigan Tech- accepted with research assistantship
University of Alabama - Accepted
RPI- Accepted with Teaching assistantship.
Oregon State- Accepted in both Mechanical and Industrial Engineering programs.
George Washington- Pending;No decision yet.
University of Virginia- Pending;No decision yet.I suspect my application is on the waitlist.
Washington State University- Accepted; Teaching Assistantship is assured after the 1st semester.

Most schools have a deadline of April 15th to accept offers. I have opted for TAMU, College Station.


My GPA is not spectacular but from what I understand, my Masters degree thesis is a strong area of research that attract alot of funding. The reputation of my masters degree supervisor helped me alot. He is a well known expert in my field.He has over 200 publications and some patents.He wrote superb letters of recommendation for me also. Then, I put in my best in the skype interviews I had. I also spent time drafting my statement of purpose. Then God did the rest- Crowned my effort with success.

Tips and advice

1)Use Quora and Linkedin well. On Quora,I met alot of Professors there. They answer questions on what goes on among the graduate committee. I found students on Quora and Linkedin who told me about admission and funding. I follow a Nigerian guy on Quora who is an expert in graduate admissions. He helped me a great deal. He also told me of this forum. I initially thought he was the same scholastica16 here lol.

2)From my own observation, apply early. Some Professors pick their students early and try to extract some form of commitment especially if they will fund you.

3)If a school has rolling admissions, the probability that you will be funded is low. Beware of schools that offer free applications.

4)Different schools have their own ways of admitting students. Some will not admit you if they do not have funds. Some wont admit you when there is no supervisor. Just find out.
5)Contacting Professors on time helps. One told me that he will look for my application when they start screening. When I mailed him later, He told me that my application is good but that there were stronger applicants in the pool
6)When you mail a Professor, do not write an episode. They will most likely not read it. Be brief. I have tested this many times.
7)Try as much as possible to use official email addresses or even your school email. It helps kind off. Professors receive loads of emails.
Network and search different school forums. You can attend webinars and you will get classic information. Use gradcafe also.
9) For PhD, read and at least know the basics and various research areas. Also try and be flexible.

I hope this helps someone. You are free to ask me questions here. Unfortunately, I have limited access to my nairaland email. Unto the next level- Visa pursuance.

Special thanks to everyone who has posted here from time immemorial. I read all the pages of this thread. Scholastica16, you are a blessing.
DreManuel, thanks for the GRE materials.

Dream.Believe.Achieve.

(Pardon my errors).

Quoran
Congratulations once again; you nailed it handsomely .
May God continue to be with you in all the subsequent stages - visa included.

Thanks man. You're spot-on. I remember mailing one Professor at UNM. He told me not to send any e-mail to him again, that it will crash his mailbox lol.The tone of the email was frightening. I was even afraid that If I apply, he will deliberately overlook it. I didnt apply eventually. I later found out on ratemyprofessors.com that they guy was irrational. I quietly kept my application fee in my pocket.Lol. Nevertheless, I didn't stop.

For the GRE , I wrote my first Test during my MSc. The quant was simple but I didnt do well. This thread helped me alot. Nothing special about the test. It is just tricky. Then I took as many practice test as possible. The quant is not hard but It can embarrass a Professor who doesn't practice. Nothing special. For the verbal, just keep practicing. I have no strategies to give. Lol. A good test taker will nail the GRE. Just know the strategies.

Cheers bro.

happyday:


Well-deserved congrats! You definitely can't go wrong with a PhD MechE at Texas A&M. Hope you'll agree all the sweat was worth it?

That being said, I think you reinforced some lessons for everyone here - applying, waiting, or current students.

1) Pure hard work: Sending emails to over 100 professors is a lot of pain. I've been there. I know how it feels like to not get any reply, or worse start second-guessing yourself, that maybe this US grad school thing is not for you. But, you kept at it. And it worked!

2) The incredible leap between your GRE attempts: Again, this confirms that acing the GRE does not require special talents. If you think others are more talented than you are in taking tests, then make up for your weakness with the sheer amount of practice you put in.

We should talk sometime.

Congrats boss!!!

Quoran:
So I think it is the right time to share my complete testimony

I have been following this thread since 2015 though as a guest. I had a lot of misconceptions about getting PhD admissions. I thought you must get a supervisor before you apply. I also did not know that it was possible to get funding for one's research as an international student. It is all about getting the right information and taking time to research on different schools. I also learned that the key is to start really early and mail professors. I sent mails to more than 100 Professors!( I kid you not!). Finally I took the bull by the horn and applied to many schools.

This is my profile:
1)Mechanical Engineering B.Eng 3.3/4 (Top Nigerian University)
2)Masters degree Top UK Mechanical Engineering (3.6/4 Unofficial WES evaluation. Two Professors from different schools told me during the skype interview that my CGPA was 3.58 and 3.7 respectively. What that means is that different schools have their own ways of evaluation but the different is not so significant.)
3)No publications but I showed evidence of work in progress.
4)GRE scores -First Attempt 303, Maths 153 ,Verbal 150 , AW -3.5.
GRE scores -Second Attempt 327, Maths 166,Verbal 161,A.W -4.0.

5)My work experience is mostly research based .I do not know if that helped in anyway.

Schools I applied to:
Texas A and M, College station- Accepted with Funding
Stanford University- Rejected nicely
University of California, Berkeley- Waitlisted since 1920
Michigan Tech- accepted with research assistantship
University of Alabama - Accepted
RPI- Accepted with Teaching assistantship.
Oregon State- Accepted in both Mechanical and Industrial Engineering programs.
George Washington- Pending;No decision yet.
University of Virginia- Pending;No decision yet.I suspect my application is on the waitlist.
Washington State University- Accepted; Teaching Assistantship is assured after the 1st semester.

Most schools have a deadline of April 15th to accept offers. I have opted for TAMU, College Station.


My GPA is not spectacular but from what I understand, my Masters degree thesis is a strong area of research that attract alot of funding. The reputation of my masters degree supervisor helped me alot. He is a well known expert in my field.He has over 200 publications and some patents.He wrote superb letters of recommendation for me also. Then, I put in my best in the skype interviews I had. I also spent time drafting my statement of purpose. Then God did the rest- Crowned my effort with success.

Tips and advice

1)Use Quora and Linkedin well. On Quora,I met alot of Professors there. They answer questions on what goes on among the graduate committee. I found students on Quora and Linkedin who told me about admission and funding. I follow a Nigerian guy on Quora who is an expert in graduate admissions. He helped me a great deal. He also told me of this forum. I initially thought he was the same scholastica16 here lol.

2)From my own observation, apply early. Some Professors pick their students early and try to extract some form of commitment especially if they will fund you.

3)If a school has rolling admissions, the probability that you will be funded is low. Beware of schools that offer free applications.

4)Different schools have their own ways of admitting students. Some will not admit you if they do not have funds. Some wont admit you when there is no supervisor. Just find out.
5)Contacting Professors on time helps. One told me that he will look for my application when they start screening. When I mailed him later, He told me that my application is good but that there were stronger applicants in the pool
6)When you mail a Professor, do not write an episode. They will most likely not read it. Be brief. I have tested this many times.
7)Try as much as possible to use official email addresses or even your school email. It helps kind off. Professors receive loads of emails.
Network and search different school forums. You can attend webinars and you will get classic information. Use gradcafe also.
9) For PhD, read and at least know the basics and various research areas. Also try and be flexible.

I hope this helps someone. You are free to ask me questions here. Unfortunately, I have limited access to my nairaland email. Unto the next level- Visa pursuance.

Special thanks to everyone who has posted here from time immemorial. I read all the pages of this thread. Scholastica16, you are a blessing.
DreManuel, thanks for the GRE materials.

Dream.Believe.Achieve.

(Pardon my errors).

i have registered for GRE with BY Mafit and will be preparing against June ending.
Here is my Study plan. I need your input, output or probably modifications.

1. Because i am a core engineering student and I think quantitative shouldn't be a problem but just to avoid had I known, I have decided to prepare for quantitative in the first two weeks (14days) with these materials:
a. GRE MATH REVIEW
b. Magoosh math Video series
c. GRE Official guide

2. The Verbal section is really my weakness and not just because of anything but all these vocabularies but I have decided to use Màgoosh GRE vocabulary app and I am going to dedicate two hours everyday to master each deck... I was able to master 51 of common words in the first deck of this app in just a day. I will also dedicate the next two weeks after quantitative for Verbal section with these materials:
a. GRE official guide
b. Kaplan
c Magoosh video series for verbal

3. AWA is another part that seems not too hard but someone can easily fall off if enough preparation is not made to attack this section. I have decided to prepare for this section with just one week with these materials:
a. GRE pools of topic on both issues and argument
b. GRE official guide
c. Kaplan
d. Magoosh video series

4. The next two weeks for practice test on Magoosh and powerprep.


That's approximately two months for preparation.. I need your input and advice cus I am a little scared of this test and I can't afford to write it twice. And to note that my target score is 155, 165 and 4.5 in V,Q and AWA respectively

Congrats Quoran! Texas A&M, College Station is a great school. No mind UVA, I wish you were admitted by now. I need company here

BTW, your second GRE attempt.....wow!!!!

How much does it cost to register for Toefl? Is there anyone who took the test recently?

Thank you Madam. You are one of the reasons I actually applied to the school. I saw your post on the school here,fancied my chances and I decided to apply. The school was also very clear about funding on their website. As I did not hear from them, the money I paid for application fee is now paining me lol.

drhopeful:
Congrats Quoran! Texas A&M, College Station is a great school. No mind UVA, I wish you were admitted by now. I need company here

BTW, your second GRE attempt.....wow!!!!

Predstan, target 170 and you will get it. It is possible. Check smallsuper posts here. You cannot fault his advice because he scored 170 and 167 in his two attempts. All the best.

reDazey:
I will like to add on what have been said on the OF Program. On the Opportunity Fund Program for Engineering students,you guys are too many, so the hustle is real . I will suggest you score above 320 on the GRE to be considered competitive. It is strictly for students from public universities.

Are you an engineering student and do you have a 320?

Quoran:
Predstan, target 170 and you will get it. It is possible. Check smallsuper posts here. You cannot fault his advice because he scored 170 and 167 in his two attempts. All the best.

@quoran, please how do you improve on your verbal section::::i wrote gre lastwk and I was flogged with quant 165 and verbal137:::total 302::: i need so much help on the verbal::::please help

Kindly read a lot of posts here.It will help you with more tips. For me, I used this strategy. I answered the Sentence completion and sentence equivalence questions first on the test day. I tried to understand how it works. I really do not think learning loads of words works much. It is more about looking for clues in the sentence. For the essay, I cannot really say much to be honest. Manhanttan essay questions are really close to what you see on the test day. Practice alot. Also look at the Kaplan free online test. They have really improved and they are also close to the real test questions. All the best.

alex5050:



@quoran, please how do you improve on your verbal section::::i wrote gre lastwk and I was flogged with quant 165 and verbal137:::total 302::: i need so much help on the verbal::::please help

ponpon:
Congrats boss!!!

Congrats Quoran, happy all of the hard work you have put in has paid off. Thanks for sharing your experience with here. The tips you shared are invaluable to say the least.
Would like to ask a few clarifying questions though:
1. When is the right time to start mailing Profs. May, June or when the application window opens ?
2. What should the content of the introductory mail to a POI look like ?
3. For the schools you finally decided to apply to, Which of them did you get a commitment from a POI prior to you application?
4. Lastly, what did you mean by " showed evidence of work in progress" to make up for your lack of publications...
The questions many small, would be really glad if others could help with insights on the above. Thanks and a Big congrats once again. TAMU is a top class school.

I honestly think the first step to improving your verbal score is getting 70percent of the comprehension questions right and that comes with a lot of practice(I find Kaplan and Mahanttan useful here), it good to practice. But then the actual value is gotten from reviewing the questions you failed and those you spent too much time on(they could be a better and simpler way).
I also find skipping the Sentence equivalence questions and going to the comprehension a good strategy. Tricks my mind that I have time to carefully go over the comprehension and return to do SE(6 or 5 of them) in the last 4mins, since it basically depends on choosing 2 similar words which can fit into the context(There is a slim chance you can get it wrong in you have done a enough practice and vocabs).
GRE isn't a test of intelligence but rather a test of how much you can practice and the stamina to stay focus for 3-4 hours during actual test.
#my2cents #TeamFall2019

alex5050:


@quoran, please how do you improve on your verbal section::::i wrote gre lastwk and I was flogged with quant 165 and verbal137:::total 302::: i need so much help on the verbal::::please help

Thank you very much.

1) Honestly, anytime simply because Some Professors have their own research grant and they determine when to choose their students. Fall entry is popular though. I think you can mail them from August/September in preparation for next year's Fall. You will always learn something from their reply. Many will ask you to apply first. Others can interview you first before you apply. It all depends. Some won't even answer you. Funding is limited in Spring. May/June might be too early but there is no harm in trying. Professors try to get research grant and once they do that, they start looking for students. Many usually say they will keep your file and let you know when their funding situation changes. Some will bluntly tell you they cannot fund you.
Some Professors will not reply your mail or answer you until you have formally applied to the school and have been accepted. Some will and tell you their situation. For PhDs, funding is key so most of them will tell you their funding situation immediately.
2) I got this from quora.com and I have used it till this date. Just adjust it to suit your own purpose.
Dear Professor XXXX,
I am a XXXX graduate from the University of XXXXX. I have a Second class, upper division from my undergraduate degree and a distinction from my Master’s degree.
My research interests are XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I am contacting you because I am interested in working with you and your research group. I did my thesis in Bleep and I enjoyed it a great deal. I have also spent quality time working as a research assistant in the Thermo-fluids and Thermal energy systems research groups.I have X publications .
I have gone through your research profile and your publications on your website. My interests are in line with the calibre of research you have been doing. I am interested in building upon my degree experience and expanding my research understanding. I have attached a copy of my Curriculum Vitae and transcripts for your review.
I wish to begin my PhD soon and I am interested in researching under your supervision. I would appreciate if you could review my curriculum Vitae and let me know what the possibilities might be.
Yours Sincerely,
XXXXXXXX

3) I did not get any strong commitment though the Professor from Stanford looked more determined to have me. When I mailed him during the admission process, he told me my application is good but that he has stronger applicants in the pool lol. I felt betrayed. Many do not like to assure you of anything prior to your application. If you have been accepted, it is easier and more productive for them to answer you. Some will even contact you on their own.

4) I learned this from some Indians on Quora. Create a pdf of some of the research work you have done and attach it as a supplementary document. It should not be too long but it should be like a powerpoint presentation. It should contain your UG and PG research work. Also add any poster or even lab experiences you have. It should help. If you have submitted a paper, state it. I learned that some Chinese deliberately submit a paper they know won't be accepted. They do it so that they will have something to boost their application. A Professor of CMU talked about it on Quora.
Professors know this tricks I think. Many have what they are looking for. Submitting a paper is not easy and many Professors know this.
EXTRA STUFF
The general admission process looks like this. When you apply, the graduate school checks if you meet the general requirement. They also convert your CGPA to the 4.0 scale. When they are done, they forward them to the department.
The department then sorts the applications according to the different research group and interest. The Professors review them according to their research interest. They make their decisions based on their own criteria. Some select based on the research funding they have. Some select students and also recommend the department to fund you.
Some admissions come with funding decisions. Some do not. TAMU,RPI, Stanford, UCLA come with funding decisions but they are usually in the minority. RPI only funds their top applicants. The rest have to 'hustle' funding .
The more the research labs in a department, chances are that they fund many students. Experts in their fields have more funds too.
Those with rolling admission will most likely give you admission. The graduate school will review your application and then pass it to the department. Then you need to contact lecturers for funding.

Maverick18:

Congrats Quoran, happy all of the hard work you have put in has paid off. Thanks for sharing your experience with here. The tips you shared are invaluable to say the least.
Would like to ask a few clarifying questions though:
1. When is the right time to start mailing Profs. May, June or when the application window opens ?
2. What should the content of the introductory mail to a POI look like ?
3. For the schools you finally decided to apply to, Which of them did you get a commitment from a POI prior to you application?
4. Lastly, what did you mean by " showed evidence of work in progress" to make up for your lack of publications...
The questions many small, would be really glad if others could help with insights on the above. Thanks and a Big congrats once again. TAMU is a top class school.