by Franziska Boenisch and Adam Dziedzic

Once you have all your documents for the application ready, the question is: how to submit all of them. We’ll provide you with some insights that might help you if you want to apply to schools in North America.

The timeframe for applications in North America is usually as follows: (1) applications are due in (mid-)December but prepare them as soon as possible so that you have enough time to correct any possible mistakes and even contact your potential advisors beforehand to let them know that they can pull out your application from (usually) a large pile. (2) The decisions are made in February or March. You can expect to receive emails from most of the schools with the final decisions. (3) The visits are usually in April, so plan to have a few weeks free for travel then. Finally, if you choose a school, then most semesters (or quarters) start in late summer (mid August) or early fall (end of September).

What’s also worth knowing is that if you apply for schools in North America, you have to pay for most of the applications (roughly 100 USD each), but do not save money on this part. This is about your future and it will influence your next 4, 5 or more years. If you cannot afford paying this amount of money, then make sure to contact the schools where you want to apply to and ask them if there is any way to get a waiver. Additionally, if a school accepts your application, then you will be invited for a visit to meet your potential advisors, talk to current and other prospective students, and learn more about the whole department as well as the school. Universities also organize events (e.g., you go to a good place for dinner + attend a show or another such event) so you will have fun. The school will pay for your flights and reimburse you for your hotels. Thus, this 100 USD spent on the application might be the best investment in your life with an estimated Return of Investment close to 10X. Probably, you will never invest better in your life.

Fill in the forms and double check them so that there are no mistakes. Eliminate all possible typos and be careful. Collect the transcripts of records from all the previous schools that you attended (on the university level, including your studies abroad, summer schools, etc.). It is also recommended to submit the official diplomas and any related official documents. If you have any additional achievements, for instance, you won an olympiad or another competition, then attach the proofs as additional documents.

To conclude the thread about submitting your application: One of the most important parts of your application is your research experience and your publications. From our experience, we saw that students who had a few papers accepted at the top-notch conferences got multiple propositions from the best universities in the world. We even observed that great research experience can make up for averagely good TOEFL and GRE results.