CHECKLIST TO MAKE YOUR PROFILE

STRONGER
ENSURE YOU TICK EACH BOX BEFORE YOU APPLY TO UNIVERSITIES

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS
HELPS YOU GET INTO GOOD UNIVERSITIES

Do I have a good CGPA?

Did I select appropriate electives?
Did I do good projects and internships?

CONCERNS
OVERCOME YOUR SHORTCOMINGS TO APPLY WITH CONFIDENCE

Did I achieve my target GRE score?

Which universities should I apply for?
Do I have good paper publications and internships?

GRE AND TOEFL

IMPORTANT CRITERIA THAT UNIVERSITIES CONSIDER

Is my GRE score good enough?

Should I retake my GRE?
Can I get a scholarship with my GRE score?

SOP AND LOR

ASPECTS THAT DESERVE MAJOR ATTENTION

Did I reveal everything in my SOP?

Is my SOP well written and strong enough to make an impact?
Did I get sufficient number of LORs?

STEPS TO IMPROVE YOUR PROFILE

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

Maintaining a good CGPA/percentage in your undergraduate program is very crucial.

Make sure you choose electives in the area you wish to pursue
Mini projects, Internships and Paper publications add a lot of value to your profile.

GRE AND TOEFL

Universities give high priority to your GRE score. Even if you dont have a good academic profile,
a high GRE score can help you overcome that.
A good GRE score can increase your chances of getting financial aids.
You can get into reputed and top-ranked universities with a high GRE score.

UNIVERSITY SELECTION

Choose some four to ten universities suitable to your GRE/TOEFL test scores and academic
percentage.
If School's tuition is high, then look for funding opportunities like fee waivers, assistantships etc.
It is very important to know that a college or university is accredited or not.

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

LORs should be obtained from people who know you professionally.

Universities know about your intellectual ability, ability to communicate, and motivation to
pursue MS from your LORs
Normally each university requires 3 LORs.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Universities get to know everything about you through the SOP that you draft.
Do not mention anything that is not true.
Your motivation for higher studies should be reflected in your essay.

FACT: 30% OF GREedge STUDENTS GET A SCORE BOOST OF AT LEAST 10 POINTS!

March 2016

STEPS TO IMPROVE YOUR PROFILE

FINANCE

The tuition fee varies according to different universities, courses and the city.
Fee waivers are awarded to international students on the criteria of merit and need of it.
The total cost for MS also include living expenses in addition to tuition fees.

VISA

You need a student visa called F1 Visa to pursue your MS in US.

The VISA officer will check if youve sufficient funding to complete your course.
He will also check if the applicant is genuine and eligible

LIST OF DOCUMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO APPLY TO

UNIVERSTIES

DD/Bank check for Application fee (If you have not paid the application fee online)
Recommendation letters
GRE/TOEFL Score Xerox. (Also you have to report the test scores officially)
Transcripts (Bachelors Degree).
Bachelors Degree certificate (If available)
SSC/10th or Equivalent Certificate
12th/ intermediate or Equivalent certificates
SOP (Statement of Purpose)
Affidavit
Study certificate or Job experience certificate
Photo Copies of first and last pages of your passport
Copies and proofs of all your other activities (Ex. Paper presentations, your organizing skills in
your symposiums etc.)

FACT: 30% OF GREedge STUDENTS GET A SCORE BOOST OF AT LEAST 10 POINTS!

March 2016

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR ADMISSION CHANCES?

1. Select the program or course you are interested in.
2. Create an SOP that aligns with your interests and programs that offer majors in the same
area.
3. Complete projects / papers in the area of choice.
4. Send copies of your projects with the application packet.
5. Contact professors working in your area of interest.
6. Read the research work completed by those professors before sending them emails.
7. Associate your work to their work and how you will be able to contribute to their research.

FACT: 30% OF GREedge STUDENTS GET A SCORE BOOST OF AT LEAST 10 POINTS!

March 2016

SUCCESS STORY - GREEDGE ALUMNUS

Admits from Stanford, Cornell, UCLA, UCSD, Purdue, University of Southern
California and fully-funded PhD from North Carolina State University; this is
where GREedge alumni Ankit Dubey stands.
GREedge alumni Ankit Dubey, a civil engineering student from NIT Kurukshetra
scored 321/340 with 162 in verbal, 159 in Quants and a 3.5 in AWA. Ankit has got
acceptance letters from the likes of Stanford, Cornell and Purdue and a full-ride
scholarship from NCSU.
Fully-funded scholarships and multiple admits can no longer remain a myth. If
Ankit can easily achieve it by building a strong profile, you can also do it.

Click here to listen to what Ankit Dubey has

to say to fellow MS aspirants.

FACT: 30% OF GREedge STUDENTS GET A SCORE BOOST OF AT LEAST 10 POINTS!

March 2016

FAQS
1.

HOW SHOULD I APPLY TO UNIVERSITIES IN US?

The first step in applying to universities is to fill the online application. If online application is
not available for a particular university then download paper application from the university's
website.
2.

CAN I APPLY TO UNIVERSITIES WITHOUT TAKING THE GRE/TOEFL TESTS?

Yes, you can apply for universities without taking the tests. But universities will take decision
on your admission only after receiving test scores.
3.

IS MY GRE SCORE MORE IMPORTANT THAN MY ACADEMIC PROFILE?

Most of the universities will consider GRE/TOEFL score rather than academics. Therefore if you
have a low academic percentage, it is essential having good test scores. Some of the
universities like University of Cincinnati will consider strong academic percentage of a student
rather than his GRE/TOEFL scores.
4.

WHEN SHOULD I APPLY TO UNIVERSITIES?

Try to apply 5 to 9 months earlier than the application deadline dates. You would have more
probability to get funding if you apply early.
5.

IS WORK EXPERIENCE ESSENTIAL FOR MS?

For MS generally work experience is not required. If you do well in GRE and your academics,
your chances of getting financial aid increases.
6.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I APPLY AFTER THE DEADLINE?

Most of the Low ranked universities won't consider deadlines. You have good chances of
getting admission even if you apply after deadline. But this is not true in case of top universities.
7.

CAN I USE A CALCULATOR IN THE GRE EXAM?

Yes. You will not be able to bring your own calculator to the test center. You will be provided a
calculator either on the computer screen or by the test center.
8.

IS THERE ANY CALCULUS IN THE GRE SYLLABUS?

No. The GRE exam will test you on basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data
analysis, as well as your ability to reason quantitatively and to solve quant problems.

FACT: 30% OF GREedge STUDENTS GET A SCORE BOOST OF AT LEAST 10 POINTS!

March 2016

9.

WHY AND WHERE SHOULD DO I TAKE MY FREE DIAGNOSTIC TEST?

Diagnostic Test helps a person understand his own strengths and weaknesses to design an
efficient study plan for his/her GRE preparation. You could get your free Diagnostic test by
simply clicking here. FREE DIAGNOSTIC TEST
10.

WHY AND HOW SHOULD I DESIGN MY STUDY PLAN?

After a Diagnostic Test, Youll be very clear on your strong and weak areas. With that in mind
design a study plan with weaker subjects on priority so that you give more time for those
subjects. Follow the process below for a SAMPLE STUDY PLAN
SAMPLE GRE QUANT STUDY PLAN

WHERE CAN I TAKE GRE STYLE TESTS?

There are a lot of GRE style tests Available online. Every program in GREedge is equipped with
a lot of GRE Style Tests to give you real time exam experience and make you accustomed to
the D-Day. Register to know more on GRE Style Tests.
6

HOW DO I TAKE A FULL LENGTH ADAPTIVE TEST?

Taking any Mock test will not serve the purpose when it comes to GRE because GRE is an
adaptive test while most Mock tests arent. So do an online research for statistically well
proved and followed Test Series. SAMPLE TEST SERIES.

FACT: 30% OF GREedge STUDENTS GET A SCORE BOOST OF AT LEAST 10 POINTS!

March 2016

FACT: 30% OF GREedge STUDENTS GET A SCORE BOOST OF AT LEAST 10 POINTS!

March 2016