Dear Sir,
My son has secured 90 per cent in Class 10 and has been selected to pursue a course in the US. He is scheduled to be back in 2011. Can he join Second PUC or Class 12 here? If he wants to write the IIT-JEE exam, how should he proceed?
K Umashankar

Dear Umashankar,
It is good that you are already planning his future course of action. After his return, he can join Class 12. However, be aware of the fact that Board rules are applicable in all these matters. Please check with the school authorities or Board concerned (ICSE, CBSE etc) about it. As far as appearing for the IIT-JEE is concerned, as long as he has completed the Class 12 exam or its equivalent, he is eligible to appear for the entrance test.

Dear Sir,
I am studying in Class 11. I secured 85 per cent in Class 10. I want to become a scientist and pursue research in the UK or the US. What are the exams I should give to go abroad?
Revanth
 
Dear Revanth,
Having a clear career goal helps you take the right path. All research-oriented opportunities are available either in the UK or the US at the doctoral or post doctoral level. If you are interested and do not mind the high cost of education abroad, you can seek admission for an undergraduate programme either in the UK or the US. In the UK there are three-year bachelor’s programmes as well four-year Honors programmes, whereas in the US there are two-year associate degrees and four-year bachelor’s programmes. However, an associate degree is not enough to pursue a master’s degree in the US. You may take the four-year degree. To study in the UK, you need to give  the IELTS (www.ielts.org), which is an English language proficiency test. To study in the US, you have to take up SAT1 (Scholastic Aptitude Test, www.sat.org) and SAT2. You also have to give TOEFL (www.toefl.org) or IELTS, of which the former is more widely accepted by universities in the US.  To study in India,  I suggest you take up an undergraduate degree in any science stream and complete a master’s in a specific science stream that you are interested in, followed by a doctoral programme abroad. For more details on how to prepare for courses abroad, refer to the DH Education supplement dated June 17, 2010.

Dear Sir,
I’m a third year student of Information Science & Engineering. I want to pursue further studies. I’ve been a nine-pointer through all my semesters, but I’m intimidated by the whole idea of coding. I don’t feel confident enough when it comes to coding, but I want to do a master’s in the same field. Are there areas of Information Science which do not involve coding? Which are universities abroad that offer this course at the master’s level? Is it too late for me to start preparing for GRE exams?
Sahana

Dear Sahana,
Realising that coding intimidates you is important as you will not enjoy doing something that you do not find interesting. Despite your dislike you are performing well and that is a positive sign. Having studied Information Science & Engineering, there are many streams of engineering such as Management of Information Systems (MIS), Database Administration, Operating Systems Management and/or Administration for you to pursue at the master’s level. However, in Information Systems some amount of coding will be involved. Speak to your college professors  for more clarity on coding. If you are averse to coding, you may think of moving into management related fields later. There is plenty of information available online. Since you have one more year to complete your course, it’s not too late to start preparations for GRE and TOEFL. Most universities in the US accept applications throughout the year as the evaluation process takes time. I suggest you keep browsing websites of universities for more information. Check out the following links:
www.petersons.com, www.educationusa.state.gov, www.nafsa.org, www.infozee.com, www.degreesabroad-cis.com