...Demystifying the American Graduate Admissions Process Karthik Raghunathan Graduate Class of 2010 Stanford Computer Science kr@cs.stanford.edu Abstract This paper attempts to discuss at length the various factors (along with their respective weightage) that the admissions committee at a top graduate school in the US takes into account while reviewing a Master of Science (MS) application. Disclaimer This paper is a mixture of facts, inferences and extrapolations, based on my personal experience as an admissions committee member at Stanford. All views expressed here are solely mine and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Stanford University. 1. Introduction In this paper, I outline the various parameters involved in the complex decision making process of a Masters admissions committee in a top graduate school in the US. To clarify this further, (i) This report is mainly targeted at MS applicants, but a lot of it can be extended to PhD applications as well. In most cases, the requirements for a PhD admit will just be a stricter version of those mentioned here. (ii) I do not have a specific list of universities in mind when I say "a top graduate school". Stanford, MIT, UC Berkeley and CMU are certainly up there, but I am not particularly referring to any specific list of graduate school rankings. In a more general sense, I am talking about schools where the default attitude of the admissions committee is "rejected, unless strongly proved otherwise" rather...
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...Writing Your Graduate School Application Essay Generally speaking, there are two types of application essays for graduate school: the statement of purpose (SOP) and the personal statement. (Refer to FAQs to find out how the two types are different.) Both types let you convince the admissions committee that you are a good fit for the program and can contribute to the department. Although different graduate schools may ask you to answer different prompts, most ask that you write no more than a two-page application essay. The application essay is difficult to write because you must pitch your candidacy to a few department faculty members who read through hundreds – or sometimes thousands – of other essays. In this handout, you will learn how to show these busy readers that you will contribute meaningfully to the university and their department. 1. Relate your past and present experiences to the future. In their application essays, many applicants make the mistake of underemphasizing the future. But it’s important that you show how your past experiences have informed your present work, and how your present work can be extended to the future or raise new research questions. Admissions committees assess many qualified applicants based on whether their research will reflect positively on the university and their department. Committees will think your past and present work is relevant only if it relates directly to your plans for the future. If you don’t know exactly where your current...
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...KOMEN RESEARCH PROGRAMS Because breast cancer is everywhere, SO ARE WE. At Susan G. Komen, we are committed to ENDING breast cancer forever by ENERGIZING SCIENCE to find the cures and ensuring QUALITY CARE for all people, everywhere. GRADUATE TRAINING IN DISPARITIES RESEARCH GRANTS 2015-2016 REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS Susan G. Komen 5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 250 Dallas, Texas 75244 Research Programs Help Desk: 1-866-921-9678 Questions: www.komen.org/researchhelpdesk Website: www.komen.org TABLE OF CONTENTS KEY DATES 3 KOMEN RESEARCH PROGRAM 3 GRADUATE TRAINING IN DISPATIRIES RESEARCH GRANTS 3 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS 4 FUNDING INFORMATION AND GRANT TERM 4 APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS 5 OPTIONAL COMPONENTS 7 PRE-APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS 8 PRE-APPLICATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS 9 Administrative Requirements 9 Pre-Application Submission Deadline 9 Getting Started in proposalCENTRAL 9 Title Page 10 Download Templates & Instructions 10 Applicant/Principal Investigator (PI) 10 Institution & Contacts 10 Key Personnel 10 Non-Key Personnel 11 Narrative and Supporting Documents 11 Validate 15 Submit 15 FULL APPLICATION SUBMISSION Graduate Training in Disparities Research Grants, 2015-2016 Request for Applications 15 Page 2 of 15 KEY DATES Application System Opens: Pre-Application Due: Pre-Application Decision: Full Application Due: Award Notification: May 6, 2015 June 17, 2015, by 1 p.m., Eastern Standard Time September 16, 2015 November 9...
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...Graduate School Application Cover Letters: Paper applications and supporting material sent via the post to graduate schools require cover letters. Cover letters should be approximately 1-2 paragraphs and contain: 1) What is enclosed in the envelope and why. Do not make the reader guess why you are sending the following materials. State what program you are applying for and for what year/semester. 2) Tell specifically how you heard about their program. Write if their website impressed you, if it was a family member, friend, advisor, faculty, recruiter or mentor. It is appropriate to mention the name of that person in the cover letter, especially if it is a recruiter or someone who works in that program. 3) Convince them to really take a look at your application. Make sure the cover letter is well written and targeted for that program. The department website is a great way to incorporate the main points and goals of that program, 4) Take the opportunity to really show them your attitude. Success in the application process is 80 % attitude. The cover letter should state how excited you are about the prospect of becoming a student in the graduate program. 5) Provide or refer to any information that you would like to highlight about your application or anything you feel you were not able to mention in your application. Work and on-hand experience are great points to focus on. Sample Cover Letter: Hunter Thomas 14 Breakers Way Pacifica, CA 97854 hunterthomas@email...
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...political, social and environmental changes, but also wide-ranging and borderless development of mass communication system at national, international and global level. This rapid development leads to academic and professional necessity to search for new modern knowledge in order to respond to needs for development by individuals as major resource for national development process and by organisations as sources of activities that promote systematic development. In addition, rapid increase of graduates and professional people in journalism and mass communication as compared to the past, has become a current trend, while education institutes that offer courses at doctoral level are still limited in Thailand. The Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication is the first institute in Thailand that offers journalism courses at graduate level, and has produced many under graduates and graduates on mass communication to serve the society. The faculty recognizes the urgent need as mentioned above in the age of information, while Thammasat University has a policy to emphasize continuous creation of advanced knowledge and research in all branches of social science. With capacity and readiness in terms of personnel, places, equipment and cooperation with other higher education institutes and related organisations both in and outside of the country that facilitates operation and administration of higher...
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...therefore, I provided research on the general outlook for economists. The Bureau of Labor Statistics documented that “53 percent of economists” are employed by the United States federal government, state government, or an affiliated agency; and the employment outlook will rise at 6% from 2008 through 2018. “Candidates who hold master’s or Ph.D. degree in economics will have the best employment prospects and advancement opportunities” where as applicants holding a bachelor’s degree will have limited access to entry level positions. As the field of economics requires advanced education, I have conducted extensive research on applicable graduate and PhD programs. The degrees I am considering include a Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master in Public Policy (MPP), Master of Arts in International Economics and Finance (MAIEF), or PhD. Program in Economics. My target schools are the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government, Bandeis University’s Lemberg Program, Duke University, and American University’s School of Public Affairs. The BLS referenced that salary ranges for economists varied greatly; the highest 10 percent of professionals earned more than $149,110 and the lowest 10 percent earn less than $44,050. I also reviewed the GS salary grades for the federal government. Based on my co-op experience and bachelor degree, I would expect to fall between a GS-5-7, starting at $26,264 to a maximum of $42, 290. However, after completing a graduate program I may be eligible...
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...preparation are crucial for later success. Think broadly. Explore different ways to use your graduate degree. In addition to teaching and research inside and outside of the academy, consider jobs in government, the non-profit sector, and industry. Informational interviews with people in different jobs and working in different kinds of institutions can help you make the career decisions that are best for you. Following the business press (e.g., The Wall Street Journal) or trade publications specific to your discipline can help you learn about many issues relevant to your chosen field and what trends are shaping that field. Understand what you want. The best job is one that is right for you. Know what you want out of your career— in academia or elsewhere. Have a career vision and link your goals to the preparation that you will need for being a standout candidate. Having a career plan will help you think about which publications, presentations, and activities you can do to show that you are right for the type of job that you want. Position yourself for the market. Focus on cultivating professional relationships with your committee members, demonstrating professionalism to them, and doing quality work—regardless of the type of job you want to secure. After all, your committee members and references are asked to comment on multiple facets of you as an applicant, not just your writing, research, teaching, or organizational skills. mentor memo 2009 au t u mn quar t e r t h e g r...
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...Admissions Procedures Requirements At MIT, a regular graduate student is one who is registered for a program of advanced study and research leading to a post-baccalaureate degree. A regular graduate student may concurrently hold an appointment as a research assistant, teaching assistant, or instructor. To be admitted as a regular graduate student, an applicant must have earned a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a college, university, or technical school of acceptable standing. Students in their final year of undergraduate study may be admitted on the condition that their bachelor’s degrees are awarded before they enroll at MIT. Applicants are evaluated by the individual department in which they intend to register on the basis of their prior performance and professional promise, as evidenced by their academic records, letters of evaluation from individuals familiar with their capabilities, and any other pertinent data they submit. While high academic achievement does not guarantee admission, MIT expects such achievement or other persuasive evidence of professional promise. Specific admission requirements vary by department; please consult the catalogue and department or program website for the requirements of individual departments. In general, most departments require significant work in mathematics and the physical sciences in addition to preparation in a specific field of interest, but some admit students with as little as one year each of college-level mathematics...
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...Bloom’s Taxonomy “Assessment is an essential part of the teaching-learning process. Students' learning can be measured by different procedures. Despite a significant increase in test procedures, numerous issues surrounding testing of comprehension remain unresolved (Veeravagu, Muthusamy, & Marimuthu, 2010).” “In Bloom’s system, levels of material mastery are assessed behaviorally at the knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation levels (Crone-Todd & Pear, 2001).” Understanding which level the students are engaged on and what level the professor would like them to be engaged at within the class can assist in determining what type of questions, test or assessments should be asked to assist in the students’ learning and retention methods. The topics that will be reviewed in this paper are the definition and importance of Bloom’s Taxonomy, usage of this system within the graduate program, and the types of questions that should be utilized in preparation for the assignments. The Definition and Importance of Bloom’s Taxonomy According to UW Teaching Academy, Benjamin Bloom’s research team formed as a result of a discussion during the 1946 Convention of the American Psychological Association to develop a method of classification for thinking behaviors that were believed to be important in the learning process. This classification for thinking behaviors later became know as Bloom’s Taxonomy. “Bloom's Taxonomy is a multi-tiered model of classifying...
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...elixirjournal.org Human Resource Management Elixir Human Res. Mgmt. 48 (2012) 9491-9497 Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) – India S Praveen Economic Officer at Forward Markets Commission (GOI). A R TI C L E I N F O A B ST R A C T Art i c l e h i st ory : Received: 22 May 2012; Received in revised form: 28 June 2012; Accepted: 16 July 2012; K ey w or d s Knowledge, Outsource, Market research. Knowledge Process Outsourcing, or KPO, is the latest wave to hit the outsourcing business in India. A booming sector with tremendous potential, the KPO sector in India employs around 25,000 people currently. KPO is Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO). It involves outsourcing for high-end knowledge work. This includes research and work on intellectual property, equity and finance, analytics, market research and data management, et cetera. This article is prepared for better understanding of the concept and state of India in the sector. © 2012 Elixir All rights reserved. Introduction The Outsourcing Industry has been extensively researched in the past decade. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) in particular has been the topic of many analyses. Outsourcing first appeared in the IT industry in the 1980s. This was the time when companies recognized the benefits of having IT service partners in order to develop complex systems, and enhance the way that a business process or service is managed (Schumacher, 2005). Since then, the outsourcing industry has gone through its introduction...
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...Admissions Procedures Requirements At MIT, a regular graduate student is one who is registered for a program of advanced study and research leading to a post-baccalaureate degree. A regular graduate student may concurrently hold an appointment as a research assistant, teaching assistant, or instructor. To be admitted as a regular graduate student, an applicant must have earned a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a college, university, or technical school of acceptable standing. Students in their final year of undergraduate study may be admitted on the condition that their bachelor’s degrees are awarded before they enroll at MIT. Applicants are evaluated by the individual department in which they intend to register on the basis of their prior performance and professional promise, as evidenced by their academic records, letters of evaluation from individuals familiar with their capabilities, and any other pertinent data they submit. While high academic achievement does not guarantee admission, MIT expects such achievement or other persuasive evidence of professional promise. Specific admission requirements vary by department; please consult the catalogue and department or program website for the requirements of individual departments. In general, most departments require significant work in mathematics and the physical sciences in addition to preparation in a specific field of interest, but some admit students with as little as one year each of college-level mathematics...
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...temporary student card will be issued to students who have registered, but have not yet submitted all the required documents. A formal student card will be issued after the student has submitted all the required documents. c. A student card cannot be used by anybody other than the holder. d. In case of loss or damage of a student card or temporary student card, a student may apply for a replacement. Application forms for such replacement are obtainable at the Registry. A card replacement fee will be charged to the student. e. The student card will be renewed once the student achieves the PhD candidacy, no administration fee will be charged to student in such a case. f. Students may refer to the ‘Regulations and Guidelines Governing the Use of the UM Campus Card’ for further details. Late Registration a. Students may apply for late registration if they cannot complete the process within the scheduled period. Application for late registration should be submitted at least three working days before the scheduled registration period by completing application forms obtained from the Graduate School. b. Applicants for late registration must settle the tuition fees on/before the deadline specified on debit notes. Otherwise, penalty of late payment will be levied. c. Late registration fees will be charged to students who do not apply for late registration three working days before the scheduled registration period. Students who have applied for late registration but...
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...job awaits me after I graduate? That’s the first thing that comes to the mind of students who are about to graduate. To find and to have a job is the main purpose of the students in studying. But how high is the possibility of college graduates to find jobs especially those BSHRM graduates? A lot of people are saying that the work of an HRM graduate isn’t easy. There are people who despise this course because most of the HRM graduates end up being a cook or a waiter. But these people are mistaken because they don’t know that the BSHRM program assures that every graduate are efficient, competent and globally competitive. In other words, there are numerous opportunities that await the BSHRM graduates because many private and public sectors here in the Philippines and even in other countries that require workers with adequate knowledge and skills in accordance with the profession they wish to fill. Thus, many upcoming college students are encouraged to take up this course because they saw that there are a lot of great opportunities that awaits them after graduating. 3 Statement of the Problems This research paper provides information about the perceptions of the students of the course BSHRM about job opportunities. BSHRM students think that they will be provided information about the possible job opportunities and to give ideas to the students of what jobs they could have after graduation. 1. What are the job opportunities awaiting BSHRM graduates? 2. What do they think...
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...Davy Graduate Programme Investing in your success DEVELOPMENT SUCCESS EXPERIENCE www.davy.ie Contents An Introduction to Davy Working with the Best Our Graduate Programme Why choose Davy? Our Graduates’ Views Sports and Social Benefits Training, Development and Support Application Procedure 1 3 8 9 11 13 14 15 17 An Introduction to Davy D AV Y G R A D U AT E P R O G R A M M E Davy is the industry leader in Ireland and we compete for business on a daily basis with the global investment banks. Our continued success is founded on our ability to attract and retain the best people. If you are considering a career in financial services and you have a strong work ethic, together with lots of ambition, you should consider the Davy Graduate Programme. For our part, we will do our utmost to nurture and develop your talents and will give you the opportunity to work with and learn from the best and brightest people in the business. Davy is a genuine meritocracy and our people are rewarded for their efforts and results in a fair and proportionate manner, regardless of how long they have been with the firm. We are looking for graduates brimming with energy, passion and ambition. If this resonates with you, we look forward to meeting up. Our Story Established in 1926, Davy is Ireland’s leading provider of stockbroking, wealth management, asset management and financial advisory services. Employing over 475 people, we offer a broad range of services to private clients,...
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...CENTRE FOR GRADUATE STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS UNIVERSITI UTARA MALAYSIA To all applicants Graduate Studies Programme Universiti Utara Malaysia Thank you for choosing Universiti Utara Malaysia as your centre for excellence. Kindly please take in to consideration all the matters listed below while filling in the form : Please fill in the form in block letters using a black pen or a typewriter; All sections must be filled in. State “not applicable” wherever necessary. The following must be submitted together with complete Application Form : Payment slip of the processing fee of RM50.00 for Malaysian applicants. Recepted Bill Payment Slip (BPS) for amount RM50.00 for processing fee which can be paid at any branch of BANK ISLAM MALYSIA BERHAD (BIBM) by using BPS Stating “Payee Code340”. Certified copies of Malaysian Education Certificate (MCE), Degree/equivalent qualifications Malaysian University English Test (MUET) / Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) / International English Language Testing System (IELTS), professional certificates and full Academics Transcripts. Applicants in their final semester of first degree must attach certified copies of result for every semester); Scholarship/training award/study loan certification letters; Letter of approval/official leave from employer/relevant authorities to pursue this programme; Copy of research proposal (for applicants doing full research only); Foreign Applicants are requested to send four (4) copies...
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