Thanks Bro. Please don't give up. Try the PTDF scholarship for Imperial college. With that, you can do your PhD in the USA later.All will work out for good.

MasterforceII:
Congratulations bro. I've followed your journey and I'm so happy about the outcome. You have shown persistence and tenacity. I wish you the best. Enjoy your stay in America.

Yes, I will advice you retake the GRE. Mathematics programs are usually funded in most top/medium schools I have seen. You have a good GPA and that's a strong point already. Just improve your scores. I guess you're going for Spring /Fall 2019?

kacey007:
I did my GRE today at JKK and had a score of 295.
Would you advice I re-write it for Msc Mathematics?
Verbal: 143
Quant.: 152
CGPA : 4.24/5
Cc time2smile

Thanks once again walspring for d GRE discount.

The Mechanical Engineering department of the University of Maine has some MS and PhD positions.

https://umaine.edu/mecheng/opportunities-researchers-graduate-students/

That's something positive. For the Zoom/Skype interview, check the Professor's recent research papers and his or her profile on either his/her past school's website or Linkedlin. He or she won't ask anything extremely technical. Just check out the methods and research tools he has used to conduct research. He or she will most likely be asking you questions to see if you are a conversant with all you will need to work with him/her. You should be fine. Put in your best in the interview as he/she will also be interviewing others and trying to pick the very best. He or she will be keen to find out if you're a good fit for his/her research group.
Possible questions

1) Introduce yourself. (You should speak more of your academic and related work experiences. Don't start singing about which school you attended and why you choose that school. Professors don't have time for that. Go straight to the point.)
2) What are your research experiences? (Talk about your lab experiences , thesis etc. Even your practicals in university counts. Study them and make out something from it.
3) Have you done any work on _______ ? ( He is already asking you something on his research interest. Go through his or her recent papers. Check the keywords , Study the abstract and conclusion. Then look at the methodology briefly. You should be fine.
4) Check out specific methods. It is very important.
5) He will ask questions based on your SOP and CV as I presume he already has your application. Study what you have written there.
6) Any questions? Ask questions at the end of the interview. For example, Ask him or her , the projects he would soon start to work on.Don't jump the gun and ask about funding. Ask about the direction of his research and so on.

From the e-mail, he is likely an assistant Professor , who just got a faculty position. Sometimes they are more difficult to please as they are just starting and they need to recruit the best to have a good start. I assume if he was an associate or full time Professor, he will most likely have moved his students from his former school or continue to supervisor them by proxy. Reply him ASAP and pick a time slot for the interview. I hope this helps. Cheers.
.

Card5:
I got this email from a lecturer in one of the schools I applied to. Please what should I expect in the interview?

Thank you for applying to Food Science and Hospitality program at University of Missouri. I am a new faculty member and currently recruiting members to my research group focusing on "Sustainable Food Engineering".
To proceed further with your application, I would like to interview you.
The interviews are planned to schedule this week, please let me know the convenient means to contact you. The interviews can be scheduled either in person, phone or over zoom / skype.

Please reply to acknowledge the receipt of this email, so we can schedule your interview.
Best wishes for your future endeavors!

Thanks boss

Scholastica16:
Congrats Quoran. Not surprised. The way you went about things I knew you were a serious person. I like TAMU CS but they did not like me. Ba$tards rejected my MS app but in their defence it was for Spring.

I am waiting for great news from Yildiz, Epithet, MasterforceII, Rexcheeng and anyone else I am forgetting.

As per the guy you met on Quora, I think I know who he is. Over-sound Dey worry the guy.

Congratulations once again.

That's a good one. Being a lab instructor should be a part of teaching assistantship duties. Your research will involve experimental work right ? Then you can do the work. Have no fears. In my opinion, a research assistant is not so different from a lab instructor.

STENON:
In another news, An Emeritus of Physics at SJSU california replied my mail and asked me to apply for 2018 fall admission . He asked if I am interested to be employed as a Lab instructor in that department and he'l provide full funding for me. Hmmmmmm.. . But I dont know how to reply him that I am not good in that aspect as lab instructor but just a research assistant. Please kindly advice me on this

Clarkson University still has some funded PhD positions majorly in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics. There might be some in Physics, Energy(C02 Capture ) and Computer science too.
Simply contact the Professors in the link I have shared below. Search for their official pages and contact them. Make sure your research interest tallies with theirs and there is a good fit. Their application fee is waived at the moment. You need to fill the application form and upload your documents. English Language will be waived for Nigerians if you request for it and put in a good written application. Their average GRE scores are 159 for Quant and 148 for Verbal. 80 for TOEFL and 6.5 for IELTS.
To get a waiver for your application, simply enter the code 'CUSpring18' on the program of study page on your application. I hope this helps someone. Cheers.

https://www.clarkson.edu/news/pilot-grant-program-clarkson-ignite-research-fellowship-competition-winners

Contact the school before you apply. I don't think it will be a problem for majority of the schools. I know some do insist that your English language test scores must have at least a year validity. Make enquiries and even ask for a waiver.

doziej84:
My TOEFL. Results expires December 6, 2018.

Is it possible to use it and submit applications for fall 2019, before it expires. Will it be accepted?

You have a good point here.However, I do not advice anyone to tackle the Comprehension questions first. It could waste your time and you may not finish the rest. I think if you can finish the SE and TC quickly, you can have more time to tackle the comprehension questions.That is my opinion though.
You are right. GRE is not about intelligence. It is putting one's mental stamina to test. Tackling three abtruse verbal sections within 3.5 hours is not easy.

Maverick18:
I honestly think the first step to improving your verbal score is getting 70percent of the comprehension questions right and that comes with a lot of practice(I find Kaplan and Mahanttan useful here), it good to practice. But then the actual value is gotten from reviewing the questions you failed and those you spent too much time on(they could be a better and simpler way).
I also find skipping the Sentence equivalence questions and going to the comprehension a good strategy. Tricks my mind that I have time to carefully go over the comprehension and return to do SE(6 or 5 of them) in the last 4mins, since it basically depends on choosing 2 similar words which can fit into the context(There is a slim chance you can get it wrong in you have done a enough practice and vocabs).
GRE isn't a test of intelligence but rather a test of how much you can practice and the stamina to stay focus for 3-4 hours during actual test.
#my2cents #TeamFall2019

Thank you very much.

1) Honestly, anytime simply because Some Professors have their own research grant and they determine when to choose their students. Fall entry is popular though. I think you can mail them from August/September in preparation for next year's Fall. You will always learn something from their reply. Many will ask you to apply first. Others can interview you first before you apply. It all depends. Some won't even answer you. Funding is limited in Spring. May/June might be too early but there is no harm in trying. Professors try to get research grant and once they do that, they start looking for students. Many usually say they will keep your file and let you know when their funding situation changes. Some will bluntly tell you they cannot fund you.
Some Professors will not reply your mail or answer you until you have formally applied to the school and have been accepted. Some will and tell you their situation. For PhDs, funding is key so most of them will tell you their funding situation immediately.
2) I got this from quora.com and I have used it till this date. Just adjust it to suit your own purpose.
Dear Professor XXXX,
I am a XXXX graduate from the University of XXXXX. I have a Second class, upper division from my undergraduate degree and a distinction from my Master’s degree.
My research interests are XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I am contacting you because I am interested in working with you and your research group. I did my thesis in Bleep and I enjoyed it a great deal. I have also spent quality time working as a research assistant in the Thermo-fluids and Thermal energy systems research groups.I have X publications .
I have gone through your research profile and your publications on your website. My interests are in line with the calibre of research you have been doing. I am interested in building upon my degree experience and expanding my research understanding. I have attached a copy of my Curriculum Vitae and transcripts for your review.
I wish to begin my PhD soon and I am interested in researching under your supervision. I would appreciate if you could review my curriculum Vitae and let me know what the possibilities might be.
Yours Sincerely,
XXXXXXXX

3) I did not get any strong commitment though the Professor from Stanford looked more determined to have me. When I mailed him during the admission process, he told me my application is good but that he has stronger applicants in the pool lol. I felt betrayed. Many do not like to assure you of anything prior to your application. If you have been accepted, it is easier and more productive for them to answer you. Some will even contact you on their own.

4) I learned this from some Indians on Quora. Create a pdf of some of the research work you have done and attach it as a supplementary document. It should not be too long but it should be like a powerpoint presentation. It should contain your UG and PG research work. Also add any poster or even lab experiences you have. It should help. If you have submitted a paper, state it. I learned that some Chinese deliberately submit a paper they know won't be accepted. They do it so that they will have something to boost their application. A Professor of CMU talked about it on Quora.
Professors know this tricks I think. Many have what they are looking for. Submitting a paper is not easy and many Professors know this.
EXTRA STUFF
The general admission process looks like this. When you apply, the graduate school checks if you meet the general requirement. They also convert your CGPA to the 4.0 scale. When they are done, they forward them to the department.
The department then sorts the applications according to the different research group and interest. The Professors review them according to their research interest. They make their decisions based on their own criteria. Some select based on the research funding they have. Some select students and also recommend the department to fund you.
Some admissions come with funding decisions. Some do not. TAMU,RPI, Stanford, UCLA come with funding decisions but they are usually in the minority. RPI only funds their top applicants. The rest have to 'hustle' funding .
The more the research labs in a department, chances are that they fund many students. Experts in their fields have more funds too.
Those with rolling admission will most likely give you admission. The graduate school will review your application and then pass it to the department. Then you need to contact lecturers for funding.

Maverick18:

Congrats Quoran, happy all of the hard work you have put in has paid off. Thanks for sharing your experience with here. The tips you shared are invaluable to say the least.
Would like to ask a few clarifying questions though:
1. When is the right time to start mailing Profs. May, June or when the application window opens ?
2. What should the content of the introductory mail to a POI look like ?
3. For the schools you finally decided to apply to, Which of them did you get a commitment from a POI prior to you application?
4. Lastly, what did you mean by " showed evidence of work in progress" to make up for your lack of publications...
The questions many small, would be really glad if others could help with insights on the above. Thanks and a Big congrats once again. TAMU is a top class school.

Kindly read a lot of posts here.It will help you with more tips. For me, I used this strategy. I answered the Sentence completion and sentence equivalence questions first on the test day. I tried to understand how it works. I really do not think learning loads of words works much. It is more about looking for clues in the sentence. For the essay, I cannot really say much to be honest. Manhanttan essay questions are really close to what you see on the test day. Practice alot. Also look at the Kaplan free online test. They have really improved and they are also close to the real test questions. All the best.

alex5050:



@quoran, please how do you improve on your verbal section::::i wrote gre lastwk and I was flogged with quant 165 and verbal137:::total 302::: i need so much help on the verbal::::please help

Predstan, target 170 and you will get it. It is possible. Check smallsuper posts here. You cannot fault his advice because he scored 170 and 167 in his two attempts. All the best.

Thank you Madam. You are one of the reasons I actually applied to the school. I saw your post on the school here,fancied my chances and I decided to apply. The school was also very clear about funding on their website. As I did not hear from them, the money I paid for application fee is now paining me lol.

drhopeful:
Congrats Quoran! Texas A&M, College Station is a great school. No mind UVA, I wish you were admitted by now. I need company here

BTW, your second GRE attempt.....wow!!!!

Thanks man. You're spot-on. I remember mailing one Professor at UNM. He told me not to send any e-mail to him again, that it will crash his mailbox lol.The tone of the email was frightening. I was even afraid that If I apply, he will deliberately overlook it. I didnt apply eventually. I later found out on ratemyprofessors.com that they guy was irrational. I quietly kept my application fee in my pocket.Lol. Nevertheless, I didn't stop.

For the GRE , I wrote my first Test during my MSc. The quant was simple but I didnt do well. This thread helped me alot. Nothing special about the test. It is just tricky. Then I took as many practice test as possible. The quant is not hard but It can embarrass a Professor who doesn't practice. Nothing special. For the verbal, just keep practicing. I have no strategies to give. Lol. A good test taker will nail the GRE. Just know the strategies.

Cheers bro.

happyday:


Well-deserved congrats! You definitely can't go wrong with a PhD MechE at Texas A&M. Hope you'll agree all the sweat was worth it?

That being said, I think you reinforced some lessons for everyone here - applying, waiting, or current students.

1) Pure hard work: Sending emails to over 100 professors is a lot of pain. I've been there. I know how it feels like to not get any reply, or worse start second-guessing yourself, that maybe this US grad school thing is not for you. But, you kept at it. And it worked!

2) The incredible leap between your GRE attempts: Again, this confirms that acing the GRE does not require special talents. If you think others are more talented than you are in taking tests, then make up for your weakness with the sheer amount of practice you put in.

We should talk sometime.

Thank you very much.I appreciate

reDazey:
Finally Quoran, you've let the cat out of the bag.

Congratulations on all your admits. You had a beautiful admission season. Texas A&M, College Station is a wonderful choice.

Thank you for sharing those admission tips.

lol And if you do not score 300+?

TravelDrim:
Abeg housemates, make somebodi bless me pay for my GRE reg... I want to register in may and write in June for spring 2019. I promise the pelsin to score 300+. Trust me

Good Outing by Team Nigeria. With more support from the government and private bodies, Nigerian athletes can win more medals in subsequent games.Now is the time to start preparing for the Olympic games.

Thanks

Nwabu007:
Congratulations. Amazing application outcomes you've got. God indeed crowned your effort.

So I think it is the right time to share my complete testimony

I have been following this thread since 2015 though as a guest. I had a lot of misconceptions about getting PhD admissions. I thought you must get a supervisor before you apply. I also did not know that it was possible to get funding for one's research as an international student. It is all about getting the right information and taking time to research on different schools. I also learned that the key is to start really early and mail professors. I sent mails to more than 100 Professors!( I kid you not!). Finally I took the bull by the horn and applied to many schools.

This is my profile:
1)Mechanical Engineering B.Eng 3.3/4 (Top Nigerian University)
2)Masters degree Top UK Mechanical Engineering (3.6/4 Unofficial WES evaluation. Two Professors from different schools told me during the skype interview that my CGPA was 3.58 and 3.7 respectively. What that means is that different schools have their own ways of evaluation but the different is not so significant.)
3)No publications but I showed evidence of work in progress.
4)GRE scores -First Attempt 303, Maths 153 ,Verbal 150 , AW -3.5.
GRE scores -Second Attempt 327, Maths 166,Verbal 161,A.W -4.0.

5)My work experience is mostly research based .I do not know if that helped in anyway.

Schools I applied to:
Texas A and M, College station- Accepted with Funding
Stanford University- Rejected nicely
University of California, Berkeley- Waitlisted since 1920
Michigan Tech- accepted with research assistantship
University of Alabama - Accepted
RPI- Accepted with Teaching assistantship.
Oregon State- Accepted in both Mechanical and Industrial Engineering programs.
George Washington- Pending;No decision yet.
University of Virginia- Pending;No decision yet.I suspect my application is on the waitlist.
Washington State University- Accepted; Teaching Assistantship is assured after the 1st semester.

Most schools have a deadline of April 15th to accept offers. I have opted for TAMU, College Station.


My GPA is not spectacular but from what I understand, my Masters degree thesis is a strong area of research that attract alot of funding. The reputation of my masters degree supervisor helped me alot. He is a well known expert in my field.He has over 200 publications and some patents.He wrote superb letters of recommendation for me also. Then, I put in my best in the skype interviews I had. I also spent time drafting my statement of purpose. Then God did the rest- Crowned my effort with success.

Tips and advice

1)Use Quora and Linkedin well. On Quora,I met alot of Professors there. They answer questions on what goes on among the graduate committee. I found students on Quora and Linkedin who told me about admission and funding. I follow a Nigerian guy on Quora who is an expert in graduate admissions. He helped me a great deal. He also told me of this forum. I initially thought he was the same scholastica16 here lol.

2)From my own observation, apply early. Some Professors pick their students early and try to extract some form of commitment especially if they will fund you.

3)If a school has rolling admissions, the probability that you will be funded is low. Beware of schools that offer free applications.

4)Different schools have their own ways of admitting students. Some will not admit you if they do not have funds. Some wont admit you when there is no supervisor. Just find out.
5)Contacting Professors on time helps. One told me that he will look for my application when they start screening. When I mailed him later, He told me that my application is good but that there were stronger applicants in the pool
6)When you mail a Professor, do not write an episode. They will most likely not read it. Be brief. I have tested this many times.
7)Try as much as possible to use official email addresses or even your school email. It helps kind off. Professors receive loads of emails.
Network and search different school forums. You can attend webinars and you will get classic information. Use gradcafe also.
9) For PhD, read and at least know the basics and various research areas. Also try and be flexible.

I hope this helps someone. You are free to ask me questions here. Unfortunately, I have limited access to my nairaland email. Unto the next level- Visa pursuance.

Special thanks to everyone who has posted here from time immemorial. I read all the pages of this thread. Scholastica16, you are a blessing.
DreManuel, thanks for the GRE materials.

Dream.Believe.Achieve.

(Pardon my errors).

If you have really good grades, try the Knight Hennessy Scholarship Program. With good test scores, good application essays and supporting documents, you can get it. Someone from Unilag made the list last year. The funding is generous also.

happyday:
Hi everyone,

Good to be here!

I thought I'd share two generous funding opportunities for grad school with the house.

1) EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program (OFP). Closes June 30.
What they're looking for: Preferably STEM majors with 4.5 or higher undergrad GPA with demonstrated financial need. They'll assist you in the application process, and provide funds (on a case-by-case basis) to apply and get admitted.
Note: Even if you don't have a first class but preferably over 4.0, apply still. But be ready to demonstrate that you're insanely passionate about going to grad school and simply don't have the resources to do so.

Application page: https://ng.usembassy.gov/education-culture/exchange-programs/opportunity-fund/

2) Knight Hennessy Scholarship Program at Stanford. Applications for 2019 classes close September 12, 2018.
Definitely more competitive, they'll fund your grad school for up to 3 years at Stanford. But you must be admitted to a program at Stanford at the same time, else you won't be eligible. A long shot, but if you had a very high undergrad GPA (even with weak extracurricular activities), it's definitely a shot worth taking. No application fees, and if selected, all your fees are catered for, plus flight expenses covered.

Eligibility criteria: https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/admission/eligibility


Best.

This government cannot even pretend not to be dictatorial in nature. Smh

Masters degree funding is hard. From what I see on Gradcafe, it is really hard. PhD is the sure way to go but then , don't do a PhD if you don't have interest in research. Have you considered Canada? They fund their masters degree students though it is usually competitive.

BiggyB242:


Okay, thanks for your reply. I will definitely do my homework.
How about for a master program, guess you are a mechanical engineer. Actually, my interest is "full funding", funny but is the truth. With a cgpa of 3 out of 5 my choices are slim, not even the school ranking is of interest.

If I'm to have a reseach interest design/automation.

Hello bro. Honestly, you need to do more of the work yourself. Applying for a PhD isn't broadly about the school. It is more of looking at the department and potential supervisors, their funding situation etc. From my own understanding, only the very top schools fund automatically. Many give you admission first before they make funding decisions. In most cases, you need to contact them. From your profile, you should also be open to go for industrial engineering since your masters is in Production engineering. With a good GPA in your masters, good test scores and supporting documents you stand a good chance. Just that you need to do the search yourself. Also, you need to find out your specific area of interest. Mail potential supervisors. Sometimes , they won't give you the reply you desire but you tend to learn a thing or two about the admission processs.

By the way, what's your research interest or area?

BiggyB242:

Please, I'm a mechanical engineering graduate, planning to come over for my master or PhD program strictly on full funding. Your post got me interested. Since we are of the same discipline, Please list of schools I have chances of getting full funding, TA etc. CGPA 3 out 5

Though, I'm getting my master degree in production engineering before the end of this year. I need your advice.

Cheers bro.

Lakesyd32:


thanks, I think this settle it all.
All the best bro.

Lakesyd32,From my findings, Ordinarily, you don't need a statement of account for a student visa. It is assumed that the school has done their homework and checked the document before issuing an I-20. It just depends on what they have written on the I-20. However, some VOs ask for it (Not so many , going by the transcripts posted here). I guess some just ask when they are trying to convince themselves that you are a genuine student.

So, I really don't think you have anything to worry about. I am in the same situation. I will just go with the statement I have though.

Please do your research well. Michigan tech and Washington state are not straight forward in terms of funding. WSU usually require their engineering students resume first before they can be funded via TA. I got an RA after a long e-mail correspondence. I had to decline the offer for a better one.
Michigan Tech is a stingy school. You can apply if their application is still free. You can also apply to George Washington University. They waived their application fee for some of us who attended their webinar in December. They usually require some form of programming skills for engineering students. Focus on getting a good GRE Quant score and you will be admitted. They have scholarship for masters degree students and funding for PhD students too.

TAMUC is a good choice. I think they fund almost everyone admitted. I don't know about civil engineering but For Mechanical Engineering, those of us who have been admitted were funded.

Make sure you contact the departments/schools about funding. Many don't fund as they claim. By the way, funding is becoming hard to get. The more schools you apply to, the better your chances. Cheers

4gunners:
Good day Schoalrs!!!!!
I've been following this thread for sometime now and I really appreciate the altruism of all the active members of this thread. I taught it time for me to join the league of erudite scholars by writing the 'almighty' GRE . I will be applying for #fall2019. I've been able to come up with some schools but I seriously need your input as regard my choices in terms of generosity of the schools when it comes to funding(must ) and the admission chances, since experience they say is the best teacher.

Discipline Civil Engineering
GPA - 3.51/4
Interest - Structural Engineering(PHD/MSc)

TAMU
University of Utah
University of Arizona
Michigan Tech
Washington State University(They said GRE not reqd. Shd I still send the GRE scores)
University of Iowa
Oregon State University

Any other suggestions will be highly welcomed....

Congrats reDazey.

It is always worth it to publish your findings especially if you're planning for a PhD. It could also enhance your application though sometimes grad admissions team look at things differently. I encourage you to do so. Don't neglect any part of your application.It is good you have started early. Cheers.

MonsieurCoder:
Please I am in a dilemma here and I need your advice especially those who have gone through the application process before

I am a prospective Computer Science Fall 2019 applicant. Two of my papers have been accepted to an IEEE conference [No. 1 publisher in my field]. But the registration fees and expenses to attend the conference will set me back around 150k. Do you guys think it is worth the cost?

cc: Scholastica16, Quoran, Ponpon, anybody that can help

You need to improve your GRE scores by retaking the test. Also, spread your risk; apply to more medium ranked schools.

knoph2007:
I need view on this:
Hnd accounting 3.25/4
Bsc accounting 4.19/5
Msc finance 3.93/5
Associate Chartered Accountant
Gre exam:
Qt 161
Verbal 143
Total 304
Analytical 3
8 years working experience
My prospective schools phd accounting for fall 2019 are:
1. Havard University
2. Texas A&M university.
What are my chances with the gre score with these schools or do i re-do it?

Thanks Brother.

TheGrandChemist:


Congrats man.

Fall 2018

#Of_Course_It's_A_Reality

95% of the PhD students are funded at RPI. The first two years as teaching assistants and the subsequent years as graduate research assistants.

Time2Smile:

Congratulations. That's a very good school. Does your department not have guaranteed funding for PhD students? That will be weird for a school like Rensselaer Poly.

Edit:This is a page front the graduate handbook. You are almost certainly assured of funding.

Thanks man

paulbets:


Congratulations on the offer bro.
May God be with you and favour you in all things.
Have a successful visa interview...
7 Blessings


#Fall2018 #YesWeCan