Here's how you can plan better and put out last-minute fires on your higher education abroad application:

A few weeks ago, I posted a grad school timeline for when things go according to plan.

But what’s more important than this plan is planning for a case in which things don’t go according to plan. Here are some common issues and how you can prevent/solve them:

— A recommender informs you at the last minute that they won’t be able to write you a letter

If your program requires 3 letters, keep at least 5 professors ready to submit a recommendation so you can avoid last-minute panic.

— It’s the deadline and your SOP still isn’t ready

Do your best and submit anyway, or consider not submitting to some schools or submitting next year.

You can also write to the admissions committee if there was an emergency due to which you couldn’t submit.

And the last, most common case

— You do not get selected in your first application cycle:

A LOT of people don’t get selected on their first attempt. Know that it’s not always about you, perhaps they had a lot of extraordinary applicants this year.

Maybe the situation will change next year (hopefully!) but if you never try you’ll never know :) So many people get selected on their second or third attempt.

Get feedback from the admissions committee and spend the year working on that feedback so you can apply with a much stronger profile next year.

If it’s a research program then spend the year getting more research experience.

And you know what? A gap year before a PhD/Master’s is an AMAZING opportunity to explore research in the industry and social sector.

For example, if you’re a social science major, you can explore industry firms like BEESY Strategy, Cowry Consulting, and Irrational Labs, and social sector firms like Busara Centre, Centre for Social and Behaviour Change, and ideas42. What they do is research too, and will upskill you in research.

Do your best (and be satisfied with it regardless of the result) and I wish you luck!