Selecting Universities

Selecting universities is a very time consuming and important process not only from the admission point of view but also because applying to universities is very expensive by Indian standards. Hence, the number of universities applied to has to be restricted to around 10 or 15 that best match your requirements.

The best university for you may not be the famous ones, but those that offer you your field of study as well as meet the other criteria important to you. The range of academic options as well as available universities are so wide that it is not possible to select the best in one go and it may take some time.

The basic steps involved in the process of selecting universities are :

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The first step is identifying your goals and needs which can be done by self evaluation.

 A - Identify  your reasons for pursuing higher education abroad

• Are you motivated by career goals, job prospects, academic interest, personal satisfaction?
• What particular specialization are you interested in?

It is important to match your objectives with what the universities offer. If your aim is research in some particular field, you should apply to universities with specialized departments in that field. If you are interested in practical experience, you should apply to universities located close to the commercial centers and important cities.

B -  Realistically assess your academic and professional background

• Are you a competitive student?
• Are you dedicated and hardworking?
• How good is your academic record?
• Do you have any work experience or research work related to your field of study?
• Do you have any credentials in extracurricular activities?

Only if you have a good academic background, you should apply to highly ranked universities. If you feel you are moderately placed, you should apply to mid ranked universities.

C - Get  an academic focus

• Do you have a relatively clear idea of your field of study?
• Have you spoken to your professors, read journals to know more about your field and other new fields?

Education abroad is very different from education in India. Most universities abroad have a very flexible system where you can select your courses and focus more on your field of interest. There are also many specialized courses which may suit your needs.

D - Realistically assess your financial abilities

• Will you get a financial assistance from the university?
• Can you or your family finance your education and stay?
• Do you have an overseas sponsor?
• Are you eligible for funds from educational trusts?

The application process itself costs about Rs. 25,000 - Rs. 30,000/- towards examination fees, postage, university application fees etc. Tuition and living expenses are also high and depend on the country you wish to study in. For a visa, you must be able to demonstrate your ability to fund your education and stay abroad.

• Program Offerings (BA, BS, BE, MS, MBA, DA, Ph.D., etc)
• Specialization, faculty, thrust of the programs
• University Rankings
• Program Length
• Cost -- Tuition, living expenses etc
• Availability  of Financial Assistance to International Students
• Entrance Requirements (Bachelor degree in same field, work experience etc.)
• Tests ( SAT, GMAT, TOEFL etc and minimum scores)
• Accreditation status (Professional accreditation for some programs)
• Student Profile ( Percentage of international students, average work experience levels, etc)
• Enrollment -- Total available seats and the size of the school
• Location ( Country, climate, semi-rural, metropolitan city etc)
• Facilities -- Library, housing, student associations etc.
• Type of Institution -- Public or Private

These are the usual criteria. You could prioritize your criteria out of this list and shortlist the number of universities on that basis to about 30. You could further shortlist your choice on basis of specific issues like tuition fees, availability of financial etc.

Here we give some details of most important criteria for selecting universities -- academic eligibility, standardized tests, Grade Point Average and Financial Aid.

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Each university and college has its own requirements for admission. There is considerable flexibility in the acceptance policies of most schools. The requirements are different for different countries. We list here the most common requirements :

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Your past academic record is one of the most important deciding factors in getting admission to a college abroad. Most schools require you to have a reasonably good academic record especially for programs and courses offering a master’s or doctoral degree. Each university has its own minimum requirement for its programs, which are flexible depending on the candidate profile.

Universities in each country have their own marking and evaluation systems, which are considerably different from the Indian system. For e.g., U.S. follows the GPA (Grade Point Average) system which are based on 5 points scheme - A,B,C,D & F.

It is advisable not to convert your marks in the Indian system of grading to the American Grade Point Average system or any other system since the conversion may not be accurate. You may attach an explanatory note from your college to indicate your rank in your class and/or university. The letter may also indicate your place as compared to the class and the university average and the number of students in the class and the number of colleges and students in the university. You may also provide any other information or documents that you feel may help you in the admission process.

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Every university has its own minimum requirements and scores with respect to standardized tests. Check out the requirements of the universities and short-list the ones that will accept your scores.

English Proficiency Tests

Fluency in English is mandatory for education abroad whether in U.S., U.K. or any other country. You would be required to take tests like TOEFL, IELTS, TSE or other tests depending on the country, university and program you are applying to.  The minimum scores required in these tests vary depending on the college and program.  Individual departments and colleges usually set their own minimum requirements for admissions.

Other Tests

Different programs and colleges require you to take certain standardized tests for admission and there is a certain minimum that you have to score in those tests to get admitted to those universities. For a management graduate course, you are supposed to take GMAT and similarly for a graduate course in engineering, you are supposed to take GRE. For undergraduate courses, one has to take SAT.

For complete details on various tests, test preparation, reporting additional scores, test charges etc., check out the section on Tests To Be Taken

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Most Indians are concerned about the high cost of education abroad and seek information on opportunities for financial assistance. The expenses for education abroad include tuition fees, living expenses, health insurance, transportation etc. This is an important criterion for selecting the courses as well as universities.

It is important to understand that most universities offer financial assistance to international students based primarily on merit and rarely on need. The amount, and type of assistance offered varies based on the university, department and level of study.  Assistance of funds is more likely in Graduate studies and less in Undergraduate courses. Similarly, chances of assistance are more in specific countries like U.S.A. and U.K.  Also funds are more likely to be available in fields like Engineering, Physical Sciences and Biological sciences, rather than in courses like Humanities, Social Sciences and Management.

For more details on financial aid, types of aid and aid available in various countries, check out the section on Financial Aid

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Once you start receiving application forms and material, go through in detail for the various requirements and deadlines like the application deadline, minimum scores required in the standardized tests, recommendation letters needed and other such information. 

Tabulate all these requirements and compare them with your objectives and group the universities under three categories :

1. Schools that seem to match your requirements
2. Schools that are not suited to your needs
3. Schools that do not completely fit in any of the above two categories

Eliminate schools in Group 2 and check out in detail again the universities in Group 3.  You can try and focus on departments that you would most like to attend and the school rankings in that field. And any special facilities that the school may offer you in that field.  Try and make a list of schools on basis of fresh and more specific criteria like :

3. • Objectives of the program and kind of methodology as well as approach
   • Admission / Entrance requirements
   • Availability of assistantships and funds in the field of your choice
   • Research facilities
   • Location
   • Profile of students enrolled

Narrow down your list to about 8-10 universities to whom you intend to apply. 

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Universities usually inform students of their admission decisions well in advance of the beginning term. If you have received admission in more than one university, you will have to decide which one you want to attend. At this stage, you should compare a few objective and mostly more subjective criteria. The points you should focus on :

Objective Criteria

• Best program curriculum, length of program, choice of courses
• Best funding offer or best program with respect to costs
• Cost of living
• Strength of related departments/program

Subjective Criteria

• Overall reputation of university/department/program
• Location-region, safety of neighborhood
• Climate
• Social life
• Facilities available
• Accommodation & housing

Basically the decision factors at this stage would be mainly three points :

• Best program
• Best funding offer
• Best for your personal goals and needs

It is essential to do a lot of research on the universities and their offerings. Colleges and universities offer varied educational packages. You will have to find out which of these are likely to meet your goals by spending time in the reference library. The more time and effort you put in and the better you utilize your researching skills, the greater are your chances of achieving your goals.

What to do once you have been accepted :

Each college will tell you exactly what steps to follow to confirm your acceptance of their offer of admission and how to prepare for your first term.  This information will be included with the letter of admission or in materials that will be sent to you shortly thereafter. You must respond with a "Yes" or "No" for each offer of admission. You may also be required to submit a financial deposit to the institution that you plan to attend. This is to guarantee your place in the class. Make sure you do not miss any deadlines.

If you are in the waiting list :

You may receive a letter that informs you that you are on a ‘waiting list’. This generally means that the admission office determined that you were qualified for admission but there was not enough room to admit all qualified applicants. If you are placed in the waiting list of a college you wish to attend, you will be asked whether you are interested or not. If you say yes, you may be offered admission if space becomes available.

If you are placed in the waiting list of your first choice college and confirmed in the second choice college, you may do the following steps to remain on the safer side :

1. Accept the offer of the second choice school and pay the deposit
2. Accept the offer of remaining in the waiting list of the first choice school

If you get admission later in your first choice school, you can join that but you will have to forfeit your deposit (usually around US $50-$500) otherwise you can decide to study in the second choice school.