USA Grad School Applications for graduate admissions

Graduate admisions

1. Grad School Applications 1 Engr. Waleed Siddiqi [email protected] CUI-Lahore.

2. W hat this session will cover… We are talking about applications to the FULLY FUNDED MS+PHD program in the USA. 2

3. Requirements for application GRE ® General Test (Computer-based) GRE ® Subject Test in Chemistry (Only required by some universities, recommended for others) TOEFL iBT ® Test Recommendation Letters (usually three) Statement(s) of Purpose CV/Resume Transcripts from undergrad/grad institutions Online applications submitted within deadline 3

4. Timeline (suggested) June/July – Start preparation for the GRE General (40%) and TOEFL (60%) July & August – Prepare for GRE General, Register for TOEFL and appear between 10-15 July, Start looking at potential universities tentatively, start working on SOP August – Appear for the GRE General (15-30 August) September & October – Ask for application fee waivers, and shortlist universities and finalize SOP, Diversity Statement, Research Statement, CV, transcripts, recommendation letter October – GRE Subject Test, offered only once a year usually in last week of October (optional) October & November – Start filling your application and mold your SOP according to particular university November & early December – Send your applications! T ry to send your applications as early as possible! (15 to 30 days prior to deadline) 4

5. Let’s first talk about the tests required… 5

6. GRE General Test Computer-based. Offered multiple times per week. Register as soon as possible, seats get reserved quickly. Preferably by early July One of the most important components of your application Test Structure https://www.ets.org/gre/ 6

7. GRE ® General Test 8-10 weeks of directed study Particular focus on test-taking strategies Full-length practice tests, specifically computer-based, solved under test conditions ( PowerPrep tests) Quantitative Reasoning: Basic mathematics, practice is key Time management crucial Verbal Reasoning: Reading comprehension strategies and practice Vocabulary is just one aspect of the section Analytical Writing: Acquaint yourself with general structure of the essays Pool of issue and argument topics already given at ETS website https://www.ets.org/gre/ 7

8. GRE ® General Test Resources Avoid hardcopies–get used to test conditions ETS Official material: Closely resembles test questions. Official guide to the GRE revised General Test Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions PowerPrep II software with full-length practice tests Manhattan 5 lb. book of practice questions: Very useful for strategies and practice. Difficulty level slightly higher than actual test. Along with the Manhattan diagnostics. ScholarDen Magoosh flashcards app for vocabulary There’s a plethora of resource material available on the internet– not all of it mimics the difficulty level of the actual test. Don’t get entangled in those–better to stick with few but reliable resources 8

9. GRE (General) Resources:  9 https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jjeK4BvLlLrf97Ak9CiyNcDXdrWij67i https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1h51fdfpyRHoNIQa6juJeET0aclUR0PuZ https://crunchprep.com/free-gre-practice-test https://www.kaptest.com/gre/free/gre-practice-test-options http://www.nelnetsolutions.com/pdf/free/MasterGRE.pdf http://ghamsuknust.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Graduate-School-Test-Preparation-Princeton-Review-Cracking-the-GRE-with-4-Practice-Tests-2014-Edition-Princeton-Review-20131.pdf https://www.test-guide.com/free-gre-practice-tests.html

10. GRE ® Subject Test Chemistry Registrations usually open in July. Offered once a year only in October. Optional but recommended for most university applications Paper-based. About 130 questions. Generalized syllabus given on ETS site 4 full-length official tests available ACS study guides–helpful but not sufficient Take one test at the beginning of your preparation to get an idea of question types and topics Prepare accordingly. Content is very basic so no need to revise complete courses. Focus on particular topics that appeared frequently in past exams Time management is most important. Practice tests must be solved strictly under test conditions https://www.ets.org/gre/subject/about/content/chemistry 10 GRE Subject: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B5M4KdciGDSnd2Q2QTcwdmtGRms?fbclid=IwAR0Qb87vcFgad4kkzxEknd5FyDfzWV2bndyTwdTjRd3q1lcYEHXAFEeXMHQ

11. TOEFL iBT ® Test Computer-based. Offered 2–3 times a week Try to give it by mid October. Four sections: Reading–considerably easier than GRE General verbal Listening Speaking Writing Usually, one week of preparation is sufficient Familiarity with format and anticipated pace of the test Practice speaking, listening and reading Scored out of 120 Universities usually have min requirement of 100 with specific cutoffs for each section Speaking score is important for TA position https://www.ets.org/toefl 11

12. TOEFL R esources There are many YouTube Channels Free TOEFL c our s e on EDX Gregmat TOEFL strategies Kmf toefl practice tests TPOs Weixue100 12 https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1S4SwcE03JK-GjbTRdXB8KakmspUQ3hLk?usp=sharing https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw7blOYXP-_pnH-vx0AjwXA https://www.edx.org/course/toefl-test-preparation-the-insiders-guide Free TOEFL c our s e on EDX There are many YouTube Channels

13. The application process 13

14. Deadlines? When to apply? Variable , depending upon university and program. The same university may have different deadlines for different programs Usually 1 st Dec , 15 th Dec, 31 st Dec , 1 st January and 15 th January Some intermediate dates such as 13 th Dec for some universities Applying early is usually advantageous . Don’t wait for the deadlines! Universities may start reviewing applications before the deadline. 14

15. How many universities to apply to? 15

16. How to select universities? 16 U.S.News Chemistry Grad School

17. Application Fee and Waivers 17

18. How to ask for application fee waivers? 18

19. Selecting Potential Supervisors 19

20. E mailing Potential Supervisors 20

21. Recommendation Letters 21

22. 22 Statement of Purpose (SOP) https://crunchprep.com/gre/2014/powerful-statement-of-purpose Everyone will and should have a different way to tackle the SOP! Be yourself. Keep it Simple. Don’t use fancy words. Typically a 1–2 page essay describing: Your motivation to pursue graduate studies in the specific field Your undergrad and previous grad career, including research and work experience Academic interests and career goals How the graduate program is compatible with these goals Specific faculty members and groups whose work aligns with your research interests Allow plenty of time for editing and reviewing Get feedback from peers, seniors and faculty They don’t want to know your life history, stick to the important bits. Relate each story to the point. Think of attributes you want to portray and then write accordingly. Don’t expect to use the same SOP as it is for all universities you are applying to. Some universities ask for multiple statements (e.g. personal statement, research experience, diversity statement) separately rather than a single SOP. These take time and require more editing. START EARLY! List down all questions which you have to address in your SOP, and answer them in your SOP.

23. SOP Paragraph 1: What motivated you to pursue the degree? Paragraph 2-3: How are you a good fit for the program? How are you prepared to join them? Your research How has it shaped you research interests? Mention if you have been able to overcome a hurdle during your research. Any research grants you have gotten e.g. OSPR SRP grant Any specific courses you have taken which piqued your interest. Paragraph 4: TA Ships and other teaching experience Paragraph 5: Why this university? Mention at least three instructors whose research excites you. You might want to reiterate how your research interests align with theirs. Don’t read your senior’s or sample SOPs and then write. Write your own thing first and THEN get FEEDBACK from your seniors, peers and faculty on your SOP. https://crunchprep.com/gre/2014/powerful-statement-of-purpose 23 Draft your SOP in that structure which perfectly match with your story, achievements, and future goals. Don’t stick yourself with this pattern only.

24. Other Statements Personal Statement - Emphasizes who you are as a person and any extenuating circumstances, can talk about personal background, any volunteer experience etc. Research Statement - A brief summary of your research projects. Diversity Statement - How you'll apply a  diverse  perspective at your target institution in your future research and teaching pursuits. Some universities ask only for one statement i.e. SOP. So you have to include everything in that. Some ask for multiple statements so you need to divide your SOP into these. Give yourself time to look at which statements each university requires and then write. Some universities will also mention what they want in each statement. 24

25. Research Statement Can also talk about any challenges you faced in a particular project or reaction & how you overcame it. 25

26. CV/Resume A 1-2 page document summarizing your education, work experience, skills and any honors/awards LUMS provides a general format– you may use it to build your CV General headings in a CV: Education, Test Scores, Work experience, projects, honors and awards, extra curricular, skills Try to add a small paragraph describing your duties etc with each thing you mention. Take help CSO LUMS Use different action verbs in your CV to highlight your skills, work experience and accomplishments. Make your CV as diverse as you can by writing your all experiences and accomplishments. 26 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MHSns0ZtVGcDPx4l5FWq6BTy06NTJYR6/view?usp=sharing

27. Transcripts Most universities require only the scanned copy to be uploaded in the online application. You can request the official scanned copy from RO. However, some may insist on hard copies e.g. Indiana Bloomington & European universities. LUMS official transcript can be obtained from RO in a week. RO can also directly dispatch the sealed transcript to prospective graduate schools in about 2 weeks You should preferably order the transcripts in early November to avoid any delays (because RO!) If you need to obtain transcripts from other undergrad institutes– begin early! Most of these institutes have a tedious and lengthy process Make sure to check the requirements of the universities you are applying to! GPA conversions Don’t delay them! 27

28. Sending Test Scores Official GRE and TOEFL scores are required by most universities. To be sent directly by ETS. 4 score reports can be sent for free. Don’t waste them (like I did) Additional Score Reports (ASRs) to be ordered from ETS ($27 for GRE, $20 for TOEFL) Usually received by universities after one-two weeks of ordering Some universities may allow self-reporting of scores during the application review process e.g. Nebraska, Michigan State, Minnesota etc. Email their graduate program coordinators, whining about the cost of sending OSRs and asking them to accept unofficial scores. 28

29. Some Admission Precedents GRE General (V/Q/W) GRE Subject Percentile c GPA Acceptances 163/168/5.0 77 3.90 MIT 164/166/4.5 94 3.94 Princeton, Yale 163/165/4.5 94 3.93 UChicago , UC Santa Barbara 152/168/4.0 N/A 3.86 U Minnesota 166/166/5.0 N/A 3.30 UC Davis, Rochester, Indiana, UMass 153/166/4.0 85 3.91 Johns Hopkins, Duke 161/163/5.0 92 3.34 U Minnesota, Michigan State 152/161/3.5 70 3.65 Utah, FSU, Virginia Tech, U Kansas 152/158/3.5 N/A MS = 3.90 UMass Amherst, Bowling Green State University 149/155/3.0 U South Carolina 151/158/4.0 N/A 3.21 UMass Amherst 143/154/3.0 N/A Southern Illinois University Carbondale 29

30. Some points… Talk to your seniors … reach out. Listen to their experience and then make an informed decision of what you want to do. Don’t compare your scores, admissions etc. with anyone else. Just Be Yourself and Believe on You! Remember: T hey will look at your application holistically. GREs, TOEFL, GPA, SOP, Recommendations etc. everything matters. Do give the GRE subject if you can (esp if GPA not very high), it matters because it is a parameter they can judge you on. Precedents do matter. Be supportive of each other and share information! It is emotionally and financially taxing but consider it an investment . Remember that whatever happens happens for the best  30

31. THANK YOU! 31