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<ModulePrefs title="Study Abroad - Daily Tips" directory_title="Study Abroad - Daily Tips" title_url="http://www.yescoes.com"
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<a href="http://www.yescoes.com" target="_blank"> YESCO EDUCATIONAL SERVICES</a>
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Question[1]='I am not sure I understand what you mean by \'educational consultants\'. Please elaborate. ';
Answers[1]='There are hundreds of thousands of \'educational consultants\' (also referred to somewhat pejoratively as agents) in India who assist students in studying abroad, especially in higher education in the U.S. These consultants can be a very useful source of information, especially for students who do not have much knowledge about the opportunities for higher education at U.S. universities. Educational consultants are in both the organized and unorganized sector. They can be regional players focusing on one region of the country or may have a nation-wide network.';

Question[2]='Do I really need a consultant or advisor to pursue higher education in the U.S.?';
Answers[2]='The answer to this often-asked question is NO! You are not required to have a consultant to go to the U.S. for higher education. If you are willing to invest your own time and effort in the admission process, you should be able to get admission in a U.S. university without going through a consultant. However, if you are not willing to or can not invest your own time and effort in the process, you are likely to need a consultant.';

Question[3]='I do not want to or can not go to any educational consultant or advisor, including USEFI. Can I do everything on my own and still get admission to a good U.S. university?';
Answers[3]='Yes, you can. Almost all information related to admission to U.S. universities is freely available on the worldwide web (the internet). A large majority, if not all, of U.S. universities have detailed websites where you can do everything from looking for information to applying for admission and financial support. So, if you are determined to getting admission without the help of any consultant or advisor, you can still do it. However, you will be spending a lot of your time (and, maybe money) on just navigating the process and doing things that maybe much more easily available from educational consultants and advisors.';

Question[4]='What is my first step for going to the U.S. for higher education?'
Answers[4]='Even if you are undecided about going through a professional consultant, consider going for an initial counseling session to get the most basic information about U.S. higher education. USEFI and most professional consultants will offer a free introduction session. Take advantage of the freebie! Ask if you need to bring any documents to the initial consultation. Make a list of questions to bring to your first meeting so you can ask specific questions.';

Question[5]='Why should I go to the U.S. for higher education? '
Answers[5]='Many students never ask themselves this question, and remain unsure of what they are doing in the US even after spending valuable years of their life in U.S. universities. It is very important that you know your reasons for wanting to go to the U.S. for higher education. The reasons that motivate you to make this important decision of your life will have a tremendous impact on the outcome of your decision.';

Question[6]='When I talk to people about higher education in the U.S., I keep hearing the words "school", "college", and "university". I am confused as to what these three words mean?'
Answers[6]='In common American language, school is just another word for an educational institution and can refer to any college or university. Unlike in India, the word school is used in a very generic way in the U.S. The technical distinction between college and university in the U.S. is more complicated. Colleges can be independent stand-alone institutions offering their own degrees or they can be part of a university. When independent, colleges offer only undergraduate education (Bachelors degree programs) and tend to be smaller. When they are part of a university, colleges are domain-specific.';

Question[7]='I hear people talk about "major" and "minor". What do these terms mean?';
Answers[7]='The word "major" as used in U.S. higher education refers to the field of study, similar to the word "branch" in India. For example, if you are pursuing a degree in "mechanical engineering", it is your branch in India, in the U.S. it is a major. Major is the primary field of study a student chooses to pursue in the U.S. The word "minor" refers to a secondary field of study, which a student can pursue in addition to his major. Students are required to have a major, they can chose to have one or minors.';

Question[8]='What kind of higher education opportunities are available in the U.S.?';
Answers[8]='Generally when people talk about higher education in the U.S. they are referring to either undergraduate education (Bachelors degree programs) or graduate education (Masters and doctoral programs). Undergraduate programs in the U.S. are typically four years, masters program are generally two years, and Ph.D. programs can take anywhere from three to seven years.';

Question[9]='What academic qualification do I need to go for higher education to the U.S.?';
Answers[9]='If you are interested in undergraduate education, you will need to have twelve years of education (passed your 12th examination) before you join a U.S. University. If you are interested in graduate education, you will need to have sixteen years of education, of which four years will need to be after successful completion of twelve years of education. In recent years, a few U.S. universities have relaxed their requirement of 12+4 years of education for graduate programs to allow for 12+3 years of education.';

Question[10]='When does the academic year start in the U.S?';
Answers[10]='In U.S. university academic year typically starts in August or September. Each academic year usually has a Fall Semester (which runs from August till December), Spring semester (January-May), and a summer semester (June-August). Students are only required to take courses in the Fall or Spring semester, when most courses are offered. Very few courses are offered in the Summer semester. In addition, some programs in some schools may follow a quarter-system (four semesters of three months each).';

Question[11]='I have a relative in the U.S. Can it help me in getting admission to a U.S. university?';
Answers[11]='Usually, having a relative in the U.S. has no influence on your chances of admission to U.S. universities. However, there are two exceptions to this general rule: First, if your relative is a powerful politician, rich philanthropist, or university employee (faculty member, senior administrator), you have stronger chances of getting admission as well as some sort of financial support. Second, if you are applying to a university in the same town that you have some relatives, these family ties can improve your chances of getting an admission offer there.';

Question[12]='What do you mean by "standardized tests"?';
Answers[12]='In the U.S. education system, "standardized tests" refers to tests on which all students answer the same questions, usually in multiple-choice format, and each question has only one correct answer. All foreign students interested in pursuing higher education in the U.S. need to take some standardized tests to apply for admission (In fact, many of these tests also need to be taken by US students).';

Question[13]='How much time does the admission process usually take?';
Answers[13]='For a typical Indian student, the admission process itself usually takes about 8-10 months from when one starts preparing for the standardized tests to the time one finally accepts an admission offer. Of course, it may take more or less time, depending on various factors such as the amount of preparation needed to get a good test score or the number of admission offers you seek.';

Question[14]='I am somewhat confused about what you mean by \'admission offer\' and \'acceptance of offer\'. Please explain.';
Answers[14]='After going through your application material, the admission officer will make a decision about whether (or not) to extend you an \'admission offer\'. Once you receive an admission offer, you will need to accept (or refuse) the offer. An admission offer will usually have a deadline date by which you need to let the university know if you accept their offer. It is considered unprofessional and unethical to accept an offer and not join the university. Therefore, it is very important that when you receive an offer you carefully consider it before accepting it.';

Question[15]='Should I interview more than one consultant?';
Answers[15]='Yes, by all means interview more than one consultant. Every consultant has different strengths, and it is important you find the one that is right for you. It is only by meeting with more than one consultant that you see clearly who will best be able to help you reach your goals in the way you want. Changing consultants in the middle of the admission process can be stressful and costly. It is wise to invest time and effort at the outset in making the right choice.';

Question[16]='How much time do I need to prepare for taking the standardized tests?';
Answers[16]='There is no easy formula to figure out the time needed to prepare for a particular standardized test. A general rule of thumb for most Indian students with relatively good prior exposure to English is about 3-5 months of preparation time. Students with less or negligible prior exposure to English may want to invest more time for preparation.';

Question[17]='When can I schedule my test?';

Answers[17]='You should schedule the test well in advance of when you want to take it. Though internet-based testing has enabled ETS to schedule tests round-the-year, the earlier you schedule the test, the more chances you have of getting the test date of your choice. ';

Question[18]='What is the validity of my standardized test scores?';
Answers[18]='Different standardized tests are valid for different periods of time. For example, your score on the GRE is valid for 3 years, while the score on TOEFL is valid for 2 years. Validity refers to the time period you can use your test score measured from the date the test was taken.';

Question[19]='How do I prepare for the standardized tests?';
Answers[19]='Preparation for standardized tests requires persistence. The best advice you can follow is to spend a good amount of time on a regular basis every day preparing for the standardized tests you need to take. There is no substitute for hard work and persistence if you want to score well on the standardized tests. Here are some suggestions you may find helpful in your preparation:';

Question[20]='My test is tomorrow. What should I do today to improve my chances of scoring well?';
Answers[20]='The most important service you can do to yourself today is to relax! Don’t push yourself too much, don’t stay up late preparing or partying, don’t eat street food, don’t get involved in any stressful discussion, and don’t sleep at the time you will be taking the test tomorrow. You have done whatever you could have done to prepare yourself academically. It’s now time to get psychologically ready for the big day tommorrow.';

Question[21]='This is my first email to the university. Any suggestions about how to draft the email?';
Answers[21]='It is very important that your email is carefully drafted. Start the email with a polite greeting, such as Dear Dr. Troy or Dear Mr. Obama. Next, introduce yourself in a couple of sentences, presenting as much relevant information as you can give (e.g. your academic background, work experience, test scores etc.). Third, explain the reason/s you are interested in learning more about the university, the program, and/or the department. Next, clearly articulate the information you are looking for. Last, politely close the email (e.g. Sincerely, Amit Singh).';

Question[22]='How can I improve my chances of getting an assistantship?';
Answers[22]='Assistantship decisions are influenced by a variety of factors, only one of which is your academic performance. Nevertheless, there are steps you can take to improve your chances of getting an assistantship. You should get familiar with the areas that faculty are doing research in. If there are faculty members doing research in your area, look up the papers they may have published. Email them asking for more information about their current research projects and explore whether you can make a meaningful contribution to any of them. If you think you can contribute to any of their ongoing projects, let them know how you believe you can contribute.';

Question[23]='I am ready to apply. How do I do it?';
Answers[23]='Every US university has its own application form. You will need to complete the application for admission for international student and, if you are interested, the application for assistantship. ';

Question[24]='Is it correct to assume that good test scores are the most important element in my application packet?';
Answers[24]='Unfortunately, No! Test scores are only one of the elements of your application packet. As an applicant, you should not think of any one element as more important than others. Any element of the application packet can positively or negatively impact the decision on your application. So, take all elements of the application packet seriously. ';

Question[25]='I changed my school, college or university so now my transcripts are from two or more institutions. Is that a problem?';
Answers[25]='No, whether all your transcripts are from one institution or different institutions is of no consequence whatsoever.';


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