₦airaland Forum

iCool:
My program is Thesis based and I am fully aware I got away with it. I had no choice, chasing those lecturers would have been hell.

All three schools I have seen so far gave me funding.

shayhune:
I used two academic recommenders and one non-academic recommender and got away with it. Her department was just too competitive I guess.

My bad. This goes to show that these schools make up the rules as they go.

iCool, instate tuition and 1000$ a semester is great but you can get something way better than that including GA, RA or TA so you don't even pay a dime. These days, instate tuitions are not as cheap as they used to be because of our exchange rate.

drhopeful:
Talking about safe schools not safe anymore! UConn just sent me a rejection!!! So much for a safe school. Anyway, no hard feelings. Going somewhere much better!

On recommendations, I mixed and matched 2 academic and 2 non-academic. For my successful school, it will surprise everyone that I used 1 academic and 2 non-academic. It was the first app I submitted and at that point, I had no feedback on my request from my 2nd academic which was supposed to be my strongest recommender. I guess God works in mysterious ways. I am totally grateful!!! My prayers for scholastica16 and the rest of us waiting. Good news must surely come!

I feel for UConn: They lost out big time. Even though I don't even know if anyone bar you can look at Uconn as a safe school

It is always good to hear from you on this thread and thank you so much for the prayers- I need it. Very soon, I'd be sharing my own success story as you have done and will still do. Goodnight.

Topiipii:
Mail came in from Vanderbilt: admitted for MS Electrical Engineering, no funding (at least not yet).

andradaeze:
In fact, I was still mooning over the mail from BGSU and another mail just entered. All these schools, they want to spoil my day today. It shall not work for them. Mail from Ohio University- Admitted to Masters without funding...

I think I need to go and have some ice-creams with some friends,then go for a movie, then....,then..... then...prolly come back very late. Then sleep.

Good day Dr. X,

I hope this meets you well. I was recently accepted into the department of X and Y at your institution for a Master's program. Yours was at the top of my list so you can understand my excitement on receiving the email.

I am using this opportunity to express my interest in securing a position in the department as a research or a teaching assistant. Apart from the tuition waiver and maybe stipend that the position will assure me of, I am vying for it because I believe it falls within my long term academic ambition to push for a doctoral position in your institution at the conclusion of the masters program and I am convinced that participating in an assistantship will help nuture me into further graduate study.

Let me chime in at this point to state that I am extemely resourceful; time conscious; diligent and above all disciplined enough to more than contribute my own fair share to the success of my program, the department and the University of X or Y as a whole. In fact, when you meet me in person you would agree.

Thank you for taking your time to read this. I will be expecting a response from you Sir/Ma.

Regards,

Topiipii/Andradaeze


You have nothing to lose. They already gave you the admission they cannot rescind it at this point. Besides, they know graduate school is expensive. You can even tell them FX issues in Nigeria will forestall your academic dreams. But waiting by and by will do nothing as they would assume you are OBO.

iCool:
Lmao @ Safe schools are not safe anymore!

I did 2 non-academic out of 3 recommendations and got away with it.

BGSU has gone gangster on you. That kinda wait list isn't a beautiful one coupled with the subtle hints asking you to have more faith in your other options.

Yours is for professional masters I guess or they interpreted it as such. They are usually not lenient with the flouting of their 'academic recommenders' criteria for research programs I am 99% sure of that. If anything, I'd be slightly worried if they gave me such a pass because it may indicate that they will disappoint you with respect to funding.

I believe HappyDay hinted at it when he said schools do not fund non-thesis based programs. And if you were in doubt as to whether they considered you as Thesis or non-thesis then the 'non-academic referee' may be an indicator.

andradaeze:
Hello house,
How would one get off a waitlist? Safe schools are not safe anymore. I got a mail from BGSU that I have been wait-listed for funding. My rank on the waitlist is 25 out of 32 strong applicants and there are just 8 GA positions for Masters students.

In fact, I was given a long advice including deferring my admission to Fall 2018 or accepting a position in another school. Please, is this not a gentle way of being rejected? . I had two academic recommenders and one non-academic and they were not okay with the nonacademic. I was advised to use three Mathematics faculty as recommenders.

Timing of application. I guess you applied later than the people they have accepted and funded plus they feel you used them as a safe school (based on the strength of your profile) so they assumed that one other better school must have accepted you.

As per the recommender, just aimless nitpicking but I know they are more particular about those things for research based programs like a PhD.

It is well.

Topiipii:
I think tolutweety is there too.

Yea he is. University of Louisiana Lafayette.

seeker88:
Amofun, scholastica16, Time2Smile, and others who are awaiting admission/funding decisions. You guys have been helpful here! I patiently await your testimonies which will come soonest.....it will end in praise.

God's favour to all of us.

Amen brother. Hope you have sent emails to the program coordinators with respect to funding. That's the best bet now to get that TA/RA before you leave Nigeria.

HenryWilliams:
Hi everyone. I'm glad this thread is still active. I'll be writing the GRE on Friday. I've studied loads of books and I hope everything turns out right.
School of choice. Texas State University, Lamar University and Ohio State University.
Hoping to hear more about GRE experiences and I'l be glad to add mine Friday evening.

Wishing you the very best. Please concentrate on the online Full-length tests to simulate the actual GRE experience before test day as the 4hrs could fly by really quickly.

When solving mathematics' questions develop the discipline to ignore questions that take you more than 1 min to solve. Always solve questions that you are 100% certain of getting so that if you have little time left you can guess the ones you were never sure of. Trust me, even though some questions contribute more towards the overall GRE score than others, each question is still accorded a raw score of 1 mark so the difference won't be that much.

Andradaeze, that's the prayer oh. Thanks all the same. You are far too kind.

ChiomaL0ngLEGZ, CuteMorgan, Believerspraise, HappyDay are in LSU Baton Rouge. You may decide to PM them.

ponpon:
still on it sir, honestly I've stopped sending mails to faculty. Sent one ending of last month. I'm waiting for other decisions although I have submitted my CV for 2 administrative GA positions at LSU

It will come through. Is it only LSU you are bugging?

Amofum, Time2Smile, Miella and so on - thanks for the mentions and well-wishes. I am still here like y'all waiting in bated breath.

Amofum, I am surprised at the rejects as you have a strong profile but sometimes I think "weaker" schools reject strong applications because they intuitively fear that you would not even honor the admission if it was offered to you. Maybe that's just me consoling myself but who can say?

I am optimistic we would be raptured in this application cycle like our comrades in the race. Time2Smile's case is different because his profile is on steriods.

Congrats to Shayune and any other person who has received either an acceptance or funding. As for those who only have the former, keep sending emails to all constituted authorities involved explaining to them your plan for graduate study which must include aiming for a doctoral position (even if it doesn't). You must bait a fish to catch it.

I'm hoping faithing to share my success stories with you guys. Word to Andradaeze.

Ciao.

Edit: Ponpon where is you at? What's the latest?

Thank you to everyone that has posted in the last few days. We still encourage those who wrote GRE to share their experiences with us as that is the primary essence of the thread.

kaydp:
choi. I have jonze. Didn't know it was promo ooooooo

Get their number (s) from their website and call them up. It is better that way.

Cephas0009:
Good day Family... I got rejected by UH today. Checked through applyweb anyways.


I wish others a positive outcome in the end

Thanks for staying through...

Trust me, I have nothing to say to console you. I just pray it works out some how some way in this admission cycle. I applied to UH too and I am not a bit scared to check the "applyweb".

Admission into US schools is conspicuously unpredictable. Take heart, only believe.

asaphkocube:
Please I want know to the acceptable ID to enter for GRE examination at JKK center Lagos.
Is Temporary National ID card acceptable?
Is parmanent Voters Card acceptable?

International Passport and NOTHING else. Not just JKK but any GRE center in Nigeria.

kinematicguy:
Sorry bro about the rejects. I pray you get good funding from the rest, that deciding which to choose should be the problem.

Anyway what I have to say is that, if you're applying to a program that relies on the Energy industry for funding, then you might be a bit shocked this application cycle. Because of the oil industry downturn, the companies are not funding as before and also because of the depressed hiring in the industry - a lot of equally bright minds have been layed off since 2014/2015, most waiting for the oil price to peak now and seeing that, that is not in sight yet are going back to graduate school. Hence you're competing with equally excellent students, with prolly 4-5yrs industry experience in relevant research areas to the program they are applying to in International reputable oil firms. This gives for a more competitive admission cycle than usual.

Most of what I said above was related to me this monday by my supposed to be potential advisor of a program- I applied to their Chevron center of research excellence and the centre takes in 4-6 new students usually but this year just one. And he explained why to me(I have kept in touch with him). He didn't take me, he chose another student, although I'm yet to receive an official letter from the grad sch. He said he felt he shd tell me before I receive the official letter and also if I can contact other profs before the official letter. Unfortunately, no one has offered.

I just pray other schools come through for us all.

Very interesting and informative. The truth is, I resonate with everything you have said here. I never did think my profile was a stunner but I didn't think it was wack also. So momentarily, the "rejects" hit a nerve and like everything ephemeral they left after sometime.

My program is chemical engineering. Not too oil and gas dependent but could be, based on how one aims to use it. I have some experience in the sector as well but it may not impress a professor in the US compared to the calibre of people you just described above. The prayer is to get a break some how some way. A friend of mine in almost the same predicament reeled out some of the prayer points still unanswered and I laughed about his despondency but reflecting on it, he has a point.

The summary of all I am saying is, I am hopeful like you mate- with particular reference to your last statement. Cheers.

fredoricko:
Your admission letter for Utah is probably sitting in your mail box now. I know Utah has begun rolling out decisions for Chemical Engineering today. Come share the good news sir

I am encouraged by your confidence in me sir. Unfortunately, nothing was logged in my email. I did see the gradcafe reports dated 11th March but couldn't place the profiles so I can only speculate. Perhaps as time unfolds we would know. And if it happens that I am sidelined, then so be it.

adetola007:
Even I will be dissapointed if hirschfelder didn't get in with his awesome score. Let's hope for ours, we'll surely get in by God's grace. Admission is just competitive this year because with 332, hirschfelder shouldn't be hustling for KSU with us, one should be looking for the likes of MIT, UCB and Stanford with his score.

You are very right. Slightly disappointed that I wasn't waitlisted but I am guessing the PhD candidates have accepted the offer maybe. Apart from being very competitive the slots are not that many to begin with. If I am correct they may not be up to 20 PhDs in the chemical engineering program and I doubt they would have taken 3 Nigerians in that pool at once.

Where is EssayHelp? He is another 332-scorer and I am curious to know the schools he applied to and how the decisions are coming up.

adetola007:
Scholastica16, how have you been? I've been rejected by KSU, I hope you got in. Any other decisions so far?

Same bro, yesterday in fact. I am the man of the year

The remainder 5 said this

1. Utah- mid March
2. Houston- might be Late March or April as it is not rolling.
3. Michigan- would be communicated via portal
4. Mississippi- still being reviewed will be communicated when ready.
5. Florida- same as 4.

Keeping fingers crossed sha. Hirschfelder took the K-state from us.

fredoricko:
Thanks. I have and still will.

How're yours? I'm sure you'll get a lot of juicy offers. I hope well all do.

Some of my schools said decisions will be made mid-march. I am just observing with a pin-hole camera.

fredoricko:
Thanks dear. I wish I were a PhD candidate. Then I'd have prolly been as confident as you are.

Now is the time to confidently ask for it. If they are going to fund you, they would let you know your chances now rather than later. I also know most schools make their decisions on funding in April.

Sorry about Nebraska, Lincoln. Very difficult to know why the decision swung that way, but I am guessing they couldn't secure a professor to take you on. Sometimes, it just boils down to compatibility more than one's fit-for-purpose. You'd be alright.

Ndawe:
I sent an email yesterday inquiring about the need to make a separate application for an assistantship position in Tennessee Tech, and she was quick to respond as follows: "Thank you for your inquiry about the EVS PhD assistantships. I believe you have been recommended for an assistantship, but no decisions will be made until the EVS PhD Graduate Review Committee meet on March 23rd. We should have their recommendations by March 24th. We are also waiting on possible State Legislature funds to become available". Basically, by month end, there should be an update regarding that.
Now I wouldn't know if this is peculiar to the department I'm applying to or it cuts across board. Did you get a response yet?

He is not applying for a PhD. You are. PhDs as a matter of fact get priority with respect to funding.

Cephas0009:
Scholastica16, it's been a while..How av u been bro?

I am well brother. Nothing much has happened on my end as the other 6 schools are yet to make decisions (I enquired). How have your decisions been? I know you made one Application to LSU. Anyword?

sybil33:
High-stakes standardized testing is educational malpractice and must be stopped now.

When typing my essay I understood that high-stakes testing (HST) is based on the wrong set of goals for education, faulty assumptions about development and learning, and already-falsified assumptions about the meanings of test scores.

In turn, so-called "value-added" schemes are also failing to examine the educational value that really matters, lack of responsible controls for variables that cause the lions' share of variance in test scores (60-100%), and are founded upon an outdated and inferior approach to promoting human motivation.

HST has failed on its own terms (test scores) as NAEP long-term trend scores for reading and mathematics were flat for both genders and all racial groups between 2008 and 2012, during the most intensive period of test-driven schooling in American history.

HST has been an unmitigated disaster for those who value a well-rounded education. Creativity started declining at the beginning of the standards movement, and traditional, test-driven schooling undermines creativity, initiative, critical thinking, respect for diverse views, and undermines intrinsic motivation to learn (talk about killing the goose that lays the golden eggs!). High-stakes testing inherently corrupts the true purposes of education and steers students and teachers into the alienating "game of school" that Robert Fried described so well.

High-stakes testing has done to education what junk food did to our bodies: Isn't a decade on damage enough to impose upon students and teachers?

Test-based accountability is promoted by CEOs, economists, and politicians who simply do not understand children or child development, and who have an unhealthy desire for America's children and teachers to be micromanaged by far-off bureaucrats. Test-based accountability is also heavily promoted by ed corporations who are rapidly taking over public education.

We have a moral obligation to end this assault on children and democracy.

Man, as far as HSTs go, their role in testing one's resolve for education is unquestionable. I do agree, however, that the idea is not fool-proof but then again nothing in life is.

With regards to HSTs militating against creativity; that would be especially daunting to tell as there is no one true way of measuring that property. Creativity means different things to different people.

I believe HSTs should be tailor-made to accommodate the metric that is trying to be recruited, and by that I mean, let Creative Artists not be tested on the GRE and let Quant-based disciplines be given a lighter hand on the verbal aspect but guess what? It would still not make a well-rounded student.

Another Point of view shows that HSTs that have been introduced since time immemorial didn't stifle the creativity of a lot of innovators. Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg in their Harvard days come to mind. If anything, their high SAT scores became a good predictor of their proficiency as computer programmers and managers of very successful business models. Of course, even this boils down to the individual's determination regardless of talent; but the same argument can be made about any other venture in life.

Cancelling HSTs because there are outlier cases of people whose true abilities didn't shine during the testing phase is akin to abolishing democracy in Nigeria because we have had recent bad democratic governments. In other words, it is extreme, if not naive.

cutemorgan:
Nor mind oga Oludare01 eh... Saw your mention when I logged in, and felt we could yarn ni sir

Always exciting to see some of you still make posts. A lot of people will benefit from your wealth of experience please don't deprive them of it. Any tidbits towards gaining admission, your experience with research over there etc. will be handy. Cheers.

ElDeeVee:
Hello Guys,

Decision (1/4)

UNI - Admit
Funding - Not yet decided.


#Team2017Fall

Brother congrats. What is UNI? Too lazy to hit up Google.

Congrats HappyDay. Thanks for sharing your experience with us although belatedly. It was worth the wait. I am sure alot of people will be inspired by your success and the corollary challenges that came, and will continue to come as you move on with your career. I wish you all the best at Baton Rouge and I am confident you would find more success as a researcher amongst other things.

Andradaeze, happy birthday o. I wish you good health, many happy returns, long life but no prosperity (as you have prospered enough).

Cheers.

BTW: congrats on the admits. Funding will definitely come. Hopefully faithfully, Ohio or Texas A&M will be positive as well. Faith is greater than hope.

happyday:
My bad. Things happened so fast.

Still apprise us. You are a vet on this thread. Imagine this thread without DanjaNinja and SirRiddy. Your experience and explanations of them will certainly help someone else. I am 99% sure a ton of the K-State applications and admissions are as a result of SirRiddy. And the reason many are not clamoring towards Bridgeport is because of DanjaNinja.

For someone like you who has contributed so much already; writes well and is very expressive, I am a little bit disappointed if I am being honest. I probably don't speak for myself too.

andradaeze:
I plead the fifth on this one oh .

Pleading the fifth belongs to US citizens

Una well done. There is no need for Nairaland in that case.

happyday:
Yup.

Baba na your way o. No transcript on the visa thread, no feedback to the house say you dey comot. Covert things I see. I am sure andradaeze knew about it.

It is not fair o. Even the way you were coding it in your replies would have flown past the uninitiated.

drhopeful:
You are welcome. It's the latter and I am yet to accept or reject the offer. Waiting and hoping for some other offers in the next couple of weeks before I make a decision.

Ok. I asked because a friend of mine got accepted into UIUC (For MSc) but he is yet to receive anything remotely related to an offer of funding. When I queried further, I realized he had that 'accept- decline' part of the portal so I wanted to know if that was the cause of the delay or if the offer could come even without accepting it on the portal.