₦airaland Forum

Scholastica16:
What if MIT or some other school admits him?

Lol, this is quite funny. We all know the top schools are ultra hard to get into, good scores or not.....

sirRiddy:
Have you started looking for accommodation yet?

Not really, I haven't started seriously yet.

Scholastica16:
Hmmm. Asked because even with 310, someone with your profile shouldn't get "all" rejects. I guess the competition in the said programs and the ranking of the school had a role to play. This is an aside from perhaps a lack of research experience at the time.

Some of the programs that bothered to respond to my inquiries about my rejected applications said my scores were too low to be competitive. My research experience is basically as it was....

Bolisticbond026:
@hirschfelder congrats bro really happy for you sir more grace to your elbow.I send a pm kindly reply need to ask you some questions.Thanks in advance.

Thanks man. I didn't get your pm.

Scholastica16:
Masters then or PhD as well?

All PhD..

Tunmise100:
wow congratulations broda but ur GRE score na my prayers oo. pls hw did u go abt it and did u apply for a ph.d without or with a m.sc result

Thanks a lot. I applied for PhD while doing my masters, so...with partial MSc result.

Scholastica16:
The highlighted will really make my day if it favors me.

If I may ask, what schools did you apply to last fall year when you got all "rejects"?

Tulane, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, Penn State (Yeah, I know..)

jaybiz007:
Congrats chief . I got a rejection mail from MIST today, felt really bad.

Thanks! It's only natural to feel bad after a reject, but of course the feeling passes away fast once you get funding from other places you got into! All the best!

Cephas0009:
Wow! Wow!! Wow!!! Congratulations bro... Baba, did u have any previous succesful interaction/interviews with faculty member or the package just came through like that?

Thanks a lot! No, I didn't have any previous interaction/interview with a faculty member..

Thanks a lot for all the good wishes, guys. I appreciate. For all those waiting, I wish you all the best and pray your hard work lands you great admissions with funding!!!

Scholastica16:
Congrats fellow Corrosive. I am happy for you. I don go refresh my email now now, but nothing dey there. I think it is a good sign. I believe it is. I want it to be.

Thanks a lot. I'm pretty sure you will get good news pretty soon. It's rolling admissions, so no news is a good sign. Wish you all the best.

Hello house, I hope we are all doing great. So, I was accepted at KSU for PhD in Chemical Engineering and I would like to share my experience with you all, since we started this journey together and will hopefully all get into great programs at the end!
This is my second application cycle, I was rejected from all the schools I applied to for Fall, 2016. I was disconsolate as you'd imagine. Luckily, I stumbled upon this thread and gained so much information from it. I contacted a very active and helpful member, SirRiddy-he gave me some tips and suggested I re-write the GRE (my previous score was 310), IELTS-8/9.
So, I did and got a better score (332), applied to a wider range of schools and got accepted into one of them. I would like to say, happening upon this thread made all the difference. If one makes use of the information posted here judiciously, great improvements in one's profile would be made.
Soo, thanks to everyone that has contributed to this thread in one way or the other! And special thanks to SirRiddy of course!!!

sirRiddy:
More good news
Another PhD Chemical Engineering at K-State with an RA
hirschfelder
Let the good news keep coming in

Thanks a lot. One cannot quantify just how helpful you've been!!!

Scholastica16:
I can't believe this matey. And I was there feeling bad. You are a landlord. Them suppose use your application as the benchmark. This is shocking really.

PhD?

Lol. Not so shocking though, considering that some programs use GRE mainly to screen applications. Thereafter, research experience and research fit as highlighted in your SOP carries more weight (as I've been told). I hope other schools consider our applications favorably.

Yes. PhD in Chemical Engineering

Scholastica16:
Intimidators.

Intimidate us.

Where is Hirschfelder?

He is somewhere, waiting nervously. Lol. I got rejected from Notre Dame so far. Waiting on others. Getting quite antsy though, since people be posting acceptances for my program all over GradCafe! I pray we all get into great programs at the end!!!

Scholastica16:
Regret mail from LSU. They say they hope the regret will not discourage me from pursuing graduate program in other schools. Congrats to those who got it.

Sad to hear, hopefully you will get into way better programs!

iCool:
As The.Zed said, I got my second admission decision yesterday...

An Acceptance! TAMUkingsville, Industrial Eng. Fall 2017.

No word on funding yet. Was asked to contact the departmental coordinator for further news.

Decision 2/5.

Congrats....

Schrodinger1:
In as much as I have been visiting this site for sometimes so as to obtain the necessary hints, information and materials for the GRE, i've been more or less a taciturn in the thread.
without further ado, i say a gigantic thank you and kudos to all those that have contributed in one way or the other towards the afformentioned cause. My question here is, Must one write the TOEFL exam as well as GRE for securing admission in any of these US schools (UC Berkely, UMichigan, USC and LSU)?
secondly, I plan writing the GRE exam in june/july albeit i'll still be in my 500L (OAU). in lieu of this, how does one go about taking the exam and reporting the score as an awaiting B.Sc graduate? The aim is to put in for 2018 fall semester. what is the best approach and chances for an awaiting candidate? I hope this idea of mine is feasible!
Thanks fellas.

It is nice that you are considering grad school application early. First, almost all decent schools require GRE and TOEFL for admissions and funding. The schools you have mentioned are quite competitive, so I'd assume (good) GRE and TOEFL scores are required for admission. The best strategy though is to visit websites of the programs you wish to apply to and check out their full admission requirements. If you don't get all the information you need, mail the graduate program coordinator. They usually respond.
Being an undergrad while taking the GRE is normal in other countries, it's okay to do that. The only issue you may have is your transcripts which you may be required to upload during your school applications. If you haven't graduated before applying to schools, you may upload incomplete transcripts or marksheets. Many schools accept this.
So, yes, your idea is feasible. But you have to put in hardwork. Start your preparations early (follow all the tips outlined in this thread and elsewhere), contact potential recommenders and if possible discuss with a lecturer/mentor in your school for advice and tips. And also ensure this does not affect your undergraduate studies in any way. If you feel overwhelmed, you can always postpone your grad schools applications till your NYSC year. Good luck....

GucciOluwa:
Good afternoon everyone.
I've been a silent reader for a while now.
I'm prepping for GRE first week in March.
BA Philosophy with CGPA of 4.38 and 4.23 in my Masters. I'm applying for a PhD in Philosophy too..
Currently I'm practicing with the baron Gmat and some GRE apps I downloaded from the app store but the maths no be here.
Please what books or apps can I use especially those that explain the basics becos sometimes I get the answer correctly by guessing but I need explanation.
Thanks in anticipation

You can start with Gruber (for the basics in quantitative) and work your way up to the Manhattan Books, then finish with the official ETS guides. Good luck with your preparations.

Time2Smile:
I just finished my GRE, all I can say is Whao, Full report loading.

Nice scores! Congrats!!!

Scholastica16:
Thank you. You should have seen your AWA by now. How was it? Did you do TOEFL and are you done with your applications?

Yes, I have. It was okay, 4.0. I didn't do TOEFL,had IELTS. I am almost done with my applications.

Scholastica16:
I wish I had a better testimony to give but this one will make do for now afterall, it is the end-goal that we are all interested in and by end-goal I mean Admission and funding.

I am a second time writer. My first was in late October perhaps about the same time that Drhopeful and Seeker88 wrote theirs. I had just about 2 months of preparation which started with some online blogs and slowly graduated into using the materials that were provided on this thread.

Excellent scores. Congrats!!!. This is an excellent testimony and I'm sure many will find it inspiring. Just ensure you wrap up your applications on time. Wish you success in your applications!!! #TeamSecondTimeWriter

Rowlexy:
Hello house, I'll be writing my GRE exam very soon. Do I apply to my school of choice before or after the exam. Thanks in anticipation for your advise

You can apply to your school of choice before or after your exam. But if you are applying to multiple schools (more than 4), it may be worth your while to obtain your results before applying so that you may self-report your scores. Self-reported scores are acceptable for application review in some schools which saves you some $$. But if this doesn't apply to you, you can totally apply to a school before writing your GRE, just remember to send the scores to them after your exam.

Guitarlife:
Pls is the gre written in Nigeria paper based or computer based ?

Both paper and computer based exams are written in Nigeria.

drhopeful:
So I called ETS again today and they told me my scores are on hold. No reason given but was told that when scores are held for further review, there is a chance they might be cancelled.

So really, is this what I get after months of sleepless nights trying to earn good scores? I can't even explain how depressed I am right now. I have TOEFL to write in a couple of days and I can't even concentrate now to read. What the hell is this? I have application deadlines in 3 frigging weeks!

Sorry guys for the rant. Needed to vent.

This is really quite sad and unfair. But I trust that the entire issue will be resolved pretty soon. In the meantime, just focus on your TOEFL and perform brilliantly as you did in the GRE.
Wish you all the best.

Renewable0216:
Guys...Sorry I've been away for a while. II've been trying hard to study for this test but my scores from practice tests are not looking as good as desired yet. Have barely 2 weeks to the test. Verbal particularly has been the bane, RC still proving difficult. I must admit I've made considerable progress compared to when I started but I need to fast track things.

Codexgigax mentioned someone with 170 in this section. That means it's achievable with the right strategies. I'm I looking in the wrong places?

What material is best to focus on?
I think one of my issues is choosing from the deluge of materials I've got.

Unfortunately, I'm not in Lagos to help those who need study materials but I think a friend in Ibadan has the Magoosh videos. I'd confirm and revert to those in IB.

So guys, how do I up the scores? Need at least 160 in both sections. Any advice?
Thanks folks.

Unfortunately, there is no quick fix. But I believe two weeks is enough time to make significant progress. The RC needs time, and you can create more time for it by breezing through the SE and TC sections. If you master the right amount of vocabulary, this should be a bit easy (Magoosh app and flashcards, plus some words important words in KAPLAN appendix will help in this regard). While answering the RC, it's best if you can read actively (as in develop some kind of interest and curiosity in what you are reading), and if you are getting overwhelmed, look away from the screen for a while to reconfigure your brain. Lastly, make sure you take full-length practice tests to test your endurance.
As for quant, ETS official guides and Manhattan books are sufficient for a score above 160. Just make sure you study their explanations for both questions you get right or fail. Hope this helps.

drhopeful:
You are darn right! @hirschfelder cannot waste those super sweet scores of his on average schools oh. He is only permitted to apply to top 10!

Congrats @drhopeful. You did wonderfully! I am also a repeat taker and it's sure nice to surpass one's previous scores. Thanks, but your scores are most definitely good enough for top schools also, just spread your risks well as suggested by someone here. Due to limited funds, I am going average for my applications. I wish you and everyone else here great applications!!!

seeker88:
What a great score!!! Weldone bro...
Please make sure u apply to top schools like MIT, Caltech, Standford, Harvard, UCBerkley. We are proud of u!!!
Kudos!!!

And finally, I took my test today. Scores weren't good though, I will still share my experience shortly....

Thanks fam. This thread contributed immensely to that score, trust me. Wish you all the best in your applications!!!

layez:
Keep the gud works flowing @riddy...
All the best @drhopeful
hailing the bosses @iCool,happyday,cephass009...
@Hirschfelder,that score is wow!!!,make i cum collect am? u b Engr student?

Lol, thanks. Yes, I am an engineering student.

Topiipii:
Congrats hirschfelder, your scores are amazing; wish you success in your application.

Thanks...Wish you all the best in yours too!

iCool:
Hirschfelder. That was a blast!

Congratulations and Success in the other parts of your application.

Thanks, I wish you all the best too!!!!

Gunbiz:
congratulations

Thank you Gunbiz..