英国论坛
我于2003年通过imperial college london的civil engineering department拿到了ORS，时过一年，突然有觉得总结一下的必要，给后来人一个比较有价值的经验。所有的英文，都是我老板和学校奖学金委员会的原信，我选其重要的挑出来，然后给与点评。关于总论，写于去年，贴在紫霞上，重贴出来，觉得还是有点价值。关于标题，申ORS必读，有哗众取宠之嫌，但为了宣传效果，使更多需要的人看到，为此之举，深感惭愧。
版权所有，转载请引用作者和出处！
总论
很多读Ph.D.的朋友,特别关心陶瓷,其实,这是一个目前为止最好的找钱的方法.但是,怎么套,个人有个人的看法,说点自己的经验吧.
很多人把自己的经历简单说一下,然后就说自己对你的研究方向很感兴趣, 想读你的Ph.D..这样的陶瓷信,我发了不下百封,回的聊聊无几. 到了学校后,一天清理老板的邮箱,才发现几乎每天都有这样的信, 开始我也看看,后来我都不想看了,更何况老板?
所以,真正的陶瓷是建立在比较深的了解上的.
所以说,缩小范围,找一两所你真正想去的学校,每个选一个真正想跟的老板. 然后,看看他的简历,找一篇他最有代表性的文章,读一个星期.然后,给出自己的理解, 最好是个new idea.
其实,这不是很难,因为我刚来的一个月,都是每周给一篇论文,周一说new idea. 这需要你大量的查参考文献,等等.只有这样,老板才会对你的信真正的感兴趣.
这时,keep contact,mention money at appropriate time.
只要老板真的想要你,他会帮你找钱的.他没有有ORS么. 千万记住一句话,ORS成功与否和你的关系不太大,和你的老板牛否以及想要你的程度呈正比.
开始阶段，找到合适的导师并且得到他的认可：
I need to see your CV to make any decission about accepting you as my research student but seeing the list of your publications, I do not see any problem.
老板主动提到ORS
If you are going to finance yourself, you will need to apply for the ORS (Overseas Research Students) scheme. I believe you will find the details in the web site. This is a UK scheme and pays the fee differential between a home and an overseas student. It does not pay for any maintenence. This is quite a competitive scholarship and difficult to get.
谈及ORS推荐信
1,As regards the scholarships- for the ORS, you will definitely need a good reference from me and I am willing to give it. You will have to make the application though and the ORS will ask me to write the reference letter.
你将来的老板的推荐信占有极其重要的地位。
2,Could you please send me immediately through the email the abstract of your graduation paper and also the abstract of your other research papers and also details if these are published any where. If the abstracts are in chinese, I am afraid that you will have to translate these for me into English. If necessary, shorten the abstracts to give me the very essential bits only.
没人知道你将来老板推荐信的主要内容，因为你不可能看到，但是，通过上面的话，可以看出什么是比较关键和重要的，如果可能，尽量提供。
3，顺便说一句，因为ORS需要你是first class，如果你国内推荐人能提到你的水平能够相当于英国的first class，就十分理想了。
关于ORS的几关
As far as ORS is concerned, you have passed through the first barrier, that of the college. But now there is a much stronger barrier, that of the competition within the country.
可以说,ORS几关中，系里的和学校的是把握在你手里的，如果你找到的导师在系里比较权威，又真心想要你，过系里的关和学校的关问题不大，见总论。但是，一旦推到全国评比，就比硬件了，自己的条件，research Proposal，推荐信。每个环节都很重要。
关于Research Proposal
It may also be a good idea if you could add some specific case histories from china about large scale slope failures from China (i.e. if you can find some readily available-if not then just add some general statements).
就提到这么一句话，但是我觉得值千金。虽然申ORS的research proposal只有150words, 我还是用了 50words提及我做的方向对中国是多么的急需和必要。
关于renewal of ORS
Please note that your progress has been reported as satisfactory therefore a renewal is almost certain.
很少人提到这个，因为我是去年拿的，今年需要renewal。每年会有个renewal report给你的老板，如果他satisfactory，renewal is almost certain。
