US graduate schools normally accept foreign students from all around the world. The cultural, intellectual, and experiential diversity of schools are enriched by the presence of foreign students. Still, your chances of getting into the graduate school will depend on how well you compare with other students. Aside from this, you will have to consider how to get approved for your green card. This article will cover some tips on how foreign students can apply at a US graduate school and get approved for a green card.
Have your plans made
Before you even begin to think of which schools you want to go to, you will have to think of what you want to study. Make sure that you have a good idea of what you want to study and why you want to study that particular field. Also, consider how your graduate school studies will affect your career life. This will help you make a sound decision as to which schools to apply to. Find the schools with programs that will help you progress towards your goals. Do your research well and you will have better chances of getting everything right to get accepted to your school of choice.
Take your application seriously
When completing your application requirements, make sure that you work hard on your application package. Do this by taking note of deadlines and scheduling your activities appropriately. Give yourself ample time to complete all of your requirements, including your resume, graduate school admission essay, and letters of recommendation. Make sure that you know of any extra requirements that you need as a foreign student. Compiling an exceptional, honest, and complete application package is your first step to getting into graduate school.
Getting the green light on your green card
So your graduate school has finally accepted you and you are ready to start working towards your green card. Motivate yourself by reminding yourself of the fact that graduate degree holders often have better chances of being approved for their green card. Do well on your studies and you will have better chances of being successful once you graduate. Most importantly, have faith in yourself that you can do well and succeed. This faith will get you through the tough times and, sooner than you know it, you may receive the green light on your green card.
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If being an “A” student is what you’re after, there are lots of ways to that, and there are tons of books and articles that can give these tips to you. But before you set off to the path that these articles and books will lay out for you, take this as a head start. There’s one effective way to get to that longed for academic hall of fame: eradicate and avoid bad study habits and attitudes. Here are some of them.
* Settling for mediocre outputs
If you’re aiming for an A, why settle for anything less? You will be surprised to find out that in the academe, mediocrity is “the ordinary.” It is the norm, and sometimes even the trend. But what’s keeping you from stepping out of the box? Shine! Make it a habit to make the best output out of anything you do, especially in school. Papers that are just a few points above the passing score? Drop them. You can always do better than “just that.” So why not do a “bit more?”
* Acting on impulse
Spontaneity and careful decision making are two things that have to be prioritized in different circumstances. In some cases, acting on instinct can lead you to places. However, in the academe, most of the decisions and actions that you will have to make often require a lot of thinking, like thesis topic proposals, research works, and reaction papers. Stop cramming. You might have gotten high grades in some of your crammed school outputs but don’t have the impression that it will always go that way. It’s still worth really working hard on and pondering over your school work.
* Procrastinating too much
If you’re not in the mood or if your brain’s just not yet willing to do some hardcore mind exercise, do something else that’s still productive. For example, you may arrange your school papers, file them according to dates or subjects, look for potential resources for your research paper, or plan a study schedule.
* Dwelling on negativity
Stop counting the exams, papers, reports, and projects that you have to work on and get started. There’s no use ranting over them. It just adds to your stress and subtracts your time to actually work on your school must-do’s. Also, avoid taking harsh feedback and perceived incompetence negatively. If you get a low grade in an exam or in a paper, think about how your next grade has no other way but up. So set that goal of getting an “A” next time and work on achieving it.
* Ignoring the bigger picture
Always keep yourself reminded of the real reason why you’re in school. Don’t lose sight of your long-term goals. Exams and papers are not just requirements to get passing grades in a particular course. These are tests of what you have learned so that you will be well-equipped when you set off to the real world.
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Getting a graduate degree can provide you with more employment options and opportunities. However, graduate studies don’t come cheap. It would take a lot of financial planning for you to afford graduate school education in case you earn just a meager income and haven’t saved up for this. Don’t lose hope, though, because there are various organizations that provide financial aid and grant loans as well as scholarships for those looking to pursue graduate school education.
FAFSA
Check whether the graduate school you’re applying to is a member of federal student aid programs. If it is, check the requirements that will make you eligible for federal student aid. You can then start filling up the application form through FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
In-house financial aid and scholarship programs
There are many graduate schools offering in-house scholarship and financial aid programs. Schools that are participating members of the federal student aid use the FAFSA to get information regarding a student’s eligibility and financial status.
If you plan on pursuing graduate studies in private schools, you must inquire about the requirements these schools ask from students looking for financial aid. These requirements typically include the graduate school essay, in which you can write about your financial status and why the school should grant you a scholarship or provide you with financial aid with the help of a sample graduate school essay.
There are also graduate schools that do not have in-house scholarships and financial aid programs but are affiliated with various funding organizations. Below are just some organizations that provide funding for graduate school students in need of financial aid.
NASA Aeronautics Scholarship Program
If you plan to get a graduate degree in fields such as Aeronautical Engineering, Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Aeronautics, or Computer Science, then you should try applying for scholarships from the NASA Aeronautics Scholarship Program. This program gives grants of up to $11,000 per school year and you can even get an annual stipend of $35,000.
The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation
You can get a scholarship worth $30,000 from Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation if you want to get a graduate degree in the field of public service.
The Ford Foundation
If you plan to pursue a doctorate degree in academic disciplines such as Computer Science, Engineering, Earth Sciences, History, and other related fields, then you should check whether you’re eligible for a scholarship from Ford Foundation.
American Association for University Women
The American Association for University Women (AAUW) foundation offers grants to women pursuing graduate studies, regardless of socio-economic background, religion, or race.
Gates Millennium Scholars
An offshoot of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates Millenium Scholars GMS has been offering financial aid to more than 12,000 deserving students ever since 1999. The goal of this program is to provide financially challenged students with access to quality education. Increasing the representation of certain groups in different academic fields such as health sciences, engineering, mathematics, etc. is also a goal of this program.
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Until now, there is no single organization that is authorized to rank graduate school programs in the US. This is why the rankings of various graduate school programs vary. Different institutions use different methodologies when it comes to gathering and analyzing data about graduate school programs, producing dissimilar results.
Ranking results are also made complicated by the fact that the results published by organizations and magazines are often categorized into different academic fields. For example, the school that offers the best business and medical school programs may rank low in their engineering and computer graduate school programs. This is why this compilation lists five often cited top graduate school programs that are categorized according to different fields of study.
Top five law school programs
* Harvard University Law School
* Yale University Law School
* Columbia University Law School
* New York University School of Law
* Stanford University Law School
Top five graduate business and administration programs
* Harvard University – Harvard Business School (HBS)
* Kellogg School of Management – Northwestern University
* The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
* Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management
* Stanford University Graduate School of Business
Top five medical school programs
* Harvard University Medical School
* University of California – San Francisco School of Medicine
* Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
* The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
* University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
The rankings of medical schools made by World Report and US News were done by weighing the merits of schools according to the primary care and research facilities and programs of medical schools. Business school rankings, on the other hand, are usually categorized based on the types of MBA programs available such as executive, full-time, part-time, dual, and online.
Based on the lists, Harvard University and Stanford University are often cited as two of the top universities offering excellent graduate programs. Harvard and Stanford are both renowned for their highly selective admission criteria and procedures, including them in the roster of the most prestigious universities in the US. The alumni of these two schools include politicians, CEOs, Nobel Prize winners, Pulitzer Prize winners, and various individuals who are widely recognized in their chosen fields.
When applying to any graduate program in any school, it’s important that you create an excellent graduate admission essay. Writing an impressive graduate admission essay with the help of a sample graduate school essay can help you get accepted into the school of your choice even if your college grades are not exceptionally high.
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Going for further studies, whether right after an undergrad or after years of working as a professional, is one of the routes to realizing a dream or ambition. Choosing a graduate school may not be that hard, but getting in would present a challenge.
Admissions committee of graduate school require submission of a graduate school essay and send out topics that are generally classified into two forms :the personal graduate school essay and the career or course-specific graduate school essay.
A personal graduate school essay works much like how a college admission essay did for you when you were fresh from high school. However, with a graduate school essay, it’s more than just a peek that they are taking. An individual is bound to have changed after four or so years of undergrad education (and a number of years in the workforce for returning professionals). Cite some significant personal changes and improvements in your graduate school essay. Mention in your graduate school essay how time and experience has shaped you into who you are today.
The career or course-specific graduate school essay on the other hand, is dealt to applicants who are applying for master’s in quantitative fields of study. Though it pays to mention your research experience in your sample graduate essay, you have to write your graduate school essay in a clear, concise and effective manner. A graduate school essay written in such a way that it would be understood even by non-experts is a clear indication of the applicant’s ability to explain well.
Having low GPAs from your undergrad and high school years may raise a few eyebrows from the admissions panel but you can recapture their interest in you by writing an impressive graduate school essay. Explanations for having low GREs and GPAs can be discussed in a graduate school essay.
Tips in writing a graduate school essay
Before proceeding with writing a graduate school essay for submission to the graduate school of your dreams, bear in mind the following :
Regardless of the type of graduate school essay assigned to you, always make sure to answer the topics or questions clearly. It helps to plan an outline for your graduate school essay and ample research regarding the topic will help you go a long way.
Speak about why this program is suitable for you. Have a statement of your purpose in enrolling in a certain institute in your graduate school essay. Whether if its to advance your research on a certain field of study or to fulfill a lifelong dream, address the admissions panel with how getting in could greatly help you.
Of course, graduate schools are also on the look out for talent to add to their roster of academic achievers. Aside from listing down your academic and other credentials, it would be advantageous if you could state in your graduate school essay how much you could contribute to the institution, without sounding too boastful or exaggerated.
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A graduate school essay is crucial in your application for a graduate study in any University. In writing a good graduate school essay, read an excellent sample graduate essay to guide you.
The quality of your graduate school essay has a great impact on the result of your admission application. So, it is necessary that you are going to write a flawless essay. Start by finding a well-written sample graduate school essay and identify the qualities that make it exceptional. Try to incorporate the qualities of a sample graduate school essay in your own essay. And try to avoid committing the common mistakes committed in writing a graduate school essay.
One of the usual mistakes in writing a graduate school essay is the attempt of the writer to impress the admission officers by being insincere in portraying his own personality. Although, a well-written sample graduate school essay you see on the Internet shows only the positive qualities of the writer, this doesn’t mean you have to made up qualities that would be included in your essay. You have to remember that the admission officers read hundreds of essays, therefore, they can see through your lies.
Another common mistake in writing a graduate school essay is writing a statement of purpose that is already a cliché. A good sample graduate school essay, reveals a statement of purpose that is fresh, interesting, and sincere.
The attempt to be humorous is another mistake that writers usually commit. When you read a good sample graduate essay, you will find that although the language is light, it is still formal. Being overly creative is a mistake in writing your graduate school essay. A well-written sample graduate school essay can capture the interest of the reader by the first reading because of the writer’s creativity in presenting his points, but it doesn’t mean that you would only focus on the creativity of your work. You have to remember that the most important aspect of a sample graduate school essay is the message that the writer is trying to deliver.
Another common mistake of the writer is focusing more on the the interesting experiences in his life that he forgot to talk about his future plans. A well-written sample graduate essay highlights the writers career goals. So, in writing your graduate school essay, give the impression that you are a person that is career and goal-oriented by talking about your future plans.
Another common mistake is the inclusion of controversial issues in the graduate school essay. A good sample graduate essay does not discuss sensitive issues such as religious and political views. For in discussing your stand in these issues, you risk offending the admission officers
Another mistake is using technical terms in writing a graduate essay. In a good sample graduate essay, jargon is not used. But some applicants employ jargon, having the wrong notion that this is an effective way to show one’s knowledge about the field he is applying to.
Avoiding these mistakes by following the structure and style of an excellent sample graduate school essay will give you better chances to be admitted in your desired graduate school.
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There are many requirements that you have to submit when you apply for graduate studies, and these include your graduate admission essay. Unlike other documents that you need to pass such as test scores and transcripts, your graduate admission essay can be subjectively interpreted. This is why it’s important for you to allot adequate time to write and edit your essay to make sure that it’s concise, interesting, and engaging. Reading a sample graduate school essay can help you come up with a well-written admission essay.
There are many articles written to provide you with tips on how to write your graduate admission essay. Most of these writing tips put emphasis on the necessity of writing a graduate admission essay that is sincere, concise, and has an organized structure. One of the ways to show your sincerity when writing your graduate admission essay is to write about why a certain program is the best one for you. You can cite your experiences and personal background and relate these to your decision to pursue graduate studies.
Typical information you have to include in your graduate admission essay
Your graduate admission essay must contain information about various aspects such as your greatest achievements and long-term career goals. You can pick a certain topic for your graduate admission essay and then expound on that. You can focus on your reasons for going to graduate school and how your life experiences influenced you to make that decision. You can also write about why you chose that particular graduate school or graduate program.
You can pick from the abovementioned topics and write about them. You can, for example, write about your career goals and then explain why you chose the program and what your concrete plans are. Write about how the degree will benefit you and what you intend to bring to the school if they choose you. Your graduate admission essay should be able to convince admission officers that you’re an excellent addition to their student body.
Making your graduate admission essay a personal essay
Keep in mind that you must not expound on your academic achievements without relating these to your reasons for wanting to go into graduate school. If you do this, you’re just translating into words what your transcripts and test scores can already provide. Your graduate admission essay is not meant to be a resume that’s in essay form. Your graduate admission essay must be personal; it must contain your insights, your inspirations and aspirations. You must write about life experiences that led you to pursuing the path you now want to take. Your graduate admission essay must give admission officers a glimpse of your life and how you are as a person because these are the things that your transcript, resume, and test scores won’t be able to show.
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There’s no escape to writing down your admission essays if you intend to apply for graduate studies. Again, referring to a sample graduate school essay would work for your advantage. It cannot be denied that admission process for graduate schools is competitive; you have to stand out through a well-written admission essay.
The statement of purpose is obviously an important portion of the sample graduate school essay. A good sample graduate school essay has a convincing statement of purpose. The statement of purpose is the part in the sample graduate school essay that persuades the faculty and/or admission committee. A sample graduate school essay can be a general essay but portions such as the statement of purpose are directed specifically to the school and faculty and/or committee that will review your essay. You will learn from the sample graduate school essay that it is important to know who your audience will be. The statement of purpose is actually the portion of the sample graduate school essay wherein you’ll have to put much consideration on your purpose and audience.
A sample graduate school essay would suggest that, in writing your statement of purpose, you should be able to answer the faculty’s questions such as:
• Why do want to pursue graduate study?
• What made you choose the graduate program?
• Who are you and what can we expect from you?
These are just the general questions and you might still need to expound on your answers. Of course, you should consider and observe the guidelines such as word count that varies depending on the program or school when writing your statement of purpose. From a sample graduate school essay, you’ll see why writing an effective statement of purpose is important:
• The statement of purpose is the part in the sample graduate school essay that allows you to speak directly to the committee.
• The statement of purpose is the part in the sample graduate school essay that lets you introduce yourself and talk about your experiences and career goals.
• The statement of your purpose is your chance to convince the committee that you qualify for admission in the graduate program you chose and that you have what it takes to belong in their graduate school.
Don’t get carried away though, when writing your statement of purpose. Do not write an autobiography or an emphatic story of your life. Be professional with your tone and avoid using vague words without further explanations.
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Sudden departures are good fodder for deeper thinking. I learned this the hard way when a neighbor’ s father passed away last year in an accident. Mr. Adams was a man of few words. He worked hard for his family for most of their lives, in a job that although provided well for their future was not what he really wanted in life. His sudden passing brought a halt to his plans to volunteer in rebuilding one of the community’s shelters, as he had an unknown skill at being a good craftsman and was a compassionate being at heart. This has spurned in me the realization that life should not be spent waiting for that chance to be happy. Although my current job has substantially provided for me, I feel a certain dissatisfaction from not being able to do what I really want. I realized that it was time for a change greater than a radically different haircut. I needed to make a career move towards the direction that I have wandered away from.
A path towards the teaching profession was what I envisioned when I was in my undergraduate years, but I postponed going in that direction for the past two years while working in a corporate setting. But looking back, it was in my internship period as a teaching assistant that I felt the happiest and the most content. I decided that it was time I return to my roots and embark on a path to be an educator. I feel that as a teacher I can help mold young minds and provide inspiration to children in my community. I myself have mentors whom I look up to because they have helped me become the person that I am right now. This desire to help someone achieve and the proper training as an educator will help me achieve my goal.
I am now all set to devote my time and attention towards developing my skills and knowledge as a teacher and I have the undergraduate scholastic records that prove that I have been diligent enough as a student. I am comfortable when speaking to a group of people, and having the proper training can help me address a classroom full of youths someday. The classroom is always full of students from differing backgrounds, and I can relate to them being from a family of immigrants from Chile. Though I am fluent in Spanish and English, my parents had a hard time mastering a language that was different from what they were used to. Eventually, with the help of others, they learned quickly and have been able to converse and understand the new country they were in. I want to make the same difference as the people who taught my parents English have, that with the proper knowledge, one can be able to rise up from challenges. I want my future students to be aware that they can be as great as they want to be, in whichever path they choose. Hopefully, they won’t have to wait for things to happen, and that they grab every chance they get to do what they were meant to do, as I have and will be once I get the chance to be a true educator.
Thank you for your consideration.
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Graduating from college may mean different things to different people; it can end your stay in the campus and have you looking for jobs; or, it can mean that you’re now eligible for getting an advanced degree. You may feel lost after graduation and not know what to do next. This is a good time for you to consider if you’re going to pursue graduate studies or not.
Individuals pursue graduate studies for different reasons. Others do it simply because they’re not ready to enter the workforce yet and would like to buy themselves some time before they go out there and get a job, while others want a graduate degree to increase their marketability. Below are other reasons why you should consider going into graduate school.
Getting a graduate degree will give you more options and employment opportunities.
Companies consider a graduate degree as a valuable commodity, which means that when you pursue graduate studies and get your degree, more doors will be opened to you that will otherwise remain inaccessible. Many employers choose applicants who have advanced degrees over those who have only relevant work experience. This doesn’t just occur in the academe, but also in other fields such as computing and technology, as well as psychology.
Pursuing graduate studies increases the knowledge you acquired in college.
If you feel that your college education provided you with knowledge on broad topics and was inadequate, then enrolling in a graduate program can help you gain more information about the specific field you wish to pursue. Graduate school can give you training in the specialization of your choice. You also have the chance to choose which classes to take.
Enrolling in a graduate program improves your research skills.
Research is essential for any field and industry. In college, you were taught many theories regarding research, but there may have been only a few opportunities for you to apply this theoretical knowledge. When you take part in a graduate program, you will be given the chance to hone your research skills. There are many opportunities for you to put your knowledge to use. Many graduate schools combine classroom sessions with field work. This kind of method is called experiential learning and through this, you’re going to be more equipped when it comes to responding and dealing with various real situations in your chosen field.
Once you’ve decided to pursue graduate studies, you then have to prepare for various tests and make sure that you have the requirements asked by various schools. These include your transcripts, graduate admission essay, resume, and letters of recommendation. Make sure that you read a sample graduate school essay to help you create an interesting and well-written graduate admission essay. Doing so can increase your chances of getting into your dream graduate school.
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