‘Undergrad’, is a 4-year program, after 12th Grade, where students can study a wide range of subjects to begin with. Once they have met the core curriculum requirements, students at most institutions are asked to choose a specific field of study, also known as the major. The final two years are spent taking more courses that are more directly related to your major.
Masters of Science (popularly known as MS) is the choice of maximum applicants across the country. Others graduate programs are MBA, MPH, etc. These are 2 years full time programs which combine first-class teaching and practical industry exposure to prepare graduates for professional work.
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is the highest academic degree graduate students can earn in most fields of study. These students often go on to teach at the college level or pursue research positions. The doctorate degree normally takes 4 to 6 years in the USA and 3 to 5 years in Europe.
LORs, SOP, Resume and other USPs:
These documents put your selling points to the faculties since you are not present in person at the time when your application is evaluated. These documents help the evaluators know you holistically rather than just academically.
These are 3rd party recommendation generally from the faculties or reporting authorities. Generally 2-3 are required by universities. These are really valuable since a person is vouching for your work and justifying your credentials.
This document describes your motivation, academics, project works, extra-curricular, and your future plans, all in a single instrument. Universities have variable word counts for this document.
A crisp and precise 1-page document describing your profile.
Depending on the program, university may ask for other documents which serve as your USPs, for example, Certificates of Achievements, Diversity Statement, History Statement, Interview, Portfolio etc.
Universities grant you admission on the basis of your credentials but to issue a confirmation (I-20) they would want you to submit the proof of sufficient funds. 3 documents are required for the same.
Bank Certificate: An authorized document stating sufficient funds in savings account on a specific date.
Sponsor Letter: A testament from sponsors for bearing the expense of their ward for the mentioned years.
A valid Passport
Above all these, a student is required to fill an online application and pay an application fee during submission.
These are financial aids granted on the basis of Merit, Academic achievements, Scores on standardized admissions tests, Good employment history, Student’s leadership potential and other personal characteristics.
Research Assistantships: A partial or full fee waiver is provided to a student having strong research interest.
A partial or full fee waiver is provided to selected students. Professors who take classes there select graduate students to assist them in teaching, leading discussion sections, running labs or grading assignments. English fluency is must to avail this.
Graduate Assistantships: Students are required to do any graduate level job to avail this.
These are off-campus jobs that provide practical experience in your field of study. They are particularly common in professional fields. Payment varies, and you must obtain work authorization from the university.
Current U.S. immigration regulations allow international students to work up to 20 hrs/week on campus during their first year of study. Under current U.S. regulations, after your first year of study, you may apply for permission to work off campus for up to 20 hrs/week.
