1. Make sure to have a draft of an Academic CV, SOP and LORs
2. Get your Academic Transcript. Merge CV and Transcript in one PDF
3. Please provide 4-5 research areas that are in alignment with your field of study. It’s important to note that some research interests may span across multiple academic departments. For example, material science can be a research interest for students in fields such as chemistry, physics, and polymer science.
Similarly, gender studies and diversity can be subfields of study within various disciplines, including international relations, public administration, sociology, and political science
4. Please conduct research to identify universities where professors specialise in your chosen research areas. For instance, you can use search engines like Google to search for ‘Professors in War Studies in US universities’ and compile a list of these professors. Additionally, you may explore social media platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn to identify experts in your field of interest.
5. Examine universities to identify institutions that offer programs with waived GRE and TOEFL requirements.
6. Keep an eye out for virtual open houses, educational expos, and opportunities for application fee waivers.
7. Apply to a broad spectrum of universities that offer programs aligned with your field of study or feature professors conducting research in your areas of interest.
8. Be vigilant for publicly advertised academic positions and craft a compelling letter of intent. A strong letter of intent is founded on thorough research into the work conducted by the laboratory or research group associated with the job posting.
9.You can often find numerous such opportunities posted on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more.
10. Look out for universities in the cold regions of the USA. They usually have fewer applicants and, thus, less competition for you. Prime your CV for GRA/GTA/GA offers. These funding positions that waive tuition fees and pay stipends ranging from 18,000 to 26,000 USD are usually awarded to Graduate students who show capacity for Research, Teaching or Administrative duties.