10 Tips to get you into the Top 10
Advice to help you achieve your dream of studying in schools abroad
Before starting the blog, for all those people who are putting day and night towards their goal to get into top schools in the world, firstly, I would like to say you are AMAZING :-) keep up the hard work! Secondly, keep reading this blog, as it will help you demystify what it takes to get into your favourite schools.
This blog consists of 10 of my favourite tips to get you even closer to your dream school. This contains the lessons I learnt while preparing for my study abroad journey which has fortunately paid off as I will be starting my Master’s at Georgia Tech this fall ❤. Hope you get something valuable out of it.
So, Let's start with tip #1☝🏼:
Go above and beyond
It is essential to differentiate yourself from the crowd and go the extra mile to achieve your goal. Don’t be scared to come out of your comfort zone as you will be surprised to meet the person there. Time plays an important role, use it efficiently. Practice multi-tasking by handling the classes/work, exams/assignments and prep for your study abroad journey effectively.
The only way of finding the limits of the possible is going beyond them into the impossible. — Arthur C. Clarke
Tip #2: ( drumroll please 🥁)
Get your hands dirty
The best way to show your skills to the admissions committee is through projects, so try to be involved in as many hands-on projects as possible in your college. Try to get good experience in your field of interest. The best way to do so is by doing internships and you can even earn a nickel or two for that. But remember even if it’s a voluntary role, the experience and skills that you will gain while working during that time are priceless.
Tell me and I forget, Teach me and I remember, Involve me and I learn. — Benjamin Franklin
Tip #3: (finding nemo 🐠)
Try Research
I say ‘try’ because not everyone is interested in research work but I would recommend at at-least trying once in your bachelor’s. I remember the first research project I started working on was me experimenting with what I like and what I don’t. But soon after that, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed researching and developing solutions for the problems at hand. Also, most of the top schools highly appreciate any sort of research work or articles you published at the time of applying and it definitely increases your chances of acceptance.
Research is formalized curiosity, It is poking and prying with a purpose. — Zora Neale Hurtson
Tip #4: (✈️)
Get international exposure
A good way to bolster your resume is to get yourself any kind of international exposure, be it in form of an overseas workshop, competition/scholarship or internship. The reason is simple: it proves your competence on a global stage thus giving you an edge over other applicants. There are many opportunities out there, look out for them in your field of interest. If research is what makes you happy, try getting involved in research internships with the professors of universities abroad. It will give you a diverse experience and even prepare you for what to expect in future as an international student.
The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page — Saint Augustine.
Tip #5: ( high-five ✋🏼)
Show off your projects
Now that you have good hands-on projects to show to the admission committee, try to make it a good user experience for them. Remember it is not only about impressing them but it’s more about effectively expressing all the hard work that you put into these projects. Depending on the type of projects, you can use GitHub (for codes), portfolio websites (for case studies of your projects), Beacon (for your quick links), etc. In addition to it, also remain active on social networking websites like LinkedIn and Twitter, etc, and keep posting all of your recent achievements and accomplishments there.
Impress people with your accomplishments, not your possessions. — Anonymous
Tip #6: ( keep growing🌳)
Engage with the community
One criteria people often miss to include in their application is to answer “How have you given back to the community ?”. This is great to answer not only for the sake of applying to schools but also in general, It feels great to be engaged with a community of your field of interest. It is also a good way to network, learn, support and grow with each other in the community. For the past year, I am volunteering my time with a global community “Women Who Code” and doing my part in helping women excel in technology-based careers. Similarly, there are many organizations such as Teach For India (if you like teaching), Girls Who Code ( if you like coding), Google Developer Groups (if you like organizing tech events), etc. so try to volunteer and even take leadership roles in such communities.
Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more. — H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Tip #7: (drumroll again please 🥁)
Jack of all trades
One thing that the admissions committee is looking for in a good candidate is a holistic profile. Don’t just stick to being a bookworm but try exploring what are the other passions that you can pursue and polish to highlight them in your resume. Bringing curiosity to any work makes you better at doing it. For some, it could be sports, dancing, painting or even for some it might be management skills like organizing large events or even public speaking, etc. Keeping your eyes and ears open to opportunities, coupled with learning and growing in multiple areas, means self-awareness and confidence in your path.
Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all. — Aristotle
Tip #8: (🧐)
Do your own research
Studying abroad is a big step and possibly you have a lot of questions troubling you at this time, like the timeline to apply, how to write an effective SOP, the visa process, living in a completely different country, etc. I can’t stress this enough but the best resource that you could find to have all such questions answered is YouTube. There are great content creators who have step-by-step documented their experiences as international students. Some of the popular ones whom I have found extremely helpful in my journey are Parth Vijayvergiya and Singh in USA. I would highly suggest against hiring any counsellors for your study abroad journey. Doing your own research whether through the Internet or connecting with seniors is the very first step in your journey of becoming truly independent as well as it is also good preparation for your post-admission life as an international student.
Built, not bought; hustle, not handed; earned, not given — Anonymous
Tip #9: (early rise☀️)
Start Early
The best tip I can give you is to start your application journey as soon as possible. The whole application journey including writing essays, taking tests, and gathering LoR is an intimidating process if done at the last moment. So, try planning everything out and start early. Also, Since most of the standardized tests like GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, etc. scores are valid for more than one year hence it could be a good step to take them ahead of time and get them out the way sooner so that you can spend more time on other parts of the application. Furthermore, submitting the applications earlier might increase your chances of acceptance by the schools that admit students on a rolling basis.
The sooner you start, the sooner you will start seeing the results. — Anonymous
Tip #10: (and that's a wrap🎬)
Don’t forget to enjoy
This tip is very simple! Applying for schools abroad seems a very long and daunting process. It will test you multiple times like when you get frustrated by the essay drafts you write or even when you wish to retake your tests, but amidst all this chaos, don’t forget to keep yourself motivated and enjoy this journey. Trust me it is such a satisfying feeling when someday you look back and realize how far you have come and how much you have grown as a person in the entire process.
The journey is more important than the destination because there is so much more in between. — Bill King
Last but not the least, ALL THE VERY BEST for your journey! ❤
