Some Very Important Questions During Scholarships/Admissions Applications Are Answered. A Must Read!!!!
Yeeees!!! For those aspiring to join US universities (and I
suppose other European universities), these tips might be very important for
you.
They are based on an interview I had with the program
director (Mathematics department) at Montclair State University. I believe his views (the response to
these questions) (might) represent those of other universities. I hope these
will help you where possible.💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛
(Generally) What should an international student do to get admitted into US universities? And particularly, Montclair State University?
An application to the PhD program in Mathematics Education at Montclair State University includes official transcripts, two essays, three letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and TOEFL scores for international applicants who earned their degree in a country where English is not the official language. Students who submit a high quality application and are being considered for acceptance into the PhD program must also participate in an interview with the committee.
What might the admission committee mean when they say that a candidate has a “strong or outstanding application”?
I would argue that the written essays are the most valuable components of the application for assessing the quality of a candidate for doctoral work. This is because scholarly work is so reading, writing, and thinking intensive. Thus, it’s important for a candidate to convey their potential through their writing. In our case at Montclair State University, we ask for a Statement of Purpose (Who are you and why are you interested in pursuing a PhD in Mathematics Education?) and a Research Statement (What do you think you’ll want to research and what experiences have informed your thinking?). It’s critical that these statements are honest and meaningful, that they represent an understanding of what a PhD is about, and that they convey a real sense that the PhD is a logical next step in terms of where the candidate has been and where they want to go. For international students in particular, in order to convey a reasonable level of fluency with the English language, I suggest that the candidate take extra care to ensure that these pieces are clear, organized, well written, and free of grammatical and typographical errors.
In my opinion, the second most valuable components of an application are the three letters of recommendation. I suggest that these letters come from people in different positions who know the candidate in different ways and can provide specific examples about the candidate’s experiences that speak to their promise and that further substantiate elements of the two written pieces. For example, it’s not so helpful to say that a candidate is in the “Top 10%” in some regard; all letter writers have flattering things to say. It’s much more helpful to explain why the letter writer thinks so highly of the candidate and why they believe the candidate will excel in the program to which they’re applying.
The strongest applications include high quality essays and letters, and also show excellent grades on transcripts and high GRE and TOEFL test scores. But a viable application could include good grades and decent scores when the essays and letters are strong. Applications suffer when grades and test scores are poor, because these raise concerns about a candidate’s potential for success in a program that is extraordinarily demanding.
Finally, I would add that the strongest candidates have had full-time mathematics teaching experience and a Master’s degree in Mathematics, Education, or Mathematics Education. Those who have no teaching experience or a weak background in mathematics tend to write weaker essays, because they simply do not have the experiences they need to meet the expectations of those essays.
a) What’s the difference between personal statement, statement of research, or statement of purpose?
We require a Statement of Purpose and a Statement of Research. The Statement of Purpose typically includes the Personal Statement. I’ve briefly described these above and also provided some suggestions about what makes for a good essay. To elaborate on each of these statements, these are our full descriptions of each of the essays:
The Statement of Purpose provides you with an opportunity to give evidence of your unique talents and experiences as an applicant to doctoral study at Montclair State University. In preparing your statement, please keep in mind that the Admissions Committee is seeking evidence of your ability to communicate clearly and professionally. Please include your reasons for pursuing doctoral studies by referring to relevant personal, academic and work experiences. You may also wish to outline your future plans and any other information that may be of interest to the Admissions Committee.
The Statement of Research/Inquiry provides you with an opportunity to inform the Admissions Committee of your thoughts, ideas, and areas of interest that may lead to dissertation research. In preparing your statement, please keep in mind that the Admissions Committee is seeking evidence of your ability to communicate clearly and professionally.
What are the considerations for one to qualify for funding? for a Master’s degree and PhD degree?Assistantships at both the Master’s and PhD levels are very competitive as there are only a few of each of these made available each year. Assistantships are assigned to the candidates with the strongest applications. In the case of the PhD degree, the candidate’s performance in an interview with the doctoral faculty is also considered. Assistantships are not determined by financial need; other funding opportunities may exist for those in need, and I would suggest contacting The Graduate School for information about them.
Some people say it’s possible for aspiring students to apply for PhD studies with their undergraduate degree (without master’s degree)? How is this possible?
The education system/structures of most international students are different from that of the US. How does this affect admission decisions?
This should have no impact on admission decisions.
Is there balancing of nationalities and gender in coming up with the finalists or the finalists are a product of competitive selections/decisions?
No, we don’t aim to achieve equity in that regard. Admission decisions are based on the quality of an application and an interview.
(How) does work experience impact decisions? How can a recent graduate with zero or few years of work experience convince the admission committee? What must he/she have instead?
As I’ve mentioned, in the case of the PhD program in Mathematics Education, having mathematics teaching experience makes one a stronger candidate. Since the degree is a math education degree, one’s teaching experience provides a resource for connections between coursework and the realities of actual teaching. Applicants to the program who do not have teaching experience can replace that with other experiences that somehow engage them in opportunities to teach and learn mathematics with others.
After being shortlisted and you are invited for an interview (face-to-face or skype). Can you still fail to get admission? What can cause that?
It’s possible to submit a strong application and then be denied because of what the committee learns about the candidate in the interview. Those who perform more strongly in the interview convey some of the ideas that I mentioned are worth addressing in the two essays and they express those ideas with a clear passion for the work. They also come across as knowledgeable about the program and the doctoral faculty, and they demonstrate their understanding of the demands of a PhD program, what it entails, and what the degree is useful for.
Does volunteership, service to the community, co-curricular activities etc. matter during admission decisions?
These things do matter. They can certainly strengthen an application, especially if they’re relevant to the program.
By Denish Akuom🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
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