If you want to pursue your higher studies (master’s or Ph.D.) in Canada/ USA, this post will help you get an idea of the admission process and scholarship. It is ideal to apply in the fall semester (September) because most universities take students in this term and many scholarships are also available.
# Application
Package: To complete your application, you need to
have
Passport, CV, Marksheet/ Transcript, Certificate, Experience (optional), SOP/ Research Proposal, IELTS, Research work/ Publication (optional), 2/3 References (LoR) and application fee.
Full Plan to Come to Canada/USA as an International Student (Fall Semester)
1/List universities and
professors (As soon as possible)
You
can choose your desired educational institutions based on
Ranking
(1-500? One of the factors!),
Location
(temperature; your family/relatives/friends may stay there). For example, I did
not select any university in Quebec because I need to learn French in the future.
Tuition
fee & Scholarship (tuition fee needs to be
affordable so that you can pay easily. Big universities have huge facilities
and research funds),
Job
and part-time jobs opportunities (try to find
someone who studied in that university)
Other
opportunities (your criteria)
You will find all information on the university website. There are sections like:
Admission,
Prospective Student, How to Apply, Online Application, Admission Requirement …….
2. 2/ Email to the professor
(Timeline: September to November)
After
listing five universities (more or less), you must send emails to the teachers
of your chosen department. You can send emails to more than one faculty in the
same department (no problem). However, your research interest must be aligned
with the professor’s interest.
In
most cases, your admission and scholarship/fundings depend on the decision of the
professor who will be your supervisor in the future.
How
to convince a professor?
> Research
the professors (try university website, Google Scholar, ResearchGate),
> read
his/her research articles,
> understand his/her recently published articles,
and
> take
time and send emails properly.
You
will find everything online.
Admission
and Scholarships depend on
a.
Research experience and/or
b.
Publication and/or
c.
Statement of Purpose (SoP)/ research proposal and/or
d.
Letter of Recommendation (LoR) and/or
e.
CGPA! and/or
f.
GRE!
g. Convincing a professor
With
a better CGPA and IELTS score, you may pass the preliminary test but you need
to have strong a, b, c, d, e, f, g……. to be selected.
SoP
is very important. Don’t copy from others.
Make it original and keep it concise. Develop your SOP & recheck with
seniors or teachers (if possible).
LoR:
collect LoRs before the application. Time management is crucial in the
application process. Make a draft copy of LOR since professors are busy and it
may help them preparing LoR for you.
CV:
develop a professional CV and update
regularly.
Application
Timeline = September to January
Application
fee = 0 to 150 CAD
Hard
Copies Submission (Jan to April)
Some universities require hard copies of your transcripts/ certificates. So, you need to tell the officials of the registrar building and collect hard copies and envelopes.
Send files with the envelope via DHL or FedEx but write your
educational institute’s name instead of yours in the sender section.
Final
Decision = Wait and check your email. Don’t forget
your passwords.
Timeline:
April to June (3-5 months is enough)
IELTS
exam is costly (17,000+) so take preparation carefully otherwise you will have to
take the exam several times.
IELTS Exam = July & August (2nd time if needed). Get the IELTS certificate before the lockdown. A passport is required to sit for the IELTS exam.
Covid
19 alert! Some universities are accepting students
without GRE scores due to the closure of the exam venues.
Apply
for Visa: as soon as possible
Police
Clearance Certificate (PCC) = validity 6 months only.
IELTS
= validity 2 years
NB:
Collect/ correct your Birth certificate/
NID, Passport, Educational Certificates as soon as possible.
Keep
your parents happy because, without their blessings, you cannot prosper in life.
Author: Shoukot Ali, a full funded MA Student at SFU in Canada
Nice one
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot sir
ReplyDelete