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A Master’s degree from one of the best countries to pursue higher education from is on the bucket list of probably every student who wants to widen their horizons and make it big. Though applying for master’s maybe an onerous task, the opportunities it opens for you in the future makes it worth the effort. Unlike most Asian countries, rather than focussing on only the undergraduate score of the aspirants. The selection committees abroad tend to pay attention to their complete profile. So, to get into the University of your dreams you need to develop an impressive college profile. Here are some pointers that might help you build a strong college profile.

  • Statement of Purpose

A Statement of Purpose is an essay (usually about 600-800 words) that universities abroad ask students in order to understand your motive behind choosing the specific program. You should have a clear motive to pursue Master’s in your desired subject. This motive should be visible in your Statement of Purpose. It should be obvious to the admissions committee that you have a very concrete reason behind choosing the field that you want to pursue your masters in. For convincing the selection committee, one needs conviction and a clear mindset. One should devote a considerable amount of time & effort to brainstorm on this and not leave it for the eleventh hour. The Statement of Purpose is the most important part of your profile. An exceptional SOP has the potential to get you into your dream college even with an average GRE score. SOP plays a very crucial role in improving your GRE profile.

  • Research work and publications

The international publications and your previous research work for the past three or four years matters a lot. However, it is the quality that matters, not the quantity. Start working on the topics related to your field. Sometimes good 330+ GRE score and 3.8-3.9 GPA is not enough to get you into a good grad school unless you have a good project. Since fields like software engineering, MBA, etc. are booming, most of the developed companies like Google, Microsoft and Amazon work with interns on different projects. You will have an upper hand if you have prior experience. Because of your experience, they might hire you for a period of 4 months to one year. Also, sometimes it depends upon the projects and research work. While it is not necessary to have a ‘published’ paper. Anything that is relevant to ‘published’ paper adds value to your profile is always welcome.

  • Letters of Recommendation

The position of the people who write your Letter of Recommendations matters little if the quality of the letter is extraordinary. It can be anyone from your college professor to the boss you had interned under to a big shot from the industry that you wish to work for. Naturally, it does make a difference if you get a renowned personality to write a Letter of Recommendation for you, like a CEO of a mid-big size company. But an impactful letter from a common man will also end up working in your favour. Ideally, the recommender’s profile does not matter in the admission process. The only thing that matters is their association with you both qualitatively and quantitatively.

  • GPA or Academic Record

Like we had mentioned earlier that the admission officers abroad, unlike most of the Asian universities, do not let your undergraduate scores outweigh all the other achievements you list down on your profile. However, that does not mean you take this area lightly. A poor academic record highlights a lot of negative qualities.  These negative qualities decrease the odds of you getting into your dream college. It shows a lack of focus or interest and that is the last conclusion you want the admission committee to draw from the application. If you have managed to maintain good scores throughout your undergrad years, then you have nothing to fear about ‘a bad impression’ on the admission committee.

  • GRE/TOEFL SCORES

How can we forget GRE scores? It is essential that you score well in your GRE and TOEFL exams for a good overall GRE profile. Scorings are pretty much the deciding factors for a majority of the students. ‘Scoring well’ is a shaky ground, for there are times when it is not the only parameter you’re judged on. Students with a brilliant overall profile manage to get into top universities with average GRE scores – but those are exceptions. It is always preferable that you give GRE your best and get a coveted ‘good’ score in GRE.

That’s pretty much all on how you can enhance your profile.

Keep up the hard work and leave no stone unturned in doing everything mentioned above. There is nothing that can hold you back from accomplishing your dreams.