On the 15th April, 2023, we held a Telegram webinar to discuss the possibilities of getting a fully-funded PhD in the USA without a masters degree with Paschal Amusuo who is a PhD student studying Computer Engineering in Purdue University.
Below are a few questions answered during the webinar;
When or how did you find out you could do a PhD without a masters degree?
In my final year as an undergraduate, one of my professors who has been involved in writing recommendation letters for students studying abroad, was always urging me to apply for a PhD in the United States.
Although, I had known before then but him reinforcing it was the push I needed. So, I will give him the credit for that.
What was the application process like?
I would have said it went smoothly but that would be a lie, cause anyone who has gone through a graduate application process can tell that it is one of the most difficult to ever go through.
It is not just about the steps involved in the process but the uncertainties involved like having limited budgets and time to choose from over 100 universities, with so many requirements you have to make decisions from. Plus, applying for graduate school comes with a lot of pressure and deadlines you have to meet up with.
Although it is a daunting process, the best way to set yourself up for success is to embark on the process with good plans, because it will help reduce tension. For instance, the next application for graduate school is around December. So, if you start planning now towards graduate school you would have enough time to apply before December unlike starting out around August when it would be too late to prep up for December.
What are the steps involved in the application process?
The first step is knowing what you actually want to apply for. For instance, if you want to apply for a masters degree, it is very easy to get one but difficult to get into a PhD program for two reasons;
- Many schools have limited PhD slots, because PhD is not about studying but doing research.
- Schools lookout for students with interest that matches that of the professors and the school.
On the other hand, it is much easier to get funding when it comes to PhD admission because most PhD programs come fully-funded unlike applying for a masters program.
If you choose to apply for a masters program, the most important thing you need is your statement of purpose. A statement of purpose is an essay explaining why you want to apply for a masters degree in your chosen program.
Typically, I advise people to focus on their strengths when writing a statement of purpose. For instance, a colleague of mine who graduated with a second class lower degree (2:2) and got a fully-funded admission to study Agriculture at Purdue University.
This is due to the fact that she did not focus on her grades when writing her statement of purpose, but stated her significant experience in agriculture. So, when you are writing your statement of purpose, focus on your strengths in relation to the program you are applying for.
The other requirements involved is getting your transcripts, writing a GRE or TOEFL depending on the program. For instance, if you want to study Engineering, writing the GRE program is very necessary but if you are studying any other program, TOEFL is a good option.
Although, a lot of schools would say TOEFL is optional but I suggest you write it, because it is possible to get admissions without having TOEFL but you might not be able to access some funding if you do not pass a particular standard of the TOEFL test.
Lastly, your recommendation letter is important. So, ensure to get your recommendation letter from a lecturer or professor that can write a full page essay about you. Sometimes, it’s advisable to draft your recommendation letter and let them edit and sign it, as most lecturers and professors do not have the time to write recommendation letters.
Once you have all the four packages; Statement of purpose, transcripts, GRE/TOEFL test, and recommendation letter, the remaining steps are just filling a bunch of applications online.
Were there other Universities you applied to aside from Purdue University?
Yes, I applied to ten universities across different countries of which four of them were majorly in the United states.
Are Fully-Funded scholarships majorly from the schools one applies to or are there external sources to benefit from?
99% is mostly from the school. Although there are external programs one could benefit from but it is not common. Even the fully funded scholarship here in the US is not free money, you have to work for it.
How did you apply for the scholarship?
Firstly, here in the USA we do not refer to it as a scholarship, instead we have“Graduate Assistantship” or “Fellowship.”
If you get a fellowship, then you would not have to work for your funding but then it is not common as you do not apply for it, you get selected automatically. Either. due to you applying for the program early or due to you belonging to a diversity that the school wants to encourage to come study at the university.
Most funding in the US is through graduate assistantships, which means you would work 20 hours for the school while studying. For PhD programs like mine, the graduate assistantships come with the admission. So, you do not need to apply for it.
A graduate assistantship means you would either work with a professor for research purposes which is regarded as “Graduate Research Assistantship,” or you work with a professor to teach a class which is regarded as “Graduate Teaching Assistantship,” and you work in an administrative unit which is “Graduate Administrative Assistantship.”
How do one reach out to professors during the application process?
As said earlier, PhD comes with funding while Masters do not, but in some cases if you apply for PhD with no funding there is a probability that there are funding opportunities you would have to apply to within the school.
This is why you need to do your research on schools with funding opportunities before applying but in the case of Graduate Assistantships, you might have to reach out to the lecturers to ask for funding from different departments or you might have to reach out to the administrative units in the school.
Sometimes, it is difficult to do so when you are not in school. So, it is advisable to network with a current student at the school to gain information on where and how to get funding.
To get funding from lecturers or professors, you would have to send emails to them but in order to make your email standout, you need to identify your strengths or acquire strengths related to the program you want to study in.
Afterwards, you would have to check out the school’s website for their professors and send out emails, highlighting your strengths that are outstanding to these lecturers. Also, a lot of young professors reply to emails compared to older professors. Although, there are some pros and cons attached to it.
Lastly, if you do not get feedback after a few weeks, send a reminder email. If after a month you send another reminder email and you do not get any feedback, feel free to move on.
During your application were you interviewed? If yes, what were the major questions you were being asked?
Interview is not really a standard process, though some departments do it. What is common is a lecturer reaching out to you for a chat if he is moved by your email.
If you are being reached out for an interview, I will advise you to do your research about the person interviewing you and the department.
Also, exhibit your interest in the schools by tailoring your questions to relate with what you know about the school. Lastly, maintain a friendly environment during your interview even if you are tense.
Is it possible to apply for a fully-funded PhD with 3.4/4.0 CGPA?
It is not about your grade when applying for graduate school, but how well you sell yourself. So, even if you had a lesser grade you can get a fully-funded program if you can sell yourself well.
Also, they do not look at your CGPA but your transcript. So, if you have courses that you had better grades in, you can highlight that in your statement of purpose.
Concerning recommendation letters, how many is one required to have for graduate application?
Most schools in the US require three letters of recommendation. At least two should be from professors and one from your work experience.
Is it possible to apply for graduate school with HND?
It is possible to apply for a masters degree with an HND as long as you can prove your grade is equivalent to a bachelor’s degree using a WES evaluation system.
In addition, you should be able to highlight your strengths during the application process. If you can, then your HND degree is not a limitation.
Lastly, what is one key piece of advice you have for the audience to remember when applying for graduate school abroad?
Have something that makes you stand out from the other applicants during your application. For instance, nobody knows my alma-mata here in the US, but having a high GRE score that places me in the top 10 or 5 percent of people puts me in the position of being granted an application.
Also, having work experience is an advantage. So, try to highlight your work experience in relation to the program when writing your essay.
Final Thoughts
If you diligently follow the tips written above when applying for graduate school, you will be able to gain admissions to your desired program and luckily in your desired university.
If you want to study in countries like the UK, Canada, Germany, Australia and other European countries, you can book a consultation call to talk with an expert who will guide you through the steps.
Lastly, gain access to our webinars and updates by joining our community on Telegram. You can also join our scholarship mentorship with Mundus where you can get your documents reviewed, access document samples, a step-by-step guide to getting a scholarship approved, links to scholarship registration, and a lot more.
To join our scholarship mentorship program, contact us through the mail; at office@mundusconsult.com or call 07069537752.