USA FULBRIGHT AND DIRECT ADMISSIONS 2018-2019 by Muhammad Sohaib Niazi

Collection of some useful posts until 26/1/2018

By: Muhammad Sohaib Niazi (sohaibniazi01@gmail.com) – same ID for E-mail and Facebook
and (+92-333-5266782) for WhatsApp guidance. Don’t call on phone, I am not currently living in
Pakistan.

United States PhD

1. We often do not consider USA as an option for higher studies despite that fact that it has the most
number of best universities and most of them have a lot of funding.
2. USA PhD requires GRE and TOEFL (some accept IELTS too) and most of the PhD programs which
have even less than decent ranking have fully funded scholarships awarded through fellowships and
assistantships.
3. Most of the students who ask about PhD in groups, don't know that for USA PHD programs you
don't need a prior MS degree and you can apply with your 16 years (BS) education. If you have
already done MS you can still apply for PhD but mostly the PhD tenure will remain the same.
4. PhD in USA is almost always 5 years along, logically because most of the students joining such
PhD are coming straight after undergraduate degrees, unlike Pakistan and Europe where PhD is
done after MS (2 years) mostly for 3 years. So the total period (5 years) is the same but methodology
is different. If you can't or don't want to study for 5 years after MS then you may not apply to US
PhD programs.
5. Some students ask that after BS we don't have any considerable research experience, what they
don't know is that PhD schools in US don't need experience from undergraduates. BUT.... If you plan
to apply and still have time, I would advise to make a good research project in final year and a one
or two local research publications or conference publications will significantly increase your chances
of selection.
6. PhD in USA mostly doesn't require you to have prior contact with professors, if you have some
contact that is fine but not required. So you will have formal dates for the application intake and
deadlines for submissions and selection decisions. Therefore, the process is very smooth but the
admission system is on rolling basis i.e. the earlier you apply the better are your chances to get
selected and to get a good funding. Admissions normally start around early September and deadlines
go up until mid to end of December for most programs (for the next in take, classes start in coming
August/September)
7. Most of the decent PhD programs are by default fully funded, you don't need to bother about doing
some external efforts in most cases. The selection automatically confirms full funding for 5 years.
8. GRE scores vary by your field and University's general and subject ranking. However, to get into
top 50-100 schools in US (general ranking), approximately 315 is safe for almost 90% schools
provided other components of application and your profile is sound enough. Scores of 305+ keep
you in the game always and given a good profile can be enough in 70% of the cases.
9. You should have some clear intent and goals for your research degree, a high quality personal
statement and research proposal along with focused recommendation letters can enhance your
chances. Also keep in mind that scoring good CGPA is not too tough in US that is why they generally
expect the same from applicants. Many schools restrict applications to those who have at least 3.0+
or 3.3+ CGPAs. So if you have got good CGPA then you are already at a degree of advantage. TOEFL
is not a very tough exam, anyhow if you have average language skills you must prepare for it as well
and try to score at least 100 and ideally 102+.
10. Don't forget that even today USA based PhD is the most valued PhD in general if you even come
back to Pakistan because USA is perceived as a global leader in education and their quality of
research and related facilities are great.
So if you intend to apply coming September, you should be done with your GRE and TOEFL
maximum by July to Mid-August. Applications for USA schools require a lot of time so the next 2-3
months should just be dedicated for making quality applications.
Lastly the application fee is not that cheap but I would say this investment can be very useful in the
long run. Normally most of the students apply to at least 6-7 PhD programs in their field in various
tier universities that they deem suited to their profile and their interests. So for applications' fee you
must save at least a 100K PKR.
For shortlisting universities, you should do homework well before hand. Explore universities and
programs with due care. You should only use US based special ranking website namely "US NEWS
AND WORLD REPORT National University Rankings".
GRE is not as tough as you feel scared about it, a good preparation requires around 2-3 months of
efforts for people who are below average in Maths and English, for those who are good in general
Maths and English, a month is enough to cross 310-315 with ease.
 Fulbright Vs Direct Admissions - USA
1. Direct admissions don't have a bond to return back on completion of PhD. Under Fulbright, you
have to live in Pakistan for a tenure equal to the tenure of your USA based degree.
2. Direct MS in USA sometimes can be partially or fully funded but it is not as common as direct
PhD. Fulbright MS/PhD are always fully funded.
3. Under Fulbright you can't apply to 5 years PhD without already holding an MS degree. After BS
you can't apply to direct 5 years PhD, you need to apply for those programs under Fulbright which
offer only separate MS degree. In other words, in direct admission you can go for 5 years PhD right
after BS but for Fulbright you can only apply to either 2 years MS (if you have done BS) or PhD if
you have done MS (not just BS).
4. Fulbright doesn't allow you to choose a university you like and you can only propose your
suggested universities in the form etc. Direct admission are more logical as you will normally get
into the degree commensurate to your profile.
5. Related to the 4th point, ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND, Fulbright is not a purely merit based program,
they also account for minorities, neglected sectors of society, prefer fields which are vital for
Pakistan, your impact as depicted by co-curricular and extra-curriculars/unique research/jobs etc.
Direct admissions are always based on merit irrespective of your socio-economic/ethnic/religious
background.
6. You don't need to apply twice for MS and PhD under direct admissions if you are sure that you
need an academic career and PhD is your dream. So you will be saved from costs and efforts of
applying again, so one time efforts can be enough for a full package.
7. Lastly from a behavioral and psychological perspective, there are 2 ways to ace in life, either
compete and come on top in a thing chased by many (which has a scope) or make the competition
irrelevant by being unique. So if you apply via Fulbright you are competing against many other good
applicants and it is a rigorous process while in direct PhD, it is highly likely that you will be
competing against very less applicants (because they all will be only from your field and it is less
likely that many would be from our region or from Pakistan). So if you are competent, you will be
assessed on the basis of your field worth and not on "other" criteria as I mentioned above which are
important for Fulbright.
Yes, if you have a BS or MS you can apply for MS or PhD respectively in Fulbright (as a chance) and
if you don't get in then you may prefer direct admissions, especially those who don't want a PhD and
only master degree or they at least don't want PhD at this stage.
For Fulbright, you can apply in any intake (like the one coming up soon for 2018 and deadlines are
normally around end of April or start of May), if your degree ends before the end of same year that
is before the end of December 2018 for the upcoming intake.
**You don't need TOEFL to apply to Fulbright, only if you get selected in first round, they ask you
to submit TOEFL score once you are called for Interview. You need only GRE to submit application
for Fulbright.
But for direct admissions, GRE and TOEFL both are required to apply before the submission of
application.
 Fulbright USA 2018-19, is around the corner!
Things you need to apply:
1. 16 years of education for Master's degree application or 18 years of education for PhD
application.
2. GRE score at least in excess of 300 to have a good chance as for 90% selected candidates the
GRE score is in excess of 300 as seen in analysis from recent years. You can improve it later once
selected for Fulbright but try to do it at once and score at least 300 plus and ideally 310+. You
should be done with GRE at maximum by the end of March to leave reasonable time for
application and other documentation.
3. You can apply if you will get your latest degree (16years for MS application and 18years degree
for PhD application) maximum before the end of December, 2018.
4. TOEFL is NOT needed at application stage, only if you get selected in first round and are called
for "Interview" then you are required to show TOEFL registration slip on the interview day. It is in
your own best interest to appear for TOEFL before applying especially if you are done with GRE or
have enough time but is not mandatory at application stage. A score in excess of 90 is safe for 90%
universities and ideally you should try to score 100+.
◇◇ IELTS IS NOT ACCEPTED.
5. Personal Statement and study objectives are absolutely vital parts of your application. Start
exploring your desired universities to put yourself already in context of what kind of candidate is a
good candidate in your field and how to RELATE your GOALS AND OBJECTIVES with those of
Fulbright as well as you are obligated to return back to Pakistan after your degree completion and
they also want to see your motivation and intent to impact your profession once you come back to
Pakistan. Try to learn how to write them there are bundle of resources on google instead of always
relying on readymade guides. No shoe size fits all, same goes for such subjective documents.
6. For MBA applicants ONLY, you need at least three years of professional post undergraduate
experience to apply for Fulbright. In case you get selected, you may be required to submit a GMAT
score (if needed), but for applying to Fulbright, GRE at this stage is a must.
MAIN FACTORS TO INCREASE SELECTION CHANCES (factors that you can influence)
1. A relevant and clear personal statement
2. Clear and specific study objectives
3. A high GRE score shows your commitment and competence to pursue higher degree in the US.
4. Research papers in journals and conferences are hugely valued.
5. Impact on community in terms of demonstrated (having proofs/certificates) leadership,
community and volunteer work, startups, projects and initiatives.
4. TOEFL score of 100+
5. Extracurricular and extroverted achievements like debates' prizes that depict you can be a good
cross cultural ambassador.
6. Good shortlisting of probable programs that you want Fulbright to consider for you can land you
in your dream program in case you get selected so spend some time on shortlisting them really
well.
☆☆☆In case of master's degree application you cannot nominate any program in application form
that doesn't have a terminal master degree on offer. So shortlist universities wisely in case you
want to fill optional part of the form in which you can suggest your desired probable programs
which you may want to join for MS.
☆☆☆ Selected candidates in 2018 will fly to USA around August, 2019. So it is a time taking
process.
☆☆☆ It is a governmental scholarship and has some motives like socio-cultural exchange, has also
preferences for some fields like energy, agriculture etc. and also has special consideration for
neglected groups, minorities and people belonging from less privileged and less represented facets
of society. So it is not a purely merit based scholarship, it balances your merit with other such
factors mentioned and also your impact in society especially in governmental or developmental
projects/startups and also as a functional citizen of society is an advantage being a Fulbright
aspirant.
 Why Fulbright Master /PhD matters?
1. Zero application fee!
2. GRE free vouchers in some cases if you get selected for Fulbright but your GRE score is low.
3. You don’t have to pay hefty applications’ fees for universities.
4. One form means application to multiple universities if you get selected in Fulbright.
5. Even with moderate GRE score you can land into a US university on full scholarship not only for
PhD but also for Master’s degree (which otherwise is very rare in US).
6. Full funding for your period of stay including air travel, room setup, books and laptop allowance.
7. Fulbright degrees’ brand name in Pakistan as a symbol of quality education
8. TOEFL score not needed at application stage (only when you are invited for interview after initial
screening, you need to bring along registration slip)
APPLICATIONS for FULBRIGHT Master’s and PhD degrees will open very soon in February and
will end around mid-end of May, 2018!
Appear in GRE – It is not as tough as you think, they have to earn money so they make heavy books)
– with a suitable 40-60 days preparation you can easily sail over 310.
If you will not apply, you will never get selected. People even got in with 291 on GRE last time with
dynamic and balanced profiles and well-crafted Personal Statement and Study Objectives etc.
Approximately 150-200 Master’s and PhD students get Fulbright scholarship every year. The
monthly stipend depends on the location of your campus. Normally for MS it can range from 1300
to 2300 US$ and for PhD even more. So you can easily send more than good remittances to your
home.
Once back to Pakistan you will have a fair degree of advantage over other similar candidates in your
professional field.
USA, undoubtedly is the leader in the field of education and for Pakistan’s context there is nothing
like having a USA based higher education.
The LICENSE here is the GRE, score 310+ and you are already in the game, please note that there is
no minimum CGPA requirement to apply.
When submitting your application, you may report the unofficial GRE score you will receive on the
day of the test, or your official score if you have received it. Every applicant must request on test day
that ETS send an official score report directly to USEFP using the code 9388 and to the Institute of
International Education (IIE) using code 2326. (You can send max of 4 scores for free on test day, if
you don’t send to these two for Fulbright, later you will have to spend 27US$ for each additional
score report (ASR), that is total 54 US$ in this case.)
Collect as many certifications as possible for your work experience, volunteer work, attend relevant
seminars/conferences/workshops, people with startups and blogs, e-platforms and good research
experience also are given advantage.
People from all fields are eligible to apply except for clinical medicine and there is no age limit. You
must get your final degree and transcript by the end of December, 2018 to avail your Fulbright
Master or PhD in 2019 August.
You don't need HEC attested degrees/transcripts to apply, if you have them that's all OK, if not just
get them attested from issuing authority (that is from respective universities).
There is a high preference in the fields of Agriculture, Energy, Water and Public Policy!

I am an academic and career counselor as part of my passion along some other aspects of life, this
year I will help Pakistani applicants with their Fulbright applications viz personal statements and
study objectives (the all-important two essays), letters of recommendation and resume building etc.
**This is a series of posts and I will keep on posting more stuff in detail for the components of
Fulbright application etc. up next.
 Ingredients of a good profile (In general)

On the completion of 16 years of education you should have:

1. A CGPA in excess of at least 3.3
2. At least one relevant project
3. At least 2 versatile internships
4. A conference publication or local HEC recognized research paper would be an added advantage
5. Attended at least 2 relevant seminars, 2 conferences and if possible 1, 2 workshops
6. Appeared in IELTS/TOEFL ideally with 7.5/102+
7. Taken GRE with at least 310-315 score
8. At least two relevant online courses from Coursera etc.
9. Some co-curricular and extra-curricular achievements are a plus
10. Adequate SOFT SKILLS which we often miss, many of us have good profiles but we don't know
how to give good interviews, how to write SOPs and research proposals, how to professionally mail
professors etc. Learn all of these with full protocols.
P.S. Those who have passed this stage and didn't have all this armory need not to be demotivated,
it is aimed at young BS students who have just joined or have still time left to improve their
profiles. You people must inform and help your juniors, siblings, friends and cousins etc. and help
them do better since BS level.
We often focus on big things once we are done with BS but those things are possible only when
maximum students will be armored by the above mentioned resources.
Students can divide such goals into short term objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable,
Realistic, Time bound) and then execute them semester by semester.
Make sure what you do today will play the major part in what you will get tomorrow.
All the best pals!
 A smart and easy GUIDE to score 310 on The GRE

Today I am sharing a very easy and smart guide to score 310 on the GRE. 310 on GRE is considered
decent enough for most candidates applying to US/Canada/Singapore etc for Fulbright, direct
admissions and for other scholarships.
If you are aiming at a score in excess of 310 this guide can help you somewhat but you will need more
comprehensive strategy. If you are aiming at scoring 310, I guarantee a score of 310 if you will follow
this guide based on my work on rules of the GRE and converting it into game and sorting out the
tactics that will for sure help you score 310.
Time Required: 40 Days Maximum
Daily Efforts Required: 3-4 hours normal days and 6 hours on the weekends (Approx. 160-170
Hours in Total)
Resources Required:
1. GRE Website
2. Powerprep 2 timed tests accessible for FREE online on GRE Website
3. Three ETS OFFICIAL guides
4. Manhattan 8 Strategy Guides
5. Manhattan 5lb book
6. Magoosh Vocabulary Mobile App or website
7. GRE maths basic foundations
Strategy: (Follow as it is)
1. You should have a passport to appear in GRE therefore if you don't have get one. (Random time
required not a formal GRE task)
2. Register your account on GRE website, make sure you enter correct NAME AS PER PASSPORT,
what to enter in first name, middle and last, to leave middle or last as empty etc 100% according to
what you have in passport as given name and surname. Try to put first 2 as first name and last as
surname and leave middle name as blank etc. Date of birth and other details etc. should also correct
and must match passport otherwise you will not be allowed to sit for GRE. (Random task)
3. NOW you should read full GRE WEBSITE with due care, I MEAN IT. Read the whole website at
least 3 times, get to know about each and every minute detail such that you kind of memorize all
details, the time required for each section, how many questions, what is a research section, AWA
section and how the sections are scored in GRE, what is meant by easy, medium and hard sections,
how scores can be high or low based on maximum correct answers in different sections, what is
section adaptive test, what are the percentiles at what scores in quant and verbal, I mean literally
you should be 100% sure about any detail about GRE. Use google for all kinds of questions, read
magoosh/manhattan GRE forums and there are numerous articles online to answer such questions.
Even then if something is missed out, inbox me. (6 hours)
3. Make sure you are done with step 2 completely, then Access the 2 timed free tests on GRE website,
just access the 1st one, leave the 2nd one for last days before the actual test. (Random task)
4. Without taking mock first do the book "GRE Maths basic foundations" (It is primarily for GMAT
but very helpful to revise basic maths especially if you are from non-numerical subjects' majors).
You need to do it from page 1 to end including max practice questions, whatever seems tough use
internet always, manually google your topics and you will find good videos and links, read and make
sure you learn them well. (15 Hours)
5. Now take the 1st mock test as an actual test with no distractions in a separate room at home etc.
and also don't forget it will not include AWA section. If you score more than 290 then you are ok
until here, if you score less than 290, revisit the book mentioned above and revise it once more. (3
hours)
6. REGISTER FOR THE GRE TEST and make payment online. Approximately register for a suitable
date which should be at maximum 35 days later from this date. As you will be done by 5 days of work
before it.
Make sure from this day to the test DATE, the gap must not be greater than 35-37 days for those
who have extremely busy week days even. You have to work somehow for GRE.
7. Now, start with two things at the same time. Manhattan 1-6 Quant guides and Magoosh app for
vocabulary.
Do all first 6 out of 8 guides (for Quant) in the same order as they are, FOCUS AND LEARN THE
CONCEPTS AND RULES AND TRICKS, don't practice many questions especially medium and hard
ones. Manhattan guides are not true indicator of how GRE questions are tested. USE these 6 guides
for specialized learning of various QUANT areas that are tested. Spend a bit more time on weak areas
may be geometry or probability or whatever. Make sure you are good with strong areas.
Along with these 6 guides, you will maintain a register for Magoosh vocab, 25 words with their
meanings and 1 sentence each written and learnt as you did in schools. Don't go to next 25 every
next day until you have revised the previous 25 by narrating meanings to a friend or sibling etc. You
have to finish only 650 EASY and MEDIUM words and not the hard ones. Take break after every
week on Sunday and just revise the already learnt words, start everyday by revising all words learnt
until then. Running ahead is useless, if you are forgetting focus more on revising then learning
maximum words. In GRE the contextual understanding is tested, so you don't need to know the
exact word written as meaning in magoosh app, write the meaning may be from google or any other
dictionary if you may like. (50 Hours)
8. Now complete Manhattan 7 and 8 verbal guides and also with that you will also keep on doing
magoosh words according to the previous point. AWA will also be covered here, just take it easy not
to score too low in it. A simple tool: Write as you write in matric essay, Intro, body and conclusion.
First paragraph should rephrase and highlight what is asked, last should summarize and conclude.
Body should have a few paras but don't think you need to write too long to score well. Brevity is the
soul of wit.
For Analysis of Argument, you critically analyze its assumptions, weaknesses, correlations and
causations made BUT you don't give your own opinions and judgements just analyze someone else's
argument that is given in question, for ANALYSIS OF ISSUE you give your OWN OPINIONS AND
JUDGEMENTS as well. In other words for ISSUE task, you are one step behind the ARGUMENT
task, you yourself are to argument, while in ARGUMENT task someone else has already given an
argument on an issue and you need to critically analyze the argument only not the issue in itself. (18
Hours)
9. Complete Manhattan 5lb book, again being manhattan book you will not attempt any question
from it apart from random easy questions here and there and just SKIM IT OVER, with a bit closer
look to concepts and theory and smart tools. (20 hours)
10. Complete official general ETS guide then quant and verbal guides. Focus both on
concepts/theory and practice maximum medium level and easy questions but not all. Focus more
on strategy and how questions are solved than solving full books. REMEMBER THE SAYING, If you
have 6 hours to chop down GRE, spend first 4 on sharpening the concepts. (45 Hours)
11. Take the 2nd online ETS GRE website based test even if you score around 302-305, be sure you
will touch 310 on the test day (GUARANTEED). (3 Hours)
12. Revise all 650 words from register, even if you forget a few that is all OK. Revise your shortcuts,
formulas, smart strategies that you will have written in your register while preparing the above
resources. (6 Hours)
13. Don't study at least one day before exam, play and enjoy and sleep well. Target 9 AM slot for the
test ideally on a Monday if you work or go to university on the other days so Monday can be a great
day to take the test.
14. Before the test, during preparation days, also calculate the time approximately you should spend
on each question etc. Take DIGITAL WATCH with you and note down on your rough sheet the exact
time when you actually press the START TEST button.
15. Don't overthink, go with 1st instinct, many GRE questions can be solved by eliminating wrong
options and also don't forget all questions within a section carry equal marks regardless of their
difficulty level. Use rough work and onscreen calculator wisely and to good effect.

16. Take the test and share the results with me, you are good to go for Fulbright and direct
admissions and other similar pursuits.
GRE is like a game, whosoever learn the rules of this game plays better and wins. Focus more on
how it operates, the procedures, concepts and smart tools than a lot of practice. For 310, only
practice from ETS official 3 books and randomly from manhattan guides. No HARD questions to be
done from any source. For 310 score range you will be attempting max easy and medium questions.
P.S. GRE is not a tough exam and I am saying again this strategy is only for 310 target in GRE. Also
keep in mind your educational background and intended majors will be different so you can monitor
you need to pay more efforts on both if you are weak in maths and English or just on any one of
them. Similarly sometimes you need a higher score on maths or verbal depending upon your
intended majors. So you can divide that 310 according to your needs as depicted by desired
universities' class profiles.
You don't need to practice more, you need to get the BASICS right. How it operates and the concepts!
You can re calibrate time according to your strong and weak areas and your personal constraints.
I GUARANTEE a score of 310 (and may be a bit more) if you follow this guide as it is.
https://drive.google.com/…/1Iu3UY0rGmPHbV208IUU1H7qWhjzxdFgo
This is the link for all GRE MATERIAL that I discussed in my post.
 Why an International Master Degree MATTERS?

1. It gives you an edge over all other local applicants both in applied industry jobs as well as in
academia.
2. In recent years, having a master degree has become a necessity even for applied jobs as there are
already more than enough undergraduate degree holders.
3. An international master gives you a versatile and dynamic exposure both in terms of education
and practice (internships etc.).
4. You have the opportunity to get letters of recommendations from high profile professors and
industry experts of your field for your future jobs and PhD applications.
5. You study mostly in better ranked universities than in Pakistan which is a competitive advantage
in a large pool of applicants for any job/faculty position/PhD application.
6. You get to know about different working and living cultures and environment, that helps you to
further develop your soft skills such as communication, flexibility, working in cross-cultural teams,
adjusting in different environments, independence, responsibility etc.
7. You develop worthy professional connections and possess an internationally acknowledged degree
that can help if you ever need to relocate abroad or even in terms of international colleagues who
can have direct/indirect impact on your future career.
8. You can participate in such events and conferences etc., which otherwise are a far cry.
9. A master on full scholarship come up with financial freedom where you are not burdening your
guardians with your financial demands and hence you can freely focus on your study. For some good
scholarships you can even save/send home some considerable amount of money (an indirect benefit
to Pakistan).
10. Doing well in your international master leaves you with a great power to decide whether you
want to join industry or academia once back to Pakistan.
11. You bring along intellectual capital that would serve the future generation in various ways in the
years to come. One more independent, successful youngster means at least some more prosperous
future families – his/her own family, students/employees, community etc.
12. An international master is a prestige on your CV that you worked your way up to ultimately earn
a master level degree from a better developed country.
13. In case you are like me who doesn’t want to pursue advanced research/academic career, an
international master degree is much more important and valuable as it possibly would be your
highest level of professional education. It will help you in getting a better placement in local industry,
at least at par with worthy local graduates from top Pakistani institutions.
HOW TO USE INTERNET EFFECTIVELY AS A TOOL
FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AND LEARNING?

I often see people asking for very vague and general questions, I have done XYZ graduation and
looking for MS/PhD in such and such from ABC Country etc. or how to apply for ABC scholarship
and so on.
I share some smart internet based tools to make best use of such resources and HELP YOUR
OWNSELF because only when you will help yourself, others will step up to guide and support you
to take you above the line. No one has enough time and probably not enough resources to
call/message/comment to all such people and guide them from scratch to 100%. I have done this
though sometimes but it is very inefficient way of learning and improving your lives. Without being
internet smart and thus having adequate knowledge of how to go about scholarships etc. things you
will struggle at many stages in future where no one will be able to help you. Filing applications,
finding best universities and scholarships, getting to know about interviewers etc.
Once I was inboxed by a potential applicant who didn’t even know how to use Facebook basics,
moderate use is good but at least learn the needs of time. Modern day demands complete
professionals who are not only well-versed in their respective fields but are also adequately good in
other important overlapping areas of knowledge, which also includes being smart with internet use.
Here are few such smart tools and tips:
1. Using Facebook groups and pages effectively, learn how to search keywords in groups from
SEARCH BAR. It can save you from a lot of trouble, you can search for files, previous similar queries
and even the kind of people who may be able to help you.
2. Use Facebook to search for people such as interviewers for different scholarships and other people
who may help you with your queries, use GENERAL SEARCH BAR and type terms such as “SOHAIB
ERASMUS MASTER” and you will get some relevant results. If you want to ask about groups, type
“FULBRIGHT PAKISTAN” or “ERASMUS PAKISTAN” etc. and you will get similar pages and
groups and may be some profiles with good posts and files.
3. Hard but useful, scroll through files section of various relevant groups, even some of them will be
old but may help you in getting some clues as how to proceed or what to ask from relevant people
that you may have missed altogether without reading them. Some new confusions can lead to new
questions to ask.
4. Use QUORA website a lot, just type on google questions like, “BEST HR program in US” or “HOW
PEOPLE SCORE 340 IN GRE” and add word “QUORA” after that, it has a huge collection of very
effective questions and answers. Even some partially relevant and old answers can provide you with
links where you may find new answers
5. Use LINKEDIN to good effect, find profiles of interviewers and may be professors etc., read what
they have done and are doing to smartly manage your interview questions and to get an idea about
what they care for more.
6. Use GOOGLE search effectively, search for whatever from scratch you are starting, such as rather
than asking I am new to group guide me about MS from Australia, better to first work on GOOGLE,
type best XYZ programs in AUSTRALIA, best ranking websites for AUSTRALIA, MS FINANCE
scholarships AUSTRALIA and thousands of such questions have already been asked. Read at least
5-10 relevant links before you get some idea and then slowly move to specific questions.
7. Look for rankings in QS WORLD RANKING WEBSITE and for US only use US NEWS AND
WORLD REPORT and also google for more such sources.
8. Asking about GRE/IELTS/TOEFL there are millions of things, so get to QUORA etc., watch some
good YOUTUBE videos to get to know about basics and narrow down your search. Read the official
sites of academic degree program/tests first carefully and completely before jumping onto material
and preparations. I know many people who have scored low on GRE etc. and they don’t even know
how AWA scored, what is exactly meant by MEDIUM difficulty section, so if you have casual attitude
there is no chance to win big.
9. Always sharpen the axe before cutting the tree, get the basics done, attention to detail is the
hallmark of super successful people, I always extract all information before getting to attempt
something, so whatever I have done or I am doing you can ask any and every question.
10. How many of you know why we use CHARTERED word in CA? “Honors” in BS degrees, why is
Ph.D. called being doctor of philosophy? Why there is no BBA degree in USA? Why prestigious MBAs
are often paid more than PhDs normally? Why there are easy questions on HARD section of GRE?
Why are rankings not the exact indicator of the worth of degrees often? What to look for before
joining a country merely for scholarship? What factors to look for while selecting a field of major?
What is the exact difference between academic and professional degrees?
THINK and up next be internet wise. Many smart people fail not because they lack knowledge and
skills but because they lack the key factor, called attitude and the ability to use talent to good effect.
 MY MOTIVATION LETTER (TAKE IT AS A SAMPLE)

MOTIVATION LETTER

In my college time, I read a book named “The road to success” by Mr. Faiez Hasan Seyal. It
mentioned one key point that service and pursuit of excellence is the key to happiness and fulfilment.
This served as a premise for me to unconsciously love an innate desire to serve people around me.
Since then, I used to counsel my peers and juniors in academic and personal issues. When I chose
the field of accountancy afterwards, I read a lot of other books on success and discovered that I was
quite good but not much interested in finance. In the words of Gardner, interpersonal intelligence
was my key strength. Developing on this and on the perception of greater good, I further researched
and found out that Psychology and specifically Business Psychology is what I am meant to study in
my educational career. It seemed as the voice of my heart moved me to pursue this field. My passion
in Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology has developed further when I actually savoured
the flavour of my favourite topics. The work of Maslow on fear of Success, Daniel Goleman’s work
on EQ and even the understanding of my own deviated tendencies fascinated me a lot. All this love
for the very field continued and has practically moved me again to apply for this WOP-P Master
program.

The foremost reason I want to pursue this programme is it specialized focus on scientist/practitioner
model. As it is obvious from my profile that I persisted with my field in both education and practice,
I will be pleased to join this highly tailored program because of its unique and balanced approach.
Specifically the breadth across all the three realms indicate that it is a thorough program to facilitate
me become a complete WOP-P Professional.

I am also strongly interested in pursuing this program so as to become a specialist practitioner in

the field of workplace and personnel management. Another important significance for me is my
interest in exploring strategies by which we can work out solution for the common global issues
faced by management in cross-cultural organizations. For instance, how can we best motivate blue
collar employees? What is the impact of overtime on labour performance across developing nations?
How can we create an organizational policy so that most competent employees can surpass the
normal promotion path? How can we maintain objectivity in unstructured modes of recruitment?
How can companies retain unique talent? And many other key areas.

The interventions related courses fascinated me as they on one hand will impart key practical skills
such has how to implement intelligent practices and on the other hand will inculcate decision
making competency. These focused interventions complemented by research work mean that no
side is kept unpolished. As modern scientific practitioners focus on research to create the best and
optimal intervention strategies, so the WOP-P program exactly addresses these contemporary
demands of the employment world.

Real world has complex and ever changing problems, the winter school therefore will help me in
learning how these open ended real time cases are solved creating new and contemporary
interventions. Apart from this, cross cultural teams give an invaluable experience that will impart a
one of its kind advantage.

I expect this program to enhance my present research and practical skills and to build those
competences in me that are vital for success in the international business environment. In my home
country Pakistan, there is a serious lack of WOP-P professionals, even then I believed in my abilities
and skills to outshine in this domain. I have progressed gradually but I made sure I am well-versed
with the research and practical competences necessary to excel in HR and Management. I would
also love to continue the legacy by taking back all the knowledge and exposure back to my home
country and set a trend for this emerging field of psychology. My long term goals include setting up
a WOP-P consultancy in Pakistan that will not only provide practical solutions but also will be a
research centre for the development of Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Similarly, up until
now I have shown my commitment to stick to my circle of competence. For I believe, four elements
are vital for success in this field – natural and innate strengths, motivation, interest and actual
nurturing via learning and practice. I am pretty sure that I carry all the desired ingredients to give
the best output.

I have worked upon a research project in my 7th semester course – Human Resources Management
on “Impact of Motivation on Employees’ Performance.” Also being a student of last semester, I will
be initiating my Thesis/Final Year Research Project in few weeks. Similarly, during my last
internship I worked in a leading telecom company (Ufone – PTML) and completed a project on
“Why Money is not always a motivator at work and its alternatives.” Similarly my proposal on
performance management modelling got accepted with highest recommendation. In this project, I
pointed out that calibration system had many flaws so the model of Welch from General Electric
needed an alternative especially in our local Pakistani culture, where money is a major motivator
due to low average income level. I found out that, comparative calibration and thus disbursing
respective bonus is not a fair deal. Alternatively, absolute calibration is more effective that not only
promotes cooperation but also enhances the overall output and effectiveness of organization.

I am all motivated to research further on talent acquisition methods as referral based hiring was a
popular practice in previous internships. However, this created a culture of favouritism and biasness
and therefore in many cases brought about a downfall in the output for organizations. I am also
interested to find out the best methods to train and develop employees at different levels. Starting
with a cognitive dissonant statement won’t help forever. I am quite sure that working with Miss
Chiesa at Bologna University can also further my volunteer interests in career and academic
counselling. Up until now I have counselled hundreds of students in their educational and career
areas. I am holding a workshop as well to cater the needs of intermediate students in transition
phase to university study. My main research interests since my time at International Islamic
University included talent acquisition, recruitment and selection and training and development. I
believe this program will be a major extension as well as addition to my existing work in WOP-P just
as I believe I have all what it takes to get selected for this highly competitive and meritorious
program. Additionally, my overall objective is to become a well-rounded WOP-P professional.

Up until now, it has been a good start but this is just a beginning which I want to convert into
something substantial. I want to achieve much more in my field through this distinctive opportunity.
Success is incomplete without legacy therefore I want to give back to global community, WOP-P
profession and to serve humanity in general. I chose the path of excellence and in the pursuit of it, I
thus far have achieved whatever best was possible for me in my limited available resources and
challenging circumstances. With this highly international and relevant degree, I strongly believe I
can thrive forward to a more fulfilling career in my chosen field of study. To conclude, this WOP-P
master program is a building block for my passion to serve this under addressed yet very vital field,
paving the way to serve and lead with impact and excellence. I look forward to a thrilling experience.

Thank you for reading.

Muhammad Sohaib Niazi

 My Erasmus+ LORs
I don't have soft copies available but you can get an idea by reading these two.
Those who are writing themselves can take a look.
Remember me in your prayers that is the only thing I ask in return for my efforts….

Love you all

Muhammad Sohaib Niazi

Erasmus+ Scholar – MS Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology
HR Professional | Industrial and Organizational Psychologist | Coach | Counselor | Mentor | Writer
| Trainer | Consultant