Yildiz:

Please in which centre are you writing? I want to register for same date in Abuja. About BY Mafit, I think they are slow but efficient. I was registered TOEFL with them. Disturb them phone calls until they do it. Please house I realized that most US schools give TA only if your TOEFL speaking is at least 25. Am I right

Why don't you wanna register for it yourself? Or is the company giving you an incentive for registering with them?

DreManuel:


Why don't you wanna register for it yourself? Or is the company giving you an incentive for registering with them?

There is incentive. TOEFL/ GRE with them is 45/50k against 180/200 dollars

Yildiz:

There is incentive. TOEFL/ GRE with them is 45/50k against 180/200 dollars

That's good then

DreManuel:


That's good then

Yap. Pls can you suggest a website for me where I will see comments on application processes

Yildiz:

Yap. Pls can you suggest a website for me where I will see comments on application processes

You mean for the GRE or schools?

School. Am having trouble because i dont have any creteria except good school and full funding option. may be if i can narrow my search to states or regions it will be easier or lower cost of living or friendly weather. i just have to narrow my search area.

DreManuel:


You mean for the GRE or schools?

Yildiz:
School. Am having trouble because i dont have any creteria except good school and full funding option. may be if i can narrow my search to states or regions it will be easier or lower cost of living or friendly weather. i just have to narrow my search area.

It's not that straightforward, but let me see how I can address your position.

But let me get more info from you:

What course do you want to study? And what did you do as your undergraduate?

What's your CGPA?

Do you want to sponsor yourself or looking for funding? This would be the deciding factor in the end.

Do you have any dream schools?

What scores are you targeting for the GRE?

Do you have teaching/working experience?

Can you withstand any kind of climate?

.......

DreManuel:


It's not that straightforward, but let me see how I can address your position.

But let me get more info from you:

What course do you want to study? And what did you do as your undergraduate?

What's your CGPA?

Do you want to sponsor yourself or looking for funding? This would be the deciding factor in the end.

Do you have any dream schools?

What scores are you targeting for the GRE?

Do you have teaching/working experience?

Can you withstand any kind of climate?

.......

I studied EE in Undergrad, EE Masters (Signal and Image processing). I want to do a PhD in Image processing or biomedical engineering

Undergrad CGPA 4.26/5. Masters 3.5/4

Am looking for full funding

My previous GRE score is 314 written in 2013 (still Valid). I hope to improve to 320-325.

I dont have a dream School

I was an assistant lecturer in a federal university for about 4 months, ive worked for about 3 years, i have about 5 academic publications (international conferences and journals including IEEE conferences)

I have withstand up to -3 degree (did masters in turkey)

Yildiz:

I studied EE in Undergrad, EE Masters (Signal and Image processing). I want to do a PhD in Image processing or biomedical engineering

Undergrad CGPA 4.26/5. Masters 3.5/4

Am looking for full funding

My previous GRE score is 314 written in 2013 (still Valid). I hope to improve to 320-325.

I dont have a dream School

I was an assistant lecturer in a federal university for about 4 months, ive worked for about 3 years, i have about 5 academic publications (international conferences and journals including IEEE conferences)

I have withstand up to -3 degree (did masters in turkey)

Your profile is impressive, and I think you stand a chance of getting full funding in the US but that depends on how you present your overall profile.

Again, getting a PhD admit is tougher in US esp top schools than MSc because its usually funded one way or the other. You can read a lot of people's experience on Quora.

So, i think most of your energy now should be channelled towards scoring very high in GRE. I even suggest you aim at > 330 so that if you don't reach it, you still land at 325 there about.

At the same time, you can start googling schools in the U.S. that offer your course, and then research their faculties to see professors whose interest closely match what you would like to research on. You can begin to mail such professors asking about the research they are doing, and if possible access to their journals, and how you would love to embark on similar research. Who knows, doors can open through that. Sometimes professors advertise online that they seek research students.

Once you've identified schools that offer your program, you can then categorize them into; Ambitious (e.g. MIT, Harvard), within reach (e.g. Georgia Tech, TAMU), safe schools (e.g. Eastern Illinois Uni, Univ of Alabama) or any categories you want to use based on your profile compared to the profiles of students usually admitted into those schools.

Once your GRE results are out, you can then start application. Based on money at hand, you can spread the number of schools you apply to according to the categories above. More should tilt towards the schools within reach and safe schools and maybe 1 in ambitious school.

The quality of your admission would be on your SOP, LORs, Publications, GRE scores, rtf

Hope this helps.

0110x:
2 slots TOEFL Registration @40k, registration with vouchers. PM if interested.

1 slot TOEFL, 3 Slots GRE Registration @ #47,000.

DreManuel:


Your profile is impressive, and I think you stand a chance of getting full funding in the US but that depends on how you present your overall profile.

Again, getting a PhD admit is tougher in US esp top schools than MSc because its usually funded one way or the other. You can read a lot of people's experience on Quora.

So, i think most of your energy now should be channelled towards scoring very high in GRE. I even suggest you aim at > 330 so that if you don't reach it, you still land at 325 there about.

At the same time, you can start googling schools in the U.S. that offer your course, and then research their faculties to see professors whose interest closely match what you would like to research on. You can begin to mail such professors asking about the research they are doing, and if possible access to their journals, and how you would love to embark on similar research. Who knows, doors can open through that. Sometimes professors advertise online that they seek research students.

Once you've identified schools that offer your program, you can then categorize them into; Ambitious (e.g. MIT, Harvard), within reach (e.g. Georgia Tech, TAMU), safe schools (e.g. Eastern Illinois Uni, Univ of Alabama) or any categories you want to use based on your profile compared to the profiles of students usually admitted into those schools.

Once your GRE results are out, you can then start application. Based on money at hand, you can spread the number of schools you apply to according to the categories above. More should tilt towards the schools within reach and safe schools and maybe 1 in ambitious school.

The quality of your admission would be on your SOP, LORs, Publications, GRE scores, rtf

Hope this helps.

Thanks alot. I will aim for 330 then

Ndawe:


Oh wow, so good to read from you; I have been silently waiting for your update and even though the outcome wasn't anything you'd hoped for, yours is waiting for its grand delivery to you.

I can't thank you enough for this.

But I would try: Thank you ~

...and AMEN.

drhopeful:
You are very much welcome. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need any help . I wish you all the best! Hopefully, you will get into a top program with the PTDF Scholarship.

No words.

Yildiz:

Thanks alot. I will aim for 330 then

While having a 330 or + is impressive, it guaranteees you nothing;

On this thread, 3 people hit that mark with other aspects of their applications being equally stellar yet I would go out on a limb and say they "settled" for what was given to them.

On the other hand, someone with a 307/309 got accepted into Berkeley. Another with 315, into UCLA. In fact, 2 other great guys on here got into fully-funded MSc programs with a 314!

I am not shading anyone. The message I bring is, even as you aim to re-write, why don't you start doing your own personal research on the school you want and then reaching out to POIs?

In my honest opinion, getting a solid advisor on your side is one sure way of getting admitted and funded into any program. At least, it is definitely better than getting a 330.

Proving you can fund yourself (for Master's applicants and to some degree PhDs too) can go a long way. Don't be surprised to see for e.g that someone with a 319; average GPA and TOEFL; 0 publications got into UT Austin because she had an external scholarship (True story!!) Yet the BGS of her faculty with 4.86/5, 325 GRE, 113 TOEFL was bounced by the same school.

Another thing is the nature of one's previous degrees and schools (countries they trust or schools they easily recognize as well as the program you are applying for). And as far as I am concerned, you have that on lock.

Lastly, you already have a master's degree which would convince any Prof that you are really interested in the PhD (as against using it as a means to getting a master's and dumping the program right after). So you should have no reservations about contacting profs.

The reality is, any Prof. that is willing to accept you would do so regardless of the GRE score. So do not overstate the importance of the GRE as all applications are different.

PS: Check msinus.com for a list of schools and GRE scores that have been admitted there. It would give you a range to work with. Startclass.com has some ideas as well as usnews.com

(Look into Georgia Tech seriously - I believe you could get in).

And BTW, the 25 in speaking too is a legend. I had a speaking of 26 in the TOEFL, with a total score of 112 and 80% of my schools bounced me.

Scholastica16:


While having a 330 or + is impressive, it guaranteees you nothing;

On this thread, 3 people hit that mark with other aspects of their applications being equally stellar yet I would go out on a limb and say they "settled" for what was given to them.

On the other hand, someone with a 307/309 got accepted into Berkeley. Another with 315, into UCLA. In fact, 2 other great guys on here got into fully-funded MSc programs with a 314!

I am not shading anyone. The message I bring is, even as you aim to re-write, why don't you start doing your own personal research on the school you want and then reaching out to POIs?

In my honest opinion, getting a solid advisor on your side is one sure way of getting admitted and funded into any program. At least, it is definitely better than getting a 330.

Proving you can fund yourself (for Master's applicants and to some degree PhDs too) can go a long way. Don't be surprised to see for e.g that someone with a 319; average GPA and TOEFL; 0 publications got into UT Austin because she had an external scholarship (True story!!) Yet the BGS of her faculty with 4.86/5, 325 GRE, 113 TOEFL was bounced by the same school.

Another thing is the nature of one's previous degrees and schools (countries they trust or schools they easily recognize as well as the program you are applying for). And as far as I am concerned, you have that on lock.

Lastly, you already have a master's degree which would convince any Prof that you are really interested in the PhD (as against using it as a means to getting a master's and dumping the program right after). So you should have no reservations about contacting profs.

The reality is, any Prof. that is willing to accept you would do so regardless of the GRE score. So do not overstate the importance of the GRE as all applications are different.

PS: Check msinus.com for a list of schools and GRE scores that have been admitted there. It would give you a range to work with. Startclass.com has some ideas as well as usnews.com

(Look into Georgia Tech seriously - I believe you could get in).

And BTW, the 25 in speaking too is a legend. I had a speaking of 26 in the TOEFL, with a total score of 112 and 80% of my schools bounced me.

Actually I see your point. If you consider Chinese Government Scholarship getting a supervisor is the surest way of getting it. My initial plan was to go that but on searching more I realized that there are opportunities in the US. I will try to improve my scores, I will contact professors and I will pray.
Pls do you know any thing about Michigan University, they offer full funding for all accepted Engineering PhD students

Chynwe:
I intend seeking for PhD admission in mathematics or data sciences in canada,US or Australia.I had a cgpa of 4.5/5.0 in my masters.I would like to know if it is possible to get a fully funded PhD admission without toefl or GRE.Thanks

Yes it is but you would not like to put the schools that may offer you such on your CV.

You are a mathematician by all means. Take the PowerPrep II part 1. See where you stand in your Q (but take the whole test in one go). If you are not impressed with the score, take the Manhattan 5lb book and practice weak areas. Take the 2nd part of the Power Prep II and gauge yourself. Then register and take the GRE.

I have a feeling you could easily get a 160+ in the Q so I wonder why you are trying to avoid it. Again, I hate to stress it but, YOU ARE A MATHEMATICIAN.

Notice I am ignoring the V, AWA or even TOEFL to some degree for you. It is because it does not count as much. Learning from other people's experience is the best teacher.

Yildiz:

Actually I see your point. If you consider Chinese Government Scholarship getting a supervisor is the surest way of getting it. My initial plan was to go that but on searching more I realized that there are opportunities in the US. I will try to improve my scores, I will contact professors and I will pray.
Pls do you know any thing about Michigan University, they offer full funding for all accepted Engineering PhD students

I am even referring to US schools in entirety. For e.g, apart from MIT and one or 2 other biggies that don't care about your money, if you told say U Michigan Ann Arbor that you have $100k PTDF scholarship they could admit you even if you had less than 3.7/4 or 314. I know what I am saying.

Michigan University is too broad. Are you referring to Michigan State Uni or Uni of Michigan Ann Arbor? If both, yes, they stated like almost every other school that they fund all accepted PhD applicants.

My experience with the former makes me think they mean "all accepted PhD applicants but still contingent on availability of such funds or else we would have to use a scale of preference".

I have no experience with the latter but they are a top school with huge endowments so I believe they could. But getting a 330 would not give you that much of an advantage as some Chinese and Indians will apply there as one of their school choices along with MIT and Stanford - and most will have the same > or = 330 GRE scores with 4.0 GPAs and crazy internships etc.

If you are considering them, email Profs. You already have a good profile. The Prof will let you know if your 314 will hamper you or need to be improved upon.

Anyone staying around Okoko (in Lagos) and prepping to write October? I need a study partner, biko

Scholastica16:


While having a 330 or + is impressive, it guaranteees you nothing;

On this thread, 3 people hit that mark with other aspects of their applications being equally stellar yet I would go out on a limb and say they "settled" for what was given to them.

On the other hand, someone with a 307/309 got accepted into Berkeley. Another with 315, into UCLA. In fact, 2 other great guys on here got into fully-funded MSc programs with a 314!

I am not shading anyone. The message I bring is, even as you aim to re-write, why don't you start doing your own personal research on the school you want and then reaching out to POIs?

In my honest opinion, getting a solid advisor on your side is one sure way of getting admitted and funded into any program. At least, it is definitely better than getting a 330.

Proving you can fund yourself (for Master's applicants and to some degree PhDs too) can go a long way. Don't be surprised to see for e.g that someone with a 319; average GPA and TOEFL; 0 publications got into UT Austin because she had an external scholarship (True story!!) Yet the BGS of her faculty with 4.86/5, 325 GRE, 113 TOEFL was bounced by the same school.

Another thing is the nature of one's previous degrees and schools (countries they trust or schools they easily recognize as well as the program you are applying for). And as far as I am concerned, you have that on lock.

Lastly, you already have a master's degree which would convince any Prof that you are really interested in the PhD (as against using it as a means to getting a master's and dumping the program right after). So you should have no reservations about contacting profs.

The reality is, any Prof. that is willing to accept you would do so regardless of the GRE score. So do not overstate the importance of the GRE as all applications are differen.

great point, please can i send a PM

Hey guys, I took the Powerprep practice test and I did not do too good in the Verbal section. Do anyone have any idea or the best strategy on how to tackle Reading comprehension questions? Thanks, all.

Scholastica16:


While having a 330 or + is impressive, it guaranteees you nothing;

On this thread, 3 people hit that mark with other aspects of their applications being equally stellar yet I would go out on a limb and say they "settled" for what was given to them.

On the other hand, someone with a 307/309 got accepted into Berkeley. Another with 315, into UCLA. In fact, 2 other great guys on here got into fully-funded MSc programs with a 314!

I am not shading anyone. The message I bring is, even as you aim to re-write, why don't you start doing your own personal research on the school you want and then reaching out to POIs?

In my honest opinion, getting a solid advisor on your side is one sure way of getting admitted and funded into any program. At least, it is definitely better than getting a 330.

Proving you can fund yourself (for Master's applicants and to some degree PhDs too) can go a long way. Don't be surprised to see for e.g that someone with a 319; average GPA and TOEFL; 0 publications got into UT Austin because she had an external scholarship (True story!!) Yet the BGS of her faculty with 4.86/5, 325 GRE, 113 TOEFL was bounced by the same school.

Another thing is the nature of one's previous degrees and schools (countries they trust or schools they easily recognize as well as the program you are applying for). And as far as I am concerned, you have that on lock.

Lastly, you already have a master's degree which would convince any Prof that you are really interested in the PhD (as against using it as a means to getting a master's and dumping the program right after). So you should have no reservations about contacting profs.

The reality is, any Prof. that is willing to accept you would do so regardless of the GRE score. So do not overstate the importance of the GRE as all applications are different.

PS: Check msinus.com for a list of schools and GRE scores that have been admitted there. It would give you a range to work with. Startclass.com has some ideas as well as usnews.com

(Look into Georgia Tech seriously - I believe you could get in).

And BTW, the 25 in speaking too is a legend. I had a speaking of 26 in the TOEFL, with a total score of 112 and 80% of my schools bounced me.

We are speaking from our limited experiences that are not hard and fast. But could you clarify what course/ program the person that got into UC Berkeley with 307/309 is doing and if they got full-funding? And what year they got in, and what their GRE score breakdown is, and overall academic profile? That can help people here make informed decision and not run the risk of making hasty generalization.

And before someone understates the importance of GRE, they might dig more into their program/schools of choice. I applied to University of Michigan and on their site for Mech Engr., it was stated that GRE scores of min 85 percentile in Verbal and Quant is required with a CGPA of 3.7/4.0. So anyone who doesn't meet the initial criteria won't likely have a chance talkless of funding. Well, that's for Mech engr @UMich, i can't say for other schools.

In a nutshell, in this age of overwhelming complexity, accelerated change and tremendous competition, I would have no weak link in my profile, such as my GRE score, when I can do something about it. When the push comes to shove, every aspect of admission req is essential and you can't predict which would undermine you in the face of your competition.

Pastee4eva:
Hey guys, I took the Powerprep practice test and I did not do too good in the Verbal section. Do anyone have any idea or the best strategy on how to tackle Reading comprehension questions? Thanks, all.

What was your score? How long do you have till GRE exam date?

There is no shortcut that I know. The passages are usually tedious and obscure. They set traps for you in the wording of the passages, questions and answers.

But this was what worked for me though I didn't get my target score:

1. I learnt how to read very fast using an fast reading app. You can Google some. Can't recall the one I downloaded from Google store.

2. I read a lot of boring and challenging articles to prepare my mind. NY Times, The New Yorker, Arts and Literatures Daily, NY Times book review, the Economist, etc

3. I read Magoosh tips and watched their videos.

4. I used the tips from ETS official guide and practiced mostly with ETS questions. Many GRE books don't mimic GRE questions like the ETS books do since they were culled from GRE past questions.

If you have specific questions, you can ask and let those who can help here answer.

DreManuel:


We are speaking from our limited experiences that are not hard and fast. But could you clarify what course/ program the person that got into UC Berkeley with 307/309 is doing and if they got full-funding? And what year they got in, and what their GRE score breakdown is, and overall academic profile? That can help people here make informed decision and not run the risk of making hasty generalization.

And before someone understate the importance of GRE, they might dig more into their program/schools of choice. I applied to University of Michigan and on their site for Mech Engr., it was stated that GRE scores of min 85 percentile in Verbal and Quant is required with a CGPA of 3.7/4.0. So anyone who doesn't meet the initial criteria won't likely have a chance tankless of funding. Well, that's for Mech engr @UMich, i can't say for other schools.

In a nutshell, in this age of Overwhelming complexity, accelerated change and tremendous competition, I would have no weak link in my profile, such as my GRE score, when I can do something about it.When the push comes to shove, every aspect of admission req is essential and you can't predict which would undermine you in the face of your competition.

incredible post!!!

decode:
Pls I need the link to download the ets official book

https://s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/erbuc/files/207_2f8f9f4b-d1b0-40c4-a3e3-0dbeb349472e.pdf

http://www.freejobaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/The-Official-Guide-to-the-GRE%C2%AE-Verbal-Reasoning-Practice-Questions-Vol-One.pdf

http://46.100.53.74/IdeaWeb/Files/Data/Library/20165231053569.pdf

https://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/gre_math_conventions.pdf

You may visit ETS's site to download other official GRE materials that are free.

You may also visit piratesbay to download freely using torrents other GRE books you can ever imagine.

Good luck!

Morning great people of this thread. I'm new here on recommendation from a friend. I have interest in applying for masters in spring in US and I want to know if I have any chance of funding at all.
My profile is below.

BSc political science
GPA 2.99
Not written anything like TOEFL or GRE before.

I want to go for Msc in project management.
Got admission before for fall session without funding because I didn't explore that option as I didn't know anything about it or if it was possible, but visa was denied.
So now I want to know if I have any chance at getting any kind of funding as that will really go a long way to help and where do I start from.

Thanks

@Dremanuel, I want to register for GRE. Pls how much in naira, can I do it wt my Card. Or where can I register. Anyone wt info pls.very urgent

teehey:
@Dremanuel, I want to register for GRE. Pls how much in naira, can I do it wt my Card. Or where can I register. Anyone wt info pls.very urgent

I know official ETS fee for GRE in Nigeria is $205 and your bank will bill you at the prevalent exchange rate if you pay online. So let's assume you are using GTB whose current dollar rate is ~ NGN375 then your fee would be ~ NGN 77,000.

But someone mentioned earlier in the thread that an agency does it for less, about 50k, just read back and then do your findings.

0110x:
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@0110x, can I take one slot for the GRE. Very urgent. Pls I need ur urgent reply.

Okesima24:
Morning great people of this thread. I'm new here on recommendation from a friend. I have interest in applying for masters in spring in US and I want to know if I have any chance of funding at all.
My profile is below.

BSc political science
GPA 2.99
Not written anything like TOEFL or GRE before.

I want to go for Msc in project management.
Got admission before for fall session without funding because I didn't explore that option as I didn't know anything about it or if it was possible, but visa was denied.
So now I want to know if I have any chance at getting any kind of funding as that will really go a long way to help and where do I start from.

Thanks

Frankly speaking, it's the schools you apply to that decide on whether you are eligible for funding or not based on their criteria. And funding comes in different forms; scholarships (partial or full), TA/RA, fellowships, etc.

TA/RA are awarded by the schools, and in some cases you wouldn't need to apply for them - your application materials will serve that purpose as long as you indicate interest in your application forms. So if you have research or teaching experience, that might count in your favour. Some schools don't also give TAs until your second semester in the program. Also, some schools pay your tuition and give you monthly allowance while you serve as TA/RA while others simply pay you and you settle your tuition from there.

Likewise, for merit based scholarships, you can get from the school or from external bodies. But based on your GPA I can't honestly say that your chances are high but if you try low ranking schools, you may stand tall among fellow applicants, yet such schools have very little endowments and so funding could be extremely scarce but again tutition will be comparatively low in case you want to self sponsor.

Getting scholarship/fellowships from schools is not easy, in most cases you won't have to apply, they consider you automatically based on your academic profile, so there is nothing much you can do about it but make your application materials very strong. But I suggest you look at other external options like govt funding, subject based scholarships, or try free tuition countries like germany where you would only have to source for living expenses, etc