Bismillah...
So lets continue with my academic journey. First of all, it should be mentioned that this is my second time applying to UK Universities so I'm already familiar with the process and the requirements. At the end of 2014, I applied for MSc Clinical Pharmacology and received offers from King's College London and University of Glasgow. But 2015 happened to be not a good time to leave my family thus I did not continue with the whole process.
This time around, I applied for the following courses and I disclose to you the results;
MSc Clinical Pharmacy, International Practice and Policy, University College London - Conditional Offer
MSc Clinical Pharmacy, University of Exeter - Conditional Offer
MSc Clinical Pharmacy, University of Strathclyde - Conditional Offer
MSc Control of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine - Rejected. Well, it is always frustrating to face rejection of any kind but I guess since LSHTM is a research institute, I think it was my lack of experience in research that made me not a strong candidate for the course.
MSc Epidemiology of Infectious Disease and Antimicrobial Resistance, University of Glasgow - Conditional Offer
So, what should you prepare to apply for UK universities.....
1. Build your CV!
I was told that it is not difficult to get a place for postgraduate studies in UK and that must be true since I always manage to get offers but I think if you are aiming for the world top universities, your CV is very important. I did apply for UCL in 2014, paid for the £50 processing fee and did not get any reply! Was it my CV? I don't know~
It was while writing my CV in 2014 that I started to realize that doing well in your 8-5 job does not add anything into your CV. My CV was very brief because I have no extra projects, I was not a committee in anything and I was not involved in any volunteer programs. I stared at the screen long and hard. It was crystal clear I was an extremely ordinary candidate who had nothing extra to offer, who only had her achievements in the past to impress the readers. And then when I did not proceed with my study plans that year, I started to build my CV. It took me 6 years to reapply for a Master Degree but actually I was intentionally, deliberately preparing for it all along. I always have it in mind and was waiting for my 'right time'.
Again, I think CV is important when you are aiming to enroll into a top ranked university. Logically speaking, it should be one of the thing that will help them identify that you are the stronger candidate than the others, right?
2. Personal statements
This is something that a local graduate would not be familiar with but since this is my second time so writing them was not as hard as the first time. But I did take my time to write, review and edit my personal statement for UCL. Basically, the admission committee would want to see our motivation, our suitability for that particular course as well as our future plans. And it really helps if you read through and understand the course requirements so that you can tally your writing to what they are looking for. I didn't use the same personal statement for every university because the course modules differ greatly.
There are many samples available online and there are even sites where people will leave constructive comments on what area need to be improved in your personal statement.
3. Referees
Most universities will ask for at least two referees; one academic and one professional. You can either upload the reference letter into the application portal or the referee can email the reference to the university. But for UCL and LSHTM, the university will send an email to the referees and they must respond within a given period of time. Your application will only be processed after your referees replied to the email.
I nominated my mentor in university as my first referee and my current chief pharmacist as the second referee. Alhamdulillah, both of them were very supportive, they responded to the emails immediately so my university applications were settled with ease.
4. Application fees
Well, the thing about applying for overseas Master program is it will involve a lot of money. My IELTS Academic UKVI paper cost me RM895. I applied to two universities that charged application fees. UCL's application fee is now £90 and I paid £50 for LSHTM so that's roughly around RM800. The application fee does not guarantee you a place and you will not get a refund if your application is not accepted. So this is one of the thing that you must consider and be prepared with if you want to enroll into top institutions.
5. English Requirements
Of course, the universities would want to know our level of English proficiency. For the courses that I chose, most universities required a minimum of band 6.5 overall with no less than 6 in all sections. But for UCL, the requirement is GOOD which means we will need a minimum of 7. So I've written a lengthy post on my IELTS experience and tips before this one.
When should you sit for IELTS? I registered because I needed something to nudge me to work harder but actually, MARA would want to see the result. Although you can sit for it later and send the result to MARA after the application is closed but then you have to bear in mind, what if you don't score it the first time? I met more people who had to take the test more than once. I don't think it was poor mastery. I think it got to do with the answering technique. Most of us haven't sat for a written exam for years so it make sense that we no longer know how to score with the correct technique.
6. Additional documents
Some universities may ask for additional documents. For example, for the University of Exeter MSc Clinical Pharmacy, there is a special form for the employer to fill to verify our current practice as a pharmacist. UCL asked for the Pharmacist Registration Certificate. Luckily, our license is now in English. If it was not like it was in the past, we need it to be translated by a certified body. You don't have to worry if you missed these additional documents because the university will send you an email to request for it.
I think I've touched all the basics and most important stuffs.
Why I insist on going to the UK? Yes it's an opportunity for travel but most of all, I want to experience the system. I want to see for myself how different it is from my own setting and is there anything that I can possibly apply back home. Why I'd waited for so long? Of course, there are things to sort out like loans hahaha but I don't want to have a Master just for the sake of having another academic qualification. I'd waited until I really know what I want in my field. But please don't wait for too long hahaha Except for Chevening, most scholarships have age limit and it happened that I have reached it this year so this is the last year I'm eligible to apply for them! Oh tidak! So I really hope I passed this MARA GREP thingy.. Please pray for me!
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