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Thanks for your post. On the service it would appear that you have much of what admissions committees will be looking for. You have a good list of schools which I think are realistic but certainly not “sure things”. You will need to use all of your experience to convince the committee of your motivation and readiness for graduate study. Masters programs are in general “easier” to get into mainly because there are more slots for students – but it is still critical to present yourself as a highly qualified applicant through your essays and letters of recommendation. Your grades, test scores and resume will not speak for themselves.
Good luck.
Heatherquote:
Originally posted by restlessmind1Dear Admission Consultants,
I am going to be a 4th year student at UCLA (Bioengineering-undergrad) and I was wondering if I can get an idea on what my chances are in terms of getting into the following schools for Masters Programs. Also I have heard that getting into M.S. programs are a bit easier than PhD programs, is this true or just a myth?
I am going to be applying soon for M.S. programs in Bioengineering to the following schools:
(note that these are all for M.S. Programs)
UCLA
UCSD
UC Davis
UC Irvine
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Washington, Seattle
Georgia Tech
Washington University in St. Louis
Cornell University
Duke University
Columbia University
Boston University
Yale University
Rice UniversityMy stats are as follows:
Cumulative GPA: 3.496
Major GPA: 3.620
GRE: 1370 (730 Math, 640 Verbal, 4.5 AW)Research Experience: 28 months
Research Statistics:
(1) 3rd Author Publication
(1) 1st Author Abstract Publication
(4) Formal Oral Presentation/Research Seminars
(1) Formal Poster Presentations
(2) University Level Research AwardsI will also have 3 solid recommendations from Prof. in the department
Thank You So much for all your guidance and help. I greatly appreciate it!
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Thanks for your post. It sounds like you have some competitive schools in mind. As for the GRE, since you are an international student they will not be as concerned about your verbal score, your TOEFL and written portions of the application should alleviate any concerns in that area. Your “overall chance” of being admitting to any of these programs is hard to assess without doing a full consultation where we would review your transcripts, assess your references and discuss your essays and experience. Just having good grades and test scores will not be enough for these programs – you will need to show the committee that you are motivated and have a clear understanding of what you hope to do with the degree. You should pursue work/volunteer opportunities that will bring you into contact with the people/jobs that you hope to do one day. What kinds of organizations do you hope to work for? Do you have any experience or know anyone who works for this organization/company? Having a mentor will help you better understand the field and refine your goals.
Good luck with your search.
Regards,
Heatherquote:
Originally posted by tomasltcHello Admissions consultant. First of all, congratulations for the Blog.
Im a international student from Brazil and will apply for some internatonal relations / public adminitration courses this year. Target programs: Columbia SIPA – MIA, Jonh Hopkins SAIS – MA, Kennedy School MPA ID, Georgetown SFS and Yale IDE.
Profile:
Economics Major in Top Brazilian University – Average Score: 7.1/10 (That would be top 25% of my class)
GRE: 770 Q, 500V, 4 AW
Work Experience: 4 years as a trader in financial markets for a top american bank. By the time of application I’ll probably be just starting working as an economic consultant focused on Brazilian government projects
Requirenments: Advanced courses in micro/macro/statistics/multivariable calculus
Extra: Volunteer work, lived in Canada, extension courses in USWould like to hear your opinion on:
– Should I retake GRE due to my scores on Verbal and Analytical sections (have taken the TOEFL of 100/120)? Do they consider the best score when you submit multiple GRE scores?
– What are my overall chances?
– What type of work experience could I have to increase my chances before application deadlines? Would this work change help at all for my applications this year?Thank you very much,
Tomas
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Dear Admissions Consultants,
I graduated from a small private school in 2009 with an overall GPA of 3.5; I was pre-med the entire way through school, so a lot of what drove my GPA down was taking rather difficult hard-science classes. I majored in Anthro/Soc (GPA 3.
, and minored in Biology. On the GRE, I got a 640 in Verbal, and a 690 in Quantitative. For the past 2 years, I’ve been working as an interviewer for a behavioral genetics research project on substance abuse. I know i can get at least two really good letters of recommendation, but I’m a bit concerned about my third letter.Part of my problem with applying to grad school is that there are so few programs that really fit my specifications for what I want to do. I’d like to get a PhD in Psychological Anthropology, with a particular focus on neuropsychobiology, and I’d like to do a dissertation focusing on a cross-cultural analysis on sex and gender (including the biological aspects). I’m not sure if this level of specificity works to my advantage or disadvantage. My top schools at the moment are University of Chicago’s Comparative Human Development program, UCSD Psychological Anthropology, Emory Cultural Anthropology (with a certificate in the Center for Mind, Brain, and Culture program), UC Davis Anthropology, and UCLA Psychocultural and Medical Anthropology. Aside from those, I haven’t been able to find much that fits what I want.
1) What do you think my chances are of getting in to any of those programs?
2) What are my chances of getting decent financial aid/scholarships, etc?
3) Is there anything I can do to improve my chances? Most people going to grad school now are doing so because the economy is terrible, and they might as well be in school. But I just am generally totally in love with scholarship, and would want to do this even if the economy were fabulous.Any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a ton in advance!
Sincerely,
KaliThanks for your post. Without seeing your transcripts and I can’t say definitively but it looks like you are academically well positioned. Your verbal GRE score is a bit low but I’m not sure it’s worth re-taking unless you feel you have the time to study and make a big difference in the score. I assume you will have other areas of the application that will show your verbal aptitude. I do think you have the makings of a competitive application but keep in mind that the essays and letters of recommendation and a big part of the application process for public policy programs. These programs are competitive so you might also think about expanding your school list. Good luck.
Heatherquote:
Originally posted by myhopemegHi,
I would like to pursue an advanced degree in public policy studies, and I am thinking about applying to KSG, Woodrow WIlson, and Goldman.
UI: Duke
Majors: Public Policy and Women’s Studies
GPA: 3.745
Coursework: many public policy courses, AP credits for two calculus classes (never took them in college but they still show on my college transcript), two econ courses, and a statistics course.
Graduated with Distinction (honors thesis in public policy) and Latin Honors
GRE: V640, M800, W4.5
TrilingualI am going to work at a public policy institute for two years before applying. I am also currently working on a research project for a local charity church to improve its understanding of the people who seek help from this church. On top of these two projects, I conducted a community research project in Nicaragua, received a fellowship from my UI to conduct the Nicaraguan research project, was a finalist for a prestigious scholarship, and was selected to participate in a Duke scholarship program. I also worked as a research assistant for public policy professors for three years when I was in college.
I am nervous about my GRE score… What are my chances of getting into the programs that I listed above?
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thanks for your post. choosing a PhD program can be really difficult because fitting your research interest to a program can be a bit of a puzzle. Your best approach is to find faculty at programs with whom you feel a strong connection. Correspond with faculty – discuss your interests and how they match with their research/program. You may not find the “perfect” match – but the research should seem like a good opportunity for growth and extension for your own research.
Psychology related PhD programs are very competitive right now – so I would suggest that you expand your list if you can – not that your list isn’t realistic – it’s just better to be safe and add a few schools.
Any opportunity for research experience is worth pursuing and will further help your chances for admission. Typically, the better your application – the better your chances for scholarships and funding – and many PhD students receive stipends to help with costs.
Good luck with your studies.
Heatherquote:
Originally posted by KbertDear Admissions Consultants,
I graduated from a small private school in 2009 with an overall GPA of 3.5; I was pre-med the entire way through school, so a lot of what drove my GPA down was taking rather difficult hard-science classes. I majored in Anthro/Soc (GPA 3.
, and minored in Biology. On the GRE, I got a 640 in Verbal, and a 690 in Quantitative. For the past 2 years, I’ve been working as an interviewer for a behavioral genetics research project on substance abuse. I know i can get at least two really good letters of recommendation, but I’m a bit concerned about my third letter.Part of my problem with applying to grad school is that there are so few programs that really fit my specifications for what I want to do. I’d like to get a PhD in Psychological Anthropology, with a particular focus on neuropsychobiology, and I’d like to do a dissertation focusing on a cross-cultural analysis on sex and gender (including the biological aspects). I’m not sure if this level of specificity works to my advantage or disadvantage. My top schools at the moment are University of Chicago’s Comparative Human Development program, UCSD Psychological Anthropology, Emory Cultural Anthropology (with a certificate in the Center for Mind, Brain, and Culture program), UC Davis Anthropology, and UCLA Psychocultural and Medical Anthropology. Aside from those, I haven’t been able to find much that fits what I want.
1) What do you think my chances are of getting in to any of those programs?
2) What are my chances of getting decent financial aid/scholarships, etc?
3) Is there anything I can do to improve my chances? Most people going to grad school now are doing so because the economy is terrible, and they might as well be in school. But I just am generally totally in love with scholarship, and would want to do this even if the economy were fabulous.Any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a ton in advance!
Sincerely,
KaliAdmissionsConsultants
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Thanks for your post. Given your international degree, it is really hard for me to assess your academic chances for admission based on just your GPAs. Typically, in an initial consultation we would look through your transcripts. It sounds like you have a good academic background and your TOEFL will have a strong influence, given your verbal GRE score. To be a strong PhD applicant – you will need to make sure that you have strong research experience and your research goals should be a match for the programs to which you apply. Feel free to contact us for further help. Good luck with your search.
Heatherquote:
Originally posted by VitoHi Admissions Consultant,
I am Armenian and want to apply to top universities’ operations research/operations management/financial engineering/management science Phd programs
My GPA’s are 4.82/5(bachelor), 5/5(master), 3.96/4(master to be earned in 2012); GRE (verbal-230,math-800,AW-dismissed)
I am planning to take TOEFL which will be about 95 or higher.
I have 1 year of work experience as an economist and financial analyst.
I have very good mathematical background.
Can you evaluate my chances at a glance?
Thank you beforehand.AdmissionsConsultants
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Thank you for the additional information. It does sounds like you have done a lot to prepare yourself for PhD study. You are correct, assessing your international degrees will be hard to gauge. Schools will go though your transcripts to see how you performed in specific classes and subjects. They will look at your letters of recommendation for attributes that they feel indicate success in their program – leadership, initiative etc. Your essay will help them understand your motivation for a PhD and your match with their specific program. Improved GRE and TOEFL scores will make a big difference in your chances of acceptance. Based on what I see – it does seem that you are on your way to putting together a strong application. I hope this helps a bit more – good luck with your search.
Heatherquote:
Originally posted by VitoDear Heather,
Thank you for your response. Indeed, I have good academic background. I want to give you more details about me.
1.I have 3 articles to be published soon
2.I always keep contact with the faculty of the program I am interested in
3.I will have good recommendation letters from scholars of recognized universities.
My class ranks are as follows:Armenian State University of Economics, bachelor
Mathematical methods and operations research in economics
class rank #7Armenian State University of Economics, master
Mathematical methods and models in economics
class rank #1American University of Armenia, master
Industrial Engineering and Systems management
class rank #2 currentlyMy main concern is my universities that are not as recognized as they could be.
I am planning to take the new GRE revised test focusing primarily on the Verbal and AW parts. Now I am practicing both tests: I have improved TOEFL score-it is now above 100 (iBT).
As I have already mentioned I am planning to apply to the Top universities Operations Research related disciplines.
What further information do you need to evaluate my chances for enrollment?
Thank you very much.Vitali
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Thanks for your post. The kind of program you are looking for will in fact be quite unique – I do not know of any off the top of my head. You may find one or two the closely fit your criteria but keep in mind it is a good idea to spread your chances out a bit – you may need to apply to a few of these programs that do not fit “perfectly” but are “close enough”. Keep in mind that once you are in a graduate program – you may be able to customize your path even if it is not explicitly stated in the materials. It sounds like you’ve done a good job preparing for graduate school with your prior degrees. Keep in mind that an MFA will look for a strong portfolio from applicants. In addition a strong personal statement that outlines your goals may help the admissions committee have a better understanding of what you are looking for – they may see a fit that you do not (on the surface).
Good luck in your search.
Heatherquote:
Originally posted by csdavisHello!
Qualifications :
Undergraduate degree in English – Creative Writing.
GPA 3.5
Certified Teacher : Texas. EC-6 Generalist, 8-12 English.
Multiple Academic Honors/Dean’s Lists/etc.
((Will take the GRE in the next month, and anticipate no problems. National Merit Finalist in high school and consistent high test scores throughout entire academic career.))I am looking for a very specific graduate school. I finished my undergraduate degree in Spring 2010, and spent the last year picking up a post-bacc teaching certification. Now, I am looking to combine those two interests, and walk out of graduate school with a MFA in Creative Writing, and an Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. The combined focus of that degree plan would be Creative Writing Pedagogy, which I’d look to research, publish about, and directly implement while teaching as a Graduate Assistant.
Unfortunately, I can’t find a program that looks remotely like this. The few people who actively study CRW pedagogy are spread far and wide, and I have yet to run across a specific graduate school that states promoting teaching practices in graduate students as a focus of the program. I have found a few Dual-Degree Master’s level programs with half of the cake (like Alaska-Fairbanks, which offers MFA-Creative Writing and MA in Literature, 3-year-program for both degrees), but none with the specific combination I’m seeking.
So, my question is this… do you know of any schools that accept self-designed dual-degree Master’s level programs? If there is any such program, what are they looking for in a candidate? Or am I wasting my time hoping for something so specific?
Thank you in advance!
Any response is very much appreciated.AdmissionsConsultants
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