The graduate school entrance examination is over, the end of the semester is over, and the winter vacation begins, but the application for studying abroad in 2024 is already halfway through.
Students who are hopeless, who are not sure to go ashore for graduate school entrance examinations, and do not want to enter the workplace with a bachelor's degree, if they want to have one more way back and one more choice, they should also plan to go abroad for graduate school. From choosing a school, preparing materials, submitting an application, to finally getting admission and applying for a visa, studying abroad is also a huge project.
Before starting this project, there are still issues that need to be considered.
1. Which country to go to? Which universities to apply to? What major do you plan to study?
2. Do you consider interdismourning? Is it interdistricipial?
3. Is it enough to take credits for quantitative courses in finance or engineering?
4. Do I need to take the GMAT to study business? Which should I choose between IELTS, TOEFL, PTE?
5. Which teacher should I write a letter of recommendation? Which company should the internship take place in?
Different from the one-step examination for graduate students, study abroad planning is a choice that tests planning ability and independent thinking ability.
However, leaving aside the complicated application process and the entanglement of choosing a school, first of all, we need to have an accurate understanding of our current situation. This cognition includes two aspects: one is objective academic ability, such as the current academic average GPA, English proficiency, etc.; The second is soft power, including participation in club activities, volunteer experience, first-class publications, internship experience, etc.
After doing an in-depth analysis of yourself, think about your career direction. Clarify what you want and which country is more suitable for you, consider the economic cost and time cost, and pay attention to the major, employment rate, teaching level, proportion of international students, public security, transportation, living facilities, internship opportunities and other factors.
If you have a clear career plan, you can conduct a detailed research on the target career to understand the required qualifications and vocational skills. For example, if you aspire to become an actuary, you need to understand in detail the process of actuary certification, the exam subjects, and whether actuarial science majors at some universities can be exempted from certain exam subjects in order to save time and costs. At the same time, the actuary exam has strict requirements for mathematical ability, and you need to understand it clearly in advance and check whether you have enough quantitative course credits.
For students who have not yet clarified the future development direction, they can choose a major with higher adaptability and greater versatility according to their own advantages and areas of expertise. At this point, students in natural sciences may have more options, such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, etc.
In this way, you will have an objective and comprehensive understanding of your own academic conditions, and your goals will be clearer. Although the application process for studying abroad is long and the details are cumbersome, only with clear thinking can you successfully clear the customs.
The application process can be divided into five major links: choosing a school and major, preparing application materials, submitting a visa online, getting an admission notice, and applying for a visa. Considering the fierce competition between prestigious schools and popular majors, it is recommended to plan a year in advance.
01. In terms of choosing a school, in addition to self-analysis, you can use some external tools such as Mastesportels, USNews, and Maclean's Compare the intended schools or majors. University rankings, employer reputations, and graduate employment destinations can all be used as references. In addition, you can also consult a formal institution authorized by the university for professional application counsel advice.
02. In terms of application materials, four contents are crucial: GPA, English proficiency (GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, PTE), essays and letters of recommendation. Among them, the first two items cannot be improved in a short period of time, so if there is still plenty of time, it is recommended to keep the GPA above 85%. As for English proficiency, whether it is IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE, it requires at least 3 months of preparation. The essay needs to have excellent writing skills, and more importantly, it should vividly show your strengths, past experiences and interests. Letters of recommendation should be communicated with teachers in advance, and teachers who are familiar with their learning situation and have a good impression of themselves should be selected.
03. In terms of time planning, you can start preparing for internships, scientific research projects and English exams during winter and summer vacations. Internships can be done by submitting resumes online or seeking recommendations from older siblings, alumni or even teachers. The winter and summer vacations of the junior year are a good time to participate in scientific research projects, and actively contact departments and professional teachers to strive to participate in laboratory projects. Extensive research experience will make your personal statement and motivation letter informative and substantial.
For students who already have internship and research experience, the focus can be on IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, GMAT, GRE and other exams. Try not to limit your choice of colleges and majors by your standardized scores.
After the start of the winter vacation, for the junior students, there are still more professional courses, at this time, you need to pay special attention to your academic performance, the core professional course grades must be as high as possible, and at the same time, you should also pay attention to whether your course structure matches the intended major. At the same time, in order to get a letter of recommendation, you need to interact with the teacher more in class and communicate with the teacher more after class to leave a good impression. It is recommended to communicate with professional consultants during this period to understand the application cases in recent years, as well as the changes in the admissions policy of the institution.
Wait until September to December after the start of your senior year, you can start preparing essays, letters of recommendation and other application materials, and start submitting applications. Communicate with advisors to keep abreast of admissions information and application progress for the new academic year.
Overall, applying to study abroad is a complex and lengthy process, especially for juniors. Early planning and preparation are good medicine for solving various problems. Sufficient time planning allows for mistakes and surprises, and ensures that there is enough leeway to adjust and change the application plan.