How to Secure a Graduate Assistantship in the US or Canada: Start Looking Before You Apply
One of the biggest mistakes international students make is waiting until after admission to think about funding.
You should Start much earlier.
When researching universities, you should look at:
* Graduate school funding pages
* Department funding pages
* Faculty profiles
* Research laboratories
* Current assistantship advertisements
* Funding guarantees
* Graduate handbooks
* Application deadlines
* Some departments automatically consider admitted students for funding.
* Others may require a separate application.
Some positions are advertised publicly, while others are filled directly by professors or departments.
For example, Cornell notes that assistantships can be awarded by departments, fields and individual principal investigators, and that there is generally no separate university-wide assistantship application.
That is why searching Google for “graduate assistantships USA” isn’t enough.
Search at the department level.
Search for Professors, Not Just Universities
This can make a huge difference for research-based programs.
If you are applying for an MSc, MA or PhD, identify professors whose research overlaps with your interests.
Read their:
1. Faculty profile
2. Recent publications
3. Current research projects
4. Research interests
5. Laboratory information
6. Current graduate students, where available
Then ask yourself:
“What could I contribute to this professor’s work?”
That question should influence your email, statement of purpose and application.