First, the process of online application for graduate students
1, prepare standardized test report.
American graduate applications require students to take ACT, TOEFL, GRE or other exams required by the school and obtain certain results. I suggest you take the exam as soon as possible. You can prepare for the application as soon as possible. In addition, if the exam is not ideal, students still have time to take the exam again to meet the academic performance requirements. In addition, the school requires a copy of the test results when submitting the application.
2. Prepare academic certificates and school transcripts.
American universities will explain in detail the relevant documents and academic qualifications required for the application, and students should prepare transcripts according to the requirements of the institutions. American universities may require transcripts to be stamped with the official seal of the school. Even if there is no special requirement, it is best to have the signature of the school, one in Chinese and one in English.
3. Fill in the application form clearly and the information is correct.
Students should keep the information consistent when filling in the materials, and the spelling of all documents should be consistent, so that the school can review the materials. Please fill in the social security number according to the instructions. Don't use abbreviations when filling in the name and address of the applicant's school, exam and award. Information about education or work experience should be provided in chronological or reverse order.
4. Personal statements and documents
Many American universities require applicants to submit personal statements, which is an important document affecting admission. Personal statements must be true, comprehensive and concise, and the contents must not be omitted. Students can fully reflect your ability to the school you apply for through personal statements, so as to attract the attention of admissions officers. In addition, American schools usually require students to provide one or more papers to reflect their values, outlook on life, your attitude towards life and your ability to face challenges. In short, these words are an important way for admissions officers to test your writing ability, so students must take the time to prepare carefully.
Third, the materials needed for online application
The application materials mainly include personal statement, resume and recommendation letter.
1. Personal statement is to let the Admissions Committee know about its preparation, clear planning for the future and understanding of the application project through the applicant's self-expression.
2. Resumes generally include academic qualifications, work and internship experience, scientific research experience, activities and leadership, skills, awards and other parts, which need to be rigorous and standardized, and at the same time highlight the various abilities of candidates. A general 1-2-page undergraduate resume is more appropriate. For example, applicants with outstanding scientific research experience need to write a resume, usually 2-5 pages.
3. The general school requires 2-3 letters of recommendation, which need to be familiar to students and written by some famous people, such as university teachers, research tutors, internship superiors and so on.
5. Pay the application fee
Most American universities require applicants to pay an application fee, which must be paid in US dollars. Students can use the international credit card to pay according to the online prompt or go to the bank to handle the draft and mail it to the address provided by the school.
Second, the matters needing attention in online application
1. Online application system
In the process of applying for online application of American graduate students, it is necessary to use the online application system of American graduate students. Generally, the online application system of American universities can be divided into five types, namely: applyyourself System, embark System, applyweb System, applytexas System and the school's own online application system.
2. Account number
There are routines for online applications, and some schools suddenly deviate from the original track. It takes a long time to register. Have a look. In addition, there are several ways to apply for registration, some are international students, some are local students, some are graduate students and some are undergraduates. What's more, different majors have different online application systems, and students register wrong online applications every year.
3. School and major choice
Schools with independent and specialized online application systems may only require you to choose one major. But in common, after filling in your personal information, you will find a "future plan" project. At this time, you must think carefully before choosing.
If you value the school, choose a different target major. If you have more majors, you can guarantee the success rate of admission. If you value majors, you'd better leave majors 2 and 3 blank and don't make any choices.
Generally, there will be several professional branches on the last page of online application. Take City University of new york University as an example. After entering the online application, a webpage will pop up: the choice of major involved. This item only appears once when you log in for the first time, and the next time you enter this page, you will jump directly to the to-do list. The following is the same from page one to page six. After filling it out, you may say, "The application of this school seems to be non-professional!" Actually, it is not. It is no problem to find this trap early, but the consequences will be serious if it is found late.
If there is still some time before the application deadline, you can rewrite the document and choose your favorite major; But if the deadline is close at hand, you can only "make mistakes", give up the target major and choose another major.
4. Are non-electronic materials OK?
According to the requirements of different schools' online application systems, some can be uploaded directly, and some American graduate online application systems can't upload transcripts, but can only send them, and those without electronic versions can be scanned.
In addition, the degree certificate/proof of attendance should also be sent. Generally, when applying for the online application system or checklist for graduate students in the United States, what materials need to be uploaded or mailed will be indicated. It is important to note that some schools explicitly require not to post the application materials that have been uploaded on the online application system.