JOIN USDear madam,
I am doing 2nd year B Sc in horticulture and I am from upper middle class family and I like to do my M Sc in horticulture abroad and that too in Germany. I am told that studying abroad is very expensive. Is it true? I like to study abroad and come back to work in India. Can I do my M Sc in Germany? If so, what are the universities I can join? What are the entrance exams I should write?Pooja
Dear Pooja,Studying in Germany is not expensive. In fact Germany is one country which still offers courses almost free of cost even for an international student. Some of the German Universities that offer Masters in International Horticultural Sciences are: Leibniz University, Hannover, (www.hort.uni-hannover.de), Humboldt University, Berlin, (www.hu-berlin.de), Technical University of Munich. (www.tum.de). These programs are largely research based. It will help if you carry out some research work outside your regular course work while you are pursuing your Bachelors and submit a synopsis of your work along with your application.
Other European Universities that are good for Horticulture are: University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna, Austria (www.boku.ac.at/en). Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary (www.horticulturalscience.uni-corvinus.hu/), Aarhus University, Denmark (www.au.dk/en) offers excellent courses in Agriculture, Agrobiology and organic agriculture.
The entry requirement for all the Universities for a masters program is successful completion of your Bachelors, GRE and TOEFL (www.ets.org) tests. While submitting the application you need to send official transcripts of B Sc, proof of some research work carried out, three letters of recommendation from your present faculty, statement of motivation / purpose (an essay of thousand words on your subject choice, career goals etc), copy of your passport, your resume and internship certificates if any.
If you wish to study in Germany, knowledge of German language will be an advantage (although the program is taught in English). I would advise you to enrol at the Goethe institute www.goethe.de/i ns/in/bag/enindex.htm and learn the language to avail of all the scholarships.
Dear Madam,
I have completed my 10th this year. I have got the admission to coaching institute in Hyderabad. I have plans of acquiring my B E degree in the Aeronautical engineering. I want to pursue my B E degree from the Stanford University. Please let me know how to reach my goal. Give me some information regarding the exams I will have to write to get admission in Stanford University and also details about SAT and ACT examinations. When do I write these exams and which books to refer. Also let me know about the other engineering colleges abroad wherein I can receive the best Education. I want to join NASA as an astronaut, so, what is the best way to achieve it?Anonymous
Dear student,
It is good that you are so focused. This is the right time to start working towards achieving your goal. For a start, remember getting into a University like Stanford is highly competitive. It is not enough to be the class topper; you need to be one of the best in the world! Take you SAT exam after preparing for it well. Practise test papers, books and registration for the exams are through www.collegeboard.com. You need to get very high scores. Also take 3 SAT subject tests. One of the subject tests you take should be Math Level 2 C, the other two subjects can be what ever you want. Information on ACT exam can be got at www.act.org.
If you take the SAT, there is no need to take the ACT exam. You would also need to take the TOEFL internet based test. You may register for the TOEFL at www.ets.orgThe University would require all your transcripts (marks cards) from grade 9 onwards- first term, mid term and final marks. So, it is very important that you perform really well in all your exams and tests.
During holidays (Summer, Dussera and Christmas break), join some organization and work as an intern or do some community service or attend summer school. You need to show evidence of how you spent your time during break. Universities want students who are not only academic achievers but also well rounded in other areas such as community service, extra curricular activities, sports etc.
Start working on your resume from now. This can be a work in progress until you are ready to apply to the Universities. Your resume should mention your awards and achievements in academics, extra curricular activities, internships, community service and sports. Write a good personal statement about why you want to pursue engineering and why Stanford. Keep your valid passport ready. Request two of your subject teachers to write you a letter of recommendation. Carry out some kind of research project in a subject of interest to you. This should be outside your regular course work. Ivy leagues like students to show interest in research work.
Have this work assessed and marked by your teacher. This project should not be submitted to any other board. This is purely for your admission to a top class University. If you follow all these instructions closely, achieving your goal will be easy! The other top engineering schools in the U.S are MIT, Princeton, Georgia Tech, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, UPENN, Caltech, University of Michigan Ann arbour, University of California (Berkeley & LA), Purdue University, Northwestern University etc among others.
To become a NASA Astronaut, you must have the following:
1. Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in engineering, biological science, physical science, or mathematics. Degree must be followed by at least three years of related, progressively responsible, professional experience. An advanced degree is desirable and may be substituted for part or all of the experience requirement (master's degree = 1 year of experience, doctoral degree = 3 years of experience). Quality of academic preparation is important.
2. Ability to pass a NASA space physical, which is similar to a military or civilian flight physical and includes the following specific standards:
Distance visual acuity: 20/200 or better uncorrected, correctable to 20/20, each eye.Blood pressure: 140/90 measured in a sitting position3. Height between 58.5 and 76 inches.