By Kefa Senoga
What does it mean to apply for university education in the USA? What processes are involved in the application? These and more are some of the questions that Tom Deans, a Professor of English and the Director of the Writing Centre of the University of Connecticut (UConn), had to answer recently as he addressed students, staff, and alumni of Uganda Christian University (UCU).
The late November talk, delivered in the Principal’s Hall at the Main Campus was intended to guide possible applicants for particularly US scholarships on how to navigate the systems and procedures.
According to Deans, applying for an undergraduate degree in the U.S. is relatively straightforward, as there is typically a single set of admission requirements. In contrast, graduate applications can be more complex because students usually apply directly to departments or schools within a university, depending on the program’s structure.
“Even within the same institution, admissions and funding processes may differ by department or school at the graduate level,” he said during that talk that was organized by the UCU Writing Centre.
The writing center, opened on October 20, 2022, was set up under the guidance of Deans, who was a Fulbright U.S. Scholar to Uganda at the time, on a teaching and research award. The center was set up to help students improve their writing skills.
Undergraduate applicants, Deans explained, generally follow a uniform process: They complete the same application form, submit their high school transcripts, write a general essay, and take standardized tests, regardless of their intended field of study. In contrast, graduate programs often have unique requirements for each department or school. This means applicants must customize their application to align with the specific expectations and criteria of their chosen program.
Using the example of applying for graduate studies in law and medicine at most universities in the U.S., Deans noted that one uses the standard process articulated on the webpage of the schools or departments that they are applying to.
He, however, explained that when applying for programs in the category of sciences or engineering, the process often involves identifying a lab or professor whose research aligns with the interests of the applicants.
“You would reach out to them for potential sponsorship, and admission to the program typically depends on securing their approval and support.”
He further explained that in many graduate programs for sciences and engineering, especially for research degrees like Ph.D., students don’t just apply to the university, they need to find a professor (often called a principal investigator) who will supervise their work and possibly fund their research through grants. Professors often run labs and have specific research projects, so they look for students whose skills and interests match their needs.
Many departments in USA universities have people who are in charge of graduate studies. Such people are often an invaluable point of contact for guidance during the application process.
“You can email or set up a Zoom call with them and they will respond because it’s their job to respond,” Deans said.
For graduate students, the admissions process often coincides with applying for funding. “When submitting your application, look for an option to indicate your interest in funding; selecting this option allows you to be considered for opportunities, such as a graduate assistantship, teaching assistantship, or, in some institutions, a fellowship,” Deans said.
Graduate Assistantship is a type of financial and professional support offered to graduate students, typically in exchange for part-time work at a university while Teaching Assistantship is a role offered to graduate students and sometimes upper-level undergraduates in which they assist faculty members with teaching-related responsibilities.
According to Deans, securing external funding can significantly improve an applicant’s chances of being accepted by institutions. Opportunities like the Fulbright Program scholarship, while highly competitive and with strict eligibility criteria, are excellent options. If awarded, such opportunities provide generous funding, making American universities more likely to offer admission since one comes in with financial support.
However, he advocates consulting with key stakeholders, such as alumni, professors, and other academic professionals, as they can provide valuable insights and guidance throughout the application process.
On why there are more funding opportunities for PhD programs than for master’s, Deans said: “Ph.D. programs help universities build their reputation, and these institutions assume that people may struggle to afford Ph.D. programs, whereas many can afford the cost of a master’s program.”
Richard Ranger, a missionary lecturer in Business and Law at Uganda Christian University (UCU) and an alumnus of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, emphasized during the session that university and departmental websites serve as crucial sources of authentic information. He highlighted the importance of utilizing them because they are more reliable and are updated.
Lwanga Huzaifa, a former student of UCU, acknowledged that graduate studies can be quite costly, making the opportunity to study on a scholarship highly desirable for him.
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