Through with the GRE? Get ready for the next step…For a start here’s what you need to know…
Undergrads from different backgrounds, aspiring for admission to graduate programs at premier universities and colleges abroad should be aware of the associated factors that influence admission to grad school. A graduate education from a sound university abroad can definitely enhance your career opportunities. So if you want to work as a high-ranking professional at a global organization or as a researcher conducting ground-breaking research at some of the top research and development institutions across the globe, GRE is the way to go.
Whether for admission to engineering, science, life sciences, health sciences or management programs, most top grad schools accept GRE scores. While the score does play a meaty role in your entire admissions process, in the wake of growing competition in India for admission to premier institutions, it is imperative to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of your application beforehand and conduct a proper assessment and then shortlist the colleges you want to apply to. The admission process is a complex one and knowing what you should expect after the GRE will certainly boost your chances of admission.
Applicants are evaluated by the individual departments in which they intend to register on the basis of their prior performance and professional promise, as evidenced by their academic records, letters of evaluation from individuals familiar with their capabilities, and any other pertinent data they submit. While high academic achievement does not guarantee admission, MIT expects such achievement or other persuasive evidence of professional promise.
MIT (web.mit.edu)
The first important thing you can do to protect your application is to understand and meet the deadline for the department to which you are applying. Understand that departments establish their own application deadlines, which will vary from department to department. Second, carefully review the types of documents that are required to accompany your application. Most of them have variable lead-time in preparation or requests that you have to make to obtain them and under-estimating how long it will take to get them can jeopardize your application’s success.
Stanford (www.stanford.edu)
While for some, graduate studies are merely a logical next step after their under graduate education, for others the range of available courses for graduate studies spells transition.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT PROGRAM:
Most grad schools are open to accepting diverse students into their classrooms. For them, it enhances the diversity and brings different perspectives to enrich the overall learning process and for you as a student, it means that if you are truly interested in pursuing a particular program and have a proven knack for it, the restrictions are few and far between. Ask yourself: Am I interested in pursuing advanced studies in my subject or do I want to explore another subject?
There are several available subfieldsfor each course, making a grad aspirant spoilt for choice of program.
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A student interested in Life Sciences can avail courses related to Cell and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Biomedical, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Genomics, Biomedical Sciences and PSM Biotech.
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Doctors may consider Allied Health Sciences and Public Health and Administration-related courses like Health Administration, Public Health or research-oriented courses in Biomedical Sciences.
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A Physiotherapist can avail options like Post-professional Physiotherapy, Kinesiology and Biomechanics.
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To build a career in caring for the earth, courses related to Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Water and Soil Engineering, are just a snapshot of an endless list of possibilities.
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Someone with designs on making a career in the Fashion industry will find Textiles and Polymer Sciences and Fashion Merchandising to be realistic choices.
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A Computer Science enthusiast can consider opting for Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Parallel and Distributed Computing, Software Engineering, Networks, Network Security, Information Sciences and Information Management..
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A Mechanical Engineer’s prospective scope extends to Thermal and Fluid Mechanics, Mechatronics, Operation Research, Industrial Engineering and CAD/ CAM techniques.
For a transitional choice, an engineer from any area of specialization can opt for Engineering Management, Financial Engineering or Economics. A Life Sciences graduate can go in for further studies in research or Health Administration
CHOOSING THE RIGHT UNIVERSITY:
Once the program is final, move to university shortlisting. When it comes to university selection, it pays to be focused.
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Since grad school rankings are varied and might be a tad skewed, it would be prudent to consult a range of such data for a 360 -degree analysis.
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A low GRE score is not the end of the road. If all top colleges like Purdue, MIT or Stanford only looked at GRE scores to grant admission, a student scoring 1600/ 1600 would be a surefire entrant but it is not so. Such institutions seek students who besides being intellectually–savvy also possess a proven track-record in research through projects, paper publications or seminars and more. For instance, a student who has scored a 1350 may get a call based on his involvement with an ongoing scientific research-based project.
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Studying under the tutelage of academicians and scholars who have been published or are widely-recognized is an important deciding factor. Educators should constantly be upgrading themselves and must be flexible and adaptable to suit the dynamic nature of their respective fields. Check the faculty page and do a quick ‘Google’ search to spot the beacons that would best guide you.
ITP Speak on the Shortlist -- Stay with the branch that you are already exposed to, that way your shortlisting will be based on a more specialized perspective. Besides, nearly all colleges ask for a Statement of Purpose/ Intent. If you have worked in a similar field, you have a stronger case to present.
Whether at a score of 1560 or 900 or lower, each aspirant can secure admission to grad school. The shortlisting process should be done methodically, in keeping with the strengths and weaknesses of the application. This assessment can have a make or break effect on your selection.
There are certain aspects of the application that are typical to any other application, like your personal details or background. For others, consider these
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Duration of the MS program and typical course length:
On paper, most of the graduate programs are two years long. But these programs can effectively be completed between one and two years. Generally each course involves 30-36 credit hours* with the exception of some that may require 45 hours. The sooner you can complete your course credits, the closer you are to obtaining your degree. Overall, astudent needs to complete six core courses and four electives to obtain a Master’sdegree.
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English Proficiency – Understanding the medium of communication
In addition to the GRE score, institutions generally ask for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score as well. Although at least one English testing exam score is mandatory, many colleges may waive the requirement based on a strong background in English. It is advisable to take the exam to avoid any constraints at the time of shortlisting.
While colleges generally prefer a TOEFL score in the range of 90-100 plus, 79 is the general benchmark. Many institutions now also accept examinations like IELTS (International English Language Testing System) as an alternative to TOEFL. For IELTS, most colleges seek a minimum 6.5 band. But even someone with a lower score than 79 on TOEFL and 6.5 on IELTS should not be completely disappointed as some institutions are fine with accepting a student with a TOEFL score between 61 and 79 and IELTS band of 5.5-6.5 on a case-to-case basis.
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Work experience- What is relevant and impactful
Although work experience is not a mandatory requirement for most courses, relevant work experience builds the strength of an application. For instance a Mechanical Engineer working at a well-known automobiles company or a Software Engineer working as an Electrical Engineer or Telecom Engineer qualifies as having relevant work experience as his or her work falls within the ambit of the proposed program. However what doesn’t help is if the work that you have done is not effectively related to your proposed course of study. Applying to a Master’s program with only Sales experience would not strengthen the application. Or in the case of a Mechanical Engineer working for an unrelated BPO process – such work experience wouldn’t really propel his candidature.
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That extra bit…Adding an edge
For those applying to programs that require substantial research and analysis, a prior involvement with real-time projects will help. A background in genuine scientific research not only reflects your love for learning but also that you are willing to go that extra mile to add a pragmatic edge to your theoretical understanding. Awards, seminars, publications, research papers – all of these should be highlighted in your application. They substantiate your claim to a research-bent of mind.
ITP speak on the shortlist: Neither follow a friend nor go by a trend. Customize.
Applying to grad schools involves writing a Statement of Purpose or Intent, in an essay format that needs to be addressed at the time of application. The idea is to get a complete assessment of your profile at a qualitative level – what you consider important enough to call an achievement or what you might consider your weakness or your biggest strength, will tell the admissions officers a lot about who you are. Besides what you state, they will be reading between the lines – dwelling on aspects like language and expression to finally get a hang of your aspirations, conviction, character and mind-set
In your SOP, besides addressing your career goals and how the institution will help you achieve them,try and include:
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What related interests and occupations do you pursue in your free time?
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What is unique about your background and experience that you would bring to your classmates at XXXX?
The SOP needs to be answered in theme and spirit after considerable thought.
How to write a winning SOP
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While describing, lay due emphasis on specifics - solid numbers, percentages and dates speak volumes about the impact of your participation.
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Introspection and retrospection will take your quality of writing to the next level. While creating your SOP draft go back to your practical and research-based experiences, underscore seminars, publications and presentations that have enhanced your technical and analytical capabilities.
ITP speak on the SOP-writing: There is a fine line between being honest and being modest. Find yours right away.
ITP Speak on writing SOP:
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Write with color and fervor
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Edit mercilessly -Don’t get emotionally attached to your creation
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Avoid pretentions – Be yourself
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Manage your ego
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Enlist the services of a qualified critic to evaluate your inputs
Selecting the right recommenders to provide a relevant, candid, current assessment of your abilities is vital to the application process. Choose people who have observed you during classroom or laboratory trainings. Someone who has mentored you in writing a paper or guided you on a project is better-placed to recommend you than someone who has taught you a subject unrelated to your current application.
Besides, having positioned yourself as someone who is completely adaptable to studying in a foreign country in a milieu of peers hailing from across continents, you are expected to network and gel with people effectively and this should reflect in your choice of recommenders. You must select recommenders who can provide an objective appraisal of your academic development, faculty members who can take the time and make the effort to sift through your background and provide evidence of why they consider you worth recommending. Someone who can honestly state a previous faux pas and how you learnt and grew from it will be a better choice than someone who is just acquainted with you at a cursory level.
ITP speak on the Letters of Recommendation: Look for a qualified recommender who can wholly provide your assessment in terms of your academic proficiency or research potential
Tuition Fees is generally paid on an Annual Basis. The amount is generally calculated per credit hour. Credit hour charges may range from USD 350-1200 or even more, in some cases. But if you thought that undergraduate colleges/ universities provide few and restricted means of Financial Aid, guess again…Although it is widely believed that options for financial aid are limited or restricted, this is a myth. In reality, a range of financial aid options are available to a GRE applicant:
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Private or Public Research-based Grants, Scholarships and Fellowships
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Research/ Teaching Assistantships
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Tuition Waivers (part or full) are also provided by the college/university in the form of Institutional Aid.
Besides easing the financial pressure, on-campus jobs offer an excellent opportunity for personality development. By being out there, interacting closely with the local community of the region, you can avail an excellent opportunity to develop cultural understanding and enhance your social network. A strong social network will not only provide a diverse peer group but can also be leveraged to explore career opportunities.
Graduate Assistantships
If you apply and are accepted to work for a certain number of hours as an assistant to a professor, you can earn a stipend and sometimes, a cutback on your fees as well. To secure an assistantship, broadly, you need to possess a background or proven interest in the corresponding on-going research being conducted by a university faculty.
Fellowships
Fellowships are scholarships or stipends that are awarded on the basis of merit or on the outcome of fellowship competitions. There is no additional work involved once the fellowship has been awarded
If none of these are available to you and you need to supplement your income, search for these jobs:
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Academic Division or Library: Consider yourself lucky if you land a job with the Academic Division or Library of a university. These pay reasonable well, are neater and relatively less demanding.
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On or Off-campus jobs: Cafeteria, Fast-food joints or Convenience Stores within and outside the campus employ students as well
ITP speak on Money Matters: The application process itself involves substantial expenditure. College application fees may cost anything between USD 40-100 and more. Add to that the courier charges for sending the documents and the application and official score-reporting fees of GRE (USD 20) and TOEFL (USD 17) and the total cost of application and course make up a tidy sum.Any financial help or assistance is welcome.
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