zukkie4eva:

Congratulations NKinght!!!, so happy for you. Meanwhyl, can i YIM or email u?., need to get some info on d school, cos its one of the schools within in my radar

Thanks.
Sure thing.
np dot knight at yahoo dot com

Though I think info kept on the forum will benefit a lot of people.

You may want to carefully read through the web pages of your proposed dept. It will help.
For instance, my dept's website advises not to contact faculty until admitted and I didn't. Also engineering depts' minimum scores are usually higher than the school's.

SEFAGO:

Congrats NKnight, UIUC is a great school- was it for a masters or PhD though?

By the way someone who contributed here goes that school- I wont mention names

I am busy right now so cannot offer more congratulations

Thanks, SEFAGO.
I'm in for MS/PhD.

@ biina and arshy,
Thanks.

@Nknight
congrats too o. . .this is jst the begining. . .

@netotse,
, for all of us,

NKnight:

Got accepted via email by the MechSE dept of the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC). Glory be to God!

Checking one's mail 300 times a day has not been easy but we thank God!

For those of us still waiting, may God grant us swift and positive replies.

Big congrats. I'm still expecting a decision this month.

@Nknight
How is your funding situation?
Try contacting the Naija/African grad students and any other grad student in your field that could give you heads up info on funding opportunities, classes, accommodation, settling down, etc.
Grad school in a top US program is often quite different from undergrad in Naija, with a much heavier workload, and often weekly homework/problem set. You want to take classes that will set you up for further advance classes and/or position you well for joining a group of your choice, while giving room for relocation and acclimatization issues. You might also want to start brushing up on some materials to keep in shape and if not familiar, you might need to get some hands on experience on any relevant software like Matlab,  As a 'Jambito', it is always better to hit the ground running.

biina:

@Nknight
How is your funding situation?
Try contacting the Naija/African grad students and any other grad student in your field that could give you heads up info on funding opportunities, classes, accommodation, settling down, etc.
Grad school in a top US program is often quite different from undergrad in Naija, with a much heavier workload, and often weekly homework/problem set. You want to take classes that will set you up for further advance classes and/or position you well for joining a group of your choice, while giving room for relocation and acclimatization issues. You might also want to start brushing up on some materials to keep in shape and if not familiar, you might need to get some hands on experience on any relevant software like Matlab,  As a 'Jambito', it is always better to hit the ground running.

I thot funding was guaranteed for every PhD student? Maybe just for private schools I guess.

NKnight:

Thanks, SEFAGO.
I'm in for MS/PhD.

Wow double congratulations. UIUC is a great science school and one of the bests in the world. Did you have work experience or research experience in undergraduate? Just curious so that if I get asked questions by my friends who are naija graduates I could gauge their chances.

I had like 1 year and a half of research experience as an undergraduate which is considered quite average for applying for a PhD also.

SEFAGO:

I thot funding was guaranteed for every PhD student? Maybe just for private schools I guess.

Nothing is sure during this economic down turn, and it becomes more uncertain for someone who is not a permanent resident or US citizen (as it rules out most of the government sponsored opportunities). Even in private schools like Stanford and MIT, many international students find themselves on the short end of the funding stick.

In my experience, unless you are one of the top admits (in which case you would likely get funding with the admission offer) or you come in with a proven track record in research, most professors will want you on campus for 1 or 2 semesters to evaluate your abilities first hand, before doling out the cash. Smaller programs often find it easier to fund most of their students, but the MechSE program at UIUC is quite substantial, and I doubt there is enough money to go round. Li, Chang, Rakesh etc usually have an edge given their larger network, and one needs to step up to the challenge if you dont want funding issues distracting you from your academic obligations.

Nothing is sure during this economic down turn, and it becomes more uncertain for someone who is not a permanent resident or US citizen (as it rules out most of the government sponsored opportunities). Even in private schools like Stanford and MIT, many international students find themselves on the short end of the funding stick.

That is true but I think it also depends on the department . Science and engineering have more money than humanities/social sciences. Also some schools (especially privates) give you a one year graduate fellowship in which subsequent funding is gotten from your PI. Also there are chances if getting teaching assistant fellowships I guess.Funny, I worked in a lab once which did not have any money and the graduate students still got paid their stipends and stuff from god knows where lol.

Another important point is the type of degree MS/PhD is quite different from a straight PhD program- usually the MS/PhD takes longer and funds are not immediately guaranteed.

Anyways interesting I would check up on this for my own edification.

Once a professor picks you up and/or you join a research group, funding becomes much easier, as the professor will likely pay for your RA from a project source. Till then, primary source of funding for international students in their first (and possibly second) year is TAship and there is rarely enough to around. Some departments are reluctant to give TA to students from outside the US as they feel they are unfamiliar with the system.

You are quite optimistic about funding in private schools, but unfortunately, my experience bars me from sharing such. Most of those top programs in private schools have large departments that can only fund a small fraction of their newly admitted students. The bulk of their funding goes to the 3yrs+ students and some still end up having to be a TA for the entire duration.

My initial point to NKnight was that if he is yet to receive funding, he should start working on it, and shouldnt believe the stories that there is abundance of funding waiting for him when he gets there. I had a friend who had to abandon his EE program in a top 50 school after two semesters of paying out of pocket and failing to secure funding, and I know of quite a few who had to transfer to lesser schools to ease the burden. If you dont get funding along with the admit offer, then one should make alternative plans that will last him for 1 or 2 yrs (to enable him join a research group or get a TAship). If things workout well and you get funding within your first semester, then all is good, but it will be bad if you dont get funding and are unprepared. People on ground will be able to give him a clearer picture, but he shouldnt take anything for granted. Naija are fond of thinking America is rosy, and most often receive a rude awakening.

Off campus opportunities are also not guaranteed, since you will need an OPT approval from the school, and I doubt there are many employers around UIUC, which is located in the middle of chilly nowhere.

@NKnight,i just read ur post on d Ptdf shortlist.pls can u tell me which courses r qualified 4 d Ptdf skolaship.is it limited only 2 Engineerin or can students in Medicine,pharmacy e.t.c benefit too

biina:

Once a professor picks you up and/or you join a research group, funding becomes much easier, as the professor will likely pay for your RA from a project source. Till then, primary source of funding for international students in their first (and possibly second) year is TAship and there is rarely enough to around. Some departments are reluctant to give TA to students from outside the US as they feel they are unfamiliar with the system.

You are quite optimistic about funding in private schools, but unfortunately, my experience bars me from sharing such. Most of those top programs in private schools have large departments that can only fund a small fraction of their newly admitted students. The bulk of their funding goes to the 3yrs+ students and some still end up having to be a TA for the entire duration.

My initial point to NKnight was that if he is yet to receive funding, he should start working on it, and shouldnt believe the stories that there is abundance of funding waiting for him when he gets there. I had a friend who had to abandon his EE program in a top 50 school after two semesters of paying out of pocket and failing to secure funding, and I know of quite a few who had to transfer to lesser schools to ease the burden. If you dont get funding along with the admit offer, then one should make alternative plans that will last him for 1 or 2 yrs (to enable him join a research group or get a TAship). If things workout well and you get funding within your first semester, then all is good, but it will be bad if you dont get funding and are unprepared. People on ground will be able to give him a clearer picture, but he shouldnt take anything for granted. Naija are fond of thinking America is rosy, and most often receive a rude awakening.

Off campus opportunities are also not guaranteed, since you will need an OPT approval from the school, and I doubt there are many employers around UIUC, which is located in the middle of chilly nowhere.

Thats a good point and I can not add anything more. Funding as you described is not guaranteed for International students in public school systems such as the UCs, UIUC, Utexas at Austin and University of Wisconsin and you might have to hustle for it. So yes, NKnight would have to maybe distinguish himself in a class on research work to get a research assistantship.

However, a lot of private schools have guaranteed funding for everyone regardless of citizenship. Maybe not for engineering but for several departments they do. The two schools you mentioned stanford and MIT sometimes admit people without funding in very extreme circumstances for PhDs, but there are several private schools which guarantee at least 5 year of funding. Private schools are very very wealthy and have lots of networks, you would be shocked. However, you are correct about the recession. I once went to a major IVY for a graduate school interview, and the amount of money they had was just disgusting for research. For my interview they paid everything which was around $800 and then rejected me two days afterwards so the money went to waste.

Has any Petroleum Engineering applicant to either University of Texas @ Austin, Texas A&M University college station or Lousiana State University, heard from the University about the status of their admission application. Just want to know because I am kind of anxious to knowing my admission status and I have not heard from them.

2good:

Has any Petroleum Engineering applicant to either University of Texas @ Austin, Texas A&M University college station or Lousiana State University, heard from the University about the status of their admission application. Just want to know because I am kind of anxious to knowing my admission status and I have not heard from them.

You're not alone. I applied to LSU as well and haven't heard from them yet. I've already gotten a rejection from Colorado School of Mines. That said don't give up hope. At the same time don't plan your whole life around those schools cos if it doesn't work out you'll find yourself stuck and probably demoralised. God dey!

bebure:

You're not alone. I applied to LSU as well and haven't heard from them yet. I've already gotten a rejection from Colorado School of Mines. That said don't give up hope. At the same time don't plan your whole life around those schools cos if it doesn't work out you'll find yourself stuck and probably demoralised. God dey!

These schools have rolling acceptances. I know people have heard from LSU and such

I have a quick question though of general interest: How did your degree get converted from like 2:1 or whatever it is to american GPA system- did you have to go through some service or something?

IBLIVE:

These schools have rolling acceptances. I know people have heard from LSU and such

I have a quick question though of general interest: How did your degree get converted from like 2:1 or whatever it is to american GPA system- did you have to go through some service or something?

I used World Education Service. All I did was register. After that, I selected the country where I got my first degree (United Kingdom) and then a table showed up with percentages and grades. For the UK 70% and above was an A; 65 - 69 was an A-; 60 - 64 was a B+; 55 - 59 was a B; 50 - 54 was a B-; 45 - 49 was a C+ and 40 - 44 was a C. I then used that for each subject and applied the appropriate weight my university assigned to each subject and voila my 64% was a 3.55 GPA.
I just did all the calculations on an excel sheet and wrote a brief note explaining what I had done and informed the school I was aware they had their method of evaluating foreign transcripts and that I was just trying to justify the GPA I entered on my online application form.
If I'm succesful with my admissions, I'll let you know and you can do what I did. If not I dunno.

^ I was actually the one who posted since I was banned. I dont really need my degree to get evealuated since I have a rough idea of what I have in the british sysytem and US system. i was just curious and for my own erudition because I heard a second class upper is usually converted to something low like a 3.3 sometimes, which is really a average GPA under the US system. So i was just wondering if british educated people get screwed in the application process i.e you need a first class to get into a top school which is not the case for US students who could get a 2:1 equivalent and still get into top schools in their country.

nice job all, for keeping this thread active for this long, you seem ''virtuaGod sent'''to me at this time. i virtually spent the whole of today trying to digest and act where possible on suggestions on this thread. first of all i registered to take GRE test sometime in may, been practicing a while now though , but that feeling of not doing enough (fear) just still lingers. ive been working majorly with Barrons 2008, i find it hard to use most of the GRE materials online, cos they mostly dont work well on vista. i wouldnt say i'm an above average student, so i'd need advice on good schools (i.e reseach wise and cost effective, with some financial aid available to international students). i intend an MS/PhD in biomedical sciences or environmental science as my undergrad degree was chemistry science, just finished my nysc. i hope to get good advice and an evaluation of my chances after my test , but before then, i need to boost my present confidence level for the test.please advice me on which schools i should be looking towards and the merits. thanks once again, u guys are worth more than life savers.

We must never stop giving God the glory.
I have been accepted to UT Austin.

With March drawing to a close, I was thinking maybe its going to be the waitlist or worse but it seems they follow the rolling process.
For those waiting on UT Austin and maybe TAMU and LSU be expectant!

Your efforts this season will NEVER be in vain!

seanpounds:

nice job all, for keeping this thread active for this long, you seem ''virtuaGod sent'''to me at this time. i virtually spent the whole of today trying to digest and act where possible on suggestions on this thread. first of all i registered to take GRE test sometime in may, been practicing a while now though , but that feeling of not doing enough (fear) just still lingers. ive been working majorly with Barrons 2008, i find it hard to use most of the GRE materials online, cos they mostly dont work well on vista. i wouldnt say i'm an above average student, so i'd need advice on good schools (i.e reseach wise and cost effective, with some financial aid available to international students). i intend an MS/PhD in biomedical sciences or environmental science as my undergrad degree was chemistry science, just finished my nysc. i hope to get good advice and an evaluation of my chances after my test , but before then, i need to boost my present confidence level for the test.please advice me on which schools i should be looking towards and the merits. thanks once again, u guys are worth more than life savers.

Hey we are in a similar field of interest. What I know for sure, about biomedical science, is that good schools usually interview and this plays a major role in being accepted. Its going to be hard doing that in naija- email and ask how interviews are being done before u apply.

seanpounds:

nice job all, for keeping this thread active for this long, you seem ''virtuaGod sent'''to me at this time. i virtually spent the whole of today trying to digest and act where possible on suggestions on this thread. first of all i registered to take GRE test sometime in may, been practicing a while now though , but that feeling of not doing enough (fear) just still lingers. ive been working majorly with Barrons 2008, i find it hard to use most of the GRE materials online, cos they mostly dont work well on vista.  i wouldnt say i'm an above average student, so i'd need advice on good schools (i.e reseach wise and cost effective, with some financial aid available to international students). i intend an MS/PhD in biomedical sciences or environmental science as my undergrad degree was chemistry science, just finished my nysc. i hope to get good advice and an evaluation of my chances after my test , but before then, i need to boost my present confidence level for the test.please advice me on which schools i should be looking towards and  the merits. thanks once again, u guys are worth more than life savers.

Welcome to THE NL GRE PREP thread, seanpounds. Its a major step indeed.

Congratulations on registering for the GRE. You may want to consider the TOEFL as well.

At this stage, theres little you can do about your GPA so do not sweat it (For those of you still in school, there has never been a better session to get all A's than your final).

However, theres still a lot to be gained by:
1. Smashing the GRE. Start prep now.
2. Getting very good recommendations. Start pallying up with your lecturers now.
3. Writing a unique admission essay. Start brainstorming now and writing now.
4. Submit application early. Surprisingly this part seems very easy and yet, soooo many of us submit late. Remember a COMPLETE application includes your transcript and ALL your letters of recommendation.

With this thread, you are on the right track seanpounds. I have every page of this thread on my hard drive and believe me its worth it.
Many minds have contributed and no praise would be excess for people like sopescott, Flint, davidylan, mathways, Eyohimself, Godeagle, arshy, SEFAGO, netotse, emmyclev, Superbrain, bebure, biina and the list goes on,
Theres a lot to learn from our mistakes and a lot of inspiration to be received from our triumphs.

Your confidence will get a boost if you practise a lot of GRE mock tests. You have the advantage of time. Use it.

Depending on your undergrad school's policy on handling transcripts, I suggest you request for your transcripts now. Even if you do not have a school in mind, go ahead and request (send it to any school you fancy). That way, you should obtain subsequent transcripts faster (when you have made up your mind) since you would already have a recent file. You know how it is wth our system.

Good luck!

Hmm Nknight if i may ask what were ur qualifications- like 2:1 or 1st class and did u retake the GRE.

NKnight:

Welcome to THE NL GRE PREP thread, seanpounds. Its a major step indeed.

Congratulations on registering for the GRE. You may want to consider the TOEFL as well.

At this stage, theres little you can do about your GPA so do not sweat it (For those of you still in school, there has never been a better session to get all A's than your final).

However, theres still a lot to be gained by:
1. Smashing the GRE. Start prep now.
2. Getting very good recommendations. Start pallying up with your lecturers now.
3. Writing a unique admission essay. Start brainstorming now and writing now.
4. Submit application early. Surprisingly this part seems very easy and yet, soooo many of us submit late. Remember a COMPLETE application includes your transcript and ALL your letters of recommendation.

With this thread, you are on the right track seanpounds. I have every page of this thread on my hard drive and believe me its worth it.
Many minds have contributed and no praise would be excess for people like sopescott, Flint, davidylan, mathways, Eyohimself, Godeagle, arshy, SEFAGO, netotse, emmyclev, Superbrain, bebure, biina and the list goes on,
Theres a lot to learn from our mistakes and a lot of inspiration to be received from our triumphs.

Your confidence will get a boost if you practise a lot of GRE mock tests. You have the advantage of time. Use it.

Depending on your undergrad school's policy on handling transcripts, I suggest you request for your transcripts now. Even if you do not have a school in mind, go ahead and request (send it to any school you fancy). That way, you should obtain subsequent transcripts faster (when you have made up your mind) since you would already have a recent file. You know how it is wth our system.

Good luck!

Strong advise

SEFAGO:

^ I was actually the one who posted since I was banned. I dont really need my degree to get evealuated since I have a rough idea of what I have in the british sysytem and US system. i was just curious and for my own erudition because I heard a second class upper is usually converted to something low like a 3.3 sometimes, which is really a average GPA under the US system. So i was just wondering if british educated people get screwed in the application process i.e you need a first class to get into a top school which is not the case for US students who could get a 2:1 equivalent and still get into top schools in their country.

SEFAGO It all depends. All 2:1's are not created equal in the UK (except in the job market where a 2:1 be it 60% or 69.9% is your ticket to any great job). World renowned schools in the U.S. such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton etc are more likely to know that a STRONG 2:1 (from a top U.K. university) is not something that everyone gets and thus they value STRONG 2:1's (my cousin got a 2:1 and the same GRE score as me and is now at Harvard doing her master's- paying a shitload though). Other schools such as LSU are knowledgeable enough about the British system and equate an overall grade of 60% to a 3.0 GPA, 65% to a 3.5GPA and 70% and above to a 4.0 GPA. Some schools on the other hand (ahem U of H) have absolutely no idea- well their mechanical engineering department anyway.
Getting into a master's program in the UK is much easier. Most schools are willing to consider someone with a 2:2 (50% to 59%). But for some programs like Imperial College's Petroleum Engineering masters you'll need a 1st class degree to even apply. Oxford and Cambridge require a 2:1 and one of my engineering buddies with a 2:1 is there right now (though his skills as a cricket player may have something to do with it as most people accepted there would have a 1st class degree). But I don't regret leaving the UK. It just wasn't for me.

[b][i]Hey we are in a similar field of interest. What I know for sure, about biomedical science, is that good schools usually interview and this plays a major role in being accepted. Its going to be hard doing that in naija- email and ask how interviews are being done before u apply.[/[/i]b]
thanks NKnight, SEFAGO, knew i could get the best possible advice from you. which schools would you advice i apply to, with my low GPA (2.2) in mind, and also ones that would not require interviews on personal basis? i'd very much appreciate your suggetions cos it would help me make apt decisions after my test,i.e when i'd be applying.
by the way, whats the cost for requesting that my test scores be sent to grad school?

seanpounds:

[b][i]Hey we are in a similar field of interest. What I know for sure, about biomedical science, is that good schools usually interview and this plays a major role in being accepted. Its going to be hard doing that in naija- email and ask how interviews are being done before u apply.[/[/i]b]
thanks NKnight, SEFAGO, knew i could get the best possible advice from you. which schools would you advice i apply to, with my low GPA (2.2) in mind, and also ones that would not require interviews on personal basis? i'd very much appreciate your suggetions cos it would help me make apt decisions after my test,i.e when i'd be applying.
by the way, whats the cost for requesting that my test scores be sent to grad school?

It cost $23 for every additional score report u get. What type of biomedical science do you want to do though? Cell biology, molecular biophysics, biochemistry, physiology?

I actually technically am not in the biomedical sciences but they always seems to pop up in any research stuff I do. And I have friends who are enrolling in PhD programs in biomedical sciences albeit at very very good schools. I would get back to you on schools u culd apply to.

seanpounds:

[b][i]Hey we are in a similar field of interest. What I know for sure, about biomedical science, is that good schools usually interview and this plays a major role in being accepted. Its going to be hard doing that in naija- email and ask how interviews are being done before u apply.[/[/i]b]
thanks NKnight, SEFAGO, knew i could get the best possible advice from you. which schools would you advice i apply to, with my low GPA (2.2) in mind, and also ones that would not require interviews on personal basis? i'd very much appreciate your suggetions cos it would help me make apt decisions after my test,i.e when i'd be applying.
by the way, whats the cost for requesting that my test scores be sent to grad school?

Many ways to get your PhD or MS or MPH etc etc.
Its important to know what you want and why you want it. (Seriously, it will help you make the right choices. Take the essay as an example. Admission Committees are tired of reading about the doctor that wants to save the world etc etc.)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A. You could check out biochemistry MS programs at some state schools like SFSU, SDSU etc. Some min GPA are around (2.7-2.9)/4.0. GRE around 1000.
However, you should consider/find out the chances of getting
1. A visa to go to a particular school and
2. A job with a degree from a given school.

B. If you want to apply to more competitive biomedical programs(where upon accepance, visa is smooth and salaries are in the armed robbery range), you should consider taking
1. The GRE subject test in Chemistry or Biology to strengthen your application.
OR
2. The MCAT (which tests your knowledge in bio, physics and english).

C. It is also possible to get a Masters here in Nigeria. Focus on getting a GPA as close to 5POINT as possible and then apply for your bio/medical program in the US.

D.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ofcourse not forgetting other parts of your application, recommendation(good ones and on time), transcripts(on time), essay(good one) etc

Hey guys,

Got my first admit today- Phd Chemical Engineering. Expecting to hear from the department next week about financial aid offers.

Congrats! I think financial aid is automatic if you are in a fed.uni.

Superbrain:

Hey guys,

Got my first admit today- Phd Chemical Engineering. Expecting to hear from the department next week about financial aid offers.

Congratulations Superbrain!!! What school accepted you?

Superbrain:

Hey guys,

Got my first admit today- Phd Chemical Engineering. Expecting to hear from the department next week about financial aid offers.

Congratulations Superbrain!

What school accepted you?

Hey guys,

I'll post complete details next week. It's a state university on the east coast. Still waiting on the others.

@ Bebure, my apologies for the long silence. I'll inbox you later.