Doing a PhD in the US

Graduate guy in graduation gown with diploma in his hands in campus.
college-graduates-smiling-camera
Several Sri Lankan students come to the United States each year to do their Ph.D.s. Most of these students come from middle-class Sri Lankan families who cannot afford to pay five years of tuition to a top US university.

How do they do it?

Almost all of these students do their Ph.D.s in the United States using Teaching or Research Assistantships, usually with a full tuition waiver. In addition to having their tuition waived, PhD students also get a stipend to spend on their living expenses in return for undergraduate teaching or doing research supported by a research grant.
This model,
which provides a win-win situation for both the student and the university, should reassure you of the benefits of pursuing a PhD in the US. So, why isn't this path more popular?
So, why isn't this path more popular?
  • The process has several steps and deadlines that the applicant must meet. Selecting a university and an area also needs to be done strategically to minimize internal competition from US students. Students working alone usually find it difficult to motivate themselves, embark on the steps, and meet deadlines promptly.
I obtained my PhD from Purdue University using a teaching/research assistantship. When I joined the University of Colombo as a senior lecturer in 1994, I trained the final-year students on the art of obtaining assistantships, thanks to which quite a few students were able to pursue their PhD in the US. Living in the US as a professor, I have 17 years of US higher educational experience, which I can use to help Sri Lankan students.
Your worst enemy during the application process is procrastination. Students find it difficult to motivate themselves and meet deadlines when working alone (especially when their doing a tiring job)
Please let us know if you would like to know more about the process and would like me to act as a mentor as you go through the application process.
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