the ultimate guide to help you study in the us
Post on 19-Jul-2015
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INTRODUCTION
The United States of America, the USA, the US, or just simply America – a land of
a million dreams and opportunities, awaits you to fulfill your dreams.
For over two generations of Indians and other South Asians , the USA has been a
dream destination; be it to study, to land a job, or to eventually immigrate and
settle, the USA has been their first choice. As global dynamics change, the lure of
living in the USA may have dimmed down a little, but the USA continues to
remain a top-ranking 'study-abroad destination'.
We, at Hotcourses India, constantly innovate to offer you an excellent variety of
services that help you find the perfect institution and course. Be it assisted
applications, detailed course-listings, prospectus links, institution information,
scholarships or the student community-centric Q&A forum, Hotcourses India
guides you at every step.
This ebook has been designed with input from experts (Ms Biruda Virkud of
iGradGlobal, Mr Richard Lasrado of the Education Abroad Counselling Centre
and Mr Gigeo Sakkaryas of IMTP Consultancy Services) and various other
credible sources. This ebook provides answers to various important questions
asked by students aspiring to study in the USA.
We hope this ebook is useful in your endeavours to study in the USA – and if you
like it, don’t forget to share it with your friends!
All the best!!!
CONTENT
Why should a student consider America as a study destination? - 6
What would be the average cost of education in the USA? - 9
When does the academic semester start? Which is the best semester to apply? - 11
What are the main eligibility tests required to study in the USA? - 13
How to apply to universities in America? What is the process? - 15
Document list – What you need to submit with your application? - 17
Financial support for studying in the USA - 19
Securing a student visa - 23
There is not one, but a whole lot of reasons that make studying in the USA a great
option:
World-Class Institutions
American institutions are renowned for their diverse teaching skills, which attract
international students for higher education. As of 2012, there was a 31% increase
in international students in American colleges and universities compared to the
last decade. 64% of international students in the US are from Asia. Most of these
students are from China and India.
Credibility of Institutions
Education and experience from an American institution has a good reputation in
the international job market. American education noticeably develops a
student's long-term career aspirations and the experience builds significant logic,
confidence and cross-cultural skills. These qualities are highly appreciated by
employers worldwide.
Flexibility
The American higher education system offers many choices within a programme
and the opportunity to modify majors or select multiple specialisations. At an
advanced stage of an undergraduate program, a student can alter the
programme to meet detailed career objectives. At the graduate level students
can create their own timetable and complete courses at ease within the
stipulated time-frame.
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Work Opportunities
The F1 Visa limits students allowing them to work a total of 20 hours a week on
and off-campus, maintaining full-time status while attending school. Students
graduating with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) degrees are
qualified to stay in the US for an additional 17 months upon completion of 12
months of OPT on an Optional Practical Training (OPT) STEM Extension.
Diverse Cultures
America is a melting pot of different cultures. In fact, this sort of diversity is
celebrated as an integral part of American heritage. This means that Indian
students will find plenty of other Indian students on most campuses, and they'll
also be introduced to a wide array of cultures during their studies.
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Expenses
It is advisable to opt for university accommodation unless you have a friend or
guardian residing in the same city as your institution. Day-to-day expenses
include transportation, food, entertainment and other related costs. During the
student visa interview, students need to show that they have sufficient funds in
their bank account to fund the duration of their stay in the US. Indian students
who want to study in the USA may need to prove that they have at least US
$10,000 [INR 5,92,000] in their bank accounts, before being granted permission to
study in America.
Average Tuition fee
Undergraduate Studies
Universities: US $28,500 per year
Colleges: US $22,092 per year
Postgraduate Studies
Universities: US $38,665 per year
Colleges: US $28,375 per year
Disclaimer: All rates shown are for indicative purposes only. It is important to note that foreign
exchange rates fluctuate and rates will vary.
*Note – fees vary depending on the course subject
Living expense
$700-1000 per month
*Cost depends on the location and the student's lifestyle
Duration
Typically, undergraduate coursework lasts for four years. However, some college
programmes which give students access to associate’s degrees last for only two
years. Postgraduate studies may last for up to 2 years. Again, every college or
university is different, so it’s important to perform research based on particular
schools.
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Fall Semester – September/October
Spring Semester – January/February
Summer – June/July
When you choose the Fall intake, you’ll be able to enjoy lots of fun activities that
are designed for “freshman”, such as orientations, social events and so on.
Fall is probably the best intake option for international students, for financial
reasons (availability of scholarships) and because this time of year is the
“traditional” time for students to go to college or University.
Admission intakes
Application deadlines:
Usually, applications will need to be submitted three months before the start of
programmes. However, each USA college or university will have its own rules.
Since almost every college or university in the United States now has an official
website, it’s very easy to check application guidelines, such as start and end
dates.
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There are two types of eligibility tests
A) Language
B) Aptitude
Language:
Prospective students will have to prove their proficiency in English through
standardised tests such as IELTS/TOEFL.
Aptitude:
Students aspiring to study an undergraduate course in the USA should write the
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). For postgraduate applications, the aptitude test
varies depending upon the course of interest. Some popular ones include GRE
and GMAT.
Students who take the TOEFL test are expected to get a minimum score of 80-
120, but a score of 100-120 would increase their chance of admission; meanwhile
students who take the IELTS tests are expected to score 7-9. Similarly, a good
score for the GRE would be 320-340, and for GMAT would be 700-800.
Minimum scores will vary based on which schools you are applying to. At some
schools, academic transcripts will also play an important role in whether or not a
student from India is able to study in America, at his or her preferred school.
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Applying to US colleges and universities is not as simple as applying to an Indian
university. Most applications are online and students have a fairly wide window of
time within which they have to complete their applications.
Though admission procedures vary from one university to the next, most decide
admission based on certain criteria: the student's course of study in high school,
their high school Grade Point Average (GPA), contributions to and involvement in
extracurricular activities, SAT or American College Testing (ACT) scores, any written
essays and their personal interview. For postgraduate study, the applicant’s
performance in recent undergraduate academics plays a key role.
Each university will set their own application deadlines and fees, as well as
admissions requirements. Fortunately, most application forms follow a similar
format that allow you to reuse or adapt some of your application materials.
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Once you have all the right documents, re-check it as many times as you
want. Have attested copies of all the documents in a folder and arrange it
according to the check list. This will help you organise your application
better.
You will have to submit the following documents along with your application
form:
• Academic certificates
• Competitive exam score sheets
• Statement of purpose
• Resume
• Letters of recommendation
• Passport size photographs
• Experience documents
• Achievement certificates[Awards]
• A copy of your passport
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In the United States international students are provided with scholarships from universities in various forms like tuition waivers, teaching assistance or stipend for research assistant
Tuition Waivers
Tuition waivers are provided based on his/her past academics, entrance exam
scores, technical portfolio, community service initiatives and extracurricular
activities. This will offer a flat reduction on fees by 30% to 40%.
Research Assistantship
Students looking forward to do a PhD are provided with a research stipend and
will also let the student work as a research assistant under a professor.
Teaching Assistantship
The student’s proficiency in English language could give him/her the opportunity
to do teaching assistance. This gives you a chance to groom and mould the
undergraduate students.
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Apart from the scholarships offered by universities, students can look
forward to scholarships offered by the government and non-governmental
organisations in their home country.
Scholarships for higher education in US are offered as a minimal or interest-
free loan; study-grants are also offered to students.
Financial assistance from India:
• The K.C. Mahindra Scholarship
• Fulbright Nehru Scholarship
• National Overseas Scholarship\Passage Grant
• Narotam Sekhsaria Scholarship Programme
• R.D. Sethna Scholarships
• Sahu Jain Trust Scholarships
• JN Tata Endowment
• Lady Meherbai D. Tata Education Trust Scholarships
• Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarships
• Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarships
• BD Bangur Endowment Scholarships
• Bharat Petroleum Scholarship
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Some more options to manage your finances...
Education Loans
Indian banks give a loan amount of up to 25 lakhs with a low interest.
Repayment can be made after 6 months following your return. For the
educational loan you will also need guarantors. If you know a person who is a
permanent resident US or citizen, then getting an educational loan will be
simpler.
After reaching the US
Part time jobs:
Students can work part-time for 20hrs/week during their classes and work full
time during holidays and on weekends. As per the US rule, the minimum wage
is on average $7.25 dollars per hour.
Accommodation:
Once you get settled down with your course, consider living off campus, as
this could cut a lot from your expenses which you have to pay (at least 25% of
your university accommodation fees).
With all these options available to you, you can manage your finances to
study in the US with ease.
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In order to study in America, you must obtain a student visa. Here is the process:
Complete form DS-160before the interview for
your student visa
Print out the confirmation page with the barcode
and pay the visa application fee with an
approved bank
Make an online payment for the I-20 form, which is issued by the American institution affirming your
enrolment
Pay the I-901 fee online through the U.S.
Immigration and customs enforcement website
Fix an appointment for a student visa interview
through the VFS website
Usually, these interviews happen at American embassies in home countries.
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Documents Required for US Student Visa
The US visa interview lasts only few minutes. Since this is a very short session,
all students are expected to carry all necessary documents, organised
properly.
You can organise the documents in individual folders, in the following order:
Passport, the I-20 form, the semester confirmation and visa appointment
letter
Bank statements (your parents’, your siblings’ and yours)
Other financial documents - bonds, fixed deposits, shares, debentures
and mutual funds
The acceptance letter from the university you’ve applied to
SAT, GRE or GMAT score sheets as applicable
Statement of purpose, transcripts, recommendations, resume/CV which
has been sent for the admission purpose in US
The affidavit support and the bank letters as a proof to show that the
parent/ parents are supporting your education
If your parent owns a business, you will have to show business documents
of the last two years’ profits or losses
If you have work experience, then appointment letters, salary slips & your
relieving letters have to be shown next as proof to support your work
experience
Finally your property documents have to be shown
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