Masters

successforsm · 04-11-2012, 01:25 PM

This is a repeat-post ( I originally posted in College Confidential > Professional & Graduate School > Business School - MBA) but i think posting it in [India] is more suitable and more chances of getting better response from fellow Indians!

Edit : I tried deleting that post to avoid being tagged as spam (

), but I couldn't find any option to do so!
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Greetings to all!
I'm new to CC and I landed up here looking at posts about 'Your chances for getting into xyz college"

I'm in grade 12 right now, ( India) and I plan to do Masters In Engineering from the USA from a good university.
I am preparing for Engineering Entrance Exams ( IIT's and other Engineering colleges) right now , studying Physics,Chemistry,Maths ( and English) in my senior High school.

I wanted to go for UG too, but after seeing the competition and the Extra curricular's required, along with the exceptional SAT scores, I dont think I have any chance at all :P

My grades are fairly good, ( 91% marks in High school ) but I lack a lot in EC's as there aren't many opportunities available in here [ I just saw what activities students of my age do in the schools of US ( so much of practical work), and I was all embarrassed at the quality of education we are receiving in India]
{ For Indian readers who may get offended by the above statement about non-availability of opportunities in bulk, I know its my fault also that I should have been more active, hunting down opportunities, but my bad I didn't, and that's why I'm a nobody right now, just an average kid, but I REALLY want to graduate from a good school, that sense of being 'highly educated' , that confidence!}

So what I have gathered till now, is that to really get into the top universities , you need to be :

>extra-fluent in your English (essays!)
>should volunteer to help,etc ( community service/etc)
>should be a member/creator of many clubs , clubs of your interest
>should be an all rounder , co-curricular activities
>Only good grades wont work- you got to be an all rounder

Right now, I cant tick mark on anything of the above.

Clubs/Community service are not an option available here. ( Yea after i get into college, we do have such opportunities ,but not in school)

English can be worked upon - Reading, building vocabulary, summary writings, comprehensions,etc

Basically what I think is that I can build the personality what they want (Good grades in college, various EC's of my interest, clubs, volunteer/community service/ good GRE/GMAT score) during my college time , that is, the next 4 years of my Under Graduate program.

So is this approach right towards getting into a good university? And also, What matters more - My grades in Class 12 , or the college from which I undergraduate in India?

Thanks a lot! Sorry for such a long post! :P

anialways · 04-11-2012, 02:36 PM

First while it is nice to be humble, never underestimate yourself.

Second you will not be penalised for no ECs if your school did not offer any. But I am pretty sure you would have participated in some activity at your school, debate, sports, cultural......so that will do.

If you are strong academically and have good SAT scores,you will find a fit somewhere.

And your essays will also be a big part of your application, which will give you a chance to reflect and explain your strengths and challenges.

And since you are in Class 12, still time to pick some community service project during your summer holidays or an Internship kind of work experience in an office with something related to what you would want to pursue in college. Or teach a child who cannot go to school, volunteer your time at A school for the physically challenged, loads of things you can do.

So there is time, get going. Where there is will there is way. I know it sounds cliched but it is true.

polarscribe · 04-11-2012, 02:40 PM

You should post in the Graduate School forum, because most of this is wrong for graduate school.

For graduate study, extracurriculars, clubs, whatever - they're all completely irrelevant. What matters are your grades, GRE scores and professional work/research in the field you are interested in. Graduate study is hyper-focused on a narrow area, therefore admissions committees want to see students who have focused experiences in that field. Being "well-rounded" is a disadvantage if you want an MS/MEng/Ph.D.

anialways · 04-11-2012, 02:47 PM

Polar

It seems to me OP has just stepped into 12th grade and is mulling over whether he has what it takes to apply for UG Class of 2017, and beyond that exploring his/her options for Masters.

successforsm · 04-11-2012, 03:00 PM

Anialways,

I dont think I am considering giving SAT anymore because no matter how hard i work at this stage, its too late to attain a good scholarship now and without scholarship, studying in US is nothing but a dream.

I am just planning my future , which should include a Masters from a good university, and for that I want to take all up all measures which make my chances of getting in top universities very high.

For the masters degree, I still have around 5 years to go ( minimum) and during these 5 years, I want to make sure I do everything that makes me get into top-universities.

successforsm · 04-11-2012, 03:06 PM

Polar

So if I want to graduate from Stanford's business school, what i need for admission is :

> My High School grades
> My Senior high school grades
> a High GMAT score

And is it mandatory to have a work experience to graduate? Can I apply after completing my UG course?

fall2016parent · 04-11-2012, 03:18 PM

^you are a bit too early ..but since you want to know..
#1 Undergrad GPA
#2 Quality of your undergrad School
#3 GMAT/GRE
#4 Letters of Rec

Probably for MBA, your involvement in you undergrad school..Stanford MBA - hard to get scholarships..the chances of scholarships/assistantships is through TA/RA positions.

Nobody cares about high school GPA for graduate studies.

For now,focus on getting to your undergrad in India and doing well.

successforsm · 04-11-2012, 03:43 PM

Hey 2016parent! thanks for the reply!

Can you hint me on how the US-colleges will assess my
>Quality of my Indian undergrad School
>Whats the system of converting the percentage to GPA (Marks are calculated in % here)

Thanks!

fall2016parent · 04-11-2012, 03:52 PM

^please refer to EducationUSA | 5 Steps To Study
You really are getting ahead of yourself here. Colleges are familiar with undergrad colleges in india so they do their own translation. But you are really thinking too much. You need to focus on your next steps.

successforsm · 04-11-2012, 11:08 PM

^ Haha I know what you;re feeling that a 17yr is thinking about Masters when he's not even done UG right now, but I just wanted to stay clear in my mind, that what I'm gonna do in future.

I have realized that basically what I wanted to ask, is that what points in your applications make you stronger when applying for a Graduate school.

ChubbyCheeks · 04-12-2012, 12:26 AM

successforsm,

Here are a few more items for you to consider:

Become a student member of international organizations such as IEEE or ACM. Participate in events organized by the local chapters of these organizations. These are great opportunities for you to network with people in the industry and get ideas for final project. (This could also open up interesting summer internship opportunities.) If you plan this well, you might be able to get your work published or presented in a conference. This will help your chances of getting RA or TA.
Try to be savvy at use of one or more tools typically used in a university research environment for data acquisition, simulation, analysis and visualization. Some of the tools that come to my mind are LabView, Matlab (simulink), Python etc. It will be great if you end up with a skill level that is above and beyond what one acquires in a typical classroom setting.
Become intimately familiar with the research work that goes on in the universities you are interested in. Don't be bashful about contacting professors. Good ones get many queries and yours will get attention only if the level interest you show and skill set you offer to assist them are genuine. Casual inquiries are often ignored. This will also help you finalize the list of universities and discover your interests.

Hope this helps. Good luck!