Navigating Graduate School Admissions (written by Ayeza Siddiqi)

Senior year brings with it a wave of emotions and responsibilities. If you are an international student, it’s safe to say you are probably on an emotional roller coaster ride your first semester. Many students, like me, debated options including finding a job, take a gap year, do research or apply to graduate school. As someone who has an interest in academia, I decided to pursue the graduate school option. Some important tips that can help facilitate the process are:

1       Make sure you take your standardized tests well in advance! Almost all graduate schools require some sort of standardized test result (GRE, MCAT, LSAT, GMAT), and this does not apply to only schools in the US. It’s a good idea to air on the side of cautiousness, and take these tests in the summer of your junior year or in the first semester of senior year even if you are not entirely sure you will apply for graduate studies. Most tests, like the GRE, are valid for five years, so it can still come in handy if you decide to take a year or two off!

2       Many universities provide funding to international students for graduate studies (a lot more compared to undergraduate studies!). Most commonly universities offer graduate assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships as methods of funding. Since international students cannot apply for federal aid, these options vary from school to school. There are universities that might ask you to provide proof of funding with the application itself. Therefore, it is important to take your financing into consideration and looking for different options before applying to the graduate programs.

3       Lastly, most graduate school Ph.D programs, and some Masters programs, invite you to interviews when it comes to determining fellowships/funding. In my case, I had to obtain a graduate assistantship to get funding for my program and therefore I had to interview with several different university offices. To navigate the interview process, you must remember three things: firstly, it is really important to plan your trips to the universities well in advance - you don’t want to be the candidate who has to Skype in because of bad planning (trust me, it doesn’t give the best impression!). Secondly, keep extra copies of your resume and cover letter in hand. You never know when you might need it. If you have the time, go to the Career Center for a mock interview and have them take a look at your resume. Lastly, “Thank you” cards should be your best friend - remember to take a stack with you to any university you go. It leaves a good impression on the people you interview with, and also the faculty that you interact with.

As an international student who has recently gone through this process, please don’t hesitate to contact me with any further questions or concerns you might have. I can be reached at ayezars@umich.edu. If you are planning on applying to graduate school, good luck!