Pursuing Graduate Studies Guide

Pursuing Graduate Studies*
*Based on personal experiences and by no means exhaustive.

Outlines:
• Academia VS Industry.
• Career planning.
• Academia in Egypt.
• Postgraduate studies options in Egypt and abroad (Europe, USA,
Canada, Australia).
• How to get a fully-funded scholarship (M.Sc. and PhD).
• Tips.
• Practical Guide.

Academia VS Industry: Academia Pros (1):
• Academia: Getting a PhD, postdoc(s), …  professorship/tenured
(permanent) position. (University, Government lab, research institute etc.)
• If you chose a good research group, you are learning new things each day.
You are contributing/adding to the body of ‘Knowledge’ under your own
name.
• Research makes you a more quantitative and critical thinker.
• You will probably find a variety of options in Egypt (probably unlike very
high-tech industry).
• Teaching students and adding huge value to the society, have a lasting
impact.

Academia VS Industry: Academia Pros (2):
• Near total academic and intellectual freedom to pursue any line of
scientific inquiry you are curious about.
• Much greater autonomy and flexibility (somewhat flexible work
hours, no real boss or authority especially for professors)
• Prestigious? (Or at least some think this way!).
• Opportunity to travel a lot, present your own work at conferences etc.
• If you aim to work or settle abroad, studying abroad can help you “get
there” in the first place.

Academia VS Industry: Academia Cons (1):
• Salaries in Academia are generally much less than industry salaries
(probably everywhere).
• Academia is not always efficient. It is not always directly benefiting
the people/societies; professors have to publish for funds. Sometimes
it can be detached from the ‘real practical world’.
• Academic abuse (PhD students) is VERY common and concerning.
Mental health problems are commonplace in academia especially
among grad students*.
*https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/11/anxiety-depression-mental-health-graduate-school/576769/

Academia VS Industry: Academia Cons (2):
• PhD track should only be pursued for people whose science is their
vocation. Do not pursue a PhD if you are not certain. It is VERY
challenging mentally for little financial gain. If you don’t have
sufficient passion for your subject, it can be a huge waste of time and
cause unnecessary suffering.
• Reaching the “promised land” (i.e. tenured position) is VERY rare and
competitive.
• Until you reach this “promised land”, most jobs are temporary and
not very secure and don’t pay well. You might need to travel a lot to
stay in academia. Higher potential risk.

Academia VS Industry: Industry Pros and Cons:
• (+) Industry generally has higher salaries/privileges.
• (+) Working on a specific problem that has specific need in the
market. Arguably making more of an immediate and tangible
difference.
• (+) You might help create a startup in your field!
• (+) You will not waste the most productive years of your life earning
low wages (not as risky as seeking tenured position).
• (-) Might get boring, depending on your work.
• (-) If you are thinking about getting back to Egypt as a retirement
plan/final resort: Not many options in Egypt for high-tech companies.

Career Planning:
• Try to be decisive about what you want to do once you graduate or prior to
graduation, required skills for industry and academia are sort of different.
The earlier you start planning the more chance of success.
• Academic career  work or volunteer as an undergraduate research
assistant, take online courses in your field, read standard textbooks, read
journal/conference papers.
• Industrial career  Do internships. Learn the tools/skills the market needs.
• IMPORTANT NOTE: Applying for universities starts at your FINAL year in
college, before you graduate. If you apply in (Sep-Dec)2019, you join the
2020 (Sep) class! You should decide this in your last year.

Academia in Egypt*:
• Generally poorly funded and lacking resources. Not always at the
‘cutting edge’. Despite this there are some excellent research
groups/professors in many fields.
• Options are generally limited: AUC, Zewail, GUC, BUE, E-JUST
(Fellowships/Scholarships offered) & Top governmental universities
can be a good option (to boost your profile) if you can find a funded
position.
• Example: a good grad. project/master thesis/internship/research
assistantship period in one of these universities culminating in one or
more publications can lead to a good PhD/MS offer abroad.
• Extremely good option to publish and get a scholarship afterwards.
*Based on many experiences; not necessarily personal.

Academia in Egypt*:
• Minimum salaries/wages.
• Your whole job depends on the supervisors. It is not trivial to find a
supervisor that develops/cares for you as a researcher.
• Some cases of academic abuse and malpractice exist.
• Many cases of working on research problems that have ~0 impact on
society.
• TL;DR: Generally a tough/sub-optimal long-term option but can be a
good temporary option to boost your profile to apply abroad.
• With all of our potential/effort, things will get better in the future.
*Based on many experiences; not necessarily personal.

What might give you an advantage in your
application*?
• Strong applicable knowledge in the field: Projects, Research Experience
(Journal/Conference papers, Research assistantship, etc.).
• Work/Internship Experience/ Graduation project in the chosen field.
• Strong Recommendation Letters (from Professors who know you and your
work well).
• Strong (Statement of Purpose/Motivation Letter).
• High score of IELTS/ TOEFL. (Mandatory in most places).
• High GPA/ (top 10%?) in your class.
• For some universities (US in particular), GRE is required.
• Research proposal (depending on the scholarship/university)
*You don’t have to have all these merits. Probably, nobody does. These are ALL the factors.

Knowledge VS ‘Pseudoknowledge’:
• Most students will try to have an attractive CV: papers, high GPA,
internships, etc.
• What is really important:
1- Read many textbooks. 2- Learn skills/tools.
3- Solidify your technical background. 4- Work on projects to completion
(Showcase your work, get things done, publish, etc.).
• If you do have the skills, all these criteria (papers, GPA, internships, etc..)
do not matter as much. I have seen cases where the student had no
papers, not top of class, but had deep technical skills/projects and the
professors themselves were seeking the student.
• Astonishingly, it (could?) be easy to publish and still be an ignorant about
the field.

A fresh graduate possible paths in academia:
• M.Sc. in Europe, Singapore, Japan, etc.
• M.Sc. from US, Canada, and Australia.
• ‘Direct’ PhD from US, Canada, and Australia.
Notes:
1- Not possible to pursue a PhD in Europe without an M.Sc. degree.
2- In general, (M.Sc.) and PhD scholarship stipends are usually just enough to have
a modest life (as a single) and married.
3- Acceptance without funding is much easier than with scholarship.
4- No need for GRE in general. No need to email professors unless going for a PhD.
5- For PhD, research experience, acceptance from professor, research project
suitability is king.

Types of graduate programs: Research-based:
• MS by research (MSc, MASc, MPhil, MRes) is usually 1-2 years long.
Only a few courses in your chosen research field (3-5 courses if any).
Goal: research and publish results. Usually funded by research and
teaching assistantships from the professor or department you are
working for.
• PhD: (3-5 years). Longer version of the above. (0-1.5) years of courses
while mostly doing research and publishing papers. Sometimes the
course portion is concluded with a comprehensive exam. Funded in a
similar way. Usually requires an MS degree (not true for North
America). Length and structure can very between countries.

Types of graduate programs: Course-based:
• MS by coursework (MEng, etc. ): (1-2) years long. Mostly courses.
Small thesis component if any (1 semester max.). The goal is to
expand your knowledge and not to get research experience. It is
similar to 2 additional years for undergrad (but with more advanced
courses). Less likely to be funded (Sometimes there is funding via
government and third-party scholarships).

European M.Sc. Programs (1):
• Two-year programs: 3 semesters: courses, 1 semester: thesis. OR:
One-year programs: 2 semester: courses, 1 semester: thesis. (UK)
• You submit your documents online in most places except Germany
(by post in most cases).
• M.Sc. in Europe are course-based. You are not required to do research
work at all except for a 4th semester project. In general: 3 semesters
courses and last semester for thesis. You do not email professors.
• It is more focused on learning (like B.Sc.) than deep research (PhD). In
contrast, European PhDs are almost purely research-based.

European M.Sc. Programs (2):
• Can sometimes have a mobility component (take a semester or
internship in another university or country etc.)
• The UK has some research master's degrees (MPhil and MRes).
• For MS, in general, research papers are not expected to be seen as a
huge plus. English, grades, LoR and SoP matter most.
• Some European countries have very low tuition fees (Germany,
Finland etc.). You still need scholarships for living expenses (unless
you can work and know the local language.

How to pay for your studies as an M.Sc.
Student in Europe (1)?
• Since you will be a student and not a source of financial income to the
university (not teaching or doing research), your funding – if you have
any – will usually be from the national or state government/EU.
Sometimes you can get a university scholarship as well, but funding is
not guaranteed.
• University/Programs Scholarships for top applicants:
1- Scholarships might be full (tuition fees, living fees, all included) or
partial.
2- The process might include multiple interviews.

How to pay for your studies as an M.Sc.
Student in Europe (2)?
• Some third-party organizations offer scholarships, in case you were
accepted without a scholarship: you get the academic acceptance first
from the university, then you apply for the funding from these
organizations (Al Ghurair – Al Alfi – Al-Qalaa, etc ).
• 3rd party scholarships from companies or NGOs might also give
weight to extra-curricular activates and leadership potential. They
might have special conditions like (must return to home country, must
have 2 yrs. work experience etc.)

Europe (course-based MS in general)
Examples:
• Erasmus, Check individual universities.
• Switzerland: Swiss excellence scholarships.
• UK: Chevening scholarships.
• Germany: Check DAAD
• Holland: Study in Holland scholarships.
• Ireland: Irish government scholarship (MS/PhD by research)
• Sweden: Swedish institute scholarships
• France: Eiffel scholarship
• Turkey: Government scholarship (TurkiyeBurslari)
• Belgium: Mastermind
• Italy: Study in Italy

Example: Famous M.Sc. Options in Europe:
Erasmus Mundus
• “Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD), is an international
study program, jointly delivered by an international consortium of
higher education institutions.” Full list of the programs they offer*:
https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus/library/scholarships-
catalogue_en
*This lit is not complete. Check the website mentioned for the full list.

European M.Sc. Programs:
• Might be preferred for those who:
1- Need to solidify their technical background; better to solidify your
knowledge before pursuing a research problem.
2- Prefer industry to academia.
3- Reluctant between industry and academia.
4- Want to enter a new field.

Research based programs (MS):
• Might be preferred for those who:
1- Want to publish papers (to increase future PhD admission
chances).
2- Want to stay in academia and learn research and lab skills and not
just take courses as a student.
3- Want to try research. Usually can easily convert into a PhD after 6-
12 months, expediting the process.

European Ph.D. Programs:
• You have to have an M.Sc. Degree to apply for a PhD in Europe (Unlike
US, Canada, Australia, Singapore etc.).
• Some PhD programs have specific deadlines. In most of Europe, it
totally depends on the supervisor, you can apply at ‘almost’ anytime
(Unlike the US programs with fixed deadlines).
• For the European case, you can think of it as more like a job rather
than a course of study (few courses if any).
• Organizations that fund PhD: Marie Curie, Erasmus, etc.
• Some places do not need IELTS/TOEFL. Sometimes a letter from your
university stating that your studies were in English is sufficient.

European Ph.D. Programs: Industrial PhD:
• Companies such as Microsoft, Intel, IBM, etc.. fund “Industrial” PhDs. You
may apply through the company or the university.
• More industry oriented! Typically, people who finish their industrial PhD
aim for industrial career (Industrial research career). They may keep
pursuing academia though.
• Less publications. The target is patents.
• Typically higher salaries/wages than conventional PhDs.
• More connections with industry.
• You might be working from the industry or the university, it depends. You
generally have two supervisors from the university and the industry.

US/Canada/Australia Postgrad Programs*:
• US: MS (course based, 2 yrs), PhD (1-2 yrs courses, + 3-4 yrs pure research)
• Australia: MS (both research and course versions available, 1-2 yrs), PhD (3 yrs,
pure research).
• Canada: MS (both research and course versions available, 2 yrs), PhD (4-5 yrs,
almost pure research with some courses)
• For research-based degrees, it depends directly on supervisors, it is HIGHLY
suggested you email professors and ask for a position at their lab. This lets you
know if there are vacant positions in the lab and if you fit into their group, saves
you time and money, it is even compulsory in most cases that a professor
supports your application before applying.
• You can directly apply with a bachelor degree to a PhD degree in
US/Canada/Australia. US PhD programs, in particular, are designed to accept
fresh bachelor graduates (hence, they are longer and are a mix of courses and
research).
*Based on personal experiences.

Ranking Sites:
• QS (more reputation based).
• ARWU (more research based).
• Nature Index (purely research, for STEM fields).
• Times Higher Education, NTU ranking, URAP, Leiden, CWUR, US World
News, etc.
Note: While ranking is somewhat important, it is not the main factor for
choosing a university:
A- For course-based programs: industry ties, departmental focus and curriculum might
carry more weight, ease of finding a job and settling.
B- For research programs: research group and advisor carries much more weight.

Canadian Universities Ranking* Worldwide:
*QS Ranking: https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2020

Canada Postgraduate Programs (research-
based):
• PhD/MSc/MASc: It only might require you to take ~3 courses in 2 years as
an M.Sc. Student/ (~2-3 more courses as a PhD)~5 years as a PhD student.
• Most of your fund is from your supervisor. The rest of the funding is from
departmental scholarships, TAships, and fellowships.
• You start the application process by emailing (not always mandatory)
prospective professors, you can find their research groups on the university
websites, Google Scholar, Researchgate, etc.
• If a professor sees your profile attractive/good fit to their group, they will
interview you and if they agree to fund you, you are “almost” ~100%
accepted.
• Typically, application documents are almost the same as Europe except
with ~ 100-150 CAD$ application fees.

Canada Postgraduate Programs:
• Very few scholarships for course-based masters.
• Funded usually guaranteed for MS-research and PhD with
(RA+TA+Fellowship) funding.
• Usually need to pay tuition fees from your funding (you will be given
enough to pay the tuition fees and live somewhat comfortably).
• Some scholarships: OGS, Vanier.
• For MS-research and PhD, need to find a supervisor to be accepted, need
to reach out via email.
• Direct PhD is possible, but bar is higher than for MS-research acceptance.
• Research degree admissions will assign more weight to research
experience and skills, still need good grades, SoP etc.
• Can convert MS-research to PhD after the first term/year.

Australian Universities Ranking* Worldwide!:

Australia Postgraduate Programs:
• Research-based M.Sc. And PhD programs in Australia are 100% research. No postgraduate
courses at all*.
• It is mandatory in Australia that you email prospective supervisors first and get a positive reply
from a professor that he/she will supervise you. A positive reply does not ‘guarantee’ acceptance
(unlike Canada). Professors have no right to give scholarships to students in Australia*.
• Afterwards, you apply officially, and your application is graded based on: GPA, Publications (# of
Papers, Impact Factor, First Author?), etc.
• You also need to submit a research proposal (this will be based on the interview you have with
the professor if he is interested in your profile). This is also an important factor in admissions.
• Australia: it is very rare* to get accepted as an M.Sc. Student. Most supervisors generally prefer
PhD students. (Direct PhD is okay too!)
• Application documents are almost the same as Europe.
• If you a professors agrees to supervise you, you will apply to compete with other applicants for
university-wide scholarships.

US Universities Ranking* Worldwide:

US Postgraduate Programs:
• Need GRE (high school math + advanced English), GRE is important but not the most important
factor (grades, research experience, SoP, LoR etc.).
• Very few scholarships for MS (seen as course-based). MAYBE can convince professor to give you
RA/TA ship (rare). For MS, Fulbright scholarship is a good option.
• PhDs are usually fully funded by (fellowship* + RA + TA + tuition waiver), espicially in STEM.
Usually PhD + MS rolled into one.
• Can reach out to professors to secure a position, but in general it is more of a departmental
acceptance than by the professor alone. Don’t need a supervisor to be accepted. You can find a
supervisor once accepted and you start the courses (MS part) of the degree.
• Can apply directly after BSc, or MS. Can waive some courses if you already have an MS.
• For PhD, research experience is very important. Papers might not be expected if you are a BS grad
(but still a MAJOR plus). In general admissions are very competitive and every aspect of the
application is important.
• US PhDs are usually the longest (4-7 years).
*Fellowship = usually a stipend in the first year before you get RA or TA.

US Postgraduate Programs*:
• Most probably, there is a consensus that US PhD programs are the
strongest/best/most intensive PhD systems in the world. It is very
exhausting though. You might be required to publish ~15 papers to
graduate!
• Generally, in Europe, as a PhD student, you finish your day at 5pm
and go home. In US, you are sometimes required to stay the night. US
has a workaholic nature. More rewarding/achievements? Maybe.
*Based on personal experiences. **https://lipson.ee.columbia.edu/content/prospective-phd-students-and-postdoc
**

How to pay for your studies as an M.Sc./PhD
student in US/Canada/Australia?
• Your fund generally: (Research Assistantship ~75%, Teaching
Assistantship, University scholarship).
• If you were not lucky to secure a scholarship, some organizations
offer scholarships, even if you were accepted without a scholarship:
you get the academic acceptance first from the university, then you
apply for the funding from these organizations (3rd party as
mentioned earlier).

When should I apply?
• Deadlines are the most important factor you should consider.
• You should apply ~ a year before. If you plan to join fall 19, you apply in
2018.
• Deadlines vary in Europe, while in USA 15 Dec is a popular deadline.
• You SHOULD apply in your SENIOR year at college, this is not mainstream in
Egypt, but that is what happens everywhere else, you apply at your final
year with your current transcripts and if you’re accepted, you get a
conditional acceptance until you graduate. Then you send your complete
transcripts.
• Europe deadlines(varies, in general Jan-April)
• Canada (in general: Dec - Feb)
• Asia (varies)

Bonus: Asia (MS research, MS course, PhD)
• Make sure the program is in English. Sometimes government scholarships can provide airline
tickets, free language training etc.
• Many top universities which might not be as competitive as the US.
• Japan: MEXT (embassy), MEXT (university route), check individual universities.
• Singapore: SINGA, research masters funded.
• South Korea: KGSP, check individual universities
• China: CSC
• Hong Kong: check individual universities
• Australia: Endeavor, RTP (for each university)
• Malaysia: Malaysian government scholarship
• KSA: KAUST, check individual universities
• UAE: Khalifia University scholarship
• Thailand: Govt. scholarship

What documents might you need?
• CV.
• Registration Certificate (if you apply before graduating).
• Transcripts and/or graduation certificate.
• Statement of Purpose (SoP) = Motivation Letter.
• Letters of Recommendations/References (LoRs).
• Undergraduate Bulletin (‫علمي‬ ‫)محتوى‬ (for some German Universities).
• High school certificate (for some German universities).
• Passport (Get it done before your senior year to avoid logistic problems).
• Photo.
• IELTS or TOEFEL Certificates.
• Email template (for reaching out to professors for research degrees).
• Research proposal (some research-based scholarships)
• GRE general & subject tests (for almost all of the USA, few Asian and Canadian universities). If not applying
to the US, you can generally ignore it.

Tips (1):
• Prepare for your IELTS/TOEFEL exam in the third-year vacation.
• Start typing your SoP as early as possible – writing really takes time.
• Have someone in your field review your documents, specially your CV,
SoP.
• It is likely you would have to write a first draft of the LORs instead of
your professors. LoRs are very important.
• Build as many connections in your field as you could.
• First: look for deadline, then scholarships (might be in the How to
Apply or International Students sections), …
• You will get rejected many times. Get used to it.

Tips (2):
• Type your documents in LaTeX, it makes them more professional. Click here
for online CV template on Overleaf.
• If sending emails to professors send to as many professors in your field (e.g.
50-100 profs!) as you can (it’s free!), as long as their work interests you and
you can write a thoughtful email saying something intelligent about their
work. Don’t spam them (please).
• Widen your exposure area. Apply for Europe, US, Canada, Australia, Asia
etc.; you have to apply to many places to secure a spot.
• If you cast your net wide enough, and have a decent profile, you will have a
decent chance of securing a scholarship somewhere. There are many good
opportunities, you just need to know where to look and be ruthless in
applying (apply everywhere you can).

Tips (3):
• Make an Excel sheet list for the universities you intend to apply for,
carefully noting the application deadline and fee, tests needed and
minimum scores, thesis length if any, finding opportunities, type of
program etc.
• If targeting research degrees, make a similar sheet for professors you
wish to contact. Track/compare their important papers and
publication record, research interests (that align with you), vacancies,
connections, alumni of the group, contact details and policy etc.
• At least apply for 10 universities. In general, apply to as many
universities and programs as you can. Many non-North American
universities and scholarships have no application fee.

Practical guide:
1. IELTS.
2. Statement of Purpose (SoP)
3. Letters of Recommendation (LOR’s)
4. How to work as an undergraduate research assistant (RA).
5. Emailing professors

1- IELTS
• You need to get 7/9 in IELTS to make sure you are eligible for almost
ALL universities.
• The higher score, the better.
• Some Universities ask for 6.5 , or even 5.5, but 7 is the safe zone.
• If you could score more than 7 that would be a plus in your
application. In general though, scores above 7 are enough (law of
diminishing returns).
• Here is my detailed experience on how I prepared for IELTS and how I
scored 7.5/9 overall:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1E5rAfrrCSawa_m5JZCp_dunDEpOv7W1I

2- Statement of Purpose (SoP)
• SoP = Motivation letter = etc..
• Generally, SoP is a 1000-word maximum document explaining:
1- Why do you want to pursue M.Sc. Studies?
2- Why this university in particular?
3- Why should they accept you?
4- Why are you interested in this field?
5- What do you intend to do with this degree upon graduation (future
plans)
6-Past achievements (research, internships, grades, awards, etc.)
7- ..

Statement of Purpose, how to write it?
• Make sure you are formal, but not boring, write it as a story (Attract their
attention wisely).
• Be to the point (Professors have no time. They are always busy, no need for
cliché stories about your childhood).
• Check the University guidelines for the SoP, might differ from the points
here. Most programs will dictate a certain word length. You must adhere to
it.
• One idea per each paragraph.
• Generally, You can write ONE SoP for all your applications, except for the
last paragraph (why this university/program?) which you change to suit
each application.

3- Letters of Recommendation (LoRs) (1):
• A document written by your professors that give more authenticity to
your application.
• It is better to have LoRs written by professors who:
1- you worked directly under their supervision (grad project advisor),
managers in industry can also write it, but in general it is not advised.
2- are renowned in their field.
3- are available and active on their email.
4- are willing to help you/write a very strong letter for you.
5- known or connected with the program you are applying to
6-..

• Your professors should mention: How long have they known you? In what way?
How was your performance (top 10% of students I’ve ever taught etc.)? How
were you special? you research, your deep technical knowledge, eagerness to
learn, skills, your English ability and teamwork skills, your strong personality and
suitability for grad studies, it should convey that you are an elite student (without
lying or exaggeration), etc.
• It is seen as useless and cliché to use superlatives non-stop without anecdotes or
evidence. Example: He/she is a very hard-working person (cliché)  I would
regularly find him working well into the night in the lab or He/she would regularly
meet with me to discuss advanced topics far beyond the scope of the curriculum
which he/she had already mastered etc.
• Some professors might ask you to write a first draft of the letter so that they
could build upon it and remember your achievements, this is debatable, but you
will have to deal with it. Ask your peers for a template to help your professors
build upon it.

• Give your professors at least 1 month to write and upload the letter.
You don’t want to be in a position where you have applied to a
program, but the application failed because you gave your professor
only 2 days before the deadline and he/she didn’t have time to
upload.
• Try to give the professor a list of accomplishment or anecdotes or
interactions you had with him/her which you suggest he/she includes,
just as a reminder; it is their letter in the end.
• The letter usually will need to be signed by the professor; with an
official letterhead of the university he is affiliated with.

4-How to work as an undergraduate research
assistant (RA):
• This will help you publish and get deep research experience.
• It is very uncommon in Egypt for an undergraduate to get involved in
research work. The strong research groups are not prevalent. You may
have to seek a research group outside your home university (e.g.,
AUC, E-JUST, Zewail City, etc.).
• Search and ask for the research groups you’re interested in their
work. Send them emails inquiring if you could join their group. It is
better to meet them and ask in person.
• You would most probably work for free; it is okay at first, consider it
as a training.

How to search
• Mastersportal.eu
• Check top schools in Canada/Australia/US and check their relevant
research groups, email their PI’s (Principal Investigator; A professor leading
the research group). For research degrees.
• Check each university scholarships section.
• Check the programs such as ERASMUS.
• ASK your connections for the list of universities they applied for.
• www.marj3.com
• GoogleScholar/ResearchGate profiles.
• Google!

Emailing a professor: Who to email?
• Check University’s departments that you are interested in, search for
the research groups inside these departments that suit you.
• Check https://scholar.google.com.eg/ : You can search by labels, type:
label:silicon_photonics for instance.
• Check ResearchGate.
• Ask your connections.

Emailing a professor (1):
• Your email should answer the following questions:
1- Why are you interested in this group? How have you heard of the
research group?
2- Have you exerted the effort of reading any of the group’s work/papers?
Write a few sentences about the prof’s work, indicating you have read
his/her work (mention papers) and try to make an intelligent comment
(future research directions etc.)
3- What is your profile (BS program, current position, graduation project,
grades, research interests and experience, skills etc.) ?
4- Why do you think you are a good fit for the group?
5- What are your relevant skills?

• Professors get 100s of emails over the course of an application season, You
need to stand out to grab his/her attention. You can do this by actually
reading their work, expressing your interest and commenting on it in an
intelligent way.
• It is VERY normal not to get replies even if you think you fit to the group.
Reply probability could be as low as 0.1!
• Professors are EXTREMELY busy. Be to the point.
• Do not spam them. Do not send the same email to each professor. This
does not work. Also, you will be spending most of your (2-6) years’ time
with this person.
• Send from a university email address not to end up in spam. Do not send
on holidays (Sat/Sun).

• Most professors will not respond (too busy) or give you generic responses (asking you to
apply first etc.).
• Some will encourage you to apply or want to interview you. If the interview goes well, all
you need after that is to apply formally to the university and gain an acceptance letter.
• This means you still need to clear the “minimum university requirements”: IELTS, Min
GPA, background knowledge, SoP, recommendation letters, etc.
• Sometimes the professor can help push for your admission if you are slightly below the
requirements.
• In general, for most countries, professors generally prefer to hire (for research degrees)
PhD students than MS students (can contribute for longer).
• The goal is to start emailing professors well before the deadline (start in the summer
before the deadline), so that f you get a positive response, you apply to that university.
This will ensure you only apply and spend your time and money where you have a good
chance of admission.

Emailing a professor: E-mail template:
Dear Dr. X,
I hope this email finds you well.
I am Mohamed, a newly B.Sc. graduate of X department, X University, Egypt. I am currently working as a X at X at X, Egypt, where
I am conducting research on X [Should be related to the professor’s work!].
I am interested in your research on X, and I believe my research interests and experience align with the orientations of your
research perfectly. I read your paper titled “X” and I was impressed by [intelligent comment on the paper]. I wanted to inquire
whether there are openings for graduate students at your group.
I have a solid background of X, and vast undergraduate research experience, I have contributed to the field of X through my
research on X as part of my work on X, published at X journal.
You may find my CV, transcript, publications, and IELTS certificate attached.
Please let me know if I can provide you with any further information.
I highly appreciate your time and your consideration.
Thank you,
Mohamed Mousa,
B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering,
Cairo University, Egypt.
Phone: +201*******

Emailing a professor: A positive reply?
• If you receive a positive reply, congratulations! You are a step closer
to your goal. You are one of the few!
• Most probably, the professor will set an interview with you, s(he) will
ask you when you’re available for the interview: Try to be very flexible
in your time. Give her/him many time options. Consider the time
difference.
• Ask the professor about the nature of the interview, will it be
technical? Is there a specific set of topics you should review/study?
• These interviews differ depending on the professor, some are just
casual, some are highly technical.

Emailing a professor: Probable Interview
Questions:
• Are you satisfied with your B.Sc. education? Why did you choose an
academic career? Why did you choose ‘engineering’? etc..
• Talk about yourself/experience. Here, you should be strictly technical,
summarize your CV, skills, experience, etc.
• Why did you choose my group? This University?
• Could you explain to me your previous relatable experience? What have
you done in this paper/project?
• Would you like to pursue a PhD after the M.Sc.? What is your plan?
• Usually they will inform you of the projects available and try to gauge your
interest.
Note*: Most professors prefer PhD students than M.Sc. students, they stay
longer in their lab, produce more work.

Emailing a professor: After the interview?
• If the professor decides to interview you, it means he/she thinks you
are good fit to the group. It means you already have a high
opportunity.
• Some (days/weeks) after the interview, the professor will send you an
email explaining whether he/she thinks you are a good fir for his/her
group or not. If he/she is later than ~1 week, send a gentle reminder.
• If the outcome is positive, send emails to the professor’s students
asking about the professor. This is the person who will mainly shape
your graduate studies (2-5) years. Invest time to know him well.

Egypt Scholars Services:
• I would like to personally thank Egypt Scholars for their enormous
efforts and help.
• Egypt Scholars offers free reviewing services* for your CV/ SoP/ LoRs.
• Before sending the documents, you should make sure you watched
their videos on how to type these documents.
• They typically reply in 2-weeks maximum.
• They provide so many resources (FAQs, playlists, studying abroad
pdf).
https://egyptscholars.org/counseling-center-en/

Personal advice: Are you prepared to reside in a
wholly different country, probably alone?
• Prepare for a cultural shock.
• You will be totally depending on yourself. Learn to cook!
• A lot of those who travelled might advice that:
• One should learn to adapt.
• One should learn/revise basic religious rules (fiqh), you might not find
anyone to ask.
• …
• …
Note: It could be a good thing to ask for advice personally.

Extra links
• Most recent version of this Power Point (in case of any future updates):
https://drive.google.com/open?id=17YOfpdAFy3SoVJtq8Q8SIRdZx2wgPeNW
• Read: The PhD grind, PhD is not enough, ES study abroad guide.
• Academia Stack Exchange: https://academia.stackexchange.com
• Ahmed Abdelhamid’s scholarships database:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mn6WMS7vaZsjvSM6uKHJFpY1sFfbfb
DtXRdq1WHNpRA/edit#gid=10
• Wiki 3olma2 masr:
http://egyptscholars.org/steps/wiki/index.php?title=%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%
D9%86%D8%AD_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%8A%
D8%A9
• Internships in US:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/156w8lIQ33hYWrRJ8rjaWcTl3TEogIVf23
P1jitmi3IM/edit#gid=0

Acknowledgements and Contributions
• We would like to thank all of those who showed help along the way.
• We would like to personally thank Egypt Scholars.
• We would like to personally thank all of our mentors/supervisors.
• We would like to personally thank Mohamed Saad and Mohamed
Ismail who contributed to this work.
• Want to edit/contribute to this file? Thank you a lot!
Please email us at ahmed.h.elsaeed@gmail.com or
ahmed.hassanen@gmail.com

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