Want to apply for graduate studies in USA?
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What should you do to apply for a graduate program in the US?
Deciding on the field of study
- Decide on the field of study
- Decide on the program i.e. (Masters or PhD) / (Thesis or non-thesis) / any special tract.
- Choose the universities
- Write the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) / Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
- Write the Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- Apply to the Universities
- Report the test scores
- Receive the I-20
- Apply for the US F1 Visa
- Make Travel Arrangements and fly
Obviously this is the first question you need to answer because everything else is dependent on it. And if you are not sure, go to www.petersons.com to find more information of the various fields. Also check out www.usnews.com to see the rankings.
What program of study should you apply for?
This is the first and most important decision that has to be made. Deciding on a field of graduation should be done after taking into consideration the following
- What are the fields of study you can apply for in US? Where can you find more about this field?
- Do you like the proposed field?
- How much time is the proposed field going to take to complete? What degree are you going to get at the end of the prescribed period of study? Does it involve thesis?
- Do you have to take GRE / GMAT or any other exam to get admission into the program?
- If admitted into a university in the proposed program, it is easy to get a F-1 visa?
- What are the prospects for financial aid (Fellowships, Fee-waiver, Research Assistantships, Teaching Assistantships) if admitted in the program?
- What are the job opportunities following the completion of the program?
- What are the universities which offer this program and which ones should you choose? And how many universities should you apply for?
Which universities should you apply for?
- www.petersons.com for a comprehensive list of all the programs available
- www.usnews.com to see the rankings of the universities based on programs
- www.google.com to search for other universities
Writing the GMAT / GRE
- Some programs expect you to write the GMAT / GRE and secure at least a minimum score on it. Confirm this by reading the website of the program or emailing the admissions office at the school. Read more about GRE at www.gre.org and read more about GMAT at www.mba.com
Writing the TOEFL
- All programs expect you to write the TOEFL and secure at least a minimum score on it. Confirm this by reading the website of the program or emailing the admissions office at the school. Read more about TOEFL at www.toefl.org
GMAT, GRE & TOEFL in India
- While the chances of admission and financial aid are mostly dependent on the GMAT / GRE score results, TOEFL score proves your command over English and is also an important factor.
- In India, Sylvan Technologies conducts the GRE & TOEFL computer based testing. In the past both GRE and TOEFL were being conducted as paper-and-pencil tests but now a days it is being conducted as a computer adaptive test.
How to apply for the GMAT, GRE & TOEFL tests?
- Please contact your nearest Sylvan Prometric Center. For a list of the centers, please visit http://www.infozee.com/indiatimes/tests/test-center.htm.
- You can also apply by contacting the Regional Registration Centre at New Delhi at (011) 6511649. You can apply for the exams by following the instructions of the computerized recorded menu.
What all should I have with me before I call to schedule an exam?
- Particulars about yourself: Name, Surname, Age, Date of Birth, Father�s Name, Permanent Address, Phone Number, Credit Card Details, Name, address and phone number of an emergency contact person
- You don�t need to have your passport with you when you call to take a test date. But you will need the passport on the day of the examination as a photo identity.
- You should have a valid Credit Card (VISA, MasterCard or American Express), which can pay in US Dollars with a maximum limit of $500. You will need the Credit Card Number, Validity till which month, the cardholder�s name and Address. The payment will be done via the credit card and the fee is $125 for GRE and TOEFL each. The rescheduling fee for the examinations is $40 (check with Sylvan for the latest rates).
How to Prepare for GRE There is no shortcut to success! The more you work; the better would be the results. Various publications have books published to help in the preparation for the exam. Some of the books and software are
- Barron�s GRE
- Arco�s Cambridge GRE
- POWERPREP� software for GRE (software)
- Kaplan�s GRE (software)
How to Prepare for TOEFL TOEFL measures your ability to understand North American English. Our sincere advice to you is to watch more English movies (Star TV, HBO) and read more novels, so that you can recognize and understand what some �clich�s� mean. It also helps to go through the following material.
- Barron�s TOEFL (with cassettes / CD)
- Arco�s Cambridge TOEFL
- POWERPREP� software for TOEFL (software)
On the day of the Examination Please report to the test center at least 30 minutes before the time of the appointment. Please take the following documents with you when you go to the test center
- Your genuine valid passport as the photo-identity
- A second photo Identity for e.g. driver�s license, College Identity card etc.
- GRE / TOEFL Appointment letter
Reporting the scores
- Once you have given the exams and you know your scores, you should report them to the universities you have applied for.
- ETS lets you report the scores to 4 universities free of charge. To take advantage of it, make sure you decide on at least 4 universities you wish to apply for before you give the examinations.
Applying to the universities
General comments
- Create an email address and check you emails regularly
- Typically most international students apply for 7-10 universities.
- So organize yourself and keep tract of the status of each application. Also make a note of any special documents that need to be sent each university
- Make a note of the university code and department code for each university. This is useful while reporting scores to the universities.
- Some universities require you to send two copies of transcripts and other documents while others require you to send them to two different addresses. So make a note of such quirks.
Application form
- Download the application from the universities website and print it. Fill in all the relevant fields in the application form. You may apply for some universities online. (Wherever possible try to apply online so that you save time. All the other documents may be later mailed to the university via snail mail)
- Send the following documents along with the Application form
Statement of Purpose
- This is an essay to be written by you stating you career goals, and how the program will help you achieve your goals. If you have never written an SOP, then visit http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/gcallaghan/graduate/winningstatement.htm
- What not to do while writing a SOP http://businessmajors.about.com/library/weekly/aa120202c.htm
Resume
- Resume writing tips http://www.questcareer.com/tips.htm
- Resume samples http://www.successfulresumes.com/executive_resume_samples.html
Transcripts from various colleges
- Transcripts should be obtained from each college / university above Higher secondary level.
- It is basically a photocopy of your original degree and consolidated statement of marks attested by the head of the Institution and should be sealed in an envelope with a signature (of the head of the Institution with office seal) across the seal of the envelope.
Semester wise / yearly mark sheets
- Many universities also want attested photocopies of all the semester wise mark sheets along with the transcripts. So it is advised to send it along with the application, so that your application file will be complete as soon as possible.
WES evaluation or ECE Evaluation
- Some Universities are not satisfied with the transcripts sent from Indian Universities. So they will request you to send either a document-document evaluation or a course-by-course evaluation (usually the later). For more information regarding this please visit www.wes.org or www.ece.org
Recommendation letters
- Most universities require three recommendation letters from someone who is in a position to judge you professionally, personally etc. So try to get a recommendation letter from someone who is in office (given more credit compared to someone who has retired) and who will give you a good referral.
- These letters too should be placed in envelopes and with a signature across the seal of the envelope.
Financial Statement(s) from the Bank
- A letter should be obtained by your bank giving the details of your bank account and your sponsor�s (parents, siblings etc.).
- This letter should be on Bank stationary and should be sealed in a bank envelope and should have the signature of the bank official and seal across the seal of the envelope.
- The balance in you account(s) should be more than the estimated cost of the total course (including tuition fees, living expenditure etc.).
Affidavit of support
- An affidavit of support is an affidavit printed on a bond paper in the prescribed format and is to be signed by your sponsor (parents, siblings etc.). A Notary should notarize this affidavit.
Proof of Immunization
- Most universities require proof of immunization in order to grant admission. Please refer to the university guidelines.
Reporting the GRE / TOEFL scores
- After you finish writing the GRE & TOEFL, the ETS will report the scores to the four universities, which you had asked ETS to report to. You will receive a confirmation letter regarding the reporting of the scores to the universities along with your score.
- If u need to report you score to more than 4 universities (which you would have done when you give the exam), you will need the additional score reporting form.
- There will be a $12 and $13 per university charge for reporting GRE and TOEFL scores respectively. You can also call ETS to report the scores (which is faster). There is an extra charge of $6 per call and a maximum of 4 universities that can be reported at one time. For more information, go to the GRE and TOEFL websites.
Making sure that the Application process is complete
- Once the application has been sent, and all the scores reported, the WES evaluation sent, you should make sure that your application files should be �complete� at all universities.
- You can do this by sending emails to the contact persons at various universities
Requesting Financial Aid
- You can send an email address requesting them for financial assistance.
- Also, send an email to the professors at the university to find out if they have any Graduate Research Assistant posts available.
- Other Scholarships
I-20
- Form I-20 is the document you will receive from the school after you have been granted admission.
- This is very important document and you will need it to apply for the visa.
- Once you receive the I-20s from various universities, decide which university you wish to attend and apply for the visa.
Applying for the Visa
- STUDENTS MAY APPLY ONLY 90 DAYS BEFORE THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE COURSE.
- Completed Application Form DS-156, DS-157 and DS-158 (if applicable)
- Passport valid for travel to the United States and with a validity date at least six months beyond the applicant's intended period of stay in the United States
- One colored photograph
- For F visa applicants, a completed Form I-20A-B (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status for Academic and Language Students) from the institution where the applicant will be attending.
- Original TOEFL scores and SAT, GRE, GMAT scores. (As applicable)
- Students going to the United States to earn a Bachelor's degree should bring their most recent mark sheets or graduation certificates.
- Students going the United States to earn a Ph.D. degree should bring their original undergraduate degree and mark sheets.
- Spouses and minor children accompanying the student to the United States should bring marriage certificates, wedding photos, and birth certificates with them to the interview, to prove the relationship between themselves and the principal applicant.
- Demand drafts for the applicable fees
- More information:
- US Embassy (Delhi) - http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/
- US Consulate (Chennai) - http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/
- US Consulate (Mumbai) - http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov/
- US Consulate (Calcutta) - http://calcutta.usconsulate.gov/
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