1. first things first..
get ur id..
and open ur bank account.
figure out where class is.
2. work out ur schedule....what u shud do it try to keep as many days a possible free..so ur not running up and down everyday..
3. try and find a place close by..but if u cant definately make sure there is a quick and close by mode of transport available to u
4. locate the closest grocery store...trust me on this... if its closde ur ok otherwise u will go there once in maybe 2 weeks!
5. locate an indian store and an indian restraunt if ur big on indian food.those are usually open late as well. thats my experience so far.
6. So what do u get at the store?try and go straight to walmart and get a 2 week supply of the perishables.
1. milk
2. bread
3. cheese and butter - staple diet
4. granola/cereal
5. yoghurt - plain and flavoured
6. frozen vegetables tho i didnt liek the first packet i oopened.
7. chocolate
8. oil - canola is what i bought
9. tomatoes, onions and potatoes
10. ginger and garlic paste - ul use it alot
11. cans of vegetables.
12. vessels if u dont have ne..
13. cutlery if u dont have ne..
14. basmati rice
15. coffee if u drink alot
16. chocolate milk if ur like us!!
for daily stuff:
1. set of kitchen rolls.
2. cling film
3. aluminium foil.
4. toilet paper.
5. toiletries incase u dont have all that u need.
6. windex - good for cleaning!!
7. vessel soap - which is also hand soap
8. trash bags - big and small for ur kitchen trash can and the smaller ones in ur rooms
9. so trash cans
10. lights/lamps incase the light is not enuf where u sit
11. white bulbs if u can find ne and need to study in white light
12. tide - was the washing machine
13. bounce for the dryer
14. lots of quartes cuz thats the only thing the washer and dryers accept..tho they arent that hard to find!
15. normal tissue paper
16. a water filter - tho u can drink straight fromthe tap..its better to be safe than sorry..actualy i hardly use mine!
17. some ready meals...
18. a comforter and sheets
19. a matress - im still happy with my air bead
20. toaster
21. microwave oven
22. some storage boxes to keep stuff uve opened.
a word of advice.....thanx to mohit...
nething u pick up ..pick up of the brand of the shop ur shopping at..those will always be cheaper..
tho at the time it doesnt make a difference..it will in the long run!
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
things to carry
There are a few things ul never find listed newhere else...but these are a few things that i carried and i think you might consider adding to your bags
1. Some coloured photographs.
2. A filled address book!
3. Some note books
4. All ur toiletries.
5. A tri band phone from india...cuz here u get horrid phones!so im using a horrid phone!!
6. A digital camera and a webcam...im soo trigger happy!!
7. 50 hangers..i carried 2 doezen...and its soo not enuf...I didnt have enuf hangers after the first lot of my laundry was done!! but u can get the hangers here too incase u dont want to carry them
8. A list of all the food ur going to need...so that u can go out and buy it as soon as u want..trust me the list just keeps growing!
9. A pillow if ur used to the hard pillows.
10. Cary a formal set of clothes like a suit..most ppl do..tho i didnt bother to carry a set from india.
11. All ur medicines..
dont forget a single one...so start making ur required list early.
12. U need a light jacket...one which can be used as a rain coat is much better that a wind cheater....that still gets wet!
13. if possible travel light...u can buy clothes here...walmart-target-old navy and once in a while shops im not even going to mention here!
14. Stationary - like pens ur used to..and pencils and basic stuff...and a white board or a memo board
i think thats about it...
1. Some coloured photographs.
2. A filled address book!
3. Some note books
4. All ur toiletries.
5. A tri band phone from india...cuz here u get horrid phones!so im using a horrid phone!!
6. A digital camera and a webcam...im soo trigger happy!!
7. 50 hangers..i carried 2 doezen...and its soo not enuf...I didnt have enuf hangers after the first lot of my laundry was done!! but u can get the hangers here too incase u dont want to carry them
8. A list of all the food ur going to need...so that u can go out and buy it as soon as u want..trust me the list just keeps growing!
9. A pillow if ur used to the hard pillows.
10. Cary a formal set of clothes like a suit..most ppl do..tho i didnt bother to carry a set from india.
11. All ur medicines..
dont forget a single one...so start making ur required list early.
12. U need a light jacket...one which can be used as a rain coat is much better that a wind cheater....that still gets wet!
13. if possible travel light...u can buy clothes here...walmart-target-old navy and once in a while shops im not even going to mention here!
14. Stationary - like pens ur used to..and pencils and basic stuff...and a white board or a memo board
i think thats about it...
a few cmu courses
CMU follows a different course system
We have unit and alot more courses that other schools.
While we do about 8 a semester ppl do 9 in a whole course.
So maybe its that we dont do it in as much detail!
The placements out of cmu are fantastic...but that doesnt mean that its not as good from the other schools!
I know of ppl from TAMU who got the same placements and internships as seniors from CMU.
MISM is fun..
can be techy and can be management oriented..depends the way u structure ur course and which courses u manage to place out of.
plus u can take courses at any of the other schools...
this program has a mojority from india and china. but its fun!
Total 180 units
Time: 16 months
Cumpulsory units a sem: 54
INI is alot more work...and a lot more time consuming...
Also they can take a few courses outside as well..
total 171 units
Time 18 months tho ppl take 2 years.
MSPPM is public policy.
This has ppl from the non technical background but like MISM is also a heinz school course.
I think this follow the same system as MISM in terms of time and units.
There is also a security course....under heinz school.
MSCF - Computational Finance
another good course.
under tepper school of business.
its a one yr program.
Tepper has fantastic facilities.
We have unit and alot more courses that other schools.
While we do about 8 a semester ppl do 9 in a whole course.
So maybe its that we dont do it in as much detail!
The placements out of cmu are fantastic...but that doesnt mean that its not as good from the other schools!
I know of ppl from TAMU who got the same placements and internships as seniors from CMU.
MISM is fun..
can be techy and can be management oriented..depends the way u structure ur course and which courses u manage to place out of.
plus u can take courses at any of the other schools...
this program has a mojority from india and china. but its fun!
Total 180 units
Time: 16 months
Cumpulsory units a sem: 54
INI is alot more work...and a lot more time consuming...
Also they can take a few courses outside as well..
total 171 units
Time 18 months tho ppl take 2 years.
MSPPM is public policy.
This has ppl from the non technical background but like MISM is also a heinz school course.
I think this follow the same system as MISM in terms of time and units.
There is also a security course....under heinz school.
MSCF - Computational Finance
another good course.
under tepper school of business.
its a one yr program.
Tepper has fantastic facilities.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
GRE
So the gre.....is not the hardest part of the application process!
As grad students we all have to give it..but in many cases the score is over shadowed by all the other things u show on ur resume,in ur statement of purpose and ur academics.
When i gave my gre honestly i didnt study that much for it.
i did the maths properly to ensure that i was able to get an 800. so went thru all the math sections in barrons and wrote down important formulae(which are not that many)-those of u who gave the sats will find the gre super easy!
for engineering and other quantitative courses math is the more important section.
GRE english is a totally different ball game all together.
i personally didnt like the english at all..math was fun
3000 words that come as flash cards is no fun!
but heres the neat part
when u study if u give urself about 5 days u can make lists of words that mean the same thing.so u read the word and its meaning, and add it to the list where it fits the meaning of all the other words the best.
This way u end up remebering half the words u have written and now as you can associate each word with another you should pick it up alot faster cuz now its just about association.
In my case, i didnt get a single word from the list i had studied. but do them everyone else got word list words.
and ofcourse try and get your hands on as many practice cd's as possible. atleast do all the math and get used to reading long comprehensions!those are the most boring.
As grad students we all have to give it..but in many cases the score is over shadowed by all the other things u show on ur resume,in ur statement of purpose and ur academics.
When i gave my gre honestly i didnt study that much for it.
i did the maths properly to ensure that i was able to get an 800. so went thru all the math sections in barrons and wrote down important formulae(which are not that many)-those of u who gave the sats will find the gre super easy!
for engineering and other quantitative courses math is the more important section.
GRE english is a totally different ball game all together.
i personally didnt like the english at all..math was fun
3000 words that come as flash cards is no fun!
but heres the neat part
when u study if u give urself about 5 days u can make lists of words that mean the same thing.so u read the word and its meaning, and add it to the list where it fits the meaning of all the other words the best.
This way u end up remebering half the words u have written and now as you can associate each word with another you should pick it up alot faster cuz now its just about association.
In my case, i didnt get a single word from the list i had studied. but do them everyone else got word list words.
and ofcourse try and get your hands on as many practice cd's as possible. atleast do all the math and get used to reading long comprehensions!those are the most boring.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
someone told me to be a councellor
so here goes: firstly u have to give the required tests.. toefl is universal... most colleges need it. but try and short list ur college list so that when u give the test u can report the scores to those. gre is for all masters programs except mbas- for that u need your gmat exams. england and australia do accept most of these scores as does ISB and all our indian b schools(but have some restrictions like u have to give gmat incase u did ur undergrad abroad else its the common test for u!)
your application steps
1. identify ur colleges and make sure you are eligible for their program.
2. give all the requred tests. prepare for them as much as possible with the books and the test cds. barrons, kaplan, princeton are all enough. you dont really need tuitions.
3. work out ur sop.
see what the colleges want out of their students.what they expect.highlight ur strong points.and stay away from the weaker aspects of ur resume.u have to sell yourself to the college without begging them.U basically tell them: im an asset to your institutionie: its a symbiotic relationship both u and the uni benifit.and ofcourse in the end mention the college/uni and soemthing that has really caught ur eye.cement in the ending y u belong there!
4. with the sop done which will take a good month to 2 months all the hard work is done
5.but ur recomendations need some work too. you have to identify a prof/boss to give u one and tell him/her what quality u want them to highlight.some will even ask you for a draft. and then u can do what u want.so make sure u know exactly what u want them to say so between the 3 recos they highlight all your strong points!cuz u have urself fed them ur ideas
more to come....keep checking in!
2. give all the requred tests. prepare for them as much as possible with the books and the test cds. barrons, kaplan, princeton are all enough. you dont really need tuitions.
3. work out ur sop.
see what the colleges want out of their students.what they expect.highlight ur strong points.and stay away from the weaker aspects of ur resume.u have to sell yourself to the college without begging them.U basically tell them: im an asset to your institutionie: its a symbiotic relationship both u and the uni benifit.and ofcourse in the end mention the college/uni and soemthing that has really caught ur eye.cement in the ending y u belong there!
4. with the sop done which will take a good month to 2 months all the hard work is done
5.but ur recomendations need some work too. you have to identify a prof/boss to give u one and tell him/her what quality u want them to highlight.some will even ask you for a draft. and then u can do what u want.so make sure u know exactly what u want them to say so between the 3 recos they highlight all your strong points!cuz u have urself fed them ur ideas
more to come....keep checking in!
what goes in ur application packet
1. a cover letter (im going to post one later)
2. your resume(include relevant info maybe you can avoid some stuff like what u did in the 3rd standard)
3. a copy of all the score sheets you want them to see and those scores they have asked for(eg: toefl , gre/gmat,12 th hsc..etc)
4. your transcripts(usually 2 copies)
5. your recommendation letters( usually from 3 people) - unless they were done onlineboth 4 and 5 need to be in sealed envelopes.signed and or stamped by the person who has signed and or stamped them.
6. you can send a copy of your sop
7. your financial affidavits that u can pay the total amount as required by the uni(im going to put this up aswell)
2. your resume(include relevant info maybe you can avoid some stuff like what u did in the 3rd standard)
3. a copy of all the score sheets you want them to see and those scores they have asked for(eg: toefl , gre/gmat,12 th hsc..etc)
4. your transcripts(usually 2 copies)
5. your recommendation letters( usually from 3 people) - unless they were done onlineboth 4 and 5 need to be in sealed envelopes.signed and or stamped by the person who has signed and or stamped them.
6. you can send a copy of your sop
7. your financial affidavits that u can pay the total amount as required by the uni(im going to put this up aswell)
a sample cover letter
(Your letterhead - if u don’t have one create it with all correspondence info)
Date:
To,
Uni addressDear Sir/Madam:
Ref: Supplemental Information for (your name) – (your course).
I am writing in support of my application for the degree-your course. As requested, I have enclosed the following documents:
· Copy of confirmation of online application
· Transcripts from your college name (Undergraduate Program)
· Attested junior college (College name) mark sheet by degree college (name College)
· Recommendation Letters from –
1. Name and in brackets his/her designation(Assistant Professor)
2. (Lecturer)
3. (Lecturer)
· Current Resume
· Copies of GRE and TOEFL scores
· Official bank statement of finances
I have requested ETS to forward my GRE and TOEFL scores directly to you. If you require any further information, please email me at the above mentioned address. I look forward to being part of the forthcoming Fall Class of 2006.
Thanking you,
Yours truly,
(your name)
Date:
To,
Uni addressDear Sir/Madam:
Ref: Supplemental Information for (your name) – (your course).
I am writing in support of my application for the degree-your course. As requested, I have enclosed the following documents:
· Copy of confirmation of online application
· Transcripts from your college name (Undergraduate Program)
· Attested junior college (College name) mark sheet by degree college (name College)
· Recommendation Letters from –
1. Name and in brackets his/her designation(Assistant Professor)
2. (Lecturer)
3. (Lecturer)
· Current Resume
· Copies of GRE and TOEFL scores
· Official bank statement of finances
I have requested ETS to forward my GRE and TOEFL scores directly to you. If you require any further information, please email me at the above mentioned address. I look forward to being part of the forthcoming Fall Class of 2006.
Thanking you,
Yours truly,
(your name)
score reporting
if u already have ur college lsit you will have reported the scroes to them after your test.incase u have some more then make sure u have the uni/college's ets code as well as the dept code.for toefl andgre i knwo there are a couple of differences in the dept code.so to make sure u have the right codes. either search on the uni/college website for 'toefl code' or 'gre code' and then locate ur dept as wellor jsut email the admissions office and they will get back to u in a couple of days.maintain an excel sheet with all the info you need and once it is filled then call the numbers below:
toefl- 1609 771 7100
gre - 1609 771 7670
i dont have the other numbers but im sure ull be able to locate them quite easily.usually they will tell u they cant do it or that u shud try the automated system.my experience is that that system never works.!maybe it does now..but it never worked for me!
toefl- 1609 771 7100
gre - 1609 771 7670
i dont have the other numbers but im sure ull be able to locate them quite easily.usually they will tell u they cant do it or that u shud try the automated system.my experience is that that system never works.!maybe it does now..but it never worked for me!
bank certification on bank letterhead
you will need one for the university and may have to resend if te amount changes as you are applying a yr before ur program.you also need one for ur visa interview(but it has to be updated it can be dated a maximum of 6 months of ur interview)
Date:……..
To : (uni, visa officer)This is to confirm that (your sponsors name) have been clients of our bank since (date).Based on their records and their specific request, we would like to confirm that (sponsor names) have the ability to pay an amount of USD amt in numbers(amt in words) per year for their daughter/son (your name) education in the U.S.A. for a period of two years.This certificate is being issued by the bank without any responsibility or commitment from thebank or its signing officers.
Sincerely yours,
Name of the bank
Manager
Place :
MumbaiDate : ……………
Date:……..
To : (uni, visa officer)This is to confirm that (your sponsors name) have been clients of our bank since (date).Based on their records and their specific request, we would like to confirm that (sponsor names) have the ability to pay an amount of USD amt in numbers(amt in words) per year for their daughter/son (your name) education in the U.S.A. for a period of two years.This certificate is being issued by the bank without any responsibility or commitment from thebank or its signing officers.
Sincerely yours,
Name of the bank
Manager
Place :
MumbaiDate : ……………
ur essay - imp points
if u have written essays for undergrad then u will find this very differet.remember the undergrad essays were liek pieces of art.for an ms it is a story not jsut art .you have to prove urself not ur writing abilities.so dont use big words.use short sentences there is no problem.get someone who knows u to review ur essay. u will never find the mistakes they find.plus write ur own essay becuz no one can wirte about u better that u!!give ur self time to write ur essay.it will not get done overnight!even if u writre it and then go back to it after a week u will still be able to improve it.dont use indian terms. like ngo is not understood all over the world.standard = grade. so use the correct lingo.and dont worry i rewrote my essay 7 times start to finish.in the end i got a pretty good one.plus never ask anyone for their sop.most wont giveit to u and if u read and copy even a like from that u mayt get into trouble for purgury even if u didnt mean it!and to repeat my self.....work out ur sop.see what the colleges want out of their students.what they expect.highlight ur strong points.and stay away from the weaker aspects of ur resume.u have to sell yourself to the college without begging them.U basically tell them: im an asset to your institutionie: its a symbiotic relationship both u and the uni benifit.and ofcourse in the end mention the college/uni and soemthing that has really caught ur eye.cement in the ending y u belong there!
parents/sponsor's affidavit
PARENTAL UNDERTAKING ON PARENT'S LETTER-HEAD
Date:
Name & address of the College / UniversityU.S.A.
Dear Sir :
Sub.: Parental Undertaking
We (parents name), parents of (your name) hereby confirm that we undertake to pay the complete cost upto USD (amt in numbers and words) per annum for a period of two years for our daughter’s/son’s (your name) graduate education at your university.
Sincerely yours,
(Signatures)
Name of the parents
Date:
Name & address of the College / UniversityU.S.A.
Dear Sir :
Sub.: Parental Undertaking
We (parents name), parents of (your name) hereby confirm that we undertake to pay the complete cost upto USD (amt in numbers and words) per annum for a period of two years for our daughter’s/son’s (your name) graduate education at your university.
Sincerely yours,
(Signatures)
Name of the parents
the visa checklist i got of this phenomenal sitewww.edulix.comit has a bunch of forums as well as other information.i would have given u the link to the post but i have no idea which one it was.so if u find it do let me knowill put the link up here.this site has a listing of ranking and universities for some kind of programs.so if urs figures there then join the forums and follow them.It has a list of students and their scores and where that got them.so if ur slightly confused take a look.most of the informatio is accurate.Another site suggested by Sohel was:www.msdreamz.comthis is for ms students but dont get fazed by that scoring system.u can beat the system..so apply to the top colleges as well.u never know!
visa questions 3
21 How will your parents bear the expenses of you and your brother ? My brother has got the tuition waiver and scholarship from the University. I have a photocopy of his I-20 issued last year stating the same. And after reaching US, he got teaching and research assistantship because of which he is able to meet all his expenses and my parents need not send him money any more. The fund in the bank is entirely for my educational expenses.22 Why the entries in the passbook are recent ? My father is doing business since last 30 years and has been saving since last several years for my higher studies. He lent these savings to close friends and relatives to earn interest. Now that the time has come for my studies, we have taken this money back from them. (Different ppl have different answers here. Lie confidently in this answer)23 What is your parents annual income ? My family's annual income is _________24 Even in this condition of economic recession, you want to go US. Why ? I am going there for studies and I want to return back after my studies. So, economic recession in US doesn't affect me.25 What was your first choice ? My first choice was University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. (try to show that the University you got admit from was your first choice, but it doesn't matter even if it is not.)26 Why not UIC. It is ranked higher than this ? Unlike other Universities, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth offers new and advanced courses like Information technology management, entrepreneurship etc. Besides this, the University has a Business Development center where the students and faculties together do the research work and provides the counseling services to prospective and existing businesses.27 Name some professors of your University ? (add prefix 'Dr' to the professor even if he is not of doctorate level) Dr. Omar Khalil, Dr.Avijit Gangopadhyay '''..28 Why have you not applied to ______ university even though you have sent your GMAT score ? I had done an extensive research over the Universities before applying to any university. I tried to match my requirements with the University's requirement. Some how some things were not matching. So I did not apply to that University. (Visa ppl may ask you abt the things not matching and u may tell abt the research or courses not offered in this university.)
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