4.0 Universities and the process of selection

The choice of a university in the United States for Indian students seeking graduate admission is usually made according to the ratings of the college. The Ivy League universities, though a very attractive preposition, are not always accessible due to their extreme selectivity. They are very competitive in their admission practices and primarily attract students from the top 10 institutions. Competitive admission suggests that the number of qualified applicants exceed the number of places available. This necessitates the rejection of a few to several qualified candidates. So, while selecting the place you want to spend the next two years of your life, keep these points in mind.

• Level of academic qualification achieved appropriate to the university applied to
• Acceptance rate of international students
• State or privately funded university
• Proximity to relatives, friends etcetera
• Size of the university (Small colleges have high student/teacher ratio, small class size and so on)
• Location of a college (Indian students face adjustment problems in very cold climates)
• Fee and cost of living.
• Ranking of the grad school
• Research activity undertaken and course curriculum
• Expected GRE/GMAT score
• Public perception
• Above all your level of confidence, that matters the most

Modified and adopted from an article by Kanika Marwaha "Teens Today" September 1996

Facts :

The initial expenditure (includes cost of taking up GRE/GMAT & TOEFL, applying to universities, additional scores report etc.) shall amount to Rs. 40,000 (approx.). The pre-departure expenses (Visa fee, air tickets, clothes etc.) shall amount to Rs. 50,000 to 80,000

4.1 A possible approach to apply to US universities

Knowledge about universities is a gradual process that can be acquired over period of time and the best source of information is the Internet. The other sources could be the US embassy library, where you could refer Peterson's in-depth department wise review of almost all universities in the USA [The annual cost for membership in the library is Rs.500 and US embassies are located at Madras, New Delhi, Bombay and Calcutta].

Tips: It is advisable to start looking for universities at least 6 months before you plan to apply. But it is an advantage to start 8 to 10 months ahead.

4.1.1 How can I know the universities name, location & contact address?

First and foremost it is important to know the names and location of Universities. This can be known from the site www.gradschools.com. (Search universities by program and then go on to region wise listings)

4.1.2 How do I know which University is good for the program I choose to study?

This problem can be overcome by checking out sites that rank the universities on the whole and department wise. The over all ranking of universities can be found from www.usnews.com and the department rankings are put up based on the basis of doctoral program research by National Research council (NRC), USA. Search for "NRC rankings" on yahoo and select the appropriate department to view the ranking. Now you would be in a position to say around 100 universities names that offer graduate programs in your department.

4.1.3 Specialization in chosen field

The specialization varies from university to university, for example in electrical department (in most universities there is no specific electronics department and shall all come under electrical) in some universities solid-state electronics could be a field and VLSI could be the specialization. But in some grad schools VLSI would be a field as such and the specialization would be some thing like CAD, IC fabrication, Design and testing etc. In yet another university CAD would be a field. Moreover, there is no specific line of demarcation between Computer science Engineering and Electrical Engineering, because in some universities the same VLSI is offered under Computer department. Make sure to note such idiosyncrasies of each university.

4.1.4 List of probable 40-50 universities

Create a look up table and every time you search for a university fill in the following details: Name of the University, the location (city and state), tuition fee and cost of living, application deadlines, e-mail contact and the specializations offered. At this point of time at least be sure of the broad field that you intend to choose like Solid State Electronics, Power Electronics, Control Systems, signal Processing or communication etc. as far as electrical engineering is concerned. Now even before you see your GRE/GMAT scores you will be in a position to short list around 40-50 universities that are suitable for you. While selecting these 40-50 universities keep in mind the cost of living of the states

Tips :

1.To get more details on a particular university look for it's site in any search engine like yahoo, info seek, AltaVista etc.

2. The easiest way to learn more on universities is to browse one university every time you go online.

3. A better way to learn about universities is to discuss with your friends or relatives or even acquaintances who are in the US.

4. You could form a group with your friends (with similar career goals) and exchange ideas about the universities you browsed recently!

4.1.5 Collecting application materials

Mail to these 50 short-listed universities and ask for application packet and grad school catalog (the application packet is free and you will have to pay only when you fill in and send them). The e-mail apart from the request letter should include your name, department and program (MS/MBA) of interest, semester likely to enroll, mailing address (include the state and country name) and specific question if any. This process should be done at least two to three months ahead of the date you plan to apply. Keep track of your e-mails, and if there is no reply from the universities check if the application is downloadable or applying online is possible. Now with the help of expected GRE/GMAT score further short-list it to 30 universities.

4.1.6 Final decision

After the GRE/GMAT scores arrive the number could still be narrowed down to 15 or 20. From which a final list could be made (At least 6 and at the most 10 to 12 universities should be chosen). Look into aspects such as campus placements, facilities, programs etc. The other factor could be climatic conditions. Also keep an eye on the crime rates! It is be ideal to look for universities whose total expenses would be within $20,000 or $ 25,000 annually. But bear in mind the competition, because every Indian would be looking for such Universities.

Tip: Make sure to apply (irrespective to however high or low the GRE marks are) to at least one or two top universities, two or three middle ranked and one or two low ranked universities. This equation varies depending on the marks and the line of demarcation an individual set for high, low and middle ranked universities.

Note: Some universities though not ranked, (due do various reasons) might still be as good as the ones' ranked. Such universities could be considered. There is no hard and fast rule that you should be looking for a ranked university only! (Ranking is a measure used to narrow down the list of universities to a sizable number, considering the time available to search all).

4.1.7 Cost of living

States like California, Massachusetts and New York can be eliminated, as the cost of living is high and the big names (cities) like Philadelphia (PA), Boston (MA), Seattle (WA), Los Angles (CA), Atlanta (GA), San Francisco (CA), San Diego (CA), Las Vegas (Nevada), Miami (FL), Providence (RI) could be well out of the list. Look for states like Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Nebraska, Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri where the cost of living is reasonable and states like Maryland, Michigan, Colorado, Indiana, Oregon and New Jersey are manageable. Try to look in for rural areas and suburbs rather than big cities like Chicago or Detroit, (Although Detroit will still be manageable) of which Suburbs are the most ideal. Texas and Arizona are very cheap and are most suitable for Indian students.

Tip : A sound knowledge on US geography would prove very lucrative! An atlas will serve the cause too. Learn the names of states in United States, its abbreviations and capitals.

4.1.8 Facts on climatic conditions

US is a vast country with diverse geography and climatic conditions. The maximum summer temperature of cities in the south like Dallas (TX) or Phoenix (AZ) is 47 C and minimum winter temperature of Potsdam, a village in the northern most tip of New York State (60 miles from the Canadian border) is - 32 C. It is the question of adaptability!

4.1.9 Stastics on the region-wise settlement of Indian students

4.2 Useful web links

And make use of the search engines

4.3 Application deadlines

Some universities have two deadlines the priority deadline and the final/last deadline. The priority deadline is the deadline for students seeking financial aid and is ahead of the last deadlines. For fall semester most priority deadlines start from last week of December to first week of March and spring starts from mid June to first week of August. In yet other universities the priority deadlines for fall and spring are the same and are usually in February or March. Generally if there are no priority dates the deadlines vary from January until May for fall and range from July to Mid November for spring semester. The top universities have their deadlines early. Most universities admit students on rolling basis - as and when they receive the applications, it is processed and if the student meets all the requirements, admission is granted then and there

Tips

Students have to make sure that they write GRE/GMAT and TOEFL at least by December if they intend to enroll for fall semester and June for spring semester. If delayed then you eliminate your chances of applying to some universities. Because of rolling deadlines in a majority of cases, apply as early as possible to maximize your chances (on the other hand don't be over enthusiastic. It is advisable not to apply more than 9 months, from the start of the semester).

4.3.1 Applications received after deadlines

Different universities have different policies on applications received after deadlines. Some consider it for the next semester, some reject it and others consider it depending on time availability.