graduate studies in the u.s.

[zAiTsEv]

i'm thinking of doing grad studies right after i get my bachelor's in 2008. i've a few questions for anyone who has applied to u.s. grad schools.

1) when do ppl normally take gre?
2) what are the application procedures? is it the same as undergrad application?
3) sources of finance? i know that grad students are offered stipends. but is it enough to support my stay until i graduate? if not, how much more do i need? (i know this depends on which uni you're in, but i just wanna get a rough idea from your experiences.)

thanks!

[chenchow]

i'm thinking of doing grad studies right after i get my bachelor's in 2008. i've a few questions for anyone who has applied to u.s. grad schools.

1) when do ppl normally take gre?
2) what are the application procedures? is it the same as undergrad application?
3) sources of finance? i know that grad students are offered stipends. but is it enough to support my stay until i graduate? if not, how much more do i need? (i know this depends on which uni you're in, but i just wanna get a rough idea from your experiences.)

thanks!

a) Take it as early as possible. Your results stay for 5 years. Ideal time would be in summer. You could take GRE any day, so it is up to you. Do at least 1 month of full-time preparation, so winter break/summer break would be good time to take. Do sign up early, especially if you plan to take in Sep-Dec, as the places would be fully taken up.

b) More or less same time line as undergrad application. The application process is about the same too. Only thing differs would be that you would need to have more credentials, especially on research, international conferences, if you are going for PhD.

c) For PhD, most universities would have more scholarship/grant, whereas those who apply for Master's program, especially course-based ones, there would be fewer scholarship opportunities. You would need to continuously deliver to ensure your grant continues. I would let those who are in PhD to share better.

[zAiTsEv]

why as early as possible?

[el_empty]

chenchow said so possibly because you'd still be in 'studying mode.' to some extent, yeah.. try to take it as early as you can, perhaps within a year after you graduate.

however i'm not sure about his advice on 1month full time preparation. 1 month's pretty short, i feel.

i say you should gauge first how well prepared you'd be - invest in a second hand gre test-book from a previous year (the present year books usually cost about $30). try it out and score yourself. if you flunk terribly, you know you'll need more time. to give you a feel for things, i spent about 8 months preparing for it; but i was also working full time, handling a grad school application, and a scholarship app as well.

also, you need to decide which would be a better option for you : a phd or a masters, for they're quite different in many ways.

also consider if you'll be doing a senior year thesis/dissertation.

[digimushu]

GRE needs your brain to not have "senioritis", or the burnt out feeling that most seniors experience when they are close to graduating. I say 2 months is enough, and the best time to start is the summer before the senior year. Then take it before summer ends. Get the books that the Mainland Chinese use for prep. They have "special" books for that purpose.

When applying, GRE is not everything. Statement of purpose and Research experience makes a difference. Professors are always eager to find students who like research. Do NOT go into graduate school in engineering/sciences if you are just in it for the money. I have seen MANY masters and PhD students quitting halfway because they lost interest in research or graduate school in general. Make sure you are working on something you like.

Good luck!

[zAiTsEv]

i'm thinking of doing a phd in bacteriology and i'm definitely going to do a senior year thesis since i'm enrolled in an honors program (and of course, because i'm interested in research). so, my question now is, are the grants and stipends enough to cover all the expenses until i graduate? does being an international student affect one's chances to secure the above financial sources?

[digimushu]

In research schools, yeah. In VT we get about USD$1400/mo pretax. They pay for tuition and you may end up saving some money for rainy day funds.

[digimushu]

^bump

"Being a graduate student is like becoming all of the Seven Dwarves. In the beginning you're Dopey and Bashful. In the middle, you are usually sick (Sneezy), tired (Sleepy), and irritable (Grumpy). But at the end, they call you Doc, and then you're Happy."
- Ronald T. Azuma

For those thinking about a Ph.D...

http://www.cs.unc.edu/~azuma/hitch4.html

...a good read!