Hmmmm, so you are probably trying to apply to some university.
It might actually be the University of Edinburgh and you're just...
going through You Tube trying to find a video about...
applying to the University of Edinburgh.
But really the only thing you can find is...
videos about applying to Oxford and Cambridge.
and that's a little bit frustrating.
So this is what happened when I was trying to sort of...
find a little bit of information about what it's like applying to
the University of Edinburgh as a postgraduate.
But the only things I could find were pretty much applying through UCAS and
mostly people specifically applying for Oxbridge.
Which is understandable but I still decided to make a video about
applying to the University of Edinburgh as that's what I did.
Um, so I'm going to tell you my story and then the process of actually applying.
It's almost 2 years ago now that I started looking into the master I wanted to do.
I didn't want to continue at the university I'm currently at, so
I ended up googling.
Something like...
"Master philosophy of mind" or "master philosophy of cognitive science".
The 1st result that popped up was the University of Edinburgh.
I suspect this was partly because...
I was planning to go on a trip to Edinburgh already, um, so
I had been Googling Edinburgh.
So I think my search engine was a little bit biased.
I looked through, like, an overview of what the Master was like and
I was like "hmm...
this seems pretty close to what I want for a masters".
Because I had already planned a trip there I...
started emailing people asking whether I could talk to them about
whether I would fit the programme.
I talked to a student and the acting Programme Director.
and both conversations sort of went in the direction of "yes,
probably you would be a good fit for the programme".
It was like "Okay, this is a real, realistic option now".
I visited Edinburgh for the 3rd time when I went to the Open Day.
I really just fell in love with the atmosphere.
If you're able to make it to an Open Day...
I definitely advise...
trying to go to an Open Day, if you can.
I mean... I understand it's not possible for
everyone but it definitely helps.
So I made my decision that my top choice for my postgraduate was...
"Mind, language and embodied cognition" at the University of Edinburgh.
And now we're really...
getting into...
the application process.
Actually, they said apply as soon as you can.
However...
I couldn't apply already because the applications weren't open yet for
September 2018.
You were...
able to see what kind of things you need.
So I started to accumulate all the things that you need to apply.
Like when you click...
on the website "I want to apply" there is one screen...
before you actually, like, make an account and start the actual application...
that you can check out to see what you need.
Since I couldn't start the actual application process I just mostly started
writing my personal statement.
Which is the main chunk of what you need to do.
And asking people whether they want to reference me.
Although you don't need to ask for the actual references.
You leave the email address of your referee with the university and
they will email that person.
There wasn't a lot more that I could do before starting my application because
stuff like transcript of records...
I'm still taking courses...
so I wanted to have the most up to date version of that.
But I started figuring out how I could get it, where I could get it,
what I needed to do to get it, how long it would take, stuff like that.
So I started preparing it all and then, but
I couldn't start the application procedure yet.
In the meanwhile it also started to dawn on me that I was just applying to...
one program and one university.
and if they would reject me...
I didn't know what I was going to do yet.
I was like, "I need a Plan B".
That is my safety net.
So that I can feel relaxed when I go to the application for Edinburgh.
So...
I was like, I think there is one option...
that I should look into more.
And that was a master in the Netherlands in Utrecht.
I went to UT Open Day.
It turned out to be a pretty good Plan B.
It wasn't so
good that I started doubting my decision to want to go to Edinburgh but...
it was definitely like, "hmmm, this is a very reasonable Plan B".
So...
when I had that settled I was like,
"Ok now I'm ready to do the application for Edinburgh".
Then the time came that I could start my application.
I went through it, filled in all the basic questions...
and then I came to the personal statement, like, tab.
and I figured that there is 2 things you need to hand in there.
There's your personal statement and relevant knowledge.
Initially I'd written a personal statement that included all my relevant knowledge.
and then I figured out there was also a relevant knowledge section and
I split it up again.
Because they don't tell you...
in advance about the Relevant Knowledge section.
They only tell you about a personal statement.
You might feel like oh this is really...
the personal statement is really the part where I'm.
going to convinced them and the relevant knowledge part...
section doesn't really attract you to start, like,
convincing them in that section as well, but they are both the same size.
Really there's a lot of space in this relevant knowledge section that
you can use.
That's the place that I used...
to explain why what I know and the skills that I have...
and what I've done in the past makes me...
a great applicant.
The personal statement I kind of use more...
to explain why I wanted to do that programme.
I rewrote my personal statement to be more of a...
"Your course is the best for me.
and I specifically want to do your course.
and this is why I am very motivated, uh, for
this course and this is why I think this course is THE course for me".
Then I have this other thing during my application.
I am...
not from the U.K..
I'm...
from the Netherlands.
Which means I live in a, this is important information.
I live in a, not in a country that is speaking English for the majority.
The University of Edinburgh obviously wants to know whether your English is good
enough for their postgraduate degrees.
So there have language requirements.
There are several ways to fulfill them.
Either having studied at a university in English...
in a majorly English-speaking country or having in the last 2 years...
done any of these certificates.
Stupid thing is...
I did do my bachelor's degree in English.
It's taught and assessed in English.
Everything.
It's English.
However, I live in the Netherlands.
So...
didn't quite fulfill that requirement...
but I almost did.
Also, I passed my CPE.
However, that was in 2012 which is obviously more than 2 years ago.
So I... kind of fulfilled that requirement, but
not completely.
I mean, I've...
like, when I did my CPE, after that I've studied in English for...
4 years, 5 years by the time I come to Edinburgh.
Really...
I speak English.
And at the Open Day they told me...
"don't start doing your test yet because you might just be admitted without them".
"So just start your application".
Then I figured out in my application they asked you twice...
whether your degree has been assessed in English.
The 1st time it doesn't have the small letters that say...
in a majorly English-speaking country.
So I answered "yes" there.
Then the 2nd time it did have the thing about the English-speaking country so
I answered "no" there.
And then I uploaded my CPE because...
it said...
"if you haven't been taught and assessed in English...
in a majorly-speaking English speaking country...
then upload your certificate here.
So uploaded it.
I was like, "I really really really do not want to redo to a Cambridge exam".
It is just going to stress me out very much and...
cost me a lot of money...
that I don't want to spend on redoing an exam that I already passed.
I just filled it in it was like, "I hope they won't be too confused about this and
start rejecting me...
because my application is a little chaotic".
So now...
I've sent in my application.
I finished all the things.
My referee was one day late with...
handing in the reference but it didn't say I've been...
rejected immediately so it was fine.
When you send it in then you get an email saying...
"We'll let you hear within 10 working days whether everything is okay".
12 working days later...
"Thank you for your application to the University of Edinburgh.
[INAUDIBLE] We have received the information that we required to make
a decision on your application.
We will now consider your application fully and
will make a decision within the next 4 to 6 weeks".
Okay, so really they haven't decided anything.
They just...
told me...
it's fine.
So...
I was like, "Okay that is is for now.
It will probably be the end of March before I hear anything".
I just got an email.
That changes have been made to...
my application, so I'm going to login to...
the Application Hub...
right now.
[SQUEAL] That was way quicker than I expected!
I did get an offer!
Note it is a conditional offer...
but I'm feeling confident in meeting the conditions because it's...
basically finishing my bachelor's.
Not also taking the English test.
So I was like, "Yes"!
Okay that was my application story.
and see you later.