Over an hour, international education expert Karan Gupta answered readers' questions in a chat. Here is a transcript:
leela: Can you tell me how difficult it is to get a student visa for the US?
Karan Gupta: As of now, student visas are relatively simple to get. Most students who go well prepared with adequate finances have no problem getting a student visa
Girish: I would like to more about CPA and CFA courses.
Karan Gupta: CPA and CFA courses are easy to complete if you already have a CA qualification from India.
If not, you will have to prepare for these exams.
akki: What will be the total cost of doing an MBA from a public university in US? What are the chances of getting scholarship? How can I fund my studies?
Karan Gupta: The cost of MBA colleges in the US vary.
At a public university like Texas A&M, you can expect to spend about $20,000 per year. It is a two-year programme and scholarships are not that easy to get, although possible.
You could even apply for loans in India.
Girish: I am now studying the final course for my CA degree, and would like to know which of the CPA and CFA courses from the US is better in job prospects in India?
Karan Gupta: CPA should, most likely, be a better bet.
Abhirup: I am in my Class XII, in Kota, Rajasthan. I want to appear for international entrance tests like SAT, but I have no idea what to do and where to start. Getting into an international college is my dream, but it also means I should get a scholarship. But I need to prepare for it now. Only, I have no idea where to start. Can you please help?
Karan Gupta: You should appear for the SAT and the TOEFL exams if you wish to study in the US.
Information on these exams is available on www.collegeboard.com and www.toefl.org.
If you want to apply to the UK, you could visit www.ucas.com and apply to colleges through this service.
Part II: Is it better to study in the US or UK?
Got a question for Karan? Please write to us!
Karan Gupta is the founder of Mrijay International Education Consultants, which coaches students to study abroad. He studied at Ithaca College and the University of Texas at Austin. He worked at the Office of Admissions, Financial Aid office and the International Office, which gave him firsthand experience in the workings of the admissions process for American Universities. Karan is now the honorary study abroad college counsellor at Jai Hind College, Mumbai. He has written several articles on education abroad, loans, scholarships, visas and admissions.