How to Apply for the Best Environmental Engineering Schools

Environmental Engineering is a career that is expected to widen up. It is a flourishing career and requires lots of hard-work, creativity, analytical bent and passion. Following are the applying directions for Environmental engineering program:

Research and Visits: The first thing to do is check the university or universities you are considering are accredited. When it comes to applying, some universities will allow you to download the application form online, while others will require you do write to them first before they send you a form. During this time it’s best to look into whether the university has an application fee and, if so, how much it is.

Make sure to do research on all the shortlisted universities. Visit the campus when in session and talk to students present and faculty. Get to know about their viewpoints on the college and the course. Later, Collect contact information and send a brief, friendly email thanking them for taking the time to speak to you.

If there is a sign–up sheet, add your name! Colleges do keep track of which applicants have demonstrated genuine interest in the school. A visit is a great way to demonstrate your interest.  If you visit many schools, your memories of them are bound to overlap. Keep track of the details you like and the stuff that you don't like.

Also, while visiting different grad schools you can investigate financial aid options, sources of independent scholarships and make arrangements to speak with financial aid officers at grad schools to which you will apply. The more you know about actual costs at the front end of the process, the easier it will be to identify and target schools that are likely to admit you and give you the assistance you will need.

Application Form and Fee: Though the majority of universities have the online application available, some might require that students send a hard copy of the same. A non-refundable fee must accompany every application.

Statement of Purpose (SoP): The Statement of Purpose should illustrate your academic background and experiences. It should describe your long term career goals and why you are applying to this program.

Transcripts: One official transcript of all previous college work (Undergraduate and Graduate) is required at the time of application.

Letters of Recommendation: Recommendations should come from individuals who can speak to the quality of your academic and/or professional background. Three letters of recommendations are generally recommended.

GRE score: The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Aptitude Test is required of all applicants. Only GRE scores taken within five years of requested enrollment can be considered.

TOEFL: The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all applicants whose native language is not English. Students with a degree from a U.S. College or University do not need to provide a TOEFL score. A TOEFL score is valid for two years from the expected entrance date.

Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV): Resume depicts the career objectives, educational awards, or honors the applicant has achieved. It should be clear and concise.

Extracurricular Involvement: Admission department at several Universities are interested in a student's extracurricular activities -in other words, how you spend your time outside of classes. Colleges care about the character of the people they admit; therefore, what you do after school, during weekends and over summers tells them a lot about the kind of person you are. One of the best and easiest ways to prove that you’re a well-rounded student is to be active in sports and/or clubs during your time in high school. The activities you choose can show an admissions committee what your passions are. Extracurricular activities are the major way students can demonstrate how unique you are, possibly more interesting.

Admission Essay: Essays are considered as a way to judge the applicants potential and skills. Admission Essays are also called as Personal Statements. A two-page personal statement (approximately 500 words) outlining your background, research interests, goals, and reasons for applying to the course and university is essential. Few tips are:

- Always remember, the essay is about you and your writing skills

- Think about the audience

- Demonstrate you have all the skills a universities is looking for; determination, hard working, able to cope under pressure

- Use active verbs, simple and clear words and sentences.

There are 3 modes of application in the USA which define when you apply, they are:

- Early Decision/Early Action - Deadline is usually around November 1st.

- Regular Decision - Most students apply for this; the deadline is around the 1st of January and you can expect to hear back by around the 1st April

- Rolling Admissions- Only some universities offer this where you can apply any time before the term starts and you will hear back a certain number of days after your application

Interview is a chance to prove that you are better than what your score shows. Interview helps colleges understand something that is difficult to discern from an admissions application i.e. your personality.

College interview is meant to be a conversation, an easy discussion about the investment of your time and money in the study programme and how much you will actually be able to gain from it. The university employees will try to gauge why you have chosen a particular country, university and course. They try to find out if you will be able to do well in the program, prospects after that and would be able to adapt to the college environment.

- The interviewer expects the applicants to ask some questions about the school or the program. So, the applicant must browse the university website and prepare specific questions about the course or university.

- Practice before the actual interview happens. Sit down with one of your parents or a teacher and have him or her ask you questions. Answer them honestly and seriously. Then ask your "interviewer" how you came across.

- Be confident, polite, clear and yourself.

- Follow-up: At the conclusion of your meeting, thank the interviewer, shake his or her hand. As you would with any representatives you meet on campus, follow-up with a short email thanking your interviewer for their time and information and referencing a specific aspect of the interview as a way of keeping the interview fresh in the interviewer’s mind. This is also a great time to follow-up on any questions you think you did not answer effectively, pose any questions that you wish you had asked, or ask any new questions you may have upon further research. Once you have made the initial follow-up, aim to keep in touch again before sending your application.

These applying pointers are a step-ahead for your new life. So follow them to the core.