345: Client Spotlight: Stephanie Sanchez on Applying to Master’s Programs Abroad

345: Client Spotlight: Stephanie Sanchez on Applying to Master’s Programs Abroad

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Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: [00:00:00] Have you ever had a dream that felt completely out of reach, something you really want to do, but you're not sure how to make it happen? Maybe it was studying abroad or applying to grad school, or changing careers completely. These are goals that sound exciting, but they're also a little intimidating, especially if you're the first in your family to do them.

Well, on today's episode, we're going to be talking about just that.

Welcome back everyone to another episode of the Grad School Femtoring Podcast. This is your host. Ok, Doctora Yvette. Today's episode is part of my new client Spotlight series, where I feature stories from some of my former coaching and consulting clients who've gone on to achieve incredible milestones in their grad school and professional journeys.

You'll hear [00:01:00] these episodes about once or twice a quarter, and my goal with each of them is to show you what's possible, especially when you combine clarity, courage, and strategy in your grad school and professional path.

This week's client Spotlight features Stephanie Sanchez, a graduate admissions consulting client of mine who worked with me one-on-one while applying to Master's programs abroad. Stephanie is now a postgraduate student studying international migration and public policy at the London School of Economics. She recently transitioned from the nonprofit sector to academia to seek more impactful solutions that help immigrant communities overcome barriers.

And in doing so, she's fulfilling her longtime dream of living abroad while making new connections in the vibrant and multicultural city of London. In this conversation, you'll [00:02:00] hear how she transitioned from non-profit work to go back to grad school, how she strategically researched programs and funding options for studying abroad.

How she's overcoming imposter feelings, when it comes to her writing, and especially in relation to writing her personal statement, and also how she benefited from consulting support to organize her application process and stay accountable. Her story is a really strong example of how intentional planning, courage, and a support system can turn a long held dream into a reality.

So let's get into it.

Welcome to the award-winning Grad School Femtoring podcast. The place for first-gen BIPOCs [00:03:00] to listen in on inclusive grad school stories and learn about personal development and productivity tips. This is Doctora Yvette Martinez Vu, a certified coach, consultant and author, and I will be serving as your femtor, providing you with insider knowledge to help you reach your personal and professional goals.

Today I am bringing up a highly anticipated topic on applying to master's programs abroad. This topic has come up in conversation from folks in the dms, and including at least one of my current clients.

Who is interested in applying to programs abroad and given the current political climate, I'm not surprised that folks are trying to explore their options [00:04:00] around what it might look like if they were to pursue some sort of education or life abroad. So today I brought the perfect guest. Her name is Stephanie Sanchez.

I know Stephanie because we've worked together. And so, knowing her journey of navigating the admissions process, supporting her, guiding her in that journey, I thought she would be the ideal person to come in and share that experience, especially because it's so recent for her.

So, without further ado, welcome to the podcast. Stephanie.

Stephanie Sanchez: Thank you so much. I'm really happy to be here and I hope that I can provide helpful information for your listeners.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: Definitely. I know you will.

Yeah. Let's, let's get us started with sharing a little bit more about you and what inspired you to transition, as you said, in your bio transition from the nonprofit sector to pursuing grad school [00:05:00] abroad.

Stephanie Sanchez: So it's always been a dream of mine to live abroad one day and even as an undergraduate, I was so upset that I never took advantage of the opportunity to study abroad even for a semester. So that desire always. Was always in the back of my mind.

And I thought that this would be an, a wonderful opportunity to kind of integrate into a different, you know, a different life into a different city. And pursuing graduate studies, was the best avenue to do that and have something to walk away with, not just living abroad, but it's something I can actually take with me into my, you know, career and as a fulfilling kind of wish that I get to fulfill again.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: Yeah. Was there any specific moment or catalyst that led to you being like, okay, this is the year I'm finally going to apply.

Stephanie Sanchez: Yeah. So, I actually, when I, I worked in a nonprofit for a couple of years and I worked directly with migrant community. And I [00:06:00] wanna say that in doing that work, I felt that more recently towards the end of the year in my last role as a manager, I felt that I could, I could do more.

And I think that I needed a little bit more context and a little bit more information in terms of what was going on internationally and what other solutions there were out. In other countries how they're kind of solving this you know, this very contentious topic of migration. So I, I really, as I was moving on in my role, I wanted to take a step back and really see you know, what, what else was going on kind of in the world and how I can broaden my horizon to, to learn more , and really research this issue of migration and hopefully make an impact , in the community.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: Yeah. What I'm hearing you say is that it sounds like you got at a point in your career where you were trying to figure out, okay, what comes next? I've gotten this far. What comes next? And you also desired [00:07:00] greater impact, and that combined with your desire for wanting to live abroad led to this like more global perspective of like, okay, let me see what I'm doing and how can I see what's happening outside of the US as well.

And I'm curious because a lot of folks who tell me they want to go to grad school abroad or they wanna complete a master's degree abroad, they get stuck at the early stage of choosing a country. Even that stage is really big and overwhelming. So I'm curious, how did you choose a country or a set of countries to apply to?

What drew you to London, and specifically the London School of Economics, and in other words, I wanna hear a little bit more about that decision making strategy when you were looking into programs, what came into play?

Stephanie Sanchez: So I definitely wanna preface it by saying, you know, my, my goal. [00:08:00] I don't think my initial goal was to, have kind of this life of academia, but rather it was kind of a means to an end. So I was thinking in terms of strategy it really hit me one day when I was working that, you know, I wanna make a greater impact. By then I just had my bachelor's and I knew that a master's was just naturally that next step in terms of my kind of accomplishments that I wanted to achieve, but I thought a little bit more about my career goals.

And I, I wanna say the emphasis in my career goals is that when, you know, I speaking it into existence. But I, I really wish to work at an international organization one day, such as the IOM and this dream of mine really was what like, what sparked that search for, you know, something that's next, like, what's the next step? And the next step was honestly looking at you know, what are the people that they're hiring, you know, what's the profile of the candidates that they're hiring at this organization?

So , it [00:09:00] was, there were many steps that I took and I had to kind of navigate before finding the school itself, but it definitely started with that bigger question of like, what where do I see myself what role do I see myself doing you know, work that I see myself doing to actually. Create an impact. And then from there I went into you know, that, that a master's is a requirement to be able to access these kind of greater positions and these international organizations.

So from there I wanna say that I went to LinkedIn, which is what gave me so much information when I wanted to look at the kind of roles that were available in the IOM or the people that were working there, you know, what background did they have. And from there I really started to look at even on and this is kind of a strategy that I did. I just went on to LinkedIn, looked at IOM, looked at the kind of the profile of, of the, of the education that people were having. You know, where were the [00:10:00] schools that they were going to, what programs did they do? That gave me a lot of information and from there I was able to determine, you know, oh, London or LSE , is a big school that sends and funnels a lot of students into these kind of international organizations.

So, it fit with my plan of living abroad and it was also a big city and it was also English speaking. So this was something I didn't have to worry too much about learning a new language. So this kind of fit a lot of my own personal criteria in terms of making sure that you know, I, I was able to be in a big city that I knew would also have a rich history of diversity. And it has a big also immigrant population. So, I wanna say that London really stood out as one of you know, one of those key cities that really met kind of all of my own personal criteria while also offering a school such as LSE that I could go to and also meet kind of my career [00:11:00] goals.

So it was like a little bit of a long-winded way of saying that I, I really started , in kind of evaluating what, what I wanted to do in the long-term and you know, what those steps were so that I could kind of reach that long-term goal of mine.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: That's a really smart, very strategic way to go at this. And that's what I would also recommend when I, when I work with folks, I always start with, okay, so what do you wanna do at the end of the day? Like, where are you headed? What's your long-term goal? And sometimes they don't even have to go to graduate school. That's why we start there. Start with the long-term goal and then work backwards from there.

So I love that you started with your long-term goal. This is my dream. I've always wanted to work for this type of organization. And then you went to look at folks who have that same career and , took a look at their training. So what is their background? What are they [00:12:00] doing? What have they done to prepare?

Very, very smart. And that makes a lot of sense because that's giving you a pathway. You're like, okay, they did it this way. That means that that's possible. So that means that maybe I can do something similar. And so that led you to London. But it's interesting too, because then you also had some other criteria that you were looking for.

So one of them was ideally a place that was English speaking, so you wouldn't have a huge language barrier. I have had someone else on the podcast talk about pursuing a master's degree abroad. This was a few years back and in his case he's multilingual, but he was studying in Germany and still learning German.

So that was a really rough process because the program was fully in German. I know that there are some programs abroad where the country might speak another language, but the program itself is in English. So for you, you were looking at [00:13:00] English speaking countries or were, were you also looking at programs in other non-English speaking countries that had maybe English or programs that were in English?

Stephanie Sanchez: No, of, of course. I think I was definitely open to to kind of that challenge as well 'cause that was also very appealing to me. But I think when it came down to it, there were other kind of deciding factors that made me that that is the reason that I chose London. But definitely from the get go when I was selecting different programs or different countries to, to apply to, the factor of that, the programs themselves were mainly in English. That was very important. You know, and I looked at like the opportunity to learn another language, just secondary. But I think what was very important to me, especially when selecting the schools, was that you know, the coursework was gonna be something that was very interesting to me and that the, internship opportunities was gonna be something that was very clear. So I wasn't having to really kind of start from scratch. But what was already in the program [00:14:00] was very much geared to supporting students in transitions to international either development , or careers in the international, in NGOs.

So that was very important to me e ven, you know, there were, there were a couple of schools that I was looking at. I even looked at one in, in, in France, in Paris. And the factor that the program itself was mainly English was, was for English speakers, but there were a lot of obviously right. Living there and settling there, you have to have some level of, of French to be able to settle comfortably. And I also looked at a program , in Geneva and you know, , the local language was also gonna be something that, was attractive to me. But I think when it came down to it, I had to kind of pick my, like, what do I really wanna struggle with?

Like, I'd rather focus my time more on the actual program, the content and the networking than having to really worry too much about making sure that my language skills were adequate.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. That it was like language was a big piece of it. [00:15:00] And you also mentioned the relative diversity of the city, the size of the city, the immigrant population in the city.

Makes a lot of sense given your work and what you wanna do. But then you also mentioned coursework and internships. And one of the things that frustrates me about applying to graduate programs anywhere, not just abroad, but in any, even in the us, any state, any, even the top programs is that websites can be outdated.

Yeah. There's no centralization. Every website looks different. It's hard to find information. Were you able to find this information solely online, or did you have to get a hold of people to find out more about this coursework, internships, and the other key pieces of your search?

Stephanie Sanchez: I, I did a lot of digging.

I wanna say I did a lot of digging. But I honestly that was really, really, really, really, like, I cannot emphasize enough. It was really important to dedicate a lot of time to [00:16:00] kind of read the coursework, the more importantly the core courses that were that, that were gonna be offered in the program.

Because, you know, this, this master's, it's an investment, right? It's an investment of time. It's an investment of money. And that was one thing that I didn't pay too much attention to in undergrad is, you know, looking at, I like the name of the, of the title and like, kind of what the promises were, but really seeing what the courses were.

, And whether they aligned with my interest and, you know, what I was gonna be spending a majority of my time doing was very important to me. So, when it came down to, I wanna say selecting the programs. I spent a lot of time going onto their websites. Luckily for the schools that I applied to.

They were very transparent , as far as the core courses and kind of, gave a general description of what kind of the. The expectations were, and also the content was gonna be it didn't go into too much detail as far as like assessments, but it did give you know, even a list of readings that, that the courses would go into or use to help [00:17:00] guide you.

And I used that as kind of my. Indicator like, oh, you know, does this book sound interesting? Does this title sound interesting? You know, based on the course description, is that something that really, really interests me? Or is it more just of a, you know, is it something that I can kind of Google or listen and learn from a podcast, you know?

So, for the courses that I I, for the programs that I selected I spent a, a bit of time and really kind of broke it down a little bit because it could, it's its own kind of research to look at the, what the website provided. And usually they for the, for my courses, they had kind of links to show you the curriculum and as far as maybe the core content.

And then from there I took like other days to just kind of sit down and read through what the content would be.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: That's a lot. That's a lot of information to be combing through, and this brings up another question that comes up a lot as another obstacle or another barrier to applying, not just to programs [00:18:00] abroad, but just to grad school in general, which is the problem of how do you stay organized?

How do you stay motivated? How do you get this done if you're a busy student or a busy working professional? I know you were working at the time and balancing work and your other responsibilities, so I'm curious, what did you do to help yourself stay organized or stay more motivated?

I would

Stephanie Sanchez: say it was, it was definitely a mix of things.

You know, a big, and just to kind of add a little bit back to the last question about the courses that I wanted to make a mention of is the infor like informational interviews that you can do with students that took the courses that was very helpful. And even asking them, you know, what courses they were most excited about, what courses they would rather have skipped or not taken.

That also provided a lot more insight into, you know, what, what would be fun to kind of attend to and what, what would really be interesting. But in terms of staying organized and [00:19:00] motivated it was definitely not easy 'cause you know, you mentioned that I was working full-time and it was, it, it took up a lot of time, like on the weekends and the evening times to get stuff done.

But I, I wanna say that , I'm very much a person that, you know, needs that accountability factor. So, you know, that's where I. I tried to bring in my family, my, my friends in terms of telling them this is something that I wanted to do. This is something that I want to achieve. So, I was welcoming them to ask me questions if they you know.

And my dad, every now and then would ask, you know, how's the process going? Or are you still working on this? And that really helped me, , be grounded in that i f I wanna get things moving, like I have to be the one to do it. And I even, you know, I bought resources. So your, your book, you know, full disclosure, right?

Your book was, was very helpful to kind of guide me and , I, I'm very much a person that really needs kind of instruction in that sense. So, what timeline can I make for myself so that I have, a clear understanding [00:20:00] of, you know, when I need to get things moving, or am I on track or is there something I could be doing now so that it doesn't feel so stressful when the deadlines hit?

Right. So. Definitely creating a timeline was very, very important. And adjusting it to kind of the deadline to reflect the deadlines of the programs that I was interested in was able, allowed me to kind of stay on track involving family or friends into the process. So you have that kind of accountability or even kind of shame sometimes, like mm-hmm.

You know, they ask you, how's it going? And, and, you know, you didn't do anything then you know that okay, I should get moving with something. And I wanna say that also even when I was feeling very kind of upset because there were times when I just didn't do anything because I was nervous or anxious.

You know, for motivation, I wanna say that I used to kind of like my, how I was feeling to, to kind of reel me in that if I wanted to have a different life. And that if I [00:21:00] wanted to create that, you know, bring that dream into, into reality that I was ultimately in control of that and breaking it down into actionable steps.

Let's say today I will sit down and look at my computer , and pick a program or, or decide maybe what program I don't, I'm not that interested in really. Those, those small little actions would allow me to kind of get out of that funk and just feel like, okay, I did what I did and I could today and I'll do something different tomorrow.

So, that was also very important to kind of make sure that it, I was very stuck on, on making that change and making the change that I wanted to see.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: Yeah, it's, I imagine probably the bureaucracy of applying to programs abroad is even higher than applying to programs in the US, but it sounds like for you, it was really helpful to create some structure for yourself through the timeline to rely on some [00:22:00] external accountability through friends, family. Mm-hmm. Resources. So including my book is grad school for me, and I'm sure there were other resources you also found. And then of course. On days that you're really struggling, just breaking it down to the tiniest baby steps so that you can still maintain that momentum.

I know that another big challenge, and this is a, a big one, and I know it was something that came up for you too, is how do you navigate funding?

Stephanie Sanchez: Mm-hmm.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: That's the biggest concern is how can I make it work financially, especially because a lot of the folks that I work with are not wealthy. They are working class or sometimes even come from low income backgrounds, and so I'm curious about what your approach to learning more about funding, what that look like and any advice you have to share with others who are most concerned about this [00:23:00] part?

Stephanie Sanchez: No, I mean, I, I definitely share that sentiment in the sense that I was working when I, when I even you know, thought about applying and I knew that feasibly I would have to, right fund this, this kind of program for myself. And I also started to look very early to see what opportunities there were, namely looking at Fulbright which is you know, can, can fund masters. Even asking a little bit in those inter informational interviews, what people used or if there were any smaller funding opportunities that the school had where I could kind of apply early along with my applications because that actually, that's very important. In my experience. Some of when you apply to the actual school, submit your personal statement, recommendation letters they oftentimes will ask you if you wanna submit a letter for financial support.

So having that or making sure, when you check the requirements. Or even you, you create an account and you start your portal. It's important to check early on if that's gonna be an [00:24:00] option for you to apply for financial aid for the program before the deadline or at, or at the time of the deadline.

So especially for those programs that they start in a year. Sometimes they want those statements for financial assistance in early so that, you know, they can, they can let you know if you will be receiving financial aid at the time that you receive your decision. That that was what I was experiencing there.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: Wanted to ask a quick follow up. Mm-hmm. Related to what you just shared. So you said that some programs may provide financial aid and they ask for this letter of support or letter of financial support. I am assuming that most of your deadlines came up in the fall.

Stephanie Sanchez: Mm-hmm.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: Does that mean that that letter for financial support came at the same time as your deadlines, or was it earlier than the deadlines?

Stephanie Sanchez: It came at the same time as the deadlines. So, you know, it was definitely something that there was that I submitted along with the actual application.

And that allowed for, , at the time that you [00:25:00] received an actual notice from the school of as to whether you were accepted or not accepted. They could also tell you you know, shortly after if you qualified for that financial assistance. And , that's helpful because let's say if you did not, then you have time at least to apply for either you know, loans or whatever the case is.

So, definitely starting early is very important, especially so that you don't miss the deadlines like Fulbright or any other kind of internal deadlines that they have in the school. But those are all options. And you know, having that question on hand, if a student is able to do an informational interview with like a, an alumni or something you know, seeing what funding sources they were, they were exposed to as well. That's also really important. Now, in terms of my own personal experience because I was working at the time and I knew that, you know, a year from now, I, I wanted to, I, I kind of started the process a year from the application deadline. I just started saving money. You know what little bit I could in from my check, I was paying by then, you know, I was paying rent.

I was, [00:26:00] I had my own kind of bills and I usually used whatever money was. Left from my check and just kind of threw it into savings. Even kind of telling myself like, oh, if I'm, you know, living on my own and in a month like this is whatever, however much money I can save now, this is kind of my own paycheck that I'm gonna be receiving a month into whatever program I'm in. So I saved as much as I could and, and when I could, I wanna say that I, instead of like letting that money sit in the, in the, in the savings account, I put it into a CD account, especially if I had time. So that could also grow and also allow me to make sure I wasn't touching that money.

So I can kind of save up on that end. So, you know, this was all in mind that. Keeping all in mind that I really, you know, I wasn't gonna ask my parents. I wasn't gonna do that just to kind of help me pay whatever I could. And when it came down to the wire, honestly I went with student loans because at the end of the day, you know, this is, this was gonna be an investment in myself and I really wanted to make this happen.

And, and, I didn't wanna [00:27:00] pass up the opportunity. So, I did end up using student loans for my program. But I wanna say that with the money that I did, what I was able to save for my own job that at least allowed me to cover my day-to-day expenses. So like, you know, my food, my transportation, and all supplies that I would need.

So, you know, that's money that I'm not taking out in loans, but rather I'm providing that for myself.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: When you mentioned the student loan piece I'll be frank, I'm less familiar with that process about applying to programs abroad. So are those loans that you're getting from your home country or from the institution itself?

Stephanie Sanchez: Sorry. So I'm getting from FAFSA, so the federal Oh, federal loans. Oh, okay. Mm-hmm. So those could cover the yeah, at least the tuition and accommodation.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: Oh, okay. So FAFSA is still an option for applying to master's degrees abroad.

Stephanie Sanchez: Correct. Yes. That's

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: really

Stephanie Sanchez: helpful.

Yes, you do have to check the list of eligible [00:28:00] schools and do it early for the, with make sure that that's like part of the step, like if for the schools that you apply to. Because in my experience, one of the schools that I applied to, it was just actually kind of my dream school. But it got this whole process started, so I'm happy.

But that's school. I believe last year was the last year that they accepted fafsa, so the, the federal student loans. And then from here on outward. They were only accepting in terms of students from the US if they had you know, private loans. So what would be Sally May which, you know, , in my opinion, was not an option for me.

So, so it, it's important to check that the programs you know, accept FAFSA, and usually on the school's websites, if you go to like international student and then like funding options, they will usually provide a little bit more details. Like, for example, the, from the programs that I applied to, the schools that I applied to they each had information on their website as to like what funding options they accepted, like in terms of loans, what loans they accepted [00:29:00] from abroad.

So FAFSA was, was definitely one of those that were mentioned. And. If not, you know, it said it right there. You know, we do not, we, we currently do not accept US student loans.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: I want to add some context just for the listeners who may be new to this. So if you're new to applying to any type of graduate program, you may not have known that you, if you want to be eligible for federal student loans, you still have to apply for FAFSA, same as you would have in college, and this may apply for certain international institutions, but you have to double check that as Stephanie just reminded us. And so in addition to considering, okay, do I have access to federal loans as an option, which actually one of the things I wanna mention is that again, any applicant that's new to this might not know this, a lot of graduate programs abroad are actually more affordable c omparatively speaking to programs in the US the [00:30:00] tuition is not as high depending on the program of course, but it tends to be less than the, you know, top programs in the US. And cost of living can also sometimes be more affordable than some places in the US.

So. One, we're talking about federal loans. I'm not a big fan of encouraging loans, but it's good to know that it is an option. Mm-hmm. And I really appreciate that. You mentioned a couple of other things. So you mentioned, take a look at what's available externally. Is the Fulbright still available? Are there other types of, external scholarships, fellowships that you can apply to.

If not, does the institution itself provide internal scholarships? And that's where you might be submitting your letter of support for that. And even in your case, being very intentional, you planned in advance and you saved.

So all of these things, it's not. It is not a clean cut process. It's not like, okay, I apply. I get full funding. I'm good to [00:31:00] go. And even for folks who do that in the US for doctoral programs where you think, okay, I apply, I got full, full funding, I'm good to go. It's actually much more nuanced and much more complex and that because all graduate programs have hidden expenses. So we're spending a lot of time on this because I think it's really important, this idea of when you're thinking about funding, you need to tap into all of the options because you never know.

So it's good to have a plan A, B, and C. So in your case, it was plan A, let me see what scholarships are, are available. Plan B, let me have my own savings plan C, let me consider these loans so that I don't have to be stressed over money. And then you get to decide how much of those loans you actually accept. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Stephanie Sanchez: No, no. And, and it's worth I also do wanna note that one also big factor for choosing LSC was that it, it's a one year program. So, in terms of myself, you know, my ability to be able to kind of fund my own [00:32:00] my own expenses, , I thought that while I, I take out, , loan for tuition and accommodation, but I know that I can kind of fund my own kind of living day-to-day expenses for one year. So it felt, you know, one year I go in, I get my education I get my degree, and then I come back out and I work, right? So, it felt a little bit more, attractive that kind of option to me over, let's say like a two year program, or even if it was a two year program the cost is, is spread out enough where you have time to find perhaps other, other funding options while you're studying or you get a part-time job or it gives you a little bit more time to pay.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: And I also wanna mention, I wanna go back to what you shared earlier where you said that you received support, guidance, and I mentioned that we worked together. And I would love for you to share a little bit more about what that experience was like. So how did receiving consulting support [00:33:00] and professional services support you in reaching this milestone?

Stephanie Sanchez: I wanna say that I had a lot of anxiety when it came to writing the personal statement for my application for, for a master's program. And that really deterred me from even , starting the applications or let's say, I wanna say even, you know, a year, a year to two ago.

I thought about the idea as well as of going and applying for a Master's program. But again, I was always stuck at that personal statement because I guess I didn't have a lot of confidence in my writing, and I thought that you know, I don't know what a, a good application looks like or a strong personal statement looks like.

But I gained a lot of the kind of confidence in, in my, my work history that said my work history is very relevant to what I'm studying, so, you know, maybe I just need somebody to help me write that story. So, after listening to the podcast and I, I just decided to kind of go for it and reach out.

And I wanna say that your feedback style is [00:34:00] so so kind and I think you give feedback so tactfully that it made me feel very I, I didn't feel as much pressure and I felt that I was able to see that I was putting the pressure onto myself. There was nobody else putting that pressure on.

It was just myself. And it was, you know, I thought that in our meetings being able to say from here until the next time we meet, , you should have mean at least like half of the essay of half of the personal statement written or you know, write whatever you can.

And then the next time we'll kind of organize the ideas together. And, and it was a really good way to get started and not get so stuck in having every sentence be perfect, but rather, you know, get something on paper and we'll refine it and we'll find the story that we wanna tell. So, having that was very important to me to get things started, but also , having those dates you know, as we move along in our sessions, I'm gonna see progress because now I'm committed to making sure that I progress and [00:35:00] I'm, , advancing. So, the counseling sessions was definitely important to make sure that I stayed on track with my goals and if I treated, you know, this application like a project, like I had my deliverables, that I'm gonna come out with a personal statement, I'm gonna come out with maybe three application portals done or, or opened or started. So, there were very tangible results at the end of the counseling session , that I knew I needed accountability to get those done.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: I appreciate you sharing that, the feedback style, you said kind, but tactful. Mm-hmm. And I also appreciate you sharing that. I like to just meet you where you are. So if you don't have the full draft, we'll just work with what you have and that really it's a collaborative process, right?

And, but you are in control the whole time. So even from the story, it's like, let's brainstorm ideas, but you get to decide what the final story is that you [00:36:00] want to share that brings all of your experiences together. And I absolutely loved your statement and I feel so honored that I get to do this work because personal statements.

Are personal, they're vulnerable. You're sharing key pieces of yourself. And I remember so many stories over the years of doing this of people like, and you're like sharing a big part of yourself with essentially a stranger. Like, yes, you got to know me, but it is a very intimate process to share your writing with someone else.

And I think it's a testament to your commitment to reach out and ask for support and reach out and actually pay someone for that kind of support.

Stephanie Sanchez: Yeah. Yeah.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: And to, to take it that seriously. Like even if you're like, maybe I won't reach every single milestone exactly in the way that I want it, but I'm making progress each session.

And you did. And then to leave you with, okay, you've got all of your deliverables. Now it's on you to [00:37:00] to click submit, you know, to tailor them further and click submit. And you did it right again, you did it. So, it's just so gratifying. I'm so grateful. I'm curious now that you are. You're here, or not here, but like you are in London.

What has life been like so far? Any lessons learned or, you know, any surprises? What's come up for you as you made this transition?

Stephanie Sanchez: Yeah, I, I mean. I wanna, I'm so happy that , I'm able to sightsee on my walk to school because there's so much, you know, so many little neighborhoods and so many little so much that I can kind of discover even on the walk to school. So it's been so fun to really have that healthy mix of like being a tourist, but also, you know, I, I live here so, I get to discover a little bit more the. Kind of the life of the, the food, the culture but also I have an opportunity to learn, right?

[00:38:00] And research , and meet other people with similar interests and who have so many different, diverse backgrounds that kind of feed into that wealth of knowledge. So this is all fun. But I, I will have to say that, kind of transitioning into academia, I was always, I was still a little bit nervous about you know, oh kind of the intensity of the research that I am now expected to do.

So I wanna say that f inding support in, in the resources that the school offers has been super important. The library even from undergrad, I, I remember professors always placing emphasis on approaching the library, seeing what resources are there. And luckily I'm at a school where, you know, the library will always have workshops on whether it's planning your term or how to, you know, answer certain research questions or how to prepare for the exams. So that that part of reaching out to the resources that the school has was great to prepare me to kind of return to academia, especially at this level of [00:39:00] intensity.

But I've been able to balance that, that level of rigor and schoolwork, but while also having a lot of fun and exploring in the city. And the way I've been able to do that is by really luckily because I'm in student accommodation. I get to live with flatmates and I've gotten along so well with my flatmates that we plan trips to local towns and make sure to go out.

You know, discover a little bit of the, the bars or the parks that are so beautiful here. So, that's been a great way for me to make sure that I'm socializing and I'm engaging and I'm, you know, de-stressing when it's needed. But then I know I can also get back into the flow of work and research by going to the library so that I'm not feeling too lost or I'm not feeling, that it's, it's a lot.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: I appreciate you sharing that because sometimes the assumption is that it's all gonna be rainbows and butterflies, but the reality is that you are completing an intensive graduate program in a [00:40:00] very new environment. So adapting to a new environment is hard, and adapting to a new program is also hard. And at the same time, you have your flatmates, you have support, and you are grounding yourself with, again, things to look forward to, visiting new towns, checking out new sites. So that's all really, really great to hear.

And for folks who like you dream of pursuing graduate school abroad or dream of getting to spend a year abroad, what are your final words of advice or any closing words that you want to leave them with?

Stephanie Sanchez: So I would say that you know, have, have a lot of faith in, in your abilities because I found that that really made me wait a long time before applying.

And I think that this experience has definitely allowed me to. Think more closely and for whoever that's kind of sitting there and kind of thinking about applying [00:41:00] evaluate what your accomplishments have been to date and, you know, just know that if you've been able to accomplish that, you're capable of much more.

And. It's just a matter of like, how badly you want it, right? So that was something that once I was able to kind of have faith in my abilities that I'm able to do more, I really sat down and I thought, in my day to day, like, how happy am I? What, what do I really wanna achieve? And you know, how much am I really willing to invest in it and work towards it?

So I wanna say that. I really encourage, your listeners to, to spend that time evaluating how, how badly, they want this either dream to become reality and, and how that will serve them in either fulfilling their, their, their interests and their desires to research something or live a different life or grow, either it be professionally or personally. So that's very important. I think that kind of introspection is very, very important to, to really see, you know, if this is something you really [00:42:00] want.

And, also, you know, don't be afraid to tap into your network and your family and your friends because, there's so much that my friends and my family have helped me in the process, even when I started to lose a little bit of, momentum or I kind of. Made it an excuse that like, oh, if I'm not getting the results of my visa application in quickly, then, you know, maybe it's the universe saying that I don't, I don't need to come, I don't need to go to to London, or I'm not meant to go to London.

But, you know, it was really my family and friends that pushed me to do follow ups and to reach out and to make sure that my, my application and my materials were submitted in time. And if I didn't get a response back from my visa that I'm doing the best that I could to get a response back. So I think that having that push and, and, and externally, but also, you know, having that support , is always very important to make sure that you know, you know, you have cheerleaders, you know, you have people that want the best for you.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: [00:43:00] Yeah. Yeah. I appreciate you for joining us. Actually, just one more thing. I know I said this was the last question, but for folks who resonated with what you shared today, is there a way that they could reach you if they want to chat with you or stay connected?

Stephanie Sanchez: Yeah, of course. Feel free to reach out to me on all, all platforms, either the email or LinkedIn or, or social media on Instagram. I'm so, so grateful to be in this position and I really, hope that I can help somebody else or inspire somebody else, but provide more content.

Right. So if there's anything that anyone has any questions on or just generally needs kind of a little bit of a push to kind of get started I definitely offer myself to , to discuss kind of what your interest in how, you know, where you could find support or strategies to support.

So I, I think that's very important. Just getting started with one email or one text message or something is very important. And, I hope that if anyone feels that they can or they want to reach out, that they, you know, you're more than [00:44:00] welcome to reach out.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: Thanks again, Stephanie. We'll make sure to leave a link in the show notes so that if folks wanna stay in touch via social, they can do that. Thank you again for joining us. Thank you for the wealth of information that you shared. I know you shared lots of gems and folks, you need to be taking notes 'cause this, she gave you a whole checklist of things to do, best practices, and this is why she is where she's at now. So thank you again, Stephanie.

It's been amazing.

Stephanie Sanchez: Thank you so much again for the opportunity to be here.

And there you have it. What I appreciate most about Stephanie's story is how intentionally she approached every step of the grad school application process. You'll notice that she didn't rush. She began with clarity about her long-term goals. She researched her options. She sought community and accountability, and she built a clear plan to get there.

For anyone who's [00:45:00] listening, who's considering applying to grad school, whether it's in the US or abroad, Stephanie's journey is a reminder that you don't have to rush and you also don't have to do things on your own. Having someone to guide you through each stage from exploring fit to refining your personal statement can make the process far more grounding and less overwhelming.

So as you reflect on today's episode, please ask yourself, what dream or next step have I been postponing because it feels too big or too uncertain, and what kind of support or structure would make it feel possible?

If you'd like to learn more about my graduate admissions consulting services, you can visit gradschoolfemtoring.com/consulting to explore options for one-on-one support on your applications, personal statements, and any of your academic or professional goals.

And [00:46:00] if Stephanie's story inspired you, please stay tuned for more client spotlights each quarter. These are stories of first-gen, BIPOC and or neurodivergent students and professionals who are creating success on their own terms. Thanks again for listening, and as always, I'll talk to you all next time.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu: thanks so much for listening. If you liked what you heard, here are three ways you can support the show. The first is to make sure you're subscribed and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. The second way is to get your copy of my free resource kit linked in my show notes. This kit includes tools, playlists on all things grad school, productivity, and personal development.

The third way to support my show is to follow me on social media. You can find me on Instagram with the handle at gradschoolfemtoring and on LinkedIn by searching my name. [00:47:00] Thanks again for listening. And until next time.