Last minute tips for your Masters applications abroad!
Lakhs of students leave the country to study abroad each year. Data shows that Indian students spend billions of dollars on tuition and living expenses abroad. Students are willing to invest both time and money in putting together the best application and ensuring they get an incredible education. Yet, with application deadlines around the corner, it’s easy to get stressed and miss out on the minor details. As students are gearing up to get into their dream schools, many likely have deadlines in January to all the foreign universities. At this point, it’s important that the necessary documents such as recommendation letter, essays and transcripts must be in good shape! Read these tips as a last check list before you apply.
- Proofread and check all documents
Proof-reading is very essential before submitting your documents. It is critical that you ask your colleagues or friends to proofread and catch any grammatical errors, incorrect information or inconsistencies. Ensure that your content, goals, text and structure is all fitting together well. This is very important while drafting your Statement of purpose (SOP) and essays! You can also download tools such as Grammarly, and leverage spell check to ensure the right information is put forth. A spelling or minor error could signal that you are not committed or dedicated enough to the application process and university.
2. Help your recommenders with the right information
Provide relevant background information and data to your recommenders so that they share accurate information. Choose a lesser known recommender who knows you better, over a higher-profile reference with little knowledge of what you have done. Give them enough time and notice so that they can dedicate sufficient time to this. Double check if the letter has all the correct details and clarity if any need to be sent directly online to the university.3. Tweak essays and statement of purpose to fit the university
Think of the personal statement as a way to add context to your GPA and test scores. Frame your journey and share your vision of where you’re headed. Every college has a different culture and environment. Though the main idea of your essay may remain the same, you need to tweak the content as per the university. Keeping in mind the philosophy of school and fitment will help you draft it. Small details like professors you want to learn from, courses you want to take and clubs you can join should be incorporated.
A personal connection in this entire process goes a long way. Consider reaching out to someone on the faculty and alumni in order to get information on the university. Building connections with them will help you gauge what exactly these schools are looking for and ensure your application is on point! The process can feel daunting but remind yourself that this last bit of effort will pay off. So triple check all your submissions and ensure you’re giving it your 100%!
