Tips, strategies for studying abroad

You want to study abroad and are scouting for the right information.   

Will you get a scholarship? What tests do you need to take? How useful is the programme of your choice?

Overseas education counsellor Karan Gupta can answer your queries and offer guidance. 

• Study Abroad: Tips, strategies... more 

Karan, who has been working as a professional counsellor since 1999, is the honorary study abroad counsellor at Jai Hind College, Mumbai, and manages his own firm, Karan Gupta Consulting. He studied at Ithaca College, New York, USA, and the University of Texas, Austin, USA, and while pursuing his education, he worked in the office of admissions, the financial aid office and the international office on these college campuses.

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I have done my BSc in IT from Ruparel College in Mumbai. I seek to pursue a Master's in information systems from reputed universities abroad. I had already applied to University of Melbourne and have an offer for a Master's in business and information technology. I want to know how good is the university?

What are the job prospects in Australia once I complete my Master's there, as there is no point coming back to India after spending so much?
Also I am interested in applying to some Canadian universities. Am I eligible for the same? I am a 12 + 3 student.

-- Manish Gaikwad

University of Melbourne is among the top universities of Australia. Getting jobs in Australia after you graduate is not easy. However, if you qualify for PR (Permanent Residency), you may be able to get a job after you graduate.

Canadian universities require candidates to have 16 years of education and hence with a three year Bachelor's degree you will not be able to apply for a Master's programme in Canada.

I am a final year student of English literature, Delhi University. I am planning to do a Master's degree in English literature abroad, a degree in creative witing or print journalism. I have a few questions:

i. As I am already doing a course in english, do I still need to give a test as a proof?

ii. How can I acertain that I get a fully-funded scholarship based admission (do I get admission in a college first or apply for a scholarship first)?

iii. Which colleges/ universities would you recommend for these courses? I have selected Nottingham University.

-- Abha Agarwal

Even if you are studying English, you will need to appear for the TOEFL or the IELTS (depending on the country you apply to).

Scholarships are based on your academic performance and life experiences and there is no way to be sure that you will be fully-funded.

You will only know if you have been awarded a scholarship after you apply to the university. Birkbeck College - University of London, Royal Holloway -- University of London, University of Liverpool are a few that offer graduate study opportunities in English Literature.

• Want a UK student visa?

I am a final year computer engineering student of KJ Somaiya College of Engineering, Mumbai. I wanted your opinion on my chances of doing an MS in the US for fall 2006.

My grades are 61 per cent up to the 6th semester. GRE score: 1300 (730 quant and 570 verbal). TOEFL range: 230-287.

For which stream of computer science do I have a chance in the top 30 universities?

Also, are my chances for getting admission bound to increase if I mention the desired area of specialisation within computer science during the application phase? Or do they reduce since they have a limited number of seats?

-- Shashank Karnik

Since your grades are above 60 per cent, you do stand a chance in some top 30 universities like University of Southern California, New York University.

Your chances of admission do not increase or decrease if you change your specialisation. You should state the specialisation that you actually want to study and not change it because of your admission chances.

• GRE, GMAT simplified!

Hi Karan: My education qualifications: BSc. I have also done my IATA foundation. I am willing to do my MBA from Cyprus. I don't know how to go about it or know anything about the fees. Please guide me. 

-- Aslam Juvale

Cyprus International Institute of Management is probably the best MBA institute in Cyprus. You can find more information on the university's programme and fees on CIIM.

To apply for admission to the MBA programme at CIIM you need to have at least two to three years of full-time work experience and a 'good' GMAT score.

• Cyprus, the hot n-e-w MBA destination

I am doing my bachelor's degree in microbiology in Kerala and am in my final year. I am planning to do my post-graduation in medical microbiology and I would like to know about the scholarships available, connected to my course, in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia and also about other essential requirements. 

-- Hema Venugopal

There are usually no scholarships available for graduate degrees in medical microbiology. However, once you identify the universities you would like to apply to, you can contact them and ask them if there are any special scholarships available for international students.

For scholarships to UK universities you can contact the British Council. For admission you will need to take the TOEFL or the IELTS (depending on the country you apply to).

• 11 scholarships for the UK