Top Courses in USA

Study in USA for Indian students is a prominent factor since the country combines diverse geography and culture while having a reputation for academic excellence.

The USA is a leading destination for students pursuing a Master’s degree. It’s a melting pot of ethnicities, nationalities, races, classes, and opinions, and with a large number of foreign students enrolled programs all over the country. Study in USA from India helps students enhance their career.

No matter what program of study interests you, you’re sure to find something that meets your needs. The USA is particularly renowned for a large number of non-traditional options for pursuing a Master’s degree, such as part-time studies, online programs, and distance learning options. According to the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), around 15% of all graduate-level students in the US are international.

The most popular subject to study in USA for international graduate students is Engineering, Business, followed by courses relating to Physical and Earth Sciences.

Higher education in USA for Indian students usually ranges around these eminent fields:

• Biological and Life Sciences: This field studies the interaction between humans and the earth. Students explore the structure, function, behaviour, and evolution of cells, organisms, populations, and ecosystems.
• Business Studies: It is the study of Economics and Management, through which the student is equipped with the essentials to be a business professional.
• Economics and Administration: The students learn to analyse and solve problems of products and international markets in multinational and international companies.
• Energy: An Energy degree focuses on energy efficiency issues by studying ways to improve the ecosystem and reduce the load on energy.
• Engineering and Technology: Study in USA for Indian students is prominent in the said field. It prepares the student for the technologically oriented prospects of the world. The USA leads the world on the list of “Most Technological Innovations”.
• Fashion: Fashion Studies, include Designing, Marketing and Production of clothing. The USA is the centre for trends and style, with Hollywood and its celebrities setting the style statement.
• Humanities and Social Sciences: It is the field of study that broadly encompasses the anthropology of humankind occupying the disciplines of societies.
• Law: General skills include research, interpretation and explanation of complex subjects, analytical thinking and practical problem solving.
• Management: The course builds on existing communications and consumer behaviour models in order to explore many of the issues facing a modern-day manager.
• Marketing and Communication: Communication is a set of activities involved in managing and orchestrating all internal and external communications aimed at creating awareness in prospective markets.
• Natural Sciences: It is an attempt to understand how the world and universe around us works.
• Professional Studies: It is a field of study used to classify academic programs which are applied or interdisciplinary in focus. The term can also be used for non-academic training for a specific profession.
• Sport: Study in USA for this field of education concerns the business aspects of sports and recreation.
• Tourism and Hospitality: These courses cover the fundamentals of Tourism Economics, Food Service, and Legal Issues.

Career Opportunities in USA

USA is one of the strongest economies in the world. In the United States, the highest earning occupational groups are the white-collar professionals including managers, physicians, mathematicians, financial managers, software publishers, computer engineers etc.

The USA has also been on the forefront in telecoms, medicine, health care and genetics. Study in USA for Indian students includes on campus jobs as well. Students are allowed to work 20 hrs per week during semester (on-campus). On-campus jobs may include teaching assistantship or research assistantship where a student is paid on an average $8 to $10/hour.

Thus, students can approximately earn $ 500-$ 600/month or can get a waiver on their tuition fees. With this, a student who decides to study in USA can also undertake an internship in the related field which may be paid. During vacation, the student is allowed to work for 40 hours per week.

Study in USA from India after graduation, enables students to work for 1 year popularly known as OPT (Optional Practical Training). Students with certain degrees in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering Mathematics) field are allowed to work for 36 months. On completion of their OPT, students can apply for a H1 B visa (Work Permit Visa) for work.

Education Cost in USA

Tuition Fees

The USA is a humongous education hub. An increasing number of students study abroad in USA, resulting in the country having one of the highest numbers of international students. Students can pursue undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees. The USA has a unique climate, culture, history and economy. The universities in the USA are broadly classified as Public and Private.

Public Universities

These are state-affiliated institutions that are financially supported by public taxes and are usually large in size. Study in USA through Public Universities normally offers students all levels of degrees across many different fields of study. Tuitions fees are usually less compared to private institutions. Examples: Pennsylvania State University, Ohio State University, University of California, Kansas State University, University of Texas etc.

Private Institution

A private university runs without the control of any government entity. Tuition fees at private universities tend to be much higher than at public universities. Examples: Long Island University, George Washington University, New York University, Carnegie Mellon University, etc.

Conversion Rate USD 1 – Rs 71/-

Living Expenses

On an average, a student spends approximately $15000 – 18000/year to study in USA. But the expenses also depend on the place i.e., if a student stays in a metropolitan city like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc the expenses could go up to $20000 in comparison to a student studying in a suburban area where the expenses around $10000 to $12000 / year. Higher education in USA for Indian students often involves living in suburban areas, however this may add up to the student’s transportation cost. But colleges do provide transportation passes for the same. Living afar would result in more time consumption.

Accommodation

During your study in USA, accommodation is of two types i.e., a student can either stay On-Campus (Halls of Residence/Students hostel) or Off-Campus (Home stay, Apartments/Flats). Staying Off-Campus is much cheaper but it is always advisable that the student should stay on-campus for the first six months to be able to interact with classmates and also be accustomed to the environment.

Health Insurance

Insurance Policy for international students is mandatory. Insurance costs approximately between $1000-$2000/year. It is advisable that students must include insurance from an Indian Insurance Company, but make sure that it covers medical expenses, personal accidents, dental treatment, study interruption, passport loss etc. Higher education in USA for Indian students Insurance is basically cashless so a student does not need to pay money at the time of hospitalization.

Scholarships in USA

Higher education in USA for Indian students includes fee waivers which are awarded to international students on the basis of merit or need. A candidate with strong academics, impeccable performance in standardized exams & extra-curricular achievements would be eligible for financial assistance and scholarship awards. To benefit from these opportunities, one has to make sure to send all the required documents by deadlines. In addition to this, the presentation of the application package is important because one is judged by the image one projects.

Application Procedure in USA

Study in USA for Indian students can be very competitive.
Each university/department has its own admission requirements for the course of study.

Intakes

Universities in USA

have 3 intakes: Fall: August/September, Spring: January/February and Summer: April/May. The major intake is in Fall, but most of the universities are open for Spring and few of them for Summer too.
English Language Requirements
All students must have the required English language proficiency to study in USA. TOEFL score of 70-80 for Undergraduate studies and 80-90 for Postgraduate is a decentscore. IELTS score of 6.0- 6.5 for Undergraduates and 6.5-7 band for Postgraduate studies is required. Over 3000 institutions in the USA recognize the

IELTS PTE exam.
Entry Requirements + Eligibility to study in USA for Indian students

• Undergraduate: 10+2
• Graduate:16 years of education required
• Some institutions accept 3 years of degree into their Master’s program
• Strong academic background
• Good scores in entrance exams like SAT/ACT/GRE/GMAT TOEFL/IELTS/PTE
• Strong Recommendation Letters
• Statement of Purpose/Personal Statement, Essays Resume
• Certificates of achievement extra-curricular activity participation
• Sound financial background

The Application Process
Study in USA application process consists of 9 stages
1. Pre-Application Stage: This stage comprises of collection of information through education fairs, events and consultants
2. Preparations for Entrance Exams.
3. Identifying the universities.
4. Preparing the Passport.
5. Undertaking Test and Universities Selection
This step consists of 2 sub steps: –

• Test Training (GRE/GMAT/SAT/TOEFL/IELTS/PTE)

Test Training Consists of: Computer Adaptive Tests, Mock Sessions, Seeking Application Material for test registration, Actual Test Registration

• University Selection,

It consists of: Finalizing the subject, Checking the University ranking, Overall/Subject-wise ranking, Curriculum prospectus, Faculty profile, Student demography, Research demography, Research facilities at university, Funding option/cost, Infrastructure.
6. Application Documentation
In this step students have to collect and complete all the set of documents, namely: – Covering Letter, Application Fees, Application Form, Statement of Purpose, Essays, Resume, Recommendation Letters, Transcripts, Mark Sheets Certificates, Bank Certificate, Affidavit of Financial Support, Test Score Report
7. Admission Confirmations:
This includes, receiving an Unconditional Admit Letter, receiving and verifying University I-20 Form, Financial Aid/Assistantship/ Waiver letter
8. Student Visa (F-1):
For higher education in USA for Indian students, this is the stage where students are required to complete the Visa process: Submitting the I-20 Form, Verifying Passport, Resume, Paying Visa Fee, Paying SEVIS Fee, Test Score Report, Academic Documents, Affidavit, IT Returns, Supporting Documents for all Finances
9. Lastly, students have to make Pre-Departure arrangements that include Accommodation, Air Ticketing, Insurance, Airport Pickup, Forex

Education System in USA

Higher education in USA for Indian students means to be part of the world’s most flexible education system. Students can study their area of interest as specialization.

Types of Institutions to study in USA

Public Universities:

• These are state-affiliated institutions which are financially supported by public taxes and are usually large in size. Tuitions fees are usually less compared to private institutions. Examples: Ohio State University, University of California, Kansas State University, etc.

Private Institutions:

• A private university runs without the control of any government entity. Tuition fees tend to be much higher than at public universities, Examples: Long Island University, New York University, etc.

Technical Institutes:

• These are schools specializing primarily in Engineering and Science and are particularly noted for their research and graduate programs. Example: M.I.T. (The Massachusetts Institute of Technology), NYIT (New York Institute of Technology) etc.

The Ivy League:

• Members of the Ivy League are: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania. All these schools are in the North-eastern part of the USA. Tuition fees at these private schools are among the highest in the country and admission is highly competitive.

Small Liberal Arts Colleges:

• These schools focus on undergraduate study of traditional Arts and Sciences disciplines: Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences. Liberal Arts Colleges are often quite old and are usually private schools. Examples: Amherst College, Marist College, Swarthmore College, Manhattan College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, etc.

Community Colleges:

Community College is an educational institution providing higher education and lower-level tertiary education, granting Associates degrees, Certificates, Diplomas. Example: Foothill and Deanza College, College of San Mateo, etc.

Grading System

The grading system followed throughout the United States is
on a scale of 0 to 4. To convert the percentage into the GPA, a credential
evaluation needs to be done.

Types of Degrees

• • Associate Degree: It is an academic degree awarded by the Community Colleges, Junior Colleges, and Business Colleges. Usually for two years (60 credits).
  • Bachelor’s Degree: Commonly known as an undergraduate degree in India. The duration of the Bachelor’s course is 4 years (120-150 credits). Students who have completed a part of their undergraduate degree and want to study in USA can apply as a transfer student. There are two types of Bachelor’s degree: B.A or B.S(120-150 credits).
  • Masters’ Degree: The duration of Master’s courses may range from a year or two depending on the university and area of specialization (30-48 credits). The binding requisite for Masters is 16 years of education.
  • Doctorate: Commonly known as a PhD, the duration of the same may range from 3 to 5 years. Students can take admission for a PhD only after the completion of their Master’s degree.
  • Summer Program: These are study programs during the months of summer vacation. They usually last for 6 to 10 weeks depending on the school and the course of study.

USA Student Visa

Admission to a top-ranking US university takes you only half way through your dream. The remaining important half to study in USA is to obtain a study visa. Complexities and careless mistakes with lack of sufficient knowledge about the student visa formalities cause undesired delays and even refusal of a visa in some cases.

For higher education in USA for Indian students, an F1 visa is issued to international students who are attending an academic program or English Language Program at a US college or university. F1 students are expected to complete their studies by the expiration date on their I-20 form (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status) which is provided by the US College or university.

The US Embassy in India has implemented a visa processing system throughout India, providing all visa applicants with an efficient, transparent, and standardized application process which simplifies fee payment and appointment scheduling through a new website www.ustraveldocs.com/in

Where to Apply

US Visa is an Interview based visa; thus, applicants have to apply to the US embassy for their interview
Process

1. To obtain I-20 from University /
College

2. To obtain SEVIS FEE Receipt

3. To Complete DS-160 Form

4. To Pay Visa Application Fees

5. Schedule Appointment

6. Attend Appointment Scheduled

7. Passport Collection if visa is
granted

FAQ’s – Study in USA

What Is the Transfer Student Concept to study in USA?

A transfer option is to complete at least 2 years of the Bachelors / Diploma program in any country and then apply for a transfer to the University that a student wants to attend in the USA. The years waived off in your transfer status will depend on the courses covered in India and the grades for the same. It is rare that one can get an exact transfer of credits when they decide to study in USA.

Should I Apply Only to Top Ten Universities?

The acceptance ratio of the top ten universities is only 1% – 4%. Therefore, in order to improve the chances to study in USA, students should also apply to other Universities that offer good programs. Also, the entry requirements are extremely stringent for such institutions. One must always remember that ranking can be worldwide, region based and even subject based. If one is looking for a ranked university, search should be subject based.

If I have completed 15 years of Education in India. Can I get Admission for MBA directly in the USA?

Most American Universities require 16 years of education for admission into an MBA or any other graduate programs. It is therefore advisable to complete M. Com / M.A/ M.Sc. or at least one year of any Master’s Degree before taking admission in an American university. Some top ranked universities can take you with 15 years of education with 2-3 years of relevant work experience. As study in USA consultants, Edwise, has a list of those institutions that would enroll students after 15 years of education directly.

Is there Financial Assistance to study in USA for Indian Students?

Yes definitely, but getting financial assistance in the first semester is highly competitive and you need to have an extremely good academic and test score. There are a number of good cases where we have helped students secure full financial assistance. If you have an outstanding academic background and test scores, as study in USA consultants, Edwise will try its best to get you financial aid.

Can I Shift School Once I Get to the USA?

Once you are in the US, you are governed by the USCIS rule. According to this rule, you cannot change the school before completing one semester at the school. It is advisable that you make your choice carefully to avoid problems at a later date.

Can a Student Also Take IELTS instead of the TOEFL to study in USA?

Yes, higher education in USA for Indian students can also be done by taking the IELTS instead of TOEFL. 2500 universities have started accepting IELTS, these universities being the top ones.

What Is the Ideal Time to Start Applying to Universities, What Are the Different Start Dates?

If you have decided to study in USA, you should commence your process one year in advance. This specifically would be an advantage to those looking for scholarships. Most commonly available start dates are in theFall Session (August / September) and the Spring session (January / February).

Can I Work While Studying in the USA?

Students are allowed to work 20 hours a week on-campus during the term and full-time during the vacation period.