The Black Girl's Guide To Pursuing Graduate School Abroad
It seems like every time we scroll down our Instagram feeds, we are bombarded by pictures of melanated goddesses living their best lives abroad. London. Cuba. Dubai. Black girls are going everywhere – but what about for graduate school?
According to the National Center for Education, black women are graduating from college at an all time high and are America's most educated group. Of black students alone, black women have earned 66% of bachelor's degrees, 71% of master's degrees, and 65% of all doctorate degrees. So, I think it's safe to say that black women are killing it.
Early last fall, I made the decision to jump off the college to 9-to-5 assembly line and apply to various Master's degree programs in London, England. What started off as a fun and semi-sarcastic conversation-starter when people would ask the infamous, "What are you doing after graduation" question ultimately evolved into my true preferred course of action for this next chapter in my life. When I interned at the White House under the Obama administration, I interacted with a number of senior officials who had international degrees, but they were rarely women of color. We have the ambition, we have the travel bug, and clearly we have the educational prowess. So if they can do it, why can't I?
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Despite the shortage of women of color mentors to guide me on this journey, I was pleased to find a number of resources to guide me along my quest for a degree abroad. And, I would like to share them with you! Here are 4 quick tips to consider when taking your talents global.
1. Understand What Experience You Are Looking For
Are you willing to learn a new language? Are you particular about the prestigiousness of a certain graduate program? Are you here for a good time, not a long time? These are all factors that you will need to take into consideration as you first begin to research international degree programs. The world is a big place, and as expected, there are a lot of program options.
I narrowed down my choices by prestige, language, duration, and international access. Specifically, I limited my research to leading one-year international relations and public policy programs in the U.K. that were located nearby to airports and train stations, so I can easily travel to other destinations in Europe. Europe can just as easily be Asia, South America, or Africa and financial aid packages, networking opportunities, and name recognition vary by school, so start with a big framework and tailor down your schools from there.
2. Make A Timeline
After you have an idea of which school profiles you are interested in, I highly recommend making a comprehensive timeline, which outlines all of your application deadlines, funding deadlines, school login information, program requirements, etc. This is definitely the least glamorous part of the application process, but organization and proactivity are key. Life doesn't stop because you're applying to grad school, so do yourself a favor and make everything as easy to navigate as possible.
3. Be Proactive In Your Applications
In line with making a solid timeline, there are a number of mini-deadlines like external scholarship deadlines and visa applications that can pop up within the overall deadline. Most programs require academic and/or professional recommendation letters and there is nothing worse than having everything ready to go, but you cannot submit your application until your recommender submits their component. That being said, start early. Give yourself time to write several drafts of your personal statement and program-specific essays (if applicable) and reach out to at least double the number of required recommenders. This is especially true for post-grad applicants whose preferred professors may have left the school or are on sabbatical. Many schools have rolling deadlines, but a 3-4 month cushion to get everything in order gives you the opportunity to put your best foot forward.
4. Look Into Different Funding Streams
But actually, look into different funding streams. For many students, myself very much included, I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth and the first question my dad asked me after receiving my acceptance was, "So, who's paying for this?" Depending on your desired program and academic track record, there are a number of prestigious programs that fully fund international graduate degree programs in select countries like the Fulbright Program, Rhodes Scholarship, Marshall Scholarship, and Schwarzman Scholars. These programs aside, tuition fees at foreign universities are often much lower than their U.S. counterparts.
For an example, graduate tuition fees at École Polytechnique (ParisTech) are €15000 per year around $19,000 USD whereas similar degrees from California Institute of Technology (Caltech) are $48,000 per year. Furthermore, some institutions offer specific merit-based scholarships on a rolling basis or are even virtually free for U.S. students (excluding relocation, housing, and visa fees). So again, be proactive and do your research!
There's a whole world waiting for you if you decide to take a chance and pave your own path. Bon voyage!
Featured image by Getty Images
Lydia is a recent Ivy League graduate who is passionate about using her voice to enact change in minority and female communities. Dubbed the "Intern Queen," she has worked 8+ internships in diverse industries, including Wall Street firms and the Obama White House, and is now bringing her career and lifestyle tips to you! Meet Lydia on Instagram @queen_of_anglin and Twitter @its_lit_dia.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Why We'll Probably Never Hear Lupita Nyong'o Share Her Relationship With The World
Lupita Nyong'o is sharing a transparent look into her life after a recent breakup.
In a cover story for NET-A-PORTER, the A Quiet Place: Day One star shed light on the significant heartbreak she experienced following the end of her relationship with ex-boyfriend and TV host, Selema Masekela.
As a public figure, Nyong'o, 39, sought to divulge the news of the breakup in hopes of presenting a more authentic perspective on the pain that follows a separation.
"I was living in a lot of pain and heartbreak," she told the publication. "I looked at the environment of my social media and thought I don’t want to be a part of this illusion that everything is always coming up roses. Surely there is a lesson for me to learn in this, and I just want to be real about it."
The Black Panther star went on to explain that her choice to be transparent with her fans about her breakup came from the certainty she felt after ending the relationship. “In my mind, when I shared my relationship status with the world, it was because I felt sure about it,” she said.
While she didn’t know how the news would land with her fans, she found relief in knowing she wasn’t alone in her experience.
“I knew how it could be interpreted; I knew it would have a life of its own,” she reflects. “But then I started to see the comments and people were being so loving and supportive. The ones that moved me the most were other people sharing their pain and their heartbreak.”
Nyong'o and Masekela went Instagram official in December 2022, publicly announcing their relationship in a couple's video. In October 2023, Nyong'o took to her personal Instagram account to share the news of her breakup in her caption, writing, "At this moment, it is necessary for me to share a personal truth and publicly dissociate myself from someone I can no longer trust.”
She continued the vulnerable note, "I find myself in a season of heartbreak because of a love suddenly and devastatingly extinguished by deception. I am tempted to run into the shadows and hide, only to return to the light when I have regained my strength enough for me to say, 'Whatever, my life is better this way.' But I am reminded that the magnitude of the pain I am feeling is equal to the measure of my capacity for love."
These days, Nyong'o tells NET-A-PORTER that she is prioritizing profound self-discovery that extends beyond her career. She notes having a deliberate and unhurried approach to understanding herself.
She also alludes to keeping her relationships private moving forward after noting it was "very, very sage" of her not to talk about her private life professionally in the days before her last relationship. "I'm going back to those days by the way," Nyong'o shares of her reinstated boundaries around her personal life.
Earlier this month, Nyong'o made headlines alongside her new boyfriend actor Joshua Jackson. Nyong'o and Jackson went through public splits from their respective SOs in October 2023, with the latter splitting from his long-time partner Jodie Turner-Smith following her divorce filing from the Dawson's Creek alum.
The pair have been spotted together as early as December 2023, but nothing screamed "couple" quite as loudly as their recent getaway to Mexico for Nyong'o's 41st birthday featuring passionate displays of affection.
"Our purpose in life is to love. And so you have to get back in it," she tells the outlet, seemingly alluding to her budding new romance.
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Featured image by Taylor Hill/Getty Images