Scholastica16:


Did you pay yourself?

No, I paid through an agent.

denniece1:

No, I paid through an agent.

Which agent?

Adeolaraji:
I have HND distinction in Electrical engineering... Can I apply for masters in the US. I heard its possible if I evaluate my transcript with WES. I want to know where to start from and the whole process

1. So evaluative the transcript.
2. Write GRE and TOEFL (depending on school)
3. Send score to 4 schools on the test day (GRE) and a day before the test (TOEFL)
4. Complete applications on schools portal if not already completed.
a) you'd need a statement of purpose (sell your HND here and need for a masters)
b) letters of recommendation (atleast 3)
c) international passport page
d) an Academic CV - emphasis on Academic.

The only thing that differentiates your application for a Master's from the one of a BSc grad is just the mandatory need for the WES transcript.

Scholastica16:


Which agent?

Thanks, gotten the confirmation.

Please do anyone have experience applying through contacts from GRE search service? How does that help in your admission process? Got a mail from the physics and astronomy graduate program director at UCR to apply but my interest is in geophysics. So, enticing because it's straight PhD and funding is available for all graduate students. I have MSc in geophysics already and wanna pursue that line.

Hi,

My GRE is less than 10days to go... I did the first Powerprep today (as a result of job hunting coupled with research papers writing) Verbal: 149, Quant: 156. I'm targeting 160:160 in the real test as compared to this... Kindly help me out with suggestions

Books that I'm using

Quant : Barron, Manhattan, Grubber and ETS official

Verbal: Barron, Grubber, ETS official, Maghoosh word list

AW: Kaplan, Barron and ETS official

Scholastica16:


Some of those stats are put to scare "riff raffs" away. Don't hold on religiously to it as it could be wrong.

I think Utah was $25 oh. You won't be sure until you get to the payment stage and see "click pay or submit". I remember thinking it was $65 only to get to that point and see $25.

Thanks I will try it. Any other schools with low app fee?

Weldone Great Futoite!

akatovic1:

School: One big school like that for eastern Nigeria
Discipline: Mechanical Engineering
Target: msc/PhD
CGPA: 4.53

briliantsak:
Hi,

My GRE is less than 10days to go... I did the first Powerprep today (as a result of job hunting coupled with research papers writing) Verbal: 149, Quant: 156. I'm targeting 160:160 in the real test as compared to this... Kindly help me out with suggestions

Books that I'm using

Quant : Barron, Manhattan, Grubber and ETS official

Verbal: Barron, Grubber, ETS official, Maghoosh word list

AW: Kaplan, Barron and ETS official

You can't score lower than 305 if you keep up with your level of prep but I'll say don't hope for too much. Run through magoosh questions or Manhattan 5lb, now's the time to practice, you might get an eye opener to some concepts. But timed practice tests don't lie, especially powerprep.

akatovic1:

AWA- waiting
Verbal- 157
Quantitative-166
I was unhappy and disappointed and I feel I messed up because I expected more(when MIT is drawing you wetin you go do na), however in all things I give thanks. But one thing I learnt is to prepare better
I had to change schools like MIT and introduce plan B schools like;
University of Texas Austin
Texas A and M university
University of Notre Dame
Colorado School of Mines ( na confusion make me add this one)
My profile goes thus;
School: One big school like that for eastern Nigeria
Discipline: Mechanical Engineering
Target: msc/PhD
CGPA: 4.53
Now let the writing of Statement of Purpose begin , I can not come and be going at the same time
Please your advice will be appreciated by me and I trust God to take us there in Jesus Name

Congrats bro. Very nice scores. #Fall2018 #YesWeCan

hirschfelder:


You can check Vanderbilt, though you have to send official scores. Also, if you have good GRE scores and TOEFL/IELTS scores, you can request for an application fee waiver from University of Ohio and University of Nevada, Reno.
Some schools have relatively cheap application fees for engineering. Check U of Utah ($15) and Johns Hopkins U ($25). Good luck with your applications!


NB: All these are based on Fall, 2017 application cycle and Chemical Engineering. Though I believe it's the same for other engineering courses and hasn't changed.

Please how exactly does one request for an application fee waiver?

ponpon:


You can't score lower than 305 if you keep up with your level of prep but I'll say don't hope for too much. Run through magoosh questions or Manhattan 5lb, now's the time to practice, you might get an eye opener to some concepts. But timed practice tests don't lie, especially powerprep.

Thanks

aamstih:
Weldone Great Futoite!

sorry sir I didn't attend FUTO but I attended FUTO's greatest competition in Nsukka

MasterforceII:


Please how exactly does one request for an application fee waiver?

Nevada has a fee waiver for qualified engineering PhD applicants. You only need to send your unofficial test scores to an email address listed on their website. Check to see if you qualify. I am only sure about Ohio university's chemical engineering PhD program. You just need to send your test scores to an email listed on their site too. Check other engineering departments, the same may apply.
On another note, if you have really high scores (close to 90th percentiles) and you don't already have fee waivers from U of Notre Dame and Rensselaer Poly Institute, send a mail to the grad coordinators, with your scores, and ask if you are eligible. These last two schools are very good, worth trying if you have nice scores. Good luck.

hirschfelder:


Nevada has a fee waiver for qualified engineering PhD applicants. You only need to send your unofficial test scores to an email address listed on their website. Check to see if you qualify. I am only sure about Ohio university's chemical engineering PhD program. You just need to send your test scores to an email listed on their site too. Check other engineering departments, the same may apply.
On another note, if you have really high scores (close to 90th percentiles) and you don't already have fee waivers from U of Notre Dame and Rensselaer Poly Institute, send a mail to the grad coordinators, with your scores, and ask if you are eligible. These last two schools are very good, worth trying if you have nice scores. Good luck.

Thank you. Rensselaer mailed me saying I qualified for a waiver. I'll mail Notre Dame and check out the other schools you've listed.

hirschfelder:


Nevada has a fee waiver for qualified engineering PhD applicants. You only need to send your unofficial test scores to an email address listed on their website. Check to see if you qualify. I am only sure about Ohio university's chemical engineering PhD program. You just need to send your test scores to an email listed on their site too. Check other engineering departments, the same may apply.
On another note, if you have really high scores (close to 90th percentiles) and you don't already have fee waivers from U of Notre Dame and Rensselaer Poly Institute, send a mail to the grad coordinators, with your scores, and ask if you are eligible. These last two schools are very good, worth trying if you have nice scores. Good luck.

Do you mean the GRE or GPA when you said 90th percentile ?

Guitarlife:

Do you mean the GRE or GPA when you said 90th percentile ?

He meant GRE. But yea, some schools use GPA to waive the app fee. Boulders is one of such schools.

MasterforceII:


Thank you. Rensselaer mailed me saying I qualified for a waiver. I'll mail Notre Dame and check out the other schools you've listed.

Are you applying for a direct PhD or Masters in either school? Be careful; even though the app fees are waived, you'd still send official score reports of GRE and/or TOEFL.

Schools that habitually waive app fees tend to reject apps the same way. They have an angle they are working from which has been discussed on this thread in the past.

Miracles happen but as a matter of principle, try to guage the profiles of those rejected and accepted via Grad cafe to know if it is worth the headache. Without a Masters these days some of those top schools are hard to get in. But you could get the masters admit and be fully-funded. It is not unheard of.

All the best.

Hirschfelder, how is it over there? What is your experience thus far?

briliantsak:
Hi,

My GRE is less than 10days to go... I did the first Powerprep today (as a result of job hunting coupled with research papers writing) Verbal: 149, Quant: 156. I'm targeting 160:160 in the real test as compared to this... Kindly help me out with suggestions

Books that I'm using

Quant : Barron, Manhattan, Grubber and ETS official

Verbal: Barron, Grubber, ETS official, Maghoosh word list

AW: Kaplan, Barron and ETS official

What are your weaknesses? You should know them by now. I don't need to say more but you should forget the Long passages and focus on your shorter passages since it is easier to read them. You know what? Read the question first in the short essays, then go back to the passage and read it. This will train your mind to be alert in knowing the answer to the question you had just read. Once you think you have an idea, go back to the options and read through them. You should form a habit of writing options down on your answer sheet. A B C D E. If A is not what you saw in the passage eliminate it...till you arrive at your answer or the last option you have not struck out.

You should be getting your TCs and SEs right to do well in the V. The skill needed to excel in the long passages needed to have been acquired over time (which you don't have).

As for your quants, practice like PonPon said.

At this point, only ETS guide and Princeton or Magoosh can help with the VR. Same ETS, Manhattan can help with the quants.

Look for as many full-length tests as possible. I would recommend the ones in the ETS guide, your 2nd PowerPrep, (if you have money purchase the PowerPrep Plus), CrunchPrep, Magoosh, Manhattan's and Kaplan's as well. Kaplan's verbal is good - close to but not exactly the ETS GRE good.

The materials for your AWA are good but you should be practicing it as well with a desktop. Don't use something sleek like a Macbook as the keypad at Oba Akran or JKK look or feel nothing like it. When you practice the AWA timed, go to Google and search for the same topic or essay prompt. Compare your essays to what people have online and tweak yours to mirror the essays with the best form. You would do well.

athorello:
Please do anyone have experience applying through contacts from GRE search service? How does that help in your admission process? Got a mail from the physics and astronomy graduate program director at UCR to apply but my interest is in geophysics. So, enticing because it's straight PhD and funding is available for all graduate students. I have MSc in geophysics already and wanna pursue that line.

If the department recommended is related to yours, they would accept you. If not, they could still reject you. ETS only sold your profile to those schools for money so the search service is not binding on them if you catch my drift.

Anyways, you can, because of this, check for your course in the school. It might indicate that they have sufficient funding and will accept you. Earlier the better.

My problem with some of these schools like Renssalaer poly is that they require official transcript. Don't they know it requires money to request transcripts. God help us all.

akatovic1:
My problem with some of these schools like Renssalaer poly is that they require official transcript. Don't they know it requires money to request transcripts. God help us all.

Applying to graduate school has always been a expensive affair; I think it’s the timing that is of much more concern. Especially when a deadline is fast approaching.

Scholastica16:


If the department recommended is related to yours, they would accept you. If not, they could still reject you. ETS only sold your profile to those schools for money so the search service is not binding on them if you catch my drift.

Anyways, you can, because of this, check for your course in the school. It might indicate that they have sufficient funding and will accept you. Earlier the better.

Thanks Scholastica, their deadline is actually Jan 5. The only research area Imma consider is environmental physics cos I even check their earth science dept but no specialization in exploration geophysics.
Please how do I get my recommenders to respond asap? I tried pre-informing them about a week to the school sending request, called and mailed like twice thereafter but no response over two weeks now, only excuses. And every time they will be giving assurances. Sir, I will need your help for some series of applications.... No problem, anytime. Mehn I'm scared. Is that your experience. What's the go around?

Modified
I no it could be hectic though. I remember helping one of my guys in US now to get LoR. I had to go meet the lecturer, open his email and complete the online recommendation form my self.

Scholastica16:


Are you applying for a direct PhD or Masters in either school? Be careful; even though the app fees are waived, you'd still send official score reports of GRE and/or TOEFL.

Schools that habitually waive app fees tend to reject apps the same way. They have an angle they are working from which has been discussed on this thread in the past.

Miracles happen but as a matter of principle, try to guage the profiles of those rejected and accepted via Grad cafe to know if it is worth the headache. Without a Masters these days some of those top schools are hard to get in. But you could get the masters admit and be fully-funded. It is not unheard of.

All the best.

Thanks for this insight. I'm applying for Masters in these schools. I figured there was not much to lose from applying to these schools that waive app fee but on seeing that I may need to send official scores and transcript, I'm beginning to reconsider applying. Northeastern university however allows one to upload unofficial docs and scores. And they had for long been spamming my mail so I emailed grad cord requesting for an app fee waiver. A quick search on gradcafe revealed my profile is sufficient for an admission. Funding is what I'm not sure of. I hope it turns out in my favour. Praying for a miracle. #YesWeCan

akatovic1:
My problem with some of these schools like Renssalaer poly is that they require official transcript. Don't they know it requires money to request transcripts. God help us all.

They don't know eh. Mans not rich. But soon bro, it will all end in praise. I really think you stand a chance of getting admitted with your profile and GRE score. You can give it a shot.

athorello:

Thanks Scholastica, their deadline is actually Jan 5. The only research area Imma consider is environmental physics cos I even check their earth science dept but no specialization in exploration geophysics.
Please how do I get my recommenders to respond asap? I tried pre-informing them about a week to the school sending request, called and mailed like twice thereafter but no response over two weeks now, only excuses. And every time they will be giving assurances. Sir, I will need your help for some series of applications.... No problem, anytime. Mehn I'm scared. Is that your experience. What's the go around?

Modified
I no it could be hectic though. I remember helping one of my guys in US now to get LoR. I had to go meet the lecturer, open his email and complete the online recommendation form my self.

If you are close to the location of your recommenders, take your laptop and internet modem/hub with you when they are seated. Help them open the link sent to their portals. Create the account for them. I would also recommend you had your draft with you already as most Nigerian faculty do not know how to write good LORs.

The fuss over having high-ranking Professors in the department is unnecessary if they will not write something glowing. You can use any average Joe with a PhD or even a Masters as long as they can;

1. Ascertain your bent for research
2. Rate you intellectually and socially
3. Tell a distinguishingly refreshing story about you.

So, that puts paid to the myth that heads of departments or project advisors pull greater weight in LORs. They don't if what they have to share is the basic "I am hereby recommending Mr. Athorello".

Generally, Adcoms only take the recommendation more seriously if the recommender is known to them or is an alumnus of the same alma mater. Other than that, the story in the letter has to persuade them without being contrived.

As for me, after waiving my rights to see the LORs submitted, I casually asked one of my recommenders to show me what he sent. Let us just say he called me a "she" at some point which to the adcomms will mean, he either does not know me well enough, or was too lazy to edit the generic letter he used.

I got wiser this time around and let us just say; the results are generally more positive than the last time.

MasterforceII:


Thanks for this insight. I'm applying for Masters in these schools. I figured there was not much to lose from applying to these schools that waive app fee but on seeing that I may need to send official scores and transcript, I'm beginning to reconsider applying. Northeastern university however allows one to upload unofficial docs and scores. And they had for long been spamming my mail so I emailed grad cord requesting for an app fee waiver. A quick search on gradcafe revealed my profile is sufficient for an admission. Funding is what I'm not sure of. I hope it turns out in my favour. Praying for a miracle. #YesWeCan

Yea, your profile is good for most of those schools the only issue is sending score reports which will cost N16k (B.Y MAFIT) for both GRE &TOEFL or ($47) if you do it on your own. I know some schools let you upload the pdf copy for review whereas some others insist the app is incomplete (hence, will not be reviewed) until they receive the official copies of both exams.

Once admission is out of the way, funding (albeit difficult) could come especially if you are early. On grad cafe, did you see any Master's admit that got funded? If you did, then chances are the same grace could befall you.

I noticed that most schools will not change their funding policies for anyone so I use history to understand them.

#YesYouCan

Guitarlife:

Do you mean the GRE or GPA when you said 90th percentile ?

I meant GRE. But it all depends on the school I guess, doesn't necessarily have to be 90th percentile. Ohio U is 80th percentile or so, if I remember correctly, for ChE

akatovic1:
My problem with some of these schools like Renssalaer poly is that they require official transcript. Don't they know it requires money to request transcripts. God help us all.

Yeah, sending transcripts is a bummer. But Rensselaer and Notre Dame don't need either your transcripts or official GRE for a complete application, at least for ChE. All that it requires is upload of transcripts and unofficial scores. So, costs nothing apart from letters of recommendation, which may be sometimes tough to get.
Nevada also doesn't require official things, but if they recommend you for admission you have to send them before they send your offer. Vanderbilt requires official scores for evaluation, not transcripts and Ohio U requires everything just to evaluate.
That's about all the free schools I know. When in doubt, mail the grad coordinators. Good luck

Scholastica16:


Are you applying for a direct PhD or Masters in either school? Be careful; even though the app fees are waived, you'd still send official score reports of GRE and/or TOEFL.

Schools that habitually waive app fees tend to reject apps the same way. They have an angle they are working from which has been discussed on this thread in the past.

Miracles happen but as a matter of principle, try to guage the profiles of those rejected and accepted via Grad cafe to know if it is worth the headache. Without a Masters these days some of those top schools are hard to get in. But you could get the masters admit and be fully-funded. It is not unheard of.

All the best.

Yeah, seems like most of them want to boost their 'selective status'. But a school that waives a fee fro someone could serve as a safe option especially if they have research you are interested in. Just be sure to contact potential advisors.
Actually, I think schools that waive fees generally accept unofficial scores for evaluation, the few I know of anyway...

Scholastica16:
Hirschfelder, how is it over there? What is your experience thus far?

I guess I can say it has been nice, thanks. Some of the classes are rather fast paced-we practically covered an entire (Nigerian) semester's work in 3 weeks or so. The lecturers are very nice and super helpful-so far. The classroom experience is nice, we are like 4-6, so everyone must contribute.
The research is nice, but could be better. Abstract concepts dumped on one, with little time to get to fully understand before the next research meeting. Loads of homeworks, some of which can pass off as mini-projects back home, to do. But the professors will generally help if you ask for it. The exams we have done so far are very fair, but of course one has to prepare well
There is a nice-sized and helpful African community here. Helped with the integration. I can't offer much commentary on the social scene, I don't go out much, but I guess it's pretty chill (or so my housemate says). Kansas is a very laid back state anyways, and the locals seem nice.
Overall, I will say the experience has been nice, kind of what I expected.

NB: For ChE guys coming, if you can make out space in your luggage, come with your Fogler and BSL textbooks, they will most likely be your recommended texts for Reaction and Transport.