Applying for grad school requires careful planning, researching and networking. It also requires good grades, test scores, research experience, publications, and lastly, some luck. You must remember that most often taking a new student, especially an international applicant is not very straightforward. It is dependent on many factors such as funding, departmental support and an empty spot in a lab. Not getting in, doesn’t mean you’re undeserving, it only means that the moment was not right for you.
The internet provides some useful resources to understand the general process. A general search on grad school advice or more specific topics will help you gain a better perspective. I’d recommend reading Anusha Shankar’s blogpost on Grad school advice, Jacquelyn Gill’s post on drafting an appropriate inquiry email, Meghan Duffy’s post on Dynamic ecology’s blog and this link I found on Small pond’s website which targets a very specific audience working on applying to programs in ecology, behaviour and evolution by Christine Boake. However, nothing fully prepares you for the wait, the rejections and the tediousness of the whole process; more so when you’re an International applicant. The process is rather intimidating but worth the effort. I followed the usual process of searching for potential schools, writing to potential advisors, prepping for my GRE and TOEFL exams and working on my applications. But it was only after I started school, I learnt how different it was for me as opposed to my fellow American cohort. They had the opportunity to visit schools, meet advisors and discuss research interests whereas I had to base my decisions on email exchanges, in some cases Skype conversations but largely a giant leap of faith. It’s important to note that it’s similar for your potential advisor too. However, I felt I would have been a lot more prepared if I had more information at my disposal. So, I’ve tried to describe this process by gathering resources from the internet, my own personal experiences and guidance from my peers as well as mentors which helped me cross several hurdles while prepping for my applications. This post is for international applicants interested in applying to grad school in the United States for ecology, geography, conservation and interdisciplinary research programs.
If you’re interested in similar programs, here is a list that might interest you. 1. School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale 2. School of Nature Resources and Environment, University of Michigan 3. Centre for Collaborative Conservation, Colorado State University 4. Dept. of Environmental Sciences, Emory 5. Integrative Conservation Program, University of Georgia 6. School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida 7. Smithsonian Mason School of Conservation, George Mason University 8. Institute of the Environment, University of Arizona 9. Program for Interdisciplinary Environmental Research, University of San Diego 10. Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota 11. Applied Biodiversity Science, Texas A&M Besides these, make a note of people whose work interests you, look them up and find out if they’re taking students that year. It’s also important to talk to your mentors or current employer about potential advisors. They may be able to guide you in the right direction.
It’s strange how things have changed in just three years. It’s way easier now to talk to people whose work you admire and may want to work with someday These are a list of some listservs which advertise positions regularly:
It’s alright to write to several people simultaneously. It’s also alright to write to multiple people from the same Department. However, make sure you mention this explicitly in your email stating you’re in talks with so and so from their Department. Nobody expects you to stick to only one school. The trick is to write to as many people you can. I wrote to about 30-50 scientists and only got positive replies from three, two others insisted I take up their master’s program because it had assured funding whereas the rest were really a mix of rejections or no replies.
Make sure to attach your CV and check with them if they’d like to see your test scores. You can always mention those in your CV too. For instance, some friends included their scheduled test date. I’d also like to point out that I got mixed responses from people whether it was necessary to have your test scores on you while communicating with potential advisors. I couldn’t afford to take the test and then write to people because I was working on a tight budget, so I chose to do it the other way. But if you can you should probably take the test first, so the email has all the information.
Alternatively, you should also prepare a list of questions you’d like to discuss with your said [potential] advisor. My list included their advising style, general ambience of the lab, expectations from their graduate students, research topics and of course funding issues. Feel free to discuss your concerns and apprehensions. It’s always a good idea to be honest about your expectations from them, too. Most advisors know that you’ve probably applied to other places, so it’s good to be honest there as well when questioned.
Remember, you get an option of selecting four schools to send your test scores to on the day of the test. You can find more info on GRE here and TOEFL here.
It’s very unlikely that you’d know for sure which schools to apply to till as late as November. So, most people suggest taking tests once you’ve written to a few people, so sometime at the end of September or beginning of October. That way, your reminder emails can have your test scores included. However, many also suggest having your test scores ready while writing to potential advisors. So basically, anytime between August and December is when you need to fix a date and get them done. I took mine in the first week of October.
The following is where you will be spending most of the money while applying to schools
Most applications require either one or all of the following essay types: Personal statement: This should describe your journey. It is not a snapshot of your CV but rather the process of achieving your accomplishments. You can draw from your childhood experiences, school excursions or work experiences which have molded and driven your passion for doing science and the reason why you feel grad school is the perfect place for you. Research statement: This should focus on your research experiences and how they’ve shaped your future research interests. It should also emphasize how you feel this particular program will help you move in that direction. Do not fret about not having specific goals or research ideas. The admission committee doesn’t expect a full-fledged research proposal. It does however want to see if you have a scientific temper, a drive and potential for research. Sometimes, schools may ask you only for a single statement of purpose. This generally means you have to combine your personal and research statements into one. The best way to do this is to write a longer statement of purpose and alter it to fit each application. Diversity statement: Some schools also ask for a diversity statement to understand your background and how you can fit in a culturally diverse setting. Essentially, the statement is a way to analyze how you contribute to the diversity of the school, or how that adds value to your research, grad school experience as well as to the institution. Supplemental essay: I’m part of the UGA Integrative Conservation Program. To apply to this Program, you’d have to apply through specific home Departments. The application package requires two essays, one statement of purpose towards the Department admission requirements and a Supplemental Essay towards the ICON Program.
Additionally, there are other various other sources of funding available for international applicants. Say you’ve been accepted but without funding, you can try applying to these external sources to support your studies abroad. However, these are very competitive. Some of these will cover your travel expenses only whereas some the cost of studying abroad including tuition and other related costs. These include:
Additionally, it may also contain your weekly working hours, and payment schedule whether a weekly, monthly or quarterly payment scheme. Also, important to note is that assistantships are renewed every year. Each yearly assistantship may be for a total duration of 9 or 12 months, excluding or including summer pay, respectively. The total amount allotted doesn't change in any way, but the payment schedule will. Some schools let you choose whether you'd like to receive the payment for a full year or over 9 months. A transition from a TA to an RA or vice versa may also change your total pay depending on grant restrictions. Other aspects to note are tuition and health insurance fees. Usually, tuition is waived, however health insurance gets deducted from your paycheck. But some schools offer waivers or partial coverage. However, this could differ from school to school. So, make sure to crosscheck some of these details with your graduate coordinator or fellow grad students if they aren’t explicitly mentioned. Finally, whenever in doubt, do not hesitate to ask questions!
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Dina Rasquinha
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