It will take time to fill in the application form, much due to the time spent on collecting information before being able to start completing the actual form. Typically, time consuming areas of the application form involve gathering information pertaining to family members, writing the short essay, confirm academic references, and complete the English and admission entrance tests. Below are examples of information you can expect to complete on an application form:

• Basic information (Full name, Home address, Date of Birth etc.)
• College, department, and area of research
• Explain your proposed program of study
• Expected start date
• Bibliography & citations
• Do you intend to apply for fellowship and/or assistantship?
• Do you intend to live in dormitory (on campus housing)?
• Demographic questions (citizenship, birthplace, first language etc.)
• Family information (mother, father, siblings, legal guardian details)
• Your education history (academic history)
• Credentials (scholarships, fellowships etc. you have been awarded)
• Academics (class rank, TOEFL, current classes)
• Standardized Test (GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT)
• Personal Statement/Essay (2-5 pages)
• Extracurricular activities and work experience

Today most applications are submitted online via the university’s/college’s website. Generally a prospective student creates a user account and completes the application, submit supportive documents, and pay the application fee online.

Prospective international students will generally pay a non-refundable application fee when submitting the application. It is very common to both apply and pay the application fee online via the institution’s website. Although, there is no set amount and each US university/college has its own application fee, the fee generally ranges from $75 to $125. The exact application fee is prominently displayed in the same area where you find the other admission requirements.

Typical ways of paying the application fee:

• Directly on the institution's website with a debit or credit card
• Sending a check with your application
• Sending an international money order with your application
• Pay by phone

However, it is increasingly common for the application fee to be paid by credit card at the time of submitting the application online.

To be considered for doctoral study in the USA, international students should hold a degree equivalent to a US Bachelor’s degree from a recognized academic higher education institution. This means an international student is expected to hold a degree equivalent to four-years of full time study at university level. Bear in mind that Bachelor’s degrees awarded by non-US universities/colleges may or may not be considered equivalent to a US Bachelor’s degree. For instance, some three-year Bachelor’s degree commonly found in many countries around the world are not considered equivalent. It is for this reason that you have to not only translate your transcripts but also have your degree evaluated and translated.

Students not holding a US equivalent Bachelor’s degree will not be eligible for doctoral admission. This include individuals holding professional degrees or diplomas, such as accounting, health education, librarianship, or a four-year degree/certificate/diploma from a technical or vocational specialist school.

Normally students do not need to have a Bachelor’s degree in the same field as the potential doctoral program. Always review the individual program’s admission page for the most updated and relevant information.

Many universities/colleges accept translated unofficial, scanned or faxed transcripts during the initial applications period, but some do not. Since having your academic documents translated and certified could take weeks or even months, it is strongly recommended that you give yourself ample time to ensure that the documents reach the university ahead of any potential deadline.

Ask the university/college if it requires the translated and certified documents to be sent directly to them from the translation provider (e.g. your previous education institution(s) or professional translation service provider), or if you can send them personally. Failure to comply with university/college guidelines could delay your application or, even worse, have your application denied.

Be aware that some institutions require students to upload certified translated transcripts at the time of submitting the online application. This means you need to organize to have the transcripts translated before you can complete the online application.

Most US universities/colleges accept and recognize the following translation agencies and organizations:

• Your former academic institution
• Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute
• American Education Research Corporation
• Members of the American Translators Association
• AMIDEAST
• Global Services Associates
• International Educational Research Foundation
• World Education Services

Ask if the US university/college you are interested in has a preferred translation service provider. If they do, then use that translation provider.

If you have earned a Bachelor’s degree in the USA, all you have to do is to submit an official transcript from each post-secondary institution attended. Official transcripts must oftentimes be sent directly from your former university/college to your new institution, either electronically or by mail. Usually you have to complete a transcript request form and pay a fee.

International applicants must generally also submit official evaluation of all post-secondary degrees earned from outside the United States, in addition to official transcripts and the English translation. This is an evaluation of the courses making up the degree and not just a translation of the transcript (grades, course names etc.). Most universities/colleges recognize the following organizations:

• World Educational Services (WES) www.wes.org
• Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) www.ece.org

Many US universities/colleges require prospective international students to take a standardized entrance test for doctoral admission. Review the admission page for each individual program for updated information of which test the program require for admission. Typically, standardized tests cannot be waived and scores must not be older than five years.

The most common standardized tests for doctoral admission are:

GRE (Business School test) – stands for Graduate Record Examination and is a standardized external graduate entrance examination administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS – official website: www.ets.org). GRE is often an alternative exam to the GMAT and is designed to measure verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing. Make sure you obtain the ETS code for each university/college that you are interesting in applying for admission. The institution code is program specific and can be obtain by contacting each individual program (e.g. College of Business).

GMAT (Business School test) – stands for Graduate Management Admission Test and is a 3.5 hours standardized external examination consisting of four sections; analytical writing (30 minutes), integrated reasoning (30 minutes), quantitative (75 minutes), and verbal (75 minutes). The exam is required as part of the application process to many doctoral programs and is often an alternative to the GRE exam. Make sure you obtain the education code for each university/college that you are interesting in applying for admission. The institution code is program specific and can be obtain by contacting each individual program (e.g. College of Business). The test is administered by the Graduate Management Admission Council (official website: www.mba.com).

LSAT (Law School test) – stands for Law School Admission Test and is a standardized external entrance examination used by law schools to assess students reading comprehension, logical, and verbal reasoning proficiencies. The exam takes half a day and is administered four times per year by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) at test centers around the world. The exam consists of five (35-minutes each) sections of multiple-choice questions, followed by a 35-minute writing sample that is not scored. Although the writing sample is not scored it will be submitted to each law school you have applied for admission. (Official website: www.lsac.org).

MCAT (Medical School test) – stands for Medical College Admission Test and is a computer-based standardized external entrance exam used by US medical schools as part of the admissions process. The multiple-choice exam is designed to test applicants in the areas of physical sciences, verbal reasoning, and biological sciences, and is given in 17 countries around the world. The approximately 5 hours test is generally taken by undergraduate students in their junior or senior year (third or fourth year). The exam is changing in 2015, please visit the official website (www.aamc.org) for more information.

It is common for doctoral programs to demand a higher scholastic average (GPA) than what is required for both undergraduate and Master’s admission. Although it varies, typically doctoral programs require applicants holding a Bachelor’s degree to have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and for applicants holding a Master’s degree a minimum GPA of 3.5. The required scholastic average, if any, is always clearly stated under the list of admission requirements for each program.

By far the two most common and accepted English tests are TOEFL and IELTS. Each university/college will have its own minimum acceptable scores, which you will find on their respective websites typically under a menu labelled “Admission,” “Applying for Admission”, or something to that effect.

For more information about TOEFL and IELTS in your country, go to:

• TOEFL: www.ets.org
• IELTS: www.ielts.org

The proof of English proficiency requirement can potentially be waived if you have earned a bachelor’s degree in the US or any other English speaking country. It is strongly recommended that you ask your university/college of interest if the English proficiency requirement can be waived and under what conditions.

US Ph.D. programs generally provide financial aid to admitted doctoral students in addition to support for living expenses covering the duration of the study period. Based on satisfactory academic performance, doctoral students typically receive financial aid covering full tuition, health insurance coverage, and a fellowship or assistantship stipend to cover year-round living expenses.

The amount and scope of the financial aid vary by institution.

The statement of purpose, also known as Essay or Personal Statement, is a 2-5 page statement where students outline the proposed area of research and the reasons for pursuing the doctoral degree.

The personal statement is an influential component of the admission process and admission officers consider written communication skills, clarity, and structure, in addition to the actual content.

Make sure you follow the outlined instructions carefully. Generally, a statement of purpose for doctoral study should focus heavily on previous relevant research conducted, your interest in the chosen field, and possible areas of research you are interested in pursuing. You should highlight if you have pursued a research project with a faculty member, especially if the faculty member is also your recommender.

As doctoral programs aim for diversity in each class, you could highlight life and work experiences, background, ethnicity, race, extracurricular activities, socioeconomic status, advanced studies etc. in your statement of purpose in an attempt to differentiate yourself from other applicants.

Writing a statement of purpose can be time consuming but there are many online sources giving helpful advice to help you get started.

Recommendations at doctoral level are primarily used to evaluate a student’s potential and ability to pursue independent graduate work. The recommendation should provide an overall evaluation of the student’s readiness and potential to successfully undertake doctoral studies and succeed as a researcher and professor.

Depending on doctoral program, students are generally asked to submit at least three recommendation letters, preferably all from academics such as former professors, instructors, advisors etc. Nonacademic recommenders may be accepted as long as they can testify to your academic abilities.

Most universities/colleges will only ask you to provide the name and email address of your recommenders on your online application. The university/college will then contact your recommender by email asking the person to return the recommendation within a short period of time – sometimes within 24 hours. You are wise in informing your recommenders in advance that they can expect an email from a certain university/college.

Regardless if the recommender is an academic (former professor or lecturer) or a professional (former manager or supervisor), the recommendation letters are a crucial part of the admission process and will be given great attention by admission officers. Speak with the persons that will serve as your recommenders and make sure that they know you well enough to testify to your academic abilities.

Depending on university/college, students may be required to have taken undergraduate classes related to the program they are applying for admission. Other institutions may require that prospective international students submit a portfolio, writing samples, or other supplemental items. Writing sample is a common requirement and is covered below as a separate requirement.

Individual doctoral programs may also have program specific prerequisites, such as students must have studied a certain level of math (e.g. calculus, probability, real variable etc.) or taken advanced classes related to the proposed area of study.

Always check with the individual program office for any specific program requirements.

Some US universities/colleges require that students submit one or two writing samples as part of the application process. These can be academic papers from different disciplines, but ideally the subject should be related to the proposed research project. Often the writing samples have a page range limit, such as 20-25 pages, and can be an excerpt from a longer work.

When you decide to pursue a doctoral degree, you are dedicating yourself to the field of research and possibly teaching. Naturally, Ph.D. programs want to be assured that you have the ability to conduct research and have an analytical mind. This is partially accomplished by reviewing students’ previous work.

Overall, you should submit your best work that demonstrate your ability to conduct both primary and secondary research using multiple sources, draw fact-based and analytical conclusions, write analytically, and develop logical context and arguments.

As neither the US federal government nor state governments bear the cost of health care for its residents, any person in the USA must cover their own health expenses. As such, international students are required to maintain adequate health insurance while attending a US university/college. Generally, this means that F-1 and J-1 students are required to have medical health insurance in addition to both evacuation and repatriation coverage. It is common for US higher education institutions to require international students to purchase health insurance from a partnering insurer. However, sometimes this requirement can be waived if the student has a comparable insurance, either from its native country or from the US.

For doctoral students, health insurance is typically fully or partially covered by the university as part of the financial aid package.

In addition, some universities/colleges, such as in the State of New York, require students to be immunized against measles, mumps, and rubella. Generally this can be done once you have arrived on campus, but always double check with the institution and make sure to follow the directions given. You will not be able to register for classes before you have complied with this requirement. Not all universities/colleges have immunization as a requirement.

Interviews are less frequently used as part of the graduate admission process. Interviews are dependent on the academic program and are very often optional. The most likely programs to have an interview are medical schools and some business schools. The admission page for each individual program will clearly list interview as a requirement if it is part of the process. If it is not listed, you can be relatively sure that you will not be required to attend an interview. Always call or email the program’s admission office if in doubt.

If an interview becomes relevant, it is mostly held via phone or Skype, and only in rare cases will a student be required to physically visit the university/college to attend an interview. The student is generally responsible to pay for the travel expenses.

You should be proud to be invited to an interview since it means that you are on the shortlist of applicants that the university/college are seriously considering for admission. Common questions include:

• Why did you choose to apply to our program?
• What do you know about our program?
• How will you be able to make a contribution to this field?
• Tell us about your experience in this field? Challenges? Contributions?
• Describe any research project you have been involved in?
• How will this program help achieve our career goals?
• What skills do you bring to the program?
• Why should we accept you and not someone else?
• General questions about your strength/weaknesses, interests, what motivates you etc.?

Although work experience may not be a requirement, it is common practice for universities/colleges to require students to submit a résumé (CV) as part of the graduate admission process.

The résumé/CV should provide information about work and volunteer experiences, research, awards, recognitions, and activities pertinent to the program you are applying for admission.

Make sure you tailor your résumé to the program you are applying to and highlight any relevant skills, experiences, qualifications, awards, interests etc.

A common US résumé format is a so called “chronological résumé” where employment and education history is listed by most recent first (on top). A US résumé should not be longer than 2 pages unless you have extensive employment and education experience. Typically, a résumé would include the following sections:

• Basic Information – Name, street address, phone #, and email. No need to write date of birth or marital status.
• Objective – This is optional. It should answer the question, “What do I want to do?”
• Education History – For each institution attended, list the following (most recent first):
  • Institution name
  • City and Country
  • Dates attended
  • Degree & Major
  • Relevant courses taken
• Employment History – list any employment or internships (most recent first)
  • Company/organization name
  • Title
  • Dates
  • Location
  • Key responsibilities
• Recognitions/Awards – list any awards, honors, or other recognitions here
• Interests – list interests and hobbies. Universities/colleges want to see that you are well-rounded and have interests outside of academia.

There are many online sources that offer helpful information on how to write and structure a US résumé. However, most résumés are filled in online as part of the online application form, so it is simply a matter of completing the requested fields and not worrying about the structure.

Although prospective international students are required to submit a resume (CV), it is not common for doctoral programs to actually require previous work experience. Any professional experience, including internships, community service, volunteer work, and academic work is beneficial, but not typically a requirement for doctoral admission.

Always check with the individual program’s admission office for information related to work experience.

Some universities/colleges require you to submit a color copy of your passport during the initial application period. However, usually universities/colleges wait to request a copy until you have accepted their offer of admission and you have been granted a student visa. The university will clearly state on their website or application material when you are required to submit a photocopy of your passport and visa. Call or email the university/college if you are not sure.

Some universities/colleges might ask you to submit a photo of yourself with the application. There might be some predetermined photo specification that you have to follow, such as the photo must be in a US passport format, color photo only, or that you have to type and sign your name at the back of the photo. Always double check with the university/college if you have to submit a photo and if they have any particular photo requirements or specifications.