INTERNATIONAL HANDBOOK - Pratibha Jain, overseas education counsellor, chalks out a seven-step guide for those who wish to apply to universities abroad

Pratibha Jain, overseas education counsellor, chalks out a seven-step guide for those who wish to apply to universities abroad

While a number of Indian students aspire to study abroad, often, a seemingly intimidating application process holds them back. The key to a stress-free application is to plan at least 12-15 months ahead of the term you wish to join since it is important to check the admission criteria for the course and give yourself enough time to take the required tests and fulfil the university's any other specific requirements.Here are a few steps you can follow:

1 Decide your study destination and shortlist 10 pre ferred universities. The decision about the country should be based on factors like the total cost of education, living expenses, insurance and travel costs. Universities, on the other hand, should be selected on the basis of various international rankings and course modules. While narrowing down on the universities, check their acceptance rate and match your academic profile with current students. This will help you evaluate your chances of securing a place at institutes of your choice.

2 Find out about the kind of employment available on completion of each course, in India and overseas. You must consider post-study work visa rules and long-term stay visa regulations as well.

3 Prepare and take the required tests. Proof of Eng lish fluency is required by universities in several countries.You may take the IELTS, TOEFL or the PTE. Register for these tests on the respective website and pay the fee online. You may choose the most convenient date, time and testing centre as per the given schedule. A valid passport is the only proof of identity accepted at test centres. Apart from these, some universities may require additional testing. For instance, SAT or the ACT (with writing) scores are required for admission to undergraduate courses at most universities in the US, Singapore and Canada. SAT II subject tests in two subjects are also required by a few universities. Ideally, one should sit these tests in class XI. Postgraduate courses usually require students to take the GRE. Management programmes accept the GMAT score. You need to send the test scores to universities through testing agencies.

4 Compile and submit the required docu ments including your recommendation letters, academic transcripts marksheets, essays statements of purpose and financial documents including the sponsor letter. Most universities ask for at least three recommendation letters on the institute letterhead by people who have taught you.You may be required to upload the letters online.Hence, an email from the referee may be useful. Have your academic transcripts of the last four years of education attested by the institute and place them in a sealed and signed envelope. You may also be required to upload these with the application. Sometimes, a prediction of the current or final year's marks may be needed.For the essays, prepare a data bank as per the re quirement of each institute you wish to apply to. Prepare a resume with a summary of your academic achievements and extracurricular activities as well to go along with the application.

5 Submit and track your application. After filling the online application form, track it at regular intervals with the ID and password provided to you by each university. Make sure your application shows all the documents that the university requires in the `review in progress' section. Most applications request you to send a link to an institute authority that will upload all documents. You may also have to mail the supporting documents signed and sealed by the institute to each university. After applying, wait for admit notifications until MarchApril.

6 Once you receive an email from the univer sity offering you a place, you will need to send a deposit amount with your acceptance letter. Hence, carefully review all your admit letters before finalising the institute you wish to study at. The university has to send you an acceptance letter and documents like the I20 for education in the US and CAS for the UK. You need these documents while applying for the student visa.Afterwards, book your accommodation at the earliest.

Source | Times of India | 7 September 2015