How to Apply for a Master’s Degree in the USA

The United States of America is the world’s leading educational center, with over 750000 international students. International students are primarily drawn to master’s programs, despite the fact that it is a popular education destination for all fields of study. So why do students pursuing master’s degrees favor the US over most other nations? One of the key reasons is that many prestigious colleges in the USA have established a solid learning foundation where the focus is placed on research and real-world application.

The process that must be followed, beginning with applying, is one of the top worries on applicants’ minds who want to enroll in Master’s and other professional programs in the US. selection of the right university, applying and cracking the university interview,  and later on, complying with the conditions of universities? Here we are providing all the necessary information beginning from how to start and what are the requirements? With a large application fee and many steps required, admissions for Management in the USA may appear to be intimidating in the beginning, but the process becomes easy if it is followed with proper planning and understanding of the required components.

In this blog, we have explained the entire process of applying for a Master’s and other PG programs in the US, right from the time one needs to do research till the final submission of the application form.

1. Choose the Best Universities

The first step while applying for a Master’s in the USA is to make a list of top universities that offer the candidate’s choice of program. This should be done around the months of May or June of the previous year. Ideally, one should start the process of admission at least 1.5 years prior to admission. There are three intakes in the US admission cycle  Fall, Spring, and Summer — a majority of the programs start in Fall i.e., around September.

2. Check deadlines

After the candidate has made a list of the colleges of his choice, the next step is to check the deadlines of the specific courses the candidate is applying for. Usually, All universities in the US have different deadlines for the same course. Usually, applications for Fall start around September and close between December-January, though some universities accept applications till February.

Popular Exams to Study in the USA

1. IELTS Test
2. PTE
3. GRE
4. TOEFL
5. PTE Academics
6. USMLE Exam
7. ACT

The USA offered flexibility to students for applying to any program.

There are three plans;- Regular admission Rolling admission, and Early admission plan.

Regular admission – 

The Plan follows the same procedure of setting deadlines for admission by universities every year.

Early admission plan – It allows an aspirant to apply and fix admission before the start of the regular admission.

Rolling admission – You can make applications to the university of one’s choice any time of the year.

3. Eligibility: Before proceeding with the application process, It’s important to check the eligibility requirements for the master course in the US. While different courses have individual sets of requirements, here are some of the general eligibility criteria required for the program.

Qualification: You should have a bachelor’s degree from any recognized college or institute.

Arrange application package-  Universities in the USA put heavy weight on the pupil’s operation. Besides academic reiterations, the US universities demand that the pupil introduce himself through intent statements and references. An ideal MS operation package should have the following:

LOR:  The full form of LOR is a Letter of Recommendation is an independent assessment of the student’s potential. Generally’ universities require at least 2 to 3 recommendation letters. It is advisable to have professors or employers write a recommendation letter for the candidate.

SOP:   Statement of Purpose details the applicant’s commitment to joining the program and his goals in life. The important thing to remember while writing an SOP is that it should be brief, and shows clarity regarding what the candidate wants from the program.

Resume: Some universities prefer the candidate to submit a CV and the application form. It should contain basic information like D.O.B., academic qualifications, and achievements.

Essays: Some universities might offer a random topic to write an essay. Some might ask for a relevant topic of the candidate’s interest. Moreover, the number of essays to be submitted also differs. Generally, universities ask for a minimum of 2 to 3 essays.

Academic transcripts: Academic transcripts include all the certificates (Mark sheet & degrees) that candidate has listed in the application form.

6. Document checklist for Master in the USA:

• Recommendation letters ( minimum 2-3 lectures)
• GRE/TOEFL/GMAT/IELTS score proofs besides reporting the test scores officially.
• Academic Transcripts for the qualifications listed in the application form.
• SOP
• Work experience certificates, if applicable
• Photocopies of passport
• Certificates for extra-curricular activities are mentioned in the application form.
• WES Evaluation documents, if required by the university.

7. Apply: The first thing to keep in mind while applying to any university in the US is the deadline for the course of your choice. It is suggested to apply early and not wait for the last date to avoid any last-minute glitches. Candidates can send the whole application package by post or via email.

8. Offer letters: The universities take 2 or 3 weeks time to respond to applications. Most applicants receive their confirmation or rejection between February to April.