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Assalamu Alaikum,

A lot of people have asked me multiple times about the process of my applying abroad. So,

here I am writing in short about my application process.

I wanted to apply in basic science so I started to gather information in it. What is most

important I think is to choose your desired subject and then do a research for it. And trust

me, this is the most annoying part to research about your subject, which country to apply,

which University, then comes the expense (tuition fee + living expense), how you are gonna

bear the expense (self-fund/scholarship), if it is scholarship do you need full scholarship or

you want to settle down blah blah!

From medical field, we have a variety of choice to apply in Masters subjects (and PhD n

future 😉 if you wanna be a researcher).

MBBS থেকে বাইকে থবসিে িাকেকে থেকে চাইকে থে িেে িাবকেকে োওো থেকে পাকেেঃ

Msc in Epidemiology (Research based),

Msc in Global Health,

Msc In population health,

Msc in Health research,

MSc in Anatomy, Cell Biology, Medical Genetics, Medical Microbiology & Immunolgy,

Pharmacology, Physiology, Biochemistry, Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Laboratory

Medicine & Patholgy, Neuroscience.

উপকেে িবগুোকেই MSC + PHD েোে িুকোগ আকে + সেসিি থবিড সডসি। Supervisor

needed in each case, chance of funding if one can impress potential supervisor
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MPH – Masters of Public Health (It's a professional course based degree, no supervisor

needed, funding limited or none at all)

Okay so my introduction finishes here.

Now I will discuss about the steps. Overall headlines here:

1. Take decision on which subject you want to study and in which University

2. Take IELTS.

3. Take GRE. (If you want to apply to USA/Canada, certain schools require GRE for

certain subjects) [Not mandatory for all]

4. Prepare your transcripts/marksheet.

5. Keep your academic CV ready.

6. Contact with potential supervisor in prospective schools (if you want to go for a

thesis based masters/PhD).

7. Contact with your previous teachers, prepare and collect LOR (Letter of

Recommendation).

8. Write SOP (Statement of Purpose) / Statement of Intent / Motivation Letter.

9. With step 1 to 8 complete, you can apply to a University and get offer letter. With

that offer letter, you can apply for Scholarship to that University / to your Supervisor

(in research based degrees) / to external organizations (Like Prime Minister

Fellowship)

10. Keep track of Deadline always.

11. Most important: Make the best use of Facebook higher study groups and

information available there.

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Step 1: Take decision on which subject you want to study and in which University

This step differs from individual to individual. I can’t tell you to apply in Public Health /

Epidemiology/ Neuroscience. Moreover, I can’t suggest you to go to UK/Canada/USA 😊

You should take decision on your own after discussing with your family. Because whole

process of studying abroad is prolonged and tiring, so family support is must I feel!

In different countries, the course name may vary. Like in University of Glasgow, there are

MPH course as well as Masters in Global Health course. We both group of students have

some courses in common so I met some Global health students in my ‘Globalization’ course.

In some universities in Canada, I found MPH as well as Masters in Epidemiology, Masters in

Global Health courses like that. So do your own research. Make the best use of Google like

‘MPH Courses available in Canada’.. Google will tell you which varsities have MPH courses ,

then you can look for more information in the individual varsities website.

Best way to verify information is to look on that varsity website. There you will find the

detailed information on your course. Sometimes there are similar name courses like

‘Masters of Global Health’ & ‘Masters of Global Mental Health’… In this case, check the

course modules, often there are slight variations in the course modules. If any doubt, email

the course co-ordinator of that subject and foreign advisor of that University. They will

clarify every question you have. Getting used to email communication is very essential

during this process.

Step 2: Take IELTS

I have written another document regarding IELTS so check it here.

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Google drive link for my IELTS folder-

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ACfUBYWoSVO3Q9cPHgdgeq4U9ezHxJxj

Step 3: Take GRE

If you want to apply to USA/Canada, certain schools require GRE for certain subjects. Not

mandatory for all. In late 2018, I started taking preparation for GRE. So, in my Google drive,

you will find GRE related books & preparation file compiled from various Facebook groups.

You can check that out. But as I have not appeared in Final test, I am no expert. So, not

writing much about it. Now-a-days, life science subjects don’t require GRE in maximum

schools.

Step 4: Prepare your transcripts/marksheet

Can’t tell about varsity students. For Bangladeshi medical students, we get separate

marksheet for each professional exam which needs to be combined as official transcript

from Dhaka University. Additionally, certificate from Dhaka University needed. You can

withdraw the main certificate without convocation also. Contact register building for details.

For combining transcripts, you have to go to DHAKA University register building. Room

number was 305/306 during my time, I can’t remember properly now , Sorry ☹ Take all

the professional exam marksheet photocopy + certificate photocopy + National ID card/

passport photocopy + DU registration card photocopy with you… They will give you a form

which you have to complete, deposit the fee in TSC Janata Bank & complete all the

procedures there. There may be additional requirement now, so collect updated news from
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register building. It took me 1 months to get the final combined transcript so keep

adequate time before starting these. You have to keep the documents ready in hand before

you start applying.

*** Additional point: Varsities in USA require WES evaluation for medical and health science

students 😉 That will take additional 2 months. You have to first combine your transcripts ,

then apply for WES evaluation. Register building office will help you regarding these

procedures. So it is always wise to check the varsity website what they actually require for

application before applying.

Step 5: Keep your academic CV ready

Prepare your cv, that’s a part of application package. Keep updated passport size photo also.

Step 6: Contact with potential supervisor in prospective schools

This is applicable if you want to go for a thesis-based masters. In those type of degree, it is

written in the ‘application requirement’ section of varsity website that confirmation from a

supervisor must. For PhD applicant, confirmation from supervisor along with submitting a

potential research proposal is a part of application package.

Step 7: LOR (Letter of Recommendation)

Contact your academic advisor / undergrad research supervisor to grant you letter of

recommendation. In our country, it is mostly written by us and signed + approved by our

teachers. The letter should be printed on official letterhead, signed by our teachers and get

the ref and date on LOR. College office and my teachers helped me tremendously during all

these procedures.
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Any of our teacher can give LOR, like our lecturer or any professor who knows us well. Even

our clinical supervisor and medical officers under whom we are placed, can give us LOR. But

is advised to take at least one academic reference.

Moreover, maximum universities abroad require LOR from our teachers’ institutional mail id

directly. So again, check the requirements of the course you are applying to and discuss with

your teacher. Try to prepare at least three letters of recommendation. Check some samples

on internet and write your unique one.

Step 8: SOP (Statement of Purpose)

This is another vital step. Here, you have to write a unique story of your own. What is your

background, why are you interested in this subject, what is your experience till now, what

you expect to achieve with this degree, where you want to see yourself after 5 years, why

you choose this university > in general these things should be included in your SOP. Don’t

repeat anything from CV like I studied this subjects blah blah…. Don’t copy paste from any

other person cause the University will detect this. What I did was, I wrote my own story in

Bangla initially (I couldn’t think in English first what to write ☹), then I translated it to

English and reviewed it by 3 close friends who were very expert in English writing… Some

universities, put a word limitation in SOP like within 600 words or within 1000 words so

check that before..

Step 9: Get the offer letter and try for Scholarship

Congratulations, you got offer letter now 😊

If you are going with self-fund, no need to think much, just accept it and apply for VISA 😊
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But if you can’t afford the expenses like me, then let’s try for some scholarship. With the

offer letter from a University you can apply for some scholarship. Like – Prime minister

fellowship, Commonwealth Shared Scholarship (CSC) and so on. I applied for both, got

rejection on CSC.

For details about Prime Minister Fellowship, check the ‘notice’ section of following website:

http://giupmo.gov.bd/site/view/notices

(If you search in google, just write Governance Innovation Unit and you will get the website)

Just download a previous circular of pm fellowship and go through it, their circular contains

all the clear information on who can apply and how to apply & all… Check this website

regularly for new circular.

Similarly, Commonwealth has a similar website for scholarship application.

I applied for Erasmus mundus scholarship (EuroPubHealth+ program) where I got rejected

☹ Erasmus mundus is somewhat different, there u apply not with offer letter but as like

applying to a University. Facebook has a separate group for Erasmus mundus scholarship,

you can join that group to grab more information. Moreover, check Erasmus scholarship

application website also.

Moreover, after getting offer letter from a University, you can apply for internal scholarship

of that varsity. Before accepting the offer letter, you can ask them for funding opportunities

and they will show you numerous ways. In this technique, you can at least manage partial

scholarship.
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Step-10: Keep track of Deadline always

This is actually an advice. Every varsity has a specific timetable to apply for next intake.

Similarly, every scholarship has specific deadline during which time you should apply. So,

keep track of the deadlines.

I am just giving you an example:

If you want to join a course on September 2021, you should start taking preparation for

IELTS and/or GRE from March 2020. You should get your GRE and/or IELTS result ready by

July/August of 2020. By the time you get the test result, you should keep ready your

transcripts and/or certificate. By September, you should prepare your CV, SOP and LOR. For

September 2021 intake, universities will open application portal from September 2020 and

closes by January 2021. Again, it varies from country to country and University to University.

And if you want to avail scholarship opportunities, it’s better to apply as early as possible. So

that you have enough time in your hand.

It is always better to plan in advance.

Step 11: Make the best use of Facebook higher study groups and information available

there.

Again, this is an advice. I joined numerous Facebook groups regarding GRE, IELTS, Higher

study and got a lot of help from the altruists there. Whenever someone posted about there

experience about GRE, IELTS or visa application success, I kept there story copy pasting in

my Google Keep note.

The groups I found most useful are mentioned below-

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 NexTop-USA (Higher Study in USA)

 GREC - Graduate Resources Enhancing Center

 HigherStudyAbroad – Global Hub of Bangladeshis

 BESSiG – Bangladeshi Expat & Student Society in Germany

 Prospective Bangladeshi Student in Canadian Universities (PBSCU)

 Erasmus Mundus Bangladesh

There are other groups also. Join these groups. But please first go through the file section of

each group before asking vague question, you will find numerous useful information there.

Also, you can search in the group writing specific keywords, you will find that maximum of

your questions are answered there. After that, if you have specific questions , ask there…

Personally for me I had to make only 2/3 post there in all those years because maximum

confusions I found already asked by one or other…

If you check my Google Drive, I have a folder named Website articles and PDF articles. These

are the articles / post I collected from all these groups regarding various topic and saved for

future use. Do a little bit of research on your own 😊 Basically, I found these higher study

related Facebook groups as a lighthouse of hope for me who had no knowledge regarding

higher study abroad.

Here I want to mention some websites which contain useful information on different aspect

of higher study abroad:

 https://nextopusa.com/

 https://hsa.grecbd.com/ (Read all the articles from this website)

 https://www.germanprobashe.com/
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Last but not the least, one book recommendation from me:

 থেক্সটপ গাইড টু হাোে স্টাসড ইে ইউএিএ by ফেহাদ থহাকিে মািুম

Rokomari link of this book:

https://www.rokomari.com/book/181896/the-nextop-guide-to------higher-study-in-usa

By the way, I am not promoting this book neither promoting Rokomari. But I still kept this

book as a basic guideline. Even if you are not interested to apply to USA, you can have

valuable information from here.

 Here is my google drive link where I have put all my Higher study resources

(I collected from different Facebook groups over a period of 1 year. Download &

have a look in your convenient time):

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1XPscCK8LBWF2R4zUeO2nsdLEYVvOqRm1

One additional TIP:

 Keep all your certificate, transcripts, passport photo and all other documents in

scanned version. Store them safely in Google drive / One drive so that you can have

access to them whenever needed.

One additional info about me:

 IDP had a role in my application to UK. I talked with their UK counsellor (Dhanmondi

Branch) and decided to apply through them to 2 UK varsities. They can help you by

guiding you in every step. I submitted them all the scanned copies of certificates,

transcript, LOR, SOP, CV and they applied instead of me through their agent portal.

(However, they will want to see your original documents for security purpose).
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Except 3 varsities, all the UK varsities can be applied for free through them. My offer

letter came through them. I applied to Prime Minister Fellowship & Commonwealth

Shared Scholarship (CSC) with those offer letters. Moreover, I got partial scholarship

from UCLAN university for MSc in Applied Public Health course (4000 pound

discount) with the help of them which I declined later.

 If you ask me about any agency, I will definitely recommend IDP. They won’t allow

any fraudulent activities, neither they will provide you any fake hope for admission.

All their services are free of cost whereas other agencies charge you money for every

step. However, they will not write your SOP / LOR , you have to prepare the package

on your own. They will just apply instead of you through their agent portal which

may accelerate your admission process and/or funding. So, if you are interested, just

go and talk to them.

To conclude, applying abroad and doing all these tasks one after another is really tiresome.

But before you take this project, just ask yourself, ‘Do I really want it?’ If you really dream

for it, just go for it. Don’t do anything by blindly following others. Do a little bit research,

gather knowledge and then put step! And if you are trying already, a big applaud for you

cause most people only dream but never tries >>>

I wish you to see living your dream soon 😊

[One thing I want to say before ending is that a lot asked me, ‘how did you apply? What

are the things needed?’ or ‘how to study abroad with a scholarship?’ I could not reply to
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anyone properly because this is not possible to answer these questions in one or two

line. I hope you have already understood this after reading this long document. So, my

apology to those whom I did not reply properly. I hope this small but step by step writing

will help you to understand the steps to achieve your dream.]

© Moonmoon Aktar Moon

MBBS (D.N.M.C.); Pursuing MPH (U of Glasgow)

Prime Minister Fellowship Awardee, 2019-20 (First Phase)

[This is an original writing. Please don’t use any of the writing by copy-pasting or other means without

author’s approval]