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The
Trigger Guide to studying in USA
The
Trigger Education Guide will help you plan and proceed confidently
in your application process. A good plan of action reduces chances
of omitting important aspects of your application. For each stage,
we have incorporated appropriate time lines in reverse chronological
order with respect to the scheduled start of the programme.
STAGE
I
1.
Choose Your Field of Study. ( start 24 months in advance)
Choose
your field of study, and the type of program you would like to pursue.
Choosing
The Field of Study :
CONSIDER
THE FOLLOWING ISSUES WHILE SELECTING YOUR FIELD OF STUDY :
·
TERMINOLOGY - In the US, Masters programs and PhD programs
are called "Graduate Programs". Bachelors Programs are
called "Undergraduate Programs". This is different from
the British system of denoting them "Postgraduate" and
"Graduate" respectively.
· THESIS COMPONENT - Some courses have a thesis component,
while others don't. Look for this distinction clearly. Further some
non-thesis programs may have scope for optional thesis, while others
don't.
· INTER-DISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS - Many schools offer
new interdisciplinary programs that are different from the traditional
MBA, MS programs. They have different names, and it is worthwhile
looking at them. Many of them have not figured on any ranking list
so far. Schools like CMU, MIT and Stanford have quite a few exciting
interdisciplinary programs.
· CHANGING FIELD OF STUDY - Students who would like
to change their field of study have many options. Many interdisciplinary
programs are typically suited for students who want to gather a
breadth of knowledge in areas different from their undergraduate
field of study.
2.
Select A List Of Institutions. (18-24 Months)
Choose
a list of schools offering programs in the planned field of study.
The schools' and programs' websites, brochures and catalogs are
good resources to get more information.
The
first step is to search for schools and programs.
You would want to consider rankings by various agencies when you
shortlist the programs or institutions. Rankings are a fairly good
overall indicator of the strengths and weaknesses in each university.
Search
for Universities
SEARCH
FOR UNIVERSITIES/SCHOOLS OFFERING PROGRAMS IN THE CHOSEN FIELD OF
STUDY
In
this phase, you should search for universities that may offer your
desired area of study. This is probably one of the most crucial
steps in the process. For, a university that you may overlook or
ignore in this stage may never crop up on your radar screen again.
Some
important sources of information at this stage are -
· University/School and program rankings
· University Websites, brochures and other sources of information
· Third party information sources like guides and other material
· Your friends, acquaintances and others who have done it
before
Visit the nearest United States Information Service (USIS) center,
US Embassy or Consulate for more details. They have professional
counselors who help answer all your questions. Many of them can
be contacted via e-mail too.
Suggestions
:
·
Many universities may have allied programs and degrees that address
your desired area of study, in addition to other areas. Do not fail
to look at these programs too.
· Multidisciplinary programs are now very popular in many
Universities. Note that in many cases these degrees are offered
jointly by various departments of the University, and the information
may be listed only on the web-pages or brochures of one of the participating
departments of the same University.
· Some universities may offer your planned field of study
in only one of their campuses or branches. Be sure to thoroughly
check the programs and course offerings at all branches of a university.
· In the case of larger universities, certain programs and/or
areas of study may be offered in only select branches or locations
of that university. Be sure to check the relevant information of
all such campuses. Also note that rankings may be applicable only
to certain campuses of a university or school.
· The title of degrees offered by universities can be as
diverse as the range of degrees themselves. Apart from the traditional
titles of MS, MBA, MA etc., there are many degrees offered under
various abbreviations. Do not neglect to read more about them just
because they may look different.
Research
Rankings
RANKING
ISSUES
· Students are invariably involved in the "ranking game",
trying to figure out if one school is better than the other.
· Rankings are done by private agencies. The US Government
does not issue any "official rankings".
· Most rankings have not yet incorporated interdisciplinary
programs. There may be very good programs that fail to appear in
rankings simply because the scope of these programs straddles many
disciplines of study, and the ranking agencies may have no framework
for evaluating these.
· The ranking list should be a good starting point. Do not
let ranking alone determine your list of schools. You need to take
that as only a guiding factor to understand the relative quality
and marketability of schools and programs.
· You should also choose schools and programs from various
segments of the ranking list, to get a better chance of acceptance.
As a rough yardstick, rankings also reflect the degree of selectivity
in the admissions process.
· Some of the agencies that publish rankings are: US News
and World Report www.usnews.com
Suggestions :
·
Consider rankings from more than one source.
· Analyze rankings of at least two or three years and figure
out the programs that consistently perform well.
· Be sure to check the reliability and bona-fide of the ranking
agency, company or publication. The USIS would be able to help identify
the reputable ranking agencies and publications.
· Some of the newer programs from established universities
and schools may not yet figure in popular rankings. This should
not deter you from inquiring more about such programs.
· Different schools and departments within the same university
may offer similar programs covering very similar courses of study;
be sure to clarify which program, school or department a particular
ranking pertains to.
3. Request For Application, Test Material (18-20 months)
Search
for details on the website or request for materials from the university.
This is a good time to start preparing for the appropriate standardized
test like TOEFL, GRE, GMAT. Getting your application material early
is pretty important. Make sure you are ready to take your the required
standardized tests.
Request
for application material
THERE
ARE MANY WAYS TO REQUEST FOR APPLICATION MATERIALS
· Online Forms - Many schools have electronic versions of
the application material on their website. It is the fastest way
to obtain requisite materials. However, if you choose to download
the same, make sure that you have all parts of the application material.
You don't want your application material to be classified as "incomplete"
during the admissions review process. Some schools (like MIT's Sloan
School of Management) have only electronic version of the application
material. You would need to download the same and use it.
· Request by e-mail - Another popular way to request for
material is to send e-mail to the admissions department of the particular
program. Some programs require further information before sending
the complete packet.
· The Pre-Application Process - United States Information
Services (USIS), Educational Foundations and Consulates have a standard
form called a "Pre-Application Form" (or Pre-app form,
in short). You would need to fill in these and send them by regular
mail. Please note that this would be the slowest method of calling
for application material.
· Sending a letter - Some students prefer to send letters
to the admissions department. We would not recommend that. Your
letter might take a while to be processed, as it would be part of
the overall office correspondence load. If you do plan to send a
letter, please address it and mail it to the specific individual
or office that handles this matter.
· Note: Some schools send a preliminary application material
free of cost but ask students to send a nominal amount of money
to cover the costs of sending a complete packet. In such cases,
consider downloading the forms if available online.
SUGGESTIONS
:
· Request for materials from all the universities that you
have selected earlier. Also ask those universities to send you application
materials for all programs that cover your desired area of study.
This way, you can get information and application material for good
programs that you might not have identified.
· Request the university to rush the material if you anticipate
a postal delay or other hindrance. You can also request them to
courier the materials.
· Getting the application materials online. In many cases,
complete application packets are available on the University websites.
It is recommended that you print them yourself. This would save
you a lot of time.
· Some universities have a system whereby students can apply
through third-party software or websites to more than one university
with one application. While this definitely saves time, we strongly
recommend you to still request for the university-specific application
packets - this would definitely help you in the essay and statement
writing stage, apart from giving you a more complete view of the
program and the institution.
Prepare
For Standardized Tests
STANDARDIZED
TESTS ARE MANDATORY FOR MOST PROGRAMS IN THE US
· Every program has its own test requirements. Make sure
you understand these, and are adequately prepared.
· Management and Business Administration programs usually
require the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) scores.
· Engineering and Science programs usually require the Graduate
Record Examination (GRE) scores.
· If English is not your first language, most programs require
the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores. Some TOEFL
sessions also include the Test of English as a Written Language
(TWE).
TAKING
THE TEST
· Most tests are now administered electronically at notified
testing centers. The age of "pen and paper" testing is
over. These tests are called "Computer Based Test" (CBT).
Computer based testing should not be a cause for concern. There
are many books that offer you a simulated experience with printed
"screen shots" meant to make you familiar with the interface.
Also, there will be an online practice session when you take the
computer-based test.
· Many tests like the electronically administered GMAT are
"computer adaptive". This means that the difficult level
and choice of questions is directly related to how well you answer
your questions.
TEST
REPORTING
· All schools require test scores to be reported directly
by the testing agency. You cannot send a "photocopy" or
"notarized copy" of your personal test score-sheet.
· Most tests allow you to list a particular number of schools/programs
to report the test scores to. You would need to give this information
latest by the test date. This is the most cost-effective way to
have your test scores reported, as the reporting fee is included
in the testing fee. Any additional requests to report scores would
cost you money. Most importantly, it would take a little more time
to report those scores, as you would need to send a test report
request form and the requisite fees separately. These all add up
to the total time taken for the reports to reach the school.
· If in doubt, follow up with the school to check if the
scores have reached them in time.
WEBSITES
OF TESTING AGENCIES
· For information on the Graduate Management Admission Test(r)
(GMAT(r)), please visit their website at www.gmat.org
· For information on the Graduate Record Examination(r) (GRE(r)),
please visit their website at www.gre.org
· For information on the Test of English as a Foreign Language(r)
(TOEFL(r)), please visit their website at www.toefl.org
· These tests are administered by the Educational Testing
Services(r) (ETS(r)), please visit their website at www.ets.org
FOR
STUDENTS FROM INDIA
Contacting
the Education Testing Services (ETS) for the GMAT(r), GRE(r) or
TOEFL(r) registrations :
·
ETS Contact Information -
New Delhi - Tel : 91-11-651-1649. Fax : 91-11-652-9741.
They have permanent computer based testing centers at the following
centers :
Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Hyderabad, Madras (Chennai),
Mumbai, Mumbai (USEFI), New Delhi and Trivandrum.
·
Not all tests are administered at all centers.
The registration office for TOEFL(r) in India is the Institute of
Psychological and Educational Measurement (IPEM), 119/25-A Mahatma
Gandhi Marg, Allahabad, U.P. 211 001, India.
Their email is ipem@nde.vsnl.net.in Call their offices at 91-532-624-881
or 91-532-624-988 for further information. Their fax number is 91-532-624-637
or 91-532-622460.
4. Assess your best option. (16-18 months)
Use the information in the application material and brochures to
assess your best-fit. Keep abreast with latest news from various
schools and listen to the opinion of students who have already gone
through the process. There are many issues to consider when assessing
your best fit, and talking to people either on
e-groups or BBS, can be very useful.
ISSUES TO CONSIDER
· Course content
· Course duration
· Career prospects
· Financial aid prospects
· Standardized tests required
· Work experience & profile of the current class
· News and Views about the school
5.
By now, you should have taken your tests (14-16 months)
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