myforumid3:


My prayer is that we all get the offers of our heart desire and be faced with the problem of which to select/decide. I am already feeling for you ceze my friend when this prob. knocks in few weeks time lollllll 

Trust me, It will be smiles for us all.

LOL forumID my sentiments exactly, and we all hope to rejoice with the new grad students, thumbs up!

NKnight:


Come March/April your problem would be deciding which scholarship(RA/TA) to finally accept . I can bet that YOU would have to (politely ) reject some admissions lol.

Hi all,

It's nice to see we all are reaping the bounties of hardwork, determination and through the grace and favour of Almighty God.

I also have some good news, actually I have a good news and the second is the best news I've had in a very long time

Firstly, I also got an admission for petroleum engineering with a $1000 scholarship and a opportunity to pay as a resident student. It's the same school as MYFORUMID3 mentioned but I won't mention the school since MYFORUMID3 doesn't want the information spilled out here, but like he said, it's a very very good school, Ironically I got a letter from NEW MEXICO TECH the same day I got the earlier mentioned admission informing me that they regret not accepting my application without any reason. Thank God I saw the acceptance first,

Secondly, and the best one ever for now, I also got an admission at MASDAR INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ABU DHABI. the school is in direct partnership with MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, infact the application process just as detailed. The admission comes with a full scholarship which includes:
FULL TUITION
FULLY FURNISHED ACCOMODATION
HEALTH INSURANCE
A LAPTOP AND ALL TEXTBOOKS NEEDED
PAYMENT OF GRE AND TOEFL FEES BACK
A JUICY MONTHLY ALLOWANCE (which I don't know what I'd spend it on )
MY TICKET TO COME OVER TO THE SCHOOL AND TRAVELS TICKETS TO COME HOME FOR HOLIDAYS AFTER EACH YEAR
TRANSPORT WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED FOR AS WELL TO KEY LOCATIONS IN THE CITY

The best part is I have an opportunity to further my studies at MIT, USA and while undergoing my graduate program, I might be given an opportunity to go on research work to MIT as well. Did I mention they are other university which are in the TOP TEN IN THE WORLD THAT ARE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY LIKE IMPERIAL COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, among others

The university is just simply, beautiful and permit me to add this, WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME IS WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF. Last year they only took 100 students out of 1900 applicants and 46% were the indigenes so you can only imagine the kind of competition that goes on to get into the school.
I'm just a humble dude that finished from a state university,B.Sc in Mechanical Engineering with no paper to my name though I finished as the best in my department with a CGPA of 4.00 out of 5.00. I had a GRE score of Q750 and V600 and TOEFL score of 104/120.

The school has so much going on that it's difficult to know where to start from. Hilary Clinton just gave a speech at the university and I'm sure for those of you who watch CNN often would have seen the school been talked about now and then.
They had a Career Fair in the month of December last year and these are just some of the companies that came to mop up students,
Participants at the Fair included high profile employers, such as, Masdar, Mubadala Development Company, Abu Dhabi Ports Company, Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA), Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), Dolphin Energy, Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC), Etihad Airways, Schlumberger, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Boeing, EWS-WWF, ExxonMobil, General Electric, Global Foundries, iMCC Green, PRTM Consulting, Shell, Siemens, Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) and Toyota - Al Futtaim Motors, UAE Academy.

You can only imagine the opportunity that lies ahead,

I am writing this as a means to encourage everyone aspiring to study abroad that you should NEVER think you can't make it. Just have a strong confidence in God and in yourself, work hard, WORK VERY HARD ! ! and I desire that we shall all make our families, friends and the country (NIGERIA) proud.

Thank you.
Cheers

Seems Magnamos post was deleted. However he did mention MIST, a school in Abu Dhabi, UAE. I rememeber recommending MIST last year but didn't hear of anyone applying not to talk of getting admission till now. Their offer last year was really tempting. Didn't know they released admission results so early this year, maybe he is talking about last year's admission. Anyway the stipend was about 4,000AED per month which then was about 1,000USD. I don't know much about the cost of living there but this should be more than ok since rent, books, laptop, air ticket are all paid for (just go and read).

Another good thing is that the application fee is ZERO. Also remember that minimum GRE Q score is 700/800. Also, theres a small quota for Africans, minorities etc so don't be scared if you have not published in an ASME journal .

As for the MIT collabo, please note that the degree is solely a MIST degree. Depending on your research prof, you may get the chance to work on a joint research with a prof at MIT and may even go to the US to attend research conferences etc. This would obviously be a big boost if you choose to come over to the US for your PhD.

Go for it guys,

Yay! Stanford's decision came in yesterday. I applied for PhD sha but they gave me Masters. No funding information yet though.

Also, congrats to magnamos. Have you accepted the MIST offer yet?

congratulations man, we thank god we thank god

email the department and ask then about funding for the program and how many people get funding for masters degree.

Congratulations bros.

@Nknight

As for the MIST, I am asking about the program for one of my friends. He has a 3.9/5.0 but from a state university in nigeria. He has not taken the GRE yet- what do you think are his chances are. how competitive is this program?

what type of GRE score would make them standout?

As for the MIST, I am asking about the program for one of my friends. He has a 3.9/5.0 but from a state university in nigeria. He has not taken the GRE yet- what do you think are his chances are. how competitive is this program?

what type of GRE score would make them standout?

In my opinion I believe a high GPA won't hurt.
Also getting a V score (>500), an AWA (>4) with a Q score (>700) should be the minimum target. However the only "official" GRE minimum is the 700Q.
Have very good recommendations and unique admission essay.
One or two papers even if locally published might not be so bad too.

Despite the seemingly low pool of applicants, going by their own statistics MIST programs are very competitive. Most people who get accepted to MIST would probably get admitted to other US schools if they applied.

To stand out (in the minority pool) I guess
A first class GPA (or at least close to the class topper).
1300 GRE (with Q as close to 800 as possible)


Congrats Cezeozue and Magnamos!

@ Magnamos, we expect you have accepted o! Technically, accepting MIST (which is in Asia) should not affect any US acceptances, however, try to inform any school you are not attending of your decision on time so that your space can be given to others on the waitlist. Remember if you do settle for MIST, chances are that you would be visiting the US for one research collabo or the other. The academic world (especially in your research niche) is not so big and you don't want to be seen as unethical.

Important Note: The real application starts AFTER you are accepted into MIST (which is very good since your net spending is relatively ZERO until you get admitted). Check your emails everyday and make sure you have a scanner ready ooo to answer them sharp sharp!
Get your passport ready (MIST would send your info to the VISA people), ensure your transcript and GRE and TOEFL scores get to MIST on time.

@ Cezeozue, watch out for the Mobil Producing Nigeria International Scholarship Award around May/June. Upload your personal and school details online and you will definitely be invited for the test. The award would provide 100% of your funding needs. Hopefully you won't need to wait till June for Mobil. You would probably have a funded offer before then. But its good to have multiple options open.

Cheers!

@NKnight: Thanks for the heads up. I'll look into the Mobil Scholarship thingy.

In my opinion I believe a high GPA won't hurt.
Also getting a V score (>500), an AWA (>4) with a Q score (>700) should be the minimum target. However the only "official" GRE minimum is the 700Q.
Have very good recommendations and unique admission essay.
One or two papers even if locally published might not be so bad too. Wink

Despite the seemingly low pool of applicants, going by their own statistics MIST programs are very competitive. Most people who get accepted to MIST would probably get admitted to other US schools if they applied.

To stand out (in the minority pool) I guess
A first class GPA (or at least close to the class topper).
1300 GRE (with Q as close to 800 as possible)

Ok, I figured you have to be top of your class or close to it, but what if the guy was ranked like top 5 in his class? I think he mentioned that no one in his class got a first class, not sure.  Also would it be a good idea for the recommenders to mention this in their rec letters? I am sure the guy could get a perfect score in GRE Q. GRE Q is kind of easy if you did a quantitative subject. Yeah I guessed the MIST program would be competitive.

Man where will you publish paper for naija? Now I am interested. Are there like any journals in Nigeria where they publish research papers. Nigeria Journal of epidemiology or something of that nature.

[quote ]
Man where will you publish paper for naija? Now I am interested. Are there like any journals in Nigeria where they publish research papers. Nigeria Journal of epidemiology or something of that nature.
[quote][/quote]

LOL, you would be surprised, !

On a serious note though, most people including Nigerian students think theres no research going on in Nigeria and all our lecturers are not "good" whatever that means. On the average, our "local" research is way behind cutting edge, agreed. I can't speak for every school in Naija but my school had a few lecturers who were really really really into research. I became close to some who have presented papers at the highest levels and have presented papers that have even become references for other international papers. Granted most of the papers that get this level of recognition are of a theoretical/mathematical nature. We simply do not have the cutting edge equipment for cutting edge experimental studies.

My advice to naija undergrads wishing to make US grad study easier is, don't neglect the theory in your textbook waiting till you get to US to read, its the same theory elsewhere ooo. If the theory is wrong in your book, its also wrong elsewhere and maybe you could be the one to correct it hehehe (lol funny enough one of Einstein's postulates was that the laws of physics are the same in every inertial frame, no geographic or racial discrimination no bi so the old man talk am o lols, he actually said the laws of physics are invariant with respect to Lorentz transformations but thats another discussion. Make we just assume for now say the old man was right)

So watch out for those lecturers that like research and gum to them like superglue. Theres so much to learn from them, you could become the next programming/typing/editing/drawing assistant, who knows you may even understand the work enough to make contributions and maybe your name will find itself as a coauthor on one or two papers and when time for recommendation comes its smooth sailing,

@NKnight: Unfortunately many Nigerian undergrads will not get to read this until it is too late. And I'm speaking from experience. . Did you co-author any papers while you were in school here?

On a serious note though, most people including Nigerian students think theres no research going on in Nigeria and all our lecturers are not "good" whatever that means.

Actually I know some stuff goes on in Nigeria, and that some lecturers definitely do some research. Most of them are not that ignorant, they keep track of what is going on outside Nigeria and some of them no matter how wicked they are would like to try this things in naija.

Granted most of the papers that get this level of recognition are of a theoretical/mathematical nature. We simply do not have the cutting edge equipment for cutting edge experimental studies.

I figured. Personally, I think nigeria has then brains but not the facilities and that we can aim for higher. yeah even cutting edge research is not that expensive to fund _{if the politicians allocate 1% of what they steal to funding research}

So watch out for those lecturers that like research and gum to them like superglue. Theres so much to learn from them, you could become the next programming/typing/editing/drawing assistant, who knows you may even understand the work enough to make contributions and maybe your name will find itself as a coauthor on one or two papers Grin and when time for recommendation comes its smooth sailing,

Word, I have tolds some of my friends at nigerian universities that even if they cannot currently get a masters abroad they should do one in Nigeria while looking for a way of doing research and then see if they can get a PhD. All of them dont want to listen saying the quality of education is bad yada yada. Everything is bad.

I am still using 95% of what I learned in my secondary school in Nigeria up till now despite the lack of "cutting edge" facilities crap they are always whining about.

However looking for research opportunities is not just a nigerian problem. Its common in other countries too. I think only the US, and maybe Germany and some of those eastern European academic wizards emphasize research at the undergraduate level.

Immediately you get the theory down and you are brilliant you are good. Its just that the Nigerian educational system is not good for olodo people.

cezeozue:

@NKnight: Unfortunately many Nigerian undergrads will not get to read this until it is too late. And I'm speaking from experience. .

It hurts but you are so right, most people on this page are probably done with college, some even NYSC and are just planing for the GRE, not knowing theres so much more than the test. But if this could help even one undergrad, then I guess thats worth something .
Like I stated in an earlier post there are so many ways to go about it. One very easy way for engineering/science guys in our deficient labs is to accept the "inexpensive" gift of windows (not the one related to door hehehe ).
1. Learn textbook principles cold.
2. Learn to program in at least one "modern" language. Year1 QBASIC just won't cut it anymore, think more like C++, Python or even COMSOL or MATLAB (lol I know some people would die before they accept COMSOL or MATLAB as a language).
Anyways, 3. Add a healthy dose of imagination and you have a deadlysweet combination. You won't suddenly become Feynman overnight but you would become an excellent help to ANY naija lecturer and a valuable addition to MOST US grad research groups.

cezeozue:

Did you co-author any papers while you were in school here?

Omo mehn I "gum" some of those PhD guys like superglue! Yes I did and the advantages far outstripped the time and energy sacrificed.

^ So u mentioned Feynman and Einstein already where are u at then princeton

It hurts but you are so right, most people on this page are probably done with college, some even NYSC and are just planing for the GRE, not knowing theres so much more than the test. But if this could help even one undergrad, then I guess thats worth something Smiley.
Like I stated in an earlier post there are so many ways to go about it. One very easy way for engineering/science guys in our deficient labs is to accept the "inexpensive" gift of windows (not the one related to door hehehe Cheesy).
1. Learn textbook principles cold.
2. Learn to program in at least one "modern" Cheesy language. Year1 QBASIC just won't cut it anymore, think more like C++, Python or even COMSOL or MATLAB (lol I know some people would die before they accept COMSOL or MATLAB as a language).
Anyways, 3. Add a healthy dose of imagination and you have a deadlysweet combination. You won't suddenly become Feynman overnight but you would become an excellent help to ANY naija lecturer and a valuable addition to MOST US grad research groups.

I dont know if i mentioned this on a previous page, or I thought I should mention it but yeah knowing some programming language without research experience is an extraordinary plus++ especially for certain parts of engineering. MATLAB is kind of basic and eevry engineer uses it (I think, not sure not an engineer). But you can learn coding basic on your own or anywhere in lagos and build up your knowledge from there.

I dont blame Nigerian youths though its lack of exposure- most are not thinking of doing graduate school until they confront the harsh job market in naija.

Thank you guys for all your effort in this thread the good will surely reward you all. I am currently in 300L biochemistry, i want to go for phd straight after my NYSC but most of my friend keep telling how difficult it is for undergrads from nigerian unis to get admit talk more of a state uni like mine. But reading this atleast i now believe it isn't impossible. Concerning the research it has been my greatest fear, is the programming language for engineering students or can it be useful for biomedical science students also? The GPA issue, should i miss a first class it might just be by some narrow margin so i can get 4.40/5.0 at worse, i screwed up in my first year but trying hard to corret it, i don't know if it will count but i can ensure my last 3 semester GPA are atleast 4.8/5.0. On the GRE i am aiming for atleast 1550. Please i want you guys to give me constructive advice or rebuke concerning my chances. Thanks all in advance.

@ceze
please as regard sending ur transcript urself to the various schools using a post office, Do ur school that's UNN gives an individual his /her transcript to the student, ? And if so, is there a form of seal on the transcript apart from the school stamp, I will really do appreciate if you can clear the air for me,

call me

@house,
especially for 2012 applicants which am part of .

I know most of the applicants shld b in a form of dilemma in regards to the gre type to take, Is it the old or new form, ? Which is more auspicious?

Please as we celebrate with the fall 11 applicants for a successful application, u indispensible guys shld try to see how u can assist the new applicants esp. In this area(gre type)

My take: i wud prefer the old format, since have been acquainted with its question type, My own take,

cezeozue:

Yay! Stanford's decision came in yesterday. I applied for PhD sha but they gave me Masters. No funding information yet though.

Also, congrats to magnamos. Have you accepted the MIST offer yet?

@ceze, Congrats my friend. Stanford is tight. I trust you 'd get funding, this is just the beginning.

My friend pulled a GRE Score of 750/600, got into MIST, mech engr. I ve got similar GRe record but I didnt apply cos I felt it wud be very competitive,perhaps they dont do Pet Engr, so any other course wud be a distraction. Also, I ve got better offers and funding coming my way in my line of field and wudnt jump career ship cos of one $1000 stipent from MIST, a new sch in a very expensive country, Tho i did encourage my friend to take up the offer as it was simply awesome and complete. What more can he ask for?

All your post on research and programming skills training while still in 9ja uni are great additions. Hope the undergrads wud grab this opportunity with both hands and legs. lol

Any idea when pet engr dept of UT, TAMU and co wud start giving their offers?

@SAFEAGO, I recall u asked about MIST for a friend, my friend did a 4.0/5.0 GPA from a State Uni.

jamebex:

Thank you guys for all your effort in this thread the good will surely reward you all. I am currently in 300L biochemistry, i want to go for phd straight after my NYSC but most of my friend keep telling how difficult it is for undergrads from nigerian unis to get admit talk more of a state uni like mine. But reading this atleast i now believe it isn't impossible.

Thats the right spirit bro. People will always tell you how difficult it is, but after 26 pages you should know it can be done and it can be done by you.

jamebex:

Concerning the research it has been my greatest fear, is the programming language for engineering students or can it be useful for biomedical science students also?

Don't be scared, the bio field is bubbling with research and yes the computer is used there too . Think about it yourself, I'm sure most of the processes you have learnt so far can be reduced to pencil and paper. This immediately forms the basis for a program to
1. Do it faster
2. Put some fine colors in the results
Even those problems without close form analytic solutions can be tackled with some form of computational attack.
So go for it, with a good foundation of the basics and some program skills you can start playing with the problems your lecturers give you in class (or the ones in your books). I remember that some exercises in some of the books like Kreyszig, Mcgill etc we used at school required some programming knowledge. Ofcourse most lectureres won't give you those problems. Its up to you to be creative. In 100L, a prof told me, "last century was for physics, this century is for biology" Enjoy your century o!

jamebex:

The GPA issue, should i miss a first class it might just be by some narrow margin so i can get 4.40/5.0 at worse, i screwed up in my first year but trying hard to corret it, i don't know if it will count but i can ensure my last 3 semester GPA are atleast 4.8/5.0. On the GRE i am aiming for atleast 1550.

You can't change the past (at least not yet). So focus on the present and future. Continue the good work. If you do make a 4.4/5.0, you have done well. Combined with the other aspects (GRE, recommendations, essays etc) of your application, believe me you would be on your way to achieving your PhD dreams.

Biochem/Biomedical fields are a bit different though because most of the PhDs are funded by federal agencies and so very little spots for international students compared to other prgrams.

It would depend on where you are applying to. Some schools are just impossible. Getting into Johns Hopkins for something like Biochemistry would be plain impossible as an international except you are a genius because they are government funded and the number one program in the world. Also you might be required to take the GRE subject test and also most bio-programs require interviews. You would likely be interviewed over the phone.

Programming is important in the biomed field but usually they prefer someone who can do something with it. Like someone who can code program that can determine the secondary structure of a protein or in in fields like bioinformatics which deals a lot with databases.

@SAFEAGO, I recall u asked about MIST for a friend, my friend did a 4.0/5.0 GPA from a State Uni.

Thanks my friend is also from a state university. That sounds encouraging.

Thanks so much, you guys are simply the best. @SEFAGO i also heared about biomed been fed govt funded but school like Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Stamford, UCSF, Yale, Cornell et al accept 10 to 20% intl students also rockefeller admits you regardless of your citizenship. What is/are the odd(s) in this situation? Secondly, considering the fact that these are way too top school, what other alternative can one have in terms of schools that atleast accept international students.

please as regard sending your transcript urself to the various schools using a post office, Do your school that's UNN gives an individual his /her transcript to the student, ? And if so, is there a form of seal on the transcript apart from the school stamp, I will really do appreciate if you can clear the air for me,

UNN can give you your transcripts for you to post yourself and there are several stamps across the envelope seal. I think you have to pursue the process personally though i.e talk to someone in the registry and follow-up with the person as opposed to dropping your application in the box and waiting. I dropped someone's application in the box in April 2008 and till today the transcript has not been posted. Once you get your first transcript, the rest become quite easy.

@ceze,
thanks alot. U did clear the air for me, because my school, Upee, transcript is really an headache, And with this ur tip abt following up with the registry, it ll really go a long way in helping me, Once again thanks alot, And sucess with ur other admits, I must say i respect ur profile,is really encouraging,

NKnight:

Its up to you to be creative. In 100L, a prof told me, "last century was for physics, this century is for biology" Enjoy your century o!

That part is very important. That is exactly what the prof I work for said. There is so much going on in the bio field right now that everyone wants to get in on it. I am just glad I realized this before leaving undergrad, so I will be able to work towards developing myself in that area. I feel traditional engineering is just going away. Nowadays everyone is doing interdisciplinary stuff. Right now, I am involved in research around comp bio, control theory and systems bio. The fun things is I might actually get published. I am not using much of traditional mech eng, but I don't care.

@sefago: Do you know much about MD/Phd programs? I am starting to look into that now. phd definitely, but Md/phd might be an option. I actually know this ghanian chick that got into jhu for phd in genetics. It's difficult, but they also like to accept qualified minority people. With bio research, you just have to be really good to cut it.

Congratulations cezeozue !! More would come.

@sefago: Do you know much about MD/Phd programs? I am starting to look into that now. phd definitely, but Md/phd might be an option. I actually know this ghanian chick that got into jhu for phd in genetics. It's difficult, but they also like to accept qualified minority people. With bio research, you just have to be really good to cut it.

Did she do her undergrad in the US? You know that could be a big factor

Yeah I know a lot about MD/PhD programs- they are usually MSTP programs too and are funded by the government- They are insanely competitive. If you wanna talk more about them let me know.However avoid the MSTPs and look for the MD/PhD programs since this would be easier for funding

Man you are going to be in school for like forever - 7 years/8year

Dont tell you me have caught the "every Nigerian should be a doctor madness"

leadzeal:

@house,
especially for 2012 applicants which am part of .

I know most of the applicants shld b in a form of dilemma in regards to the gre type to take, Is it the old or new form, ? Which is more auspicious?

Please as we celebrate with the fall 11 applicants for a successful application, u indispensible guys shld try to see how u can assist the new applicants esp. In this area(gre type)

My take: i wud prefer the old format, since have been acquainted with its question type, My own take,

I have never taken the GRE but I think being one of the first people to take with the new format will be a better idea. Just my take on it.

, I think being one of the first people to take with the new format will be a better idea,

Ever heard the expression, ", the devil you know is better than the angel you don't, "?

cezeozue:

Ever heard the expression, ", the devil you know is better than the angel you don't, "?

I'm def. up for da devil I know, Cant be a lab rat for some kindda of experiment.
Not to discourage anyone sha esp. those with limited prep time n ve decided for da nu 1, prepare very well using d questions n curriculum of d old one and i'm sure you'd do great with the nu one, cos i think it may be thesame thing, just the format and pattern of question.
Afterall, 2+2 wud always be 4. and antonyms and synonyms wont change for like forever
whether, nu format or old one but prepare die and i mean die!

myforumid3:

I'm def. up for da devil I know, Cant be a lab rat for some kindda of experiment.
Not to discourage anyone sha esp. those with limited prep time n ve decided for da nu 1, prepare very well using d questions n curriculum of d old one and i'm sure you'd do great with the nu one, cos i think it may be thesame thing, just the format and pattern of question.
Afterall, 2+2 wud always be 4. and antonyms and synonyms wont change for like forever
whether, nu format or old one but prepare die and i mean die!

i concur, it all boils down to optimal preparation. But as regard thee new format, no publisher i.e kaplan ,barrons, princeton, and the likes have written anything on it, So the big question heere is whatt arre we goin to use to till the soil for planting?, The only compensation for the new format wud b the percentile grading, My take sha.

But as ceze said, 'the devil u know is better than d angel u don't know, '

i will go with the devil, lol

Another offer came in last night: University of Wisconsin-Madison. No funding information yet but I can contact the professors for RA appointments. Biko, what and what do I need to say in my emails to the professors? NKnight? Sefago?