13 August, 2021 | | 0 Comments
Ritvik Madhukar shared his application journey to Universities of UK with us on FB Live session https://fb.watch/7lO0-Me0tt/
Currently in final of B.Sc Economics, Mathematics, and Statistics Degree at St Joseph’s College, Bangalore. Going to pursue a Master's Degree in International Relations in the UK. He like to read books, write, play video games and is an avid follower of sports like football and F1.
He got into eight Universities in UK, including King's College London, the University of Manchester, Sheffield and SOAS. He shares his journey through the application acceptance and admission process to UK which he did by himself.
Q&A
Q) When did you decide that you wanted to study abroad?
A: I decided to study abroad for my Master’s when I was in the beginning of the second year of undergraduate degree.
Q) What did you consider while short listing the Universities you wanted to apply to?
A: When I decided to apply abroad for my Master’s, I realized that there were Universities across different countries that offered the same course. So, while short listing, I did it based on various factors such as:
After pondering over all of the above mentioned criteria, I decided to apply to Universities only in the United Kingdom. Once I decided where I wanted to apply, I now shortlisted Universities based on what they offered as although many Universities offer the same course, the course is not the same across Universities as they each offer different modules and perspectives that are unique. So, I shortlisted Universities based on the faculty, the modules offered (specifically those that interested me) and finally the ranking and while the ranking is important, it is important to choose Universities that offer courses that interest you.
Q) What procedure did you go through while applying?
A: While applying to Universities in the UK, I applied to each University individually. Although, it is possible to apply using the UCAS portal it is wiser to do it individually for the Master’s and above levels. UCAS is mandatory for UG.
Q) What did you need to keep in hand before starting your application process?
A: Before starting with the application process, I had to keep the following documents ready:
(Although, in most cases it is possible to submit the results of your standardized tests later during the application process)
Q) What is the general framework of the application?
A: The application mainly consists of three sections: Your basic information which includes personal details; the statement of purpose; and finally the last section is where you upload all your results, resume, standardized test scores, and letter of recommendations. (Note: It may not be in this specific order)
Q) What is the most important aspect of the application?
A: I believe that the most important aspect of the application is the statement of purpose although this may not be the case at all Universities. For the statement of purpose, each University would have a criterion given as to what they would expect from your statement of purpose. It is important that you follow this outline but at the same time, you should make it your own. It should be about your experience. As for my statement of purpose, I began by talking about why I am interested in the course that I want to pursue; what I did to prepare for it because I was changing fields – Here, I wrote about the various certificate courses I did to solidify my interest and get a basic understanding of the course; how what I have studied in my undergraduate degree would help me in my Master’s and beyond; and finally, why I wanted to study in that particular University.
Q) What is the difference between a resume and a statement of purpose?
A: A resume in simple words is a file containing facts about you – it includes what your skills are; your education and work experience. A statement of purpose on the other hand is about your journey. While your resume won’t talk about why you want to pursue a Master’s in a certain course, your statement of purpose should. It does not necessarily have to be this way but while your resume is a statement of facts, your statement of purpose is talks about your journey around those facts and what brought you to want o pursue a certain course and how whatever you have done so far would help you in your future when combined with the course you want to pursue.
Q) How did you develop your profile considering that you are changing fields? Did you do anything additional for your application because of it?
A: As I did my undergrad in Economics, Mathematics, and Statistics, and wanted to pursue my Master’s in International Relations, I did a few certificate courses online pertaining to International Relations before I started my application process. Although I am changing fields, there is an application of Economics in the field of International Relations so I did not have to do much beyond the few courses I mentioned above. I did these courses from platforms like Coursera. Anything additional that would be required by you would be mentioned on the course’s webpage.
Q) What are the key details to look out for while filling in the application form and what should you look out for before submitting?
A: While filling out the application, you should make sure that you fill in your details according to your passport so that it is consistent. Make sure to keep your statement of purpose and all the other required documents ready. Your resume should be updated and before submitting, you should check for any typos and make sure that you have uploaded the right files in the right sections.
Q) What happens after you’ve submitted your application and what do you have to do once you receive an offer?
A: Once you submit your application make sure to keep checking the application portal and your emails as Universities may occasionally ask for additional documentation. If you receive an offer, it would be either an unconditional or a conditional offer. If you receive an unconditional offer, you have no more documents left to provide and your offer isn’t subject to any conditions. If you receive a conditional offer, it would mean that you are required to meet certain conditions. In most cases, these would be grade requirements in case you are in the process of completing your current degree or results of standardized tests such as TOEFL, IELTS, GRE etc. Irrespective of the type of offer, you are required to accept your offer within a specified deadline (this could range anywhere between 1-3 months depending on the University) by a paying a deposit. (Again, this could range anywhere between 500 and 2000 pounds and depends on the University.)
Once you accept your offer, make sure to submit the required documents on time in case your application is conditional. Once your offer is unconditional, you will start receiving your CAS only three months before the course begins and you can apply for the Visa once you receive the CAS.
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