General
Is a passport required for appearing in the exam?
Which exam should I take?
Which examinations are required for Higher Education in America?
Which examinations are required for courses in Management Information Systems (MIS)?
How many times can the GRE® test, the GMAT® test, the TOEFL® test be taken and which score is considered?
When should one take the tests if one wants to apply in Fall/Spring?
Is a 15-year graduation enough for a master's degree?
Are external degrees, autonomous courses, part-time diplomas accepted?
Is work experience required for an MBA?
What is the scope for Medical students in the US?
Is it true that only engineering and Computer Science students have opportunities in the US?
What are the sources/types of Financial aid available?
What is the average cost per year at US universities?
Can I work while I am studying in the US?
Am I more likely to get funding if I enroll for the Fall semester? Which semester is preferable - Spring or Fall?
Does work experience help to get funding?
Can I change my university while studying in the US?
Is it possible to change my field of study?
Can I work at the university while I am a student?
Can I work off campus?
How many hours may I work?
What is GPA?
What all is considered work experience?
How much scholarship can one get?
What budget should one have in order to take admission to Universities?
Can one work along with one's studies?
What factors are considered while giving admission?
What is the deadline to apply for admission?
What is meant by rolling admissions?
Which program one should go for?
Is a passport required for appearing in the exam?
Yes, a passport is the mandatory requirement at the time of any international examination. One has to carry a valid passport at the time of the examination.
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Which exam should I take?
Students desirous of studying abroad have to clear one of the three examinations given below:
1. SAT - for under graduate studies
2. GRE® - for Masters
3. GMAT - for MBA
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Which examinations are required for Higher Education in America?
The GRE® (Graduate Record Examination) is required for Master's and Doctoral degree courses in all subjects other than Management (Engineering, Physics, Biology, Pharmacy, Computer Science, Psychology, etc.)
The GMAT® (Graduate Management Aptitude Test) is required for all Management courses. It is also advisable to take the GMAT® if you are applying for an MS in related fields like Finance, Accounting, Marketing and allied fields
The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) is required for all undergraduate i.e. bachelor's level courses
The TOEFL® (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is required for all International students whose native language is not English and are seeking admission to American universities
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Which examinations are required for courses in Management Information Systems (MIS)?
Some universities require you to take the GRE® whereas some require you to take the GMAT. We recommend that you check the specific requirements of the universities you are interested in applying to.
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How many times can the GRE® test, the GMAT® test, the TOEFL® test be taken and which score is considered?
The tests can be taken more than once. Universities generally consider the best score but sometimes they may consider the average score. The decision is totally at the discretion of the university concerned.
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When should one take the tests if one wants to apply in Fall/Spring?
Students aspiring to join American Universities in the Fall Semester beginning in August/September should take the examinations latest by January of that year. Students planning to join in the Spring Semester beginning in January should take the examinations latest by July in the preceding year.
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Is a 15-year graduation enough for a master's degree?
Generally, American universities require that you complete 16 years of education before enrolling for a graduate program. Therefore students who have obtained a bachelor's degree after 15 years of education are required to complete a master's degree to qualify for admission to an American university. Students with an exceptional academic record can get admission in spite of 15 years of education, especially in pure sciences and humanities
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Are external degrees, autonomous courses, part-time diplomas accepted?
American universities are not generally willing to accept Bachelor's or Master's degrees obtained through correspondence courses. Also, degrees offered by institutes not affiliated to recognized universities are not accepted.
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Is work experience required for an MBA?
Nowadays, apart from a good GMAT® score, many universities ask for work experience of at least 2 years.
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What is the scope for Medical students in the US?
It is not possible for M.B.B.S. degree holders to obtain visas for further studies in medicine in the United States unless they pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). But a M.B.B.S. degree holder can seek admission in M.S. or Ph D programs in non-clinical subjects such as Immunology, Bacteriology, Anatomy, Genetics, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Toxicology, Pathology, Bio-medical Engineering, Public Health, Biotechnology etc. For this they will have to take the GRE ® test and the TOEFL ® test.
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Is it true that only engineering and Computer Science students have opportunities in the US?
No, this is not true. The American education system and job market needs students from various fields. In fact, non- engineering students stand a better chance of getting financial support from US universities. Every year we send several students in the fields of Sociology, Psychology, Geography, Economics, Mathematics and Statistics, Literature and Languages, Environmental Sciences, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Immunology, Physiology, Biomedical Sciences, Toxicology etc. A majority of these students secured admission in the top ranking universities with financial aid.
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What are the sources/types of Financial aid available?
Most universities offer substantial financial assistance to their students. They can be divided into three types:- Fellowships/Scholarships, Teaching or Research Assistantships, Campus Jobs.
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What is the average cost per year at US universities?
The cost of education in the United States ranges from $15000 to over $40000 per year. In addition to tuition fees, books and food, you have to plan for the expenses towards housing, health insurance and transportation.
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Can I work while I am studying in the US?
US laws do not allow students on an F-1 visa to work off-campus. But on-campus job opportunities are available. It is possible to work for up to 20 hours per week and the pay can vary between $6-10 per hour, depending on the area and type of work. Jobs can vary from working in a computer lab to library work or dishwashing in the cafeteria.
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Am I more likely to get funding if I enroll for the Fall semester? Which semester is preferable - Spring or Fall?
Generally yes. But funds keep coming to professors throughout the year. What matters more is the fact that most universities do not have comparable courses for Spring and Fall. We recommend that you compare the difference in courses before taking a decision.
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Does work experience help to get funding?
Generally yes, but relevant work experience is more likely to be considered e.g. if you are applying for Environmental Engineering, then you must have worked in the field for at least a year. You must send your work profile, duly authenticated by your employer, along with the application form.
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Can I change my university while studying in the US?
Yes. If you are not satisfied with your university, after you join it, you can apply to other universities and transfer your credits to the university you choose. You can do this at any time, but usually most students transfer admissions after the 1st or the 2nd semester. You should be aware that the new university may not accept all your credits and may ask you to take some extra credits. You can also take transfer, if another University is giving you financial aid.
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Is it possible to change my field of study?
Yes. The American system is very flexible. So you can change your field of study while studying in a particular university e.g. a student doing his M.S. in the engineering or the physics department can shift to the computer science department. But it often happens that when you transfer your terms for some other subject, the new department may not accept all your earlier credits. They may treat you as a fresh admission and accept only those credits that are similar in both courses.
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Can I work at the university while I am a student?
Yes. No special permission from the INS is necessary to apply for an on-campus job. Also, money earned from either an on-campus or off-campus job will not be enough to cover your tuition and living expenses. This money should be considered to be only a small supplement to your other financial resources.
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Can I work off campus?
Yes, but there are some additional requirements that you must fulfill:
You must be a full-time student in the U.S.A. for at least one academic year (9 months) before requesting permission to work off campus.
Both you and the employer must complete certain forms. These forms may be obtained from your foreign student advisor.
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How many hours may I work?
While school is in session, you may work up to a maximum of 20 hours per week. During vacation periods, you may work full-time (40 hours per week)
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What is GPA?
GPA means Grade Point Average. It is given on a scale of 0-4, 4 being the highest. It is equivalent to the Indian percentage system (0-100%). It is difficult for us to convert so ideally when one sends the information to the college, one needs to attach one's score, as also the highest in one's class, lowest in one's class and average in one's class. Using this, the Admissions Committee deduce one's GPA.
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What all is considered work experience?
Generally, work done simultaneously along with one's studies is not considered as work experience. Only full-time work experience is considered. However, if one has done some summer jobs for a well known company or one was working while doing one's graduation by correspondence, then the Admissions Committee may consider it as work experience. In such cases, candidates may send relevant certificates to the Colleges.
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How much scholarship can one get?
One can get up to 100% scholarship. GRE students find it easiest to avail of scholarships as compared to GMAT and SAT Students. Government Banks also offer easy study loans for up to 60 lakhs. One should take the examinations latest by July in the preceding year.
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What budget should one have in order to take admission to Universities?
Most college cost anything between $ 30000 and $ 50000 per year. This includes Tuition, Boarding and Lodging. If one gets a scholarship, then the fees gets reduced by that amount.
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Can one work along with one's studies?
Undergraduate students can easily get jobs of up to 20 hours a week on campus. This helps them to meet their personal expenses. Many Graduate Students, because of their busy schedules, do not get time to work, however, they often get TA / RA (Teaching/ Research Assistantships). These pay quite well and are best obtained when students reach their Universities.
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What factors are considered while giving admission?
A. GMAT/GRE/SAT/SAT II Results
B. High School and College results - transcripts (these have to be Xeroxed and attested by the school and college authorities and sealed and signed across the flap.)
C. 2-3 recommendations from teachers if one has just finished one's studies or from one's employer if one has been working for more than 1 year. (These have to be in original for each college and again sealed and signed across the flap. Sometimes the colleges send their own format else one can get it written like a letter on the College / University letterhead.)
D. Essays or SOPs - Most Colleges require students to write 2-3 essays. These essays are very crucial for the student's candidature. Students are advised to adhere to the specified word limit. If no word limit is mentioned, students would do well to not write more than 500 words per essay. Some typical essay topics:
Why do you want to study this course, give us your strength and weaknesses, describe an ethical dilemma that you encountered, cite an instance where your leadership / team skills came to the fore etc.
E. Extra curricular activities
F. Work experience - particularly helpful for GMAT.
G. 16 years schooling - not mandatory, but desirable
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What is the deadline to apply for admission?
There are two sessions-Spring (January session) and Fall (August session). Deadlines vary from college to college, although normally deadlines for fall start in end November and carry on till end February. Deadlines for spring start in June and carry on till December.
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What is meant by rolling admissions?
Some colleges don't have a deadline. Students can apply all year round.
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Which program one should go for?
A student needs to do proper research work for the correct course. Based on these researches, he can get guidance for his future moves. The varied steps one should consider are:
Collect as much information on the concerned university & program.
Read information on study materials through handouts, catalogs, pamphlets.
Constantly refer to the university web sites.
Read student evaluations.
If possible, watch program videos.
Take guidance from returned students on courses offered abroad
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