I20fever
The information
hub for students
The minimum credentials required for applying for
admission to a
·
10+2+4
years Education (some programs require
10+2+3+2)
·
Passport
·
Standardized
Tests
Graduate
Record Examination (GRE)
Graduate
Management Admission Test (GMAT)
Most graduate programs require the GRE
for admission; however, law, medical, and business schools usually require
different exams (the LSAT, MCAT, and GMAT, respectively).
·
TOEFL
GRE/TOEFL
·
GRE
and TOEFL are the two most common prerequisite exams to apply to a masters
program in the universities of the
·
They
can be taken in any order but preferably GRE should be taken first followed by
TOEFL after a gap of 20 days or more.
·
The
exams may be taken on any working day (Friday, Saturday and Sunday are
holidays) throughout the year.
·
Though
different universities ask for different minimum scores in the standardized
tests, it is advisable to score at least 213/300 in TOEFL.
·
The
earlier you submit your application to the university the better your chances
are with the university and the earlier you get an admission. Getting done with
these tests at least a year before you intend to attend grad school (i.e. in
the third year of your undergraduate program) will enable you to apply
sufficiently ahead of the deadlines.
·
Applying
well ahead of the deadlines will also put you in the race for financial
assistance and it is therefore strongly recommended.
·
However,
the importance of these tests cannot be overemphasized and thorough preparation
is imperative. You can never be sure when you are completely prepared but be
rest assured that very few can achieve their full potential by not preparing at
all. Make sure that you spend at least
50-60 days preparing for the GRE and 20 days preparing for the TOEFL.
How
to register for GRE/TOEFL?
·
Costs:
The GRE fee is $170. The TOEFL
iBT test fee is US$150
·
The
online
registration is the fastest and most convenient way to book a slot for the
GRE. All you need is a Credit Card, and the credit card needn’t be your own.
·
Once you begin the registration process, please do not use your
browser's Back button to return to a previous page. Be careful to not
double-click a field entry.
·
Click
on Schedule an Exam. This would lead you to an instructions page, click Next at the end of this page. The next page requires you to
click on I agree to proceed, after which you click Next. This throws up a page
listing out all the available test sites in
·
A
test date for TOEFL can be booked online. Currently, TOEFL is available in two
formats in most cities- the TOEFL Internet Based Testing (New) and the TOEFL
Computer Based Testing.
·
The
TOEFL iBT registration here
requires you to create an id to TOEFL Access. Log in with your id and password
and you see a page that says My Home Page. Under Test Registration and Orders (in
the left) click Register/Order. This leads to the Select Product Type page,
select TOEFL Test and continue. Click on I agree in the next page, then choose
Important
Note:
As soon as
you finish your GRE/TOEFL exam you will be asked to select 4 universities to
which ETS will directly send your scores without an additional fee. So, predict
your scores based on your preparation and select the universities to enter at
the end of your tests www.i20fever.com
will help you with your university selection) so that you can directly send
your scores while saving $60 without waiting for scorecards.
Other Standardized Tests
Graduate
Management Admission Test (GMAT)
The GMAT is a standardized test used by 1,500 graduate
management programs around the world to assess the qualifications of
applicants. The GMAT exam consists of three main parts, the Analytical Writing
Assessment, the Quantitative section, and the Verbal section. The exam
begins with the Analytical Writing Assessment of two separate writing tasks,
and you are given 30 minutes to complete each essay. The quant section contains
37 multiple-choice questions which you have to complete within 75 minutes. The
verbal section consists of 41 multiple choice questions in Reading
Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction. The Verbal section
is also timed for 75 minutes. GMAT scores range from 200 to 800. The fee to
take the GMAT is $250. For more information on GMAT, click here.
The American Bar Association requires a half-day
standardized test for admission to any of the law schools that are members of
the Law School Admission Council (LSAC or Law Services). The test is
administered only four times a year. Most law schools require that the LSAT be
taken by December, nine months before law school begins. However, The Law
School Admissions Council recommends taking the test earlier, 15 months to a
year before law school begins. The registration fee for the LSAT is $118. More
information on the LSAT is available here.
The MCAT tests skills in Verbal Reasoning, Physical
Sciences, Writing Sample, and Biological Sciences. Almost all
Preparation
GRE Overview
|
Exam |
Sections |
Time |
No.
of Questions |
Max Score |
Total
Score |
|
GRE |
Quantitative |
45 min |
28 |
800 |
1600 + 6 points |
|
Verbal |
30 min |
30 |
800 |
||
|
Analytical Writing |
75min |
2 |
6 points |
Preparation
Verbal
·
A
good beginning would be working on the high frequency words.
·
Finish
the 50 word lists in Barons or any good book you are comfortable with
(typically contains 3000+ words)
·
Practice
reading comprehension. Most RC passages are demanding and often have nothing to
do with what you have studied in the last three or four years. Patience is a
prerequisite while doing RCs as is alertness.
Get sentence completion practice from Barons.
·
Take
as many practice exams as possible (
·
Over
time you will learn basic yet key strategies for getting many answers right.
·
Preparing
from books is not entirely effective, using the CDs for computer based tests
like GRE and TOEFL makes abundant sense.
Quantitative
·
This
section is rather easy and needs only a
review of fundamental math concepts
·
This
is the scoring part of the exam.
·
Finish
all of Barons (twice, if possible)
·
If
you prepare and perform intelligently you can score 800/800. But, do not be
over confident.
·
As
in the verbal section, practice is important.
Exam Overview
|
Exam |
Sections |
|
Typical
Time |
No. of
Questions |
|
TOEFL |
Listening |
30 |
60-90 mins |
34-51 |
|
Reading |
30 |
60-100 mins |
36-70 |
|
|
Speaking |
30 |
20 minutes |
6 tasks |
|
|
Writing |
30 |
50 minutes |
2 tasks |
Preparation
How do I select Universities?
Based on your Profile i.e., GRE/TOEFL scores, percentage in your Bachelors
course, Backlogs, Technical/Term paper presentations, Work experience, other
significant achievements, etc., you can choose universities considering the
following factors
·
Majors/
Program Offered
·
School
rankings
·
Profile
Match : Admit chance in the University
·
Tuition
fee
·
Funds
for research in your area of interest
·
Research/Teaching
Assistantship positions
·
Cost
of living
·
Campus
jobs
www.i20fever.com
helps you with your university selection. You may also join the
i20feverhyderabad yahoo group for any assistance.
What
are the application materials to be sent to the Universities?
The following are the list of things
that you need to send to the universities you will be applying to.
1.
Completed
application forms
·
·
In
some cases, a separate application for your department
·
In some cases, Research/ Teaching Assistantship form
2.
Application Fee Demand Draft (US $XX) (If you are applying online
however, you’d be paying by credit card)
3.
TWO sealed transcripts
·
BE / B.Tech (Bachelors, individual Mark sheets in Sealed Envelopes
singed by registrar or controller of examinations)
·
Class XII or Intermediate
·
Class X
4.
Three Sealed Letters of Recommendation (on college letterheads, to
be taken from 3 professors in your college or from employers/project leaders). In some cases, a separate
recommendation for assistantships/fellowships
5.
Resume (formatted very neat and professional)
6.
Experience Certificate Xerox (if applicable)
7.
Project Certificate Xerox
8.
Statement of Purpose (we can guide you with this; feel free to
mail us)
9.
Affidavit of Support, Original (on Rs. 10 bond paper, your parent
or guardian should sign it saying he/she would sponsor your education)
10.
Bank Statement, Original (on bank letter head, giving by bank
manager to show $20k+ balance in dads account)
11.
Passport Xerox (the page which contains your photo)
Do not forget to send your GRE and TOEFL
score reports to the universities you haven’t listed among the four free names
that you can give at the end of your tests. You will have to order additional
score reports from ETS for such universities. Few Universities ask for
Photographs as well.
Some universities may not require all of the
above materials or may request additional material. Check the college website
for the required documents to be sent along with the application.
How
do I post my application packets?
Depending on the time you have, you can choose
any of the following services
·
EMS
Government Speed Post service, delivers in 10 working days: Average Charge
600/-
·
Courier
service like DHL, delivers in 4- 5 days with acknowledgement: Average 900/-
(Preferred, Because of tracking option )
When
do I get my i20?
It depends on the university. You may
request details of admission status after 3-5 weeks.
What do I do after getting an i20?
·
Get
all the documents required for your visa interview like income papers, savings
& property papers
·
Then
book a VISA slot at www.vfs-usa.co.in
·
You’d
have to pay a fee of Rs.7450 at a designated HDFC bank to obtain a bar code.
The procedure is given in the in the above website.
·
Pay
Sevis fee of $200 to university at www.fmjfee.com
·
You
would have to go to the consulate at Chennai for the interview.
·
The
interview would be easy as long as you are confident and speak in good, fluent
English with a positive assertive attitude.
·
Be
prepared with the frequently asked questions like Why US, What after MS, etc.
·
Make
arrangements for travel to your university.
The Team i20Fever wishes you luck with
your academic endeavors.
For
more details or any queries fell free to contact us team@i20fever.com or call us at 9959992255
Regards
Team i20Fever