JOIN USFor all students, graduating 12th grade is a big hurdle crossed and comes as a huge relief. While it marks the end of stress and pressure, it also marks the beginning of many woes, one of which is getting admission to career-oriented courses. While it is a tough task to choose the colleges within the City, it is definitely a Herculean job to get admissions abroad. The endless filling of forms, the submissions of various documents, then a number of exams...the troubles are never ending.
The ‘Yashna Trust-EducationUSA Bangalore’ comes as a boon to students looking forward to studying abroad. Invited by the United States Educational Foundation in India in 1996, ‘Yashna Trust...’ became a part of the EducationUSA network in 2010. Now, a well-established trust, it promotes US education to Indian students by offering accurate, comprehensive and current information about opportunities to study at accredited post-secondary institutions in the United States.
“Any student who is interested in a higher education in the US is welcome to consult us. Students are advised to contact us at least a year in advance of their intended year of enrolment,” says Swetha Muthanna, the director of the trust. The students enrolled under this trust receive information and guidance on the entire process of applying to the US, from choosing universities, preparing of application packages and guidance on student visa procedures. Basic information sessions are conducted on Saturdays which are free to the public. They also conduct workshops with US university representatives and consular officers from American Consulate in Chennai, which are also done free of cost. The fee based structure is laid out only for specialised services like essay reviews and shortlisting of institutions. “We provide 12-18 months training to the students enrolled and we have no tie-ups with the institutions abroad. We work purely for students and choose institutions based on their academic background and goals, financial needs and geographical preferences,” she details.
They also help students identify colleges that give financial assistance to international students. “Each year we average about 40,000 contacts via e-mails, phone calls and web hits and in person and group advising. About 10 per cent of this number actually end up going to the US. The most popular fields of study are engineering and business studies. In the recent times, there has been an increasing interest in non-traditional fields like media studies and fine arts,” she says. The trust is organising ‘EducationUSA’s Pre-departure Orientation’ for students admitted to the US universities for this academic year on June 28 from 10 am to 1.30 pm at The Rotary House of Learning in Frazer Town. The session will be addressed by the students currently studying in the US, who will share their experiences. The event will have interactive sessions on a range of topics covering travel planning, adjusting to social and cultural life and academic environment in the US. The speakers will include representatives from the US universities. Students will also have an opportunity to connect with service providers in the areas of foreign exchange, student loans, travel and insurance.
“The pre-departure orientation is designed to ease the entry of Indian students into American culture and prepare them for student life in the United States,” she concludes. For details, visit www.facebook.com/EducationUSABangalore
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