Hi visitor,
So you wanna get an M.S. from
a reputed univ. in U.S. This page gives you a comprehensive ( though I can't
say complete) guidance to proceed towards your destination. The information
given in this page is from my own experience, the advises I got from my
seniors & friends and some forwarded mails. Some of them may be taken
at verbatim ;-). So don't feel offended if you happen to be it's original
author. A part of these are relevent only for people from South India. However
I have tried to give some general information also. I have given a big list
of recommended links which I found useful. If you feel anything to be included
or modified, please let me know. I'll try to update it as often as possible.
Introduction
Why M.S. ?
When to start ?
What are all to be done ?
How much does it cost ?
Getting started
How to prepare for GRE & TOEFL ?
Tips on CBT
When to write ?
Pre-apping
Apping.
Selecting the univ.s
Financial Statement
SOP
After getting admission offer
Acceptance letter
Visa tips
Things to be taken
About Chennai consulate
Interview tips
Travel plan
Medical checkup
Emigration clearance
Blocking tickets
Taking money
Shopping list
Packing
Things to be kept in the boxes
Things to be kept on person
Things to be kept at home
Things to be done in the last week before flight
On the day of the flight and later
Port of entry procedures
After arrival
UFL FAQ
Assistantship
Fall 2002 updatesLatest updates
(November 2002)
On Campus Jobs and Expenditure
Housing
E-mail FAQ
Please read this before sending me an e-mail
Recommended Links
Introduction
Why M.S. ?
Frankly speaking there is no single answer for this. Your aim of doing M.S.
may be anything from doing hi-fi research to just a better pay. First of
all you yourself need to have a clear picture about the merits and de-merits
of doing M.S. It's true that having an M.S. degree feels good. But whether
it is worth the investment you are making depends upon the university and
the course you get. If you can make into a good univ. & course then the
prospects are pretty good.
When to start ?
The process extends almost two years. Though it can be done within a year,
it's always better to start two years in advance.
What are all to be done ?
You need to write GRE, TOEFL exams. TWE (Test of Written English) is a free
exam conducted along with TOEFL. If you are planing for Teaching assistantship,
then TSE is also a must. For all these tests you need
to take your passport to the examination hall. So apply for a passport well
in advance. Also learn and practice cooking!!! (Yes you'll realise it's
importance once u r here).
How much does it cost ?
Well, the moolah involved with it is pretty demanding. A rough estimate of
expenses as follows (as on June,2000)
GRE.......................$120
TOEFL...................$ 80
TSE........................$125
Score report/univ.... $ 36 ($13(GRE) + $11(TOEFL) +
$12(TSE))
Application fee/univ. $ 75 (average)
Financial Statement..$ 10 (per univ)
Postal charges..........$ 1 (per univ thro' ordinary
post) - takes 10-15 days from india
$ 10 (per univ thro' speed post) - takes 4-5 days from india
$ 20 (per univ thro' courier service) - takes 4-5 days from india
Visa.........................$120 ($45 + $75)
Air ticket..................$800 (depends upon the place
and airlines)
Beware that some of the terms
mentioned above are per univ. So, calculate yourself the money involved in
it. This is the minimum you have to invest even if you get 100% financial
aid. If you don't get aid, then add atleast one semester expenses to the
list.
Getting started
So, you have made up your mind that you are gonna do it. Fine. Now follow
the steps.
How to Prepare for GRE & TOEFL
GRE is conducted
almost throughout the year. It has 3 sections - quantitative, analytical
& verbal. Generally engineering students do not find problems with the
first two. It is the verbal section that demands most. The best way to start
off the preparation is to buy BARRON's GRE guide. It has around 3500 words
in the verbal section. You don't have any other choice than to mug it up.
If you are from convent background, then it would be a little easy. Don't
worry. about half of those words you already knew. One suggestion would be
to do 10-15 words/day so that you will be going at one wordlist per week.
Quantitative section does not require much preparation. Your school mathematics
background will do. Learn some time reducing shortcuts. Analytical section
requires just speed. More you practice, more you score.
TOEFL has
3 parts - listening, grammar and reading comprehension. Of the three, listening
is the toughest one. Listen to CNN, watch some old James bond movies. Don't
go by the cassettes supplied with BARRON's guide for TOEFL. The actual one
is tougher than that. ARCO is better. If you have any U.S. friends, then
talk to them. Grammar - just refresh your high school english grammar. It
would do. May be you can refer Wren & Martin. Reading comprehension requires
just practice. Your preparation for GRE R.C. will be helpful here. Generally
just 15-20 days preparation will do if you take your TOEFL after your GRE.
TSE is just
to test your pronunciation skills. You need not prepare anything for it.
If you have been speaking in english in your environment then just go and
give it.
Tips on CBT
CBT (or CAT, whatever) is the new computer based GRE now being offered
worldwide. Here your score starts with around 550 in each section and as
you give correct answers it proceeds towards 800. You can make 1 or 2 mistakes
and still get 800 provided you make mistakes at the end. Be careful about
the initial 10-15 questions. If you can score them all correct, then you
can get anywhere between 700-750 in that section. Go to some GRE coaching
centers and sign up for CBT's after you have done with your preparation.
There are around 10-12 tests available. Try to take as much as possible.
ETS's power prep is the most accurate one. Generally the difference between
your actual score and the one you get with power prep will be within 100
marks.
There
is a good website
on how to prepare for all these. I recommend you to have a look at that.
When to write ?
It is advisable
to have your results in september or october so that you can start finalizing
your list of univ.s. So, plan accordingly.
Pre-apping
It is the process of requesting the univ.s to send their application forms
to you. Start this process in June or July. The best way to do it would be
through Peterson's guide. You can visit
www.petersons.com
. Some univ.s send the application packet to your address. Some of them
give a web site address where you can download the app. form. Some univ.s
do not respond at all!!! . If you have a credit card, then the best
solution would be to apply online. It saves a lot of time and headache. Some
univ.s ask your GRE, TOEFL scores before sending you an application.
Apping
Selecting the univ.s
This is the most important part in the process. It's going to decide your
fate. So be extremely careful in choosing the univ.s. The best way would
be to contact the students over there and ask about their univ. Some points
to be noted while selecting an univ.
1. The courses offered : See whether you can specialize
in your area of interest with the courses offered.
2. Profile of the faculty : See how good is the faculty.
What stuff they are doing and all.
3. Financial Aid : Enquire the students about the financial
aid scene. Some univ.s offer aid only in the second semester.
4. Expenses for one year : This is very important if
you are going without financial aid. See whether you can afford atleast
one semester of stay there.
Also having
a look at the profiles of the students who are at present studying the course
u want helps to have a good estimate about your chances.
Financial statement
Check out
whether you have to provide financial statement along with the application.
If so, then you have to show money or properties worth equal to your expenses
for the entire period of study (or atleast one year). In India, Canara Bank
(issued under the name of capability certificate) and SBI give these statements.
I don't know about other banks. Better avoid getting a financial statement
from someone in U.S. Because in case of visa interview, when you say that
you don't have any relatives in U.S., it may backfire.
SOP
This is
the most important document in your application packet. Write an essay about
your career goals & how you are planning to achieve them by doing your
M.S. in that univ. Include as much details about the univ. as possible.
For this, browsing the dept. web page would be helpful. If you are apping
for Ph.D., then mention the Prof.'s name and his work also. Get it critiqued
by your friends (who are not apping to the same univ. of course!!!)
After getting an admission offer
After choosing
your univ. from the tons of offers you get ;-), send acceptance by four
modes: FAX, phone(optional), letter and email. (atleast one mode where you
can be sure that it had reached)
1)Dump the job if you have one..
2) If you are a student,
a) Collect "No Dues" from:
1)Hostel
2) Department
3) Central Library
b) Apply for complete transcript
3) Inform all concerned of your permanent address
4) Close your bank account. If possible convert it
into an NRI account.
5) Return all borrowed material and take back all things
that you lent out.
6) Learn cooking & driving
7) Learn typing ( will be helpful to find an on campus
job in case you are going without aid)
8) Get your Permanent driver's license & International
driver's permit (if possible)
9) Go through the offer package and look for immunization
form. You will be asked to take some vaccines (generally MMR, hepatitis
B). Start taking them one by one. Consult a physician before taking them.
He will guide you how to do it, because you cannot take all of them on the
same day. ( Remember to take MMR and TB test on the same day if you haven't
finished your courses of MMR).
Visa Tips
Things to be taken
Following
materials must be presented to the consular office by you at the time you
apply for VISA:
1) Form I-20 or IAP-66(Obtained directly from the university
you will attend)
2)VISA application form(available at the consulates)
3) Two passport size photographs (preferably take them
at the My eye's photo studio near the chennai consulate)
3) A valid passport
4) Evidence of financial support. If you have aid from
the university, just keep a proof of amount which you will need to fly and
initial settlements. Otherwise you have to show a bank balance equal to
your one year expenses. In any case you need a statement from your bank
stating your account balance.
5) GRE and TOEFL score originals.
6) Keep degree certificates, all grade cards and other
academic records from your undergraduate education as well as state board
examination certificates. Produce them only if they ask for it. Don't produce
anything extra. DO NOT CARRY ANY
BAG OTHER THAN THE FILE OR FOLDER OF DOCUMENTS. UNLESS SOMEONE TAKES CARE
OF THE BAG, YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENTER THE CONSULATE.
6)If the token system is going on, make sure that you
have a token of a sufficiently advance date. You will have to go many days
in advance to get the token if it is a peak season.
7) Make sure you carry the VISA fee amount. (DDs for
$45 & $75 - rupee equivalent on the name of "American Consulate General"
payable at the city of the consulate). The courier charge you can pay as
cash.
Chennai consulate
The american
consulate in chennai is located in Cathedral road. If you are new to chennai,
then ask for nungambakkam fly over. Go with a person with a vehicle. It will
be helpful in case you have forgotten anything. If you are going for visa,
then the ideal time would be to go there at morning 3 o'clock. You'll see
around 500 people already there. Those people would've come the previous night.
Don't worry. Go and join the queue. The consulate opens at 6.00 a.m. Inside
the consulate there are seating arrangements. It can hold around 500 people.
It takes around 4 to 5 hours inside the consulate. You have to pay the DD
for $45 to the cashier. The receipt will be stapled to your passport. Then
there are 5 counters. You can choose any one of them. There you have to produce
the following things in the given order :
1) Your passport
2) Visa application form
3) GRE & TOEFL original score cards
4) Bank statement.
5) DD for $75 (rupee equivalent)
Do not produce anything extra
unless asked for it. Your documents will be verified and a decision will
be taken as to whether to send you for an interview or not. Watch the person
carefully. If he/she says "Give me the courier cover, Go and pay the courier
fee " - it means that your job is done - a counter visa.
There is a good (and humurous)
document about Chennai consulate
. Have a look at that. But remember that it is meant for H1 people. So
don't get confused if certain items clash with my list. It will be helpful
if you could ask somebody who just went for the same type of visa (F1) &
to the same consulate.
Interview tips
Unfortunately,
if you have to attend an interview, all the documents will be given back
to you. These are some tips to make yourself prepared for the interview. For
students with full financial aid this is no problem at all. Even then these
tips will make it all the more peaceful. When you go for the visa dress decently.
Avoid any Americanisms. A touch of Indianism helps a lot (e.g. a streak of
"Vibuthi" on the forehead). Speak slowly and clearly. Don't appear tense
and don't look desperate. Showing self-confidence helps. Go along with a
friend having a vehicle (just in case you have to go & get something).
They should never feel that you will have any sort of difficulty language,
finance, racial, religious, etc.
Some "valid" (?!!!) reasons why
you will come back to India :
1)Only child
( Now this doesn't work)
2)immovable
property in India (can take a proof)
3)orthodox
family
4)brought
up in rural atmosphere
5)lots of
relatives in India, none in US
6)Mom-dad
won't come to US
Why you are going to U.S.
1)Field of
interest not available in India
2)Change
of field not possible in India
3)Interested
in teaching - to get Ph.D. fast
Have a
clear view about your job opportunities & market value if you come back
to india and the advantage you get by doing an M.S. in U.S.
Travel plan
Medical checkup
After getting a visa, get a thorough medical checkup done (esp. TB, eye
& dental).Medicare in U.S is very costly. Buy extra pair of spectacles
(if you wear them). By now you would have (should have!!!) finished your immunization
program. Send the completed form to the univ.
Emigration clearance
Get this
after the visa. You can get this from a venue other than the place of issue
of the passport - by showing that your place of residence falls in the jurisdiction
of that passport office (It might take some time, and big pain). Anything
to do with the Passport Office can & usually will involve a LOT of time
& pain. In Madras, the passport office is located on the II Floor,
Shastri Bhavan, Haddows Rd. In Bangalore it is in M.G. Road, near Raheja
Towers. Take the following things with you -
a) Passport
b) ECNR (Emigration Clearance Not Required) form -
get it from your travel agent or download it from
http://kar.nic.in/passport
to avoid queue at passport office
c) Original of the Provisional Certificate (PC) - to
show
d) Xerox copy of the PC
Procedure in brief :
At one counter show the filled form & get a slip;
go inside and show your documents at the checking counter; pay Rs.100 (as
on 19th July,2000) at the cash counter; collect passport next day with ECNR
stamp. Suggested timings :
I day 11:00 to 11:15 A.M. (submit)
II day 4:50 to 5:00 P.M. (collect)
In Bangalore you can get it on the
same day evening between 4.30 to 5.00.
Blocking tickets
The next
thing to do is blocking tickets (this implies no financial commitment). This
can be done via travel agents. Make sure the Travel Agent is good examples
of dependable travel agents in Chennai are - Travel Corporation of India
(TCI), Parrys Travels). All India Travel Agency (AITA) - Parsn Complex. Block
flights with many airlines/agencies. But don't block for the same flight
through different agents. Because though you go through a number of persons,
there will be only one entry in your name at the airlines. So, when you cancel
through one agent, all your entries will be cancelled. Put pressure on the
agencies and get as much info as possible. Much before the flight call the
airlines themselves and confirm your ticket. Indicate whether you want Asian
Vegetarian Meal (AVM), non-smoking section, etc. Cross-check everything the
travel agent says. Some airlines offer Frequent Flier Programs (e.g. Air
France, TWA, Delta, British Airways.) [i.e. after a certain # of miles of
flying with that airline you get a free ticket]. Enroll in such programs.
Avoid change of airline. A direct flight is the best. If change of airline
can't be avoided, leave at least 4-6 hrs gap between the scheduled arrival
of one flight and the scheduled departure of the connecting flight. Baggage
is usually safe with a single airline - change of airline sometimes leads
to misplaced luggage. Some airlines don't take care of baggage transfer -
you may have to personally carry it (check this while booking). Do
not trust an Indian Airlines connecting flight (in case you use IA allow
atleast a day)
Taking money
If
you are going without financial aid, you may need to take around $8k-$12k
depending on the university. Even if you are going with full aid, you may
need $1000 for initial expenses ( like house advance, telephone connection
etc.). You can take $500 as cash. To carry the rest of the amount I recommend
traveller's cheques. They are safe and easy to encash too. American Express
has a special offer for students. They don't charge any commission, whereas
Thomas Cook does charge 1%. I recommend Am Ex.
Shopping list
Usually you will be sent a letter from the univ. about the things to be
brought. If you don't get such one, then this list may be helpful.
Clothes
Usually clothes are machine washed
(laundramat) once a week or fortnight - hence one week supply of clothes
(+ one week backup) is needed. Get all clothes little loose - clothes
may shrink in machine wash & you will probably grow fatter.
14-15 sets of undergarments, socks,
handkerchiefs - Not necessary ! Good stuff available
here & pretty cheap.
5 sets of good shirts, pants a good swimming trunk
+ few shorts
a tie + 1-2 belts
3-6 ordinary towels (Turkish ones start stinking)
a bedsheet
lungies/dhotis/paijamas
thermal underwear (2-4)
extra woolen sweaters
Note:
sleeveless woolen sweaters are enough
for warm places woolen socks not recommended if not going to a cold place.
Second hand alarm clocks are cheap in US.
don't take Indian files (empty) or punching machines
- filing system is different in the US (3 holes, A4)
don't take paper
don't take raincoats
don't buy purse (wallet for carrying cards can be bought
in US)
wear your shoes to save space in the box. If needed
buy only leather shoes (other types of shoes are cheap in US). For some
weather conditions Indian leather shoes may crack.
don't worry yourself if you can't
bring any of the stuff listed above - most of them are available pretty
cheap in the US (made in China). Exceptions are leather goods, formal wear.
In a month or two you will be in a position to get anything you want (unless
you are not on aid).
Food stuff
Below are some South Indian food stuffs that may
be taken :
1 - 2.5 kg packets of "Sambar Podi"
1 packet of "Rasam podi"
0.5 box of "Masala podi"
1 box of "Paruppu podi", "Upma podi",
"Vatha-kozhambu podi", "tamarind rice podi"
Appalam/Vadam/pickles
mustard packet
tamarind paste
different dhals in small quantity
for initial phase
asafoetida powder
Indian instant coffee + Indian tea
(takes some time to get used to American stuff)
Elaichi, clove, cinnamon
Note: most of these items are available in the Indian
stores in the major cities. However you need to carry them for use in the
first few days.
actually pickles are not allowed - but you can take
them in solder-sealed tins. [students are usually not checked for these]
take all dry food stuff in sealed plastic packets
Most Indian foodstuffs are available
even in small cities. Don't come loaded with foodstuffs as you may have
(small) problems with the customs. Try to get "instant" stuff as people
generally don't have much time for cooking in the US.
Vessels
big pressure pan (with spare handle,
3 safety valves, 2 weights,
1 base plate, 3 gaskets) [note: big
pressure cooker may not be
needed as rice cooker can be bought
in the US]
idli plates
dosai turner, charani (server with
holes), rice server & other servers
tongs
small bowls ("kinnum")
rolling pin
knife
kadaie
cook book - e.g. "Cook & See"
by Meenakshi Ammal
Note: no other vessels needed. No tumblers needed. Try
to share & bring the vessels with others coming to your Univ. Non-stick
kitchenware is cheap in the US (i mean in dollar terms!!!) and you can buy
a full set.
Electronic goods
Don't buy any of them. They are much more cheaper here.
List of medicines recommended by a Doc.
Crocin tablets - 3 strips for fever, bodyaches, headache
- One tablet three times a day as necessary
Erythrocin 500mg tablets - 2 strips - One tablet twice
a day when necessary, as advised
Sporadix 500mg capsules - 2 strips - One capsule twice
a day when necessary, as advised
Actified tablets - 3 strips, Cosovil tablets - 2 strips
- For common cold & cough. - One tablet three times a day.
Avomin tablets - 1 strip - For air sickness. One tablet
as necessary.
Lomotil tablets - 20, Digene tablets - 30 - For
diarrhoea & stomach discomfort.- One tablet of each three times a day.
Baralgan tablets - 2 strips - For abdominal colic pain,
backache, etc. One tablet every six hours as necessary.
Dorstal (?) tablets - 10 - For nausea & vomiting.
- One tablet three times a day.
Electral powder - 2 packets - One teaspoonful mixed
with drinks to make up loss of electrolytes after vomiting or diarrhoea.
Novalgin tablets - 2 strips - For headache & bodyaches.
One tablet as necessary.
Stomatil tablets - 1 strip - For vertigo (giddiness)
- One tablet three times a day as necessary till relieved.
Isogel (Glaxo) - 1 box - For constipation. - One teaspoonful
in a little of water at bedtime.
Brufen 600mg tablets - 2 strips - For arthritic joint
pains. - One tablet three times a day after food.
Avil tablets - 1 strip - For allergy. - One tablet as
necessary.
Sepmax tablets - 1 strip - For sore-throat. - One tablet
twice a day after food, till relieved. NOT TO BE TAKEN WHEN ONE IS ALLERGIC
TO SULFA DRUGS.
Relaxyl ointment - 1 tube - To be applied as a pain
balm.
Band Aids assorted - 12
Soframycin skin ointment - 1 tube
- the above
list seems to have been made out for a guy who is a proper hypochondriac
!
True that medicines are relatively
very expensive in the US, but you will also tend to fall ill less frequently
(clean drinking water, etc). Get all the medicines prescribed above if you
must, but atleast get them in much smaller quantities.
Packing
Start your packing well in advance.
Buy two good boxes - they should be able to withstand a lot of mishandling.
They should be as large as possible within the size limitations (however
most airlines are not very strict about baggage size). Put identification
marks and labels both inside & outside the boxes (apart from this the
airlines will also provide you with adhesive labels). Boxes with independent
top & bottom are preferable.
Box specifications :
As an example
the Air India economy class baggage specifications to the USA are given
below. Note the specs. may be different for other countries/airlines. 2
pieces of baggage with total linear dimension (l+b+h) not exceeding 270cm
(106"). Moreover the total linear dimension of each piece should not be
over 158cm (62"). The weight of each bag should not exceed 32kg (70lb) [note:
they are not particular about this]
Carry on
baggage : In addition you can carry a bag with linear dimension not exceeding
115cm (45") onboard (fits beneath the seat). For most other airlines the
baggage spec.s are similar (confirm). If you are taking a break outside USA/Canada
contact your travel agent or airlines for details. Generally no one cares
about that. As long as you can insert it into the cabin it's fine.
Things to be kept in the boxes
Copy of all certificates/documents (originals in hand
baggage)
Important apping materials (SOP, reco etc.)
necessary books/notebooks (some suggested books are
- Clark's
Tables, a good dictionary/thesaurus, a booklet for
units conversion) [note: there should be no legal hassles taking Xerox copies
of books - but don't flaunt them to Americans/Profs]
Copy of address book/telephone book/diary
Some stationery and related items suggested (not absolutely
necessary - just for the first few weeks) are :
common items + rubber stamp with house address + airmail
covers+ few Indian razor blades for cutting work + screw driver
Indian postal stamps - for sending letters through someone
coming to India
Medical history files
Gifts (suggested: rollable pictures, handicrafts, etc.)
Non-technical books (fiction/religious). [note: second-hand
story books are cheap in the US]
1 pair leather chappals, 2 hawai chappals (+ extra
straps)
soap (bath), toothbrushes (slightly costly in the US
- 1 or 2 bucks) etc.
Cassettes
And the items mentioned in the shopping list.
In some places (esp. in small
towns) the checked in luggage may come after a day or two. So keep whatever
u need for first 1 or 2 days in the cabin luggage.
Things to be kept on person
shorter extract of contact addresses - especially of
people coming to pick you up.
receipt got along with traveler's checks - in case
you lose the TC's. Never ever keep the TC's and their receipts together.
They should be kept in different places.
Things to be left at home
List of addresses/phone numbers at which info about
you can be obtained
one copy of all your important documents
a copy of all relevant parts of Medical History files
Arrange to collect/redirect mail from your room/hostel
Arrange to apply/collect/mail your transcripts (about
20 in number preferable)
Your tailoring measurements
a few blank signed papers - so that your parents can
be authorized to look after anything on your behalf
Things to be done in the last week before the flight
call up
& find if there is any delay or change of schedule of the plane (inform
the people coming to pick you up of any such change)
rest well - ready to face the long journey/jet lag
bid bye to all concerned
On the day of the flight * in-flight + later
Since it
is going to be a long flight (mine was 36 hours!!!) wear something comfortable
(cotton dress + full hand shirt). Wear your shoes - in-flight. you can remove
them (some airlines give in-flight shoes - else relax in socks). In fact
I went with T-shirt, pant & ordinary chappals.
be at the airport 3-4 hours before flight departure
Don't take any indian currency with you after you finish
of all formalities at the international airport. Convert the money into
dollars before going for customs queue. you don't need indian currency anymore!!!.
relax during flight, sleep as much as possible
for vegetarians - watch out before you eat - you may
get non-veg even if you had asked for veg. Veg. food is generally bland
- fruits/juice are good choices. (Before ordering anything on board check
if you have to pay for it separately for it). Don't hesitate to ask questions.
once out of India be very careful (from sheer experience of seniors). Don't
trust anyone. Don't hire a taxi (unless emergency) till you reach your destination.
If required don't hesitate to spend money. Don't hesitate to talk
to people to ask questions - usually they will answer all your queries properly
- very different from India.
U can
take any food items till the port of entry. In fact I recommend that you
take some fruits so that you need not depend much on the food served in th
flight. Finish off all of them before you go to the customs. You are not supposed
to carry any food items after that.
Port of entry procedures
sometime
before landing the flight attendant will distribute customs declaration forms
& immigration forms as mentioned below. Fill these out on the plane (you
will submit them to the appropriate authorities when you land). Do not hesitate
to take the flight attendant's help. You can indicate that you have nothing
to declare & total value of all your things is less than $100 on the
customs form Form I-94 - fill in the plane. After seeing your documents immigration
officer will indicate length of stay, Univ, etc. This will be attached
to your passport. Important: note the expiry date and D/S (duration of status).
Form I-20 ID copy - all transactions regarding your non-immigrant status
will be recorded in this form. This should be retained at all times (not
surrendered when you temporarily leave the US). Your admission number will
be given - memorize it & note it elsewhere. just before you land the
correct local time will be announced set your watch [dual time watch will
come in handy here]
once you
are out of the plane go straight to the immigration counter - rush for them
to beat the queue. It might take 0.5-1 hour here. Keep your I-20, passport,
admission & aid letters ready. They might ask a few questions like -
is this your first time in the US ? Student ? F-1 visa ? Which Univ ?
They will attach an I-64 card to your visa.
You are
now in the USA !
Then go
to the baggage are to fetch your luggage. Pick up a cart (you get this at
a machine for $1) to carry the bags. Then pick up your bags as they
come out on the conveyor (suitable eye-catching labels help here). If you
don't get your baggage inform the enquiry section you may have to wait 0.5-1
hour here. cart your baggage to nearby Customs. If asked tell them that you
are a student, F-1 visa, school, dept., coming to US for the first time.
If asked to open the baggage do so slowly - do not mess up the place. If
asked about the "podi"s tell them that they are "dried Indian spices" to
make traditional Indian food like curry. Rarely they might ask you
to go to the agri. dept. nearby - that is a pain. If asked about "vibuthi"
tell them that it is holy Hindu powder used for prayer.
Note : In most cases you will NOT be asked to open
your boxes at all & will be simply waved through.
Now go &
wait at the nearest exit for the guys who are supposed to pick you up. If
nobody turns up after some time (say 0.5 hour) make a collect call (at the
public phone dial a '0', get the operator & ask for a collect call).
Else call i) your Prof. ii) dept. iii)International Students' Office iv)
admissions office v) any Indian guy in the directory Go & ask for an
announcement to be made over the PA system. Get a card, write your
name & hold it up. Never leave your baggage unattended. Don't go out
of the airport until somebody comes & picks you up. If you have doubts
about the guy who comes to pick you up, don't hesitate to ask for his ID.
[All this is of course being a little extra cautious]
Once you
reach your friend's house (or other destination) call home & inform
them of reaching safely. Keep a readymade card - add a few lines - go to
the nearest post office, get stamps & mail the card immediately.
A few things of importance in after (arrival) life
Your first
work is to meet the Foreign Students' Advisor in the International Student
Office (ISO). They keep a record of you (passport, visa details etc.). When
you leave the US (temporarily or permanently) you have to go there again.
Then do the things which you did when you entered your U.G.-
get your Univ ID card
get your Driver's License
tax forms, etc. some paperwork in the dept.
meet the HOD/grad. student advisor/advisor
register for classes
Be happy now that your dream has come true !
UFL FAQ
This FAQ is compiled solely on the questions asked
to me. most of them are just cut and paste from the e-mails I got and my
replies for them. As and when I encounter more questions, I'll be updating
this page. look at what's
new
page to know whether I've made any changes since your last visit.
Assistantship (specific to ECE dept)
Questions:
- What r the chances of a guy with scores of 2xxx/6xx+/5x getting an
assistantship?
- If it's difficult to get an assistantship in the first sem, will it
be possible to make it in the second sem? Are there any guys without
a scholarship even in the second sem in the EE and CS department?
- Could u suggest some profs whom we could contact so as to get an
assistantship?
- I e-mailed Dr.xx & Dr.yy and didn't get any reply. What should
I do?
Answers:
First of all, welcome to UF. about assistantship....
the usual scene here in ECE is that only about 5% of desis come with an assistantship,
so if you don't have an assistantship, don't worry. You'll have a big company
here :-). 5% more people get an assistantship in the first semester itself.
but most likely, you'll get a one in the second sem (85% chance), unless
you happen to be extremely unlucky (5%) or score a poor GPA (less than 3.0)
in the first sem.
If you happen to be in the first 5%, you wouldn't be
reading this paragraph :-). if you happen to be in the next 90%, then...
all the best. you have to prove yourself in the first semester to secure
your finances.
Prof.s get loads of mails everyday asking for assistantship. I never got
any reply from any prof. when I applied. to get an RA, you have to come
here, target prof.s in your area of interest/expertise, contact his RAs,
enquire about the prof. & then, contact the prof.s, ask for an appointment,
go with a resume and prove yourself.
I can't mention names of Prof.s in this web page. So
e-mail me at ganesan@r-ganesan.com
and I'll try to get back to you ASAP. please don't ask the questions answered
here. Also to know best about any Prof. contact his RAs (even if u want to
contact only desis, u'll find a desi in any lab :-). )
Updates for FALL 2002
Since the situation now is much different from my batch,
I have included the following lines:
If you have got an admit for Fall
2002 and looking for assistantship, these are a few facts: The aid
scene was real bad for the 2001 batch because of the recessaion & september
11 incidents. More than 80% in ECE were without any form of assistantship. But
since the situation is improving, things are expected to be better by the end of
this year.
Latest updates: (as on 14th November 2002)
As on today, more than 80% of Fall 2001 & 90% of Fall 2002
ECE batches are without assistantship. Also due to latest rules after Sep 11,
international students are going to be paying ~8000/semester from spring 2003.
On Campus Jobs & Expenditure
Questions:
- What r the prospects of an on-campus job at UFL? Will we be able to
get one as soon as we land there?
- By the way, what r the living expenses like in UFL? The I-20 quotes
it to be xxxx$/yr.
Is this right? How much do u spend/month?
Answers:
There are plenty of On-Campus jobs here. For a complete
listing of available jobs visit
http://www.sfa.ufl.edu/job.html
. the jobs range from system administration to cleaning laboratory equipments.
the money you make in these jobs is enough for your normal expenditure but
not for tuition fee and all.
You need to bring a minimum of tuition fee + insurance
+ other fees + money for initial expenditures (for house, electricity, telephone
deposits etc. say tuition fee + 3000$ should be just enough.
Housing
Questions:
- Where do I stay for the initial 2-3 days?
- should I choose on-campus housing or off campus?
- how difficult is it to find an apartment?
- how much do they cost?
Answers:
Don't worry too much about all these. your initial
stay will be taken care by your seniors and ISA (Indian Student Association).
We all stay off-campus. you can easily find an apartment within 2-3 days
of your arrival. It generally costs $140-$250 ( as on May, 2001) depending
upon how many people you want to share the apartment with.
E-mail FAQ
This FAQ is compiled solely on the questions asked
to me. most of them are just cut and paste from the e-mails I got and my
replies for them. As and when I encounter more questions, I'll be updating
this page. look at what's
new
page to know whether I've made any changes since your last visit.
Please follow these guidelines before sending me an
e-mail. I get 4-5 emails everyday in the following format. So, please don't
ask the questions that are answered here.
A typical e-mail I get everyday:
i am xxxx from yyyy, india. i am a nth year student
of abc engineering from xyz university. i scored xxxx in my GRE and my TOEFL
score is xyz. i am very keen on studying ECE(VLSI). kindly let me know
what are my chances of getting an admit at UF.
No one knows what are the requirements to get into
any univ. But a rule of thumb is to go through the university webpage and
find out what are the average, min. & max. GRE & TOEFL scores are.
U can match urself against it and then decide. also u can ask the students
studying in that univ. about the scores they got and make a decision.
But DON'T ask a student in one univ. about another univ.. They may not
be able to give u all the details. So, have atleast one person/univ. u
r apping to.
my coll academics stand at x%
i hv also presented a couple of papers at national
level symposiums.
i am the president of my college's student council.
i also served as the Vice president of the coll's student council board,
was
the editorial chief of the coll's magazine, etc.
i hv won quizzes
Put all these things nicely in ur SOP. It should help u in ur admit.
Kindly let me know the list of univ where u think
i stand a definite chance.
using all ur experience, do let me know the approximate percentage of
chance
i stand in the univ mentioned below.
Univ of abc
Univ of xyz
...............
Please don't send me long lists. I don't have the time
and patience to go thro all the list and decide on behalf of u. u have to
take a decision for ur life, not me. ask me only about my univ. and i'll
be able to help u. as i said earlier, ask the students in the respective
univ. abt ur chances.
Hope I've done a decent job in compiling this page
& answered your questions. Please feel free to contact me at the above
mentioned e-mail address. I'll try to get back to you ASAP.
All the best.
bye.
RG
