GRAD SCHOOL HERE I COME

I got accepted into Columbia University (Columbia Journalism school, the only Ivy League Journalism program in the whole world), University of California, Berkeley (Journalism Graduate MJ program), KU Leuven Erasmus Mundus PIONEER program, and Erasmus Mundus AISS program (to study Artificial Intelligence).

It feels surreal saying I got admitted to all these programs, especially after graduating school way earlier than my course mates and mind you, I got some of these decisions even before my graduation date was set on my transcript. So, how did it happen?

It started during the second year of my degree. I knew I would not have the opportunity to be an undergraduate student for the rest of my life and I understood that I wanted to either pursue a master’s degree or work for a while then pursue one. You may be wondering why I was worrying about the end of my degree while in my second year. Yes, that is honestly just how my brain works and it has worked for me so far. I always need to have a plan, way into the future and work towards making it a reality.

The first thing I took into consideration was the fact that if I wanted to be competitive enough for a graduate degree, I would need a high GPA. At least a first class especially because I would want to be considered for scholarships. So, I made that happen. Studied as much as I could and graduated with a first class.

The second thing is my experience within whatever field I wanted to pursue my graduate degree in. I knew I would either continue with journalism or pursue a field related to a mixture of tech and journalism (I came to the realization of my keen interest in tech in my third year though). You can figure this out with a self-reflection sheet like the one I used (image attached).

The goal is to list out your skills, your proficiency within them, your enjoyment level, and what kind of job you can get with these that pays well with considerable satisfaction for you. I have a digital copy of this that I am not comfortable sharing in the open because of how personal and vulnerable it is but if you want to have a digital copy as well, Claude or Chat GPT can take your inputs from the sheet and make one for you or you can make it PowerPoint presentation which I have also done and can share the template. Also, I am currently working on an algorithm to automate this process so you can leave a comment below and once it’s ready I’ll send it to your DM.

I did this next part before the one above but I believe the order should be figuring out your skills and enjoyment level first before gaining extra experience so you don’t waste time on something you may inevitably not want. So, to gain experience, I did internships in both communication and tech fields. I got the communication internship by virtue of my scholarship program and the tech one when I began posting on LinkedIn and a friend recommended me to a startup. You can also post on LinkedIn, make connections and do unpaid internships for the experience and networking. I coupled these with personal projects including my website and my extensive debating experience. If you cannot find internships, work on personal projects. You know what skills you have and how to use them. Start projects just because you want to develop those skills and have something for your portfolio. For me, I think the much more “difficult” thing to explain is how debate factors into this. Because when I tell people I am a debater, I can see the confusion spread across their faces. Trust me, I could not finish telling you how much debate has transformed my life with just a single post. However, its relevance to my dream of pursuing graduate school is the exposure and experience it offered me across 25+ countries. I also pursued the Erasmus+ exchange which added an extra experience to my accolade. If you get the chance to do an exchange program, take it. It adds a little oomph to your CV. Additionally, take online courses. Not only because you want a shiny new certificate but to actually learn the skill especially if you are pivoting like myself.

The third thing I did was build connections. Do I know anyone who is currently in grad school? Perhaps someone who has carved a path similar to the one I want to carve – moving from journalism into tech? I started building these connections and learning from individuals who were applying to grad school or were already in grad school. This, I would say, is the most important aspect of my preparation for application season. These individuals have honestly been the most instrumental in my admissions and I could not be more grateful to them. I reached out to people on the Erasmus program that I wanted to get into. I attended Columbia admission sessions, asked questions, took Professor Dhrumil’s contact and sent an email. I built rapport with people in the spaces I wanted to enter without forcing it. This may not be accepted by all individuals but nobody owes you their time to help with your needs. Do not enter people’s inboxes feeling entitled to their time or refusing to go to the point. Be succinct, be respectful, and offer value. These connections also include your friends who would be a shoulder for you to cry on during rejections or people who spend several hours with you on call helping you prepare for your interviews or people who read dozens of pages of your essays. Cherish and nourish those bonds.

After the one and a half-year preparation (from my second year to third year in my undergraduate), application season started during the last semester of my third year. Since I’ve already mentioned exactly what to do in preparation for this season, I am going to focus on the last thing which is researching schools. I started researching schools in March of 2024, about 6 months before the first admissions for the 2025 fall intake opened. What does this mean? You need time to do great research to find something that will be an almost perfect fit for you. Start early, don’t wait till the last minute. Also, this is essential because the earlier you start the higher your chances of getting good recommendation letters from your lecturers as you let them know in advance. I have attached the sheet I used for this below (in case it is not clear yet, I love spreadsheets!) I didn’t fill the eligibility requirements for most on this sheet because I was eligible and they were in the links attached.

Instead of boring you with all the nitty gritty of application essays, sleepless nights, interviews, and headaches (these are very personalized and there are a lot of samples of essays online, just Google sample computer science masters personal statement for example and you’d find plenty. Remember to not plagiarize. Admissions officers are admitting you, not the one who wrote the essay sample you are reading), I am going to use this opportunity to thank the people who made it possible.

Dr. Serkan Bayrakcı, thank you for your unfailing support, the recommendation letters, the administrative support and for being a wonderful support system.

Assist. Prof Dr. Ece Fide Baykal, thank you very much for the recommendation and the support throughout my time in your lessons as well.

To Harun, Bernard, Collins, Nurudeen, JJ Abban Jr., Kelvin (Opana), Mohsen, Eyram Wordey,  and everyone else whose names haven’t been mentioned, I am eternally grateful to all of you for the unwavering support throughout everything. From reading all my essays to sending your thoughts on my videos and for every single contribution you made towards the success of my applications. Thank you! It could not have been possible without all of you! To my mom, I love you.

Lastly to me, for being a steadfast go getter, I would like to thank myself!

Remember, I also received rejections this application season. You will not fit in everywhere; the goal is for you to find out who you are and what you are good at and focus on being undeniably acceptable in that field. I wish you the best of luck with this application season. I have a website where I share applications as they open: https://www.ruthselormeacolatse.info/scholarships, you can check them out and remember to take some time off and breathe!