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The application
process begins with your decision of which programs you are interested
in applying. Typically, you would begin with a broad list of
universities and then start the elimination process based on certain
factors.
It will be the easiest for you if you are planning to pursue a subject
in which you have your Bachelors degree. If you are planning a change of
subjects, you will have to do that extra bit of convincing about the
reasons for the change and demonstrate your eligibility for the new
subject.
While it is
possible to apply to a department that is different from that of your
bachelor degree program, you would need a good reason to justify the
change.
You need to talk
to all your seniors and friends who are already in the US, take their
views and ask them for universities they feel are good for a person with
your background.
You have to spend long hours on the Internet, researching universities,
their programs, entry requirements and their reputations. Read articles
on the internet about the universities, besides going through the
university websites.
Networking is an
important part of the graduate engineering admissions process. This is
more important if you are looking for financial aid in form of tuition
or research assistantships. Many graduate departments at universities
offer teaching assistantships or research assistantships to their
graduate students (students pursuing a master's or doctoral degree
particularly in engineering).
Assistantships
usually involve a tuition award and some sort of salary in return for
teaching or research duties. Every school has a limited number of
openings for assistantships based on the amount of funding allocated. As
a result, such scholarships are merit-based, meaning they are
competitive, based on your academic performance to date.
Individual departments at the university generally control funds.
It always helps to write directly to the department to inquire about
available funding. Students who are research oriented or have
published papers in a particular field should contact professors
interested in that field. By contacting professors in advance and
building a relationship, you can greatly enhance your chance of getting
admission and aid.
The whole procedure can get very difficult and it requires you to be
organized to make sure that the decisions about the courses and
universities you choose is the right one.
The
Second Issue - Your Schedule
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