PHD

[old-fella 109]

is it PHD = Pizza Hut Delivery  

 

me illiterate.. can someone shine some light

[old-fella 109]

i was just trying to ease the air.. not being rude 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

8 minutes ago, Mauro86 said:

Is it late on june? :|

Yes, acceptances/rejections were sent out in some cases months ago.

 

Just to repeat: a fully funded PhD is possible BUT these are exceptionally competitive. If you can't manage letters of rec, there is almost no way you'd be considered for any funding and possibly not even a place, especially if you're changing fields. It will be MUCH cheaper to do a PhD somewhere in Europe, as you know even free some places.

[javadown2 308]

46 minutes ago, Mauro86 said:

Ahah, don't make fun of me! I don't know these things very well...

 

Honestly, I am the first one to know that for me it would be very difficult to get into this way... That's because I have no previous teaching experience. Besides, Asking for a PHD totally fund I don't think it's a shame...

I love doing many things, so I asked if it would have been possible.

It depends on lots of factors...what were your grades in your 2 degrees, it usually takes a scholarship to get everything paid for. The enrollment specialists at the universities can guide you to the information your looking for, just do some research and find out what Universities you might be interested in and then either look at their websites or call them. Normally you have to stay on one tract or course of study rather then jumping around to different subjects if you want it funded by someone else. So the acting classes might not be realistic. 

 

I've never heard of them funding all Phd level degrees, and really if it's competitive it's not like they are just funding everyone...they are hand picking who they want in their programs. So just apply and see where it leads you. But like others have said you still need a student visa. 

Edited June 28, 2018 by javadown2

[Mauro86 0]

6 minutes ago, Going through said:

Well I can't control your mind, but not always prudent to accuse someone of making fun of you just because they asked a question.

Best of luck with the PhD plans.

No disrespect to you. I saw several people putting the laugh emoticon on several comments, so I thought you were joking me...

[Mauro86 0]

By the way, thank you to each one of you!

[Coco8 1,042]

1 hour ago, Mauro86 said:

Is it late on june? :| Anyway, great answers! Thank you!

It depends on the PhD you are trying to pursue. You probably have to take the GRE, write statement of purpose, you might need a writing sample, etc. And the letters. And the money to pay for the applications. 

Edited June 28, 2018 by Coco8

[NikLR 13,227]

3 hours ago, Mauro86 said:

I don't know why you have to laugh on me about that... Yes, no luck with that. And then? I would like to find a LEGAL way to go to the US... You did the same, so you should understand people like me, instead making fun of them...

Actually that poster and I simply happened to marry an American.  We weren't looking to come to the USA, it just happened that moving in that direction was the ideal choice for our families than moving to Canada.

 

Honestly there are some great universities throughout Europe and if you're from Italy have you tried doing acting there?  Being a good actor in another country can open up opportunities for you to move into US media. Actors and athletes (models too) have their own kinds of visas when visiting or living in the USA.  

[Orangesapples 1,954]

4 hours ago, Roel said:

Studying for free?  University giving student's houses? Ability to do side jobs? All that with I assume only a student visa? 

 

Are you sure you're talking about US education system?

It's possible actually but only if you're an exceptional student. 

[Orangesapples 1,954]

4 hours ago, Roel said:

Well no one said education in US is cheap. Why do you think so many Americans are deep in students debt? Same reason why international student needs to shows proofs that they are financialy capable to fund their studiest/housing/life in the US. 

Undergrad and grad school are very different. It's not unusual for a PhD to be free. 

[GreatDane 366]

10 minutes ago, Orangesapples said:

Undergrad and grad school are very different. It's not unusual for a PhD to be free. 

+1 My grad school was very, very cheap. My grad school program offered a stipend and reduced tuition for only 10 hours of work a week plus healthcare. A full-time job, by their definition, was 20 hours a week and was basically free tuition. The higher level of education you go, the more you contribute to running the programs. I also didn't have to teach, but had another value added job for the program.

[issea 43]

Which field are you interested in for the future PhD program? Usually it’s quite common to get assistantship/scholarship for PhDs in the research based universities. Tuition is waived and the assistantship received is sufficient for local living expenses. 

 

Go to their department/graduate school websites and find the links for PhD programs, where you will find detailed instructions for how to apply. 

 

First of all, you have to take TOEFL ibt (short for internet based test) and GRE general before the application. Many schools have their minimum requirement for the ibt scores. For natural science disciplines (e.g., mathematics, physics, chemistry, etc), one also is required to take GRE subject in addition to GRE general. And some social science/business schools may accept GMAT  instead as well (this I’m not sure). TOEFL ibt could be exempt if you are from the country where English is official or you have spent at least two years for study in the English speaking country. (Btw are you from Italy?) 

 

After you have taken these required tests and you have to request the scores from ETS (the company organizes these tests. Go to their website to check the info: https://www.ets.org/) to be sent to the graduate schools which you are applying for. 

 

Other application materials: Curriculum Vitae (or resume), Personal Statement of interest. Three recommendations from the professors who know you well from the class and/or you did research with. Undergraduate (graduate if applicable) transcripts. Certified diploma/degree certificates. These are all I can think of for now. 

 

There are are two times to get enrolled: fall and spring semester. The openings are much more in fall semester. 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

One more thing... just checking OP knows that a PhD in the US tends to take about 6 years, sometimes longer, vs the 3-4 you can usually expect in Europe. 

[Orangesapples 1,954]

Also a PhD is very hard. OP, are you sure to make that sacrifice? Yes, it's a sacrifice. Only do a PhD if you're very, very passionate about your research 

[NancyLyz 58]

You can apply for a PHD program once you received a bachelor's degree (in general). A PHD program in the States usually takes 5-6 years. 

 

Different schools ay ask for different supporting materials regarding your application, but most will ask for your GRE, Toefl (as an international student), Resume/CV, Undergrad GPA, Recommendation letters (from previous professors, professional networks, social networks, or even family members), personal statement/essay, and a completed online application. Every university have different application deadlines. You will have to check each and every school by yourself. I don't think there is any lists that include all the information you need, especially since PHD programs are usually very small. You may even need to contact professors at different schools to know more about the upcoming admission plan.

 

Once you've received an offer, you can contact the administration office at the university to discuss about possible scholarship or financial aid/work-study arrangement. There is no guarantee that you'd receive any, but I think most PHD programs do offer some sort of scholarship.  

 

Once you've decided to accept an offer, the school will issue you an I-20. With the I-20, you can apply for an F1 visa which may or may not ask you to prove that financially you will be able to pay for your studies in the States. 

 

Your I-20 will state the start date of the program and some more details. With a valid F1 visa, you can enter the States 30 days before the program start date. 

 

If the school requires you to attend an additional language program, you will most likely have to pay for the language program tuition by yourself. Please note you can only have on-campus employment (as a student worker, a TA, or a RA, etc) until you have applied and been approved with a CPT (Curricular Practical Training).

 

9 months after you entered the States, with an approved CPT, you can start off-campus employment which needs to be relevant to your PHD program (for example, if you major in communication, being a PR/Marketing/Advertising agent will sound legit; but working as a construction worker or a cook may not be approved by your school). Different schools have different rules regarding CPT working hours. In general they'd expect you to work only part-time (20 hours) during the semester, and you may work full-time (40 hours) during summer or for the last semester. From my experience, every semester/summer will need a different CPT (e.g., If you start your program in Fall 2019 around August, you will be eligible for CPT by summer around May/June. CPT-No.1 for summer 2020, CPT-No.2 for Fall 2020, CPT-No.3 for Spring 2021, etc). You don't need an EAD to work on CPT but you will need a social security number to get paid. However, as a student on F1 visa, you will need a on-campus job offer to get a social security number (for CPT) or your EAD card (for OPT). 

 

Upon graduation, you can apply for OPT (up to 12 months). If you major in the STEM area, your OPT can be extended for two more years (36 months in total). During this time, you will either need a visa that allows you to work, including H1B, O1/O2, L1/L2, R, etc, or you will need to find a way to adjust your status (Via marriage, investment, asylum, etc). Each category will have different requirements. Depending on your situation, you may or may not need an attorney when filing for your case to USCIS.

 

Please note that criminal records in the States may lead to the termination of your visa status until you become an American citizen. 

Some visas may limit the area you are going to work in, some may not. For those visas that restrict your employment choices, you can only work without restrictions upon receiving your permanent residency.  

 

If you don't plan to work in the States after graduation, you have 60 days as grace period to leave the States. If you received authorized program termination,  During this time you can travel but you cannot work. And once you leave the States during the grace period, you cannot come back with your visa. 

 

In all, I'd suggest you to do more research on your own. Getting into a PHD program of any majors is a huge commitment. Not only you need to make sure you're truly interested in what you're majoring in, but also you need to be sure that you'd like to dedicate years of your time in that area in order to receive your degree.

 

That's what I know about going for an PHD degree in the States. If anything needs to be corrected or added, feel free to comment and to suggest.