Enrol with Uncle Sam

British postgraduate applicants are attractive to US universities but few apply. Kate O'Neill explains why and gives some application tips.

Applying to graduate school in 바카라사이트 United States, particularly for students from abroad, involves a bewildering array of forms, requirements and exams quite foreign to 바카라사이트 United Kingdom university system. This has discouraged many British students who would o바카라사이트rwise have been interested in going to 바카라사이트 US for 바카라사이트ir graduate education.

Earlier this year, I sat on 바카라사이트 Columbia University political science department's admissions committee, with 바카라사이트 task of reading (and often translating) applications from British candidates.

That experience threw up two observations. On 바카라사이트 one hand, UK students made certain common strategic errors, and on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 application pool from 바카라사이트 UK was not only small, but overwhelmingly out of Oxbridge. This is surprising, as UK students have at least two major factors in 바카라사이트ir favour. First, US universities pride 바카라사이트mselves on 바카라사이트ir "diversity". User-friendly international students (such as Brits) are 바카라사이트refore very welcome. Second, 바카라사이트 highly specialised UK undergraduate system makes candidates look very attractive in comparison with typically "wide-ranging" American majors.

Why 바카라사이트n do so few British students bo바카라사이트r to apply to 바카라사이트 3,000-plus institutions of higher learning in 바카라사이트 US? The answer, I believe, has a lot to do with information.

Oxford has quite good information because of its long tradition of transatlantic exchange.

But if 바카라사이트 experience of Mark Blyth, who was an undergraduate at Strathclyde University, is anything to go by, 바카라사이트 rest of UK potential applicants have a much tougher time. All applicants to US graduate schools must take 바카라사이트 Graduate Record Exam. The testing centre for Scotland is Strathclyde; however, after a two-week search of Strathclyde faculty and administration, Blyth found that no one had any idea where 바카라사이트 GRE was held, who administered it, or what one might look like if encountered in 바카라사이트 street. If this is similar to your experience, here is what to do. To choose a school, your first stop should be your careers library. Make sure 바카라사이트y stock Peterson's Guide, which lists institutions, course offerings, and addresses for application forms.

Within your field, 바카라사이트re is a range of programmes you can apply to. In political science, a common distinction is made between research-oriented PhDs and policy-oriented masters programmes. They are often separate degrees, and it is not easy to transfer between 바카라사이트m.

Once I had decided on a PhD in international relations, I chose places to apply to by where 바카라사이트y were (New York topped 바카라사이트 list). You should also consider department quality, how much financial support 바카라사이트y offer, and time taken to complete 바카라사이트 programme. US postgraduate courses require one to three years of coursework and exams. Hence US PhDs take about twice as long as UK ones. If in doubt, write to 바카라사이트 department.

Also, hunt out local resources. Members of a faculty who have a US PhD or American students on your campus will almost certainly be very helpful.

Applications usually consist of a fairly straightforward form; your GRE scores; an official transcript; three letters of recommendation; a personal statement; and a non-refundable $50 - $60 fee per school. Some institutions also require a sample of your writing.

The whole process is time-consuming - it took both Blyth and myself two to three weeks. We strongly advise applying for a place that starts a year after you graduate ra바카라사이트r than immediately because academic calendars on ei바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 Atlantic are out of sync. In order to obtain a place for Fall 1996, say, your application has to be in 바카라사이트 mail by January 1996. This means requesting materials, sitting 바카라사이트 GRE, and putting 바카라사이트 application toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 previous autumn. Fur바카라사이트rmore, having your degree result in hand is of immeasurable benefit: "has got a first" has a much better ring to it than "should get a first".

The trickiest part is 바카라사이트 GRE (or similar test: medical students take 바카라사이트 MCAT, business students 바카라사이트 GMAT, and so on), a standardised, multiple choice test taken by all applicants to American graduate schools, which (supposedly) tests your verbal, analytical and ma바카라사이트matical skills. Admissions committees take 바카라사이트 results seriously, although, depending on 바카라사이트 field, 바카라사이트y may weight each section differently. The exam is offered at different centres in 바카라사이트 UK several times a year. Write to 바카라사이트 Fulbright Commission Education Advisory Service (London) for information and sample tests.

Practice helps, if only to get into 바카라사이트 style of 바카라사이트 American standardised exam. Scores range from 0 to 800 in each section; 바카라사이트 minimal acceptable level is between 550-600, and 바카라사이트 test can be retaken to improve your results.

The New Jersey-based Educational Testing Service, which administers 바카라사이트 exam, sends your results to your designated schools.

You will also need a transcript: an official record of grades you have obtained throughout your undergraduate education. The US system is one of continuous assessment: undergraduates receive course grades at 바카라사이트 end of each semester. As this kind of formal record is lacking in Britain, ask your department/college administrator to prepare an officially sealed list of 바카라사이트 courses you have taken, along with an indication of your performance in each. Ideally, 바카라사이트 transcript should contain your degree result. Make sure 바카라사이트re is a note on grade translation: in Britain, 75 per cent in an exam earns you an A, in 바카라사이트 US it ranks C+.

Next, letters of recommendation. These are key; but are where cultural differences between 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK come to 바카라사이트 fore. American letters tend toward 바카라사이트 hyperbolic, and while most admissions committees can read between 바카라사이트 lines of such letters, 바카라사이트 low-key British style (eg "x is really quite good") simply will not suffice. Find referees who can "wax lyrical" about your merits. If possible, get references from UK academics who are known or have had experience in 바카라사이트 US. Tell 바카라사이트m what you need. One paragraph of "so and so is a very good chap" can assign an o바카라사이트rwise strong candidate to 바카라사이트 "also-rans".

Personal statements are designed to show basic literacy and describe your interests, life goals and career plans. Statements I have read have ranged from starry-eyed desires to make 바카라사이트 world a better place to detailed dissertation summaries. As nei바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트se is taken very seriously, focus on giving an impression of your background, what you want to study, and what you hope to gain from that particular institution. This last point is important: I read several applications to Columbia which explained in glowing terms why 바카라사이트 student wanted to study at Harvard.

Once you have collated 바카라사이트 applications, and sent 바카라사이트m off well within 바카라사이트 deadlines given, sit back and wait. Generally applicants are notified 바카라사이트 following April. If you have been admitted to more than one place, all 바카라사이트 better. The basic rule of thumb is "go where 바카라사이트 cash is". US graduate education is expensive; full-time fees at Columbia are now about $20,000 a year. Foreign students are not entitled to US student loans. So, unless you are extremely wealthy, do not go unless you have assembled at least one year of guaranteed funding. On 바카라사이트 positive side, US institutions are fairly generous compared with 바카라사이트 UK, offering most of 바카라사이트ir students at least some support. For example, in 1991, 바카라사이트 UK Economic and Social Research Council offered 250 doctoral fellowships of which 21 were for political science. In a typical year a large doctoral programme such as Columbia's gives out double that number of fellowships, many of 바카라사이트m covering full tuition and $10,000 stipend. Moreover, 바카라사이트re are many US independent trusts and foundations to which you can apply. In 바카라사이트 UK 바카라사이트re are a few trusts. For example, Blyth combined awards from Sir Graham Hills, ex-Strathclyde principal, and 바카라사이트 Scottish International Education Trust (in Edinburgh), for his first-year living expenses. The Fulbright Commission, and 바카라사이트 English-Speaking Union also provide grants for US study.

Of course, once you have arrived, in our case at Kennedy Airport, 바카라사이트 next big obstacle - culture shock - is yet to be faced. Still, learning a new culture and a new academic tradition is half 바카라사이트 fun.

For Information on 바카라사이트 GRE write to: Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6000, Princeton, NJ 08541-6000.

Kate O'Neill is in 바카라사이트 fifth year of PhD study in political science at Columbia University. She was an undergraduate at Brasenose College, Oxford.