A Journey to Get into One of the Best Universities in the US

Halaman Depan > Kisah Inspiratif > A Journey to Get into One of the Best Universities in the US

____________________________________________

Ingin membaca artikel ini dalam versi Bahasa Indonesia? Gunakan menu Translate atau Terjemahan pada kolom sebelah kanan. Pilih Bahasa Indonesia.

The US is home to the best universities in the world. Getting accepted into one of them is so worth it. However, the journey to reach it is not an easy task. It needs staunch efforts until someone achieves it. I will share my struggles and experiences of getting one there.

I am a villager born in a remote area at the border between South Sumatra and Bengkulu province, Indonesia. As a child, I did not dream of studying in the US. It was too high for me. Nonetheless, my long journey in life has shown many miracles. Eventually, studying in the US became not a dream but a near reality. At age 42, I was just admitted to one of the best universities there.

On Thursday, January 30th, 2025, I was stunned to receive an email from the University of Minnesota (UMN) stating that I had been admitted. The UMN, located in Minnesota, US, is among the best 100 universities worldwide, ranking 87th according to Times Higher Education in 2025. It has excellent research centers, and throughout its history, some researchers have received Nobel Prizes, the ultimate achievement for scientists. The admission has answered my long-standing struggles.

I had not imagined studying abroad until 2016. After getting married in 2012, my wife asked me to continue our study abroad. She disclosed her big dream, of visiting European countries. Because I loved her so much, I agreed with her notion. We started our challenging journey by applying for an English course from the Indonesian Ministry of Education in 2015. We got and fully attended it for two months in Yogyakarta. At the end of the course, I got a good score. It was enough to apply to Australia, the UK, and the US campuses. From that point, the dream of studying abroad emerged in my mind.

Unfortunately, my dream did not come true easily. I have encountered many hurdles and failures. In 2017, I failed to get into one of the UK universities, the place dreamed of by my wife. After applying to some universities in the US in the same year, I got nothing. Although admitted, I failed to attend the University of Newcastle, Australia, because of a lack of scholarship. Besides, a sensitive issue made me cancel my scholarly journey to Taiwan in 2018, though I had gotten a scholarship and was admitted by a university.

Minneapolis, the biggest city in Minnesota, home of the University of Minnesota

Those failures made me temporarily give up. I did not continue my fighting until 2023 (but I was still enjoying learning English). Nevertheless, I learned something from such misfires. I realized that the most useful skill to succeed in getting a prominent campus is the writing skill. During my hibernation period, I improved my skills by doing significant activities. I conducted research and wrote it as an article published in a reputable international journal. I also wrote some reference books supporting my field and my research interest. Those not only made my resume better but also improved my writing skills significantly.

The crucial point in my academic journey was deciding my research interest and writing a proposal to describe it. A good proposal was essential to impress professors in US universities. To get an impressive topic, I looked for the recent issues and adjusted my expertise which should be improved continuously. I found one of them, a STEM education. I reviewed many recent studies about it and wrote it to become a proposal. The proposal was one of the most important tools for my admission.

Another key to getting attention from US professors is a personal statement. I have written one since 2016 and continuously updated it by adapting it to my increasing experiences. The secret of a good personal statement is the relevance of all my experiences and expertise to my goals. Equally important, it should be adjusted to the excellence of the targeted university. When it is written effectively and fluently, it will be a useful tool for getting a dream campus.

A resume is another essential tool to get an excellent campus. A good resume relies on relevant and meaningful experiences. Honestly, I had prepared it long before I sought a university. I had gone through an extraordinary scholarly journey, which became an ingredient of my resume. I taught science education to students who were pre-service elementary school teachers for more than fifteen years. I conducted a couple of studies relevant to my expertise and research interests. Besides, I also served my community through various programs. All were presented with a simple and attractive appearance.

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

In 2023, an opportunity came. The Indonesian education ministry offered the Pathway Scholarship. I tried my fortune again. Because I did not have a valid English certificate, I failed to get it the first time. I have enough motivation to never give up (To know how I maintain my motivation, please read here). I tried for a second chance and finally got it in 2024. Simultaneously, I looked for a university where I could continue my doctoral studies in the US. I emailed some professors using all the tools prepared before, including my resume, personal statement, and proposal. 

My fighting eventually paid off. I succeeded in getting into my targeted university. How I got it was mainly determined by corresponding with professors. I met one whose research agenda aligned with mine. I explained the correspondence process in a prior article, "Tips for having good correspondences with US universities' professors."

Indeed, my journey is not completed. I am still waiting for the official letter of guarantee to cover the cost of my studies there. However, getting admission to one of the best universities worldwide is an excellent achievement for a villager like me. I have to thank God for all I have accomplished so far.

____________________________________

Halaman Depan

Kisah Inspiratif