Friday, 14 December 2012

Toefl

toefl stands for test for english as a foreign language.
It is an imporant exam if you want to pursue higher education in us,uk,australia,nw zealand,canada etc
 toefl has 4 sections
reading
listening
speaking
writing
each of the above carries 30 marks and a total of 120 marks.
 Most of the universitys prefer scores above 79.
so you have to score a minimum of 21 in each section.

we indians face alot of problem in speaking and listening section but people i say its just rumour
anyone score above 80 easily provided you make a efficient and careful preparation.
i will post my experience and how to prepare.

Wednesday, 5 December 2012

US University List based on TOEFL and IELTS minimum scores







     University                                                        TOEFL  IELTS
1                  Massachussets Institute of
    Technology                                                         90       6.5
2    Stanford University                                           100       7
3    University of California Berkeley                        68        7
4    University of Illinois –
      Urbana Champaign                                             79        7
5    Carnegie Mellon University                                 84-100  7
6    Georgia Technological University                       100
7    University of Texas Austin                                 79        6.5
8    University of Michigan Ann Arbor                     84        7
9    Cornell University                                             77         7
10   Purdue University                                           77         6.5
11    University of Southern California                    100       7
12   Texas A&M University                                    80        6
13   University of California San Diego                    80        7
14   California Technological University                  90
15   University of California,
                             Los Angeles                             87        7
16   Princeton University                                       71         7
17   University of Wisconsin Madison                   82        7
18   Columbia University                                       104       7.5
19   University of Maryland College Park             84        6.5
20 Pennsylvania State                                          100       6.5
21   Northwestern University                                 100       7
22   Virginia Tech                                                 80        6.5
23   University of Minnesota -Twin Cities              79        7
24 University of Washington                                 70        6.5
25   Ohio State University                                      79        7
26 University of Florida                                        80        6
27   Duke University                                              83        7
28 North Carolina State University                       80        6.5
29 University of Colorado Boulder                    79-100 6
30 University of California Irvine                          80        7
31   Arizona State University                                76        6
32   Iowa State University                                    79        5.5
33   Northeastern University                               79        7
34 University at Buffalo -SUNY                           79        6
35   University of Connecticut                               72         7
36 University of Illinois--Chicago                          80        7
37   Colorado State University                               60        5
38 Syracuse University                                         80        7
39 University of Texas Dallas                                80        6.5
40 Illinois Institute of Technology                          90        6.5
41   Clemson University                                       80        6.5
42 Tufts University                                               79        6
43 University of Central Florida                            80        6.5
44 University of Cincinnati                                    79        6
45 Santa Clara University                                     79
46 Mississippi State University                              79        6.5
47 University of North Carolina -
      Chappel Hill                                                    100       7
48 Washington State University                             65        5.5
49 Michigan Technological University                    79        6.5
50 University of Texas Arlington                            84        6.5
51   New Jersey Institute of Technology                79        6

52   Portland State University             71         6.5

Wednesday, 21 November 2012


Total Cost of higher education in US in Rupees - MS, MBA and M Eng


This article will help you with the total cost of higher education in US. You can find the total cost for education based on the degree of graduation from US Universities – MS, MBA or MEng.

Total Expenditure for an MS degree in US Universities
The total cost of an MS degree from US Universities varies from University to University. You can find Universities in US with very high tuition fees and also very low tuition fees. To give you an approximate idea of the total expense for an MS degree in US, you can follow the following two extreme Universities – Stanford University and Michigan Technological University. All other US Universities total expenditure lies in between these two extreme costs.

Total 2 year cost of MS from Stanford University in rupees
Expenses
USD ($)
INR
Tuition fees (2 years)
85320
47,43,792
Living expenses (2 years)
24000
13,34,400
Other expenses(2 years)
10000
5,56,000
Total
119320
66,34,192

Stanford University is located in the heart of Silicon Valley – California. The tuition fees as well as the living expenses at Stanford are very high. As shown in the above table, the total cost for completion of an MS degree from Stanford University without any financial aid, scholarship or assistantship is about Rs. 66 lakhs for the entire 2 year duration.

Total 2 year cost of MS from Michigan Technological University in rupees
Expenses
USD ($)
INR
Tuition fees (2 years)
25272
14,05,123
Living expenses (2 years)
12000
6,67,200
Other expenses(2 years)
5000
2,78,000
Total
42272
23,50,323

Michigan Technological University is located at the northernmost area of USA in Michigan State. The tuition fees as well as the living expenses at MTU are very low. As shown in the above table, the total cost for completion of an MS degree from Michigan Technological University without any financial aid, scholarship or assistantship is about Rs. 24 lakhs for the entire 2 year duration.

On an average, total cost for the entire 2 year course of MS from a decent US University is roughly 30-40 lakhs. For list of top 10 US Universities sorted according to lowest tuition fees, read this article: List of top 10 most economical US Universities. For list of top 10 US Universities sorted according to highest tuition fees, read this article: List of top 10 most expensive US Universities


Total Expenditure for an M.Eng degree in US Universities
All the US Universities have started offering an alternative professional Engineering program called M.Eng to the traditional MS. The following is the total expenditure for an M.Eng at Cornell University.

Total 1 year cost of M.Eng from Cornell University in rupees
Expenses
USD ($)
INR
Tuition fees (1 year)
40000
22,24,000
Living expenses (1 year)
12000
6,67,200
Other expenses(1 year)
5000
2,78,000
Total
57000
31,69,200

The one year duration of M.Eng is an ideal option for job aspirants in US as you complete your degree in just 1 year. But the tuition fees are at par with the tuition fees of a full time MS degree program.


Total Expenditure for an MBA degree in US Universities
MBA is one of the most sought after degrees in the world and an MBA degree from US Universities will shine out in your resume. The cost of an MBA degree is very high. The tuition fees for MBA from a US University are high. Typically a decent University charges about $40000 for MBA in US for one year.

Total 2 year cost of full time MBA from Harvard Business School in rupees
Expenses
USD ($)
INR
Tuition fees (2 years)
102400
56,93,440
Living expenses (2 years)
20000
11,12,000
Other expenses(2 years)
10000
5,56,000
Total
132400
73,61,440

As seen from the above table, a full time MBA degree from Harvard University can cost you up to 75 lakhs of rupees.  For list of top 100 B-schools in US sorted according to highest tuition fees, read this article: Top

Research opportunities during and after higher education from US Universities




One of the distinguishing factors about American higher education is the immense research potential and research opportunities in United States.

Research in USA – A brief overview
Ever since World War II, when a lot of Jews scholars migrated to US from Europe, American government has given top priority to research and related activities in USA. As a result USA boasts maximum number of patents, scientific innovations and discoveries than any other country in the world. Right from basic machines to highly integrated chips, health care to insurance, agriculture to environmental studies, US Universities carry out research in all the fields and offer courses for education in all these fields. The US Universities receive federal grants as well as royalty based income which are again invested in research. Couple it with some of the finest alumni over the past 100 years; the US Universities are truly rich in financial as well as scholarly resources. It would not be wrong to say that US has the best research opportunities in the world.

Complete autonomy of US Universities
The US Universities enjoy full autonomy to decide the course structure and syllabi and there is no interference from the US government in any of the US activities. As a result, the US Universities align their courses and study pattern with respect to latest technological innovations and research options. The US Universities, therefore, have a much more practical and research oriented education which targets the base of learning. The autonomy right from the selection procedure, research projects, labs, investments, internships, placements, syllabi, exams and coursework helps the University and the students considerably. This autonomy boosts research activities as students learn the latest technologies and utilise them for further innovations.

Research in US Universities helps provide financial assistance
US Universities provide scholarships or assistantships to international students who have research potential. If one is interested in contributing to the research activities carried out by the US University that he intends to study, the professor in charge of the research has the power to appoint such a person as research assistant. The benefits of RA are immense. One gets to learn the basics of research and excel in the field of research. Secondly, he receives fee waiver for his contribution to the research work. The research work provides the student with a strong foundation which will help him pursue PhD with full assistance. If you have a research oriented mindset and are willing to work hard, your financial problems will be taken care of.

List of top 10 US Universities for Engineering with very high acceptance rate



The following table enlists the top 10 US Universities having very low acceptance rates for Engineering admissions. All these Universities are ranked in the top 50 US Universities for engineering programs.


University
Acceptance rate
Engineering rank
Illinois Institute of Technology
85.70%
72
New Jersey Institute of Technology
68.40%
93
University of Texas Arlington
66.20%
77
Arizona State University
59.70%
43
University of Colorado Boulder
48.50%
35
University of Texas Dallas
47.80%
77
University of Central Florida
45.10%
72
Michigan Technological University
44.70%
88
Tufts University
44%
74
University of North Carolina - Chappel Hill
42.00%
82

The acceptance rates of the Universities is based on the ratio of the number of admits given and the number of applicants to the particular University . Hence, the figures mentioned are only an indication of the percentage of students admitted. If a University has large number of seats and number of applications are less, naturally, its acceptance ratio will be very very high.

How to decide the number of US Universities to apply to?



This article will help you decide on the number of US Universities to apply to. The most commonly asked question by Indian students is: How many US Universities should I apply to? Although there is not a fixed number that should be followed by US higher education applicants, there are some guidelines that may help you decide the number of US Universities to apply to. Read on to see these guidelines.

When are you applying to US Universities?
Based on the timing of your application to US Universities, you can decide the number of US Universities to apply to. Most of the top US Universities have deadlines in December for FALL term. Hence, you must have your GRE and TOEFL scores at most by October so that you get at least a month for shortlisting Universities and preparing your applications. In this case, you can apply to all the Universities that you desire. In this case, generally applicants apply to as many as 12 US Universities.

But for some reason, if you have taken your GRE and TOEFL late and have decided to go for FALL applications by November or December, you still have a lot of Universities whose deadlines is January or later. But in this case, it is advisable to apply to only a limited number of Universities as your chances of getting scholarship/assistantship become less. But this does not mean you cannot apply at all. There are innumerable cases where students have applied as late as January and have still received fee waiver along with admits. You might consider applying to 5-6 US Universities most suited to your profile.


Cost of an application to a US University
For a detailed analysis of the cost of US University application and ways to reduce this cost, read this article: Cost of application to each US University and tips to reduce the cost of US University applications
As given in analysis in the above article, for each US University application, you need to spend an amount of up to Rs. 10,000. So, if you are considering applying to 10 Universities, you will have to spend at least 1 lakh rupees just for US University applications. That is a huge amount that you will be spending just for applications to US Universities. 

Not to mention the additional charges that you will have to pay later for US VISA and SEVIS fee, your entire US University application will really put a dent into the pockets. The entire cost might become an important factor and you may consider applying to less number of US Universities. Hence due to the high cost of applications, students prefer to apply to about 5-6 US Universities only.

Although the cost of US University applications is high, it is nominal compared to the entire investment that you will have to make for US higher education. The entire 2 years of education will cost you an amount in excess of Rs. 20 lakhs. So, considering this amount, the US University application cost is very less. Hence many students apply to as many as 12 US Universities, if not more.


Ambitious, moderate and safe US Universities
As a recent emerging trend, most of the counsellors and advisors in India are following these three categories of US Universities – ambitious, moderate and safe Universities. Generally the ambitious Universities are those that have very low acceptance rate and the safe Universities are those that have a very high acceptance rate. The ambitious and safe University list is also dependent on the profile of the US University applicant.

Most of the applicants follow the following pattern of US University applications:
For 12 US Universities applications: 3 Ambitious, 4 Moderate and 5 Safe
For 10 US Universities applications: 3 Ambitious, 3 Moderate and 4 Safe
For 8 US Universities applications: 2 Ambitious, 3 Moderate and 3 Safe
For 6 US Universities applications: 2 Ambitious, 2 Moderate and 2 Safe
For 5 US Universities applications: 1 Ambitious, 2 Moderate and 2 Safe


Do not apply to a lot of Universities just because they are safe
Many students apply to very low ranked and sometimes even unranked Universities just because they are very safe and you will surely get an I-20 from that University. For every University that you shortlist, don’t ask yourself this question: Is this US University safe for me?
Instead, you should ask yourself this question: Would I study at this University if I get admit?
Whatever Universities you shortlist, it is important that you should be aware of the degree programs and the quality of research and other facilities in the University apart from the rankings. It is not essential to apply to all high ranked Universities in US. Even for some low ranked Universities, you will find some of the most excellent facilities and professors carrying out some very high tech research that suits your profile perfectly. Go for such Universities where you would like to study.

Do not apply to many Universities if you are very sure about where you want to go
Many US University applicants are very sure about a few Universities and still they apply to a lot of other Universities. It is better to apply to just 3 Universities if you have made up your mind to go there. The reasons of going to those Universities might be anything. For some, it might be the research facilities suiting their prior work experience, for some they might have a very close friend in that University and for other there might be some close relative near the University. Whatever the reasons, if you are very sure about a few Universities do no need to apply to other Universities.

Number of US University admits is not important
People apply to as many as 12 Universities and by simple probability, they are sure to get at least 4 admits if they apply to as many safe Universities. Personally, I feel it is better to apply to 3-4 Universities and get 1 admit instead of applying to 12 Universities and get 5 admits. Eventually you are going to join just 1 University. If you are very unsure about your profile and have got a very low GRE score and low undergraduate score, then it makes sense to apply to many Universities. But if you have a strong profile, be confident and be sure about the Universities that you apply to.

US VISA issues for a large number of admits
If recent trends for US VISA rejection are analysed, people with a large number of admits are rejected. It looks a bit too desperate if you are applying to a large number of Universities and getting too many admits. Keep this factor in mind before deciding the number of US Universities to apply.

Universities without gre score


List of Universities in US which do not require Revised GRE score for admissions

Got low score in Revised GRE? No need to worry. In this article you can find all those universities in US which do not require Revised GRE for admission into higher education programs. Many Universities do not put a criteria or cut off of Revised GRE and all such Universities are listed in the following paragraphs. Also, you can find the Universities which can waiver your Revised GRE requirement based on your undergraduate performance. All such Universities are also mentioned.
US Universities List not requiring Revised GRE for admissions
The following Universities which are mentioned along with the degree programs do not require the revised GRE scores for admissions.
  1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) department
  2. University of Maryland, College Park – Master's in Telecommunications
  3. Purdue University West Lafayette – Computer Science department
  4. University of Pittsburg – Material Science and Engineering
  5. University of Dayton – All Engineering programs MS and MEng 
  6. University of Bridgeport, Connecticut – All MS programs
  7. Stevens Institute of Technology – Optional GRE for many Engineering MS programs
  8. New Mexico State University – Few MS programs have optional GRE
  9. Kansas State University - Department of Computer Science & Department of Agronomy
  10. Washington State University – Few MS programs
  11. Tufts University – Engineering Management programs
  12. University of Oklahoma – Some programs do not require GRE
  13. Oklahoma State University - Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
  14. Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma – All MS programs
  15. California State University, Sacramento – Civil Engineering 
  16. University of Nebraska-Lincoln – Few engineering programs
  17. University of Northern Virginia – Optional GRE for some programs
  18. Iowa State University
  19. University of Idaho
  20. Colorado State University
  21. Farleigh Dickinson University
  22. Monmouth University
  23. Rowan University
  24. Montclair State University
  25. Virginia State University
  26. Wichita State University
US Universities List not requiring Revised GRE for admissions under certain criteria
Some of the Universties in US provide a waiver for GRE score requirement based on very good undergraduate grades or some other criteria. Some programs in the following Universities provide such GRE waiver
  1. University of Maryland, College Park
  2. California State University at Channel Islands
  3. California State University at Northridge
  4. Carnegie Mellon University (few programs only)
  5. University of Utah (Chemical Engg)
  6. University of Pennsylvania
Caution: US Universities keep changing their requirements with time. Applicants are advised to check their aspired department admission requirements of GRE before applying to the above Universities

newly added universitys without gre requirement
university of winsconsin stout
alabama a&m university