The ‘How’ Behind a Good Letter of Recommendation

Letters of Recommendation (LORs) are a powerful tool to bolster your chances of securing admit into the university of your choice. People tend to take them lightly, but most often these carry more weightage than your essays. They are extremely resourceful to the college admissions committee as they are instrumental in providing valuable insights into your attitude towards studies, work habits, learning behaviour and your ability to perform to pressures and challenges. They are also a potential source of conveying how robust was your learning environment and academic program.

Skill Maestro presents a comprehensive list of tips to assist you in your process of securing LORs.

1.    Choose the teachers who know you in and out!

You need to be wise while choosing the teachers/counselors/advisers who will write an LOR for you. Your recommenders should be those who are familiar with your intellectual abilities, academic skills, critical thinking skills and communication skills. Those mentors who have seen you coping up to challenges and are aware of your desire to learn are the ones who are best positioned to support your application. Choose the ones who will act in your best interest.

2.    Share your finest details of activities and achievements with your recommenders

Send your CV with the recommender you choose to expose him to your profile completely. If possible, discuss things with him/her. Your recommender might know you in and out, but there might be fine details he/she might not be aware of. Share those details with him/her so that he/she can get a holistic picture of your profile and can help you endorse better.

3.    Sufficiently inform them about the way you are projecting yourself to the university

There needs to be a balance between how you are projecting yourself to the admissions office and what your recommendation letter talks of. Sufficiently inform your recommenders the achievements and strengths that you are highlighting in your application so that things can remain consistent through-out your application.  Share your motivations, ambitions, aspirations, strengths and weaknesses with your recommenders.

4.    Keep them informed about the application deadlines and the relevant forms

Inform your recommenders about the application deadlines and the guidelines and information sought by the universities you are applying to so that you can avoid any discrepancies and last minute hassles.

5.    Give them time!

You need to request your recommenders well in advanced about writing an LOR for you. They need to take out time from their busy schedules thinking about and preparing the letter. This will again help you avoid last minute rushes and will ensure that your LORs are in their best form of expression and not hastily drafted.

So, start looking for your potential recommenders who can project the best form of your talent to the universities of your choice! Needless to say, LORs are not just indispensible but extremely resourceful, to both you and to the admissions committee!

About Skill Maestro At Skill Maestro, We guide prospective students about the entire application process as well as suitable universities as per their profile/test scores. We have consulted dozens of prospective students for MIS across the globe. We have a physical presence in Indore where we also help students prepare for GRE, GMAT & SAT Follow Us  on Google+!

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Choosing the Right University for graduate studies

Taking the GRE/GMAT is only the first step towards your journey of studying in a reputed foreign university. The real and the more taxing task starts after your GRE/GMAT, when you finally decide to apply to universities. Often students get bogged down in deciding what specific course and which universities they should be targeting. Most of them are often wary about not taking wrong decisions, given the cost, time and effort for applying to foreign grad schools.

We list some tips that may come in handy for you to take a wise decision towards choosing which universities to keep in your platter and which ones not to.

1.    Choose authentic sources for rankings

The first step to list down the universities falling under your area of interest and your bracket of your test score is to go through the top 100 universities and deciding which ones are in accordance with your scores. While doing so, it is important to search for universities on legitimate sources. For example, US News is a reliable platform for comparing the rankings of US universities. Similarly, instead of relying on your home country’s search engine, you may reach out to the websites based in the concerned country.

2.    Catch the right people!

Once you have listed down your intended choice of universities from a pool of universities, the next what follows is to go to the official websites of these universities and get a sense of the fine details of the program that they offer (the curriculum, duration, workload etc.). It is often a very good idea to reach out to the college via mail to seek out specific information that you need. While doing so, the concerned administrator might also put you in touch with the current students/alumni (if not, you may request him/her to) to get an honest assessment of the program and the atmosphere and opportunities in the university. Do not shy away from sending mails – the administrators do reply to mails with celerity!

3.    Get insights about opportunities

Talk to the current students/alumni and learn what all opportunities lie once you graduate to get a good clarity of the scope of your program. You may also consult the concerned school’s international students and scholar’s office to know about the Optional Practical Training program (OTP), which allows international students to work in the U.S. legally for one year after graduation as long as their jobs are related to their educational field, as well as about visas.

4.    The often forgotten factor – location!

Students generally tend to forget the location factor while determining the choice of their universities. This is an important factor. For example, if a university is located in an urban centre, it is easier to get good internship opportunities there, rather than if the location of your university is in a small or rural town.

5.    Assessing your chances via pre-application process

For those who are risk averse and want to apply to universities where there is more probability of getting selected, you should definitely assess your chances via pre-application process, which essentially entails sending universities or professors of universities e-mail declaring your interest and scores along with your CV. Though informally, the professors generally tend to give you an evaluation of your application. This might come in handy to assess your chances of being selected, according to which you can choose your universities. You might want to keep more of such universities where your pre-app responses had been positive.
 

It is indeed an onerous task to zero in on your choice of universities given the cost and time constraints. Very often students spend a lot of money in this process, blindly applying to universities and facing discouraging rejections. It is important to know how to optimize your search for the right kind of universities matching your profile so that you don’t burn your pockets and waste your precious time. At Skill Maestro, we are more than dedicated towards this end!

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How to compensate for a low GPA in your application?

 Many a time a lot of our students ask this question. I have a low CGPA.. How do I improve my chances for an admit to a good graduate program? You fervently want to get into a good graduate school, but feel uncertain and hazy over your prospects of getting selected due to your low college/school GPA? If this is the story of your life, read on. This post is dedicated to expound on how to counter low GPAs during application process. While college GPA is an important parameter for application processing, it is not all, and there are ways to deal with it.

We have listed a few such ways to provide you insights and make your lives simpler!

1.    Target for a high GRE/GMAT score

If you’ve had low GPA in your college, but a good score on standardized tests like the GRE or the GMAT, it reflects to the admission committee that while you’ve had low scores in college, you have a reasonably good aptitude and intellectual capabilities. Also scores in college exams are very often a bit subjective since grading pattern/scales and also evaluation criteria and class difficulty differ hugely across countries. Since standardized tests are not subject to such differing patterns, it is a very good indicator of your aptitude since everybody is tested on the same grounds. Thus, if you score reasonably good in these tests, your chances to get selected will significantly escalate.

2.    Take responsibility and offer an explanation

While a high GRE/GMAT score might prove your intellectual capabilities, you still cannot get rid of that low GPA simply with a high GRE/GMAT score. That’s because such a condition suggests that while you are intellectually capable, you are possibly less motivated. It is thus critical not to disregard your low GPA just because you have a decent GRE/GMAT score. Take responsibility for your low GPA in college in your application. There are a number of reasons of low GPA like illness, family issues, lack of maturity, lack of interest/motivation, switch in teachers etc. You could possibly choose one of these and expound on them. When you take a responsibility for your poor grades with a justification, it gives an impression to the admissions committee of your maturity and drive to improve. You could discuss your poor grades in a personal statement or in an additional information field in application form.

3.    Try and get a good recommendation letter

A good rapport with a professor can be a life-saver in case of low GPA. Develop close relationships with teachers and professors so that they may help you with your recommendation letter. A good recommendation letter from a professor that speaks of how you are improving consistently may come as a brownie point. Have an explicit discussion with the teachers/professors you have good rapport with.

4.    Extracurricular or outside enrichment classes

These are often the most strong compensatory steps in your application for your low GPA. You could point out how you spent tons of time on extracurricular activities like sports, arts, competitions, contests, internships, part time jobs, other enrichment classes/certificate courses etc. Colleges often like to have a diverse pool of students in their campus. So if you have been significantly active in say sports, highlight that. Most colleges are often forgiving when they get a good reason to believe that you have been prolific in other activities outside academics.

5.    Take additional learning courses

When you take additional learning courses, it comes as a brownie point.  It gives an impression to the admissions’ committee that you have a drive and motivation to learn. You may consider taking up online e-learning courses (which are becoming very popular these days) or certificate courses with some learning centre or university etc. This can give your application a reasonable weightage. You could also use this to counter for a low GPA in a particular subject. Say, for example, if you didn’t do well in Operations Research subject in your college, you could take up e-learning courses from platforms like Course-Era in the same subject and display your proficiency there and mention in your application that since you could not have the opportunity to do well, you decided to take up a course on Operations Research to enhance your competence.

6.    Wait to apply – Double Masters’

If you are ardently passionate about going to a good university abroad, you may consider waiting. By waiting, we mean, you may enroll yourself into a masters’ course in some college in the country itself and perform well, gain competence and then apply for a double masters’ in universities abroad. While this can be taxing, it escalates your chances significantly and make your application really strong and convincing, displaying your vigour and enthusiasm to learn.

We at Skill Maestro have provided admissions counseling to hundreds of students with this age-old story of the’ low GPA trap’, and have successfully enabled their applications to get selected at many reputed universities like North-Eastern University, Carnegie Mellon University, New York University etc.  You are always welcome!

About Skill Maestro At Skill Maestro, We guide prospective students about the entire application process as well as suitable universities as per their profile/test scores. We have consulted dozens of prospective students for MIS across the globe. We have a physical presence in Indore where we also help students prepare for GRE, GMAT & SAT Follow Us  on Google+!

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Should you join a coaching for GRE preparation?

Whether to join a coaching for GRE preparation remains a dilemma for many. The answer to this question is actually not in black and white. It depends on a lot of factors, which people usually are unaware of.

Skill Maestro is committed to genuinely assist GRE aspirants – whether they take the coaching for GRE or not. This post is dedicated to you for an objective evaluation of whether to join a coaching for GRE or not.

We list a number of factors that will shape your decision to join coaching or not.

1.    Take a diagnostic test

The first and the foremost step in deciding whether to opt for coaching or not, is by self evaluation through a diagnostic test. Take the ETS powerprep Test 1, which is the official sample GRE test and evaluate yourself on it. If you score between the bracket of 157-170 in both verbal and quant, you probably would not require a coaching to assist you. You would just need good practice material and you are good to go.

However, if you score below this bracket on any one of the section, you might want to take a coaching class, as GRE tutors would provide you with a GRE oriented direction with handy tips, tricks and valuable advice on your weak spots. Remember, cracking the GRE is more of a skill which can be developed. GRE tests your English and basic quant skills, which any adult is capable of intrinsically, it just needs to be fine tuned in accordance with the GRE pattern.

2.    Are you self-motivated and disciplined enough?

Are you an extremely self motivated person? Or do you have just short, capricious, inconsistent bouts of self motivation? Self preparation often takes a lot of self motivation on your part. If you are one of those people who can manage to stay afloat with regularity and discipline, you may consider not taking a coaching. But if you do not fall in this category, it might be a risk to undertake self-preparation.  Joining a coaching in such a case makes your study more regular, structured, consistent and disciplined. Decide which category you fall in.

3.    Small Tricks and Hacks

Remember, the GRE is a manageable exam to crack, but it is interspersed with a lot of tricky questions. The Verbal section is not easy, even for those who have a good command over English, and often a lot of hacks and tricks can help you in dealing with different types of questions. For example, on the Reading Comprehension (RC) questions, the GRE often puts a lot of trap wrong answer choices, which you will be tempted to choose. Wrong answer choices often contain the same relevant sentence from the RC, but would just distort the sentence by changing some minor words, which completely change the meaning of the sentence. Now just because you see a similar sentence structure on the answer choice, you feel tempted to pick up that answer in a hurry, without noticing how those subtle omissions/additions in the sentence have changed the meaning of the answer choice. 

A good GRE Verbal tutor will assist you in identifying the wrong answer choices and in understanding why the choice is wrong. The same goes for the Math section. There are multiple tiny tricks and hacks which GRE experts may help you with.  This is the greatest advantage of joining a GOOD coaching with GRE experts.

4.    Are you exposed to study material that is close enough to GRE like questions?

For the GRE, it is quite important that you study from study material which is representative of the GRE questions. A lot of students, due to lack of awareness, study from sub-standard material, which often is not representative of the GRE material. In fact, a lot of coaching centres also use non representative GRE study material and often have non experts teaching the GRE aspirants. It is simply a DRAIN of your money! The best study material is the Manahttan Books, which are a very good reflection of GRE questions. Other good materials includes Princeton Review’s 1014 Question Book and of course, the ETS official guide. If the coaching centre you plan to go, does not expose you with these study materials, there is a good enough chance that you might be exposed to study material that is not close enough to GRE like questions.  

Whatever decision you take, to join or not join coaching, you MUST get your hands on GRE like material, otherwise, it is a waste of time, money and efforts.

5.    How well are you placed for the writing section?

A majority of students, including those who possess fairly good writing skills, manage to score only between 3 to 4.5  out of 6 on the writing section of the GRE. The primary reason for this is that most of the students remain unaware of what exactly is expected of them in the writing section of the GRE. The writing section measures your analytical and critical thinking skills more than just you ability to use fancy words. Using fancy words and complex sentence structures is definitely a brownie point, but remember that is not all.

If you think you can develop the skill of writing critically and analytically along with a high standard of English, you may manage to prepare on your own using good resources. But if you feel under-confident about it, or you feel you need a personal guidance, you must consider taking an expert’s help for this. Remember, even if you do take mock tests online, only a few of these give you your writing score, which is why a lot of students are unable to evaluate their writing section while preparing on their own. A lot of coaching centers personally train students on how to develop this skill of writing critically and analytically. 

The decision to join coaching for the GRE or not, depends on your capabilities, aptitude, perseverance, self motivation, access to resourceful rich practice material and the ability to write critically and analytically.   Evaluate yourself on all these parameters and take a decision accordingly. In case you decide to opt for classes, remember that a good coaching center must provide you with multiple mock tests (both paper based and computer based), periodic tests, training for tricky GRE questions, an exposure to the representative GRE questions and a personal guidance by experts for the writing section. 

We hope after this objective evaluation of whether to join coaching or not, you are good to go!

About Skill Maestro At Skill Maestro, We guide prospective students about the entire application process as well as suitable universities as per their profile/test scores. We have consulted dozens of prospective students for MIS across the globe. We have a physical presence in Indore where we also help students prepare for GRE, GMAT & SAT Follow Us  on Google+!

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TOEFL vs. IELTS

Are you confused which exam to take –the TOEFL or the IELTS? Are you wondering what are the essential differences or similarities between the two tests? If yes, then this post is for you!

Speaking very fundamentally, both the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) are tests to measure English proficiency of those who come from countries where English is not the first language. Most universities worldwide while accepting students from such countries require such students to exhibit their proficiency in English, and these two tests are the most widely accepted tests for English proficiency.

But before deciding which test to take, it is wise to understand the differences and similarities between the two tests. Skill Maestro offers a comprehensive comparison between the two tests.

1.    Scope

While both the tests are widely accepted, it is important for you to know which test your intended choice of university accepts. If you are planning to head towards the US or Canada, the TOEFL should be your preference, while if you are planning to head towards Europe, Australia or New Zealand, you might want to give the IELTS. While TOEFL scores are accepted over 500 locations in the US and over 4500 locations worldwide, IELTS scores are accepted at 59 locations in the US and about 900 locations worldwide. You must check the website of the universities that you intend to apply to be sure whether they accept TOEFL or IELTS, and then take your decision accordingly.

2.    Medium

While TOEFL is a computer based test, IELTS is a real time physical test. This means in order to be able to give your TOEFL successfully, you should be comfortable with typing on the computer (for the writing section) and with answering over the microphone (for the speaking section). Similarly, it follows that for the IELTS, it is a brownie point for you if you have a legible handwriting and are more comfortable with a detailed in-person interview than speaking over the microphone.

3.    Pattern

Both the TOEFL and the IELTS measure your English proficiency on four parameters – Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. However, while the TOEFL tests only Academic subjects, the IELTS is a mixture of both, the academic writing and reading sections plus the general listening and speaking sections.

Also, in the writing section, the IETLS does not have a listening component like the TOEFL does on the integrated assignments (instead it may have a graphic or other written information source for building up an argument for your writing).

As far as the speaking section is concerned, the TOEFL mostly requires you to give your opinions and summarizing and interpreting information from various sources. On the other hand, on the IELTS, the speaking test is in person, and includes a short speech to be prepared within a small period of time and a conversation component as well.

4.    Question Types

While the TOEFL mainly has multiple choice questions in the listening and reading section, the IELTS has diverse question types including multiple choice questions, fill in the blanks, matching, flowcharts, true/false questions etc.

5.    Exam Duration

The TOEFL is a 4 hour long test, while the IELTS is a 2 hour 45 minutes test. However, the duration of the exam is not the indicator of the toughness of the exam. As far as the toughness is concerned, both the exams have an equivalent level of rigor. The extent of your comfort with the respective exam pattern is what determines which exam might appear easier to you.

6.    Score Scale

The IELTS grades you on a scale of 0 to 9, while the TOEFL is graded out of 120 points (30 marks each for its four sections).

Having read this comprehensive comparison between the TOEFL and the IELTS, you might find yourself in a better position to decide which exam is suited to your requirements. Remember, it is difficult to compare the level of hardness of the two exams, and as such both the exams are rigorous and are accepted widely. At the end of the day, it all narrows down on the requirement of your intended university.

Skill Maestro wishes you all the very best for your IELTS/TOEFL!

About Skill Maestro At Skill Maestro, We guide prospective students about the entire application process as well as suitable universities as per their profile/test scores. We have consulted dozens of prospective students for MIS across the globe. We have a physical presence in Indore where we also help students prepare for GRE, GMAT & SAT Follow Us  on Google+!

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Some Handy Hacks for the AWA section on the GRE

Analytical Writing Section is an integral part on the GRE, and as ETS cautions, ‘Everyone- even the most practiced and confident of writers- should spend some time preparing for the Analytical Writing Measure before arriving at the test center’. You might be wondering why this caution. The fact is that the AWA section on the GRE does not measure only your writing skills, but moreover, measures your ability to think imaginatively and critically on an issue or argument. 

Here are some tips for facing the AWA section more confidently.

1.    Be sure to read the question with its instructions carefully

Both the issue and the argument task often come are accompanied by varied set of instructions. For example, in the issue task, you could have an instruction like– “Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim and the reason on which that claim is based”, or you could have something like,  “Write a response in which you discuss which view more closely aligns with your own position and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should address both views presented”. 

As evident, both set of instructions expect different things from your response. Therefore, be sure to read the instructions carefully. By the way, there are fixed 6 set of instructions on the issue task, out of which one would show up. Same goes for the argument task. You can have a look at these fixed set on the ETS website.

2.    Budget your time

Since you are given, 30 mins of each task, in which you have to think , organize as well as type out your response, it is important that you budget your time. Ideally, you should adopt the following –
3 mins – Brainstorming and forming the outline
3 mins – Introduction
20 mins – Body and Examples
2 mins – Conclusion
2 mins – Review

3.    Dont waste too much thinking for that perfect introduction

More often than not, people tend to spend more than required time to think for a perfect impactful introduction, and often this leaves them lesser time for developing their body, and as a result, the body does not look quite that impactful, replete with diverse examples. Now, you need to know that your introduction and conclusion do not carry as much weight as your body does. What makes an AWA task stand out is the body. So, even if your introduction and conclusion are just of one line, it really does not matter, and you should not be wasting too much time on it.

4.    Length matters!

On the AWA, the length of your writing does count toward your score. So, try to write a lengthy essay, of course, one that does make sense. For this, you must try to provide numerous examples, as they could help you increasing the length of your essay, without being devious and senseless. Often, the essays with a score of 6 are lengthier. Of course, quality does matter, but what you should know is that even if a similar quality essay is to be graded, but it is much shorter, it is more likely that it would get a 5 or a 5.5, and not 6. So, work on the length.

5.    Always address ‘the other side’

As mentioned above, the purpose of the AWA measure is to test your critical thinking. Hence, you must always develop your position fully, implying that always address the other side of the argument as well. You could state how the other side holds true under certain circumstances, or you could state the other side and then refute it by your stance - anything! When you address the other side, it gives an impression that you are aware of the holistic picture and are able to think critically. You could address this ‘other side’ in the 3rd or 4th paragraph.

6.    Number of paragraphs

Ideally, you should have at least 4 paragraphs on your essay. The first should be the introductory paragraph, in which you state your thesis statement (indicating your stance), followed by 2/3/4 paragraphs in the body (elaborating your stance and bolstering it with examples, and also addressing the other side) and then a concluding paragraph.

Introduction – First paragraph
Body - At least 2 paragraphs
Conclusion – Last paragraph

On the argument task, you must point out at least 3 logical fallacies and elaborate on them, stating how those fallacies weaken the argument and how the argument could have been made stronger.

7.    Do check out pool of the essay topics

The topic that you would see on your test day would not be unfamiliar to you, if you once have a look at the pool of essays that ETS has published on its website. There are some 250-300 topics, out of which, one would show up on the test day. So, do check out the pool.

Tell us what you think about this post. Our team would love to hear back from you!

About Skill Maestro At Skill Maestro, We guide prospective students about the entire application process as well as suitable universities as per their profile/test scores. We have consulted dozens of prospective students for MIS across the globe. We have a physical presence in Indore where we also help students prepare for GRE, GMAT & SAT Follow Us  on Google+!

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GRE Anxiety Mantra - How to cope up with GRE Anxiety

GRE is an examination critical to shaping your future life and hence anxiety for this exam is a common phenomenon. However, letting this anxiety overtaking you completely can have a negative impact on your performance. Therefore, it is essential that you understand the causes of this anxiety and find ways to overcome it. Remember, taking an exam is not a matter of life and death; it is just about the feeling that you’ve proved your abilities! Instead of thinking that ‘you HAVE to take your GRE’, think that ‘you WANT to take the GRE’- that is the key to self motivation!

Skill Maestro suggests some ways that can help you cope up with your anxiety levels.

1.    Figure out the Root Cause

Understand the root cause of your stress. Is your anxiety arising from inadequate preparation? If it is so, you must fully prepare yourself first. It will definitely take time for getting fully equipped. Give 6-7 hours daily for your prep.  When your prep is adequate, it fuels up your confidence.

2.    Plug in the Loopholes

It is always a good idea to focus on your loopholes. Which are those areas where you are facing troubles? Plug them in. This can prove to be very effective rather than just taking a list of endless questions without evaluating your weaknesses. When you plug in your weaknesses, your confidence (and your score) drastically improves.

3.    Leave Pestering Areas 

If still weakness in certain areas persists (even after devoting adequate time), do not waste much time chasing those areas incessantly. For example, if you feel your critical reasoning questions are not gaining much improvement even after more than adequate devotion of time and practice, you may want to focus on other areas than just be bogged down with it. As it is, critical reasoning questions carry little weight on the exam. So weigh you pros and cons wisely. There is no point being alarmed by certain areas which just aren’t improving as it may have a chain effect and may negatively impact your performance on other areas of the test too, which is certainly an unnecessary cost that you are paying.

4.    Remember that ‘A little progress everyday adds up to big results’ 

It has been proven by cognitive psychology that daily practice leads to better retention of memory than a prolonged one shot study. Thus, it is important that you study bit by bit daily to add up to big results rather than attempting to do things in one shot. This is effective not only to reduce your anxiety levels, but also improving your score.

5.    Do not Compare

Stop comparing your results with your peers, it just fuels up your anxiety levels and puts you under performance pressure. Studies show that performance pressures are a deterrent to optimum performance.

6.    Stop Painting that too Big a Picture

While taking the actual/practice tests, do not take questions with the attitude ‘I want to score a really high score’, instead face the questions with the attitude ‘I need to answer this question correctly and carefully’. Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves.

7.    Biological Clock 

Setting your biological clock is an effective strategy to boost your performance. Take practice tests on the time slot when your actual test is scheduled so that your mind becomes agile during those hours of the day. This strategy can be a great confidence booster.

It is not a big deal to crack GRE if you have the iron will to manage your anxiety levels. More than half the candidates on any exam are not able to score up to their abilities, just because they do not know how to manage stress levels. You are not among those people anymore. Now that you have the mantra to manage the anxiety, go ace your GRE!

About Skill Maestro At Skill Maestro, We guide prospective students about the entire application process as well as suitable universities as per their profile/test scores. We have consulted dozens of prospective students for MIS across the globe. We have a physical presence in Indore where we also help students prepare for GRE, GMAT & SAT Follow Us  on Google+!

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10 Tips to Face the GRE that the Test-Prep Text Books Probably won’t Teach you

You might have prepared hard for your GRE, but that’s not enough. You also need to be familiar with some useful tips and strategies that test prep textbooks might not teach you. While the test-prep textbooks will help you to prepare for the exam, it is also important to take note of certain facts that you must be careful about while you take the actual test to not commit a stupid blunder. We list some strategies and tips that you may find extremely helpful while you face your GRE.

• Never try to predict the experimental section

On the GRE, you face 6 sections – one writing section (AWA), two verbal sections, two quant sections and one experimental section (either verbal or quant). Now this experimental section is an un-scored section, implying that it won’t count toward your GRE score. But the important takeaway is that you don’t know when this experimental section will show up. You could have your experimental section show up as the third section or the fourth or the fifth- you really don’t know! So even if you have got two verbal and two quant sections already and say the quant section comes up again, do not be led into believing that this is an experimental section. It could be your scored section! So always take all your sections as seriously as though they are your scored sections. You don’t want to throw your score in jeopardy in case you just feel a section is an experimental section and take it up lightly when in reality it was your scored section!

• Avoid attempting all the Reading Comprehension (RC) questions in one go

RCs are one of the most challenging questions on the GRE. It eats up a considerable part of your time and monotonous passages may simply exhaust you out. If you choose to attempt all the RC questions in one go, there are chances that you might just lose track of time. Also continuous reading might obscure your further readings.  However, this is a subjective choice and may vary from person to person. Adopt what suits you best.

• Do not waste a lot of time on Critical Reasoning (CR) Questions

CR questions are challenging questions and many of us use more time than is required on these questions. You need to be aware that CR questions just make one percent of the entire syllabus. Thus, do not waste a lot of time on them.

• Do not be tempted to use the Calculator for everything

Just because the calculator is available to you as a tool on the GRE, do not jump to use the calculator for every question. Many questions that might seem computational, in reality are not tedious and can be solved by simple algebraic techniques or simple application of logic. While you do not realize it, the ETS throws you many questions, that prima facie might appear that they will be requiring the use of calculator, but you can break your question down through simple techniques. Through such questions, the ETS tempts you to use the calculator which might ironically take up longer time than what you’ll take if you break the question down through certain techniques. Most test prep books elaborate on such techniques.

• Compensate for the time that RC and CR questions take up by Sentence Equivalence questions

Sentence equivalence questions are mostly easy (of course only when you’ve built your GRE vocab) since they require you to look for consistent synonyms, and as such they take less than a minute if your vocabulary is sound enough. Thus, you can always compensate for your time that gets eaten up in RC and CR questions on these questions. Manage your time in such a way that you can leverage this fact. It is a good idea to finish off with your RC, CR and Text Completion questions first and attempt your sentence equivalence questions at the end since all the sentence equivalence questions can be completed in less than 5 minutes.

• Do not waste much time on questions where you get stuck

The Revised GRE is a section adaptive test. You can scroll through the questions of the entire section and mark those questions which you aren’t confident about to attempt them later in your 30/35 min time for a particular section. It is always a good strategy to attempt the easy questions that you are confident about. This not only gives you a psychological edge, but also gives you more time for the questions troubling you which you can then take calmly. Do not simply get stuck on that one question that you aren’t able to solve. You can always come back to that question as long as you are on the same section.

• Do not leave the questions that you aren’t confident about, unanswered

While you should not waste much time on questions that are troubling you, remember not to leave them unanswered. You should know the fact that there is NO NEGATIVE MARKING on the GRE, implying that you don’t get penalized for a wrong answer choice. Thus, even when you are not sure about the correct answer of a question, still attempt it using your instincts and guesses. Although with lesser probability, you still have a chance to get your guesses correct. If you choose not to attempt that question, you altogether devoid yourself of the chance of getting it correct.

• Beware of the questions that have multiple answers

On the Revised GRE, there are questions that have a single choice as the correct answer and there are questions that have multiple choices as the correct answers. Do not be in a blithe disregard of the questions that expect more than one answer from you as you may end up choosing just one answer for a question that had two correct answer choices, which won’t fetch you any marks. Remember that the questions with square boxes in front of the answer choices are the multiple answer questions and the ones with round boxes in front of the answer choices are single answer questions. Being in a disregard of this fact, might prove to be very costly.

• Familiarize yourself with the 300 topics suggested by ETS for the AWA

ETS has created a pool of 300 topics for the writing section. You can familiarize yourself with those 300 topics so that you do not find yourself in a situation where you just do not understand a particular topic. Note that if this happens, you would not only spoil your AWA section, but the panic might also spoil your other sections, since the AWA section is the first section.

• Do not ramble unnecessarily in the writing section- Focus on the pith of your writing

Your essay questions are expected to be of a length of 350- 500 words. While attempting the two writing sections, remember what you are primarily evaluated on. In the Analyse an Issue task, always take a stand. The pith of your entire essay should be the justification of that stand through reasoning and examples. The stand could be positive, negative or neutral. In the Analyse an Argument task, always try to find the fault in the logic. Do not be led into believing that only using fancy words or verbose writing can make your essay better. Focus on the pith!

You might feel better equipped to take the GRE now. We wish you good luck for your test!
Feel free to express your concerns or ideas in the comment section below!

About Skill Maestro At Skill Maestro, We guide prospective students about the entire application process as well as suitable universities as per their profile/test scores. We have consulted dozens of prospective students for MIS across the globe. We have a physical presence in Indore where we also help students prepare for GRE, GMAT & SAT Follow Us  on Google+!

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7 ‘Must- Remember’ Things While Drafting your Resume for MS in USA

A resume, though not a mandatory document for many universities, gives you an opportunity to showcase your courses, abilities, work experience, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, enabling you to highlight your accomplishments effectively in a chronological order. Skill Maestro lists some ‘Must-Remember’ things while you draft your resume. Of course, you don’t want to be doing clumsy errors!

1.    Coherent Structure

The structure of your resume must be coherent and cogent. Plenty of templates are available online and you may download them. Be sure the template you choose adheres to this format.

i    Ordinary Details -You must list your name, e-mail ID, contact details and current designation on the top right/left hand side of the header.

ii    Educational Details - Start with your educational details. It’s a good idea to form a table listing your important educational landmarks with the following columns- ‘education’ (matriculation, +2 and college years), ‘GPA/score’, Year of Passing and ‘university/school’. It gives a concise overview of your educational details.

iii    Work Experience - Post your educational details, list your work/internship experience with the organization name and the profile you worked on as sub-headings and the work you did in concise bullet points. Mention the year beside each subheading and progress in a chronological manner, starting with the latest experience.

iv    Academic Achievements - List your academic achievements, if any.

v Co-curricular / Extra-curricular Achievements - List your Co-curricular/Extra curricular achievements, if any.

vi    Strengths and Weaknesses - List not more than three strengths and weakness each and be very apt while doing so. Do not brag unnecessarily.

2.    Do not Brag!
While it is important that you mention your achievements to underscore your personality traits, it is equally important that you do not use pompous adjectives for yourself while listing your achievements. Avoid using self-praising adjectives like ‘hardworking’, ‘focused’, ‘creative’ etc while listing your achievements. The only time these adjectives should show up is while you list your personal strengths, which should not exceed any more than three adjectives that aptly describe you. Listing pompous adjectives for your own self can portray a negative quality of ‘complacency’ in the eyes of the committee scrutinizing your application.

3.    Avoid Ornate Language
The language you use in your resume has to be strictly formal (Business English) and you must refrain from using flowery language. You are writing your resume, not an article, or essay. Be extremely pithy in your language and avoid using verbose sentences.

4.    Take care of the Length
The ideal length of a resume is one page. Remember, the purpose of a resume is to summarize your career history. Avoid using superfluous details like say personal information or anything else that may not be relevant to the scrutiny of your application. A good resume is concise and to the point. While it’s not an extremely big deal if your resume exceeds one page, it certainly should not exceed two pages in any case.

5.    Right Formatting
The way your resume is formatted speaks volumes of your organizing abilities. Stick to a standard font (either Times New Roman or Arial) with the font size of 12. You may consider decreasing the font size to 10 in case you want to accommodate more content in fewer pages, but, be sure to give correct spacing, margins and alignment so that it looks neat and clear and not clumsy and illegible. You must bold face or italicize certain important areas where you wish to emphasize. For example, say you bagged a gold medal in some competition. You must bold face ‘Gold Medal’ in this case. It makes the reader not to lose interest while reading your resume.

6.    Grammar
Ensure the correct use of grammar, punctuation and spelling. Never use personal pronouns like ‘I’, ‘We’ or ‘You’. A lot of people have a proclivity to use ‘I’ in their resumes. Never do that. For example, instead of writing ‘I managed a team of 20 people’, you should write the bullet point as ‘Managed a team of 20 people’ under the concerned sub-heading.

7.    Never Lie!
Never include any false/deceptive/misleading information in your resume. This is the gravest mistake you could make. A candidate giving false information seldom realizes that background and reference checks can reveal the truth that he/she is hiding. It is not just unethical, but also unlawful. It’s not surprising that many people have been caught lying in their resumes and lawful action has been taken against them, which involves punishments and penalties.

Since resume is not a mandatory document, you must ensure to include all the important facts in your LORs and SOPs. However, a resume is an additional furnishing document, and may increase your prospects of admission.  Hope, we made your lives simpler!

We, at Skill Maestro painstakingly work hard to put all the relevant details in professional way (US one-page format) for your US graduate school applications. Call us at 9827777288 or 8085333331 to know more about our Admission Consulting process.

About Skill Maestro At Skill Maestro, We guide prospective students about the entire application process as well as suitable universities as per their profile/test scores. We have consulted dozens of prospective students for MIS across the globe. We have a physical presence in Indore where we also help students prepare for GRE, GMAT & SAT Follow Us  on Google+!

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The Perks of Pursuing an MBA Abroad

There are several myths about pursuing an MBA abroad. Most people think it’s a hefty expense, and several others think it’s a cumbersome process to push through your application. Most people who opt out of the option of applying abroad fall in either of the above two categories. What these people fail to understand is an appropriate assessment of taking an MBA back home Vs. an MBA Abroad.

In this blog, Skill Maestro presents some reasons why considering an MBA abroad might prove to be a better proposition than considering to pursue it from India.

Lesser Expenses – Yes, you read it right – lesser expenses! While in India, your stellar score on the CAT exam will only get you through IIMs, there in foreign universities, your stellar score on the GMAT will not only get you through an excellent management school, but will also qualify you for scholarships, and mind you, 100% tuition waivers are not uncommon there in the US! Such high scholarships leaves you grappling with only your living expenses, to cover which, a plenty of TA/GAships are available. Cumulatively, your entire expense for your MBA abroad may actually come out to be lesser than what you would have otherwise spent in most colleges here in India.

More chances to ace GMAT than CAT – CAT (for admissions into Indian schools of management, mainly the IIMs) is an extremely competitive examination and you require a tremendous effort along with a considerable luck to be among the top 99 percentiles. GMAT on the other hand is an exam that is relatively more tractable than the ultra-competitive CAT. Not that it’s some cakewalk to ace GMAT, but you widen your scope more in case of GMAT than in case of CAT.

Cosmopolitan Academic Environment – Spending months with professors and students from diversified countries and cultures is a very big perk in itself as it prepares you to get a life changing experience of the worldly ways and a wider view of learning and also help you develop a comfort with different cultures. Semester Exchanges further intensifies this global exposure.

Diverse MBA Programs to Chose From – Most MBA programs in India are generic or entail only common domains like Finance, Marketing and HR. However, if you consider an MBA abroad, you have better and more specific colleges to choose from. Most colleges have a reputation in a specific domain which makes their specific programs extremely prestigious. For example, while University of Chicago Booth School of Business, NYU Stern, London Business School are excellent for their finance programs, Stanford University GSB (USA), MIT Sloan School of Management (USA), Imperial College Business School (UK) and Berkeley (USA) are specifically known for their entrepreneurship based MBA programs. Similarly there are tons of other options to streamline the choice of your school to your specific interests in management education.

Learning Different Work Cultures – A global reach helps you integrate with different work cultures, and more often than not, the mammoth infrastructure and resources that you are equipped with, not only helps you gain a technical competence but also develops the leader within you. This can prepare you very well in climbing the ladder of corporate positions.

Robust Network – This is a priceless perk of taking a management degree abroad. The robust global alumni network proves to be extremely resourceful especially if you are to venture into entrepreneurship. Angel and VC Networks are very easily accessible in countries like the US and a robust alumni network can really be resourceful. Also, who knows you might also find you co-founders in your management school itself, much like Mark Zuckerberg! Your resource network in case of a university abroad is any day more eclectic than in case of an MBA school back home. 

Having said all this, you can again give it a thought if certain myths were holding you back from applying abroad. Yes, the application procedures in case of an MBA abroad are a bit cumbersome, but the pros highlighted above outweigh those cumbersome procedures, for sure!

About Skill Maestro At Skill Maestro, We guide prospective students about the entire application process as well as suitable universities as per their profile/test scores. We have consulted dozens of prospective students for MIS across the globe. We have a physical presence in Indore where we also help students prepare for GRE, GMAT & SAT Follow Us  on Google+!

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Fall Semester VS. Spring Semester

Which semester to prefer, Fall or Spring? Often students find themselves in an impasse while making their semester choice for their schools and things get only worse when you don’t find a correct guidance. Skill Maestro comes to your rescue and provides you with basic insights on the Fall semester VS. Spring semester confusion.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Lesser Choices of Programs in Spring

Most students prefer a Fall Semester primarily because not all universities have a Spring batch. This typically restricts the choices of programs or courses that you can apply to in the Spring semester. Also, some universities have Spring applications just to fill their empty seats of the Fall season. Some universities that have a Spring batch include NYU, Syracuse, Cornell, CMU, University of Wisconsin Madison and UIUC. However, it cannot be concluded all together that all the mainstream courses are offered in Fall. There are certain courses that are offered typically in Spring and some typically in Fall. Although more popular courses might be offered preferably in Fall and that’s because most students apply in Fall which renders it a common intake period.

• Base your Decision on the Program Design Rather Than Blindly Applying for Fall just because a Majority of Applicants do that

It is always advisable to examine the curriculum of courses offered in Spring before assuming that you will not find good enough courses in Spring. It might turn out that you might be more interested in a particular program that’s offered in Spring than the ones that are offered in Fall. So, base your decision on the program design rather than stereotypes.

• No CPT for Spring Students to Intern Off-Campus During the First Summer

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is designed to provide work experience directly related and integral to a student's degree of study.  CPT can be typically received only after 9 months of your arrival in the US. Thus, it is not possible for Spring students to intern-off campus during their first summers. In their second year though, they can do a full-time summer internship but after finishing the internship they also need to attend one more semester at the college. This also means that they cannot do a summer internship in the second year if they are planning to graduate in 3 semesters only.  You should be definitely going for the Fall semester if you think a summer internship is crucial to you after your first year.

• Myths about Scholarships

A lot of people erroneously believe that the availability of scholarships are low in Spring than in Fall. But it’s just a fallacious belief. The availability of scholarships only depends upon the availability of the scholarship funds with the universities. So there is no conclusive proof to corroborate the argument about less scholarship in Spring session. 

Having read this, take your decision wisely after properly weighing the pros and cons of the Spring and Fall season each.  Don’t just assume things or be misled by erroneous beliefs. Skill Maestro wishes you all the best for your application!

What do you think about this topic? Do let me know in the comment section.

About Skill Maestro At Skill Maestro, We guide prospective students about the entire application process as well as suitable universities as per their profile/test scores. We have consulted dozens of prospective students for MIS across the globe. We have a physical presence in Indore where we also help students prepare for GRE, GMAT & SAT Follow Us  on Google+!

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Are you committing these Common Mistakes during the University Application Process?

So, you’ve registered for your standardized entrance tests. You’ve finished off with your test preparations. You’ve taken the test and aced it. Awesome! But, the real test begins once your university application process begins. It is often a cumbersome and daunting task to fill countless forms, prepare impressive yet relevant SOP and Resume, and answering the asked questions in the application form skilfully. You require to be meticulous at each step and you cannot afford to be doing clumsy mistakes! Why? Remember, the first impression is often the last impression!

Skill Maestro lists some frequent mistakes/errors that you should avoid doing.

• Delays in getting your Recommendation Letter

This is probably the deadliest of all mistakes you could be doing! You think that you have time, and that’s where the trouble lies! Remember that getting a recommendation letter is not a task that can be done in isolation. You require your recommend-er for that, which is why the earlier it is done, the better it is. Also, if you delay in getting your recommendation letter, you are losing out the probability of getting an impressive letter (that accentuates your strengths and achievements) to a letter that is only an average one.

• Not consulting Authorized Third-Party Evaluators for GPA Conversion

Most college scores in India are not in accordance with the American standard of 4-point grade GPA. Never ever convert your GPA online on your own! Consult authorized and reputed third party evaluators like Spantran, ECE and WES to get the evaluation done. It ensures you have conformed to the scientific conversion standards. You can be in a real trouble if the conversion of your score is wrong.

• Clumsy Proofreading of SOP

Imagine you’re applying for both NYU and Northwestern University. Now, imagine how embarrassing it can get if you’re sending your SOP to NYU and the last paragraph of your SOP still says, ‘and therefore I believe Northwestern University’s program is the ideal choice for me’! Your SOP needs to be very well proofread to avoid such clumsy errors which are sure to disappoint the college admission committee, as it not only reflects carelessness, but also insincerity. 

• Irrelevant Details in Resume

Universities need a neat one-page resume. You need to fine tune your resume such that it is concise yet highlights the relevant details. Very often, this becomes an intimidating task to shorten your resumes. But remember the admission committee might just get uninterested if you include trivial details that are redundant. For example, you can remove personal details like marital status, hometown etc. Also, make sure that you prepare the resume according to the format prescribed by the university.

• Terminological Errors

While writing your supplemental essays, or SOP or responses to certain university specific questions, be cautious about the usage of certain terms. Some terms can mean different things, here in India and have an entirely different contextual meaning in the US. For example, graduation in India is termed under-graduation in the US while post-graduation in India is equivalent to graduation in the US.

• Incomplete Application

A lot of applications get rejected simply because of being incomplete. By incomplete application, we mean failure to send all the required documents. Mostly, this happens when you rush through the application process. When you rush your way through things, you are very likely to be forgetful. Thus, it is always prudent to prepare a checklist of documents that you require.

• Inappropriate Responses

A high percentage of applications get rejected because of inappropriate, careless or irrelevant responses to university specific questions. A lot of application forms require you to write your responses to certain questions. A lot of students fill up this section quite hurriedly or carelessly to save up time and effort. Do not do that. These responses are quite important for the admission committee to assess your candidature. Read the question well, understand its scope and write relevant responses.

• Waiting for the Deadline

Last but not the least, DO NOT WAIT FOR APPLICATION DEADLINES! This can prove to be a fatal mistake. Very often, during last minute rushes, you tend to become anxious and forgetful. Added to this risk is also the risk of unforeseen exigencies. What if you kept a small margin of three days and your courier gets delayed by three days? What if while sending the mail on the last day, you face a traffic congestion on the web? You must send in your applications well before the deadlines to refrain from such unwanted circumstances.

Good luck for your application process! Remember, the earlier you start, the better it is!

About Skill Maestro At Skill Maestro, We guide prospective students about the entire application process as well as suitable universities as per their profile/test scores. We have consulted dozens of prospective students for MIS across the globe. We have a physical presence in Indore where we also help students prepare for GRE, GMAT & SAT Follow Us  on Google+!

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Charmed by the Allure of a Foreign Degree? Here’s a Reality Check!

So, you have always been charmed by the prospect of a fancy foreign degree and studying in that particular country that you have always dreamt of. Haven’t you? More often than not, students get so fascinated and obsessed by the thought of a foreign degree and a particular country that they tend to ignore some vital considerations. Here’s a checklist for you to run a reality check on your decision. 

• University Ranking

Don’t just go for a university simply because you have been selected in their academic program or just because it is in a location that fascinates you. Check the ranking of the university. This is a crucial indicator through which you can assess the rationality of your decision. University rankings reflect  the overall academic environment including the pedagogical approach, quality of infrastructure, qualification of faculty and employment opportunities. Generally US News rankings are one of the most credible rankings. Even though those rankings are backed by a lot of research but making your decision solely on those rankings would not be wise. At last, do not rely on personal blogs for university rankings at all.

• The Credentials of your Foreign Education Consultant

This is a generally ignored aspect by many. With the ‘commercialization of education’, there is a deluge of institutions that boast of getting you through the top universities and virtually burn your pockets without a fruitful outcome! In many of these institutions, you will find such people assisting you, who themselves have never been abroad for their studies! Sign up with a genuine foreign consultant company and check the credentials of those assisting you through the process. A genuine foreign education consultant will not blindly make you select from the top 50 universities, but will shortlist universities for you in accordance with your GPA, standardised test scores, career inclination and your budget.

• Department Ranking

Along with university rankings, it is equally important to check the ranking of the department that you are applying for. When it comes to graduate school, department rankings overshadow overall rankings. It becomes all the more important for you to have a thorough knowledge of the department of your choice, if you are applying for a rare field like Oriental Medicines, Economic History, Archaeology etc .  

• Recruitment Opportunities and Alumni Network

It is significant to know what all opportunities your chosen university has to offer you. For example, you might want to know whether the college aids in facilitating summer internships for students, or whether the college actively encourages students in assisting professors so that they may have research exposure. Assisting professors can also help you cover your living expenses. A robust alumni network can help you gain valuable advice and mentorship from ex-students.

• Accreditation

Many students, just frenzied by the idea of studying abroad, do not conduct a background check on the accreditation certificate of the university that they are choosing. This is a very important consideration if your university is a private university and is not very well known. Many foreign education consultants have tie-ups with certain universities, and they might try to coax you to choose that particular university. Of-course you don’t want to spend all that on a university that is not accredited! Not only you may not be able to transfer your credit to another university, it will also dampen your job prospects. 

• Location of the University

Some universities might be tempting to apply to, but their location might not suit you. For example, if you are applying to Canada or UK, you must be mentally prepared to face the harsh winters.  Geographical location of the college is more important than you may think. You are not going on a holiday tour, you will be staying there for a well extended time period!

• Cost of your education

The cost of your education will not only include your tuition fee, but also your living expenses. You have to balance the university ranking with the expenses that you will be paying for that university. For example, if university A stands on rank 85th, but offers you much more scholarship than university B which stands on rank 70, it will still be prudent to go for university A, unless of course you can afford those hefty expenses!

About Skill Maestro At Skill Maestro, We guide prospective students about the entire application process as well as suitable universities as per their profile/test scores. We have consulted dozens of prospective students for MIS across the globe. We have a physical presence in Indore where we also help students prepare for GRE, GMAT & SAT Follow Us  on Google+!

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How to apply for US F1 Visa

All accepted undergraduate and graduate program students from India require an F1 visa stamping to get into the U.S.A and stay there for the entire duration of the program. In this blog we will try to address the most frequently asked questions on how to apply for a student visa, the basic documentation needed, and issues to tackle before you can confidently answer the F1 visa interview questions at the American consulate.

Visa Descriptions and Qualifications

If you are applying for regular graduate programs (like an MS/MBA degree) or undergraduate courses, you’d need an ‘F category visa’. As a student, you will need an F-1 visa and your dependents (if any) would need an F-2 visa.

There are also other types of non-immigrant visas like the ‘J visa’ (exchange visitors), ‘M visa’ (for vocational and non-academic programs), ‘B visa’ (visitor) and of course the ever popular H1B and L1 categories (work permits).There are two student visa categories, F-1 and M-1.

F-1: The F-1 visa permits students to enroll in a full-time course of academic study, leading to a degree such as the Doctorate, the Bachelor or Master’s Degree or a high school diploma.

M-1: The M-1 visa is for non-academic or vocational education, and it includes courses of study in fields such as aviation, language studies, gemology etc.

Criteria for qualification for student visa 

• Admit from a SEVP certified university: The first and the foremost criteria for going for the student visa is to have an admission from a (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) SEVP certified university. These universities can issue the I-20 (main thing which sets the visa process going). 
• Capacity to complete your degree: You should be able to demonstrate that you are capable of completing the MS degree in USA. This can be achieved by showing your previous academics (CGPA), GRE score & relevant projects.
• You have enough money to sponsor your education
• You should not be a potential immigrant and explains that you would return back to (home country) upon completion of your studies.

The I-20 form issued by the university and a valid Indian passport are two essential documents for obtaining an F1 (student) visa. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of travel. 

Once you get I-20 forms from all the universities offering you admission you will have to decide which university you wish to join. Of course even if you book a date for visa interview for a particular university, you can change that university before you appear for the visa interview, either through VFS or directly at the consulate. 

Carefully check that the information printed on the I-20 form is correct and has no mistakes in spelling or the dates. If you find any mistakes send the I-20 form back to the university requesting them to issue a corrected I-20 form. If there are mistakes your visa can be rejected on technical grounds.

How to Apply?

• Complete the SEVIS (STUDENT AND EXCHANGE VISITOR INFORMATION SERVICE) form
• Go to www.fmjfee.com
• Click on Submit I-901 form and submit fee payment
• Fill out the information appropriately
• Finally pay the $200 Sevis Fee and save your receipt
• Completion of DS – 160 Form
• Go to http://www.ustraveldocs.com
• Fill out the form appropriately
• Don’t forget to save your Application ID
• Fill out the form and submit it. Now you are ready to take your Visa Date
• Create your profile at the UStraveldocs
• Go to http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/index.html?firstTime=No
• Click on Create Account
• Fill out the form appropriately
• Pay the Visa Fee
• At the end of the form, in payment option select over the counter – Axis Bank
• You have to take out the print of the slip opened in the new tab
• Take that slip to Axis bank and Pay $160  and receive the confirmation receipt
• Schedule an Appointment
• You must schedule two appointments; one for the VISA Application Center (VAC) and one for the visa interview at the Embassy  or Consulate
• You will need three piece of information to book an appointment: your passport number, VISA application Fee receipt,  10-digit bar code number from your DS-160 confirmation page
• Visa Application Centre appointment
• You will have to visit VAC for Biometrics test
• You will be required to bring 
• A valid passport
• DS-160 confirmation page
• Appointment confirmation page
• After visit to VAC, you will need to visit to the Embassy for the interview
• Visa Interview at US Embassy
• For visa interview, you will be required to bring the following documents:
• A printed copy of your appointment confirmation letter
• Current and old passports
• Supporting document as per your Visa type
• Applications without all of these items will not be accepted

Where Can I apply for an F1 visa in India?
 Candidates, who need to apply for F1 visas in India, will find U.S. Consulates in the following cities:

• Hyderabad
• Chennai
• Kolkata  
• Mumbai
• Bangalore (a virtual consulate) 
• The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi has a consular section as well

This means if you are located in other cities, you will need to travel to the closest U.S. embassy / consulate for the F1 visa interview and to get your student visa stamped.

In the next blog, we are going to discuss the most frequently asked questions for the F1 Visa and the best strategies to answer these.

Most frequently asked F1 visa interview Questions & Answers

Disclaimer: We aren’t any legal experts and this post is just to give you a quick overview of the F1 visa requirements to enter and live in the USA as a graduate student.

About Skill Maestro At Skill Maestro, We guide prospective students about the entire application process as well as suitable universities as per their profile/test scores. We have consulted dozens of prospective students for MIS across the globe. We have a physical presence in Indore where we also help students prepare for GRE, GMAT & SAT Follow Us  on Google+!

About the Author Pankaj has been consulting on the MBA application process / Study abroad opportunities since 2009. He is chief mentor and consultant at Skill Maestro, a GMAT prep and MBA admissions consulting company launched in 2009 and has since helped thousands of clients gain admission to the most selective business schools in the world, many with merit scholarships. He has been conducting seminars and webinars for various professionals to help them realize their potential for Top B-Schools. Being 97 percentile scorer (Top 3%) in GMAT, Pankaj has strong grasp on the exam structure and his comprehensive study material has helped thousands of candidates to score high in GMAT. His expertise in delivering flawless, scholarship oriented essays makes him most sought after admission consultants in India Follow him  on Google+!

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