₦airaland Forum

Hi Everyone,

It has been 10 years (March 2013) since I shared my exposition following this highly heated argument about the US equivalent of the Nigerian HND Qualifications. Over these 10 years, a lot of people have reached out to me for guidance on how to go about the WES Credential Evaluation which I have been of help to.

To all people pushing hard, don't despair, the biggest challenge facing the current Nigerian generation is that our people hate any process-driven achievement, and if you must make it internationally, you must learn to follow the process.

As of 2013 when I did mine, a lot of schools in Nigeria do not operate any functional email address, even though the schools displayed it on their websites. A lot of things follow the traditional and conventional way - normal posting of letters.
Today, most schools now have emails that are working, and the process has improved. I encourage all to trust the process.

I have not had time to read and comment on some issues and questions on this thread. I encourage anyone asking questions to read from page 1 to the last page, you will find information about every question you have. I simplified almost all the hurdles and provided practical solutions.

Key points to guide most of you:

For the USA: https://www.wes.org/
For Canada: https://www.wes.org/ca/

For now, most Nigerian banks have dollar-denominated Mastercard/Visa cards for International Payments - Do get one of these and fund them directly from your Bank to make the payment for WES Credential Evaluation.

WES USA: Create Account - - Choose Graduate Admission as your Reason for Credential Evaluation -- Choose ICAP to enable WES to store your Credentials for Life - - Submit & Pay for the Evaluation.

I don't know the fees now, it is over 10 years since I did mine. Get all your information from www.wes.org

Download the International Transcript Request Form -- Fill out Part A, apply for your Transcript, and Ensure that Whoever Signs Your Transcript fills Part B of the Form, Sign & Stamp It and Attach It to your Transcript, and Send it to WES Address given to you from your acknowledgement Email when you paid. Request for both HND & ND Transcript.

Ensure Your School Sends Both HND & ND Transcripts to WES. If your school have an official email, the school can securely send the Transcript to WES, all this information will be given to You when you pay and submit an application.

If WES want to verify your Transcript, they can send an Email or Letter to your School to Verify the Transcript and Your School MUST write to WES confirming that the Transcript is "Authentic". Once that is done, in a couple of days, WES will send you an email that your WES Credential Evaluation Report is Ready and You can View It online.

Note: If you had Upper Credit/Distinctions in your HND & ND Qualifications, it will shoot up your GPA when the Evaluation is done.

Keep working on your Future and Remain Committed to the Process.

Very good and congratulation!

Yes, the process is doable.

Nozino:
I finally got my WES evaluation today.

HND- 2.98

WES US evaluated GPA- 3.34/4.0

US Equivalent: Bachelor’s Degree.

Hi Everyone,

I just came around to see the conversation around the subject.

Just for clarity and the ease of quick access to your Evaluation and Transcript, stop wasting your money and time on some cheap one-man business entity posing as Credential Evaluator, like FCSA. If you are interested to move on with your HND to Master's or even PhD in the USA, then, go with WES USA. Yes, the process is stringent but is doable.

Few tips on Admissions:
1. Not all Universities accept WES Credential Evaluation
2. Not all Universities and Programs require GRE/GMAT
3. There are over 4000 Universities and Colleges in the USA to choose from
4. Check on the University's website to which professors you will like to work in their research group and reach out to them
5. Stop wasting your time planning and only choosing a high ranking name - Universities, the rankings are mainly for undergraduate studies; at graduate education, the ranking belongs to the Department - What type of research is being conducted by the Professors, what industry research funding and grants are available, "Who" is the Departmental Professors in the global ranking in your chosen research field
6. COVID has made it even easier to gain admission as most schools waived GRE till May/September Semester 2022
7. Be a futurist, prognose where the future is moving in your chosen field of study, and then choose a course and Schools that have a high technical domain in this area, and then apply. For instance, for an electrical engineering HND Graduate, instead of just merely going for an MSc in Electrical Engineering, look for one that is focused on the Internet of Things (IoT), if you are a Mechanical Engineering Graduate, look for a course with great depth of Automation, if you studied Information Technology/Computer Science, you will be happy if you choose MSc in Cybersecurity. Other areas to focus on include, AI, Robotics, Machine Learning, Business Analytics, Drone Technology, etc.
8. Lastly, education is the quickest means and route to US Immigration, so don't joke with it.
9. So many universities in the USA waive the English Language Test requirement for Nigerians, but it is advisable to take the Test as it will help you to be competitive when you apply for external scholarships and fellowships in the USA.

Finally, keep pushing and keep winning.

Stay safe!

I will be popping in frequently to provide guidance.

Yes

Antibot5:
GNwafor

Sir

Can we get in touch pls.

For your ND & HND, you need 2 forms (International Transcript Request Form) as the HND & ND are two separate/different programs and you need to pay for and request for both Transcripts. If your HND & ND were done in the same school, this becomes a lot easier, but if you have done it in 2 different schools, then you must request for and pay for the Transcripts in the 2 different schools. In any case, make sure that both the HND & ND Transcripts get to WES because it is the evaluation of these HND & ND Transcripts (both of them) that gets you the USA Bachelor's Degree Equivalent from the WES Credential Evaluation.

Note that henceforth, you no longer need to send hard copy of your ND or HND Certificate to WES, you will only need to upload a soft copy of your Certificate online when you are making an application for the WES Credential Evaluation, and then request your school to send the HND & ND Transcripts using either the Courier Service or normal postal services (Address is given on the Transcript Request Form). For traceability and tracking, you are best advised to use the courier service.

Kulbrown1:
Good day. For someone with both ND and HND, when filling the academic record request form.. Should I collect two forms for both the ND and HND or one single form. I'm confused about that part.

Hi @ 9jageekz, Thanks for your comments, and I am happy you found posts insightful. Do send me an email, we can start from there.

Cheers!

9jageekz:
Hello and good day sir,

Your post is really expository and very motivating, I'll love to discuss with you. I have a HND with a distinction grade. I am quite ambivalent of the path process to achieve the MSC.

I'll appreciate your work on NL and I must commend your generosity and genuineness. I'll love to have your WhatsApp number if you don't mind sir.

Regards.

Thanks to you, @DMainMan for the mention. I have been busy lately and was not following up on some happenings. Anyways!

@simultaneousboi, read this thread: https://www.nairaland.com/370346/what-hnd-equivalent-usa. It will reset a whole lot of things in your mindset.

Just like some people have opined, I wanted everyone reading this to understand that "Intention, Perspective, and Exposure" guides everything in life, and it is directly proportional to your level of success in life and how far you can reach in life.

@simultaneousboi, if you are told that with your HND you can get admission to study for your MSc in the USA, a lot of people will tell you it is a lie. What you don't know, you don't know. And what you don't know is bigger than you.

Ever since I discovered in 2013 that my IMT Enugu Nigeria 5-year HND program in Chemical Engineering is Equivalent to a USA Bachelor's degree (as per World Education Service - WES Credential Evaluation with a US GPA of 3.76/4.00), I made a personal and conscious decision NOT to study again in Nigeria because they don't understand and value the credential (HND) and I have lived by it to date by God's grace. I have gone to earn an MBA in Project Leadership & Management in India, Graduate Diploma in Digital Transformation & Innovation 4.0 in Singapore. I even applied for a Masters Degree (MSc) admission to the University of Aberdeen UK (MSc Decommissioning) and Heriot-Watt University UK (MSc Integrated Field Management); these are core Engineering Masters programs and I was accepted. But because these two courses at Aberdeen & Heriot-Watt are somehow limiting me specifically in the oil and gas sector where I operate, and in line with my longterm career goals, perspective, and aspirations, I decided to go to an uncharted path and recently joined the Liverpool John Moores University's first in the world MSc Programme in Marine Technical Superintendent (Marine Engineering & Management). I have even won an international award in Russia for my Technical Papers published in an Oil & Gas International Industry Journal in 2019. This is NOT to brag but to help put into perspective how your intentions and exposure can place you on the global stage. Again, I don't even work in Nigeria and this is very important as I have proved my worth to my Employer.

So it is Not about BSc or HND, except if you want to limit your global outlook/exposure to ONLY Nigerian myopic experience (especially to become a Nigerian University Lecturer and join ASUU for the incessant strike actions as Government don't want to fund research in Nigeria), then follow the BSc route. But if you are challenged to be providing solutions to the technical problems in the industry, there are options to enroll directly into Master's programs with your HND and move on with your life and career, and even take it to the Doctorate degree level which I will be joining soon. With your Doctorate Degree and wealth of Practical Experience from the Industry, You can ultimately become a Professor/Faculty of Practice (if that is your desire) in any University in the world as long you meet their requirements.

So the question is, what is your intention for the PGD/Masters in Microbiology? What is your long-term career goal? Are you aware that you can go for your Master's overseas even with a scholarship? Do you think studying the PGD/MSc in Nigeria will provide the best platform to unleash your potential in the world? How exposed are you globally?

Note this - Intention, Perspective & Exposure!!!! What is your intention? Do you want to be ONLY exposed to Nigerian systems?

You Must Be Intentional about your Future, Career & Life. Everything we need is in our Hands. Use it Wisely.

The world is moving at the Speed of Light and is NOT waiting on Nigeria or ASUU or BSc/HND, the wave of change is everywhere. Is either you are in or out!!!!!

DMainMan:
In Nigeria, I think UNILAG accepts HND Upper Credit for MBA admission directly. I don't know of current rules of now as things changes.

In USA, you can get admission and scholarship with HND. Convert your HND with US WES transripts conversion as they rate it equivalent to BSc. Check this link for more info
https://www.nairaland.com/370346/what-hnd-equivalent-usa. Follow the advice of Ghost87 and GNwafor


In the UK, Sheffield Hallam University, University of Sunderland and some other universities will give you MSC admission if you have relevant work experience.

WAEC Certificate is not needed

[img][/img]

j0rdannkyle:
WAEC certificate is no longer a requirement. You can proceed with just your transcripts.

https://www.wes.org/required-documents

There is, it is called NARIC but it depends on what program you are applying to. Almost every EU nation has a NARIC Organization responsible for Qualification Evaluation.

nappy760:
Please are there Credential Evaluation bodies for European countries too?

Hi,

First, Nigerians need to understand that there is nothing like free education, except you win a full scholarship by some well known international organizations like the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship/Fellowship. Even with those international scholarship, they will advise you to come with money to cater for your 3months ( like $3000-$5000) upkeep before the disbursement of the scholarship money. Even Germany and some Scandinavian countries, you must provide evidence of at least €8000 - €15000 to cater for your subsistence at least for 1year and most often their embassies in Nigeria will want this money paid into an account in those countries before a student visa is granted. Even the US Embassy will need an evidence of a “liquid cash” in the region of 7 - 12 million Naira. Even with that, it is not a guarantee to get an F1 visa.

In the USA, graduate studies are like applying for job. You need good GPA which if your ND & HND are in the Upper Credits, then your Equivalent GPA according to WES Evaluation will look pretty nice. You will need Statement of Purpose, GRE, TOEFL, Recommendation Letters (2 or 3). If you are a STEM Graduate, do yourself a favor by scoring great in the Quant section of the GRE and modest score in the Verbal. TOEFL is good if your seeking a Graduate Teaching Assistantships and applying for some internal and external competitive fellowships.

Be upfront by contacting Professors (2 or 3) who you like to work in their research groups and maintain a professional relationship with them that will endear you to them and find a way to informally seek to work for them and if they agree, even mention their names in your Statement of Purpose and why you would like to work for them. Be upfront as the relationship develops to ask for sponsorship from them (Research or Graduate Assistantships). Talk to the Department about funding available. While you are preparing, develop skills that might be of help and make it possible for the school to grant you Assistantships and waive tuition fees and even pay you monthly stipend until you finish your program. If you studied HND Computer Engineering and you have been practicing real hardware engineering, it might pay you some premiums when you get to school and may start working for your department based on your already developed skills in computer hardware engineering.
Even when the school offers you Assistantships, mind you that you must provide 7-12million Naira for the US Embassy to grant you F1 Student visa. None of these is a guarantee.

So you need to know which country do you want want and prepare for their requirements and documentation.

Will be available to answer you and assist you more.

nappy760:
Good morning guys.....I just came across this thread and I am really interested in furthering my education.

I graduated from Yaba College of Technology in 2012 with:
An OND in Computer engineering (lower credit)
HND in Electrical Electronics Engineering (lower credit)

I would like to know the steps I can take in furthering my education with the above qualifications.
I visited the WES website and tried using their free tool but yabatech is not listed in it.
Info for America, Canada and European countries were free tuition/scholarships are available for foreign students

Thanks in advance

kolawolekehinde250@gmail.com

I sent you message on your WhatsApp +639274699550.

Let's chat on WhatsApp!

What is the minimum amount to erect this structure??

skimanski:
Proposed 4 Bedroom Bungalow.
Area of Building 311 Sq.m


FLOOR PLAN
Guest w/c
Laundry
Main Living Room
Dinning
Kitchen
Store
Master's Bedroom with walk-in Closet
3 Bedrooms En-suite

Carmal90:
Do you have clues of universities in USA that accept hnd?cost of fees?
Mechanical engineering

Thanks

Chief, Yes I have clues. I have knowledge and information about USA Graduate education.
There are over 4000 colleges and universities in the USA.
A lot of them accept HND.
Note they don't know what HND is. All you do is do your Credential Evaluation, and present a copy of the evaluation to them. But most importantly, you will need to find out if they accept WES, other Evaluation Service Agency or the school has an in-house evaluation team which part of the admission committee.

Yes you can even study for free, but that does not mean that you will not prove to US Embassy in Nigeria that you have in excess of between 8 - 10 million Naira (around $30,000) for 1 year expenses in your name or your sponsor, so that they can grant you US Student Visa (F1 Visa). There are scholarships, Teaching Assistantship, Research Assistantships, Graduate Assistantships position, etc whereby you can work and get paid while studying, and most often, you will not pay tuition fees.

So everything depends on you, your preparedness, the type and amount of information you have.

Tuition fees varies from school to school. It ranges from $7,500 to $52,000 per year.

People I coach, I normally tell them, forget about all the high rankings you see online.

At graduate education (MS & PhD), the rankings belong to the department, how renowned are the professors, what is the volume of money available for research, how "impactful" are the research being conducted there.

Take for instance, assuming you want to study Nanotechnology (Nanoscale Engineering), the best school is not Harvard or Yale or Princeton or Columbia, it a school established in 1965 State University of New York (SUNY Polytechnic Institute) - this is just a department that metamorphosed into a full School, the total research investment of this department is in the excess of $24 Billion (that is Nigeria's annual budget) with over 300 Companies involved in the Masters and Doctorate program.

Digest all this information so that I can know how to guide you further.

Sadiqali24:
please answer my question.

Ok. That's fine.

What am about to reveal to you is only known by very few people. But I know it will help your future and ambition.

1. Go ahead and do your Credential Evaluation with WES. It will shock you that after your evaluation, your GPA in US standard will be very high, this will increase your chances of getting admitted.

2. Write TOEFL, make sure you score at least 70 - 80.

3. Get admission in any US University through " Credit Transfer". It simply means that the US University will receive your Transcript from WES, and then compare it with their undergraduate curriculum, and strike out all the courses you have done, and you will then study the remaining courses on their curriculum, and graduate. Most of the time depending on the quality and content of your curriculum and transcript, you will only study between 2 - 4 semesters more and you will graduate with a BS in Physics.

Someone did National Diploma (Mechanical Engineering) at Federal Polytechnic Mubi, then did direct entry into Abubakar Tafewa Belewa University (ATBU), and studied for 1 year at ATBU (200 level), then because his parents are informed, his dad arranged and sent his ND Mechanical Engineering Transcript + Year 2 Transcript from ATBU to WES, after the evaluation, he applied to Louisiana State University (LSU) for undergraduate admission through "Credit Transfer", after the Admission Committee's review of his file, LSU told him that based on the number of courses and credits he has studied and earned, he only need to do 10 Courses = 30 Credits (3 Credits per course) this is including final year project; that is a 1 year of schooling.
Trust Naija, my guy hammered 10 As in all the courses, which is simply GPA of 4.0/4.0

LSU told him please enroll into PhD directly without Masters degree with full scholarship and fellowship, within another 4 years, he earned a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from LSU. Today, he is a Lecturer at University of Uyo.

So this is possible. The problem in this part of the world is the lack of information especially by our teacher who knows nothing about the outside world.

I can guide you to even search for school.

But do your homework - WES Credential Evaluation, TOEFL, then we can talk.

I hope this puts a strong light on your path.

Hoping to hear from you.

Sadiqali24:
if you want to continue your studies from NCE to degree level in the US, how many years are you spending?

This is a very interesting question.

First, I will advise you to do the Credential Evaluation with WES.

Second, after the Credential Evaluation is completed, you can get admission to CONTINUE your studies.

But before I go further, what area did you major in your NCE? Again, what area of study do plan to venture into?

Provide answers to these questions, so that I can guide properly.

kehindetawede:
I have never read anything this comprehensive on this particular topic. Thank you for taking out time to dish out these details. May God bless you real good. From ambassador Kehinde Tawede.

Thank you Amb. Kehinde Tawede.

I just saw that a lot of people (Nigerians) are wallowing in ignorance when there is an overflow of information.

I am very happy that your found this thread highly informative, as you captured it succinctly with your submission, "I have never read anything this comprehensive on this particular topic"

topdee:
Are you trying to say a HND degree holder can gain admission for a masters degree program in the USA with WES(ICAP) evaluation, if the intended school normally accepts WES evaluation? I mean, can any school which accepts WES evaluation accept HND based WES evaluation?

[color=#000099][/color]

This your question simply shows that you have not read this thread from page 1 to the current page.

It is already a settled matter: HND is Equivalent to US Bachelors Degree

As I have always maintained on various fora that I contribute, that Masters & PhD Admissions in the USA (also called graduate education) is not like the nonsense formalities that we borrowed from the UK, whereby you just apply, send your Transcript and thats all.

In the USA, you need to demonstrate that you are fit for graduate education, this is done by:

Transcript, Grades, GPA
Statement of Purpose
Recommendation Letter
GRE (For some programs)
TOEFL (For some programs, but as an international student, seeking for Graduate Assistant/Fellowship, it is highly advised to take the exam)
CV/Resume showing your leadership roles and achievements, awards, research papers you have published, etc.

Just as I note earlier, it is like looking for job. You have to have a competitive profile and the Admissions Committee need to see with all these documents that you have the capacity and fit for graduate education.

In conclusion, your HND meets the undergraduate education requirements for Masters and PhD degree admissions in the USA.

Can any school which accepts WES evaluation accept HND based WES evaluation? YES

What is the price for the following:

2008 Land Rover LR2 HSE to Lagos

With Custom Clearing =
Without Custom Clearing =


2006/2007 Lexus RX 330 to Lagos
With Custom Clearing =
Without Custom Clearing =

I don't want black leather interior!!!!

#LazyNigerianYouth

#LazyNigerianProfessional

#LazyNigerianEngineer
#LazyNigerianEngineer
#LazyNigerianEngineer
#LazyNigerianEngineer
#LazyNigerianEngineer
#LazyNigerianEngineer
#LazyNigerianEngineer
#LazyNigerianEngineer
#LazyNigerianEngineer
#LazyNigerianEngineer
#LazyNigerianEngineer
#LazyNigerianEngineer
#LazyNigerianEngineer

ayodejiadetoro:
Please can someone kindly send me a copy of Graduate Expirence Report for COREN to guide me write mine.

adetoroayo@gmail.com

Thanks in anticipation

Chief,

This is my excerpt in another post on Nairaland, read it:

Admission in the USA is like job hunting, you need a strong profile, great grades (even low grades), if you have had a strong practical experience in your field, that's excellent, Statement of Purpose (SOP), not all school require it for Masters degree, strong CV/Resume - strong leadership skills, great score in GRE - not all school require GRE for Masters degree (if you are a STEM student - just as you are, then your Quant Score need to be impressive), Letters of recommendation (LOR) - you dont need people with High-Title (that is the mistake most people make), you only need people who can vouch for your seriousness to study, hard-work, diligent, leadership skills. For instance, you are diligent with your Church's activities, it is more useful and worthwhile for that your small local pastor to write a carefully-worded LOR for you that will create a lasting impression in the heart of Admissions Committee than for that your Manager that you see once every 3/4 months in the Office. Most schools require TOEFL, while some waive it for Nigerians since we studied in English in the first 16 yrs of our life.

So Brother, that you had a pass in ND should not deter you. Your future is not predicated on grades.

You will need to send both ND + HND Transcript to WES.

Note: "WES evaluates your HND+ND program as a complete 5-year undergraduate program"

adeyemiaa:
Hi everyone,
My question is that do I have to get my transcript for both ND and HND for WES to evaluate because the thing Is I had a pass on my ND and upper credit on HND, please I need a sincere response as an trying to know what next to do on masters admission..... Urgent response pls....

First, create an account on wes.org, and choose: "Course-by-Course Report", if you are planning to stay in the USA after graduating, add "ICAP" to the Credential Evaluation. Pay WES the necessary fees online with your Mastercard or Visa card. Then;

Download the "International Transcript Request Form" and print 2 copies.

Go to the 2 different schools, tell them that you need to send your transcripts to an Organization in the USA - WES. The address to use for the Transcript is boldly written on the "International Transcript Request Form"

Make sure you submit 1 copy of the "International Transcript Request Form" each to the 2 schools, Fill part A of the form and inform them that whoever is going to sign the Transcript MUST fill, sign and stamp Part B of the form.

Follow the procedure to get transcripts from each of the schools.

Read the all the posts to get a clear roadmap/instructions to follow.

Then, the schools will send the transcript to WES.

Hello guys, please how do I possibly send my full transcript to WES? I did my ND and HND in two different institutions.

Suggestions please!

Hey Chief,

I understand your concerns.

I can tell you that the best decision you have made is to use WES for your credential evaluation, to douse your tensions, when the Evaluation comes out, within 1 week, you are having a qualification that is equivalent to a US Bachelors degree. (Nigerian HND+ND = USA BS Degree). WES evaluates your HND+ND program as a complete 5 year undergraduate program. I have done my Credential Evaluation in 2012 with WES, I studied Chemical Engineering (HND+ND) at IMT Enugu, the number of credits I earned in doing 81 courses at IMT Enugu Chemical Engineering over 5 years was 184 Credits, meanwhile you only need 120-130 Credits to earn a BS degree. As there is a 1-year Industrial Attachment/Internship, and this was noted in my Transcript, WES also noted it on my evaluation report. HND = USA BS Degree

I recommend that if you only choose WES Course-by-Course Report, kindly add the ICAP Service which is an additional $45, and it simply means that WES will store your Transcript, Credential + Evaluation Report for Life, so even in the next 2 (when you will be applying for PhD) or 5 or 10 or 20 or 30 years to come, and you need it to do anything in the USA, you will only need to pay them (WES) just $10 and WES will send your Original Transcript + Certificate + Evaluation Report to anybody, organization or school in the USA that needs the report.

You can read more at: https://www.nairaland.com/370346/what-hnd-equivalent-usa

There are over 4800 colleges and universities in the USA, not all accepts WES, not all knows what is HND, but there are a lot of them that respects WES Assessment, and this is a plus for you.

Having said that, I decided to remain docile on this forum, because a lot people claim to have an over-riding knowledge in matters of USA admission. The few HND holders I have helped to transition from HND to USA Masters and PhD, I have maintained that USA Graduate Admission is like looking for a job. But a lot of people think that by getting just good grades, you get admission. The answer is NO. This is not UK!!!

Admission in the USA is like job hunting, you need a strong profile, great grades (even low grades), if you have had a strong practical experience in your field, that's excellent, Statement of Purpose (SOP), not all school require it for Masters degree, strong CV/Resume - strong leadership skills, great score in GRE (if you are a STEM student - just as you are, then your Quant Score need to be impressive), Letters of recommendation (LOR) - you dont need people with High-Title (that is the mistake most people make), you only need people who can vouch for your seriousness to study, hard-work, diligent, leadership skills. For instance, you are diligent with you Church's activities, it is more useful and worthwhile for that your small local pastor to write a carefully-worded LOR for you that will create lasting impression in the heart of Admissions Committee than for that Manager that you see once every 3/4 months in the Office. Most schools require TOEFL, while some waive it for Nigerians since we studied in English in the first 16 yrs of our life.

What I advise people to do is this: go from HND/BSc to Masters Degree (in ANY ACCREDITED school in USA). At Masters level, you get to have a feel of what research is all about. Except, you have a thorough research/lab background to go directly to PhD.

Before finishing your Masters, you already planned to do PhD, at this stage, your interest is in research, and you have been taught the background in the Masters level. The problem most Nigerians have in the USA Admission is that they are looking for "name", Ivy-League, prestigious university. At BS degree level, name is IMPORTANT. At PhD, what is important is Carnegie Research Classification of University as R-1 (Highest Research Activity), R-2 (Higher Research Activity), R-3 (Moderate Research Activity).
For your information, if you get PhD Admission in any R-1 University, you will be given full-funding throughout your PhD, so far you are making progress towards your PhD degree.

So my template is go for your Masters degree at R-3 University, and mind you, most R-3 University provide either full scholarship or Graduate Teaching/Research/Assistantship (GT/GRA/GA), which covers your tuition fees, plus monthly stipend that can take care of you while you are studying for the Masters program, and a lot people don't apply to them because their name is not prestigious. Mind you, all the 8 Ivy-League Institutions are R-1 Universities. But because there are many people wanting to go to prestigious school for Masters, you either get admission without Funding or you don't get Masters admission. Am not saying that it is bad to get Masters admission into R-1 Universities.

Just a little insight into PhD Admissions, getting in touch with your would-be Advisor/Research Supervisor/Professor whose research interests matches yours, presenting him/her with what research you have done, showing interest that you have read/studied some of his/her publications, and taking the discussion further to know if he/she will be accepting a new student in semester you plan to join (mostly Fall Semester), most of the time he/she may request for some your credentials/research papers/transcripts, this creates a strong impression about you even before you apply to the PhD program, most often, he/she will recommend that you mention him/her in your SOP that you will like to work under his/her research group. This is one of the MOST important step of getting PhD Admission, and most people just go ahead and apply and they are rejected. Again, you need strong Recommendation Letters (mostly 3) from known Professors, attesting that you were groomed under their care as your Advisor - another major reason why going for Masters in the USA first is important, because you will build the needed educational research network that will push you into PhD Admission acceptance.

Application fee waiver; most R-3 University application fee for Masters is as low as $30 (i.e. #10,800 Naira, at 1$ = #360 naira).

There are a lot resources on the internet that can help you both with Practice Tests and SOP writing.

Just note, there a lot of great schools that will like to have you in their Masters program even with GTA/GRA/GA. It is also important that you contact the school know their SPECIFIC Admission Requirements before apply.

You have not said what you want to study Masters or PhD in What??


List of Research Universities in the United States (R-1, R-2, R-3): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_research_universities_in_the_United_States

Pampaya009:
Hi everyone,
I am new here and I've gone through some of the experiences shared here and I'm well pleased. I have found clues on the right materials to practice with.
However, I have questions I'd love you guys to help me with.
I am a polytechnic graduate with GPA (3.43/4.00) and (3.10/4.00) ND and HND respectively from Electrical engineering department.
I recently send my transcript to WES and it's under valuation as I speak.
I'm also preparing for GRE and my exam date is 10th of April.
I am currently looking into Florida State university where I could apply for MSc or PhD directly.
I'd therefore like to know if my HND wouldn't be a constraint, is there anyone in the house who'd been given admission as a polytechnic graduate and can help me with relevant information?
If it is possible, I want to know the kinds of schools I should be looking to, schools with application waiver, and finally I need someone to give me clues on how to write a fascinating SOP.
I also need someone who stays around Alakuko area in Lagos whom I could practice with.
Thanks in anticipation for your kind reply

Hopefully.

freemandgenius:
so anyone with application portal closed should be hopeful for invite between this week and next?