DreManuel:


Congrats bro. What state?

52 steps ahead.

Glocal1:
Congrats bro, wish you greater success in your future endeavors. Hope you can still meet up with this fall's PhD admission.

PTDF won't sponsor a PhD app for me. They have their own mechanism for doing that and my scholarship letter reads MS OSS. As for MS, fall is gone bro - painfully. I am eyeing Spring like cyclops. UK to me is a no-no and August of 2018 is almost 1 year away.

Thanks.

Engrphilips:
Please were in enugu or Edo states can I register for GRE exam and how can I register gre exam without using agent people

Use B.Y MAFIT if Walspring's offer is done.

If you do it on your own the GRE would cost you circa 78k in Naira.

Edo and Enugu may not have ICT venues worthy enough of the ETS folks so you might consider taking the paper based option or consider PH as a venue.

Hope this helps.

NB: register the account yourself only use B.Y MAFIT to pay. They charge N50k.

Quoran:
Hello everybody. I have been following this thread for a while and I have read majority of the pages. I just need your candid advice.
Here is my profile

Mechanical Engineering B.Eng 3.8/5
Masters degree UK Mechanical Engineering Merit Average of 68%
GRE scores of 303. Maths 153 Verbal 150
No publications

I wrote my GRE before my masters degree program.
I am interested in a PhD in the USA. What can I do please? My GRE score is low and funds to take another one isn't readily available.

Candid advice please.

Contact potential advisors with this GRE score. You can withhold it at first and just tell them your passion for a PhD. You should already know by now what you want to philosophize about WRT mechanical engineering.

If they respond, most will tell you that you may need to present GRE scores. You can now tell them you have written it before your masters and don't have money to retake it (only if they say it is low).

I have said it as nauseam on this thread because there is a plethora of evidence to support this - if they like you already, the GRE would hardly matter. After all, you have >300/340 which most ask for.

Be smart to approach Young profs (associates) and not the emeritus guys as those ones are like mannequins in the department. The people who actually have the funds to disburse are the vibrant associates (I got to learn this from my good friend over there). Also know the right schools to approach; I would say 2 or 3 A- schools, 4 B+ schools and more B/B- schools. msinus.com has a list showing which schools are which.

Safe!

Yildiz:
Congrats to Scholatica16 and DreManuel.

I just saw my TOEFL results
Speaking 24
Listening 27
Reading 29
Writing 25
Total 105.
Alhamdullilah am happy. Atleast I have 24 in the speaking section.

Great Yildiz. Congrats.

Engrczar:
Greetings to great scholars in the house.

I am a graduate of Chemical Engineering with above 4.7CGPA on 5.0 scale. It's nice seeing a platform where I can get insight directly from those who have done things I sincerely aim to do.

Please, I have few questions to ask and earnestly await your responses.

1. Which trusted agent(s) can I use for my GRE registration and if possible, the amount they charge?

2. I have some materials at the moment (Kaplan, Grubbers and Manhattan), but I believe the Magoosh videos will definitely be useful if I can find them. Please, how do I get Magoosh videos and other necessary materials you think I should have?

3. I am currently attached with a company for now, and I intend writing the exam early November. The truth is that I have been struggling with combining my study and work, please I need your sincere advice on how to effectively combine both activities.

Thanks so much and remain blessed.

Great GPA you have there.

Cutting straight to the chase, if you have not started preparing, don't risk taking this test in November but if you have registered, please, ETS guide, Princeton for the verbal and general tips, Manhattan for Quants, Princeton and Kaplan for AWA, Magoosh videos strictly then practice practice practice full-length tests.

B.Y MAFIT would cost you N50k but Walsprings would cost N37k if still available. Register your GRE account yourself before contacting any of them to pay.

If you work, then You must make your weekends count like numbers. Give your weekends entirely to the GRE in terms of practice tests but you can use 1 or 2 hrs before you sleep in readiness for work the next day for light reading.

Practice tests help improve scores faster than plenty reading or studying. Fact.

Scholastica16:


PTDF won't sponsor a PhD app for me. They have their own mechanism for doing that and my scholarship letter reads MS OSS. As for MS, fall is gone bro - painfully. I am eyeing Spring like cyclops. UK to me is a no-no and August of 2018 is almost 1 year away.

Thanks.

Have you seen top schools that admit for Spring 2018 for your desired program?

Would Fall 2018 be too long a wait? Well, it all depends on what your goals and aspirations dictate and your gut feeling. And by all means, that's what I feel people ought to follow.

Personally, given the awesomeness and generosity of the PTDF, I've managed to convince myself coupled with a piece of advise from a senior friend that waiting till Fall 2018 is worth it if I must attend one of the choicest school on the planet. Although Fall 2018 will make it 7 years after finishing BSc but one more year of work experience with the assurance of attending a top school in the coming year can be re-assuring. Yet, I have no intention of pursuing a PhD but an MBA afterwards so my case may be different.

All in all, the kind of "problem" at hand is what many won't mind having . So it's somehow a good one.

jelmusboy:
Please, can anyone recommend a safe school for MSc/PhD in Biological/Biomedical Science or related courses for someone with 3.10/5.0 CGPA + MSc distinction from UK? Looking forward to writing GRE in November

I am doing my own research now to get at least 4 schools to apply to for this Spring. I can bring my list here to ask for more advice or to prune it but I won't saddle anyone with the responsibility of doing that research for me.

And you stand a good chance of getting into a good PhD program if you post good VR scores to add to your U.K. Distinction and first degree.

paulbets:

Boss Congratulations. Am so happy for you.

Please if the scholarship will still be viable by FALL 2018, I would advise you to target it.
Unless the scholarship condition is that you must use it before February next year.
But even so, I think some US schools FALL applications have opened and it's even possible to get the admission before December. .. which you can then ask for grace to resume in Spring with this FALL Admit.

Am just permutating, don't really know if this is practical but what do you think.

One, No school would give you an admit for fall to begin in spring. Two, the scholarship is not binding on Spring and would still be available for fall if I do not use it now.

Fall 2018 resumption is somewhere between 10 to 11 months away. Not that I cannot spare the time but sometimes the euphoria of getting something that feels unlimited like the PTDF could make one lose sight of what truly matters in the grand scheme of things.

So let us say I stall and get into UTAustin in fall 2018, will the concomitant benefits of getting into UT Austin escape someone else who went to Arlington? I doubt it.

I know 2 graduands from both schools working in Chevron who got in about the same time. I know someone else who went to Cornell and Austin who had to come back to Nigeria before securing an IOC job. Sometimes one has to weigh the expected benefit with the time sacrifice that might go into it.

And the schools I am still looking out for are not as unequally yoked as I did with Austin and Arlington above. University of Maryland, College Park for example has thesis-based option for MS chemical engineering and I think Delaware has too. Those are definite top 20 schools for my program and are great fits without being MIT, Berkeley or CALTECH (that are need blind schools for my discipline anyways).

Need blind meaning, they don't care to see if you have the money to pay before admitting you. If you don't have the profile they are looking for, they would simply say no PTDF or not. A true story is of the 4.96 Unilag guy who had between GRE 320-325 GRE and was fully funded by GAtech and Austin yet MIT and one of the schools I mentioned above gave him a cool...fat...regret mail.

Thanks for the congratulatory message.

Scholastica16:


PTDF won't sponsor a PhD app for me. They have their own mechanism for doing that and my scholarship letter reads MS OSS. As for MS, fall is gone bro - painfully. I am eyeing Spring like cyclops. UK to me is a no-no and August of 2018 is almost 1 year away.

Thanks.

U can still submit fresh apps for spring entry. With d funding you are sure going to be admitted. Wish you the very best bro.

DreManuel:


Have you seen top schools that admit for Spring 2018 for your desired program?

Would Fall 2018 be too long a wait? Well, it all depends on what your goals and aspirations dictate and your gut feeling. And by all means, that's what I feel people ought to follow.

Personally, given the awesomeness and generosity of the PTDF, I've managed to convince myself coupled with a piece of advise from a senior friend that waiting till Fall 2018 is worth it if I must attend one of the choicest school on the planet. Although Fall 2018 will make it 7 years after finishing BSc but one more year of work experience with the assurance of attending a top school in the coming year can be re-assuring. Yet, I have no intention of pursuing a PhD but an MBA afterwards so my case may be different.

All in all, the kind of "problem" at hand is what many won't mind having . So it's somehow a good one.

I thought long and hard about it and if I did not see some top 30 schools that had my option for spring I would have been forced to take the same decision as you.

Even if I wait till 2019, CALTECH, MIT and Berkeley will most likely not admit me- PTDF at al. I barely crossed 4.0 in GPA, did not get 335 in GRE and do not feel I have the profile for such schools with respect to chemical engineering MS.

Let me add at this juncture that I am 10 notches more optimistic than the most hopeless optimist you know- but I am not delusional. Even Alawode had to use Environmental Engineering to get into MIT as they did not take him -initially- on his mechanical engineering first choice option. And this is 4.93/5.00, faculty and university best, 8A1s in WAEC, McKinsey before NYSC, 1520/1600 GRE Alawode.

Then I could have considered GAtech but they do not have my option for MS as the thesis option this spring and would only take me next fall if I applied as direct PhD (which PTDF would not fund). Purdue falls somewhat into the same category as above. Northwestern, UCLA and Wisconsin all eliminated themselves one way or the other. Austin, if I remember clearly did not have MS for spring and considered only direct PhDs for chemical engineering against fall of next year again. I am showing you I have been scouring various lists looking for schools.

At this point, let me say I get into College park, USC or Boulder (as all 3 have what I am looking for) this spring instead of trying my hands on UMich or UIUC would I lose too much? I don't think so especially if I have PhD ambitions that could still lead me to those places and beyond. That is one way I am viewing things. The second way is, I believe the thesis-based, rather than the professional masters, gives me more options after graduating as I could still try for that MBA if I don't get a job or opt for a PhD whereas the non-thesis option leaves me with either a job or an MBA. Fin.

I agree that it is a great problem to have and although I hate mentioning names, I had to throw one up there to show that we are about the same set albeit from different schools. I know (not personally though) the BGS of your dept went to Arlington and should be doing a PhD if not working by now. Amiright?

Scholastica16:


I thought long and hard about it and if I did not see some top 30 schools that had my option for spring I would have been forced to take the same decision as you.

Even if I wait till 2019, CALTECH, MIT and Berkeley will most likely not admit me- PTDF at al. I barely crossed 4.0 in GPA, did not get 335 in GRE and do not feel I have the profile for such schools with respect to chemical engineering MS.

Let me add at this juncture that I am 10 notches more optimistic than the most hopeless optimist you know- but I am not delusional. Even Alawode had to use Environmental Engineering to get into MIT as they did not take him -initially- on his mechanical engineering first choice option. And this is 4.93/5.00, faculty and university best, 8A1s in WAEC, McKinsey before NYSC, 1520/1600 GRE Alawode.

Then I could have considered GAtech but they do not have my option for MS as the thesis option this spring and would only take me next fall if I applied as direct PhD (which PTDF would not fund). Purdue falls somewhat into the same category as above. Northwestern, UCLA and Wisconsin all eliminated themselves one way or the other. Austin, if I remember clearly did not have MS for spring and considered only direct PhDs for chemical engineering against fall of next year again. I am showing you I have been scouring various lists looking for schools.

At this point, let me say I get into College park, USC or Boulder (as all 3 have what I am looking for) this spring instead of trying my hands on UMich or UIUC would I lose too much? I don't think so especially if I have PhD ambitions that could still lead me to those places and beyond. That is one way I am viewing things. The second way is, I believe the thesis-based, rather than the professional masters, gives me more options after graduating as I could still try for that MBA if I don't get a job or opt for a PhD whereas the non-thesis option leaves me with either a job or an MBA. Fin.

I agree that it is a great problem to have and although I hate mentioning names, I had to throw one up there to show that we are about the same set albeit from different schools. I know (not personally though) the BGS of your dept went to Arlington and should be doing a PhD if not working by now. Amiright?

Hmmm. You've said it all. You are fortunate to find great programs of your choice taking candidates for Spring. I've searched too but very few options for me except I opt to apply for MEng.

Shocked that you didn't go lag but know Tunde and Izi that way. The former was also rejected by Cambridge and the latter - my classmate (the record BGS in the school at that time with Four point Nine Eight) is truly where you mentioned doing MSc. What that hints is that Nigerian degrees in Engineering may not be well trusted in some spheres.

Please can someone help with the analysis of issues and arguments issues pool questions in one file? Either PDF or word.
Thanks

Scholastica16:


One, No school would give you an admit for fall to begin in spring. Two, the scholarship is not binding on Spring and would still be available for fall if I do not use it now.

Fall 2018 resumption is somewhere between 10 to 11 months away. Not that I cannot spare the time but sometimes the euphoria of getting something that feels unlimited like the PTDF could make one lose sight of what truly matters in the grand scheme of things.

So let us say I stall and get into UTAustin in fall 2018, will the concomitant benefits of getting into UT Austin escape someone else who went to Arlington? I doubt it.

I know 2 graduands from both schools working in Chevron who got in about the same time. I know someone else who went to Cornell and Austin who had to come back to Nigeria before securing an IOC job. Sometimes one has to weigh the expected benefit with the time sacrifice that might go into it.

And the schools I am still looking out for are not as unequally yoked as I did with Austin and Arlington above. University of Maryland, College Park for example has thesis-based option for MS chemical engineering and I think Delaware has too. Those are definite top 20 schools for my program and are great fits without being MIT, Berkeley or CALTECH (that are need blind schools for my discipline anyways).

Need blind meaning, they don't care to see if you have the money to pay before admitting you. If you don't have the profile they are looking for, they would simply say no PTDF or not. A true story is of the 4.96 Unilag guy who had between GRE 320-325 GRE and was fully funded by GAtech and Austin yet MIT and one of the schools I mentioned above gave him a cool...fat...regret mail.

Thanks for the congratulatory message.

Bro I understand you very well, and I am confident that you will make the best choice. Surely excellence is truly yours.

It blows my mind that just one person could be this adept and dextrous with this much brilliance and intelligence.

The way You and dremanuel approach and analyse things here is on another level.

Please when the heat is over, I will really love you two to review, critique and correct my SOP., I already have a draft.
Tried Fall 2016, but got flat rejects from all five schools.
Would love to have a go at it again.

Thanks for your contributions so far in this thread... May the almighty continue to smoothen your paths.

Thanks alot. I appreciate this. I will do as you have advised. Congrats on your PTDF scholarship.

Scholastica16:


Contact potential advisors with this GRE score. You can withhold it at first and just tell them your passion for a PhD. You should already know by now what you want to philosophize about WRT mechanical engineering.

If they respond, most will tell you that you may need to present GRE scores. You can now tell them you have written it before your masters and don't have money to retake it (only if they say it is low).

I have said it as nauseam on this thread because there is a plethora of evidence to support this - if they like you already, the GRE would hardly matter. After all, you have >300/340 which most ask for.

Be smart to approach Young profs (associates) and not the emeritus guys as those ones are like mannequins in the department. The people who actually have the funds to disburse are the vibrant associates (I got to learn this from my good friend over there). Also know the right schools to approach; I would say 2 or 3 A- schools, 4 B+ schools and more B/B- schools. msinus.com has a list showing which schools are which.

Safe!

Whosentyou:
Please can someone help with the analysis of issues and arguments issues pool questions in one file? Either PDF or word.
Thanks

You can get them from ETS/GRE website.

Pls my great people how do I get the powerprep1 and 2

Scholastica16:


I am still learning these things but I think the afore schools did you a favor as I doubt they would have funded you for an MS admit. I am saying this because they said they would not even on their website.

That aside, UW (Wisconsin?) were looking more direct PhDs if I am not mistaken. So, I think that is another reason they may have turned you down.

I understand at USC and California as a whole. The ROIs are good but $60k is still a lot to cough out or secure a loan for.

As for SOPs, personally I think they are way more important than we want to admit. In fact, I think MS apps getting fully funded is contingent on the SOPs, GPA, GRE, LORs in that order. I am not an authority but the few people I know who got it, wrote mind blowing SOPs even when they had average stats to go with it.

See it this way, the adcoms have every reason to question your first degree, to some degree GRE and maybe even LORs (as they don't know the school, GRE center or Profs recommending you) but for some reason, they buy into whatever your SOP contains as long as it arouses their interest in you.

So my advice is, make it creative; avoid clichés and overused sentences. Write introspectively- maybe even personally. Show that you would be a good fit regardless of your diversity or shortcomings. And speaking about shortcomings, if you have them, scratch that, since you have them, mention them in the SOP and show how you are steering your life away from them.

I saw this sentence by someone who got admitted into MIT and It got me interested in reading what he had to say. He started, "Sometimes I close my eyes, fold my arms and clench my fists. Then I think about a world where this man did not exist"...

The person who wrote this ended up talking about a drunkard father who beat him a lot growing up and hated the fact that he was a bookworm. Somehow the guy almost blamed his father for where he was at in life, but then flipped it in between and discussed the positive aspects of it and how ironically, it was responsible for his academic success and need to get into MIT.

Of course, he got technical at some point and talked about his field of study and passion but I was engaged reading him and I still remember aspects of his essay - even when I read it once, 4 or 5 years ago.

Nobody is asking you to go all flowery and poetic but you should tell them something about you, peculiar to you that they would want to admit and if you dig deep into you, you would find it.

For instance, you could explain your 3.76/5.00 by saying that anyone who judges you solely on that would be akin to a blind man who touched the trunk of an elephant and concluded that elephants themselves were like snakes. In other words, such a person would not get the whole/true picture of your acumen by your GPA alone. They would need to see you in your element; how you get epiphanies by analyzing life forms and thinking up ways to improve them or how seeing basic elements transform into complex machine fascinates the hell out of you.

I am talking too much. I got 7 rejections so maybe I should shut up at this point.

Cheers.

you aren't talking too much. It is one of the most insightful post on this thread

GRE has really changed some people's vocabulary on nairaland. Wen I dey see grammar for here e be like say I never even open book yet.

Scholastica16 and DreManuel. Word. You guys are inspiring!

And DreManuel, I tried looking for a suitable meme for this post to no avail.

mfarad:
Scholastica16 and DreManuel. Word. You guys are inspiring!

And DreManuel, I tried looking for a suitable meme for this post to no avail.

Hello all, please with a GRE score of 290, CGPA 3.10 and 3+ years working experience with a Multi-national in their IT department, what schools can yall recommend for a Masters degree in IT. Thanks.

That is really good.

limeroad customer care number india

Scholastica16:


I thought long and hard about it and if I did not see some top 30 schools that had my option for spring I would have been forced to take the same decision as you.

Even if I wait till 2019, CALTECH, MIT and Berkeley will most likely not admit me- PTDF at al. I barely crossed 4.0 in GPA, did not get 335 in GRE and do not feel I have the profile for such schools with respect to chemical engineering MS.

Let me add at this juncture that I am 10 notches more optimistic than the most hopeless optimist you know- but I am not delusional. Even Alawode had to use Environmental Engineering to get into MIT as they did not take him -initially- on his mechanical engineering first choice option. And this is 4.93/5.00, faculty and university best, 8A1s in WAEC, McKinsey before NYSC, 1520/1600 GRE Alawode.

Then I could have considered GAtech but they do not have my option for MS as the thesis option this spring and would only take me next fall if I applied as direct PhD (which PTDF would not fund). Purdue falls somewhat into the same category as above. Northwestern, UCLA and Wisconsin all eliminated themselves one way or the other. Austin, if I remember clearly did not have MS for spring and considered only direct PhDs for chemical engineering against fall of next year again. I am showing you I have been scouring various lists looking for schools.

At this point, let me say I get into College park, USC or Boulder (as all 3 have what I am looking for) this spring instead of trying my hands on UMich or UIUC would I lose too much? I don't think so especially if I have PhD ambitions that could still lead me to those places and beyond. That is one way I am viewing things. The second way is, I believe the thesis-based, rather than the professional masters, gives me more options after graduating as I could still try for that MBA if I don't get a job or opt for a PhD whereas the non-thesis option leaves me with either a job or an MBA. Fin.

I agree that it is a great problem to have and although I hate mentioning names, I had to throw one up there to show that we are about the same set albeit from different schools. I know (not personally though) the BGS of your dept went to Arlington and should be doing a PhD if not working by now. Amiright?

Hello Bro. Please I need some clarification. I have B.Tech Elect Eng. 3.75/5.0; M.Eng 63.89% ElectriCal Machines/Power Systems.

I am interested in a Ph.D Data Science / Analytics or Big Data and am presently considering applying for the PTDF. I understand these Ph.d options are not available for the PTDF scholarship however, I possess the qualification for some other options on the PTDF list like Renewable energy et al.

Here is my question, since I do not require an admission letter for the PTDF application can I indicate Ph.d renewable energy while applying for the PTDF scholarship and after winning it revert back to my Ph.D Data Science that am interested in ?

Will it be possible ? Thanks.

Guitarlife:

Hello Bro. Please I need some clarification. I have B.Tech Elect Eng. 3.75/5.0; M.Eng 63.89% ElectriCal Machines/Power Systems.

I am interested in a Ph.D Data Science / Analytics or Big Data and am presently considering applying for the PTDF. I understand these Ph.d options are not available for the PTDF scholarship however, I possess the qualification for some other options on the PTDF list like Renewable energy et al.

Here is my question, since I do not require an admission letter for the PTDF application can I indicate Ph.d renewable energy while applying for the PTDF scholarship and after winning it revert back to my Ph.D Data Science that am interested in ?

Will it be possible ? Thanks.

Dremanuel please drop ur opinion. Thanks.

hello everyone,I hope to Get a fully funded PhD ride in Statistics though I'm still in my penultimate year as as UG.Any advice(s) to make It a reality.

Guitarlife:


Dremanuel please drop ur opinion. Thanks.

Chief,
First of all, I recommend that you don't bank on one option like PTDF alone. You would need to fire on many cylinders if you want to proceed quickly.

That said, I don't know deeply about how PTDF's PhD works but I can speak generally. While you may defer the scholarship for a year, if you get it without admission, there may be factors limiting you from changing study plans.

The PhD Scholarship conditions are more stringent in a sense than that of MSc. You will have to face an interview panel with your research proposal before you are awarded the scholarship. And after, you will be made to submit you research plan broken down with timeline. Again, you will be submiting a progress report periodically. In a nutshell, it's more supervised than MSc. And conditions apply.

Can you speak more on the PTDF Msc scholarship?

DreManuel:


Chief,
First of all, I recommend that you don't bank on one option like PTDF alone. You would need to fire on many cylinders if you want to proceed quickly.

That said, I don't know deeply about how PTDF's PhD works but I can speak generally. While you may defer the scholarship for a year, if you get it without admission, there may be factors limiting you from changing study plans.

The PhD Scholarship conditions are more stringent in a sense than that of MSc. You will have to face an interview panel with your research proposal before you are awarded the scholarship. And after, you will be made to submit you research plan broken down with timeline. Again, you will be submiting a progress report periodically. In a nutshell, it's more supervised than MSc. And their conditions applied.

smallsuper:
Can you speak more on the PTDF Msc scholarship?

1. Application is usually between Oct- December annually.
2. Application fee = #1000
3. Overseas and Local Scholarships are awarded both for MS and PhD
4. Between 4-6 OSS are awarded per state per year.
5. Studies to be done in fields related to Oil & Gas and Energy
6. Very generous Scholarship
7. You will be take a test and the best 4-6 per state are awarded.
8. You will get other info when the advert for this year comes out.

Scholastica16:
I have really been busy and I would still be... till the 15th atleast. I am grateful for all the congratulatory messages and I would endeavour to respond to each and everyone of them in due time.

Kakashi12, I responded to your message. Check the email you used to register on NL as I have responded twice even.

I would respond to the rest of the enquiries here when I am chanced.

DreManuel is right; most heavies do not have Spring admission for my course of choice so I am scouring the net trying to find good schools, for MS Chemical Engineering (Thesis-based option), with reasonable deadlines (most are September 15-30 ).

So far I have found 4. I would have to get everything done in record time whilst still travelling to Abuja (12th-13th) for the Induction and getting documents signed etc. It is not easy but it is worth it.

Like I said; I would be myself by the 15th. Please bear with me.

PS; Fall of next year is too far for me.

Thanks..Scholastica16 I have gotten the information. Regards

Thanks

DreManuel:


1. Application is usually between Oct- December annually.
2. Application fee = #1000
3. Overseas and Local Scholarships are awarded both for MS and PhD
4. Between 4-6 OSS are awarded per state per year.
5. Studies to be done in fields related to Oil & Gas and Energy
6. Very generous Scholarship
7. You will be take a test and the best 4-6 per state are awarded.
8. You will get other info when the advert for this year comes out.

Scholastica16:


I am still learning these things but I think the afore schools did you a favor as I doubt they would have funded you for an MS admit. I am saying this because they said they would not even on their website.

That aside, UW (Wisconsin?) were looking more direct PhDs if I am not mistaken. So, I think that is another reason they may have turned you down.

I understand at USC and California as a whole. The ROIs are good but $60k is still a lot to cough out or secure a loan for.

As for SOPs, personally I think they are way more important than we want to admit. In fact, I think MS apps getting fully funded is contingent on the SOPs, GPA, GRE, LORs in that order. I am not an authority but the few people I know who got it, wrote mind blowing SOPs even when they had average stats to go with it.

See it this way, the adcoms have every reason to question your first degree, to some degree GRE and maybe even LORs (as they don't know the school, GRE center or Profs recommending you) but for some reason, they buy into whatever your SOP contains as long as it arouses their interest in you.

So my advice is, make it creative; avoid clichés and overused sentences. Write introspectively- maybe even personally. Show that you would be a good fit regardless of your diversity or shortcomings. And speaking about shortcomings, if you have them, scratch that, since you have them, mention them in the SOP and show how you are steering your life away from them.

I saw this sentence by someone who got admitted into MIT and It got me interested in reading what he had to say. He started, "Sometimes I close my eyes, fold my arms and clench my fists. Then I think about a world where this man did not exist"...

The person who wrote this ended up talking about a drunkard father who beat him a lot growing up and hated the fact that he was a bookworm. Somehow the guy almost blamed his father for where he was at in life, but then flipped it in between and discussed the positive aspects of it and how ironically, it was responsible for his academic success and need to get into MIT.

Of course, he got technical at some point and talked about his field of study and passion but I was engaged reading him and I still remember aspects of his essay - even when I read it once, 4 or 5 years ago.

Nobody is asking you to go all flowery and poetic but you should tell them something about you, peculiar to you that they would want to admit and if you dig deep into you, you would find it.

For instance, you could explain your 3.76/5.00 by saying that anyone who judges you solely on that would be akin to a blind man who touched the trunk of an elephant and concluded that elephants themselves were like snakes. In other words, such a person would not get the whole/true picture of your acumen by your GPA alone. They would need to see you in your element; how you get epiphanies by analyzing life forms and thinking up ways to improve them or how seeing basic elements transform into complex machine fascinates the hell out of you.

I am talking too much. I got 7 rejections so maybe I should shut up at this point.

Cheers.

You are making too much sense sir, not talking too much at all. I have read your response to my questions thrice now and i picked up something new each time.The amount of information you have provided here is incredible. Thank you sir.
PS: for the UW, I meant University of Wyoming.