Post on 11-Jul-2015
INDONESIA MENGGLOBAL
Towards a U.S. Higher Education Applying to Engineering Graduate Schoolin USA
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Martin Kurnadi
|Indonesia Mengglobal
Agenda
• Personal Information
• Process to pursue graduate schools
• Research and preparation
• Master vs Doctorate
• Research assistant vs teaching assistant vs other type financial aid
• Research life at graduate school
• Conclusion
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|Indonesia Mengglobal
Personal Information
EDUCATION
1994-1997 High school SMA St. Aloysius, Bandung
1997-1999 Iowa State University
1999-2001 University of California at Berkeley
Bsc in ME with CS minor
2002-2005 Georgia Institute of Technology
Msc in ME
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CAREER
1999 Internship at Amana Appliances Amana, Iowa
2005 - 2006 Automation Engineer at Millenium Mat Suwanee, Georgia
2006-2008 Quality & Reliability Engineer at Applied Materials Sunnyvale, California
2009-now Director at Jaya Murni Lestari Knitting Factory
2012- now Start a new business : Automation and IoT start-up
|Indonesia Mengglobal
Process to pursue Graduate School
Process after you decided to pursue graduate school in the US. (Never too early to
prepare for graduate school)
1.Research on which schools and department to apply. School and dept may have
specific requirements. Please check for application deadline.
2.Build your resume. Ex : Undergraduate research, community, internship.
3.Strategize school applications (aspiration school, backup)
4.Prepare requirements for application (see below)
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Typical requirements to apply to graduate school in the US:
•Application form
•Undergraduate transcript / GPA
•Statement of Purpose / Personal Essay
•Recommendation Letters
•Standardized tests (TOEFL, GRE)
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Research on schools
1. School Ranks (US News). Overall vs Major specific ranks. Public schools vs Private Schools.
2. Specialized Programs-Curriculum / Classes• Career focus• Specific topic• Research centers• Classes• Professors• Brand name
3. Tuition fee, Room and Living expense 4. Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant program.
5. Peers• Alumni 6. Location• Professional (internship) opportunities• Networking• Quality of life
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Undergraduate Transcript and Diploma
• Credibility of undergraduate institution
• Grade Point Average (GPA)
• Major / Discipline
• Translated and certified.
• May need high school transcript and diploma.
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Statement of Purpose / Personal Essay
What should I write in the essay?
“Most importantly, make sure you answer the question in the essay prompt then incorporate (smoothly) anything you’d like the admission committee to know about yourself – your experience, your achievement, your personality, you name it”
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•An important element of application – an opportunity to explain about yourself
• Can be generic, but tailor to the institution you are applying to. You can insert about your achievements,
undergraduate research assistant, community activities here.
• Seek suggestions/ opinions from others
• Never lie, exaggeration is ok
• Ensure no obvious grammatically error and typo
• Think of how your essay will stand out of the pool of applicants
•Spare enough time (months, not days!) to prepare
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School Application: Recommendation Letter
What is recommendation letter?
“A letter from people who know you very well, generally at a higher level, that can
reflect your quality”
TIPS:
Request from someone who knows about yourself (professor, work supervisor)
Make sure that the letters are written in favor of you
Higher credibility from famous people
Help the person you are asking recommendation letter from:
Tell them your strengths, areas of interest, and aspirations
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School application: Standardized test
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TOEFL (IBT – Internet Based Test)
Types of questions: multiple choice (reading and listening), and essay (writing)
# Sections: Reading Listening Speaking Writing
Highest score: 120. Typical score for top schools: Minimum 100 – 110.
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GRE
•Graduate Record Exam is designed as a measuring tool and is required by most graduate schools in admission process.
# Sections: Verbal Reasoning Analytical Writing Quantitative
Reasoning
Typical score for top schools: 600 for Verbal,700 and above for Quant Reasoning, 3.5 and above for Writing.
Score range: 200 – 800.
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School options for college graduates: Degrees (USA)
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MASTER Degree
Taking more advanced and specific classes in a specialized fieldResearch may be requiredThesis and Publication may be requiredTypically 1 to 2 yearsIndustry-oriented trackInternships strongly encouraged
DOCTORATE Degree
Taking more advanced and specific classes in a specialized fieldQualifiying Exam (Written + Oral ) select 3 from 6 Engineering subjects. Research is required and is the bulk of the experienceThesis and publication are non-negotiableTypically 4 to 6 years. Academic track (teaching component)Close working relationship with adviser and professor(s)
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After Master degree, it is possible to continue to Doctorate Degree program (not typical). However it may take longer time to graduate compare to direct Doctorate degree. Delay may be caused by different research subject.
|Indonesia Mengglobal
Research Assistant vs Teaching Assistant vs other type financial aid
Teaching Assistant
• Teaching Assistant openings are more limited
• Not guaranteed every semester• Need to go through interview
process.• Work involves grading, provide
twice – three times a week class to undergraduate students. Reviewing what was discussed duing lecture. Answer questions to undergraduate students.
• Compete with other new students.• Office hour.
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Research Assistant
• Each professor has their own budget. Based on funding from sponsor (government + private)
• Need to go through interview process.
• May need to contact professor via email. Once you get accepted into the program. Subject of research varies.
• Some school may post availability online.
• Compete with other students.• Typically professor separates
Master and Doctorate fundings.Other type financial aid
• Out of state tuition waiver• Other organization, such as Fulbright, AID program.• Work on campus, work off campus.
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Research Assistant at Georgia Tech
• Tuition fee fully paid
• Monthly stipends from school
• Commitment
• Independent research
• Weekly progress report and discussion with professor
• End of semester progress report
• Need to issue journal
• Need to attend and do presentation at conferences
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Conclusion
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• It is POSSIBLE for Indonesian graduates to get accepted in the best universities in the world. Every element of application CAN be prepared.
(Know several ITB alumni while at UC Berkeley and Georgia Tech)
• Allocate significant time and resources for school application; it could be the MOST IMPORTANT action in your life.
• Focus on getting accepted into good school first, NOT on getting scholarship.
• Prepare ALL aspects of school application, NOT LIMITED TO standardized tests.
• Research school options EXTENSIVELY.
• Apply to SEVERAL schools strategically.
• Build your resume, for students who still have plenty of time to graduate, ex : undergraduate research, community, diversity.
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|Indonesia Mengglobal
More resources and Q&A
www.indonesiamengglobal.com
@mkurnadi
http://www.facebook.com/mkurnadi
Martin Kurnadi Email: mkurnadi@yahoo.com
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Enjoy your ride !