This is the point where I get to take a big sigh of relief. Indeed, It’s been five years coming, people! Five years of applying to schools, not giving up, not losing hope, sleepless nights, crying, praying, trusting, hoping and believing.
It’s been five good years pursuing this – putting in my all and giving it my all. Admittedly, I gave up as I was tired of the stress that came with requesting recommendation letters, sending applications via post (sometimes), the financial drain, among others.
The endless rejections could’ve easily been a sign to quit but I knew the impact I had to make could not be compared to the number of “we are sorry…” emails I received.
Whatever unfolds next is my story on how I;
- got admission into the University of New Brunswick
- got admission to read Masters in Computer Science Programme
- became Graduate Researcher at the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity
- was fortunate to get “the” Professor Ali Ghorbani – the seasoned supervisor with thirty three(33) years of experience under his belt
- received twenty two thousand dollars worth of funding.
Some Background
My indecisiveness stemmed from the uncertainty of which program to study – hence, I was all over the place with my school application.
The pivotal time during these times of rejection and no funding, was a conversation I had with an acquaintance. Yes, a conversation with a close acquaintance played a role in my career path and I can’t share this without including his influence and positive impact.
It’s interesting how a conversation with the right people can propel your career and future in the right direction.
Schools I Applied To (That I Recall)
| Name of University | Admitted or Rejected? | Programme Applied | Month – Year Applied | Application Fee |
| Technical University of Munich | Rejected | Masters in Management and Technology | June 2016 | Free |
| Ontario Institute of Technology | Rejected | MEng Engineering Management | Dec 2017 | CAD 110 |
| University of Ottawa | Admitted | MEng Engineering Management | Dec 2017 | CAD 100 |
| Florida International University | Admitted | Masters in Engineering Management – Information Technology | Jan 2018 | USD 30 |
| Carleton University | Rejected | Master Computer Science | Oct 2018 | CAD 100 |
| University of New Brunswick | Admitted | Masters Computer Science | Nov 2019 | CAD 125 |
| University of Alberta | Rejected | MSc Computing Science | Nov 2019 | CAD 100 |
As I earlier said, I have really lost count of the number of schools I actually applied to and this is not an exaggeration; the list is endless. Here are a few that came to mind;
- Novosibirsk University
- University of Siena
- University of Parma
- Skoltech university
- University of Potsdam
- University of Genoa
- Polytechnic University of Turin
- Koc University
On admission to the University of New Brunswick
On a seasoned supervisor coupled with funding
To fully appreciate the final thought kindly read the post above.
Final Thoughts
Everything you have read so far was my journey and how it unfolded. Your story might be different and so is everyone else. I know people who applied to one school, gained admission and funding at the first try.
Here is another thing I want to point out, even though I knew from the very onset I wanted to pursue my graduate studies and ultimately my PhD, it didn’t happen according to my outlined timelines. The point I am making is while I was waiting after each school application and being rejected by most – I had a full-time job.
Schools application can be draining and disappointing sometimes, to curb your disappointments in case of rejection, have something doing – a job, a volunteer work, anything. This really reduces the impact of the “We are very sorry …..” email you will receive.
In this five years “pursuing period”, I wasn’t idle – I was privileged to work with the United Nations as Data Analyst, Intern at Ernst and Young, work as a Data Scientist with a Fintech company and work with the leading Fintech company in Ghana, IT Consortium among others.
I would like to emphasize, this is a story of hope, determination, persistence, resilience, grit and not giving up. Don’t let anyone and I mean absolutely anyone talk you out of your dreams and aspirations. This goes to say that your grandiose dreams are achievable and attainable and not a fantasy. Go for them, pursue them!
Love y’all ❤️
