'Check your performance '

Dear Sir,

I am doing my BE (2nd semester). My branch is chemical engineering. I want to do my post graduation in the same field. Will M.Tech in Chemical Engineering help in this? I am planning to do it in the US, so please suggest some of the best universties in the US that offer courses in this field. I really dream of pursuing my PG course in the US and also can I get a job in the NASA. Please guide me.

Shruthi

Dear Shruthi,

It is good that you have started planning your future in academics right at this stage. Deep research about universities always helps you get in to the right one that suits your requirements. USA has over 1,300 universities and at least over 100 universities are listed according to Peterson’s guide which offers MS in chemical engineering.

The choice of University depends on your academic performance, your GRE and TOEFL scores. Most well known Universities have high standards for admission and limited number of seats. You can easily check out the admission requirement of each university by browsing through the websites. The following websites will help:

www.gradschools.com; www.petersons.com; http://educationusa.state.gov/graduate; also www.infozee.com.

NASA looks for high academic performers and to land in a job there is highly competitive. Firstly focus on achieving high performance levels now and try to get admission in an Ivy League University or a ranked University and gain work experience in Chemical Engineering fields of your passion while you keep looking for any opening in NASA.

Dear Sir,

It is essential for me to know the minimum B.Tech percentage required to get admission in UK / Ireland / Germany for MS programme. I tried searching from various sites and have been counseled from reputed training centres, but in vain. I know a good band in IELTS is enough, but am afraid it might prevent me from getting a good university because of my B.Tech percentage.

Also, I am looking forward to a scholarship to fund my university education. Will part-time job be sufficient, if not, additionally what can be done? I’d be really grateful and thankful if you lessen my panic.

Dhruti.

Dear Dhruti,

All three countries that you are aiming as possible destination for higher education do not require any other entrance. I would suggest that instead of searching for the minimum standards look in to your performance and evaluate how you are faring and can you do better. Higher your performance based on your potential better are the chances of getting in to good universities and also possibility of financial assistance.

Based on your academic performance in B Tech admission is granted. IELTS is language proficiency test and high score in this test helps. Each university has its own standard and their evaluation process is elaborate. Also the minimum percentage of marks for admission differs from year to year based on the number of applications they receive and the level of performance of each of those applicants.

In general as long as you have a minimum of 80% marks as your aggregate there is a fair chance of getting admitted in a good University. Also keep in mind that the competitiveness is high now as number of students seeking admission abroad is increasing phenomenally and the number of seats are limited.

If you are looking for any kind of financial assistance to pursue your higher education you must be among the top achievers. As a full time student in any of these countries you are entitled to work for 20 hours in a week.

The minimum wages that you are paid will subsist your living expenditure to a certain extent. Germany is an exception because the state Universities subsidises fees once you are admitted. Only living expenditure has to be borne by you. This is not the situation in either UK or Ireland. It may be worth while to approach World Educational Services at www.wes.org .

Their primary role is to convert your present qualification measured in terms of grades or score to Grade Point Average. Also they fix the course credits that you have achieved in the field of your study, which will help in approaching Universities who will evaluate you for a specific course that you may choose to study.

Be aware that this is a paid service and it is worth while as your qualification is well evaluated which will come in handy even while you are seeking employment.

Dear sir,

I am doing my 6th semester environmental engineering but my aggregate is not good. I have only 63 per cent. But I am very much interested in doing higher studies. Please guide me as I am confused between MS and M.Tech. With my low aggregate will I get a chance of doing MS in USA?

Dear Student,

It is good that you are aiming for world class education. With such high aspiration definitely you could do better to improve your performance. You still have two more semesters to complete and that is ample opportunity to improve upon your performance and at least have good percentage in these three semesters.

Introspect on your performance versus effort put in and see how you can better yourself. Improving your performance even now and getting a high GRE and TOEFL score would still land you in a fairly good university in USA. Even to do M.Tech course here in India your performance level at this stage counts.

Check for yourself why you have not been able to perform higher. Taking 63% aggregate in the last 5 semesters indicate that you have the intelligence. Now evaluate your own focus and study techniques and see how you can improve. I feel you definitely can if you start visualising your goal to study in USA.

Dear Sir,

I’m pursuing my B.Sc degree with Physics, Maths and Electronics. I’m right now in my third semester and interested in pursuing my higher studies abroad immediately after my B.Sc degree through GRE exams. I’m interested to do MS in Electronics. Please let me know if I’m eligible for it, if not, please let me know the alternatives and also please discuss the scope for studying abroad.

Manjunath K

Dear Manjunath,

I appreciate your clarity to focus on Electronics among the three subjects at B.Sc level. Having had 15 years of education you are eligible to seek admission for a Master’s course in Electronics in countries such as UK, Australia, and New Zealand etc., for which you need not write GRE but only IELTS is enough. MS in USA needs GRE as well as TOEFL and 16 years of education. Hence at this juncture USA is not a possibility unless you do your M.Sc here and then try admission by writing GRE & TOEFL.

The other alternate is to seek admission to a Bachelors degree in USA by writing SAT and TOEFL. Depending upon the level of performance in B.Sc you will be awarded course credits and can complete the 16th year in 2 or 3 semesters after which you can do the Master’s by writing GRE & TOEFL. (How many semesters or course credits you need depends on the evaluation of your performance in B.Sc by the university there.)

Generally you need to budget about Rs 12 to 15 lakh per year for the tuition fees and living expenditure in USA and Australia, where as in UK it will cost you much more.  Studying abroad has definitely several advantages as you will get exposed to more practical education and also to different culture if you are willing to pay the high cost of education.

The author is the Director of Banjara Academy and Coordinator of Helping Hand, a free counselling centre. ‘Study Abroad’ is a tri-weekly column. Email your queries to [e-mail] with ‘Study Abroad’ as the subject line.