Destination US of A
The dream of thousands of students - To be able to catch a flight to the US of A to pursue their higher education. The entire process is so huge, that it takes about 6 to 8 months for one to finish it completely. For all the aspirants, here is a step-by-step list of things to be done.
1. The Standardized Tests:
1.1 Graduate Record Examination:
One might be tempted to call it an eye-wash! It almost is, yes, and am not kidding! A 1600 in the GRE does not guarantee a Stan admit, nor does a 1200 completely screw you. All you have to do is to make sure you get an near perfect score in your math, and a decent score in your verbal (The admission authorities know that the GRE verbal is not a good means of assessing your english skills...so, dont bother if you don't do great there...a score of above 550 should be more than enough)
1.1.1 When to take up the GRE?
If you are aiming for Fall 2007, the most ideal date for the GRE would be around June-August 2006. You can book on line at www.gre.org
You will need your credit card details to book on line, and the test charges are USD 140 (I know! Day-light robbery...lolz)
You are allowed to cancel or re-schedule your appointment, each of which is charged USD 40!
1.1.2 The CAT
The GRE test is on line and is computer adaptive. This means that each question that pops up on your screen is based on your answers to your previous questions. The computer judges you based on your responses, and posts questions accordingly. Ill probably try to simulate how it works:
When you start the test, the first question posted is generally of average difficulty for everyone, and the computer assumes your score to be around 550 (average score). If you answer it correctly, your score increases (say to 580), and the system now posts a question according to the increased difficulty level.
However, if your answer to the 1st question is wrong, your score decreases (say to a 500), and the computer now posts a less difficult question. This format continues for ALL the questions, and the computer tries to narrow your score to your approximate worth.
Points to remember:
a) The first few questions (say till 7 or 8) carry greater weightage than the last ones. This means that you will lose a lot if you answer these first questions wrongly, and hence, devote more time to them. However, by the time you reach the last few questions, the computer has already determined your approximate score, and so answering them wrongly *MIGHT* not be that big a deal.
b) NEVER leave any questions unanswered. If you find out that you have just 30 seconds to answer the last 5 questions, just close your eyes and make sure you answer ALL of them, with just wild guesses. As I said, wrong answers might not cost you much, but NOT answering them definitely WILL.
1.1.3 Your Free Score Reports
On the day of your test, you are allowed to designate 4 schools in the US, to which your scores will be sent FREE OF COST! So make sure, you think carefully before deciding those 4 schools. For more information on Universities in the US, visit www.usnews.com
1.1.4 Materials to study
In my opinion, you just need 3 things: a) The Barron's b) The BIG Book c) The Power Prep CD
Barron's wordlist is pretty much sufficient for the verbal section, and it takes a good part of 2 months to learn all the words (about 3500 of them!). The BIG book is no more avialable in the market, and hence catch your seniors to get a photocopy (Solve JUST the verbal part. The Big Book Math is for 8th graders! lolz). The Power Prep CD is sent to you through post, after you register for your GRE (It generally takes 20 days to reach you)
1.2 Test Of English as a Foreign Language
"Piece of cake" is NOT the word! Just the 2 tests in the Power Prep CDs will do. Visit www.toefl.org to register. The test is again USD 140. Im however not sure about the latest format, which is the TOEFL iBT. Kindly visit the web to find out.
1.2.1 When to take the TOEFL
You just need a day's prep. So answer that yourself!
1.2.2 CBT
TOEFL is again a Computer Adaptive Test (Only your Listening and Structure are CA). Just tests if you understand the various types of american accents (Texan, Californian etc etc - piece of cake, again!), your ability to form error-free sentences, and your writing skills!
1.2.3 Your Free Score Reports
---Same as that of the GRE---
2. Deciding the Schools:
Your next step would be to decide what universities you are going to apply to. The best site for this process would be www.usnews.com
There are quite a bit of freebie information available, but the best is locked up only for members. You need to pay USD 14.99 to register and get all the locked up details.
Other useful sites are www.edulix.com (an education forum) and the various communities at orkut.
2.1 A few criteria for selection
a) Rank (US News rank is generally accepted as the standard)
b) Tuition (Private universities charge a fortune, but offer more funds. Public univs are cheaper, but offer funds mainly to locals)
c) History of Funding
d) Acceptance rate
e) Repute in your field of specialization
2.2 When to start you app process
The best time would be start around mid-August. The deadlines for acceptance of applications start as early as Nov 15th. There are universities taht have very late deadlines too. The deadlines are REALLY specific to the departments in the universities. So contact the department to know the details. Most departments post these details in the web page. The best bet would be to do a Google. For example: "Stanford + ECE", will get you Stanford's department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
2.3 Application Forms
Almost all univeristies have on line application forms in their respective department websites. You will need to send in your application fee on line with the help of your credit card. The average fee is around USD 45-50!
2.4 Additional Materials
Apart from the on line forms, you will need to download and print several other application forms, mainly specific for your department. All these details will be provided in their respective web sites.
3. Lettes of Recommendation
They form one of the most important aspects of your application. So, make sure you get them from professors or lecturers who know you really well. There is actually NO point in getting a letter from an IIT Prof or an IISc prof, unless he/she has taken courses for you. The IIT or IISc tag otherwise, will NOT help you in any way.
Apart from getting a written letter, every university will require you to download their own custom REFERENCE FORMS to be filled by your recommenders. Make sure you get both done... put them in the same envelope and get the flaps cross-signed and sealed.
4. Statement Of Purpose
The single MOST IMPORTANT aspect of your application packet - SOP! This is because the SOP is the ONLY part of your packet, which is COMPLETELY under your control. So, you really really need to make sure you get the best out of it.
4.1 Things people look for in a SOP
a) Why this field?
b) Your motivation
c) Why this university?
d) Your specialization interests
e) Profs you'd like to work with
f) Your future plans and goals
For more tips, visit www.statementofpurpose.com
4.2 DONTs
a) NEVER write what you did when you were 5 years old or 10 years old. All they look for is what you are now, and what you want to be and why!
b) NEVER write stories (For eg: "It was one fine day when the idea struct me, and I ran from my bath-tub crying 'Eureka!'"...lolz) . Just write to the point
4.3 A Good SOP
A good SOP is achievable only after numerous revisions, and could even take a month to get converted into the fair copy (Mine took slightly more than a month!). Look through as many *successful* SOPs as possible, and get ideas from them. Get your's edited by friends or experts over and over again. (I would've edited at least 25 SOPs myself, and would be happy to help you guys out...just mail your draft to cheekum_gs at hotmail dot com)
5. General Top 10 Universities (for Computer and Electronics related fields)
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2. University of California at Berkeley
Stanford University
4. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
6. Carnegie Melon University
California Institue of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
9. Cornell University
University of Texas at Austin
Purdue University - West Lafayette
6. More information will be posted soon, folks...check up in a bit...cheers n best...
1. The Standardized Tests:
1.1 Graduate Record Examination:
One might be tempted to call it an eye-wash! It almost is, yes, and am not kidding! A 1600 in the GRE does not guarantee a Stan admit, nor does a 1200 completely screw you. All you have to do is to make sure you get an near perfect score in your math, and a decent score in your verbal (The admission authorities know that the GRE verbal is not a good means of assessing your english skills...so, dont bother if you don't do great there...a score of above 550 should be more than enough)
1.1.1 When to take up the GRE?
If you are aiming for Fall 2007, the most ideal date for the GRE would be around June-August 2006. You can book on line at www.gre.org
You will need your credit card details to book on line, and the test charges are USD 140 (I know! Day-light robbery...lolz)
You are allowed to cancel or re-schedule your appointment, each of which is charged USD 40!
1.1.2 The CAT
The GRE test is on line and is computer adaptive. This means that each question that pops up on your screen is based on your answers to your previous questions. The computer judges you based on your responses, and posts questions accordingly. Ill probably try to simulate how it works:
When you start the test, the first question posted is generally of average difficulty for everyone, and the computer assumes your score to be around 550 (average score). If you answer it correctly, your score increases (say to 580), and the system now posts a question according to the increased difficulty level.
However, if your answer to the 1st question is wrong, your score decreases (say to a 500), and the computer now posts a less difficult question. This format continues for ALL the questions, and the computer tries to narrow your score to your approximate worth.
Points to remember:
a) The first few questions (say till 7 or 8) carry greater weightage than the last ones. This means that you will lose a lot if you answer these first questions wrongly, and hence, devote more time to them. However, by the time you reach the last few questions, the computer has already determined your approximate score, and so answering them wrongly *MIGHT* not be that big a deal.
b) NEVER leave any questions unanswered. If you find out that you have just 30 seconds to answer the last 5 questions, just close your eyes and make sure you answer ALL of them, with just wild guesses. As I said, wrong answers might not cost you much, but NOT answering them definitely WILL.
1.1.3 Your Free Score Reports
On the day of your test, you are allowed to designate 4 schools in the US, to which your scores will be sent FREE OF COST! So make sure, you think carefully before deciding those 4 schools. For more information on Universities in the US, visit www.usnews.com
1.1.4 Materials to study
In my opinion, you just need 3 things: a) The Barron's b) The BIG Book c) The Power Prep CD
Barron's wordlist is pretty much sufficient for the verbal section, and it takes a good part of 2 months to learn all the words (about 3500 of them!). The BIG book is no more avialable in the market, and hence catch your seniors to get a photocopy (Solve JUST the verbal part. The Big Book Math is for 8th graders! lolz). The Power Prep CD is sent to you through post, after you register for your GRE (It generally takes 20 days to reach you)
1.2 Test Of English as a Foreign Language
"Piece of cake" is NOT the word! Just the 2 tests in the Power Prep CDs will do. Visit www.toefl.org to register. The test is again USD 140. Im however not sure about the latest format, which is the TOEFL iBT. Kindly visit the web to find out.
1.2.1 When to take the TOEFL
You just need a day's prep. So answer that yourself!
1.2.2 CBT
TOEFL is again a Computer Adaptive Test (Only your Listening and Structure are CA). Just tests if you understand the various types of american accents (Texan, Californian etc etc - piece of cake, again!), your ability to form error-free sentences, and your writing skills!
1.2.3 Your Free Score Reports
---Same as that of the GRE---
2. Deciding the Schools:
Your next step would be to decide what universities you are going to apply to. The best site for this process would be www.usnews.com
There are quite a bit of freebie information available, but the best is locked up only for members. You need to pay USD 14.99 to register and get all the locked up details.
Other useful sites are www.edulix.com (an education forum) and the various communities at orkut.
2.1 A few criteria for selection
a) Rank (US News rank is generally accepted as the standard)
b) Tuition (Private universities charge a fortune, but offer more funds. Public univs are cheaper, but offer funds mainly to locals)
c) History of Funding
d) Acceptance rate
e) Repute in your field of specialization
2.2 When to start you app process
The best time would be start around mid-August. The deadlines for acceptance of applications start as early as Nov 15th. There are universities taht have very late deadlines too. The deadlines are REALLY specific to the departments in the universities. So contact the department to know the details. Most departments post these details in the web page. The best bet would be to do a Google. For example: "Stanford + ECE", will get you Stanford's department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
2.3 Application Forms
Almost all univeristies have on line application forms in their respective department websites. You will need to send in your application fee on line with the help of your credit card. The average fee is around USD 45-50!
2.4 Additional Materials
Apart from the on line forms, you will need to download and print several other application forms, mainly specific for your department. All these details will be provided in their respective web sites.
3. Lettes of Recommendation
They form one of the most important aspects of your application. So, make sure you get them from professors or lecturers who know you really well. There is actually NO point in getting a letter from an IIT Prof or an IISc prof, unless he/she has taken courses for you. The IIT or IISc tag otherwise, will NOT help you in any way.
Apart from getting a written letter, every university will require you to download their own custom REFERENCE FORMS to be filled by your recommenders. Make sure you get both done... put them in the same envelope and get the flaps cross-signed and sealed.
4. Statement Of Purpose
The single MOST IMPORTANT aspect of your application packet - SOP! This is because the SOP is the ONLY part of your packet, which is COMPLETELY under your control. So, you really really need to make sure you get the best out of it.
4.1 Things people look for in a SOP
a) Why this field?
b) Your motivation
c) Why this university?
d) Your specialization interests
e) Profs you'd like to work with
f) Your future plans and goals
For more tips, visit www.statementofpurpose.com
4.2 DONTs
a) NEVER write what you did when you were 5 years old or 10 years old. All they look for is what you are now, and what you want to be and why!
b) NEVER write stories (For eg: "It was one fine day when the idea struct me, and I ran from my bath-tub crying 'Eureka!'"...lolz) . Just write to the point
4.3 A Good SOP
A good SOP is achievable only after numerous revisions, and could even take a month to get converted into the fair copy (Mine took slightly more than a month!). Look through as many *successful* SOPs as possible, and get ideas from them. Get your's edited by friends or experts over and over again. (I would've edited at least 25 SOPs myself, and would be happy to help you guys out...just mail your draft to cheekum_gs at hotmail dot com)
5. General Top 10 Universities (for Computer and Electronics related fields)
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2. University of California at Berkeley
Stanford University
4. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
6. Carnegie Melon University
California Institue of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
9. Cornell University
University of Texas at Austin
Purdue University - West Lafayette
6. More information will be posted soon, folks...check up in a bit...cheers n best...
posted by thegaad at 11:08 AM
6 Comments:
lolz!! work a bit more, write a few 100 pages and yes u hav a book ready to be published.. sure it has been done before.. but not by the GAAD.. ;)
lolz...i really thot of doing that u know! not for money of course...but figured out i needed to pour in lots to be able to do that...any hands up for donations?? lolz...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Passing on the wisdom, good job matie :)
LOL above reasons to stay in the same school for your Masters that you took your B.S. in...
@dorid lovely: lolz...if i do that now, ill just have to forget about my future, and probably lead a life of _______(dont want to use abusive language here)...lolz...
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