Are you sure this is right for you?

سعی میکنم که این مدت یه جمع بندی از اپلای ها داشته باشم و یه سری چیزا رو که نرسیدم این مدت بنویسم رو خلاصه کنم و بنویسم.

خب اولین قدم اینه که آدم بدونه واقعا میخواد اپلای کنه یا نه. این جوابیه که یکی از اساتید دانشگاه های امریکا داده که یکی از دوستان برام ایمیل کرده بودن و چون خیلی خوب بود گفتم اینجا هم بذارم. 

Many friends from Iran have contacted me for advice regarding entering a US university for a PhD degree. I will try to provide a detailed answer below and in the following posts. I hope this helps, and very good luck to all of you!

Are you sure this is right for you?
 
As anyone that has emigrated to another country can tell you, it's a very traumatic experience. Almost everyone thinks that he or she is different, that they have made their decision, they are ready to leave and that they will never regret their decision. Almost everyone later on finds that they were underestimating how hard it is. Leaving your country to study in another may be the right move for you, but it's certainly not going to be pain-free. People often have an unrealistic, hyper-optimistic view of what is going on abroad. I am sure that in many aspects, the educational institutes in US are far superior to those in Iran, at least at the moment, but not as much as you think! Also, living alone in a far away country and leaving your loved ones behind is MUCH MUCH harder than you ever imagine. So, be prepared for a very painful emotional experience, a lot of hardship especially in the first year, and reduce your expectations. US is not heaven, it's just another country on planet Earth. Also, people in US work much harder than the average Iranian worker, so get ready! If you like a life of comfort, you may want to reconsider your decision.