For those of you leaving for foreign studies, are you truly prepared?
Leaving home, especially for a few years and on your own, is a huge step towards setting out on your own. It's important to be prepared before you leave, so that you're not shocked upon arrival.Karan Gupta, overseas education consultant, held a chat with Get Ahead readers on June 7. He answered questions and eased concerns about immigration, travel and adjusting to life overseas.
For those of you who missed the chat, here's part one of the transcript.
priyanka asked, Dear Sir, My name is Priyanka and I have applied for the St cloud university .Last year my visa was rejected as the documents were not proper so i am ging to apply it again. So can u tell me what all questions can be asked regarding my financial status. Whether they will see the last year documents and will compare it with this year too????
Karan Gupta answers, The consulate officer will ask you what is different in your visa application this year. The visa officer can even compare your application with that of last year's. You should be able to demonstrate that you can afford to pay your tuition fees and that you have sufficient reasons to come back to India.
shekhar asked, helloo sir , i will be finishing my B.E in computer this year and would like to pursue MBA from UK.can u tell me whether work experience is necessary or i can apply directly now ???
Karan Gupta answers, Work experience is a must for admission to an MBA programme. Without work experience you will not be able to get admission to any 'good' B school. Along with a minimum of 2-3 years of full time work experience, you will also need a GMAT score.
uscrazy asked, Hello sir, I have got admissions from two US universities, one from University of Tulsa and another University of Houston to pursue my Ph.D. study from Fall 2007.But I have not been offered financial assistance from both the universities.Tne two universities have assured me that they will consider me for financial assistance from second year but not given guarentee regarding this.So If I secure a student loan from India to cover my first year expense, is it o.k. for me.So apart from the assurance from the university to give financial assistance from second year onwards, Should I have to produce other documents of financial support to VISA officer for my study from second year onwards?Is it necessary to produce other documents of financial proof regarding this?Kindly reply....
Karan Gupta answers, You must be extremely honest in your visa interview. You should also be able to show that you can pay for both years of your education. If you plan to take a loan for the first year, you will need a pre-approved loan letter. Also, you should be able to produce asset papers for funding for the second year.
Pratik asked, Sir I have secured 1540 in GRE and have 76% in graduation but a three year degree,,,can u suggest me the names of some gud universities that accept 3 year degrees
Karan Gupta answers, In the US, almost all good schools ask for 16 years of education. If you are applying for an MBA (since you have taken the GRE, I suspect you are not), you will find more universities in the US which accept 15 years of education.
arvind asked,
Hi Karan, what are the job prospects of MS Engg Mngt/Tech Mngt in US? Which univs wud u suggest for these course?Karan Gupta answers, Engineering management is a relatively newer field and job prospects for this course are average. Universities such as Duke University are among the best for a master's degree in engineering management.
raj asked, Sir, are there any good colleges in US that offer an MBA in entrepreneurship? Is work experience necessary for an MBA in this stream?
Karan Gupta answers, Work experience is a must for admission to an MBA programme. Without work experience, you will not be able to get admission to any 'good' B school. Along with a minimum of 2-3 years of full time work experience, you will also need a GMAT score. Babson College in Massachusetts is among the best for entrepreneurship classes.
lokesh asked, i want to do PHD in Computer science and engineering with scholorship how to go ahead with that
Karan Gupta answers, You can take the GRE and the TOEFL and then apply for admission. You can even contact the professors before you apply for admission. Funding is not easy and there are very few universities which can offer 100% scholarships to students. In addition, you must have excellent GRE scores and brilliant academics in order to qualify for funding.
Anoop asked, Hi Sir,Can you suggest me wether experience really counts in getting Admission into top 10 universities of US to pursue my MBA or Only GMAT Score matters.
Karan Gupta answers, Both work experience as well as GMAT scores are required to get admission to top universities. Work experience without a good GMAT score and a good GMAT score without work experience will not work.
ram_nimje asked, Sir iam ram i am civil engg students i have get more qualification in out of india please suggested your adwise .
Karan Gupta answers, You can apply for a master's degree in civil engineering in the US. You will need the GRE and the TOEFL for admission.
raj asked, Sir, are there any good colleges in US that offer an MBA in entrepreneurship? Is work experience necessary for an MBA in this stream?
Karan Gupta answers, Admission to top business schools is very competitive. An excellent GMAT score of above 700, work experience of at least three years and great essays are generally required for admission. However, even if you fulfill all these criteria, there is a chance you may not get admission, only because there are limited number of seats.
Anoop asked, Amarnath: I have been working as a project manager from last 4 years not one platform ie i have been worked in construction,IT,networking etc... Is it possible for me to get oppurtuities outside also i am PMP certified and also please suggest which universities will be providing Risk management as a seperate Course, so that i can start my career in Risk management.
Karan Gupta answers, Risk management is rarely offered as a separate degree. However, check out the courses in risk management at Georgia State University.
islamindia asked, i am 31 year gradute want to do master degree from uk .is it in this age they will give me admisson.
Karan Gupta answers, Yes, there is no maximum age at which you can apply for an MBA. In fact, universities prefer candidates who have more experience and hence candidates who are older. Therefore, you will have an advantage while applying for admission.
Dhruv asked, hi please advise regarding the prospect of getting admission in good schools in US?
Karan Gupta answers, It depends on which programme you are applying for. At the undergraduate level, you will have to take the SAT and TOEFL in order to apply to US universities. At the graduate level, you will need the GRE and the TOEFL for non-business streams and GMAT and TOEFL for business streams.
harsh asked, Hello Karan. I'm graduate ,but want to go for farming abroad. What courses are available? How can i get more info? Do u know anyone who is a successful farmer in US or Canada?? TY
Karan Gupta answers, You can apply for a degree in agriculture. Have a look at courses at the University of Florida. And no, I do not know of any successful Indian farmers in the US.
vikas asked, hi, i have been working as a scientist for past 7 years in field of signal processing, i have done post graduation from IIT Delhi, and B.E from REC Bhopal (Electronics and Communication), i scored 1210 in GRE and 262 in TOEFL, mu CGPA is around 7.2/10,what are the universities in US where i can get admission with Schol. for PhD in field of Communication?
Karan Gupta answers, You can apply to universities such as the University of Southern California and Northeastern University.
shabnam asked, hi sir my name is shabnam can i get any online course wheter it is archtectuar or medical
Karan Gupta answers, You can look at the courses offered by the University of Phoenix. They offer the largest selection of online programmes.
srihare asked,
Dear sir, I am M.Tech Degree holder,I would like to do Ph.D in U.S/UK Universites For that What I have to do?Karan Gupta answers, You will have to take the GRE and the TOEFL for US admissions and only the TOEFL or IELTS for UK admissions. You should also contact professors before you apply for admission.
vinamr_k asked,
hello..am in my final yr b.com.. cunfused as to do mba or ms finance ?? pls suggestKaran Gupta answers, You would qualify for an MS in finance but not an MBA. For an MBA, you must have full time work experience of at least 2-3 years.
Tushar asked, Hi , I wanted to ask about the chances of doing medicine from good universities in the US
Karan Gupta answers, Admissions to medical schools in the US is very, very hard. After the 12th, you will need at least eight years to become an MD.
Callcentre asked,
I'm working BPO, but my sister is going to Stanford this august. Will she face racism by US immigrations?Karan Gupta answers, Indians are probably the most racist people in the world. We are racist against our own communities. Racism exists in all parts of the world. However, not all students are subjected to racism. US laws are very strict and racism is dealt with in a very strict manner at all US universities.
PRASAD asked,
What is the minimum Score - Toefl + Sat 1 + Sat 2 : needed to get Scholarship for admission in undergraduate course in any US UNiversityKaran Gupta answers, There are no minimum scores for admission or scholarship at US univeristies. However, a score of 1800+ in the SAT I and 700 in each of the SAT II subjects are considered good scores.
Aalok asked,
Hello Sir, I am seeing a course in IT in New Zealand. Its Level 7 course. Can you tell me what is LEVEL 7? If possible tell me about other levels too.Karan Gupta answers, Universities in New Zealand classify courses according to their diffculty level. Level 7 is one such difficulty level.
Apploa asked,
Sir, I'm going to UK this fall. Is the style of learning so diffeernt there?Karan Gupta answers, Yes, the way the education is delivered is very different from India. More emphasis is given to practical learning, group work and individual reports.
satya asked,
Dear Sir, Can you please tell if one applies for a U.S. Visa Interview appointment after getting an I-20 say for M.B.A. and later on an I-20 is received for M.S.in a different university,can he change details in the application before the Visa Interview,if yes how many days before the interview. Is there any disadvantage in doing this. Regards SatyanarayanaKaran Gupta answers, This is possible and there is no disadvantage of doing this. However, you should check this with Visa Facilitation Services for the minimum time required to change the details of the appointment.
asLOT asked,
I'm going to Amherst, port of entry New York. Will I have any trouble with Indian passport and I-20? Need anything else?Karan Gupta answers, At the port of entry, you will need a valid Indian passport with a US Visa along with your I-20. That's about it.
live asked,
I've an M.A in english and I want to do some course in UK that will fetch me a Teaching Job over there, It can be in School or in College, what course should i Opt for? Thanks!Karan Gupta answers, You can opt for a master's degree in the field of education. This will help you become a teacher. Remember to do the course from a recognised UK university.
purnima asked,
hi sir.i'm currently in tyba rite now. i wanted to go abroad for pursuing PR related course.I'm thinking of australia as a good option for me & pursue masters in communications mgmt.i wanted to knw d colleges for the same in sydney and also wanted to know your option on macquarie univ n univ of sydney.and whether t is possible for me to enroll in nxt year itself. do they have intakes twice a yr for sure?Karan Gupta answers, Both these universities are good and have reputable courses. Admissions are generally in the month of September and January.
arunkarthik asked,
hello karan i m planning to do my mba in uk wat r the good univ there and wat procedure i shod doKaran Gupta answers, London Business School, Warwick, Oxford and Cambridge are among the top UK B schools. You will need the GMAT for admissions along with at least 3 years of full time work experience.
asLOT asked,
I've heard that black americans are racist to Indians? Is this true?Karan Gupta answers, NO.
samjc asked,
Sir, I am applying for higher theological studies in US? what is the prospect of getting a US visa?Karan Gupta answers, As long as you can demonstrate your career goals at the time of the visa interview along with your plans of what you plan to go after your degree in India, you will have no problem in getting a student visa.
arun_online47 asked,
i m planning to do my mba in aus or uk which is the bestKaran Gupta answers, Compare universities in these countries rather than comparing the countries. You can find an excellent university in the UK vs an average university in Australia and vice versa.
anand asked,
Hello sir, i finished my BE in the year of 2005 and am working as a software professional for the past 2 years.I am planning to apply for MBA next year (August 2008).I am planning to do a MBA in Finance.is there any domain experience neede in Finance for getting a seat in MBA finance.Karan Gupta answers, Through your essays you will have a chance to explain to the admission committee what your career goals are and how these have developed. If you can explain why you want Finance, without having ever worked in Finance before, you will still be able to get admissions.
Part II-- Karan Gupta
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~ Are you a student who is studying/ has studied abroad? What advice would you have for other students who may soon be pursuing studies in a foreign country? What are your experience as an international student? What were the things you wished you knew before you left home? Write to us at getahead@rediff.co.in and we will feature your experiences right here.
Karan Gupta is an overseas education consultant. He can be reached at kgc@karangupta.com
