Education and Career Forum

Respected Sir/Madam, I am going to complete my BTech in this year. I am already preparing for GRE so that I can study MS in Abroad. I would like to know that what would be the next step after giving GRE? Kindly tell me about the next step asap.

-Admission Session (Season): Decide which session you are going to apply for
admissions. Certain schools have intakes during the Spring and Summer sessions, but all
schools have a Fall intake.

-Examination: Once you have decided on the season, fix your test dates, including the
GRE and TOEFL, at least two and a half months before the deadline. With such planning,
you get sufficient time to evaluate and retake the exam, if necessary.

-Universities search: Make sure you do a thorough search of the Universities and ensure
their authenticity. Also keep top State schools in mind, as Ivy leagues are not the only
good schools in the country. Targeting about 10 schools is ideal.

-Statement of Purpose: This is one of the most important aspects of the application. The
statement of purpose (SOP) is section to make the best impression for the admissions
counselor to move the application further. The SOP usually includes your interests,
reason to pursue the chosen degree at that institution and career goals. This requires
about a months’ work depending on the number on universities applied to.

-Transcripts: Ensure your transcripts meet the requirements of the universities. Since
India follows a different form grading, make sure you get your transcript converted to
the US system through certified agencies like Educational Perspective.

-Recommendation Letters: Most universities require three letters of recommendation from
current or former professors who can assess the candidate’s academic standing or
employers who can provide the professional qualifications of the candidate. As many in
India might not be familiar with the process, an email will be sent to the recommender
and he or she will have to submit the recommendation through the online portal. A
personal recommendation would be for the student to waive their right to see the
recommendations as the letters are often considered confidential.

-Sending supplemental documents: Universities would requests transcripts to be mailed
out to them. On most occasions, unofficial transcripts can be mailed out for the
purposes of making an admission offer and the official transcript would have to be sent
out after the offer has been made. Certain universities, however, require official
transcripts to make a decision.
-GRE scores and TOEFL scores (for International applicants): Most Universities requires -
GRE and TOEFL scores while applying. On most occasions, the scores are self-reported,
however, some may require them to be reported through the ETS website. TOEFL scores
are usually needed only for international applicants.

-Awaiting decision: Once the application is submitted, one has to wait for about four to
eight weeks for the decision, depending on when application was submitted.

-Visa: Once the admissions have been offered, for an international student, the financial
background will be evaluated, to pursue graduate education in their institution. Once
they evaluate the documents, the I-20 form will be sent and the student can apply for
the visa.

After appearing GRE, as a non native English speaker, you have to sit in the English Proficiency Test such as IELTS/TOEFL/PTE or equivalent. Once you clear both tests, you can apply for MS admission in Abroad at your choice of university/college with required documents.