Gbolask24:
The official cut-off age for the National Youth Service Corp is 30 years but it is common to see over-aged people partaking in the one year service to father land.

While this may mean you will not have the discharge letter it is stil a risk to perform some rigorous exercises carried out in NYSC camps when you have passed a certain age.

See the photo below and tell me what such an old woman is doing in an NYSC camp.

http://bwgist.com/featured/what-is-this-old-woman-doing-at-nysc-camp-see-photo/

I find your remark very derogatory and very highly prejudiced! Would you say the same thing if it were an 'old man'? Have you not seen people in their 60s, 70s and even 80s in gyms? Would you like it if someone said that about your mother? Should age be a restriction to achieving any goal? Jeeezzzz wake up! Appreciate her efforts because not everyone in her position would do that. ironically, she has become a role model for many and many others would follow in her footsteps. Good for them.

zeezahbee:
So you have more than one student visa? What happened to the first one ?

It got expired. I visited home and had to get a new visa.

husseinjnr:
Dear friends, please can we have the experienced ones among us highlight the steps they went through in securing their doctoral admission. This is to enable intending students follow these steps. From the posts, a lot of us don't have a clear direction on how to go about it. The responses will serve as guidelines for intending students.

Am sure the steps will not be the same across board.

I look forward to detailed feedback .

Thank you all in anticipation for your kind response.

This will largely depend on the country of intended study. Since I have experience with schools in the US, I will speak on schools in the US.
In my opinion and from my experience, these are the most important things;

1) School of choice; please never apply to one school. I made this mistake the first time and even the school i applied to didn't like that at all and they felt I was not very committed to a PhD (which was partly true at that time). Please apply to at least 5 schools. Yes, at least 5. Also, please don't apply to all ivy leagues, the truth is they admit less than 0.1% of all international students that apply. So apply to ivy leagues in addition to other high tier and low tier institutions.

2) Write a very good personal statement. Do not even think they don't read it because they do. And believe me they decide on whether to invite you for a follow-up interview based on your personal statement. Talk about your research, your work and how a PhD will help you achieve your overall career goals. Also talk about what inspired your interest in the field, and very importantly mention professors(3 most likely) you would like to work with. This gives them an idea of who you would eventually work with and whether that would be feasible.

3) GRE is important but not as important as you would think. By all means, try to get a very good score. Don't stress so much if you don't. Your work experience and previous research can make up for it.

4) Research cannot be overemphasized at least in the field of biomedical sciences. Many schools would not offer you admission if you have no research experience at all no matter how high your GRE score. If you can, get a Master's degree first and do some type of research no matter how small and make sure to include what you have done in your personal statement.

5) Funding: Usually most schools ask you if you would need funding. So do not forget to indicate this on your application.

6) Early submission: Most people don't realize that admission offers start going out as early as September against the following year. The deadline is usually in January. Please submit on time! In January, the reviewers of the applications don't offer so much admission as they would in September of the previous year for fear that they may give out more than the available slots. When they offer a student an admission, that student typically has until the 15th of April to accept or reject the offer and most students won't send in their acceptance until they receive notices from all the schools they applied to. In cases like these, the reviewers of the applications don't have an accurate number of students that will ultimately accept their offers, so they tend not to give out more admissions in January as they would in say, September or October of the previous year. I hope this makes sense. So apply on time.

7) Letters of recommendation: I can not even tell you how critical this is. Please don't just tell anyone to write you one. I actually asked my professors if they could write me a very strong letter of recommendation (and its ok if they can't ). But at least you know. It has to be very amazing. They read them and take them into account. At least 2 of the 3 should be from your professors/lecturers from your previous school. The 3rd can be from an employer. Please take this seriously.

Now sit back and wait for an invitation for an interview! Good luck, I hope you find these helpful

all4naija:

Thank you. But, I need the PhD holders to play their parts. What are you doing here anyway? You are supposed to be fighting for the rights of women in that country. I hope to see one day in that nation where women are treated equal as men.

You need to relax. We are all entitled to our own opinions. Its our country and we all have a role to play. I guess that is the point she is trying to make.

OCcool:
Please, I hold a Bsc degree in Microbiology and I intend to get a Master in Public Health MPH (Epidemiology). With an MPH degree, can I pursue a PhD program? Thanks in advance for your responses.
cc asititis

Yes you sure can. What areas are you looking at?

Same here. Welcome!

abron25:
Good day friends.....

I am happy to see this kind of thread on FP. I have been a guest for 6 years....finally got a reason to join...to connect with intellectuals.

BTech Pure and Applied Chemistry (Nigeria)
MSc Inorganic Chemistry (Nigeria)
PhD Inorganic and Physical Chemistry (India) - 3rd year
Area of research: Design and Synthesis of Supramolecular Architectures for Sensing, Catalysis and Biological Applications



Nice to see you here brother......mind connecting for collaborations?

fapcrook:
what is your area of specialization now?

Biological/Biomedical Sciences.

Lamexx:



Welcome onboard Nairaland sista.

Thanks!

zeezahbee:
Your first visa ?? Was it a student visa ?

Yes. I guess i meant i first student visa.

innovativeame:
congratulations to all who got their visa approved!
please, I want to ask all the gurus in the house, does one need to go for a second visa interview if the person wishes to defer his/her admission from a particular semester to another? I have contacted the school for detailed explanation, all I got was that, a new application will be made and a new I20 issued with the same SEVIS number but I will have to go for a second interview. Please, house, save a troubled soul. Has anyone been through this?

I don't think you have to. As long as you have a valid I-20 with the correct resumption date (make sure you enter before the date of resumption listed on your I-20), you'll be fine. The first visa i got was in March and i didn't go to the US until like August and I had no issues.

BSC Microbiology

MSc Biology

Currently doing a PhD in the US (in my second year).

Just joined nairaland. Feel kinda exposed