Admission to Universities

Admission to Universities in the U.S. – Student and Parental concerns

Okay, the decision has been taken to send one’s children to study abroad in an American university. The aspiration level among the children and the parents are high. The lure of a great future and the idea of settling down in the land of opportunity is quite compelling.
Most parents start to worry about safety and cost issues, while the students think about the course and the University. The question now is: how do we bring about a balance which meets all concerns?
One way is to connect with relatives – the maama, the chaacha who have made it to the U.S. and seem to be doing well. The other is to conduct self- or aided research on Universities based on information published on websites or literature circulated by admission agents.
The issue becomes acute when it is the first generation attempting to travel abroad to study and there is no assuring word from the other end. Am I doing the right thing? Are my choices correct? Should I join this university or the other? Are the course fees high here? These issues and more seem to trouble the aspirants.
I often have many parents ask me the question as to what should they be doing in this situation.
My advice is this: in either case, it is important to rely on experience. What you see is what you get. You are investing in your children’s future. Your hard earned money and years of efforts are at stake. It is best advised that the family spend a few dollars more and have the students visit the university campus of choice.
While at the university students have to seek the answers to the following questions:
1. Is the University location and campus appealing? Will I fit in and be comfortable, from a social standpoint?
2. What are the courses available? How good is the facility? How good is the faculty? Do you get value for money, and is the university fee affordable?
3. How do I successfully secure a seat in the university? What is the prep work that I need to make? How do I present myself?
4. What is the teaching methodology? What is expected of a student in U.S. universities?
5. Which of these universities fits my academic requirements and will help launch my career?
So if you’ve decided to study abroad and your parents are keen on ensuring that you make the right choice, go ahead and make all the right preparations.

Roopa Rangaswamy
Student Counselor
You can write to the author: rooprang@gmail.com

At Times Of Recession

At Times Of Recession – Should Recent Graduates Look For A Job Or Continue With Studies?

A top IT company recently asked hundreds of campus recruits - mostly engineers - to go on leave without pay for six months. This course of action is emerging as a trend these days, with most companies hit by recession taking recourse to drastic measures like these. Many of these recent graduates had dreams of building careers and leading a great life.

I’ve been talking to some of these graduates as they seek help in finding their future course. One question that I’ve asked them is whether they ever thought of studying further. The response to this is, surprisingly, “yes” to a large extent. Apparently many of the recent graduates had plans to work for a couple of years and then revert to studying. The industry experience, they reckoned, would help them get admission to good universities besides helping them bridge the cost factor.

In this situation most students wonder if it is a good time to continue their studies. The choice of studies is compounded by the fact that they have missed the admission cycle this year. The time to give CAT and GATE exams have elapsed and many have not prepared for the TOEFL or GRE.

Frustration and a sense of despair seem to overtake these students. Many ask me: what is the right choice? Do I study or pursue work?

My advice to these students is that recession is a great time to revisit or continue studies. The reasons for this are:

1. The “dream jobs” are no more the promised land. The pay is not great and one has to contend with the threat of layoff and sudden displacements during recession.
2. Colleges in India and abroad have a host of scholarships, and fee grants which are up for grabs.
3. Education loans are widely available. Most Indian banks continue to provide loans at competitive interest rates. In addition the students enjoy tax exemption on repayment of loan principle and interest.
4. The opportunity to beat the recession and continue to enhance skills will be advantageous as the situation turns around. Most employers tend to flock to universities to hire talent during a boom. The talent comes at a premium and the pay is only likely to be higher than current.
5. The time spent on campus will provide you with an opportunity to build a good network and associations. The access to student advisors, administrators, industry representatives, professional bodies, etc will facilitate your ability to land key jobs in the long run.

So, if you are a recent graduate thinking to continue studies - do so immediately. Do not fight the recession storm looking for that evasive job.

Roopa Rangaswamy
Student Counselor
You can write to the author: rooprang@gmail.com

Recce Trips: A Growing Trend

When you're about to shell out over Rs. 14,00,000 per year for an education abroad, what better way to make sure you're getting your money's worth than to go and check out colleges for yourself? That seems to be the current attitude of many students planning further studies in the US.

An increasing number of Indian students are making recce trips to the US to check out potential colleges instead of relying on the Internet for their information, or buying into the marketing spiel of the many colleges hosting "road shows" in a bid to attract enrolments. Many feel that glossy brochures are easy to print, and that people who come here to talk about their colleges are being paid to "sell". Students – and their parents – believe that it's a lot of money to spend without actually seeing things for themselves, and prefer to ensure that they are going to be comfortable in that environment for a couple of years. Otherwise, they feel, it's money down the drain – not to mention the fact that they're in for a couple of unhappy years on foreign soil.

Ragini Ghose recently travelled to California with her 18 year-old daughter Deepika with the specific intention of visiting five colleges to get a first-hand feel of the potential 'fit' between the college and the student . "Everyone told us that it was totally unnecessary to make a recce trip because all the information we needed is available online," says Ghose. "I went with my instinct. We used the Internet to narrow our choices down, and set up dates to go and actually see the campuses first hand."

Rani Batra, mother of two college-age children, agrees. "I took my daughter on a recce trip to satisfy me," she says. "It's one thing to sit here and look at web sites and send emails and another thing to make a personal visit." The visit proved invaluable; her daughter, Pooja, discovered she actually preferred the homely atmosphere offered by the liberal arts colleges than the huge, somewhat impersonal universities. "When we went there, we found that liberal arts colleges offered smaller class sizes and a friendlier atmosphere than the universities," says Rani. "This is the kind of information you simply cannot get online. You have to go there and see for yourself what suits you."