Someone you know has left or is planning to leave. 1,000 Ways To Japa will speak to real people and explore the infinite number of reasons and paths they use to get to Japa
Ayo* (26) realised that audacity was the only thing standing between her present and her future dreams, so she decided to break that wall. In this story, she shares how she got a full scholarship in the US after sending 360 cold emails to different professors.
When did you move out of Nigeria, and where are you currently based?
I left Nigeria in August 2025. I’m currently in New York.
Nice! How exactly did that happen?
I got a scholarship to pursue a master’s–PhD track program. I’ve always wanted to move to the US and become a doctor. During my service year, I learned more about graduate school opportunities in the US, and I started working towards it. When I graduated, I gathered my transcripts and passport and started emailing professors. That’s how I eventually got here.
Some people believe you need a very high CGPA to qualify for scholarships. Do you agree?
Aiming for a first-class isn’t a bad idea, but a second-class isn’t bad if you have other strong experiences. I graduated with a 4.19 CGPA, which is technically second-class upper. By US conversion, that came down to about 3.52 on a 4.0 scale, and most schools require a minimum of 3.0. So I was still eligible. To make up for not having a perfect CGPA, I focused on research experience, volunteering, and teaching experience. As someone who wrote JAMB three times in Nigeria, I’ll always advise people to aim as high as they can academically.
Why did you have to write JAMB so many times?
It wasn’t because I failed. I’ve scored as high as 270 in the exam, but I was trying to study medicine, which is highly competitive in Nigeria. You need 300+ and almost straight As in WAEC. My WAEC wasn’t strong enough, so I was offered related courses instead of medicine, but I was so fixated on becoming a doctor that I refused alternatives. That’s how I ended up writing the exam so many times.
Now that you’re in the US, are you still pursuing medicine?
Not exactly. I studied zoology for undergrad, so I couldn’t go directly into medicine. I switched paths and am now studying biosciences and biotechnology. My goal has changed from being a doctor to becoming a professor and contributing to society through research and teaching.
That’s amazing. Let’s talk about finding opportunities. If someone is clueless about scholarships, how would you advise them to start?
First, be clear on why you want to attend graduate school. Then research aggressively. You can use Twitter and LinkedIn to follow people who are active in grad school and scholarship communities.
Secondly, gather research experience, teaching, volunteering, and skills relevant to your field. You also need to learn how to cold email. That’s when you email professors, express genuine interest in their research, and ask to join their labs. If they like your profile, they’ll interview and possibly accept you.
You can apply directly for positions in non-science fields, but you still need to be competitive to stand a chance.
What step-by-step process did you personally take?
Thankfully, I worked closely with my supervisors during my undergraduate studies. So I had relevant research and project experience. I also volunteered, added other skills to my CV, got my transcripts and passport ready, and then started cold emailing professors. I sent over 360 emails, did about 20 interviews, and finally got accepted by three professors.
I also applied to multiple schools, wrote English tests where required, paid some application fees, and prepared my statement of purpose. It was a lot of work.
There are also organisations that help, like EducationUSA and various mentoring groups. I also reached out to people on LinkedIn in my field, asking them to mentor me. Sometimes, strangers even offered to pay my application fees when I couldn’t afford them.
Your Statement of Purpose is one of the most important steps during the process, so please take it seriously. Also, get strong recommendations from people who know your work (supervisors, lecturers, etc.).
You mentioned cold emailing. How exactly do you find professors to pitch to?
I searched by research interest. For example, since I’m interested in cancer-related bioscience, I looked up professors across different schools, read their papers, and reached out. The strategy is to personalise your email by showing genuine interest in their work, explaining how your skills fit into their research field, and what you can contribute to their lab.
That’s interesting. Were there rejections along the way?
People who receive zero rejections during this process are superheroes. I faced multiple rejections from schools and professors, including one of my dream schools. But rejection is normal. You have to keep going. I applied to six schools; I got three rejections and three acceptances, which is interesting because I had the permission of the professors I pitched to submit my application.
Crazy stuff. Do these opportunities also exist for arts students?
They may not do lab work, but they still have research opportunities. If I’m being honest, they’d probably have to work twice as hard and do more research to find those opportunities, but they exist. One of my friends just received a full scholarship to study Creative Writing. All she did was demonstrate passion, show solid experience, and submit a strong application.
Now that you’re in the US, what’s life like compared to what you imagined?
It’s quite different from Nigeria. Here, we have multiple exams in a semester, lots of assignments, and constant reading. But the system is very supportive here. Professors and classmates are open, friendly, and willing to help. There are also many presentations, so you can improve as a public speaker. It’s exceeded my expectations so far.
On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you in New York?
I’d say eight. I’m a teaching assistant, which is a huge plus. I’m doing meaningful research, making friends from different countries, and building connections.
Want to share your japa story? Please reach out to me here.
