本文将提供计划赴加拿大攻读硕、博士学位一圆留学梦的学子一些申请研究所，规划留学生涯的小秘诀。藉由简明扼要的文笔，及契合需要的内容，对欲留加学生提供最隹指引外，其中共通性的主题也会给有心赴其他国家留学者重要的参考。
研究所申请－盛夏秘诀
“HOT”SUMMERTIPS：APPLYINGTOGRADUATESCHOOLSWherecanIgetinformationaboutgraduateprogramsinCanada？我在何处可以取得加拿大研究所的资料？
TheCanadianEducationCentreinTaipei(CECT)istheidealplaceforageneralntroductiontomaster”sandPhDprogrammesacrossCanada.Wehavethemostcompleteandup-to-datecollectionofuniversitycalendarsandgraduateschooldirectoriesinTaiwan.Dependingontheuniversity,graduateinformationisfoundinacombinedundergraduate/graduatecalendaroraseparategraduatestudiescalendar.Often,theuniversitywillpublishbookletswithinformationonindividualdepartments.GeneralinformationonindividualuniversitiescanalsobefoundintheAUCCDirectory,orintheChinese-languageCanadianEducationGuidepublishedbytheCECT.Allcanadianuniversitiesnowhavewebsiteddresses.TheCECTcanprovideyouwithalistofwebsiteaddresses,oryoucanlogintotheCECTHomepageontheMinistryofEducation”sstudyabroadwebsite,at:http://www.saec.edu.tw/
WhoshouldItalktoforadvice？谁能够给我一些建议？
FeelfreetoaskourCECcounsellorsforadviceonapplyingtoschoolsandonstudentlifeinCanada.AllourstaffhavedegreesfromCanadianuniversities.Teachers,class-mates,friendsandcolleagueswhohavelivedorstudiedinCanadaareallgoodpeopletotalktowhenconsideringstudiesinCanada.ThegraduateschoolsthemselvescanoftengiveyounamesandaddressesofTaiwanesestudentscurrentlyenrolledintheprogramme,aswellasalumniinyourarea.
WhodoIcontact？我可以与谁联络？
Fordetailedinformationongraduateprogrammes,writetothedepartmentoftheuniversityyouareconsideringapplyingto.Thedepartmentheadorchairpersonwillsendyouapackageoncoursesanddegreerequirements,admissiontothegraduateschool,graduatehousingandscholarships.
Takeacloselookatthefacultymemberslistedinuniversitycalendars.Researchandteachingspecialisationsforeachprofessorwillusuallybedescribedalongwiththeprofessor”seducationalbackground,andsometimesevenhis/herpublications.Feelfreetocontacttheindividualprofessororprofessorswhospecialiseinyouareaofinterestto:兀findoutmoreaboutthecoursesandthedegreeprogramme;屮learnaboutcurrentresearchprojects;彳introduceyourselfasanapplicant;ifaprofessortakesaninterestinyou,youmayhaveabetterchanceofbeingadmitted,orreceivingscholarshipsandfellowships.TheCECThasadirectorywithfaxandemailaddressesofuniversityfaculties.
Whenyoucontactthedepartmentsorindividualfacultymembers,trytoincludethefo-llowing:兀simplecoverletterrequestingtheinformationyouneed(programmedescription,admissionsrequirementsforinternationalstudents,applicationforms,scholarshipandhousinginformation,etc.),youreducationbackgroundandyourstudygoals;屮anEnglishcopyofyouruniversitytranscript;彳availabletestscores(e.g.TOEFL,GMAT,etc.)Supplyingthedepartmentwiththiskingofinformationbeforeapplyingmaygiveyousomeindicationofhowsuccessfulyourapplicationwillbeand,ifyouareswitchingfieldsofstudy,whattypeofpre-requisiteorqualifyingcoursesyoumaybeaskedtotakebeforebeingadmittedtotheprogramme.
WhenshouldIstartchoosingaschool？何时我开始着手选择学校？
Rightnow-youcanneverstartresearchingtoosoon.Beginyoursearchatleastoneyearinadvance!Sendawaytouniversitiesfordetailedinformationearly,leavingplentyoftimeforthesepackagestogettoyoubymail–ittakesaboutaweekforairmailbetweenTaiwanandCanada,andaboutamonthforsurfacemail.
Whatisthebestschoolforme？那些是我理想中的学校？
Eachstudenthasdifferentneedsandpriorities.Asageneralrule,youshouldfocusmoreonthestrengthsofthedepartmentyouareapplyingtoratherthanthereputationoftheschoolasawhole.Remember,“famous”universitiesdonotalwayshavethebestprogrammesforyou.Remember,too,thatthereisnoofficialrankingforCanadianuniversities,sincevirtuallyallarepublicinstitutionsandhavehighacademicstandardsacrosstheboard.Alwayskeepinmindthatyourlivingenvironmentisanimportantaspectofyouracademiclife.Bigcityorsmalltown,waterfrontormountainside,modernorhistoric,Canadianuniversitiesarelocatedinsettingsthatfitallofthesedescripitions.
WhenshouldIstartapplying？我该何时提出申请？
DeadlinesforgraduateprogrammesinCanadaareusuallyinearlyspring,ofteninFebruaryorMarch.Rememberthatfaculties,departments,andprogrammeswithinthesameuniversitiessometimeshavedifferentapplicationdeadlines.Don”twaituntilthelastminutetoapply,sincesomeprogrammesfillupevenbeforetheactualdeadline.
Someschoolsanddepartmentsofferrollingadmission,meaningyoucanapplyanytimeduringtheyear.
Remembertoapplytomorethanoneschool！MoststudentsapplyforadmissiontothreetofiveprogrammesinCanada.
WherecanIpickupapplicationforms？我在可处可以取得申请表格？
TheCECThasapplicationformsformanygraduateprogrammesinCanada.Schoolswillusuallysendyouallapplicationmaterialsalongwithinformationabouttheprog-rammes.Youcanoftenrequestthisinformationbyemailorinternet;someschoolsevenallowyoutosubmityourapplicationelectro-nically.
WhattestscoresdoIneed？申请成绩标准为何？
Language:InternationalstudentswhosefirstlanguageisnotEnglishmustsubmitlanguagetestresults.TOEFL,IELTS,MichiganandCANTESTareallaccepted.ATOEFLscoreof550isthenormalminimumrequirement.SchoolsmaywaivethelanguagetestrequirementifyouhavecompletedthreetofiveyearsofsecondarystudiesinEnglish,orifyouholdaBachelor”sdegreefromanEnglishlanguaeinstitution.SomeschoolswillacceptsuccessfulcompletionofanESLprogramme(e.g.attheuniversity”sEnglishlanguageinstituteorsomeotherdesignatedprogrammeoutsidetheuniversity)insteadoftheTOEFLscore.StudentsndertakinggraduatestudiesinaschoolwhereFrenchistheLanguageofinstructionwillbetestedfortheirabilityinthelanguageuponarrivalattheuniversity.
NoGRE:UnlikeAmericanschools,mostCanadianuniversitiesdonotrequireGREscoresforadmissiontotheirgraduateprogrammes.Butyoushouldalwaydouble-checktoseeifthespecificdepartmentorprogrammeyouareapplyingtorequiresGREscores,sinceafewdepartmentswillrequestthesewhilethegraduateschoolasawholewillnot.Youmightanttosendtheresultstotheschoolinanycase,especiallyifyouscoredwell.
Professionalprogrammes:AllCanadianMBAprogrammesrequireGMATscores.LawschoolsrequireLSATscores,andmedicalschoolsinCanadawillrequireMCATscores.
HowmuchmoneywillIneed？我需要准备多少钱？
Tuitionfeesvarybyprovinceandbyinstitution.Ingeneral,tuitionatCanadianschoolsislowerthaninotherEnglish-speakingcountries,includingtheU.S.,theU.K.andAustralia.Internationalstudentsdo,however,oftenpayadifferentialfeefortuitioninsomeprovinces.StudentscanexpecttopayanywherebetweenC$2,500-10,000ayearNT$50,000-200,000),andsometimesmoreforprofessionalprogrammessuchasMBAs.
Costoflivingvarieswidely,too.Aftertuition,expensescanbeaslowasC$7,000-8,000（NT$140,000-160,000）insomeareas.Excludingtuitionandairtransportation,averagecostoflivingforoneyearofstudyinCanadaisaboutC$10,000(NT$200,000).
CanTaiwanesestudentsgetscholarships？台湾学生能够申请奖学金吗？
Mostentrancescholarshipsforgraduateprogrammesareopentoallapplicants,bothCanadianandinternational,andwillbebasedonacademicmerit.Usually,researchandteachingassistan-ceshipsarealsoavailabletointernationalcandidates.
WhereshouldIlive？我应住在那儿？
Schoolscanprovideyouwithinformationforbothonandoff-campushousing.On-campushousingwilloftenbecheaperinlargemetropolitanareas(e.g.VancouverandToronto),butrentingorsharinganapartmentwherehousingisveryreasonable,suchasinMontrealandothercities,isoftenlessexpensive.It”suptoyoutodecidewhatyourprioritiesareforhousing:cost,comfort,distancetoclassroomsandresearchfacilities,convenienttransportationto/fromcampus,foodservices,accesstocultural/communityactivities,etc.
HowlongdoesittaketofinishaMaster”sorPhDinCanada?读完硕士或博士课程，需时多久？
Amaster”sdegreenormallytakestwoyearstocomplete,andusuallyincludesathesis.Someschoolshave12-monthprogrammeswithcourseworkonly.PhDsnormallytakethreetofiveyearstocomplete,includingadoctoraldissertation.SwitchingacademicfieldsmayresultinaqualifyingyearorprerequisitecoursestobetakenbeforeenteringthePhDProgramme.
IfIgetmyMaster”sinCanada,WherecanIgoformyPhd？得到硕士学位後我可在何处继续攻读博士学位？
Canadianmaster”sdegreesarerecognizedworldwide,includingTaiwan,theUSandtheUK.Keepinmindthatcompletionofamaster”sthesisispreferredforadmissiontoadoctoralprogramme.
InCanada,applicationsfordoctoralprogrammesareconsideredonacase-by-casebasis.Naturally,theschoolwillrequirebasicminimunqualifications(e.g.academicstanding,TOEFLscore,etc.).Butmarksaren”teverything:researchandworkexperienceareoftentakenintoconsideration.Lettersofreferenceformpreviousprofessors(andsometimesemployers)areextremelyimportant.Helpyourprofessoroutbysupplyinghim/herwithyourresume.RememberthatinCanada,professorsareexpectedtowritereferencelettersthemselves;nolesswillbeexpectedfromTaiwaneseprofessors.
CanIworkinCanadawhileIamstudying？在加拿大读书的同时，我可以工作吗？
Internationalstudentsdonotneedsaworkpermitforanyoncampusemployment(e.g.libraryassistant,R.A.orT.A.).Whileenrolledinfull-timestudiesandforuptooneyearfollowingcompletionofadegreeinCanada,internationalstudentscanreceiveworkpermitsforemploymentrelatedtoorrequiredfortheirfieldofstudy.
CanIimmigratetoCanada？我能够移民到加拿大吗？
ApplicationforimmigrationtoCanadaisentirelyseparatefromyourstatusasaninternationalstudentinCanada.YoumaycontactCitizenshipandImmigrationCanadaformoreinformation.
Don”twaituntilthelastminutetoapply,sincesomeprogrammesfillupevenbeforetheactualdeadline.请注意截止日期尽早申请。
Lettersofreferencefrompreviousprofessors(andsometimesemployers)areextremelyimportant.
