Thread by @pchigozie13

The documents you need if studying abroad, especially in the USA, is your priority:
1.International Passport
2.Academic transcript (unofficial)
3.Academic CV
4.Statement of purpose (SOP)
5.Three Letters of Recommendation (LOR)
6.Test results (GRE/GMAT, TOEFL/IELTS)
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Go through my thread carefully and you will get to know how to get them ready during your NYSC service year.

INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT
You may wonder why international passports made it to the top of the list. Yes, it is very important as the process of getting one in
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Nigeria of late seems very difficult. And it may take several months after payment and capture for it to be ready for collection. Also, it is becoming a requirement for the registration of GRE, TOEFL, etc. Moreover, some graduation schools may require it during application.
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Finally, you need it to apply for your visa when offered admission. So, I advise you to start the process right away. You may also need to check the states where you may get it faster.

ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPT (UNOFFICIAL)
Getting all your transcripts from all the higher
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institutions (colleges, polytechnics, and universities) you attended may take time and money, like getting an international passport. So, start the process now. If you graduated with a CGPA below 3.0 on a 5-point scale, don't worry; be hopeful. You need to know
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how to improve on the CGPA using WES evaluation, quality CV, and test results. You will have to convert your CGPA to a 4-point scale. There is a space for you too, fear not.

ACADEMIC CV/RESUME
Every academic application requires a quality and convincing resume.
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Acquiring skills and experience via internships, academic conferences, research publications, and volunteering services could position you beyond a first-class graduate. So, get some programming skills, communication skills, etc. Note that you can utilize YouTube for this
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purpose for free. If you're a corps member, you have more than enough time to acquire those skills.
You can reach your undergrad supervisor to see if you can publish your final year project or collaborate with others to get some publications. All those things make a resume
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rich and convincing. So, be intentional and diligent; add skills upon skills.
"Sections of a CV for graduate school applications:
1.Your name and contact information—three to four lines
2.Educational History: you don't have to include your high school.
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3.Research or teaching experience—these can be separated.
4.Publications—you may include submitted articles.
5.Conferences attended-prioritize the ones you presented at.
6. Work experience—not captured in (3) but relevant to your application.
7.Awards and Scholarships.
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8.Volunteering and Leadership Experience
9.Skills and expertise
10.Short Courses
11.Referees” Oluwaseun Ajayi

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE (SOP)
Some call them "statements of intent." Whatever the reason, just know that it is your story to write. It must be unique and
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convincing. Write your story, starting from childhood if possible. Your story should link to your desired field of study. It must be at least two pages. Avoid copying other people's work; be original, concise, and simple. Point out one or more faculty members whose work
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interests you. Review your SOP by checking for grammatical errors. You can use quillbot.com for this. Also request a scholar to help you review your SOP.
"Your statement of purpose in paragraphs
1.Problem Statement: What did you see that made you decide to study
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and find a solution?
2. Education, experience, and skills: knowledge of courses, research experience, acquired skills
3.Research of interest: why you're interested in the school; research facilities, research work, professors
4.Future Goals: What do you want to do
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after your program? This can be linked to paragraph 1.
Following this format can produce a 4, 5, or 6 paragraph statement of purpose.” Samuel Ajayi

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION (LOR)
Most schools demand three referees to send letters of recommendation on your behalf.
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Things to consider when selecting referees:
•at least two must be academics;
•they must have taught in your previous academic stage;
•they must be PhD holders;
•they must be able to obtain a copy of your updated CV.
•and they must be willing to present you well
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in the write up.

TEST RESULTS (GRE/GMAT, IELTS/TOEFL)
Most schools may require one or more of those tests. You can Google them to learn about them. To boost your chances of being admitted, you will need to take the GRE and TOEFL if your CGPA is quite poor.

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Some of these are waived by some institutions too. You can access materials for these tests from my Google drive.
GRE materials drive.google.com/drive/folders/…
IELTS/TOEFL materials
drive.google.com/drive/folders/…
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If you have gotten those essential documents ready, do the following:
•use 4icu.org to access all the universities on Earth; go to the website of your desired universities,
•search out the requirements for MSc or PhD admission and make a list.
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•Search for faculty members in your research area and cold email them (write email) to enquire about possible space or funding availability.
•You can request a waiver on the application fee and English proficiency tests.
•Apply to as many universities as you can.

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If you enjoyed this post, consider following me for more and retweeting or sharing it with your friends.
Feel free to ask me questions as comment or dm, I will respond to them when I am free.
God bless you.
Mrs. Princess Chigozie
#Scholarship
#nysc
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