Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How many years is the undergraduate program and can I apply after the 12th?
A. The duration of the undergraduate program is 4 years and you have to complete 12 years of education to apply.

Q. Straight after doing 3 years of the undergraduate program in India, can I pursue my Masters in the US.
A. You can only do Masters in the US after completing 16 years of undergraduate education. Since most of the Indian Colleges have 3 year undergraduate program, it is advisable to do one more year of education, could be a diploma or a certificate program to make your education complete of 16 years. Also, Some Universities also require you to have some work experience.

Q. What are the different tests I need to take to apply for an undergraduate program?
A. Most of the Universities in the US evaluate your scores from one or more standardized test such as SAT I (Scholastic aptitude test) or SAT II (subject test). It would be best if you could enquire from the University of your choice, admission office directly about their admission requirements.

Q. What are the different tests a postgraduate need to take to apply?
A. Most graduate Schools in the US require on or more of the following tests:
GRE (Graduate record examination)-General test,
GRE (Graduate record of examination)-subject test,
GMAT (Graduate Management test)
Again, it is important to enquire about the admission requirements from the choice of your University

Q. For subjects like law, medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine, what are the standardized tests that need to be taken?
A.
• LSAT- Law School admission test
• MCAT-Medical College admission Test
• DAT- Dental admission test
• PCAT-Pharmacy College admission test
• VCAR- Veterinary Aptitude test

Q. What do you mean by a University in the US and junior/ community college?
A. A University is an Institution that is involved in research and offers more than one undergraduate and a large number of graduate programs. A Community college usually offers undergraduate courses upto two years at a relatively low cost. They offer certificate programs as well as associate degrees.

Q. What is a Polytechnic Institution?
A. These are Institute of Technology offering specialized programs in sciences and engineering in addition to basic sciences, humanities and social sciences at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Q. What do you mean by “major” and “minor” in the US education system?
A. A “major” is your main area of study, for instance it is accounts. In this subject you take core courses that are related with your main subject. Apart from your core courses, you can take an elective that is any other subject of your choice. These subjects do not have to be directly related with your core subjects such as creative writing etc. These electives are also called “minor”

Q. What do you mean by credits?
A. The credit system is given “points” for a lecture attended. Eg, if a paper is of 4 credits, then the students have to attend 4 hour lectures in a given week for the entire semester. The lectures can be of 2 hours, twice or week or whatever combination the University provides. Every paper has different credits. The total number of credits required in an academic year to be completed is 30.

Q. What is the total number of credits that is required to be completed in 4 years for a bachelor’s degree and 2 years for Masters Degree?
A. A bachelor degree is equivalent to 120 credit hours in four years and a Masters degree is equivalent to 60 credit hours.

Q. Is it possible to transfer my credits to the University in the US for the Bachelors program?
A. If you are undergoing a bachelor’s program here and would like to transfer in the second or third year, you can get your credits evaluated from the University you wish to join. The transfer of credits would depend on the curriculum completed in India for which you have been graded. If accepted by the University you have applied in, you may not have to repeat the credits.

Q. Do I have to take TOEFL Exam?
A. Indian students who do not have proficiency in English are advised to take the test on TOEFL (Test of English as foreign language) or other English language examination. Sometimes the University of your choice might require you to take a TOEFL test even though you have good command over the language.

Q. What are the different financial assistance can I get from the University?
A. A private University is more flexible in providing Scholarships as compared to a public University. Scholarships, assistantships and fellowships are available to all international students on merit basis.

Q. What would be the average cost of studying in the US?
A. The average cost of tuition and living cost would be approx 20,000 USD per academic year.

Q. Can I work while studying?
A. You cannot legally work in the US under the student visa. However you can work for 20 hours a week in the campus. You can also get some financial assistance when working in Coop jobs and internships as part of the academic program.

Q. When is a good time to start applying for a University in the US?
A. It is always beneficial if you start early. You should start 12-18 months in advance before the date of enrollment. For instance, if you are applying for September 2006 session, then you should start your homework as early as April 2005. An early decision will give you ample time to prepare a good application as well as avail scholarships and financial assistance.

Q. As a student, what type of visa am I eligible for?
A. The most common visa for students is the F1 visa that is a non-immigrant visa.

Q. What is F-2 Visa?
A. F-2 visa is a status given to the dependents of the student. If you are married, or have children then they can apply for F-2 visa. Parents, however are not dependents and therefore cannot apply for F-2 visa.

Q. Is getting a US visa easy?
A. US visa process has been undergoing major changes in their application procedure. It is best to apply at the earliest. Your I-20 form, with your mark sheets, certificates, results from the standardized test should be with you at the time of applying. And most of all you should have financial evidence showing that you have enough funds to pay for your tuition and living expenses for the entire duration you are in the US. Once your paper work is complete there should be no problem in obtaining a visa.

Q. What is I 20 form?
A. I-20 form is the form received from the University who has accepted your application. I-20 form also mentions the following.
• Your name
• Date of Birth
• Citizenship status
• Country of birth
• The degree you wish to pursue
• Your Major
• Estimated length of your program
• Financial expenses that you would incur during your stay.

Q. What do you mean by accreditation?
Accreditation is the process by which the University and their programs are recognized for maintaining a certain level of performance and quality. Accreditation can be regional or professional.

Q. What accreditation should a University have?
A. Accreditation is done on regional and professional basis. University should be accredited by a regional body. Regional bodies ascertain whether colleges and Universities meet certain standards of educational quality. It is suggested to only apply to those Universities that are accredited

Q. Is any other accreditation required?
A. ABET is a professional accredit ting body especially for Technical courses. This accreditation is valued by all colleges and the Industry.

Q. What are National and Regional Ranking?
A. National ranking is the ranking of the University in whole of the country, such as Top 50 colleges of the US by US News (one of the ranking bodies). Regional ranking is on the regional basis such as North, South, Midwest and West.

Q. What is wrong with College ranking?
A. A college is distinguished from other colleges on the basis of
• Faculty
• Financial strength
• Name recognition
• Success of its graduates ( Alumni)
• Quality of incoming students
• Its ability to succeed with marginal students
• Infrastructure
• Location etc.
It is not possible to reduce this entire factor to a single mono dimensional ranking that says “A is better than B”
It should not be the rank alone which should be the criteria of choosing the right college. A “Best fit” college would be the level of academic environment, social issues, and extracurricular opportunities. It should be a place that would give good college experience and personal growth.
Contact Ednet to know more.

Q. Do I require a medical Insurance in the United States?
A. Medical help is very expensive in the United States. It is advisable to buy medical insurance before you leave or in the campus.