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Be sure of your dream(aim).Are you sure you want to come to america.Ask yourself why?Is it just for money?Can't you be happy with the money you earn in INDIA? Spend some time on this one.After all it's your life.Don't make this your aim just because someone told you to go to USA or stuff like that.Talk to your parents and friends.But don't let them influence you.Be sure of what you want.Then go onto the FAQ I have compiled. Hope this helps you. If you have any more questions not covered here e-mail me at nutanc@yahoo.com.
If you have any questions that need to be answered or if you want to start a discussion on a topic then click on DISCUSSIONS.If you have questions the just post the questions in the discussion group and be sure that someone or the other will answer the question for you.
There is no particular way in which one can be told to prepare for GRE or
TOEFL. But here are some guidelines.
GRE:
Be sure to start your preparation at least two months before. First take the Barron's
GRE book and take the Diagnostic test given at the beginning of the book. Don't
worry if you get a low score. After all it is only a diagnostic test. After
finishing the test look over your answers carefully. Find out what type of
questions you have made the most mistakes and then attack those mistakes in your
preparation. ie make sure that you spend more time on the questions in which you
are more likely to make mistakes. Then you have to go through the word list.
Make sure you know all the words in all the word lists. By the time you go
through it, you must most probably have one more month left. In that one month
take all the previous GRE examinations given in the Big Book. I guess there are
some 28 question papers. Answer them all. At least one question paper per day.
Or better two papers per day so that you finish preparing Two weeks before the
D-Day. Then for one week take all the computer tests you can lay your hands on.
The only way you can defeat GRE is through practice, practice and practice. And
for the last week lay off all heavy preparation. Don't strain yourself. Be cool
and confidant. Confidance is the most important thing. Just revise some
important stuff. And finally, BEST OF LUCK.
TOEFL:
All I can say is go through Cliffs and try to remember the rules. Take at least
10 Model examinations and that's it. Just remember that you just need to score
more than 600 and that's it.
Before you write your examinations write e-mails to all the universities and
ask them to send you applications for the term which you wish to join.So that by
the time you finish your GRE and TOEFL you will have the applications of all the
universities.Then based on the score which you get you can decide on the
university.Why I am telling you to ask for applications beforehand is because if
you ask for applications after you write the exams it will take more than a
month for the univeristies to send out the applications,which will be time
wasted.Below I have given you some e-mail addresses of some universities.All you
have to do is write them a mail asking for the application.
amgrad03@ysub.ysu.edu,amgrad03@ysub.ysu.edu,graduate_studies@carleton.ca,
graduate_studies@carleton.ca,admissions@dal.ca,ses@courrier.polymtl.ca,
ses@courrier.polymtl.ca,liaison@lakeheadu.ca,grad@ece.lan.mcgill.ca,
askgrad@mcmaster.ca,mahaddara@engr.mun.ca,senp@post.queensu.ca,
senp@post.queensu.ca,registrar@rmc.ca,brigitte@schmitt.ensc.sfu.ca,
Graduate_Studies@umanitoba.ca,allardyc@unb.ca,gradinfo@uottawa.ca,
gradstudies@usask.ca,cherian@ecf.utoronto.ca,gradstudies@ece.uvic.ca,gradinfo@ece.uwaterloo.ca,
ian@hazzstn1.engga.uwo.ca,ahmadi@uwindsor.ca,radstds@bucknell.edu,apps@ece.cmu.edu,robotics.admissions@ri.cmu.edu
,cua-engineer@cua.edu,butlersm@dunx1.ocs.drexel.edu,admissions@Gannon.edu,admissions@gmu.edu,
adms@seas.gwu.edu,sstokes@howard.edu,gradadm@ece.jhu.edu,gradinfo@eecs.lehigh.edu,
admissions@mailgate.loyola.edu,graduate@marshall.edu,graduate@mondec.monmouth.edu,
egross@moac.morgan.edu,Admissions@njit.edu,Graduate_Admission@ece.rutgers.edu,
thegradschool@stevens-tech.edu,sbiswas@vm.temple.edu,hunsperg@ee.udel.edu,
geneegrad@deans.umd.edu,eedept@ee.pitt.edu,eegrad@virginia.edu,gradadm@ece.vill.edu,
laberge@vt.edu,grad.programs@widener.edu,gradadm@mail.auburn.edu,eegpd@ece.msstate.edu,
mbennett@picard.tnstate.edu,g_admissions@tntech.edu,Admi@acd.tusk.edu,wwheless@coe.eng.ua.edu,
inquire@gradschool.huc.uab.edu,chittur@ebs330.eb.uah.edu,grad-info@engr.uark.edu,cathey@engr.uky.edu,
eegradlib@memphis.edu,engineer@olemiss.edu,eegrsec@risc1.ecn.missouri.edu,gradsec@cecs.missouri.edu,
admit@umkc.edu,umROLLA@umr.edu,admiss@usamail.usouthal.edu,jhl@utk.edu,egleason@utsi.edu,
barbara.amann@vanderbilt.edu,afit.counselors@afit.af.mil, rad@bradley.edu,coleman@alpha.ces.cwru.edu,emf4@po.cwru.edu,graduate.studies@csuohio.edu,
gradinfo@ece.iit.edu,grad@engr.iupui.edu,office@ksi.edu,mugs@vms.csd.mu.edu,eegradoff@egr.msu.edu,
albert@mtu.edu,explore@msoe.edu,
gradsch@niu.edu,telecomprog@nwu.edu,gradinfo@oakland.edu,admissions@osu.edu,GSCHANZEN1@OHIOU.EDU,
ecegrad@ecn.purdue.edu,eetinfo@tech.purdue.edu,
gradschl@siu.edu,mcolcla@siue.edu,gradschool@uakron.edu,grad_dir@ececs.uc.edu,dmoon@engr.udayton.edu,
dmoon@engr.udayton.edu,admissions@udmercy.edu,lincj@udmercy.edu,grad-info@eecs.uic.edu,Application@ece.uiuc.edu,
admit@eecs.umi ch.edu,umdgrad@umd.umich.edu,gradad.1@nd.edu,grdsch@utnet.utoledo.edu,
grad_info@ecse.rpi.edu,epe-info@rpi.edu,admissions@rit.edu,gradsch@summail.syr.edu,gsas@infonet.tufts.edu,
PCS@INFONET.TUFTS.EDU,gsas@infonet.tufts.edu,kosik@acsu.buffalo.edu,ctchen@sbee.sunysb.edu,admit@cse.bridgeport.edu
GRE: Barrons book for GRE is very good. You also need to get your hands on the Big Book of GRE and try to complete as many exams as possible. Also try to take as many computer based tests as possible
TOEFL: Cliffs book is very good for TOEFL. Barrons Book for TOEFL is also OK.
Any time is good. But be sure to take both exams very early.I would say that August for TOEFL and September for GRE are very good choices.If you can't make it,don't fret over it.Most of the Universities in America have their deadlines in January for the fall term.So your main aim must be to complete your exams and send your results to the universities before january.
GRE: www.gre.org
TOEFL: www.toefl.org
University Rankings: www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/corank.htm
GRE tutorials: www.testtutor.com/gre/tutorials.html
TOEFL tutorials: www.toefl.org/cbtutprq.html
Statement of Purpose: www.statementofpurpose.com
1.So once you get all the applications decide what is best for
you.Remember,take into account all the factors like climatic
conditions,geographic location,cost of living,tuition fees etc.I know you guys
must be thinking,what the heck,if I get admitted into some university that is
enough.I too used to think the same way.But mark my words,here even simple
things like climatic conditions are very important for you to decide on what
university.I don't have enough space or time to write what univeristy is good
for what score.But if you will mail me I will be more than happy to help you
out.My mail id is cchokkar@cise.ufl.edu.
2.The next step is to prepare your recommendation letters and Statement of Purpose.This is a very important step.Be sure to get good recommendation letters.Also get recos from Professors who have good qualifications.Your Statement of Purpose is also very important.Be sure to get good guidance when you submit your SOP.The Graduate Committee of the Universities give a lot of importance to SOPs.Before you apply to universities go through their web pages and find out in what area the university is performing research.Then write your SOP accordingly.This way you will have more oppurtunity of getting aid.I have given you some templates of SOPs and recommendation letters in the Sop and Reco page.Just check them out.
3.Then you have to get your transcripts signed.Get it done as soon as possible.You may use this page as a check list.Make sure you have completed all the above as soon as possible.Remember,timing is everything.The sooner you apply for an university the better oppurtunity you have of being accepted and getting aid.
4.Just remember that just because you got a good score doesn't mean that you will get aid.There are a lot of factors which come into play when you are considered for aid,luck being one of them.So you must be able to support yourself atleast for two terms which comes to around Rs.4,00,000 at least.Find out if your family can afford that.Don't think I am scaring you away.I am just stating the facts.
5.Once you have done all the above just sit back and enjoy life until you hear from the university.Remember to enjoy life as later on you won't have time for it.If you want more info about how to make travel arrangements etc.Just keep coming back to this web page.I'll soon include a segment on that as well.
BYE AND ALL THE BEST