FAQ on Mastercard Scholarship at McGill University🇨🇦.
Have you been nominated by McGill University for MCF Scholarship? Congratulations!
In this thread, I’ll provide answers to some common questions I’ve received over the last few months. Please forward to anyone you know.
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1. HOW DO I WRITE A SPONSOR LETTER: Basically, whoever paid for your undergraduate needs to write a letter, detailing how much was paid & for what. Please see a sample of mine- for your own good, don’t copy (remember, I don't need it again, it’s YOU) & they know me well.
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2. ESSAY- Mastercard requires 4 essays- Please be guided, each should be <= 300words. Number 3 was divided into 3 parts - to guide you on your response (all should be <=300). Please see:
3. IMPORTANT POINTS ON ESSAY AND HOW TO COMPLETE THE FORM- I made a video with @Ijesha_canadian on his YouTube channel, please do well to check , we explained, step-by-step, how to fill the form.
4. ADMISSION TO DEPARTMENT & MASTERCARD AREN'T THE SAME: You still need to submit an admission application to your department & write the essay. Please see this thread on writing SOP and PS:
That you were nominated doesn’t automatically grant you admission. Your documents will be reviewed like others (not applying for MCF). I know folks that were nominated & still denied admission. So please write a very good SOP or Personal Statement as your department requires.
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5. REFEREE: You need 1 ref for Mastercard & 2 or 3 for the department (check dept website to confirm). You can use the same ref (1 of the 2) for both dept & Mastercard. The most important thing is they place more emphasis on your professional strength for Mastercard.
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6. AWARD, VOLUNTEER: If you have any award, grant, attended conferences, please include them in the award section of the Mastercard application- no matter how little you think it is. EVERYTHING COUNTS!
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7. SHOULD I DECLARE THAT I TRAVELED OUT BEFORE?- If the traveling out will boost your application, please include it- E.g: If you were sponsored to attend a conference abroad, let them know, it will likely impress them- I told them I traveled out before tho.
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8. CV- Make your CV look nice, let everything be related and describe you well. Your CV will be checked by your department and Mastercard. No min or max- Although, I’d try to keep it less than 5pages.
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9. Finally, Read and review your application well, don’t make any costly mistakes. Convert all the Naira to the equivalent of $ CAD. You can use xe.com .
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Once you’re admitted, you’re finally on the last lap to winning- If you believe in God, PRAY.
GOODLUCK & by March/April, I pray they send the: CONGRATULATIONS! It’s my pleasure to….
See you in Montreal🇨🇦 by August 2021, I’m happy to show you around the city & McGill.
Writing Emails to Professor; Important tips & Samples for your consideration
Every year, Profs get several emails from students & difficult to accept all. You want to ensure yours is concise & deserve a response. This thread will provide insight & some samples you can use.
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Your opening statement; Here, please briefly introduce yourself & connect your interest with the Prof's own (refer to sample attached). Mention one or two of the Prof's research areas that you've checked and find interesting.
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Following this, let them know what you've done in the past: Demonstrate your experiences & tools you use (this is important for them to gauge your fit). E.g: I have good experience working with neural networks, ensemble forecasting & published a paper in ABC Journal.
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1. Be sure of what you’re writing, be sure to verify facts and claims. Otherwise, the Prof (or admission committee) reading your essays will be wary and assume you're not well informed of literature in your field (better not to say what you don't know)👇
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Are you applying for scholarships that require you to submit a research proposal or in your final year writing project soon? This thread gives a comprehensive overview of proposal writing. Also, u see some samples at the end
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Generally, "writing sample/proposal" is used to assess your level of fit for graduate school, provide justification for your research. Needless to say, In your pursuit of graduate studies, you write a lot of articles, thesis, etc. So, it’s very important you start early.
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N.B:
1.This is not final, it may (& often) change. So, you’re not expected to be a Master. Rather, it should be well-thought-out & makes you competitive 2. This is based on my personal opinion & doesn't reflect the opinion of my school, lab & not making a general clarifier
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1. MSc position in the Depart of Geography, Miami University (Ohio), USA
The student would focus on the stream component and examine how land use and climate change impact water quality within agriculturally dominated watersheds.
The deadline to apply is Feb 1st.
If you missed my previous post on MSc funding opportunities, please see the link below. Again, you can check @Damola_Ak & @olumuyiwaayo for more Ph.D. positions.
1. Fully-funded (3) MSc positions in the lab of Dr Ajung Moon at McGill University, to work in the areas of human-robot interaction and ethics of artificial intelligence and machine learning. ajungmoon.com/prospective-st…
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This is a continuation of my previous post, if you missed that, check here 👇. Also, if you're looking for PhD, check @Damola_Ak and @olumuyiwaayo (they do well on PhD posting and as such, I want to focus more on MSc opportunities).
1. MSc Position: The effect of drought on wildfire in Oklahoma
The position is budgeted for 2yrs beginning Jan 2021 & includes stipend of $19,000 annually, tuition waiver & health insurance at $20 per month (for student only, family coverage available for an additional fee)