Admissions (Don’t skip this step when applying for graduate schools.)
Background
Finding the right school for your graduate studies shapes your academic and professional future. Approach this task strategically by emphasizing careful and targeted research.
Every year, thousands of students apply to graduate schools abroad, and while many have strong profiles, not all applications get the desired outcomes.
A strategic and well-researched approach to shortlisting schools and professors can significantly improve admissions outcomes. Focus on aligning your profile with each program’s research opportunities.
There can be many different approaches to finding a good school for you. The common approach is to look for places you want to be and make a list of schools that match your profile. If you are looking for a very specialized degree that is offered in a few schools only, like mine, you can directly Google “schools offering MS/PhD in xyz,” which will get you a list too.
However, for research-based degrees, there is a better way: you can go by finding the topic of your research instead of finding the school.
Problem Statement
Most students make the mistake of shortlisting schools without proper research or understanding of their own profile in relation to the school’s ranking and acceptance rate.
Other common mistakes include overlooking factors like state, tuition fees, funding, living expenses, climate, and diversity. These errors often result in applications being rejected, even for highly qualified students.
Examples
Imagine a student with an excellent academic profile, but who sends the same essay and CV to multiple universities without tailoring them. Despite a strong background, this student might face rejection because their application does not demonstrate a genuine fit with the program or professors.
On the other hand, an average-profile student who carefully researches potential professors, tailors their essays, and strategically presents their strengths may secure admission.
By showing alignment with the university’s research focus and demonstrating motivation, this student can outperform even stronger profiles that were not prepared thoughtfully.
Tips, Methods, and Guidelines
1. Using the U.S. News website
If you already know what state or city you want to study in, the U.S. News website is the best resource to start looking for schools.
Go to the education page and shortlist schools based on the field of study and state.
If you don’t know where you want to go, try understanding U.S. geography first. Make yourself familiar with the southern states, the northern region, the east coast, and the west coast. Find out the cost of living, tax laws, weather, diversity, etc., in the states that interest you. Once you have enough information, come back to the U.S. News website.
If you still find everything confusing and overwhelming, Education USA is a handy resource, and they also offer free advising to students. Write them an email or join their Q&A webinars.
2. Factors to consider
While shortlisting schools, consider your profile versus the ranking of the school and its acceptance rate. Look out for other factors that can matter to you, such as state, tuition fees and funding, living expenses, and climate.
3. Finding professors
For research-based degrees, instead of shortlisting schools and then finding professors through those universities, you can also search for your topic in research databases like Google Scholar, Scopus, Elsevier, etc.
Sort through recently published articles and find out who wrote them. You can even contact the students and research groups to get more details.
This approach is very effective if you already know what you want to work on, as it gives you a map of professors working in that area across the U.S. Write to them and apply to their school once you get a green signal.
4. Tracking progress
You should always track your progress before sending applications to each university.
Make an Excel sheet and maintain it for each school. Keep track of the professors you have shortlisted, the requirements of the university, and the expenses.
You should also make a separate folder for each school and save a separate file for your tailored essays and resume in each folder. This is very important. Some students just send out the exact same essay to every school or the same email and CV to every professor.
Please look at the requirements and tailor your material accordingly before you send out your application or email.
Conclusion
Applying for graduate schools is more than just filling out forms; it is a strategic process that requires research, preparation, and attention to detail.
By carefully selecting schools, finding professors aligned with your research interests, and tracking your progress systematically, you can maximize your chances of success.