#ref-menu
1) I wish to pursue my masters, how and where do I start?
If
you are determined to pursue your masters, to start with, all you need to do is
registering yourself for GRE (www.gre.org)
and TOEFL (www.toefl.org). You are supposed
to give GMAT (www.gmat.org) in case of an
MBA.
2) Where do I register for GRE, TOEFL, SAT or GMAT tests?
Once
you have decided to take the tests, you can log on to www.ets.org where you can register for the
required test online and also get the complete information required.
Or
Log on to www.gre.org
for details about GRE.
Log on to www.toefl.org
for details about TOEFL.
Log on to www.gmat.org
for details about GMAT.
Log on to www.sat.org
for details about SAT (for
undergraduate studies)
3) How much do they charge for the above
tests?
For the latest
information about fees that ETS charges for various tests, please check the
links corresponding to the tests
·
GRE: $ 195
·
TOEFL: $ 160 (IBT)
·
GMAT: $ 250
4) What is the mode of the payment for these
tests?
The amount can be paid from
International credit cards like
·
Visa
·
Master card
·
American Express
·
JCB
5) I am done with registering for the
tests, now how do I start preparing for them?
Once you are done with registering for the
tests, then you can sit down with the
preparation.
Books listed below can help you get good
scores.
- Barron’s
- Kaplan’s
- Big book
- Word power made
easy
- Princeton
review
- Cambridge etc.
You can start with
reading the high frequency words and then get deeper CDs
- Power prep cds
(free cd given when u register for the tests)
- Cambridge
- Princeton
- Barron’s
And others
6) What should be the exact duration for
the preparation?
Generally you
should be going through the word lists right from the third year of Engineering
if you wish to get high scores!
It also depends on the individual on
how he/she sets his/her time and prepares for the tests, some of them prepare
only for 10 days, or a month and some of them prepare for 2 months and some may
take even longer time.
The bottom line is, depending on the
interest of the individual, the preparation time varies.
7) What is the right time to take the tests
if I wish to apply for fall, (i.e., after my final exams)?
You can give your
tests in your second year or third year or in the first semester of your final
year depending upon your availability of time. The most appropriate time would
be somewhere in between 3-2 and 4-1.
8) What are the cut-off scores in these
tests for universities?
The cut-off score
for TOEFL (CBT) is 213 for most of the universities. For some universities it
is 200 and for some of them it is 197. But 213+ on the board will be neat.
The cut-off score
for TOEFL (iBT) is 79 for most of the universities. But 80 + on the board will
be neat.
Coming to the GRE,
1000+ on the board will be neat.
9) What are the expiry dates of these
tests?
GRE is valid
through 5years
TOEFL is valid up
to 2years
GMAT is valid up to
5 years
10) How many times can I give these tests?
You can take them
as many times as u wish in a year, but cannot take the tests twice in the same
month.
11) If I scored less in the first attempt,
what should I do?
If you have scored
less in the first attempt, then you can use the option to cancel your scores at
the end of the exam without reporting them to the respective universities. And
then you can take the test again and if you are successful you can report the
scores (2nd attempt) to the university.
12) How do I report my scores to the
university?
You can use the
option given at the end of the test for reporting the scores which is free of
cost, given by the ETS (educational testing society) or else you can report
your scores through telephone (ISD) by calling the ETS (NEW
JERSEY).
13) How much do they (ETS) charge if I
report my scores?
They charge 27$ for
reporting GRE and 19$ for reporting TOEFL to each university if you apply
through FAX, and if u wish to do it through telephone, they charge an extra 12$
as service tax per call. (You will have to call separately for GRE and TOEFL).
14) Where do I get the details like phone
numbers for reporting these scores?
You can get them on
www.ets.org
15) What do I do when the university says
that I didn’t report my scores even though I have reported them?
You can call the
help line and explain your problem; they will immediately react to your
problem. www.ets.org ; you can find the
numbers in the mentioned site.
16) What are the things I need to keep near
me, when I call the ETS people to report my scores?
The things you need
to keep beside you are
-
Score report (confirmation number and registration
number)
-
Credit card (which you are going to use)
-
Institution codes of the respective universities
(available in the site www.ets.org )
-
Department codes (eg.: 66 for electrical., refer www.ets.org)
17) On what basis do I select universities
for applying to masters?
You can consider
the following factors while applying to masters
- Ranking
of the university
-
Assistantships and Research opportunities
-
Financial aid
-
Profile (aggregate percentage, test scores, etc.)
-
Reputation
-
Tuition fees
-
Climate
-
Professors working in your area of interest
-
Job prospects
-
Near to larger cities
-
Presence of relatives or seniors
-
Course structure
-
Cost of living
The above factors
may be put in any order depending on the student’s choice.
18) What are the documents that I need for
applying to universities?
Once if you’re done
with the selection process, then the list of documents needed for applying are
-
SSC / Inter Xerox copies attested by the principal
-
B.TECH / B.E transcripts
-
Extra curricular certificates (mini projects, paper
presentations, national level papers published, international level, internships
……etc,)(Xerox copies)
-
Passport Xerox
-
Affidavit of support from your parents
-
Bank statements
-
Recommendation
letters (3), from corresponding professors or important persons under whom you have worked.
-
Statement of purpose (SOP)
-
Resume
-
Some additional documents, requested by the university
(formats can be obtained from the university website)
19) How do I send them to the university?
You can send these
documents through courier, which will take 5 working days to reach the
destination.
20) How much will it cost me?
It depends on the
weight of your application packet. It generally ranges from Rs 800 to Rs 1000.
It also depends on the type of courier services.
21) Are there any websites, where we can
practice the tests online?
The below sites can
be helpful
22) What would be the best time for applying to
universities?
If you wish to go
for fall semester, then you should be applying and sending your application packets
by NOV- DEC, if not, at least by JAN and students going for spring should be
applying by JUN- JUL –AUG as most of the universities follow first come first
serve policy. It is always beneficial, if applied early.
23) How many intakes does a university have?
A typical American
university has 3 intakes
FALL Semester – AUG/SEPT
SPRING Semester – JAN/FEB
SUMMER Semester – MAY
24) When is the highest intake?
Intake will be more
for FALL, as many students are done with their under graduation and also many
graduate students in the universities graduate in FALL; then comes SPRING,
followed by SUMMER. Similar to this hierarchy, the courses offered also will
decrease in each intake.
25) Is it true that the aid chances are very
less in SPRING and SUMMER when compared to FALL?
Yeah, it’s
partially true, as most of the students (75%) go for FALL, so they are given to
them, but students going for SPRING and SUMMER too have good chances of
securing aid.
26) What is the difference between AID and FEE
WAIVER?
Fee waiver is a provision where in you
get your tuition fees waived, either completely or partially. FINANACIAL AID provides
salary/scholarship along with fee waiver
27) I definitely need a fee waiver or an
aid; can u give me the list of universities?
You can look for
-
Univ of Kentucky , Lexington
-
Univ of Alabama , Huntsville
-
State universities of New York
-
Western Kentucky, bowling
green
-
Dakota schools
-
Mc neese state university
-
Lamar university
-
Farleigh
Dickenson University
-
University of Missouri Kansas City
These schools give
a fee waiver for 95% of the students. (Note: only for the first SEM)
28) How do I contact a professor?
You can get the
contacts of the professors from the respective university websites (graduate
department) and you can mail them regarding your interests and your
specializations.
29) What is the procedure to contact a
professor or request for an RA?
Firstly, introduce
yourself and then talk about your scores and % (GPA), talk about your field of
interest, about your mini-projects or main projects /papers etc, and then show
your interest towards working for him/her. Then thank him/her. Do not directly
ask for funding.
30) What is GPA?
GPA is Grade point
average. It is calculated by the subjects taken and the marks obtained.
Normally it is rated on a 4 scale. 3 GPA is considered to be 60%.
31) How much GPA does a university expect?
This depends on
university to university, some of them need 3.5; some need 3; and some need
2.75(which may be 57-58%) and minimum being 2.5 (55%)
32) Tell me about CGPA?
CGPA is cumulative
grade point average. It varies from university to university. Generally they
take out some important subjects or credit hours and calculate this CGPA. It is
on a scale of 10.
33) Where can I get the list of American
universities?
The below sites may
be helpful
34) Where can I compare things about
universities?
The below site may
be helpful
35) Where can I get to know about the state?
You can take help
from websites like
www.50states.com and you can always search
through the Google.
36) How many universities should I apply?
It solely depends
on the student, whether he wishes to apply for 1, 2, 4 or 8 universities. The
best number would be 5 or 6.
37) How should the selection be?
If you are applying
to 6 schools, then
Choose 2 am bitious schools
2 moderate chances
2 safe schools
38) How do I know my application status?
You can check your
application status online after the university issues your identification
number after checking all your documents.
Or
You can call the
admission staff and ask them about your application status. They will inform
you about your status (numbers can be obtained from the grad school website).
39) How much time will it take before I receive
my I-20?
It takes 50 – 90
days to receive your i20 from the university.
40) What is an I-20?
I-20 is an
‘admission form’, stating that you are admitted into a particular university in
a particular course.
41) How much time will the I-20 take to reach
me once it is dispatched from the university?
Normally, an I-20
is dispatched through normal post, which could take 3-4 weeks to reach you.
42) Can I get it in a week? (In case if you are
out of time)
Yes, you can, if you
request them to send the post by courier otherwise known as express mail, you
will be asked for your credit card details so as to send the I-20 by express
mail. You will get it in 5 days.
43) What are the things I need to take to the
GRE/TOEFL tests?
You need
-
Passport
-
Confirmation letter (sent to your email as soon as you
register for your exam)
-
A secondary photo ID like a driver’s license, Student
ID, etc
44) What am I supposed to do if my name is
printed wrong in the score reports?
You can contact ETS
through phone or email and explain your problem. You can find their contact
numbers in the website www.ets.org . You can
ask them to send you a new score report.
45) What if my name is misspelled in my I-20?
You can always ask
them for a new one. You can mail them or contact through telephone. They will
definitely issue a new I-20.
46) How many days will it take to receive my GRE
/ TOEFL score reports?
It takes 1 month to
2 months to receive your score reports. On an average it takes 40 days to
receive your score reports.
47) What are RA, TA and GA?
RA – Research
assistant
TA – Teaching
assistant
GA – graduate
assistant
48) How different is a RA to a TA and a GA?
Teaching
Assistantship basically deals with assisting professor in his classes and helping
him in clarifying students’ doubts regarding the subject and then conducting
labs and evaluating paper. On the other hand Research Assistantship deals in
continuing the research work done by the professor and preparing materials,
documentation and other related works. Graduate assistant is one who is given a
full fee waiver and then he will be doing both TA’s and RA’s work. There are
many departments in which GA position is offered.
49) How do I contact the seniors of the
particular university?
There will be a web
page for the Indians in every university website. In that website, details
about The Indian Student association (ISA )
will be given and also the list of all the association members along with their
contacts will be given in that site. You can also look for the University’s
Indian Students Association in yahoo groups where in you can contact all the
Indians of the university.
50) Will
long mails to the admission staff irritate them and affect the admission
process?
Yeah, they
definitely do affect the procedure. The admission staff will be going through
numerous mails everyday and lengthy mails bore the staff. So it’s better if you
keep your mail small and precise (to the point). This is always advised while
writing official mails.
51) Can I get an RA or a TA or a GA in the
first semester?
It is tough to get any
of them in the first semester. Depending on your performance in the first
semester, you can stand a chance for getting it. However some of them with a
good academic profile do manage to get it in the first semester itself.
52) How do I apply online?
It’s a very simple
process, similar to filling any other application form. It can be downloaded
from the university website and all your particulars are to be filled in. At
the end you are supposed to give the application fee via a credit card.
53) How much fee do I pay during the
applications?
It varies from
university to university. Some universities have 100$, 55$, 50$, 45$, 25$ as
fee and for few, it is free.
54) Which university doesn’t charge any
application fees?
Michigan
Technological University (70% Academics is the minimum requirement)
55) What is this evaluation fee (100$ fee)?
The WES evaluation converts educational credentials from
any country in the world into their U.S. equivalents. It describes each
certificate, diploma or degree that you have earned and states its academic
equivalency in the United
States .
56) Can you give me reasons as to why I should choose
US for higher education?
-
Excellent academics
-
Outstanding Research
-
Flexibility in course curriculum
-
Financial assistance
-
Work programs
-
Internships
-
Job opportunities
-
Cultural exchange
57) What are public universities?
These are state affiliated institutions and
some include the words “state university” in their title. They are relatively
inexpensive when compared to other universities nation wide, but getting
admission into these universities can be more difficult than a private institution.
The enrollments tend to be very large such as 20,000 or more students. Due to
huge number of students studying in public universities, international students
can easily find on-campus jobs and teaching assistantship jobs.
Also, many government-funded research
projects are allocated to state universities, which provide RA positions for
highly qualified students. Most of the universities offer partial or full
tuition waivers to teaching and research assistant students.
58) Tell me something about private
universities?
Private
institutions are supported by student tuition, investment income, research
contracts, and private donations. Tuition fees tend to be higher at private
universities than at state universities, but they charge the same tuition to
both state and out of state residents. The quality of education is equal
between public and private universities. The main differences are funding and
fees.
60) Where can I find some genuine ranking of
universities?
You can get them at www.usnews.com published by the US
news.
61) Tell me something about score reports?
All universities
accept only the original score report of the student. It should be sent
directly from the testing service (ETS).
A photocopy or a student copy of the score sheet will not be accepted.
Any reporting should go through ETS. ETS reports GRE and TOEFL scores to four
universities of the student’s choice, the cost of which is added in the
examination fee.
62) What if I plan to apply for more universities
(apart from the four applied during the exam)?
If you plan to
apply to more than one university, you must send additional scoring report
through ETS. The cost of extra reporting is $27 per university for the GRE and
$19 per university for TOEFL. TOEFL and GRE are valid for 2yrs and 5 yrs
respectively. Afterwards, the score will not be available on the database and
the reports will not be sent to the universities.
63) What will be the main admission criteria?
The main admission
criteria will be the academic performance of the students in their under-graduation
(for MS aspirants). The test scores such as GRE/TOEFL are also important next
to the academics. Later they look into published papers and projects. The
admission is also done based on the marks obtained in the core subjects, or the
courses related to selected specialization. This process is adopted when the
profiles of students are similar and sometimes also in normal admissions.
64) How can I know my admission status?
Well, many universities
have online status checking facility. The status can be checked with the aid of
the identification number given by the university after your admission packets
reach the admissions office. Some universities don’t have the online status
checking facility. In that case students can call the admissions staff to know
their admission status.
65) How many days will it take when the I-20 is
dispatched from the university?
66) What if I don’t receive my I-20 in 2-4
weeks time or what if my name or some other details are misprinted on my I-20?
You can always call
up the admissions staff and ask them to send you another copy of your i20 I-20.
They will be more than willing to send you another one.
67) Tell me how to know the fee structure? It’s
all shown in credit hours!
Yeah! The fee in
American universities is shown connecting to the credit hours. A master’s
student will have to take a minimum of 9 credit hours (i.e., 3 credits * 3
subjects) per semester. On an average a master’s student will have to take 12 courses
to complete his degree requirements.
For example:
If the fee per
credit hour is given as 550$, then the semester fee can be calculated as
550* 9 =4950$ per
semester, which in Indian rupees would be 4950*65=3,21,750 Rupees.
The whole course will cost him
4950*4=19,800$ which in Indian rupees would be 12,87,000 rupees (13 lakhs
approx).
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