Higher Study @ USA 101

Written By,

Rahul Banik
Ph.D. Student
Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI, USA
 Why higher study in abroad?

Better lifestyle for you and your next generation.

Better Job prospective i.e. you’ll get what you
deserve after completing this tiring engineering
degree.
Better safety and human rights.
 Preparation for Higher Study

Pre-preparation (before passing undergraduate):

CGPA, Publication, Extra Skills

Post-preparation (after graduation): GRE,

IELTS/TOEFL, SOP, LOR, Resume, Transcript

Apply!
 Preparation for Higher Study
Pre-preparation

 Keep your CGPA as high as you can in the first two years. Find your field of interest at the end of
2nd year.

 From third year, try to get involved with some research projects.

 In fourth year, try to choose your thesis on your field of interest and start writing and publishing
papers on your previous research projects and thesis.

 Learn some software e.g. ArcGIS, Matlab, programming language like R, python, fortran, C &
C+. Its not a must but is a plus.

 Start preparing for GRE in your last semester of undergrad.

 Preparation for Higher Study
Post-preparation

 Take at-least 3/4 months for your GRE exam.

 Take at-least 1 month after your GRE for IELTS/TOEFL.

 Email professors of your field of interest while taking prep for IELTS/TOEFL.

 Once you’re done with your exams, start preparing your resume, SOP, LOR & transcripts.

 Apply early: For Fall session (August) within November and for Spring session within August.
 How to conduct research and publish papers on it?

 First, you’ve to download papers of your research interest and read them thoroughly. You
can download any paper from Sci-Hub.tw
 How to find the exact papers I am looking for: go to Crossref.com>metadata search> +”your
paper keyword” and click search! You’ll find DOI of your paper, copy that DOI in Sci-Hub.tw
and bingo! You have to find the DOI (even by google search) of your paper and that’s it.
 Sort out the methodology of the research you’re willing to perform. Construct a step by
step flow-chart of how you’ll proceed in this research. Be very clear about the limitations of
the previous works.
 Perform the research as described in the reference papers for your specimen and analysis
the result through different approaches.

 Once you get all things sorted out, start writing paper on your research according to
paper format. It’s nothing but a detailed LAB REPORT (Trust me)!

 Once the writing is completed, select Conferences and Journals on which you’re planning
to submit your paper.

 If you get primary acceptance and corrections, proceed as they instruct. Eventually your
paper will be published.
 GRE (Graduate Record Examination)*
3 major sections

Analytical Writing Quantitative Verbal Reasoning Bluff/Experimental

Ability Reasoning Section
 2 sections (20
 2 Writing Task:  2 sections (20 questions and  Can be a
Issue Task & questions and 35 35 min for each) quant or verbal
Argument Task min for each) section.
(30 min for each)  Benchmark
 Benchmark score score is 130,  No scoring will
 Scoring is ranged is 130, total score is total score is be assigned for
from 0~6 and is
170. 170. it but you won’t
given based on
know which
the overall  Adaptive sections.  Adaptive
performance of
section will be
sections.
the two tasks. your bluff
section.

*Registration Fee: $205

 Study Materials for GRE

 For word:  For Verbal:  For Quant:  For Awa:

1. Barron's 333 High 1. ETS official guide 2nd 1. Magoosh Videos 1. Magoosh premium
freq. ed. (Chapter 4) (https://1337x.unblock videos
2. Magoosh 1000 ed.ltda/torrent/329868
2. ETS official verbal 2. Practice from ETS
5/GRE-Magoosh-
3. Manhattan 500 reasoning (TC+SE) AWA pool.
Magoosh-Premium-
4. Note down 3. Magoosh verbal Videos-2017)
unknown words videos (TC+SE+RC)
2. Manhattan 1-6 books  Mock Tests:
from newspapers
4. GRE verbal grail & 5lb.
and mock tests.  ETS Powerprep 1,2
(TC+SE)
3. ETS official quant  Manhattan 6 paid
 For Practice: 5. GRE big book (only reasoning mocks ($49)
1. Powerprep Plus RC)
questions from 4. ETS official guide 2nd  Kaplan
gre.kmf.com 6. Read articles from ed. (Chapter 6)
nytimes.com,  Princeton 4 free
2. Magoosh 5. Nova math bible mocks
Premium aldaily.com
(geometry)
Account ($115)
 Tips & Tricks for a better GRE Score

 For a better score, you have to train your brain. For that training, you have to maintain a
good schedule and study plan and repeat each activity on every day.

 Read 2 articles from Nytimes.com every day and spend 5 min for each to understand what is
actually meant by the articles. It’ll help you on RC.

 Memrise is a good playstore app for learning words from Barron’s, Magoosh 1000 or Manhattan
500. But memorizing words only won’t help you for a better verbal score. You’ve to find reasons for
which you’re choosing an option as an answer.
 Watch Magoosh videos for Quant part specially and write down the basics in a notebook and
revise it every day before one month of your exam. Practice avoiding on-screen calculator and
practice brain calculation.

 You must find out the weak points of you on which you’re making mistakes again and again.
Find them and improve the weak spots.

 Don’t panic at the exam center. Be confident, cool-headed and prompt.

 IELTS (International English Language Testing System)*

4 Major Sections

Listening: Reading: Writing: Speaking:

 4 different  3 different  2 different  Three different sections.
sections articles writing task, one
 1st: Normal
is from
 10 questions in  Total time 60 conversation.
graphs/charts
each section min.
and one is like  2nd : Que Card, you
(e.g. fill in the
 At-least 13 issue task of have to speak for 1-2
form, multiple
questions from GRE. min on a specific topic.
choice etc.)
each article
 Time 60 min.  3rd: Examiner will ask
 Time: 45 min (heading
you some follow-up
match, multiple  First task bear
questions from the 2nd
choice etc.) less marks than
section.
the 2nd one.
 The speaking test will
*Registration Fee: 17,000 BDT be held on another
day.
 Study Materials for IELTS
 Cambridge 7 to 13 books.
 Practice Test Plus 1, 2, 3 books of Longman Publisher.

Tips & Tricks for a better IELTS Score

 Read the writing instructions very carefully, make notes out of it and
practice at-least two writing task every day.
 Forget everything while practicing Listening and concentrate fully.
 Practice with stopwatch in Reading section. Try to finish the first &
2nd section within 15 min so that you can get enough time for the
3rd one.
 Speak loud while practicing speaking. It’s very ok to practice with
mirror.
How to find university and professors of my research interest?

 Use google, Usnews raking 2019, 2018, 2017 etc. to sort out at-least 50 universities that match
your profile (CGPA, GRE, IELTS).
 Make a table like this in a excel file. Go to each university website and search for these
blank mentioned sections and fill them up. You can directly search in google by specific
keywords like: Wayne state civil faculty, Wayne state PhD admission requirement, Wayne
state Usnews ranking etc.
 Email Format
 Keep the email short. sharp and sweet.
 Before emailing, read at-least the abstract of a recent research paper of your professor and mail
a tailored mail (no copy-paste) accordingly.
 Don’t address professors by their first name. Use Dr. Last Name. Don’t use “Dear”, “Hello” etc.
Don’t use any informal wording. Be polite and humble.
 In first para, give your intro, from where you’ve been graduated, mention that you’ve read one
of his/her paper and got attracted by the research.
 In 2nd para, specify why you have been attracted to this particular research paper, give solid
cause of your attraction. Mention his line of research thereafter and mention what you’ve done
on this field so far. Don’t forget to mention what will you do if you get the chance of being a
research assistant in his/her lab.
 In 3rd para, clearly state your intended term, department and university and thank him/her for
his/her time. You need to attach your short profile, resume and transcript after that and end the
email here.
 If you don’t get reply within 1 week, give a follow-up email. It’s a must.
 Email Format
Dr. Hu,

Greetings. I am Rahul Banik, a recent B.Sc. graduate from the Department of Civil Engineering, Khulna
University of Engineering & Technology (KUET), Bangladesh. Having read about your several papers, especially
the one that entitled with, "Methane production improvement and associated methanogenic assemblages in
bio-electrochemically assisted anaerobic digestion" I became so zealous about your in-depth research works.
Your research on the application of microbial electrolysis cell with AD process of glucose and the
methanogenic population at low voltage in WWTPs to produce methane intrigued me to the utmost level
cause it emphasizes on the efficient mean of methane production as a source of alternative energy instead
of hydrogen in the wastewater treatment process. Moreover, your line of research on biological nutrient
removal and biochemical treatment processes truly made me interested to be a part of your research
lab cause previously I have worked on wastewater treatment projects using anaerobic baffled reactors (UABR
& HABR) and avidly wish to conduct research on energy-efficient production of methane during wastewater
treatment process under your guidance in future.
I am going to apply to the Ph.D. program of Environmental Engineering at the University of Missouri this fall. It
would be a great opportunity for me if you consider me as a potential graduate student to join you in your
research group. I am attaching my transcript, resume and short profile herewith this email for your perusal.

 Undergraduate CGPA: X.XX (out of 4.00)

 Last 60 credit Average GPA: X.XX (out of 4.00)
 Total Publication(s): X
 GRE score: XXX (Quantitative: XXX; Verbal: XXX; AWA: X.X)
 IELTS Score: X.X (LX.X, RX.X, WX.X, SX.X)
Thank you for your valuable time. I am eagerly looking forward to hearing your kind suggestions in this regard.
 Follow-up Email Format

Dr. Hu,

I sent you an email 6 days ago. Perhaps for your busy schedule, you didn't have that time to
look at it. Would you please kindly have a look at that email?

Thank you for your time. I am avidly waiting for your kind response.

Sincerely,
Rahul Banik
 Statement of Purpose (SOP)
There should be some main paragraphs in a SOP*:
 1. Introduction – Here you should clearly say about your intent, what are going to study etc.
 2. Background – Here you should discuss about your undergrad university, courses you took, your motivation over your
research etc. briefly.
 3. Research / work experience – Here you should mention your research / work experience. If you have any experience
working with your faculty members in a project you can add here in details. Also you can discuss about your published
papers.
 4. Software skills (if any) – If you are good at any software / have coding experience you can explain here how did you
use that software in your research, why you needed that software in your research, how you improved your skills etc.
 5. Thesis – You can briefly discuss about your undergraduate thesis.
 6. Future Plan – Briefly discuss your plan after completing masters/PhD.
 7. Conclusion – Here you should tell why UTRGV? You can also mention some professors name as your potential
supervisor. Adding some research topics that you wish to explore further and enhance your skills would be a great
idea.
Write the SOP following an order. I mean its same as discussing SSC, then HSC and at last undergrad. Hope you have got
my point. Remember do not make your SOP boring. Don’t use so much philosophical sentences rather make it an
academic writing. Whenever your write a paragraph, try to relate that paragraph to the same question – “Why do you
need to pursue a master’s/PhD” at the end. Give logic, examples, try to prove that you are worthy to be picked up from
thousands of applicants.
*Write-up: Wasif Jitu vai (Civil 11, IUT)
 Letter of Recommendation (LOR)
 Sample LOR: http://nextopusa.com/recommendation_letter/
 Prepare 3 different LOR drafts for 3 of your professors.
 Recommendations from faculty members are highly appreciated, but you can also request
your employer to give a LOR. But 2 LORs should be from your teachers.
 Draft LOR should be sent to your recommenders at-least one month before you start
applying as they usually take much time to submit the final version.
 Convince at-least 5-6 teachers cause some of them won’t give you more than 2/3 LORs.