First of all, make sure this is possible. Most people who go abroad to study for a master's degree or even a doctorate start applying during the second year of graduate school and go out after the third year of graduate school, because as long as you plan to study abroad, it is useless to have a master's degree in China (even if you have a master's degree and go to a foreign university, you need to be re-evaluated. , and then decide whether to be admitted to a master's or doctoral degree based on the applicant's research ability). Compared with applying for graduate studies abroad after graduating from a bachelor's degree, people who have experienced domestic master's education are more likely to apply for a doctoral degree. Applying for a PhD is not a problem, but applying for a scholarship is a big problem.

The following provides specific operations:

1. First, decide the language certificate to be tested based on the country you are going to and the subjects you plan to study. There are only 4 types of GRE/GMAT and TOEFL/IELTS. In the United States and Canada, GRE and TOEFL are required (GMAT and TOEFL are required for business majors), while in Commonwealth countries, IELTS is required. If you plan to apply for a second year of graduate school, you need to prepare from now on. In addition to preparing for the English test, you also have to deal with a large number of courses in the first year of graduate school (maintaining your GPA is also very important), and you have little time to do anything else (in fact, you can't do much).

2. In the second year of graduate school, you start to prepare the proposal report and literature review. You can take this opportunity to understand the development of your subject, which will be very helpful for the direction of study abroad and even the selection of tutors. You can consciously establish contact with relevant professors by asking questions and start the first step of "porcelain setting"... Please note that this step is very important! Because your future direction is to study for a Ph.D. instead of just relying on grades like an undergraduate/master's degree. Experience tells us that it is almost difficult to achieve your wish without the appreciation and approval of foreign professors.

3. Preparation of materials. It’s nothing more than personal statements, resumes, transcripts, and papers. The two most important things among all application materials are transcripts and PS. The transcript is dead, but the PS is alive. If you are a first-year graduate student and a second-year graduate student, your transcript will also be kept alive. Take advantage of taking more courses related to your major in school.

Another very important item in the application materials is the letter of recommendation. As far as I know, in elite schools like Harvard, MIT, and Princeton, almost all Chinese students studying for Ph.D.s are the disciples and disciples of Professor Niu from Tsinghua University, Peking University, Jiaotong University, Renmin University of China, and it is difficult for outsiders to get in without connections :( They may be domestic tutors Recommendations, introductions from senior fellow students, or endorsements from foreign professors... So if you want to enter this circle, you must find some way to get involved with these "fabulous" Chinese schools, at least write a recommendation to them. Letters can get twice the result with half the effort...

4. How to find a mentor? Directly contact a mentor you know or a well-known mentor in your field. Many mentors have funds but have not decided whether to find someone. It is very likely that they will recruit you after reading your application materials. In fact, most of the offers are found in this way. Of course, it may also be because those who apply through formal channels are still in the lengthy bureaucratic review process. It explains that contacting the instructor directly is the fastest way, and there is no time limit. You can contact you at any time and leave at any time. At the same time, you should tell your current instructor and get his help.