28th August 2024
Dear All,
Thank you for participating in today’s ‘Interact with Alumni Studying Abroad’ Programme with Ms. Shivani A Pillai, doing her PhD with University of Oxford.
The Zoom meet started at 6 pm and ended at 7.15 pm.
[Minutes of the Meeting by Ms. Lakshmi, follows]
Ms. Shivani did her BA in English Language & Literature with MCC. She gave a very impressive talk on the process of applying for her Masters Programme with the University of Edinburgh and then for her present PhD Programme with the University of Oxford. There were more than 10 questions from the participants and she answered them all.
We shall meet again next week on Zoom for yet another Episode.
Best wishes,
Office of the Dean of International Programmes
MCC
Minutes of the Meeting
Meeting with Alumni Studying Abroad Episode #5
Speaker: Ms. Shivani A Pillai
DPhil Candidate in English
(University of Oxford)
MSc in Modern and
Contemporary Literature (University of Edinburgh)
T. Abraham began with the College Prayer
1. Welcome Address and the Introduction of the speaker given by Dr. Franklin Daniel, HoD English Language and Literature
2. Ms. Shivani A Pillai’s Talk
Slide 1 - First Steps -
The basics
* Start early on
applications
* Focus on what you want
to study and why you want to study it, before you decide where you want to
study - “what” and “why” will help narrow down the “where”
* Do your homework on what
Universities offer what courses - Course descriptions use marketing tactics.
Look up faculty pages instead to learn more about how the course will be and
where faculty interests and expertise lie.
* Email professors before
PhD applications to check with availability and interests, etc.
* Use the internet to
connect with present students and alumni to understand what the university is
really like
* Look for placement
opportunities, career service departments, and how long it takes graduates to
land a job before enrolling - Know if employers prefer or respect the
university
* Monitor University
Rankings and note if it performs well consistently - QS World Rankings
(https://www.topuniversities.com/world-university-rankings)
* Target countries
according to scope and job availability in your field of study
Slide 2 - Application Materials (for UK Universities)
* Personal statement - why
that course, why that university
* Sample of Written Work -
usually around 4000 words - will be evaluated based on how you defend arguments
and analyse materials etc.
* CV - Should be an
Academic CV - especially important for securing scholarships
* References - may need
anywhere between 1-3 referrals - Ask from professors that know you and your
line of work and body of work well
Slide 3 - What else must one do
* Consistently maintain a
good CGPA to meet requirements
* Build your research
profile by presenting at conferences, publishing in journals, and undertaking
research projects etc.
* Market your internship
to an academic audience
* Be prepared to be
uncomfortable (culture shock, different values, living in a foreign place)
Slide 4 - Scholarships
* ⚠️ Always first check University-specific websites for
scholarship opportunities
* Check if the course and
the University are eligible for any scholarship - keep track of deadlines
* Personalise application
for each scholarship
* Work part time alongside
course
* For application support,
look up Project EduAccess (https://www.projecteduaccess.com/)
3. Q&A session
4. Vote of Thanks given by Dr. Samuel Rufus
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