America bound

Updated on: Monday, July 19, 2010

Indians constitute the second largest contingent of overseas students in the US and yet there are no freebies as such compared to the numerous scholarships and bursaries offered by the British under the Commonwealth programme. But America’s lure lies in its smooth-flowing system and strong student support service offered by US universities. This combined with a flexible curriculum, which allows you to virtually design your own programme, even choose a test date, if you have covered a portion of the syllabus during your undergraduate studies in India — makes the USA a very attractive destination for education.

Work experience matters
The one thing that will give you an edge is work experience. Which means that if you have been spending your summer breaks on project work, or have been picking up computer skills, you stand a better chance of getting selected than if you were completely raw, even if you scored more in Gate examinations (TOEFL, SAT, GRE or GMAT).
Choosing the right university and programme requires a lot of hard work. So if you have set your sights on the US, start planning at least two years in advance. Surf the Internet sites (such as www.indianstudents.net); do some faculty checks, find out which varsity has what kind of funding, and consult the USEFI directories.

Get your timing right
The US academic session runs from August to September with entry points being in the Fall (Aug/Sep) or Spring (Jan/Feb) sessions. Your admission process will be of pro-active selection — this is why your Statement of Purpose (SOP) has to be carefully drafted. And while your academic scores and GRE will take care of the quantitative aspects, qualitative factors like your SOP could well turn the tide in your favour.
A common dilemma most Indian students face is that in India undergraduate studies are only three years. The US requires 16 years of formal education for you to get into any of its graduate schools. So what can you do?

Here are a few options…
* A two year MA/M.Sc.
* One year of a two year MA/M.Sc./M.Com degree
* One/two year PG Diploma Programme recognised by the AICTE
* A degree/diploma from a computer institute recognised by the AICTE
* A correspondence degree from IGNOU/any other open university

America bound

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