GRE Application Guide

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When applying to a University, you need to include certain items as

part of your application package which can be listed down as GRE
Application Checklist. Each college has its own set of requirements, but
the sample list given below should satisfy the needs of most colleges.
1. Bank Draft:
Prepare a bank draft in favor of the University that you are applying
to, for the required application fee (e.g. $50).
2. Admission Forms:
Include the right number of copies of your admission form (e.g. 3).
Make sure you've included all the forms required by looking up the
college's application checklist.
3. Official Transcripts of Undergraduate Coursework (2 copies):
Prepare transcripts of all undergraduate coursework completed at the
time of applying to the US, and have all copies sealed and stamped by
your undergraduate university to make them 'official'.
4. Three Letters of Recommendation:
Get recommendation letters from Professors who are familiar with your
undergraduate academic work. Many Univs also ask you to include a
Student Evaluation Form along with your recommendation letters.
Sample Student Evaluation form
5. Personal Statement:
Your mark-sheets & score reports speak for themselves, therefore a
'Personal Statement' is the only means you have to communicate to
the admissions officer why you deserve to be admitted to their
University.
Sample Statement of Purpose 1
Sample Statement of Purpose 2

6. Financial Certificate:
At the time of applying, you need to indicate sufficient funds to
support your education. Request your bank to issue a certificate as
proof of the same.
Sample Financial Certificate
7. Letter of Support:
If a relative or friend is sponsoring your education, then you have to
include a signed letter of support from them, indicating their
willingness to fund your study in the US.
Sample Letter of Support
8. Copy of GRE & TOEFL score reports:
You can include a copy of your GRE & TOEFL score reports, but you
should also make sure that you pay ETS to send your scores directly to
the Universities you are applying to.
9. Additional Certificates:
Most colleges don't value certificates for extracurricular activities
unless they are directly related to your chosen field of study. But, if
you have work experience or have completed projects in your intended
field of study, you should definitely include a letter/certificate from
your employer or supervisor.

College Letter of Recommendation

Do you want to know what a good recommendation should contain?
Want to know how to write one yourself? Well, then here you'll get to
know exactly what a recommender should say and how it should be
said. In fact, you can pass these tips on to your recommenders, to
help them write you a better recommendation.

10 Tips for College Letter of Recommendation

1. Review a copy of the applicant's personal statement or application

essays so that your letter of recommendation does not contradict
students statement of purpose.
2. Ask the applicant to supply you with additional information like.
3. Describe your qualifications for comparing the applicant to other
applicants.
'I have been teaching for twenty years and have advised
approximately 450 students on independent research projects over the
last five years.'
'I have personally supervised ten interns every summer for the last
five years plus worked with over two hundred college graduates in my
capacity as trainer for Big Bank Corp.'
4. Discuss how well you know the applicant.
'I was able to get to know Mr. Doe because he made it a point to
attend two of my sections every week when only one was required.'

'Ms. Smith reported directly to me for two years prior to her welldeserved promotion to the position of Senior in our Big Six Accounting
Firm.'
5. Choose two to three qualities that you observed in the applicant.
'Jane has a rare blend of top writing and interpersonal skills.'

'The combination of tenacity, analytical abilities, and good

communications skills found in Mr. Doe is truly unique.'

6. In discussing those qualities, support your statements with specific

instances in which he or she demonstrated those attributes. Be as
concrete and detailed as possible.
'He is the only student I ever had who came to all my office hours as
part of a relentless, and ultimately successful, drive to master financial
theory. He was one of just ten percent in the class to receive an A.'
'Because of Jane's writing skills, I didn't hesitate to ask her to write a
report which was used by our PAC as the basis for a major policy
statement. Congressman X eventually used the statement, based on
Jane's sophisticated 20-page analysis of Middle East politics, in
lobbying for increased funding.'
7. Try to quantify the student's strengths or rank him or her vis a vis
other applicants that you have observed.
'He was in the top 10% of his class.'
'She has the best analytical skills of any person her age that I have
ever supervised.'
8. Avoid generalities and platitudes.
9. Include some mild criticism, typically the flip-side of a strength.
'The only fault I have encountered in him is his retiring nature. His
modesty sometimes hides a young man of remarkable strength and
broad interests.'

'Occasionally, her fortitude and persistence can turn into

stubbornness, but usually her good nature and level-handedness
prevail.'
10.Discuss the applicant's potential in his or her chosen field.
'I enthusiastically recommend Mr. Doe to your business school. This
well-rounded student will be a fine businessperson.'
'With her exceptional leadership, writing, and quantitative skills, Ms.
Smith will be an outstanding strategic consultant and and a credit to
the business school she attends.'

Statement of purpose

The graduate school personal statement is your chance to demonstrate

your unique qualifications for and commitment to your field of study by
discussing those experiences, and events that influenced your decision
to enter that field.
In the following sections, you will come across some simple guidelines
that you can follow in order to better your Personal Statement (aka
Statement of Purpose).
General information regarding the Personal Statement
The primary question admissions committee members ask themselves
when they read a Statement of Purpose is: What does this essay tell
me about the person who wrote it? Academic achievements and good
test scores are important. But in an era where the majority of
applicants have good academic records, it becomes increasingly
difficult to distinguish among individuals and decide who gets the offer
of admission.
When you apply, each of the items in the application packet recommendations, extra-curricular achievements, work samples - adds

an extra dimension to your personality. But it is the SoP that brings

you to life.
Is the SoP the main deciding factor?
No. Your academic record, grades and the courses you took- are the
first section admission committee members turn to. Standardized test
scores are useful to know where you stand in the applicant pool. For
graduate schools, relevant work or academic experience is important.
Being from a reputed school or college confers a distinct advantage.
What your teachers or boss think of you goes a long way towards the
school's opinion. A good work sample can show your creativity, skill
and professionalism.
However, only the SoP or application essays can bring out your
uniqueness. And therefore make or break your application. An
applicant who does not take the essay seriously is throwing away the
best opportunity available.
So are the admission officers looking for specific personality
sorts?
Well, yes and no. Creativity, curiosity, pride in your work, an
enthusiasm for learning, a capacity for teamwork, the ability to think
independently and so on are all good attributes, and most of us share
these in varying proportions. But what schools look for is a mix of
individuals that together, form a well-balanced class. This would
include several personality types.
How can I impress the admission officers?
It is good to go through the school's brochure or web site, speak to
people about it, visit if that is possible; get a feel of the student mix
that they look for and decide if this is the school for you. However,
trying to tailor your SoP to reflect what you think the school is looking
for is dangerous business. The people who read your application have
been doing so for years and are skilled at spotting fakes. They are
likely to know soon if a particular author is saying something for effect
or if an essay does not ring true. And that means almost certain
rejection.

Of course we want to have an effect on the admission officers. The

important thing is to do so without appearing dishonest. If, for
instance, you talk about your deep desire to make society a better
place, your application should reflect it. Have you done anything about
this desire? Can you talk about your actions and experiences? A small
example of something you did, not necessarily spectacular, can do
more towards boosting your chances than the noblest platitude can.
How honest should I be?
Don't try to be something you are not. Don't try to tell the admissions
committee what you think they want to hear. Be honest, look inside
yourself and do your best.
Which brings us to the next point - self-knowledge. The people who
read your essay want to be convinced that you have thought long and
hard about who you are, what are the things you appreciate, what
inspires you, what you want out of life, and where you are going from
here. It is not necessary to have all the answers. After all, several
admirable people have no idea where they are going even at age 40 or
50. It is necessary to show that you have thought about this and that
these life experiences have taught you something.
Should I include my resume?
Write out your resume. It is best to get this out of the way so that
your SoP is not a repetition of the information in the resume. It should
instead, use the resume as a reference and highlight the learnings you
have received during some key points in your career. There are a
number of sites that help you to write a suitable resume for your
college applications. You could also browse your local bookstore for
resume-writing aids.
Is there anything else I should do?
Research the universities you are considering applying to. Find out the
strengths and weaknesses of each. Good sources for this exercise are university and department web sites and brochures, home pages of
students, your seniors or friends who are studying at that university or
in the same field elsewhere, your college professors, friends in the

same field. If it is possible for you to access the university's web site,
find out which professors work in areas that interest you and write to
them about your plans. Some professors respond, some don't - but
you have nothing to lose at this stage. In fact, you could gain a better
idea about the areas of research emphasized upon by that particular
department.
Visa : If you are an international student, you have to apply for a
student VISA to the US. At the time of applying for a VISA, you have
to have to prove to the VISA officer that you have sufficient funds to
support your study in the U.S., as well as enough reasons for returning
to your home country after completion of your education.

Types of visas
There are generally two types of visas available for students wishing to
study in the US.

F-1 Student Visa

J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa

With an F-1 visa, you are allowed to seek employment in the US after
completing your study there. But with a J-1 visa, you have to return to
your home country and cannot enter the US again for at least two
years. Check with the American consulate for more information
regarding these types of visas.

I-20 form and F-1 visa stamp

Once you are admitted to a University, they will send you an I-20
form. The I-20 form is a legal document that entitles you to apply for a
student visa at the US Consulate. If your application is successful, then
the Consulate will stamp your passport with an F-1 visa stamp.
Documents required for the visa interview
You will need to take the following documents with you :

Visa application form

Visa fees

Valid passport

12 colour photographs

I-20 or IAP-66 form

Acceptance letter

Documentation to prove your ties to your home country

TOEFL, GRE score reports (student copy will do)

Mark sheets/degree certificates of undergraduate course work

Financial documentation to prove your ability to pay for your education

Visa application fee and visa fee
Each visa application has to be accompanied by a non-refundable fee
of $45. If you are granted a visa, then you are required to pay a fee of
$75. Payment has to be made in the form of a bank draft.
IAP-66 Form
If you are receiving financial assistance from a university in the US,
then they might send you an IAP-66, rather than an I-20 form. With
an IAP-66 form, you get a J-1 or Exchange Visitor category visa. This
visa comes with a stipulation that you have to stay in your home
country for two years.
Sponsor's Letter
If relatives or friends are sponsoring your education, then you'll need a
notarised affidavit of support from them clarifying their relationship
with you and their commitment to pay for your education. You will also

need to supply a statement of their annual income, bank statements

and other financial assets.
Granting of Visa
When you are granted a visa, you will immediately be asked to submit
your passport. You can then collect it the evening of the same day.

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