₦airaland Forum

GREcoach:
I currently teach both Analytical Writing, Verbal as well as Quantirative Reasoning targeted at the GRE.

Im aware that the odds against the average Nigerian Student are quite unevenl distributed due to the inconsistent internet access as well as other factors.

GRE hit me a a time when really had no fall back option, hence i gave it my best and went all out within my limited preparation time. i was able to acheive a score above 300 out of 340 (Combaine Quant and Verbal) as well as a score of 4 out of 6 in the Analtical Writing Section.

Haven gotten two Admission offers already, i decided to give back by teaching candidates how to beat ETD gre by preparing he GRE way.

Im open to questions as well as consultations.

Once again pls, this is not a job advert but simply an olive branch to anyone needing help or clarification regarding Blasting the GRE.

Two admission offers @GREcoach wow! What schools offered you admission? What course? Give us details bro! Your story might really motivate 2:2 and 3rd class Graduate school hopefuls here... Please don't hesitate to share your story/give details @GREcoach

pennstate:
None!

lol where then!

pennstate:
None!

lol where then!

pennstate:
In addition to what others have said here you can play with by taking a look at the Geophysics programs of these Universities:
University of Utah
Binghamton University
Boise State University
Michigan Technological University
University of Maine
University of Wyoming
University of Pittbourg
You can send all your queries to the grad coordinator to get first hand information.
Goodlock!
I have an MS and a BS in Geology!

Are you serious Pennstate? awesome stuff. which is your Alma mater out of these if i may ask?

sirRiddy:
JoshSW
Truth is PhD admission is generally very competitive. If you do not have a 3.5/4, a PhD in a top 100 ranked school is a far reach. I have a 3.28/4, got into a PhD program (ranked 90) and it is still quite incerdible to me, even though I had quite good test scores. My PhD applications would likely be thrown out of most top 50 Computer Science programs. Maybe a PhD program in a school that is not ranked might accept a low GPA. It is not adviseable to pursue PhD in this kind of school though. One factor that might throw a different dimension into your application is if you have good research experience. This is the most important factor in PhD admissions. If you have published an academic paper in a reputable journal, then you can argue your case better.
Funding depends on the availability of funding and your profile. PhD candidates stand better chances than MS counterparts. Every individual case is unique and it is advisable that you properly do you research while looking for schools to apply to. 1. google.com 2. the schools' websites 3. top conferences and journals in your discipline 4. US news ranking and other revered rankings 5. Faculty work and their research interests. 6. gradcafe 7. quora

Thank you very much sirRiddy..very useful info you've given me

Ekofisk:
Truth be told, you'll never know until you ask the graduate advisor. You stand a chance if there's no policy in place barring first year TA/RA. In that case, it'll be a factor of your overall profile, how early you apply and the departmental budget for the fiscal year. There are so many Geoscience programs as against Petroleum. You should get a program that'll suit your needs. Start researching and contacting schools in Texas and Oklahoma.

For PhD, they'll most likely require some level of research experience which y
ou can only show via publications. You can work towards getting a paper published in NAPE or AAPG. That will be a strong boost for PhD application for a Geoscience programs.

Thanks a lot Ekofisk. i really appreciate your help

Ekofisk:
Truth be told, you'll never know until you ask the graduate advisor. You stand a chance if there's no policy in place barring first year TA/RA. In that case, it'll be a factor of your overall profile, how early you apply and the departmental budget for the fiscal year. There are so many Geoscience programs as against Petroleum. You should get a program that'll suit your needs. Start researching and contacting schools in Texas and Oklahoma.

For PhD, they'll most likely require some level of research experience which y
ou can only show via publications. You can work towards getting a paper published in NAPE or AAPG. That will be a strong boost for PhD application for a Geoscience programs.

Thanks a lot Ekofisk. i really appreciate your help

sirRiddy:
JoshSW hi,
I believe scoring high in your standardized test would improve your chances.
Also, ensure your GPA would amount to at least 3.0 on a 4-point scale,
since most grad schools usually require this. You can use this to know that:
http://www.wes.org/students/igpacalc.asp
Good luck.

Thanks boss. Also, SirRiddy (and the house in general)..... 1) with good GRE scores, SOP and references, do i realistically stand a chance of going for a PhD in my (original) Geophysics field? 2) can i get admission with GA/TA funding into a MSc Geophysics (with this cgpa/wes evaluated GPA)? ... pls don't mind my questions o! just trying to make well-informed decisions!....... Your thoughts please.

Ekofisk:
You can definitely apply but forget about funding. Most Petroleum Engineering programs in the US don't provide funding in the first year via GA/TA. However, you could be considered for a scholarship and out-of-state tuition waiver depending on your overall profile. So, you'll need to do well in your GRE and TOEFL. You can't do anything about your CGPA. Make sure you've got a sound SOP and be ready to justify the switch from geophysics. The letters of recommendations are important too. I'll suggest you contact the graduate advisors of the school you like and inquire about your situation (Geophysics UG). Trust me, you'll have to take a number of UG Petroleum Engineering courses you'll probably finish your MSc. in 36 months. The same thing applies in my Alma Mata to MSc. students who had a different course of study during UG. I'm a Petroleum Engineering graduate so I've got a pretty good idea of the situation.

Also Mr Ekofisk (or any other person in the House), do you have any idea if Geoscience programs offer GA/TA with admission?

sirRiddy:
JoshSW hi, I believe scoring high in your standardized test would improve your chances. Also, ensure your GPA would amount to at least 3.0 on a 4-point scale, since most grad schools usually require this. You can use this to know that: http://www.wes.org/students/igpacalc.asp Good luck.

Thanks a lot SirRiddy.

Ekofisk:
You can definitely apply but forget about funding. Most Petroleum Engineering programs in the US don't provide funding in the first year via GA/TA. However, you could be considered for a scholarship and out-of-state tuition waiver depending on your overall profile. So, you'll need to do well in your GRE and TOEFL. You can't do anything about your CGPA. Make sure you've got a sound SOP and be ready to justify the switch from geophysics. The letters of recommendations are important too. I'll suggest you contact the graduate advisors of the school you like and inquire about your situation (Geophysics UG). Trust me, you'll have to take a number of UG Petroleum Engineering courses you'll probably finish your MSc. in 36 months. The same thing applies in my Alma Mata to MSc. students who had a different course of study during UG. I'm a Petroleum Engineering graduate so I've got a pretty good idea of the situation.

Thanks a lot. Mr Ekofisk.

DanjaNinja:
These are not issues. My GPA was lower. I had a 2.89 and i still got admitted. Major, i switched as well. My undergrad was in Electrical Engineering and now? Am doing a Masters in Computer Science. I wont lie to you, changing majors is challenging - You have to start from scratch, even worse alot of classes assume you have some prerequisite knowledge which you don't have. I kid you not, you would seem like the dumbest person in a lot of classes but if you persevere, study smart and do academic work, you will be fine.

In summary, your GPA and major should not deter you. Do a good job on the GRE, make at least a 310 combine that with good statement of purpose and you should be good. One last thing though: be smart about the schools you apply to. Apply to a mix of average schools and schools that would beg you to attend. The beauty of America is that for every academic percentile, there is a school for you.

This by SirRiddy comes in handy as well:

Morning Mr DanjaNinja.I'm new to . Please I'd like to ask 1) Did your admission to the MSc Comp Sci. come with funding? being that you don't possess a Bsc Comp sci. 2) Did your reference letters come ONLY from your lecturers IN your dept of Elect Elect.? Eagerly awaiting your response sir.

sirRiddy:
Hi. Good to know you had 4, very good score.
However, you should credit essayhelp who answered your question and not me.
Good luck!

Good day SirRiddy. I'm very new to NL .Forgive me if I'm wrong to quote you. I'm a graduate of geophysics in a SW uni in Nigeria, cgpa 3.3 out of 5.0. Can i apply and get admission WITH funding to a petroleum engineering MSc program in the US (spreading my risk and applying to unis that meet my profile?)? Eagerly awaiting your response sir.