Jagdish's Page for International Education

Thank You Visitors

2008-01-02T09:48:00.000+05:30

Take A Bow

Hello to all the visitors of Jagdish’s Page! A new year is about to begin but, before we proceed we want to thank our family; the family of ‘Jagdish’s Page’ which includes everyone who joined or contributed to this seminal initiative. We are overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response. 14th December 2006 “A Comprehensive Review of Foreign Exams” was Released Worldwide and since then we had 7000 readers (Asia territory only) of the book and 8300 unique, documented visitors on this website, WOW! (We never annoyed you with a POP UP ). We do not consider you as mere hits or numbers, together even if we had the minutest of positive effects; it is a triumph, and a part of the foundation on which other powerful initiatives can continue to build.

Actual Visits Estimate >15000 [8300 Documented Internet Explorer Visits + 6100 Hidden Firefox Visits + Hidden Miscellaneous Browser Visits] Courtesy- Clustrmaps

We're updating the website with a fresh new look, and more interactivity for all of you! Without letting the cat completely out of the bag, we can assure you that in the near future you will see instant posting and viewing of viewer comments. You'll be able to post your thoughts instantly, and view them alongside others' as well. The next thing we're putting up is real-time polls - enabling you to participate in answering questions and forums for discussion with an answer to your questions in 72 hours by experts in the field study abroad, immigration , test preparation etc, (as you anticipated as you demanded, this past year).

Have a great season ahead.

Jagdish's Page
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Jagdish's Page for International Education is a non-profit, non-partisan webpage for educational purpose only. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or party affiliation. Jagdish's Page does not lobby or support, endorse or oppose Political candidates for any Governmental or Non-Governmental position.

Parts of Speech

2007-09-29T23:03:00.000+05:30

GMAT as an Indicator of Success in Business School

2007-09-29T12:47:00.000+05:30

GMAT Videos

2007-09-27T12:26:00.000+05:30

GMAT VIDEO - 0

GMAT VIDEO - 1

GMAT VIDEO - 2

GMAT VIDEO - 3

GMAT VIDEO - 4

GMAT VIDEO - 5

GMAT VIDEO - 7

GMAT VIDEO - 8

Critical Reasoning

2007-09-20T07:45:00.000+05:30

Problems with modifiers

2007-09-18T10:07:00.000+05:30

Sentence Correction

2007-09-15T12:42:00.000+05:30

Permutations and combinations

2007-09-09T10:09:00.000+05:30

Why Take the SAT

2007-08-26T10:22:00.001+05:30

Every year, roughly two million US students and hundreds of thousands worldwide take the SAT. Most of these students are college-bound, and virtually every college in the US accepts the SAT as a form of entrance exam. Many of those colleges actually require the SAT for admission. Other students take the SAT because they are obliged to by school, county (parish), or state standards. Hence, we know the obvious reasons why students take the SAT. However, here are five uncommon reasons that you should take the SAT (and take it seriously!)

1. It Keeps Showing Up!
Believe it or not, there is life beyond college. Once you graduate, you will be expected to get a job and provide for yourself (and potentially for your family). In applying for a job, you will probably note aspects of your education, work experience, and background. You may even list professional certifications or industry expertise. What many applicants are finding now, however, is that the better employers these days are asking for your SAT scores in your job application! We're not saying this to scare you or to apply more pressure to you, but it is true. Since SAT scores measure your ability to reason, many employers are interested in how you performed on the SAT - after all, a good employee is one who can figure things out for himself, or reason. The SAT is also a good measure of your intelligence and perhaps your work ethic as a younger person. Therefore, you should take the SAT not only to enter college, but to enter the workplace.

2. Money Does Not Grow on Trees
Every year, we hear about two different types of college-bound students. One applies to his state school, gets accepted, and attends. His parents worry about paying for college, he has less discretionary spending money, and he has to take out a loan. The other applies to his state school, gets accept, and also attends. However, his parents are vacationing and have more money to give him for smoothies and snacks. What is the difference between these two students?

It could very well be SAT score. Virtually all scholarships require you to report your SAT score in order to apply, and some of them even specify score cutoffs. You will be unlikely to receive a great scholarship with mediocre scores, but putting in the extra effort can really pay off in a tangible and rewarding way.

3. Sticking With the Best
Even if you are accepted to the college of your choice, you will have to be sorted out to different levels of classes. If you excel on the SAT, you will likely be able to skip the introductory math class or writing skills class that everyone who slacked off now has to take. You may even be considered for placement into a higher-level class. he point is simple: if you want to repeat what you've already learned in high school, do a poor job on the test. If you want to excel in college, excel on the SAT.

4. It's Easier than the ACT!
No, really! Here are a few points about the ACT that make it a more challenging test:

Grammar section includes comma usage, convention questions
Math section includes trig and pre-calculus
More questions over a shorter period of time
Passages based at a higher reading level
Scoring less flexible (only 36 different ACT scores while there are 180 different cumulative SAT scores)
Arguably tougher curve
5. Why Not the Best?
Let's say you've had a spotty high school career. Maybe you've slacked off through some of the more mundane course offerings, or maybe you've had a tough time in that AP Biology class. Taking the SAT and scoring high is a great way to demonstrate your strengths to others, especially college admissions boards. There are countless stories of C-students who earn a near-perfect score on the SAT, and there are countless numbers of A-students who bomb the test. Don't take a chance! Do well on the SAT and it will reflect well on you.

Myths about SAT

2007-08-26T10:22:00.000+05:30

Because the SAT is such a prevalent test, there are a number of misconceptions about the test or testing format. These myths about the SAT can be more than misleading to the test taker - they can negatively impact his score or his chances of college admission. Listed below are the top ten misconceptions about the SAT (not in any order):

1. In general, it's better not to guess on a question
Actually, this is partially true. If you are totally stumped on a question and cannot even eliminate a single answer choice, then yes, you should omit the question. However, if you can eliminate even one choice, it is statistically to your advantage to guess among the four choices on that question. The College Board applies a "guessing penalty" of one-quarter of a question per missed question and does not penalize for omitted questions, so guess accordingly.

2. The length of the essay is irrelevant
Even though the College Board will tell you that the length of an essay is not related to its score, studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between essay length and higher scores. Therefore, it is always better to write an essay that is lengthier and incorporates more details, examples, and experiences. However, you should not fill an essay with "fluff" - such mundane, wasted words only annoy the graders.

3. The best time to take the SAT is on (so-and-so) testing date
We've heard this one time and time again. Many students feel that the curve is easier on the June and September testing dates because more students who performed poorly on the first test are retaking, or because fewer students overall are taking the test. Neither of these claims is necessarily true, and there is virtually no link between difficulty of the curve and testing date. Test after you have studied, and base your decision only on your own abilities.

4. You can guess which section is the "experimental" one
Simply put, there is really no way to determine the "experimental" section. It could be writing, math, or reading. It could feature easier or tougher questions. You should not work "less hard" on a section because you think it is the experimental section

5. Since the Writing section is new, it doesn't matter/It's harder
The Writing section has a lower mean score because it is newer, but most prepared students actually find the Writing section easier than the Reading section. In fact, students who have taken test preparation courses experience the highest score increase in Writing. Along those same lines, even though the section is new, you cannot dismiss it. Colleges may claim not to look at it, but it's right there next to your other two scores on the score report. Don't take your chances - do well!

6. Re-Testing "looks bad"
Total nonsense. Almost all colleges do not consider a student who re-tests any worse than the student who does not, and most students re-test. Why? Re-testing usually marks a very medicore increase in score because the SAT is designed to test intelligence, not knowledge. Students do not typically become "more intelligent" between testing periods. However, some students experience great success after preparing for the exam. In general, if you are not happy with your score, re-testing is a great option.

7. You should use your calculator to solve most math problems
The students who receive 800's on the math section are typically not the ones who are calculator whizzes - they are simply better-prepared for the exam. Using a graphing calculator to solve simple math problems may seem like a great solution to your math issues, but in the end you will only be shorting yourself. Calculators require time and effort and are prone to input errors. While practicing for the math section, do as much as you can without a calculator.

8. The SAT doesn't really matter anyway/doesn't test intelligence
We can debate the merits of the SAT all day, but at the end of the day, it is the standard for college entrance. Just as you should not become infatuated with SAT preparation, you should not blow off the SAT. Your personal opinion is not that of the college you will be applying to.

9. A bad score may be due to a bad day
Unless you were sleep-deprived during a particular day, it is unlikely that re-testing alone will boost your score. Many people attribute low scores to "having a bad day," but research shows that this is generally not the source of the low score. If you get a bad score, take it as such - don't blame your mood or the way you felt - and find out how you can improve.

Hall of Fame- India's First Book to enter the ETS Library

2007-07-26T12:00:00.000+05:30

ETS is the official body which conducts GRE and TOEFL---

Kentucky’s Speaker of The House Jody Richards opens 7,000th copy of Jagdish's book.

2007-07-26T11:54:00.000+05:30

WKU graduate Jagdish Khubchandani’s book “A comprehensive review of foreign exams- GRE GMAT TOEFL IELTS SAT” has reached a milestone.The 442-page book, published by PeePee Publishers in India, was released worldwide Dec. 14, 2006 and had sold 6,993 copies in the Asia territory for the first quarter of the year 2007.

Read Full News....

India's Leading Hindi Newspaper Covers Jagdish's Book

2007-07-26T10:54:00.000+05:30

Dainik Bhaskar

Rajasthan Patrika

Review of Jagdish's Book

2007-07-20T05:28:00.000+05:30

Economic Times, a publication of Times of India Group writes-

"RxPGonline, a website to guide post graduate medical students has become the most comprehensive resource globally for doctors and medical students who wish to study and work in countries like UK, US, NewZealand and Australia" -

RxPGonline reviews Jagdish's Book "A Comprehensive Review of Foreign Exams"

Review -

'The author's tone is not a very formal one and it touches you every now and then by the use of words like friends, folks and buddies. In one preparation tip the author writes " Give a big hug to your mom a night before the exam and promise her that you will do it" . This kind of writing may be considered insincere but the author makes the whole ride easy and the whole tribulation of standardized exams ; a fun filled affair '...... Read the full review

eNews About Jagdish

2007-07-06T12:16:00.000+05:30

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Jagdish's Book Releases In USA

2007-07-02T10:51:00.000+05:30

See Video

Foreword To Jagdish's Book

2007-07-01T13:10:00.000+05:30

In life, words and deeds matter very much. In academia, words and deeds matter exclusively. American colleges and universities want to know that they are accepting and graduating the brightest, the most intelligent and the most articulate our society has to offer. I say "our society" because that term is undergoing a rapid re-conceptualization. As nation economies continue to integrate globally, businesses too, want to hire the best and brightest the workforce has to offer. In a global market, who is a member of your society not only means who is living in your immediate surroundings, but also this now includes those in your company peer networks as well as those in your personal Internet circles.

English has become, by and large, the medium of exchange in this era of globalization. Consequently, thousands of international students flock to English speaking countries every year in order to enhance their overall English abilities, to improve their educational opportunities, and, most importantly, to ensure a greater maximization of their economic potential. International students who worked hard to improve their English and obtained degrees at universities and colleges in the United States, Great Britain, Canada and Australia will tell you that they are not just "workers", but that they are valuable commodities. They are the movers and shakers, the translators and thinkers propelling their companies forward. Let's face it, employees proficient in English are more empowered and feel that they have a more confident leg to stand on. But to get to such a level, international students had to and still have to overcome many seemingly insurmountable obstacles. In America, international students might see the GRE, GMAT, TOEFL or IELTS exams as barriers to success. But in all reality, with the right kind of preparation, they are merely the first steps to success.

After reviewing an early draft of Mr. Jagdish Khubchandani's comprehensive book on foreign exams, I can heartily recommend students to get a copy. The content is much more substantial than its competitors in that it offers a wide array of information and advice normally not found in American texts. The advice ranges from such diverse and essential topics as how to get a VISA to how to begin thinking in English. It is my understanding that Mr. Khubchandani is the first Indian author to undertake such an academic endeavor. He is an Indian author who clearly understands the intricacies of his Indian audience. So, if you are planning to study overseas, the best thing you can do for yourself and your future is to be prepared. With Mr. Khubchandani's book and a firm commitment to studying, you will have the tools needed to ensure your success at an English speaking institution or university.

Werner E. Zoglauer,

Ex-Assistant Director, English as a Second Language International
Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY - M.A. History
Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL - B.A. Political Science
College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL - Associates Degree in Liberal Arts,
Associates Degree in Applied Science (Criminal Justice)

Jagdish's Page for International Education is a non-profit, non-partisan webpage for educational purpose only. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or party affiliation. Jagdish's Page does not lobby or support, endorse or oppose Political candidates for any Governmental or Non-Governmental position.

Preface of Jagdish's Book

2007-07-01T10:11:00.000+05:30

We live in an era of globalization. Our students have an insatiable appetite for knowledge, which helps them reach beyond the theoretical purview of any subject. For some mortals “lack of enough seats”, non-availability of certain disciplines, "social prestige", "foreign-is-better-than-Local-attitude", “Local universities suck”, “local-degrees-wont get-you-anywhere” etc. are the usual reasons to study abroad. But for me getting education in India and to be a part of the Indian education system has been an honor. Simultaneously, I believe there is no harm in getting education abroad as we need to learn from other cultures also, in order to give the Indian education system; a better tomorrow. In search of extra exposure and better quality of education we have teeming millions who want to be a part of the alien literati and no doubt the glitterati too.

Unfortunately, for most of them who plan to study abroad, the goal ends up in a pipe dream. In this context, I am pleased to write a book. This endeavor of mine will attempt to take exceptions to the views of students who find it extremely hard to pursue their dreams of earning a degree from a foreign university. It is an honest and sincere attempt to deal with the most common myths and notions regarding GRE/TOEFL/IELTS/GMAT. I would like to thank Mr. Pawaninder. P. Vij for providing me this opportunity to share some of the most elaborate reviews of foreign exams. Mr.Vij’s rationale for encouraging me has been his conviction; that a person who has attempted all these exams and cleared them with decent scores can write a more appropriate book .My journey which started from preparation of these exams is not yet complete. After getting a scholarship I feel I have climbed a few rungs in my quest for success. I hope after reading this book many more students reach this landmark and zoom ahead.

I would like to thank the entire publishing team for documenting my views in an absolutely flawless manner. I dedicate this effort to God Almighty, the silent listener to every conversation and the unseen guest at every meal. I would like to thank my father Dr.Nihal Khubchandani & my colleague Dr.Saumya Shankar Chowdhury for assisting me tirelessly and for being a constant source of strength. I would be pleased to share a word with anybody who has suggestions or a query regarding this book. As commonly said Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work ; so enjoy every phase of your preparation and have a great journey………….

Fondly,

Jagdish N.K.S

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2007-07-01T01:44:00.000+05:30

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Favorite Application Essay

2007-04-12T22:36:00.000+05:30

Combinations and Permutations- GMAT/ GRE Video

2007-04-06T12:40:00.000+05:30

Referencing Donald Trump for Admission to a Business School

2007-04-05T12:37:00.000+05:30

B schooltalk - Best Applicant Attributes

2007-04-02T12:00:00.000+05:30

TOEFL Conversation Sample

2007-03-27T03:06:00.000+05:30

TOEFL Speaking Sample- Guys You Have to be Casual

2007-03-26T03:04:00.001+05:30

How to Improve Your English Level

2007-03-18T03:17:00.000+05:30

TOEFL Speaking Sample- Poor Expression and lack of Clarity

2007-03-09T03:02:00.000+05:30

TOEFL Video

2007-03-06T02:59:00.000+05:30

English Lessons by- Thinkglish

2007-03-03T05:10:00.000+05:30

Learning English with Mr.Duncan

2007-03-01T05:03:00.000+05:30

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Sample argument analysis

2007-01-31T15:30:00.000+05:30

The following appeared in an advertisement for United Motors trucks:

"Last year the local television-news program In Focus reported in its annual car-and-truck safety survey that over the course of the last ten years United Motors vehicles were involved in at least thirty percent fewer fatal accidents to drivers than vehicles built by any other single manufacturer. Now United is developing a one-of-a-kind computerized crash warning system for all its trucks. Clearly, anyone concerned with safety who is in the market for a new truck this year should buy a United Motors truck."

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.

Essay No. 1

(composed under a 30-minute time limit)

Score (on the 0-6 scale): 6

First I turn to the statistic given in the ad. The "30%" statistic does not differentiate trucks from cars. We are asked to assume that this safety statustic is accurate even for trucks alone - in other words, 30% fewer United Motors trucks (not just vehicles generally) have been involved in fatal accidents than other trucks. It is also presumed that the 10-year record for safety applies to the company's new line of trucks. But is this necessarily so? The ad offers no proof or evidence to back up this implicit claim. An astute consumer would require more information about the safety of United trucks (not cars) compared to other trucks manufactured during the most recent year or two. (However, there might not be enough data yet about this year's models.) Finally, the statistic cannot be relied upon as accurate unless we know that the survey was fair and objective. (What if United motors is a sponsor of In Focus? Could we trust the truthfulness of accuracy of the statistics? No!)

These are not the only reasons why the statistic in the ad does not give us enough evidence to support the argument that new United trucks are safer than other new trucks. The statistic really says nothing explicit about why this is the case. Is it because United trucks are safer? Or becase United truck drivers are better drivers? Or because of some other reason? Once the company can prove that the safety of its trucks is the reason why they are in fewer accidents, then the statistic becomes valid to the intelligent consumer deciding bewteen a United truck and another brand.

Besides the assumptions about the statistic in the ad, another assumption involves second part of the ad - about the new crash warning system United is developing for its trucks. Presumably the new system will not be available for a while because it is still being developed. However, the ad tries to convince us to buy a new United truck now based on this evidence, which is illogical. Once United's trucks have the system and it can be proven that the system adds to the safety of the driver and other occupants, then I might be swayed toward purchasing a United truck as opposed to another brand on the basis of the safety factor. But not until then.

In sum, in light of all of the assumptions listed above needed for the argument to "have teeth" but missing from the ad, no consumer should buy a United truck based soley on this ad's false appeal to safety. Consumers should not be hoodwinked by an advertisement like this one that leaves out important information about how an impressive statistic is arrived at, or that attempts to entice the consumer based on impressive but unproven R&D (especiaaly when today's United Motors truck buyers are the ones who actually paying for the R&D but don't receive the benefits from it.)

Commentary on Essay No. 1 (Score: 6)

This outstanding essay exhibits very strong analytical and organizational skills, as well as a firm grasp of language, grammar and syntax. Ultimately it is the essay's incisive, comprehensive and well-organized analysis—not its mechanical aspects (grammar, syntax, diction)—that places it squarely in the highest score category.

The essay commences with an introductory paragraph that is rhetorically effective, then proceeds to identify nearly all of the major problems with the argument, in a logical sequence, each point connected with the next by helpful transitions. In the three middle paragraphs the writer challenges the following assumptions underlying the argument:

that the statistical datum is an accurate gauge of the comparative safety level of United Motors trucks (rather than vehicles generally)
that the statistical datum—which involves prior years—is an accurate reflection of current conditions
that the survey results are unbiased
that the past fatal-accident record of United Motors trucks is due to the truck's safety feature (rather than to some other factor)
that the new crash-warning system is included in current United Motors trucks and serves its intended purpose

The only major flaw in the argument that this essay neglects to identify and discuss is that the statistic fails to account for non-fatal accidents. However, this single oversight is far outweighed by what is otherwise a comprehensive critique.

The final paragraph serves as a stylistic and rhetorically-effective recap. (However, the essay's closing parenthetical remark about R&D is unnecessary and appears to be an afterthought.)

Admittedly, the essay does suffer from various problems in grammar and expression. These problems vary widely:

improper idiom ("differentiate trucks from cars")
several instances of redundancy ("The ad offers no proof or evidence," "reasons why" and "because of some other reason")
faulty parallelism ("deciding between a United truck and another brand" and "safety of United trucks ... compared to other trucks")
loose syntax ("in light of all of the assumptions listed above needed for the argument to "have teeth" but missing from the ad...").

However, these flaws are neither major nor frequent enough to warrant lowering the essay's score to a 5. A GRE or GMAT reader would overlook this essay's occasional word omissions and other typos, since they are infrequent and do not interfere with the writer's communication.

Essay No. 2

(composed under a 30-minute time limit)

Score (on the 0-6 scale): 5

United Motors ad is questionable because the only information they provide regarding the safety of their trucks is based on insufficient past and future evidence. The safety survey they mention was reported by In Focus a year ago and was conducted over a period of ten years. This information does not support the safety aspects of this year's United Motors trucks. United Motors mentions that their vehicles were involved in at least thirty percent few fatal accidents to drivers than vehicles built by any other single manufacturer. However, they fail to mention the fatal accidents to passengers and any statistics for non-fatal automotive accidents involving their brand vehicle.

In their ad, the company describes the one-of-a-kind computerized crash warning system they are developing for all of their trucks. However, this new technology is not currently installed in this year's model, so this is not a valid persuasion for a consumer to buy a United Motors truck this year. Consumers would be more likely to buy a future model that included this computerized crash warning feature. In addition, a crash warning system does not make United Motor's vehicles safer. It simply warns the driver that they are about to crash, which most likely would be apparent to the driver without the computerized system in the first place.

However, the United Motor's advertisement does use some manipulative language that could persuade the unquestioning consumer. In their pitch, they use statistics and a safety-survey to convince the consumer. United Motors also mentions that the survey was reported by a local television- news program, and many people believe what they see or read in the news. The automotive manufacturer also states that it is "clear" that this year's car buyers should purchase a United Motors truck. However, despite the effectiveness this advertisement may have on some car buyers, analytically United Motors ad is weak and unconvincing.

Commentary on Essay No. 2 (Score: 5)

This strong response demonstrates solid analytical and organizational abilities, as well as a solid control of language, grammar and syntax.

In Paragraphs 2 and 3 the writer identifies the following problematic aspects of the argument:

that the statistics do not necessarily indicate current safety levels
that the statistics fail to account for non-fatal accidents
that the new crash-warning system is not included in current United Motors trucks
that the new crash-warning system might not actually enhance safety

The writer's critique of each but the last aspect (which critique is weak and unpersuasive) is adequate. However, the writer neglects to identify any of three additional, and important, potential problems with the argument:

that the survey encompassed cars as well as trucks, possibly undermining the statistic's relevance
that the argument provides no evidence that the survey sample was of sufficient size and representativeness to provide a reliable indication of United Motors vehicles' comparative safety record
that the stellar past safety record of United Motors trucks might be due to some factor other than their safety

These omissions contribute significantly to keeping this essay out of the 6 category. Also contributing to this essay's sub-optimal score is the essay's final paragraph, which is not a critique of the argument itself (either its line of reasoning, use of evidence, or internal logic), but rather little more than a claim about consumer gullibility.

The essay contains a scant few diction problems ("not a valid persuasion" and "despite the effectiveness this advertisement may have..."). The essay's otherwise clear expression and complete absence of grammatical, syntax, language, spelling or punctuation errors help distinguish it from lower-scoring essays.

Essay No. 3

(composed under a 30-minute time limit)

Score (on the 0-6 scale): 4

1) the survey only covered fatal accidents. It should also cover nonfatal accidents which also help to prove the safety of one type of truck vs. other trucks.

2) Vehicles include more than trucks. They also includes cars. THerefore, the survey is only vaild to help prove the company's argumnet for trucks, and therefore is not very convincing on this basis.

3) In Focus could be paid by United Motors to conduct a survey in a wya that shows what the company wants consumers to see to help sell their trucks. We cannot trust the numbers. If its a show like 60 Minutes then maybe the survey would be beliveable. We need more information about this to evaluate the argument.

The second exibit is the crash warning system, which is in current development. This fact is also not convincing to prove the argument. There are two questionable assumptions that underlie this evidence:

1) The system is installed on the trucks available now from truck dealers. (If not, then the conclusion that "anyone in the market for a new truck THIS YEAR should buy a United track" is invalid. A future feature is irrelevant for consumers this year.

2) We are asked to assume that the warning system will perform its purpose - namely, to help prevent accidents. (The argument contains no evidence to support this assumption.)

In conclusion, the evidence might persuade some consumers to to buy a truck from United because the evidence sounds convincing, like many advertsiements. However, upon further analysis the questionable assumptions need to be proven before a more skeptical consumer could accept the argument and justify buying a United truck on the basis of safety. The argument would be strengthened by pointing out other features that make United trucks better than other trucks (price, comfort, cargo space, reliability, etc). The argument would be more logically sound if IN Foucs provided more facts to help prove the assumptions listed in this essay: the crash warning system is available this year and makes United trucks even safer than before.

Commentary on Essay No. 3 (Score: 4)

This essay exhibits better-than-average organizational skills but mere adequacy in developing an analytical critique and in overall written expression.

The essay shows that the writer recognizes most problematic aspects of the argument — specifically:

that the survey failed to account for non-fatal accidents
that the survey encompassed cars as well as trucks, possibly undermining the survey's relevance
that the survey is potentially biased
that the new crash-warning system might not be included in current United Motors trucks
that the new crash-warning system is not shown to actually enhance safety

When it comes to developing each point of critique, however, the essay is not especially effective. (The writer's second numbered point of critique is particularly inarticulate.) Although the essay fails to identify certain other problems with the argument (see my foregoing commentary on the higher-scoring essays), these omissions do not contribute significantly to keeping this essay out of a higher score category (5 or 6).

The essay's final paragraph is a merely adequate attempt to recapitulate the essay's salient points. More importantly, the additional types of evidence listed in this paragraph as means of strengthening the argument are in fact irrelevant to it. This problem leaves the reader with a distinctively negative impression of the writer's analytical ability, and contributes to keeping the essay out of the 5 category.

The essay is well organized — into a two-prong analysis with enumerated points of critique under each prong. (The writer's enumeration of these points is a useful device but does not in itself serve to enhance the essay's score.) The essay's clear structure helps significantly to keep this essay out of a lower score category.

The essay demonstrates adequate control of language, grammar, and other aspects of written expression. Nevertheless, the essay suffers from numerous problems in these areas, ranging from awkward strings of prepositional phrases (e.g., "...in this argument in evidence of the conclusion" and "what the company wants consumers to see to help sell their trucks") to vague and unclear pronoun references (e.g., "The second exhibit is the crash warning system, which is in current development. This fact..." and "We cannot trust the numbers. If its a show like 60 Minutes") to questionable parallelism ("to base the given conclusion on this stitistic is faulty reasoning"). Such problems are frequent and bothersome enough to help keep this essay out of a higher score category. Spelling and punctuation problems, although frequent, do not interfere with meaning and hence do not adversely impact the essay's score.

Essay No. 4

(composed under a 30-minute time limit)

Score (on the 0-6 scale): 3

On rereading the advertisement I can conclude that the cars AND trucks were under consideration and that the trucks definitely did not get a clean bill of health compared to the cars hence they are trying to develop a computerised system to warn the driver in advance of the crashes their trucks seem to be prone to.Till they work out a way to make them less prone to accidents and not just warn me of the accident Iam headed towards , as a buyer I'd just focus on the cars.

It is true that fatal-crash-statistics incline buyers towards the manufacturer but to cement the deal I think the manufacturer needs to focus on their R&D contribution towards making their cars safer than the competitors.How are the United Motors'cars safer ? By what means provided by them are the fatalities reduced? Is it extra air bags? Is it the design? Could it be all time on headlights? The advertiser should be careful to not presume that the buyer has seen the TV programme and is already aware of all this.This is an advertisement where United Motors should focus on reiterating the facts which make their vehicles on sale NOW a safer bet for the discriminating buyer.

Commentary on Essay No. 4 (Score: 3)

This limited essay provides some reasoned analysis of the argument but suffers from bothersome problems with the presentation and development of its critique as well as with grammar, syntax and diction.

The essay identifies four questionable assumptions underlying the argument:

that a past safety record provides a reliable indication of a current one
that a future development is relevant to the truck's current safety level
that a statistic about all vehicles (cars and trucks) applies as well to trucks only
that the crash-warning system currently under development will be effective in enhancing safety

However, none of the points of critique is stated articulately, and none is fully developed. Also, the essay's conclusion (in Paragraph 2) about United Motors' truck safety record is unjustified. Moreover, the essay fails to identify certain other key problems with the argument. (See my foregoing commentary on the higher-scoring essays.)

The essay is not well organized; the ideas do not flow logically and naturally from one point to the next. Also, the essay demonstrates less-than-adequate control of expression. Such problems are frequent, ranging from misplaced modifying phrases ("As a prospective buyer this advertisement") to awkward or inappropriate idioms ("jumps to talking about," "a clean bill of health" and "cement the deal") to loose and confusing syntax (Paragraph 2's first sentence). These and other problems of expression contribute to keeping this essay out of the 4 category. Frequent punctuation problems interfere somewhat with meaning and hence further contribute to a score that is lower than it otherwise might be.

Argument sample

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"The profits from Reflex Health Club’s expansion into the new sport of tagball have not met projected expectations. Although Reflex has stocked an extensive array of tagball equipment and provided a state-of-the-art tagball court, equipment sales have been sluggish. The new tagball court is seeing extensive and steady customer traffic, but it is used mainly by veteran tagball players who have already made the extensive initial equipment outlay(apparently purchasing mainly from mail order discounters)who have no further interest in or need for purchasing additional gear other than occasional small-ticket replacements for worn parts. Charging a fee for use of the court is not feasible, since tagball players would just relocate to the public courts downtown. Therefore, Reflex Health Club will show better profit results overall by closing the tagball court, disposing of remaining stock, and instead doubling the existing space and equipment stock for the steadily profitable sport of racquetball."

Sample Analysis

The idea that a business should divest itself of slow-moving product lines and invest in more consistently demanded products initially seems like common sense. However, a deeper analysis of the issue suggests unsupported assumptions are made and that many other factors have to be taken into account before such a decision can be characterized as more profitable overall.

The argument above claims a simple relationship between tagball and profitability: sales of equipment equals profit, and the lack of sales means that business resources should be directed elsewhere. This one-dimensional approach ignores the long-term possibilities of building and sustaining a client base. A steady stream of veteran players using the facilities at Reflex now means more exposure for the club in general, and the possibility of considerable free word-of-mouth advertising. Veteran players may recruit and bring in new players (especially if the club provides incentives) who might then invest in the more expensive starter equipment. Finally, veteran players might take an interest in the club’s other activities because of their presence here, thus leading to more spending on fees and equipment for the club’s other lines of products and services.

The argument’s second contention, that charging a court fee would drive players away, is an unfounded assumption with no supporting evidence. Additional information might show that players prefer Reflex Health Club for other reasons—such as location, community, or the superior quality of the tagball court—and would therefore be willing to pay a fee to play there. A fee that included other incentives such as equipment discounts or trial use of the club’s other facilities, might expand and extend business even further.

Finally, the argument that tagball space and resources would be better devoted to racquetball is another unexamined assumption. Racquetball might exhibit the same pattern of high initial costs followed by slow, but steady spending, so it doesn’t follow that increasing stock and space would produce more profit than similar income related to tagball. Furthermore, additional information might show that racquetball players aren’t exceeding the capacity of the existing facilities, and so expanded court space might go unused and not provide any additional income. The argument does not explore the possibility that tagball’s potential for growth and expansion exceeds the growth potential of racquetball in the long run.

The argument to increase the racquetball facilities would be strengthened by evidence to show both that there’s a demand for additional racquetball space, and that sources of income such as court fees make racquetball more profitable overall in the long term than tagball. The argument to keep tagball would be strengthened by evidence that additional fees, new player recruitment, and increased business in general due to tagball player traffic would net greater business benefits than the switch to racquetball.

A company has announced that it wishes to build a large factory near your community.

2007-01-05T14:08:00.000+05:30

... Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this new influence on your community. Do you support or oppose the factory? Explain your position.

Score 4.0

As a freshly graduated chemist,I am seeking for a suitable job,it will be great to have a good job in my home town.However,in my opinion,I think that this factory establishment will harm more than it benefits.So I object this wish of this company.The advantages and dis advantages are listed to indicate why I thought in this way although it may oppose my personal affairs.

Building a factory have many benefits such as,increasing job opportunities for the residents of the city.For me,it will be great because I may have a good job and it will be close to my house so I wouldnot suffer from the transportation problems.In addition,this factory will make its products to be more convenient and cheaper for the residents of the town.And finally,it will help the national economy to be refreshed and its products may be sold in the foreign countries so it provides the country with the foreign currencies.

On the other hand,the building of a big factory inside a populatory place is outweighed with many risks.this factory will pollute our natural air and our clean water.In addition,it will rush the population arround it.So,this water and gas wastes of this factory will affect the environment and the people's health badly which show the great risk of establishment of this factory.Besides,this factory establishment will affect the population of my town greatly because it will be surely accompanied by the high increase in the number of people in my city.And therefore,new houses and stores will be needed.This fast growth will affect my town badly because it is unplanned and it will cause the percentage of randomness to increase.

In conclusion,building a big factory is economically beneficial but environmentally harmful.So I can safely oppose the wish of this company to build a big factory in my home town with all my neighbours.Not for few benefits,we have to take all these risks.

Score5.0

A company has announced that it wishes to build a large factory near our community. To be frank, I have mixed emotions about this.

Obviously, there are some advantages having such a factory nearby. For example, it can provides more job opportunities and many people may work in the factory. What is more, it also gives a good chance for the development of other business in our community such as shops, theatres and restaurants. Furthermore, the products the factory manufactures will improve our quality of living.

On the other hand, there are some disadvantages building a factory here. First, it will disturb the quiescence of our community. Once the factory is set up, a lot of people will rush into our community to work, and the road will get crowded. To transfer the raw materials the factory needs, there will be many trucks coming and going through the streets, and the noise will disturb residents and it is unsafe for our children who always play freely in the streets before.

Second, the factory will produce many waste products each day, and there will be much waste water coming out from the factory and it will pollute our rivers. We do not want to have to see hundreds and thousands tons of waste piled near our houses, and we do not want to see our nearby rivers turning into black dishes either. After weighing the advantages and disadvantages, I decide to oppose to set up such a factory near our community because we need quiet surrounding, blue sky and clean rivers.

Score 5.0

Weather it is beneficial to build a large factory near our community is a prevalent topic undergoing serious debate. Two different opinions obviously exist to support and to oppose. After pondering the opinions from several aspects, personally, I agree with the idea that it is beneficial to build a large factory near our community.

By comparing the advantage and disadvantage they will get, people judge which role they should hold. In my opinion, the advantage in this case is superior than the disadvantage. we can see it below. The main reason for my propensity for the choice is that the factory will supply lots of employment opportunities for society, especially the people of the community nearby. The unemployment will decrease and the people’s standard of living will increase in some degree. so, no doubt, people will accept the factory willingly and rapidly.

Another reason why I prefer to the statement lies in the fact that with the developing of the factory, many other establishments will be founded around it. These establishments will make the lives of the people of the community more convenient. For example, drugstores, restaurants, even hospital, new bus stop will be built up. People here will enjoy the convenience the factory brings. It is undeniable that the factory will bring some problems, such as the noise, air pollution. Whatever, these disadvantage will be limited into a low level so that they can not contaminate the environment of the community.

From what has been discussed above, we can safely draw the conclusion that it is beneficial to build a large factory near our community.

What happens After I get a VISA

2006-12-25T11:35:00.000+05:30

Read This Report

What Happens After you get a Student VISA? Jagdish's Page
brings you an exclusive post visa strategy report compiled in
order to guide you. This report ensures that you reach safe and
well prepared.

USA Student Visa

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In order to apply for a student visa for USA, the university must have accepted the application and sent the appropriate documents. For example, the F-1 student visa requires the I-20 form, the J-1 student visa requires the DS-2019 form, and the M-1 student visa requires the I-20M-N form. Students should always double-check the documents that they receive and immediately notify the university if they find an error. Following is a list of items to which students should pay particular attention:

Check the spelling of names. When applying to the university, always write the name in capital letters to avoid the misinterpretation.

Check the date of birth. U.S. universities follow the MM/DD/YYYY format.

Check the program of study and the start of term date. If the student is not able to report on the specified date, then he or she should contact the university and defer the application until the next semester.

Click to read Excerpts from the Visa Counseling session held at the American Center, New Delhi, India

Documents Required for Student Visa

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Following are the main documents that are required for Student visa of USA.

Students may have multiple I-20 forms from multiple universities, but they may only apply for a visa for one university.
Students must have the original report sheet of all strategic tests taken, such as the GRE, GMAT, or TOEFL.
Students must have completed the course of study required for entering the program.
Students must have financial documents to support the proof of sufficient and easily transferable funds to cover the cost of living and tuition fees. It is advisable to show at least twice the amount of one-year expenses as liquid cash, as well as showing the funds in both local currency and U.S. dollars. Financial support can be directly from a student's savings, from parents or a sponsor, or from a loan. If the student gets the support from a sponsor there must be legitimate reason for the support. If full or partial support is from a loan, there must be a justification with a reasonable time frame for repaying the loan. While the government or an employer is a credible sponsor, the university is not. Student funds may not be available until after the student has completed his or her studies.
Students must have an affidavit of support from parents or a sponsor, guaranteeing support during the entire period of study.
Most importantly of all, students must have supporting documents that guarantee their intent to leave the U.S. and return to their home country after completing their studies.

Other Documents Required

$100 non-refundable visa application fee
$77 non-immigrant visa issuance fee
Completed and signed DS-156 form
Completed and signed DS-157 form for supplemental non-immigrant visa applications (only for males ages 16-45)
Completed and signed DS-158 form with contact information and work history
One front-facing photograph, size 37 mm x 37 mm, and less than six-months-old
Cover letter explaining any special circumstances that should be considered

Dependents Visa

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Dependents Visa

The dependent visa is a non-immigrant dependent visa for dependents of F-1 visa or student visa holders. A spouse and unmarried, minor children may also apply for a non-immigrant visa to accompany the student. Family members must meet all visa eligibility requirements, including evidence that the student will have sufficient funds for the studies as well as supporting the dependents. They must also present convincing evidence that the dependents will depart the country when the student's program ends. Spouses and children of students may not accept employment at any time, but they are allowed to study in the country using the dependent visas.

The spouse and children may either come with the student or come later to that country on dependents visa status. Dependents should go with the student to the embassy or consulate where they apply for the student visa. It is also possible to apply later for the F-2 visa or dependent visa based on the F-1 visa or student visa status. It is always better to apply together for the student and dependents visas so that all the documents can be verified at one time.

The student must establish his or her relationship with the dependents by showing documents such as birth or marriage certificates. If the student's spouse or children are following to join at a later date, then he or she should provide the U.S. embassy staff with a copy of the USCIS Form I-20 ID (Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant (F-1) Student Status - for Academic and Language Students) and proof of their relationship with the student. The F-2 or dependent status will be dependent upon the status as the F-1 or student visa. This means that any change in the student's status will affect his or her dependent.

If the student loses his or her status, then all of the dependents will also lose their status.
The spouse and minor children of participants in J exchange programs may apply for J-2 visas to accompany the student by presenting a copy of the student's Form DS-2019. They must demonstrate that they will have sufficient financial resources to cover all expenses while in the U.S.

Getting a VISA

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Every visa official has a list of requirements that he or she looks for in a visa application. If they are met, then the visa will be granted. If not, the application will be rejected. It is how these requirements are met that makes a visa decision seem subjective. For instance, the requirement for a student will return to his or her home country after completing studies forces the student to give logical, thought-out evidence. On the other hand, if a student has nothing substantial to show, then the visa will not be issued. Presenting proper documents alone does not determine the visa approval or denial. The visa officer knows that documents can be easily forged, so they can judge authenticity in less than a minute due to the large number of papers that they process every day. Therefore, presenting the individual case is the most important part in getting the visa. What the student says and how he or she says it matters a lot. Sometimes it can even make up for inadequate documentation. Success in obtaining a visa depends on both the proper documentation and giving a good presentation during the interview.
Under U.S. law, all applicants for non-immigrant visas are viewed as intending immigrants until they can convince the consulate officer that they are not. It is the student's responsibility to justify the visa application and provide convincing evidence that his or her intention is only to study in the U.S.

The law states that the student must demonstrate sufficient economic, family, and social ties to his or her home country to ensure that the stay in the U.S will be temporary. U.S. universities are more expensive than most of the countries in the world. The U.S. government needs assurances that the student will not drop out of school or take a job illegally. I-20 or DS-2019 forms will list the amount for tuition and other expenses. It is the student's responsibility to provide solid evidence for any scholarships, grants, or loans that have been awarded. The student is also required to establish proof of his or her relationship with the sponsor, and to submit documentation of the sponsor's active and passive incomes.

VISA!!

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Here I have tried to put in some questions that are commonly asked during the Interview.

1. How many universities did you apply to?This is a very basic question, but linked to this is the second question that is most of the times asked.

2. How many admits/ rejects?As explained in the above question, both of these are interlinked. Now if you applied to 4, were accepted in 1 and got 3 rejects you dont have to be Mr. TRUTH. So put it as applied to 4, got 1, awaiting 2, 1 reject or applied to 4, got 1, awaiting 3.But then you have to state as in Question 3. that this was supposed to be your first choice anyhow, so even if you would have had the admit letters from any of the other 3, you would certainly have gone for this one. But if you are one of those type who offered to 1 and got just 1, dont go about saying that!!! Say you applied to 4 ,got 1, awaiting 3 put up the other university names becoz they think that someone who has applied to just one university isnt really serious about his admissions and so isnt interested in what he states as his purpose of going abroad,which means a direct reject. If you applied to 11, got from just one..better say that you applied to just 4 or 5, and one reject, one admit and rest awaited. Many a times its better not to carry the reject letters, though some people advise so, but the thing is some universities reject without any logical reason.

3. What was your first choice?The answer to this question also is dependent on the earlier one.

4. What is your GRE/TOEFL score?As per your details. But always try to speak out the better score first. Like if you have a good TOEFL score ,say 280, and a GRE of 1150, speak out your TOEFL first and then GRE. Usually people think, they can go and lead them by answering long and sweet, like if asked for scores, the long answer might be : "Sir, I took my Computer based TOEFL and scored 270 at it, while I took the GRE and scored 800 in Quantitative, 710 in Verbal". Well this can heat up the officer. He/She might feel you are taking him for ride ..even if you are not. So keep it short. So let the answer be : " TOEFL 270, GRE : 1510". Thats it!!..as much as he asked for. Makes his job easier and so he doesnt get pissed off at any of your leading behaviours.

5. What are your grades like?Spell it out as it has been at your university. Say "Sir, We have a percentage system, and i scored xx% overall" IF your final year marks excel the other sems marks, spell that one out, coz usually in some universities, they look at the final year marks to grade the student in the Certificate.When later asked as to why u said XX% whereas the total marks of all your marksheets add up to XX-5/10% then clarify yourself...(They wont always go checking all your marksheets, but then you werent lying)

6. Which was your undergraduate college?As per your details.

7. What was your bachelor's degree in?As per your details.

8. What is the purpose of your trip?Academic/ To pursue a masters course in xyz.

9. Which university are you planning to go to?The University of your choice and the University you want the VISA for.

10.Who is planning to sponsor you?As mentioned in your I-20. If you have a scholarship, say that. Else in case the I-20 says "Family funds" say that, and you may add that sir, my father and my mother are supporting me for my higher education.

11.Why do you plan to do MS? Say that you felt that higher qualifications give a better place, a better standard in today's competitive world. You felt that you have a good know-how of your field, but a bit more technical knowledge in "the field you are going for MS in" will serve you greatly, when you come back here and join the industry of your choice

12.Why do you wish to study in the US and not in India? The courses in the field I am interested in are not being offered (or very few institutions offer such courses). In addition to that the research going on is something I would like to be associated with. (Speak about the facilities as well). Talk about a few researches being conducted in that field. Technical words work out when other things dont.

13. Why did you select this University?This question can be best answered when you do a bit of homework about you university. Browse the Webpage of the University, visit the pages of the professors, go through thier projects. Now remember some of the key words, like the project a professor X is working on. Mention something about the project if the officer is listening and is giving you time to explain. When you do such things, they think that you are pretty serious about your studies and are really into it. Well, some people believe in mentioning about the rank of the university, or the student to faculty ratio..well these all things dont affect how you are interested in it. You can say all these stuff such as rank and all, but you have to state what inspired you and it should be something about research or academics.You can also show letters of correspondence with your University professors. If you dont have those, build some.
MY answer to this question:"Sir, the first and foremost factor for selecting this university was the course being offered. Telecom at UMCP is a cross-disciplinary course. Besides technical knowledge, this course also enhances the managerial skills which is the demand of the present-day telecom industry. So while the professors from Computer and Electrical department will be teaching me Signal Processing, Encoding, Communication techniques, Networking ..at the same time the experts from School of Public Affairs will be imparting me knowledge of Present day competition in Telecom industry, staff management and resource management."Sir, UMCP is located within Baltimore-Washington DC area, one of the greatest concentrations of research facilities and intellectual talent in the nation. "Library of Congress", "the National Archives" and "the Smithsonian Institute" are some of the biggest research institutes and libraries which the students will enjoy having frequent interactions with. What else could a Student ask for??"

14. Your passbooks show that a large amount of money has recently been deposited. How would you explain that? NOBODY keeps huge sums of money in their savings account, so relax! If you have borrowed the money here is what you could do Its quite likely that in the past you may have received huge sums of money like selling of some property, retirement of parents etc so you could say something like In year X we had received Rs. T and instead of depositing the amount in a bank at a low interest rate, we invested it in oteher sources which gave us high interest rates or we gave it to our needy friends. Now we have taken this money back to finance my education. (Of course its really dicey to answer this question, but if you are confident you shouldnt have a problem. If you have some proof of receiving a huge sum of money some years back, make sure you carry it).You can also say that you had private FDs , i.e you invested in private firms becoz they provide higher interest rates (say out figures like 16% per annum) as compared to the mere 9% of banks.

15. What does your father do?What if my dad has taken the Voluntary Retirement?Well this does have a specific reply, but then you can put it as "Sir, My father is working with a German company for the past 25 years as a Manager in XYZ department. The long reply helps over here. If your father has taken a voluntary retirement, dont mention that he has retired. Well there are two approaches to this. One, say that your father worked with this company for the last 30 years and now has his own consultancy dealing with(insert some financial or technical terms). Two, Say that your father worked as Asst Mgr./Mgr./GM with some company for the past 25 years, took a VR and now has a consultancy of his own. Never show him to be idle, bcoz that means your income has drastically reduced and works as a negative point. Stating about the VR often helps becoz then you can assure him that most of the money you have shown is yours becoz usually people get huge amounts on taking a VR. So that does help on the financial grounds.

16. Does any of your relative stay in the US?The answers to this vary from person to person. The two basic replies being: Either "YES" or "NO". But I believe that you be truthful at this instance. I have seen many people who have been true and werent affected by that.In fact at a USEFI seminar, addressed by the Consulate Officer it was said by the officer himself that, " We know that most of the students will end up staying there after completing their studies, but atleast we can do our part of skimming them. We can atleast play the part of sieving across the deserving people and not every pedestrian."This means that they evaluate you on the basis of your merits and not by what the person staying abroad is going to do for you. And the financial part is because they want to be assured that you can atleast go through your studies fully.It just happens that many a times, they check your file based on details provided in your passport, and if they do apprehend you lying, that might spell trouble. So, I think telling the truth is the best thing.If your uncle or cousin or distant aunt stays there, you dont have to say "YES" becoz that doesnt matter. All that matters is your immediate relatives ..i.e own brother, sister , father or mother.

17. Your brother/sister is studying there too. How will your parents support both of you?Now, you have your chance of taking the officer for a ride here. Even if your brother/sister doesnot have an aid/scholarship, you can say he got a TA/RA there and so he need not be supported by the family any more for his educational expenses.

18.Why is your GRE score low ? (or any section score low) This is the most preffered answer.I answered the first few questions incorrectly and I couldnt improve my score later even after performing well later. (Low = < 900 Otherwise you can say that you think your score is average and on the basis of that the university has given you the admission). You can also mention that "This score is considered to be ideal for the doctors(if you are one)..or according to what you are. You can always build up a story , saying that the GRE Score interpretor sheet says that. Such as Engineers dont need to have an extra ordinary VERBAL Score, If the other sections complement it, you can show that the other sections are stressed upon by universities while selection for admission(Say this only when you think the situation is getting tense).If you have a low VERBAL score, but a good TOEFL score, you can always say that "Please look at my TOEFL score Sir, I have done well at that". Besides GRE is just one of the many aspects that the universities look at for admission(Say this line only when you think you are drowning).

19. What are you plans after Graduation?Be really well prepared for this question. This answer is not fool proof, but its you who can make it seem so. The basic things are:1. Your field is what you will pursue 2. Your field is on a roll in INDIA 3. Your field has great opportunities 4. You get those opportunities even now 5. You get better opportunities once you do your MS 6. Show foreign companies coming to INDIA investing in your field 7. State some technical words expressing the advancements in your field 8. Make it seem, this field wont go ahead without guys and gals like you

20. Why are you changing your stream?This generally occurs becoz people having done their BE in Civil go on to pursue MS in CS or doctors go for MPH.This is easy to get through. You can say either of the points:
1. Sir, during my third semester, when I was introduced to programming languages, I had a great exposure to computers. I gradually developed a liking for it and wished to deepen my knowledge in it. 2. I mastered a number of languages on my own, and am also into Web Designing and software debugging(push in technical words). 3. I always had it in my mind, that once I strengthen myself in my field, I will go on to enhance my skills in the field of Computers. 4. There were a vast number of options available, viz. CS, CN, CE but I chose CS as I had esteem interest in Software and its working Always try to show that you have an interest for that subject. Never project that you are taking this up becoz the market is strong. This is becoz you are changing your stream they might end up thinking that you just used your BE to get to this stage and that you had no interest. Show that you do everything with your interest , you even did your M.D in pathology or any other field becoz you had interest in it, and now MHA is your interest too.

21. What is your father's annual income?This question often decides your ability to pay for your expenses. They think that money can be put into banks, but annual income is a proof which they heavily rely upon to decide the student's parents capability to spend for his educational expenses.Whatever the officer asks. 1) What is your father's annual income? 2). What is your family's annual income?..The moment the words 'Annual Income" creeps in, state your complete family annual income, i.e if your mother is also an earning member, if you have agricultural income, if you ahve rental income plus the interests and dividends...State all of them together. Dont commit the blunder of stating just your father's income..many a times it hampers your chances..if it seems low to them. Obviously a sum of mother's income , your father's income, agricultural(if u have), rental will be more than a single one. And if they ask for the IT returns , hand over both of your parent's return statements, plus the agricultural papers plus the rental receipt(duplicate) at a time. And if he/she just argues(usually they dont) that you were asked about your father's income..then say" Sir, MY family is sponsoring me. Alongwith my father my mother is also an earning member and an income tax payee. Family funds is what the I-20 states, and so my family including my father and mother are sponsoring me and here are their statements and proofs of other modes of income.

22.You look like Potential immigrants OR I dont think you will come back to India Only Allah rakha can answer weird questions like this.This is a real tricky question. Many get blue when they hear this and lose their senses as how to tackle this question. Stay calm and think what all you can say like :"I am from a very well-to do family and money is not at all essential for me. I stand to inherit a lot from my parents (say this if u have lots of property) so staying and working in the US is not a criteria at all. The only thing i lack is this Masters (or whatever degree) which will make me a better software professional. As far as opportunity is concerned, because of the recession most of the US Companies are turning to the Indian companies for their software solutions. Most of the Indian companies have tie-ups with the US Companies (give some examples). So I am certain that with my degree I will get an equivalent opportunity and pay packet in India.You can also go to include points of the answer stating what you will be doing after graduation.

I know that such a lecture is not expected from an author like me(Laughs).I promise all the supporters of my book and the webpage that I am going to write something more helpful about VISA tips and tricks in the next few posts.Lastly,Let me tell you something. The most important factor is "CONFIDENCE". Nothing can depose that. Whatever the answer be, if you are confident and show that you arent nervous a bit, that will really help you get through. Complete Documents, Convincing Skills, Confidence and wit is what you have to invest. These are the keys to getting through the interview successfully. Many do get through becoz of sheer luck, when some of the casual officers just seem to be in a hurry to get through with the troop of VISA aspirants facing their counter. But then I believe that your parents do all the job of putting together all the financial documents and stuff. The only thing you need to do is to put a confident self of yours over there.Its not that All the questions i have put here are the only ones, they might come up with any other alien stuff. But then presence of mind and spontaniety is what helps under those situations. You have to be prepared with an answer the moment he shoots a question at you.Dont make a face as if you just committed a sin. Hand over the documents and look at him. Remember , all your documents are as genuine as your Birth-Certificate.

Verbal Section : Sentence Completions

2006-11-27T14:44:00.000+05:30

Directions:
Each GRE sample sentence compltion question below has one or two blanks. Each blank shows that something has been omitted. Under each GRE sample sentence completion question five words are given as choice. Choose the one correct word for each blank that best fits the meaning of the sentences as a whole.

The fact that the- of confrontation is no longer as popular as it once was - progress in race relations.
1. insidiousness - reiterates
2. practice - inculcates
3. glimmer - foreshadows
4. technique - presages
5. reticence - indicates
Ans :D
A child should not be - as being either very shy or over - aggressive.
1. categorized
2. instructed
3. intoned
4. distracted
5. refrained
Ans :A
President Anwar el - Sadat of Egypt, disregarding - criticism in the Alab world and in his own Government, - accepted prime minister Menahem Begin's invitation to visit Israel in order to address the Israeli parliament.
1. acrimonious - formally
2. blemished - stiffly
3. categorical - previously
4. malignant - plaintively
5. charismatic - meticulously
Ans :A
In his usual - manner, he had insured himself against this type of loss.
1. pensive
2. providential
3. indifferent
4. circumspect
5. caustic
Ans :D
We never believed that he would resort to - in order to achieve his goal; we always regarded him as a - man.
1. charm - insincere
2. necromancy - pietistic
3. logic - honorable
4. prestidigitation - articulate
5. subterfuge - honest
Ans :E
The Sociologist responded to the charge that her new theory was - by pointing out that it did not in fact contradict accepted sociological principles.
1. unproven
2. banal
3. superficial
4. complex
5. heretical
Ans :E
Despite assorted effusion to the contrary, there is no necessary link between scientific skill and humanism, and quite possibly, there may be something of a - between them.
1. dichotomy
2. congruity
3. reciprocity
4. fusion
5. generosity
Ans :E
The most technologically advanced societies have been responsible for the greatest - indeed savagery seems to be indirect proposition to -
1. inventions - know-how
2. wars - viciousness
3. triumphs - civilizations
4. atrocities - development
5. catastrophes - ill-will
Ans :D
Ironically, the party leaders encountered no greater - their efforts to build as Progressive Party than the - of the progressive already elected to the legislature.
1. obstacle to - resistance
2. support for - advocacy
3. praise for - reputation
4. threat to - promise
5. benefit - success
Ans :A
The simplicity of the theory - its main attraction - is also its - for only by - the assumptions of the theory is it possible to explain the most recent observations made by researchers.
1. glory - rejecting
2. liability - accepting
3. undoing - supplementing
4. downfall - considering
5. virtue - qualifying
Ans : C

Verbal Section : Sentence Completions

2006-11-26T14:47:00.000+05:30

That the Third Battalion's fifty percent casually rate transformed its assault on Hill 306 from a brilliant stratagem into a debacle does not - eyewitness reports of its commander's extra-ordinary - in deploying his forces.
1. invalidate - brutality
2. gainsay - cleverness
3. underscore - ineptitude
4. justify - rapidity
5. corroborate -determination
Ans : B
No longer - by the belief that the world around us was expressly designed for humanity, many people try to find intellectual - for that lost certainty in astrology and in mysticism.
1. satisfied - reasons
2. reassured - justifications
3. restricted - parallels
4. sustained - substitutes
5. hampered - equivalents
Ans : D
In eighth-century Japan, people who - wasteland were rewarded with official ranks as part of an effort to overcome the shortage of - fields.
1. cultivated - domestic
2. located - desirable
3. conserved - forested
4. reclaimed - arable
5. irrigated - accessible.
Ans :D
Clearly refuting sceptics, researchers have - not only that gravitational radiation exists but that it also does exactly what the theory- it should do.
1. assumed - deducted
2. estimated - accepted
3. supposed - asserted
4. doubted - warranted
5. demonstrated - predicted.
Ans :E
Melodramas, which presented stark oppositions between innocence and criminality, virtue and corruption, good and evil, were popular precisely because they offered the audience a world - of -
1. deprived - polarity
2. full - circumstantiality
3. bereft - theatricality
4. devoid - neutrality
5. composed - adversity.
Ans :D
Sponsors of the bill were-because there was no opposition to it within the legislative, until after the measure had been signed into law.
1. well-intentioned
2. persistent
3. detained
4. unreliable
5. relieved.
Ans :B
Ecology, like economics, concerns itself with the movement of valuable - through a complex network of producers and consumers.
1. nutrients
2. dividends
3. communications
4. artifacts
5. commodities.
Ans :C
Having fully embraced the belief that government by persuasion is preferable to government by - the leaders of the movement have recently - most of their previous statements supporting totalitarianism.
1. proclamation - codified
2. coercion - repudiated
3. participation - moderated
4. intimidation - issued
5. demonstration - deliberated.
Ans :B
It would be difficult for one so - to be led to believe that all men are equal and that we must disregard race, color and creed.
1. tolerant
2. democratic
3. broadminded
4. emotional
5. intolerant.
Ans :E
Many philosophers agree that the verbal aggression of profanity in certain redical newspapers is not - or childish, but an assault on - essential to the revolutionary's purpose.
1. insolent - sociability
2. trivial - decorum
3. belligerent - fallibility
4. serious - propriety
5. deliberate - affectation.
Ans :B

Verbal Section : Sentence Completions

2006-11-24T15:14:00.000+05:30

The - tones of the flute succeeded in - his tense nerves.
1. rhapsodic - minimising
2. blatant - enhancing
3. hovendous - calming
4. vibrant - portraying
5. mellifluous - soothing.
Ans :E
Without the psychiatrist's promise of confidentiality, trust is - and the patient's communication limited; even though confidentiality can thus be seen to be precious in thercopy, moral responsibility sometimes requires a willingness to - it.
1. lost - forget
2. implicit - extend
3. impaired - sacrifise
4. ambiguous - apply
5. assumed - examine.
Ans :C
Parts of seventeenth-century Chinese pleasure gardens were not necessarily intended to look -they were designed expressly to evoke the agreeable melancholy resulting from a sense of the - of natural beauty and human glory.
1. great - immutability
2. joyful - mortality
3. conventional - wildness
4. cheerful - transitoriness
5. colorful - abstractness.
Ans :D
Despite the - of many of their colleagues, some scholars have begun to emphasize ''pop culture'' as a key for - the myths, hopes, and fears of contemporary society.
1. pedantry - reinstating
2. enthusiasm - symbolizing
3. skepticism - deciphering
4. antipathy - involving
5. discernment - evaluating.
Ans :C
If duty is the natural - of one's the course of future events, then people who are powerful have duty placed on them whether they like it or not.
1. outgrowth - control over
2. arbiter - responsibility for
3. correlate - understanding of
4. determinant - involvement in
5. mitigant - preoccupation with .
Ans :A
Clearly refuting sceptics, researches have - not only that gravitational radiation exists but that it also does exactly what the theory - it should do.
1. supposed - asserted
2. voubted -warranted
3. assumed - deduced
4. demonstrated - predicted
5. estimated - accepted
Ans :D
The Neolatonists' conception of a deity, in which perfection was measured by abundant fecundity, was contradicted by that of the Aristotelians, in which perfection was displayed in the - of creation.
1. variety
2. economy
3. profusion
4. clarity
5. precision.
Ans :B
It is a great - to be able to transfer useful genes with as little extra gene material as possible, because the donor's genome may contain, in addition to desirable genes, many genes with - effects.
1. Disappointment - superfluous
2. Convenience - exquisite
3. Advantage - deleterious
4. Accomplishment - profound
5. Misfortune - unpredictable.
Ans :C
While admitting that the risks incurred by use of the insecticide were not - the manufacturer's spokesperson argued that effective - were simply not available.
1. indeterminable - safeguards
2. unusual - alternatives
3. inconsequential - substitutes
4. proven - antidotes
5. increasing - procedures.
Ans :C
Human reaction to the realm of though is often as strong as that to sensible presences; our higher moral life is based on the fact that - sensations actually present may have a weaker influence on our action than do ideas of - facts.
1. emotional - impersonal
2. familiar : symbolic
3. disturbing - ordinary
4. material - remote
5. defenitive - controvoisial.
Ans :D

Verbal Section : Sentence Completions

2006-11-22T15:18:00.000+05:30

Some scientists argue that carbon compounds play such a central role in life on earth because of the possibility of - resulting from the carbon atom's ability to form an unending series of different molecules.
1. variety
2. stability
3. deviations
4. invigorations
5. reproduction.
Ans :A
It would be difficult for one so - to be led to believe that all men are equal and that we must disregard race, color and creed.
1. intolerant
2. democratic
3. emotional
4. patient
5. broadminded.
Ans :A
An occasional - remark spoiled the - that made the paper memorable.
1. colloquial
2. trite - cliches
3. urbane - sophisticated
4. hackneyed - originality
5. jovial - fun.
Ans :D
Broadway audiences have become inured to - and so - to be pleased as to make their ready ovations meaningless as an indicator of the quality of the production before them.
1. cleverness : eager
2. condescension : disinclined
3. sentimentality : reluctant
4. mediocrity : desperate
5. histrionics : unlikely
Ans :D
Nineteenth - century scholars, by examining earlier geometric Greek art, found that classical Greek art was not a magical - or a brilliant - blending Egyptian and Assyruin art, but was independently evolved by Greeks in Greece.
1. conversion - annexation
2. apparition - amalgam
3. stratagem - appropriation
4. paradigm - construct
5. example - synthesis
Ans :B
The struggle of the generations is one of the obvious constants of human affairs; therefore, it may be presumptuous to suggest that the rivalry between young and old in western society during the current decade is - critical.
1. archetypally
2. perennially
3. disturbingly
4. uniquely
5. cautiously
Ans :D
Even though in today's Soviet union the - Muslim clergy have been accorded power and privileges, the Muslim laity and the rank - and - file clergy still. Have little - to practice their religion.
1. adversaries of - inclination
2. traditionalists among - incentive
3. practitioners among - opportunity
4. leaders of - latitude
5. dissidents within -obligation
Ans :D
Unlike the Shakespearean plays, The ''closet dramas'' of the nineteenth century were meant to be - rather than -
1. seen - acted
2. read - acted
3. produced - acted
4. quiet - loud
5. sophisticated - urbane
Ans :B
The little - known but rapidly expanding use of computers in mapmaking is technologically similar to the more - uses in designing everything from bolts to satellites.
1. ingenuous
2. recent
3. secure
4. publicized
5. successful
Ans :D
Although his out numbered troops fought bravely, the general felt he had no choice but to - defeat and - a retreat.
1. oversee - reject
2. acknowledge - order
3. hasten - suggest
4. seek - try
5. overcome - request
Ans :B

Verbal Section : Sentence Completions

2006-11-21T15:18:00.000+05:30

No hero of ancient or modern times can surpass the Indian with his lofty contempt of death and the - with which he sustained the cruelest coffliction.
1. guide
2. assent
3. reverence
4. fortitude
5. concern
Ans :D
The hostess attempted to - a romantic atmosphere that would bring the two young people together in -
1. expand - fealty
2. present - collusion
3. simulate - conflict
4. introduce - cacophony
5. contrive - matrimony
Ans :E
Employers who retire people who are willing and able to continue working should realize that - age is not an effective - in determining whether an individual is capable of working.
1. intellectual - criterion
2. Chronological - criterion
3. Physical - barrier
4. deteriorating - value
5. chronological - factor
Ans :B
As the sun rose, the morning mists were borne away on the - like strands of -
1. whirlwind - flotsam
2. wind - cactus
3. morass - tundra
4. zephyr - gossamer
5. holocaust - taffeta
Ans :D
The playwright was known not for his original ideas that had been propounded by others.
1. rejection
2. consideration
3. invention
4. reiteration
5. plagiarism
Ans :E
The gypsy girl, decked out in - finery, and with her disheveled hair streaming over shoulders, was indeed a - sight.
1. verdant - wistful
2. sartorial - flagrant
3. specious - poignant
4. tawdry - bizarre
5. opulent - debonair
Ans :D
Yellow fever, the disease that killed 4,000 Philadelphians in 1793, and so - Memphis, Tennessee, that the city lost its charter, has reappeared after nearly two decades in - in the
western hemisphere.
1. disabled - quarantine
2. decimated - abeyance
3. terrorized - contention
4. ravaged - secret
5. coupled - quiescence
Ans :B
The painting was larger than it appeared to be, for hanging in a darkened recess of the chapel, it was - by the perspective.
1. embellished
2. improved
3. jeopardised
4. aggrandized
5. diminished
Ans :E
We have in America - speech that is neither American, Oxford English, nor English but a - of all three.
1. motley - miracle
2. nasal - blend
3. feigned - patchwork
4. mangled - medley
5. hybrid - combination
Ans :E
Old beliefs die hard, even when jobs become - the long - standing fear that unemployment could return at a moments notice -
1. protected - subsided
2. vacant - perished
3. available - receded
4. plentiful - persisted
5. easier - charged
Ans :D

Verbal Section : Sentence Completions

2006-11-20T15:30:00.000+05:30

Not only the - are fooled by pcopagandas we can all be misled if we are not -
1. people - mature
2. ignorant - cynical
3. masses - cautious
4. uncultured - concerned
5. gullible - wary
Ans :E
-- merciful by nature, he was - toward the murderer.
1. although - unmoving
2. while - unjust
3. truly - indicative
4. though - kind
5. albeit - implacable
Ans :E
When the news of his - with the enemy become known, he was hanged in -
1. collusion - effigy
2. conversation's - earnest
3. involvement - martyrdom
4. complacency - retaliation
5. bickering - response
Ans :D
He was so - by the interplay of the colors that varied in brilliance and pattern as the music rose and fell, that he asked the price of the device.
1. overwrought
2. penalized
3. repelled
4. inteugued
5. penalized
Ans :D
The absence of a sense of outrage and grief at national tragedy is an - of moral responsibility.
1. intervention
2. energising
3. abdication
4. administration
5. actuation.
Ans :C
In an effort to - its operations, the corporation announced it was acquiring a - company in a different type of manufacturing.
1. diversify - subsidiary
2. adumberate - solvent
3. multiply - protracted
4. intensify - fluctuating
5. establish - sequential.
Ans :A
Samuel Clemens chose the - Mark Twain as a result of his knowledge of river boat piloting.
1. mountebank
2. protagonist
3. misanthrope
4. hallucination
5. pseudonym.
Ans :E
To meet all - a source of - electrical power was added to the train's engine.
1. Integuments - parallel
2. possibilities - incidental
3. amenities - diverse
4. contingencies - auxiliary
5. conveniences - automatic.
Ans :D
Since the escaping vapors proved to be highly -, measures were at once taken for the - of the experiments.
1. Volatile - ratification
2. Observable - insulation
3. Gaseous - reduction
4. Noxious - cessation
5. Incriminating - destruction.
Ans :D
Eric Fromm does not agree that man is - in Freudian sexual dilemmas for if the - that man creates can be changed for the better, there is hope that the state of man can be changed as well.
1. Tortured - goals
2. Trapped - institutions
3. Caught - symbols
4. Engulfed - life
5. Confused - meanings.

Verbal Section : Sentence Completions

2006-11-18T15:31:00.000+05:30

As man reached the stars, a booming population threatened to destroy the - of life on his home planet and even its chances for -
1. Quality - survival
2. Basis - growth
3. Existence - upliftment
4. chances - improvement
5. meaning - understanding.
Ans :A
Until the current warming trend exceeds the range of normal climatic fluctuations, there will be, among scientists, considerable - the possibility that increasing levels of atmosphere Co2 can cause long term warming effects
1. interest in
2. uncertainty about
3. experimentation on
4. enthusiasm for
5. worry about
Ans :B
Having no sense of moral obligation, shipler was as little subject to the - of conscience after he acted as he was motivated by its - before he acted.
1. balm - eloquence
2. qualms - atonement
3. reproaches - prompting's
4. rewards - chastisement
5. ridicule - allure
Ans :C
Slang is a language that rolls up its sleeves, spits on its hands and -
1. goes to work
2. stays cool
3. embarrasses its user
4. communicates
5. puts its foot down
Ans :B
Famous among job seekers for its - , the company, quite apart from generous salaries, bestowed on its executives annual bonuses and such - as low - interest home mortgages and company cars.
1. largesse - perquisites
2. altruism - credits
3. magnanimity - reparations
4. discernment - prerogatives
5. inventiveness - benefits
Ans :A
Moving and parked, the automobile devours urban land, leaving the buildings as mere - of habitable space in a sea of dangerous and ugly traffic
1. asylums
2. remnants
3. blocks
4. mountains
5. islands
Ans :E
In the current research program, new varieties of apple trees are evaluated under different agricultural - for tree size, bloom density, fruit size,- to various soils, and resistance to pests and disease.
1. conditions - adaptability
2. configurations - propensity
3. circumstances - proximity
4. auspices - susceptibility
5. regulations - conformity
Ans :A
For many young people during the roaring twenties, a disgust with the excesses of American culture - a wanderlust to provoke an exodus abroad.
1. reflected
2. stymied
3. conflicted with
4. overwhelmed
5. combined with
Ans :E

Cost of living for a student in UK!

2006-10-23T03:00:00.000+05:30

Click on the link above to get a rough estimate of cost of living in UK for a prospective student from any country other than UK.

LINK

Study Abroad in UK

2006-10-22T19:06:00.000+05:30

Why UK?

UK qualifications are recognized and respected throughout the world. Your UK qualification will be a strong foundation for building your future, boosting your career and prospects for a higher salary. Quality standards for UK institutions are among the best in the world.
There are more than three thousand educational institutions that welcome international students in the UK.UK degrees can take only three years and postgraduate Master's courses only one year - compared with four years and two years in most other countries. This means you will save a great deal on both tuition fees and living costs - and you will be able to start working and earning money sooner. UK degree courses are shorter because they are more intensive, and therefore more efficient in terms of your time and money.
Health care is often free for international students. You are likely to be able to take advantage of National Health Service (NHS) treatment, as well as reduced-cost medicines, dental treatment and eye tests. Find out whether you are entitled to NHS care in the Advice section of the website.
Thousands of scholarships and bursaries are offered by UK institutions just for international students, while more than twenty-one thousand international students receive scholarship funding from the UK Government every year. You can also get more information about these from the scholarships page.
Thanks to changes in work regulations, international students in the UK can now work up to twenty hours a week when studying and full time during vacations.
You may first wish to contact your own Ministry of Education or Education Department, as they should have details of scholarship opportunities for students wishing to study overseas. They will also be able to advise you on your own government's conditions for studying abroad. You may also contact the British Council office in your country of origin, which should have details of British scholarship schemes. The British Council will be able to give you information about educational and training courses and about living in the UK, including how much it costs to study. If there is no British Council office,contact your nearest British Embassy or High Commission.

Admission Requirements
Enquiries concerning admission to a graduate course should be sent to the institutions at least twelve months before the proposed start date. Most institutions do not have a formal closing date for receipt of applications; however, admission to a taught course may have to be submitted by a specific date which varies from course to course. It is also advisable to apply as early as possible given the closing dates and possible level of competition for scholarships given by foundations, trusts and the universities themselves. For Admission to Master's Degree a UK Bachelor's degree in an appropriate subject, awarded with first or second-class Honours, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard from a university or educational institution of university rank is required. Where the US/Canadian marking scheme is used, a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 is required. You may have to take one of the following tests: International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) with score 6 or above depending on the course and institution; grade C in Cambridge Proficiency of English or Cambridge Advanced English; Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with score 550 or above; NEAB University Entrance Test in English for speakers of other languages at Grade 3.

Approximate Fees(Average of Many Univ.)
MBA:$11000 Arts:$11000 Engineering:$10000-$16000 Medical Care:If your course lasts for more than six months, you will be entitled to free medical care under the UK's National Health Service. Even if your course lasts for less than six months, your country might have a reciprocal agreement with the UK which will mean that you also are entitled to free medical care. If your country does not have a reciprocal agreement however, and your course lasts less than six months you should set aside sufficient funds to pay for medical insurance. Until recently, if you wanted to take a job whilst studying in the UK you first had to obtain permission to do so. This situation changed this year. You are now allowed to work up to twenty hours per week during term time and an unlimited number of hours during vacation time. Similarly you are able to do work placements which are part of a 'sandwich degree' or undertake internship placements with multinational employers.

Top Business Schools In United Kingdom

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Aberdeen Business School - The Robert Gordon University
Ashcroft International Business School
Aston Business School
University of Aberdeen Business School
School of Management and Business - The University of Wales, Aberystwyth
University of Bath, School of Management
University of Birmingham - Birmingham Business School
Bolton Business School
Bournemouth University, the Business School
Bradford University School of Management
Bradford Business School - Bradford College
Faculty of Business, University of Brighton
Bristol Business School - University of West of England
Buckinghamshire Business SchoolUniversity of Cambridge, The Judge Institute of Management StudiesCardiff Business School
University of Central England Business School
Cass Business School, City of London
Coventry Business School
Cranfield School of Management
University of Wales Institute, Cardiff - Business School
The Derbyshire Business School
University of Abertay Dundee - Dundee Business School
Durham Business School
University of East Anglia, School of Management
The East London Business School
The University of Edinburgh Management School
European Business School, London
School of Business and Economics - University of Exeter
ESCP-EAP European School of Management, London
Department of Business, Management and Leisure, Edge Hill
University of Gloucestershire Business School
University of Glamorgan Business School
University of Glasgow - The School of Business and Management
Glasgow Caledonian University - Caledonian Business School
University of Greenwich - Business Faculty
Henley Management College
University of Hertfordshire Business School
University of Hull Business School
Imperial College London, Tanaka Business School
Kent Business School
Kingston Business School
The Department of Management, Keele University
Lancaster University Management School
Leeds Business School
University of Leeds, Leeds University Business School
Leicester Business School - De Montfort University
Leicester University Management Centre
Faculty of Business and Law - University of Lincoln
The School of Management - Liverpool John Moores University
London Business School
London Metropolitan University - Department of Business and Service Sector Management
Loughborough University Business School
Luton Business School - Putteridge Bury Management Centre
Business, Computing & Information Management - London South Bank University
Business, and Management - Liverpool Hope University College
The University of Liverpool Management SchoolManchester Business School
Manchester Metropolitan University Business School
Middlesex University Business School
Napier University Business School
Northampton Business School - University College Northampton
Newcastle Business School - University of Northumbria
University of Newcastle upon Tyne Business School
University of Wales Newport - Newport Business School
Nottingham Business School - Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham University Business School
Open University Business School
Said Business School - University of Oxford
Business School - Oxford Brookes University
Paisley Business School - University of Paisley
The Plymouth Business School
Portsmouth Business School
Queens School of Management, Queens University, Belfast
Reading University Business SchoolRoyal Agricultural College - School of Business
Royal Holloway, University of London - School of Management
The School of Business and Social Sciences, Roehampton University
University of Salford, The Management School
Sheffield Hallam University - School of Business and Finance
Sheffield University Management School
School of Management - Southampton University
Southampton Business School - Southampton Institute
Staffordshire University Business School
University of Stirling - Faculty of Management
Strathclyde Graduate Business School
University of Sunderland Business School
School of Management at the University of Surrey
Swansea Business School
Teesside Business School
Thames Valley University - Business School
University of Ulster - Faculty of Business and Management
Warwick Business School
Watford School of Business, West Herts College
University of Westminster - Westminster Business School
Wolverhampton Business School

UK Student Visa Application Form

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The Student Visa Application Form for United Kingdom Can be downloaded with out any cost from the link below :

Download Student Visa Application Form

Interview Questions for UK Student Visa

The following are some of the important questions that the ambassador asks during the interview for the student visa of UK.

Do you need interpreter?

No Thanks
Are you ready for interview?

Yes Off course
Why did you choose this institute and how did you find about it?

The institute is providing one of the best courses in UK and its fee is reasonable, complete study atmosphere and specially its staff that is highly qualified. After surfing the net and consult with different consultants I chose this college for my studies.
Why did you select this course? Is it relevant to your previous studies?

This course will lead me towards the best opportunities of my life I mean to achieve my goals in life. Yes this course is exactly related to my previous studies.
Can you tell me the location of the university/college?

Yes..
Why did you select UK for higher studies? Isn't this course offered by any university or college in Pakistan?

UK education system is one of the best across the globe. UK education system has high influence in our education system. We are far behind in research and advancement in any field of life especially in education. Second we find complete study atmosphere in UK, which is not available in Pakistan.
What if you get a UK degree here, would you like to go to UK again for higher Studies?

Even then I will go to UK because of standard of education and complete study atmosphere.
What course are you going for?

------
What is the scope of your course?

The course I chose will open new horizons for me and there are high job prospects in multinational firms at local and international level.
Why are you taking this course?

Because this course is exactly related to my previous studies/ Experience
What is the course structure?
What are the course contents?
Do you intend to work in UK after completion of your studies?

Not at all
What do you intend to you after completion of your studies?

I will come back and will join any multinational firm or start my own business.
What is you future plans?

To join any multinational firm or start my own business
What benefit will bring this course to you?

After completion of this course, I will come back and join any reputed firm, which offer attractive packages. I will be leading in big job market, I am sure I will get an excellent job in any reputed firm otherwise I will start my own business.
How much money can you earn after your completion of studies?

30000-35000 per month approximately.
Where will you stay in UK?
Who is your sponsor?
What proof do you have that your sponsor can support your studies?
Source of income of your sponsor? How are you related to him?
How many people are his/her dependents?
Why is he sponsoring you? (if not father)
Do you have any relative or friend in UK?
What does your father do?
How many brothers and sisters do you have?
What is the course commencement date?
What will be the total cost of per year?
What will you do during the off period/semester? How much money is available for your stay in UK?
Have you researched your career prospects?

Off course. I have planned to choose any reputed multinational firm where I could learn more and more. Second at that time possibly there will be competition in jobs, if I fail to get any good job then I have plan to start my own business.

More Information about UK Student Visa

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Visa Information

What is a visa?

Do I need a visa to study in the UK?

How do I qualify to come to the United Kingdom to study?

How do I apply for a visa?

What will I need to make my application?

What will happen when I make my application?

What are public funds?

Can I extend my stay as a student?

Will I be allowed to work?

Can I switch to Work Permit employment whilst in the UK?

Can I bring my husband or wife and children with me?

Will my husband or wife be allowed to work?

Can I go to the UK to arrange my studies?

Immigration and Nationality Directorate Details

Immigration Advisory Service (IAS) Details

Drugs Warning

Customs and Excise

Health Insurance

List of Visa Nationals

Travelling Abroad

What is a visa?

A visa is an entry clearance certificate that is placed in your passport or travel document by an Entry Clearance Officer at a British mission overseas. The entry clearance certificate confers leave to enter the UK. If you have a valid UK visa you will not normally be refused entry to the UK unless your circumstances have changed, or you gave false information or you failed to disclose important facts when you applied for your visa. When you arrive in the UK, an Immigration Officer may question you, so take all relevant documents in your hand luggage.

Do I need a visa to study in the UK?

You will need a visa if you:

· are a national of one of the countries listed here

· are stateless

· hold a non-national travel document

· hold a passport issued by an authority not recognised by the UK

Other nationals do not have to have a visa to study in the UK. However, you will have to satisfy the Immigration Officer on arrival in the UK that you qualify for entry. If you are in any doubt about your eligibility you are advised to apply for a visa before you travel.

How do I qualify to come to the United Kingdom to study?

You must show that you have been accepted on a course of study at:

· a publicly-funded institution of further or higher education (for example, a university);

· a private-education institution; or

· an independent fee-paying school;

and that you are going to follow:

· a recognised full-time degree course;

· a course run during the week that involves at least 15 hours of organised daytime study a week; or

· a full-time course of study at an independent fee-paying school.

You must also:

· be able to pay for your course and support and accommodate yourself and any dependants without working or help from public funds; and

· plan to leave the United Kingdom when you complete your studies.

If you are a visa national, you will need a visa to enter the United Kingdom. If you are not a visa national, you will find it helpful to carry documents with you which will show immigration officers that you meet the requirements for entering the United Kingdom as a student.

www.ukvisas.gov.uk shows a student how to apply, etc.

How do I apply for a visa?

You will need to complete visa application forms IM2A and IM2S. You can also get the forms from your nearest UK Overseas Mission where there is a visa section. You should check with your nearest British mission whether they can deal with your application. If they cannot they will tell you where to apply.

Applications may be made to the Visa Section of a British mission in person or, in some instances, by post. (Please contact your nearest British mission to enquire about postal applications.)

What will I need to make my application?

To download the following brochures, you will need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer.

To make your visa application you will need:

· a completed Application form IM2A - All applicants except direct airside transit (PDF, 33K)

· a completed Application form IM2S - Students (PDF, 57K)

· your valid passport or travel document

· two recent passport sized photographs

· the visa fee, which is non-refundable, and must normally be paid in the local currency of the country where you are applying

· any relevant diplomas or educational certificates which you hold

· a letter from the university, college or school confirming your acceptance on a course of study in the UK and a statement of charges for the course

· evidence of Government sponsorship (if applicable)

In addition to the documents listed above you may be asked for:

· evidence of funds, for example bank statements or payslips, to show that you can pay for your stay and your course of studies in the UK

· a letter from your host or sponsor in the UK to say that he or she will support and accommodate you during your course of studies, again with evidence that he or she can do so.

What will happen when I make my application?

The Entry Clearance Officer will check that he or she has all the information that is needed to make a decision. If more information is required you may be asked to return with additional information before your application is accepted.

After looking at your application the Entry Clearance Officer may offer you the opportunity to withdraw your application before you pay the fee. You do not have to accept this advice. If you wish to continue with your application it will be accepted and you will be issued with a receipt for your fee.Once your application has been accepted you might have to be interviewed.

What are public funds?

The Immigration Rules require that people who wish to travel to the UK to study are able to support and accommodate themselves without claiming certain state benefits. Use this link to see a list of them:

Public Funds

Can I extend my stay as a student?

If you enter the UK with a student visa and wish to extend your stay for further studies you can apply to do so at the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND).If you are a visa national, you cannot stay on as a student unless you entered the UK with a student or prospective student visa.

Will I be allowed to work?

If you are admitted for a course lasting more than 6 months, you may, without a work permit or permission from the local Job Centre, take part-time or holiday-work, but you must not:

· work for more than 20 hours per week during term time unless your placement is part of your studies, has the agreement of the education institution and leads to a degree or qualification awarded by a nationally recognised examining body

· do business, be self-employed or provide services as a professional sportsperson or entertainer

· work full-time in a permanent job

If you are admitted for a course lasting 6 months or less, permission to work is granted at the entry clearance, or immigration officer's discretion.

Can I switch to Work Permit employment whilst in the UK?

You may be able to switch if you meet the following requirements:- you have completed a recognised degree course at either a UK publicly funded further or higher education institution or bona fide private education institution which maintains satisfactory records of enrolment and attendance

· you hold a valid work permit for employment

· If sponsored by your government or international scholarship agency you have their written consent

· you do not have an adverse immigration history

Can I bring my husband or wife and children with me?

Your husband or wife and any of your children under 18 can come to the UK with you during your studies as long as you can support and accommodate them without help from public funds.

Will my husband or wife be allowed to work?

Your husband or wife will be allowed to work in the UK if you are given permission to stay in the country for 12 months or more.

Can I go to the UK to arrange my studies?

You may travel to the UK as a prospective student to arrange your studies for up to six months. You will need to show that:

· you plan to enrol on a course of study within six months of arriving in the UK

· you can pay for your course and support and accommodate yourself and any dependants without working or help from public funds

· you plan to leave the UK when you finish your studies or when your permission to stay ends if you are not able to qualify to stay in the UK as a student

Note: You should not buy a ticket, or pay all or part of the cost of a course of studies, if delay or refusal of your application will result in financial loss. The entry clearance officer may ask you for other documents: production of those listed above does not guarantee that a visa will be issued.

You can get further advice and guidance about extending your stay once in the United Kingdom from

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Croydon Public Caller Unit

Lunar House

40 Wellesley Road

CROYDON CR9 2BY

General enquiries: (+44) (0)870 606 7766

Application forms: (+44) (0)870 241 0645

E-mail: public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Immigration Advisory Service (IAS)

The IAS is an independent charity that gives free and confidential advice, assistance and representation to persons who are applying for an entry clearance for the United Kingdom. Their address is:

Immigration Advisory Service

County House

190 Great Dover Street

LONDON SE1 4YB

Telephone: (+44) (0)20 7357 6917

Duty Office (24 hrs): (+44) (0)20 8814 1559

Fax: (+44) (0)20 7378 0665

E-mail: advice@iasuk.org

Drugs Warning

The United Kingdom has severe penalties against drug smuggling. Drug traffickers may try to bribe travellers. If you are travelling to the United Kingdom avoid any involvement with drugs.

Customs and Excise

Advice on importing personal effects and goods into the United Kingdom may be obtained from:

HM Customs and Excise

Dorset House

Stamford Street

LONDON SE1 9PY

Telephone: (+44) (0)845 010 9000

Health Insurance

Before you travel, please check that you have adequate health insurance cover. Medical treatment in the UK can be expensive and students are not covered by the UK’s national health insurance scheme (unless they are covered by a reciprocal health care agreement or they are enrolled on a course that is of six months duration or longer).

List of Visa Nationals

If you are a national of one of the countries listed in the link below, or if you are stateless, hold a non-national travel document or passport issued by an authority not recognised by the UK you must hold a valid UK visa on each* occasion that you travel to the UK.

Visa Nationals

If you are a national of a country not listed, you do not need a visa to enter the UK as a visitor or student. You may need to apply for prior entry clearance if you wish to come to the UK in another immigration capacity.

*Visas are not required if you are settled in the UK or if you already have permission to stay in the UK and are returning to the UK before your permission to stay expires.

Travelling Abroad

If you are going out of the UK but are planning to return, you will again have to satisfy the ImmigrationOfficer at the port of entry that you meet the necessary requirements for entry into the UK as a student. Before you travel abroad you should: - Check that your passport is not going to expire while you are away.

If it is you should apply for a new one in plenty of time before the trip.

· Check that you have evidence that you are a student enrolled on a full-time course (a letter from the Undergraduate, Postgraduate or International and Study Abroad Office); and evidence that you have enough money to support yourself.

· Check your remaining period of Leave to Remain. If you are on a course which is six months or less (visiting or exchange students) and your Leave to Remain is for six months or less you will require a multiple entry visa from your country of origin. If your Leave to Remain is for a period of more than six months, you do not require a new visa to re-enter the UK.

You should also check whether you need a visa for the country you intend to enter or any countries through which you will be passing. In order to find this out, you should consult the Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of the country concerned. This will probably be in London.

There are agreements (Schengen Agreements) between a number of EU states which allow certain visa nationals to travel freely for up to three months between the states. Countries which are currently parties to the scheme are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. For information about which visa nationals are covered by the agreements take a look at our Schengen Visa information page.

The visa should be obtained by applying to the Embassy of the country in which you will be spending most of your time.

Most of the information displayed on this page has been taken from the following government website:

STUDENTS - Information about studying in the UK (INF 5) (12/10/06)

Practical advice for Foreign Students Studying in the UK

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Personal Safety

When you go out, find out where you're going and let your host family know and tell them when they should expect you back

Plan your trip/journey ahead - ask yourself, how are you going to get there?

Try and go out in a group or with a friend and never walk alone at night if you can help it use a taxi - 0800 654 321 (freephone) will connect you to the nearest taxi company.

Always use well lit, busy roads and try to avoid shortcuts through dark quiet areas.

Stay alert - be aware of your surroundings - don't wear your personal stereo/cd player if you are out alone because you won't be able to hear if someone is following you.

Don't speak to people you don't know, or go up to their cars, even if they speak to you first.

Consider carrying a Personal Attack Alarm but not a self-defence spray as these are illegal in England.

Never carry all your money or passport with you and try to keep valuable objects like cameras out of sight.

Never leave your bag unattended in public places. It could be stolen.

What if Something Happens Whilst I am in the UK?

If you are a victim of theft, assaulted, followed or threatened in any way whilst you are out, then go into a shop, a police station or any public building and ask for help. Ask somebody to contact the Police for you. Do not worry about language difficulties, the Police will find an interpreter who speaks your language free of charge. If you are worried about contacting the police about something that has happened to you, do not keep it to yourself. Tell your host family, a tutor or someone you trust, they will support you and if necessary contact the police on your behalf.

Who can I call for Help?

In an emergency always dial 999

A non-emergency Police call 0845 60 70 999 (Students is Sussex only)

Victim Support Helpline call 0845 30 30 900

Racial Harassment is illegal in the UK and there are laws to protect you.

If you have been a victim of the following because of your race, nationality and ethnic origin then you must report it.

Physical abuse

Threats

Verbal abuse

Sexual abuse

Written / printed abuse

Graffiti

If it is an emergency then always dial 999

Remember your time in the United Kingdom should be fun and trouble free but if you do have a problem then there are people to help you, whether you go to your Tutor, phone the police or get in contact with the Racial Harassment Team at your local Council.

REMEMBER RACIAL HARASSMENT IS A CRIME
DON'T ACCEPT IT , REPORT IT

Cambridge and other EFL Examinations

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EXAM INFORMATION

The Cambridge EFL exams are known all over the world and are accepted by universities, employers and national education authorities in many countries as evidence of the required standards in English. For example, universities in Britain, North America, Australia, New Zealand and throughout the world accept the Certificate in Advanced English, the Certificate of Proficiency in English and IELTS (International English Language Testing System) as evidence of an adequate standard of English for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses.

For MBA courses we are recommending that higher education institutions accept Business English Certificate 3 as an entry requirement. This examination is at the same level as the Certificate in Advanced English, but is particularly relevant to business students.

In the corporate sector, UCLES business examinations provide an independent objective assessment of an employee or potential employee?s ability. The Business English Certificates are a suite of examinations aimed at individuals who need a certificate to enhance their career. The Business Language Testing Service (BULATS) is a language assessment service for companies and organisations. It offers a fast, flexible service with a range of testing options to assess employees? language level.

Key English Test - KET

KET is a basic qualification in English at the Council of Europe's Waystage 1990 level and a first step towards more advanced exams.

Preliminary English Test - PET

PET, at the Council of Europe's Threshold 1990 level, assesses competence in English at a basic level of communication in both social and work situations.

First Certificate in English - FCE

FCE is the most widely taken of the Cambridge EFL examinations. It is an intermediate level examination recognised by business and educational organisations throughout the world.

Certificate in Advanced English - CAE

CAE is a high level qualification in English for those who wish to use English for professional or study purposes. It is recognised by most British universities and in other countries as proof that the holder has the language ability to follow a course of study in the medium of English.

Certificate of Proficiency in English - CPE

CPE is the highest level EFL exam offered by UCLES and is recognised by British universities as proof of the language ability needed to study in English at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

International English Language Testing System - IELTS

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is jointly administered by UCLES, the British Council and IELTS Australia:IDP Education Australia. It is recognised by many universities in Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and elsewhere as proof of the language ability needed to study in English at degree level. All candidates take the same listening and speaking modules, and there is a choice of 'Academic' and 'General Training' modules for reading and writing.

Test of English as a Foreign Language - TOEFL

TOEFL measures the listening, reading and writing skills of non-native English speakers. It is administered as either a written exam or a computer-based exam, and a satisfactory TOEFL score is acceptable proof of proficiency for admission to most English-language universities, especially in the US and Australia.

Test of English for International Communication - TOEIC

TOEIC is used to evaluate the English proficiency of non-native speakers in a range of academic and business environments. A satisfactory TOEIC score is acceptable proof of proficiency for admission to most community colleges in the US.

Schengen Visas - General Information

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Schengen Visas - General Information

Origins of the Schengen Visa
List of Schengen Countries
List of countries whose nationals who do NOT need a schengen visa
What is a Schengen Visa?
Where do you apply?
Application Form

Origins of the Schengen Visa

The name "Schengen" originates from a small town in Luxembourg. In June 1985, seven European Union countries signed a treaty to end internal border checkpoints and controls. More countries have joined the treaty over the past years. At present, there are 15 Schengen countries, all in Europe.

List of Schengen Countries

The 15 Schengen countries are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. All these countries except Norway and Iceland are European Union members.

Nationals of the following countries do not require a visa to enter the Schengen area:

EU Countries; Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (Blue Passports Only), Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Korea (Rep Of), Latvia, Liechenstein, Lithuania, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Switzerland, Uruguay, USA, Vatican City and Venezuela. If you are not on the list of countries above, you will need a schengen visa.

What is a Schengen Visa?

Travelling in Europe has been simplified with the introduction of the Schengen visa. As a visitor to the Schengen area, you will enjoy the many advantages of this unified visa system. With a Schengen visa, you may enter one country and travel freely throughout the Schengen zone. Internal border controls have disappeared; there are no or few stops and checks. This means that internal air, road and train travel are handled as domestic trips, similar to travel from one US state to another. Those who travelled in Europe before Schengen know the difference.

Where do you apply?

All depends on the place(s) you want to visit. If you intend to visit only one Schengen country, you must apply at the Embassy or Consulate of that particular country. You apply at the Embassy or Consulate responsible for the state where you live. If you intend to visit several Schengen countries, you must apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your main destination. If you intend to visit several Schengen countries but do not have a main destination, you should apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your first point of entry.

Application Form

A uniform visa application form is used by all members of the Schengen countries. The application form is available in five languages. You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to be able to view and print this form.

To download a free Adobe Acrobat Reader, click here

To download the form, click on your language of choice,

- English
- French
- Spanish
- German
- Dutch

For more information on Schengen, click here

SOP for Medicine and Medical Specialities

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I firmly believe in the powerful message of Ecclesiastes 3:1, which states that every endeavor man can undertake has its own time and meaning. Looking back on my own life, I see these different seasons as stages of growth that have helped me to understand my own potential and the path that I wish to take in life. I feel that I have lived deeply and fully, and now wish to apply the valuable life lessons I have gained to what I feel is my true calling. Now is the season to explore the fascinating world of medicine, and to finally make that dream a reality.

As a child, I never believed that I could succeed. Growing up in one foster home after another, I lacked the stability that a youth needs in order to excel in classes and build a proper foundation for the future. I was pregnant by the age of eighteen, and dropped out of school to try to forge a future for my children. Life was difficult but fulfilling, and I found much joy in being the mother of two lovely children. The day my second child was diagnosed with Krabbe’s disease, however, all of my happiness seemed to vanish before my very eyes.

Krabbe’s disease is both terminal and debilitating, and the doctors gave my daughter a life expectancy of eighteen months. Swallowing my shock and sorrow, I devoted myself to making the most of the precious time I had left with my child. I researched intensively on Krabbe’s disease, learning as much as I could about its mechanisms and the course it would run. I applied these lessons to caring for my daughter, and provided her with the twenty-four hour a day care that she required. Because I was afraid she would die at any moment, I never left her side, even to go to work. In order to pay the bills, I took in outside sewing and odd jobs. But no sacrifice was too great for my daughter. She lived to the age of four, long past her expectancy, which the doctors attributed to my constant care.

Being such an intimate witness to the struggle of life and death left me with a deep sense of human fragility. I realized that the human body is so very intricate and beautiful in its complex delicacy. Working closely with doctors, studying medical texts, and nursing a very sick little girl gave me my first taste of medicine. I was too numbed with pain, however, to focus my thoughts on any plans to enter that field. I instead tried to deal with my grief while providing for my remaining child as a single mother. During the next few years, I worked as a secretary and a beautician, and eventually opened a beauty salon of my own. As a business owner, I entered a new world of innovative ideas and social responsibility. Running the salon taught me the valuable lesson of “people pleasing,” and I gained the confidence and communication skills to fight for my rights as a businesswoman. I also devoted much time and funding to my community. I knew full well the horrors of poverty, and often performed services for the local nursing home and charities. My life was finally beginning to stabilize, and I decided that the time had come to think about the dream of medicine that had grown during my daughter’s illness.

Because my days were devoted to running the beauty salon, I attended college during the nights. I was hesitant at first; although I felt drawn to medicine, I did not know if I could handle the coursework. I therefore decided to explore the field before committing myself to it. I found part-time work in the medical office of a local prison, which gave me much exposure to the rigors of health care. Working with prisoners was an amazing experience, for it taught me that all humans need compassion, no matter what their past or their crimes. Whenever a man walked into the clinic, I saw him not as a prisoner, but as a human being in need of help. I poured all of my compassion into my work, and did my best to ensure that these men were receiving the care that every human deserves.

Because I was in a prison environment, the office granted me much more opportunity for hands-on care than I could have found in a public setting. For instance, I often changed bandages and assisted in minor surgeries. On one memorable day, I helped treat a young boy who had nearly cut off his thumb while working in the kitchen. The knife had bitten deep into his palm, and his thumb seemed to be dangling by a thread. Far from feeling repulsion, I was fascinated by the sight of his hand’s internal parts. I realized that I was viewing the physiological structures that enabled movement, and found the experience to be breathtaking. My resolve snapped into place. I knew then that medicine was my true calling, and I enrolled in Georgia Southern University immediately as a full-time student.

Attending college at this point in my life has not been easy. I live seventy miles away from campus, and commute every day. The distance always seems so tiny when I think of the wealth of information I am gaining in my classes, and the many noble goals that are now within my grasp. College is certainly not the only aspect of my life right now. I revel in white water rafting, horseback riding, and cabinet making, and enjoy the challenges and hard work that fill these activities. Having been married to a farmer for the past ten years, I also know the basics of running a farm. I am an advocate for birth control, and have devoted much of my time to convincing sexually active adolescents to seek family planning services. Additionally, I have striven to prepare myself for making meaningful contributions to my community. Because I am from a region with a large Hispanic population, I spent a summer in Costa Rica strengthening my knowledge of the Spanish language, as well as broadening my cultural awareness of other peoples and customs. I believe that a physician must be attuned to all of the needs of the community, be they physical or emotional or cultural.

Now is the season for me to tackle my true goal of medicine. I believe that all of my life experiences have been necessary to bring me to this point. I am mentally prepared and persistent enough to excel at any endeavor, and have developed the compassion and commitment to medicine that will drive me through the years to come. I look forward to my future with great anticipation, and know that the time has finally come for me to realize my dreams.

SOP for Economics Graduate Studies

2006-09-25T06:02:00.000+05:30

In this essay I am going to concentrate mostly on the incentives that stimulate me to pursue further studying, and reflect the motives for my choice of Princeton University as well as state my future career objectives.I have chosen to work in the area of international microeconomics because it has such a demand for new ideas. At the same time it requires a good mathematical background and has obvious implications in real life.
My education suits this field very well, I have Master of Science with Honors in the field of applied mathematics and physics and a Master of Arts in economics with a specialization in international economics. I already have extensive research experience both in applied sciences and economics, know basic economic models and have strong background both in abstract modeling and data manipulation. All this probably makes me an economist, but my objective is to become a good one.I have been taught by very good lecturers. After course I took with Professor Branson I decided that there is nothing more interesting than international economics. Professor A made issues of monetary economics and government policy fascinating. Lectures delivered by Professor B attracted me to labor market problems. I enjoyed listening to them and want to teach my mind to operate in a similar manner -- attention is paid to every individual fact and each formal problem solved reflects a real economic situation.

While writing my master's thesis I had a chance to see that a simple look at a graph can be more useful than application of sophisticated economic techniques. One of the reasons I want to study further is to reach at least the same level of intuitiveness and panoramic view of the subject as my teachers have.My Master of Arts degree was in the field of Health Economics, which I am very interested in. It was mostly empirical dissertation. My dissertation was titled ".." and I worked under the guidance of Professor C. The greatest part of my work was devoted to macroeconomic cross-country econometric (panel data) analysis. The task was complicated by the necessity to work with omitted variables and low quality data as well as the low reliability of data for developing countries and countries in transition.

We also made efforts to build a model that explains the impact of macroeconomic parameters on health deterioration and the probability of death. My master's thesis has been presented at the "Russian Economic And Political Institutions In Transition" conference and currently we are preparing it for publication.At this time I am also doing empirical research devoted to inflation and monetary policy. I feel cautious specifying which area of economics interests me most for further study, but I do not think that this is a drawback. I find economics particularly attractive for the fact that it is broad, and has not yet been split into a set of narrow sub-branches -- economists all speak almost the same language. I also think that in the face of complexity we face in this discipline, it would ineffective to specialize too narrowly.

This year I realized as I had not before that I wish to continue my studies. Being a teaching assistant in Professor A's Macroeconomics and Advanced Macroeconomics classes, I understood a lot of effort must be applied for a good student to turn into a good teacher. I feel that a similar gap lies between a good student and a good researcher.I am a hard-working and determined person, and I am ready for a new leap in my economics career. I will work hard in hope that the quantity of the effort I put in will result in high quality knowledge. The fact is that the best possible supervisors and a highly competitive atmosphere are necessary for this quality. The only reasonable decision for me was to aim for such a place. All this gives me the motivation to apply to Princeton University.

Biophysics program application - Sample SOP

2006-09-25T05:42:00.000+05:30

It is noticed that science develops in splashes, each significantly advancing our understanding of the Nature. The 19th century was the time of rapid development of thermodynamics and electrodynamics; in the beginning of the 20th century quantum mechanics and relativity theory were born. In the search for secrets of nature science has reached extremely high and low energies as well as large and small length scales. Still until recently we knew very little about one of the most complex on everyday’s length and energy scales systems – life. Now we are at the dawn of efflorescence in molecular biology, which provides an excellent basis for application of modern physics, biochemistry and computational techniques. Revelations of molecular structure become extremely crucial, as they provide insights into the way molecules work.

My interest in the role of biomolecular structure in information processing and signal transduction pathways in the cell has developed during the last two years, while I have been a student of Molecular Biophysics sub-department of MIPT. Processing of biological information plays a crucial role in the existence and development of biological systems and its infringement often leads to different kinds of diseases. The structure and, consequently, the function of the involved biomolecules is an important key to the understanding of these processes. To further study processing of biological information and methods of structure determination I joined the research group of Dr. X, focusing on the structure and function of membrane proteins, lipids and lipid-protein systems.

In September 2004 I started my research in the group of xyux123, Small City, Russia. I studied the properties of xxx65432 under various conditions. Work there not only deepened my knowledge about crystallisation and lipid systems, but also gave me knowledge and experience of strengths and limitations of structure investigation by neutron scattering. I became familiar with the theoretical background of small angle neutron scattering, experimental setup and data treatment techniques.

In March 2005 I continued my research in the group of Dr. X at the Institute of XX. The ultimate goal of our research is to explain all stages of signal transduction during the chemo- and phototaxis. Currently I am involved in several projects on the structure and functioning of xxx, the specimen of microbial phototaxis system, in the complex with xxx as well as without it. My current task is to obtain crystals which xxx. During this work I acquired a broad range of experimental experience and theoretical background necessary for crystallisation and structure determination of membrane proteins. One of the most challenging tasks in my project was to find the best conditions for trapping intermediate states of xx in crystals. It was a combination of thorough theoretical analysis of spectral properties of the protein with further experimental examination and finally implementation of theoretical findings. As a result I obtained crystals of xxx which diffract to xx on a synchrotron.

Having succeeded in the current research, employing the knowledge from different fields of physics and biochemistry, I feel well prepared for the further challenging studies and research in the fields of molecular and structural biology, perhaps on very different topics, as well as on the topics I am familiar with. I regard structure investigations to be not only the method of obtaining a particular structure, but one from the collection of methods of life sciences which together advance our understanding of molecular mechanisms of life. Therefore I want to study a range of biophysical, biochemical and computational techniques that are used to reveal function of biomolecules and information processing by biological systems. Spectroscopy, quantum chemistry and computational structural biology techniques, like molecular dynamics and Brownian dynamics are of great interest to me as they are hand in hand with structure determination methods. Therefore multidisciplinary training program in Molecular, Cellular and Chemical Biology perfectly suits my scientific interests. Research in these areas is very active in Dr. X's, Dr. X’s, Dr. X’s, and Dr. X’s groups at XX University.

I want to continue my education at the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology of XX University. I am convinced that my participation in your Ph.D. program will give me thorough education and excellent research experience, which will advance me to my dream – discovering new secrets of Nature.

SOP for CS students

2006-09-22T18:08:00.000+05:30

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Electronics – as we know is a dynamic field, ever developing and constantly evolving. That is what prompted me to take u this particular course with the Shah and Anchor Kutchhi Engineering College, recognized as one of the best colleges in the University of Mumbai. My undergraduate course offered a vast curriculum of integrated subjects like Electrical, Computers, Telecommunications and Instrumentation. Electronics was also my subject of specialization after my secondary School Certificate exam. Two years of Higher Secondary School gave me fair idea of what to expect at the undergraduate level. My ardent interest and dedication enabled me to secure distinction at the Higher Secondary Certificate exams. Now I plan to specialize in Computer Science. Needles s to mention that the United States is the world leader in this field and your academic institutions are held in high esteem worldwide. What attract me though, are the freedom of academics and the variety of courses offered by your prestigious institute.

This undergraduate program has given me a strong foundation and has brought about considerable maturity in my outlook. Among my favorite subjects in class were Mathematics and Calculus, Numerical Methods, Programming in Pascal and C and Microprocessor Architecture. My senior year elective was an integrated course of Intel Pentium architecture and assembly language programming, WindowsNT and PCI bus architecture.

Reflecting on my undergraduate days, I wold life to emphasize on my consistent academic record. I believe that knowledge is not what one is able to retain and reproduce on a sheet of paper. It is grasping of the complexities of the subject and founding a strong technical base that matters. I love to read a lot of books and journals. Besides giving me a fair idea of the subject, this also gives me an opportunity to keep abreast of the latest developments and technology. My favorites are the IEEE publications and journals, PC Quest, Electronics for You and the CHIP Magazine.

I represented the college at an all-college convention of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, an international organization). My college project titled “Back EMF Strategy used in Stepper Motor Control” did pretty well and though I did not make it among the pot three at the presentation, my seminar was well received by the audience as several people and even some senior members expressed their appreciation of my topic and the detailed information that I imparted as part of my presentation. This encouragement truly has boosted my confidence.

I carried out my senior year project titled “Professional and Management Development Cell System” at Tata Constancy Services (TCS), a premier software company in India and the Indian consultants for Microsoft Corporation. My main project involved creation of a company wide database to help train the employees using MS-Access as the underlying database. Because this project involved all the branches of the company countrywide, I also gained some working experience of the Internet, Intranets and LANs. While I had the opportunity to gain some knowledge of Visual Basic, VC++ and JAVA.

In my final year of undergraduation, I secured a job at Mahindra British Telecom, a leading IT company formed by merging Mahindra & Mahindra India Ltd. with the worked famous British Telecom Pl. Currently, I am working there as software engineer. I have come to realize that in order to keep up with the reckless pace of innovation in this field and to meet up to the standards of my counterparts from across the globe, I have to equip myself with a strong degree from Institute of International acclaim. Your college, I feel offers me the best in terms of courses, guidance, facilities and faculty. Being a hard working and committed student, I am certain that I will be able to cope with the rigors of an International curriculum with ease. My determination to succeed and do well will enable me to be among the better students of your college.

SOP for Computer Science

2006-09-22T16:07:00.000+05:30

SOP

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

I completed my Graduation in Bachelor of Commerce (Honors Course) in 1995. It taught me how to manage financial affairs, prepare balance sheets, etc. I liked the commerce field so I decided to do masters in that field. In 1997 I completed my Masters degree in Commerce. While doing the masters degree I joined our own finance company where my work was totally related to the finance field. Along with that I did Post Graduate Diploma in Management, again specializing in Finance and completed it in 1998. While doing the job I thought about getting some acquaintance with the computers so I did Advanced PC Applications from NIIT in Dec 1998 and a training program from Indira Gandhi National Open University in C, C++ and JAVA in June 1998. After doing these courses, I got a keen interest in computers. So I decided to g n for some programming language and I did ORACLE 8 with DEVELOPER 2000 (FORMS 5.0 AND REPORTS 3.0) in 1999 from SQL Star International Ltd., New Delhi, the Institute authorized by Oracle Software India. I am an Oracle Certified Professional (OCP), the certificate provided by Oracle Corporation, USA.

I did 2 projects in oracle. One was about Banking System and the second was about the Super Market. The Banking system was small software that handled all the transactions regarding bank, which provides the account holder information, and handling day to day transactions. This software automatically updates the account holder’s account mentioning the current balance in his account. The super market was sophisticated software, which stored the information regarding customer, products, vendors and credit card. This software also generated various bills like invoicing bill, receipt bill and customer payment bill.

After doing these many courses and 2 projects in computers I found that my interest towards computers has increased further. Moreover, now in every industry knowledge about IT is required. So I discovered that either I have the option to do Masters in Computer Applications (MCA) from India itself or go outside India to get a good Masters degree in computers. As in India, MCA is for three years, which I thought, is not feasible for me. So I decided for the second option i.e. doing MS in Computer Science from USA, which is a two year course. Further, MS in computer science is a professional degree worldwide and it will be easier for me to fulfill my dreams of becoming a software professional and getting a good job in India. Moreover, by doing this course from USA I will get an international l exposure and it will also enhance my overall personal development.

How to write a statement of purpose!

2006-09-22T03:12:00.000+05:30

Writing your admissions essays or Statement of Purpose (SoP) is a long and intensive process - ten to twelve drafts over a two-month period are fairly common. It is necessary to put in this hard work to come up with an essay that is uniquely yourself, and a compelling read which convinces the admissions committee that you are right for their school. This is a great opportunity to look inside yourself and be rewarded by a better understanding of who you are and what you want.

Show your interest in the subject. Rather than saying that you find electronics interesting, it is more convincing to demonstrate your interest by talking about any projects you may have done and what you learnt from them. If you have taken the initiative to do things on your own, now is the time to talk about them.Show that you have thought carefully about further studies, know what you are getting into, and have the confidence to go through with it. Have the admissions committee like you! Avoid sounding opinionated, conceited, pedantic or patronizing. Read your essay carefully, and have others read it to find and correct this.

Demonstrate a rounded personality. Include a short paragraph near the end on what you like to do outside of your professional life. Keep the essay focussed. Each sentence you use should strengthen the admissions committee's resolve to admit you. So while you may have done several interesting things in life, avoid falling into the trap of mentioning each of them. Your essay should have depth, not breadth. The resume is where you should list achievements. Remember that you have very little space to convey who you are, so make every sentence count.
Pitfalls your essay must avoid : It is a repetition of the resume or other information available from the application form, It could have been written by just about anybody; your individuality does not come through, It is not a honest account in response to the essay question (why you want to study what you do, what you have learned from an event/person in your life and so on) It has embarrassing, highly personal and emotional content that should be avoided unless it makes a unique, creative point. The admissions committee would not appreciate reading about the pain you went through after breaking up with your boyfriend. An account of how you overcame difficult family circumstances, illness, or a handicap, would be a valid point to include in your essay. However, avoid emotional language.

Flow
While each paragraph should make a complete statement on its own, the essay should logically progress from paragraph to paragraph. Read your essay for flow, or have someone else read it, and ask yourself if there seems to be an abrupt shift between ideas in two consecutive paragraphs.

Structure
This follows naturally from flow. Do all the paragraphs mesh together to form a cogent whole? Does the essay, through a logical progression of ideas, demonstrate your interest, enthusiasm, and fit in the department you have applied to?

Language
Avoid slang and abbreviations. For acronyms, use the full form the first time and show the acronym in parentheses. Use grammatically correct English and ALWAYS read your essay carefully for spelling mistakes before you send it off - your computer's spellcheck may not flush out all the errors. Try to make your essay crisp, cutting out unnecessary adverbs, articles and pronouns (for instance, a careful reading may yield several "the's" that are superfluous).

Tone
Use a consistent tone throughout the essay - it will only confuse the admissions officers if you alternately sound like Ernest Hemingway and Shakespeare, and is hardly likely to endear you to them! While you should avoid flowery language and cliches, there is no harm in looking for the most apt phrase or sentence. Be careful while using humor - it can misfire and harm your chances.

So now you have a coherent essay put together. You think the structure is more or less right, the ideas flow, and the language isn’t bad. What next? Put your essay away for a day or two. When you take it out, lay it face down for two minutes while you put yourself in the admissions committee’s place. Imagine yourself to be a professor or graduate student who is going through a few hundred applications and classifying them into ‘yes’, ‘maybe’ and ‘no’ piles. Think of how you would look at SoPs and try to read yours through a stranger’s eyes. What do you see?
It is essential to show your SoP to a few people whose opinion you respect – an English teacher from school, a professor, an older friend, a parent or a relative. Include among these, 2-3 people who know you well.

Top 10 Essay Clichés

2006-09-21T06:55:00.000+05:30

According to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, a cliché is "a trite phrase or expression," "a hackneyed theme, characterization, or situation," or "something that has become overly familiar or commonplace." The last thing you want in your essay is any of the above. Clichés make your writing appear lazy, your ideas ordinary, and your experiences typical. Arm yourself with the list below and eradicate these and other clichés from your writing.

1. I always learn from my mistakes
2. I know my dreams will come true
3. I can make a difference
4. _________ is my passion
5. I no longer take my loved ones for granted
6. These lessons are useful both on and off the field (or other sporting arena)
7. I realized the value of hard work and perseverance
8. _________ was the greatest lesson of all
9. I know what it is to triumph over adversity
10. _________ opened my eyes to a whole new world

SEE SAMPLE SOP

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE- Journalism

2006-09-17T15:40:00.000+05:30

Personal Statement

I hope for a chance to do graduate study in the United States because it has the most independent and sophisticated mass media in the world. My ultimate goal is to apply what I learn to the industry in my own country, which is still immature but will surely become more developed. My dream of becoming a journalist dates back to my childhood. Even as a youngster, I was curious about the world around me and I like freedom. I was attracted to the idea because a journalist can talk to people in all stations of life and be exposed to many ideas. As I grew older, the work attracted me even more as I realized journalists might be the people closest to the truth and reality. They play a vital role in helping others know the world in which they live and contribute to the enlightenment of society. My dream came closer to fulfillment in 1995 when I graduated from middle school and enrolled in the Department of Journalism at Fudan University, ranked the best journalism school in China.

In the university, I accepted a Chinese-style journalism education. I was one of the school's top students in the four years I attended. I worked as an intern in five Chinese newspapers during vacations and was quite productive. China has a government controlled media and the press industry has a strict environment, but I can understand that since the government is facing a large population, it needs a unified media to make its voice clear.

After graduation, I made another step toward my dream by entering a newly launched newspaper, Shanghai Daily, which is so far the largest local English-language newspaper in China. I chose it because I wanted to polish my English, and more importantly, to practice what I had learned from reading western newspapers and magazines during my undergraduate study. I was deeply impressed by their balanced angles, their thorough research, and their courage to criticize.

During the past year I have been working as a business reporter at Shanghai Daily, covering the economic development of Pudong, a special finance and trade development area in Shanghai, and the telecom beat. The latter was fortuitous not only because China's telecom market has grown into the world's second largest, but also because it is experiencing a major reform, under which the former tightly controlled market is gradually opening to more competitors and even foreign investors. Covering this beat helped me a lot to develop the valuable skill of communicating with others.

This working experience has turned me from a shy girl into an open-minded reporter. I would even get nervous before making a telephone interview during the first months after I left campus, but now I will be the first among a group of journalists to raise my hand to ask questions during a press conference. At the same time, however, I became increasingly aware of my inadequacies. I need to further raise my English language level. I need to develop solid knowledge in a specific sector, such as finance or public affairs, so that I can become a real professional on my beat. That is why I decided to go back to school.

If I have a chance to enroll in your university, I will focus my study and research on the theories and practices of western journalism. What should be the nature of journalism? Can a news entity be totally free or is it inevitably beholden, controlled or influenced by a party, group or government. How should a news agency behave when its actions can hurt the nation's welfare? These are questions to which I will try to find answers. I will try to learn a journalist's professional skills. Western journalists' sharp news sense, strong analytical capacity and their skills of interviewing and writing are things that I will try to develop. I will also concentrate on the flourishing digital media, the Internet. The open, free and fast-refreshing Internet has become an unprecedented challenge to China's traditional media, although it's still in a fledgling stage, uncertain of its future. The Internet is obviously becoming one of the best-used news resources for the Chinese, even though the government bars non-official websites having their own reporters gathering information, thereby permitting rumors to occupy a big part of website contents.

I sincerely hope your university can provide me with the chance to study. Your sophisticated education and my own efforts will help me grow into an accomplished journalist.

SOP for LAW School

2006-09-17T04:33:00.000+05:30

Throughout my life, I have always known that helping others would be an integral part of my career. My parents raised me with the belief that we must constantly strive to touch the lives of the people around us. In the second grade, I received the first reward of my academic career: my teacher Mrs. Horodowich presented me with the “Most Likely to be a Peace Maker” award. In later years, whenever I began wondering where my life was headed, my mother would remind me of that award. She has never questioned her conviction that I will one day “be a Peace Maker” somewhere and somehow.

During high school and college, I searched for my identity. I looked at many possible career paths, yet I always came back to law. It is the only profession that perfectly matches my personality and goals, and gives me the ability to fulfill my lifelong dream of making a significant impact on our society through civil service. A vast majority of Florida and United States congressmen are lawyers; the legal profession seems ideally suited to such a calling. I believe that God has molded me into the type of individual who cares strongly about his surroundings, and cannot be happy unless he is impacting those around him in a positive way. This conviction is deeply rooted in my everyday routine and in my overall life. I want to touch the lives of as many people as I can.

My burning desire to impact others has been with me throughout my life, but became most firm during my sophomore year in high school. I began serving in student government as the voice of my constituents. As time progressed, I grew increasingly comfortable with stepping outside of the box. I realized that God had given me a gift to speak, and that I could use that gift to benefit others. In May of my sophomore year, I attended the Hugh O’Brien Youth Seminar, which taught me how to think, not what to think. I quickly realized the impact I could have in my everyday life. After that short weekend, my life changed drastically. The leadership conference equipped me with new and unique tools that I could apply throughout my life. I grew hungry for more of these tools and ideas, and began to see law school as a place where I could acquire them.

Through high school and well into college, I continued finding myself. I participated in numerous extracurricular activities, including presiding over the Greek and American Student Association, joining the Hugh O'Brien Youth State Executive Board, and coaching various volleyball teams in the Gainesville area, all while holding down a full time job at the Home Depot and attending the University of Florida. During the 2000 Jr. Olympic Volleyball National Championships in Kentucky, I realized the fruits of my labor. Guiding the eleven fourteen-year-old girls on my team to success brought me a great sense of accomplishment. Through the year, sixteen hundred teams competed to enter this tournament, and only sixty-four were invited. Although our team was from a small town with a population of less then three hundred thousand, we somehow managed to finish ninth in the nation. When the last ball hit the floor, I looked up and thanked God for giving me such an honor. It was one of the greatest moments of my life, and taught me a lesson that I will never forget. I realized that my ability to motivate others could lead to great achievements. Law will definitely enable me to continue finding such opportunities. At first, I may be helping one person at a time. Yet as time passes and my aspirations become reality, I envision myself impacting whole cities or states.

The XXX has offered me an excellent education, and XXX has given me great opportunities to exercise my dreams. However, I believe that I would gain more from attending a smaller, more personal institution. While visiting XXX in Miami, I found the small school atmosphere very exciting. I felt comfortable with the campus, and had a feeling of welcome. Bob, the admissions counselor, gave me a tour of the impressive facility. He made me feel at home, even though I had yet to apply. I was most impressed with the openness of the faculty when Ken introduced me to XXX, who was very friendly and welcoming. I know that attending XXX will provide me with the educational foundation to fully realize my professional and personal goals. I hope to make an important difference in society; XXX will provide me the opportunity.

SOP for Business Administration

2006-09-17T02:17:00.000+05:30

I am applying for admission to the Ph.D. program in Business Administration because I want a career in the research and teaching of management. In particular, I am interested in factors that affect the competitive performance of a business concern, and the manner in which changes in technology affect an organisation's structure, long-term business strategy, product development, manufacturing, supply chains, distribution network, information needs and standard systems. In order to gain an appreciation of these and related issues, it is essential for me to have a strong grounding in Economics, Supply Chain Management, and issues connected with Information Technology, as well as gain a General Management perspective.

I believe that the Ph.D. program in Business Administration (with concentration in Management) would be invaluable in helping me achieve these objectives. It would enable me to channel my quantitative and conceptual skills in analysing business issues and would open up new avenues in research. Subsequent to earning a Ph.D., I would like to apply for a faculty position at a leading university; and investigate issues concerned with technology as it affects organisation strategy, structure and systems. I believe that my background in engineering and management has prepared me for such a career. I have found research fascinating since my engineering days, where I received the highest marks in the Department for my final-year undergraduate dissertation; and was judged to have presented the best paper at a Departmental seminar. My four years of engineering education have provided me with a strong grounding in mathematics (I stood first in my Department for each of the four Math papers) and the theoretical aspects of technology.

I joined ABC Business School in order to broaden my perspective and to improve my career prospects. Economics and psychology - subjects new to me - were interesting, and I enjoyed applying quantitative and conceptual skills to analyze business problems. I did very well in projects, desk research, workshops and class discussion, although academically I did not perform to my satisfaction (I finished with a GPA of 2.91, partly due to health reasons). I was voted as one of the ten most promising students in my batch, and received a national-level award for the best business school project, awarded by the Institute of Management Consultants of India. This was for a summer project, entitled "Formulation and Implementation of a Marketing Strategy for HandiCrafts, a unit of the Special Person’s Association".
Upon graduating from business school I was offered a job with AZ & Co., a management consulting firm which ranks as among India’s largest. This is where I learned how to apply the principles and lessons of management to real life. It was fascinating; and transformed my interest in management research into a passion. I read extensively, trying to keep myself informed about management thinking in my areas of work - structure and systems in an industry and organisation, industrial marketing and strategy.

I have learnt a lot on my present job. With the rest of my team, I have analysed markets and examined supply and distribution networks for such diverse products and industries as bulk chemicals, fresh fruit exports, toys, packaging machinery, retailing, adhesives, diamonds and pharmaceuticals. I have helped formulate entry strategies, plans for expansion and diversification; and also company business plans. As part of a team, I have carried out preliminary feasibility studies; compared technology options; suggested to the Forex Bank of India, a plan for improving the export competitiveness of India's Chemicals Sector; and studied government schemes for their efficacy. I have studied in detail the organisation structure and systems for one of India's largest manufacturers of automobiles and helped in the restructuring of the company as well as the redesigning of their new systems. These assignments have involved interaction with people at all levels of the value chain, and at organisational levels from the Chairman of a $ 200 million firm to a packing clerk earning $1 daily. They have given me the opportunity to interview a number of policy makers, industry analysts and economists in an effort to understand the functioning of, and important issues connected with, each of these industries.

All this has given me valuable insights into the environment in which companies operate - how they affect this environment and are affected by it. It has enabled me to observe some of the better and worse ways of running a business. Certain assignments have been thought provoking; my most recent assignment, on the redesigning of a company's structure and systems, helped me understand the necessity of good organisation structures, and appreciate the significance of systems that work well. A study on the export competitiveness of India's chemicals sector brought home to me the importance of technology in determining a company's or industry's competitiveness. An assignment involving the evaluation of an air freight subsidy scheme for exporters of fresh fruits raised fundamental questions in my mind about the efficacy of subsidies in improving the competitiveness of an industrial sector, and encouraged me to look at more lasting measures instead.

The time limitation on each assignment has taught me to plan well, work systematically and keep my reports up-to-date. At the same time, having to defend my analyses and recommendations, during both internal discussions and presentations to clients, has taught me to think rigorously and creatively. Our extensive use of computers for analysis and preparation of presentations and reports has made me familiar with spreadsheet, word processing and presentation packages.

While the highly diverse nature of assignments has helped me gain a broad exposure to Indian industry, it has not been possible for me to study specific business and technology - related issues in depth. I realise that in order to be able to do so, I need a better understanding of the various facets of management; the interlinkages between different functional areas and between different business entities. Equally important, I need further training in research methodology.

I want to do a Ph.D. at the College of Business, XYZ University for many reasons. I have heard about XYZ's Ph.D. program in Business Administration from my business school professors and am impressed with the emphasis placed on technical and analytical skills, general management orientation and rigorous research methodology. The School's strengths in supply chain management and information management are commensurate with my research interests. The faculty's reputation for excellent teaching, challenging coursework and the excellent facilities are added attractions.

While the study of and research in management is my prime objective today, my interests in literature, music, travel and nature help me maintain a sense of perspective in life. I like to write and have had some articles published in Indian newspapers. I have organized and participated in a number of extra-curricular activities during my college days and have won university and national level prizes in debating, writing and quizzes. I also believe that each of us must give something back to society - to this end, I have worked on a voluntary basis for the Hunger Project for a year; as a teacher and counselor to physically and mentally handicapped children for three years; and as a reader to blind students. Today, I contribute to a local organisation that focuses on the environment of my hometown, Allahabad.

Environmental Studies - Statement of Purpose

2006-09-17T02:12:00.000+05:30

Two scenes stand out in my mind from my visit to Brazil’s Wetland: Forests burning before seed planting and trees as hedgerows. Before the planting season, I could see the leafless remnants of burnt trees still standing. The burning of pristine forests destroys both the habitats and countless species which depend on and thrive in these habitats. The few remaining bare, scarred trees silently convey the cost to our natural resources of pursuing our economic interests. Some forests are preserved by government edict issued in response to international pressure. But most of this preservation occurs alongside major roads — not to protect the ecosystem, but to prevent disturbance to ranches and farms along the highways. The clash between economic and environmental concerns that I witnessed in Brazil fascinates me and attracts me to the Environmental Studies Program.

Two courses in my geography department increased my interest in the connection between the environment and economics: Conservation of Underdeveloped Countries and Environmental Impact Analysis. In the former, we studied the problems of natural resource management in developing countries. The balance is always tilted toward economics growth at the expense of environmental preservation. For example, because the Pantanal Wetland could become a highly productive agricultural system once it’s drained, it is drained regardless of the destruction that drainage causes to the ecosystem. Only portions of the wetland are preserved for tourist purposes.

The other course that piqued my interest is an interdisciplinary course called Environmental Impact Analysis in which we, as a group, created matrix and flow diagrams discussing the economic and environmental impact of logging and preservation of old growth forests. I was able to use tools that I acquired in my economics and environmental studies classes. In general, logging creates economic benefits at the local level. It increases employment in the timber industry and subsequently in related non-timber industries; it also benefits local government. Yet, it has great deleterious environmental effects: soil erosion, watershed destruction, and a decrease in specie diversity due to loss of habitat. The logging industry represents the classic clash between economic and environmental interests.

I also took two sequential classes in the economics department that are related to Resource Management — Theories of Growth & Development and Policies for Economic Development. Because the courses were taught by a professor who is concerned chiefly with economic growth, I learned the standard economic rationalizations for development unrestrained by environmental concerns.

In addition to my interest in resource management policies, I have a specific interest in Geographical Information System (GIS), a powerful tool for natural resource management. After taking several related classes in GIS, I began interning for the National Park Service (NPS). After I learn how to use ARC/INFO, a leading GIS package, I will assist the NPS in constructing projects. Some of my duties include spatial and non-spatial data analysis, digitizing themes such as fire locations, vegetation, wildlife habitats, etc., and tabular and graphical presentation of results. I hope to use the tools I acquire during this internship in my continuing study of our environment.

I would like to study the social and economic factors that influence environmental policy formation. For example, because people worry more about pollution than endangered species, laws and regulations concerning environmental pollution are more numerous and stricter than for bio-diversity. Within the School of Environmental Studies, I have a particular interest in the emphasis: Economics, Policy, and Management. This emphasis deals with how economic factors can create negative externalities, such as pollution, and need to be regulated. This emphasis also tries to consider non-economic values, such as aesthetic pleasure and specie diversity. It also discusses tools like GIS and system analysis that apply to environmental management. Because of my interest in GIS, economics, and environmental studies, this emphasis suits me perfectly. Furthermore, the interdisciplinary approach of the School of Environmental Studies attracts me since it combines social science’s strengths with a knowledge of the natural sciences necessary to protect and preserve the environment.

After completing my masters program, I would like to continue my education and obtain a Ph.D. in natural resource management. This degree would enable me to combine a teaching career with advising business and government on natural resource management issues. Teaching college students is more than a one-way channel; I would also learn from their questions like my professors have from mine. In advising business and government, I can help them strike a balance between economic and environmental concerns. GIS will be a useful tool in helping me give them crucial information.

I have enjoyed an interdisciplinary approach in my environmental studies major and become fascinated by the clash between social interests, especially economics, and environmental needs. I pursued an additional major in economics to better understand this conflict. Furthermore, my work for the NPS will train me in the latest techniques in natural resource management. I would like to continue exploring this clash and resource management in the School of Environmental Studies. Ultimately, I would like to teach and work in natural resource management. Ideally, I would like to find ways for allowing development while preventing the burning of beautiful and valuable eco-systems like the Pantanal Wetland.

Sample Statement of Purpose- Mathematics

2006-09-15T20:07:00.000+05:30

This application is very important to me because completion of a PhD degree in Mathematics will be the best chance for a unifying career development with my labor of love - mathematics. I am confident that when I become a serious and mature researcher my desire to make a contribution to mathematics and to our understanding of this world will remain my main driving force.
I don't remember when I became keen on mathematics. At first it was only entrainment as I found it exciting to solve intricate problems. Later it became something more than a mere hobby. I particularly enjoyed the ineffable feeling of triumph when you realize that the problem is solved; that you have got the idea. I think it is the profundity of this feeling that made mathematics my chief enthusiasm. I have taken part in Olympiads and Conferences. The most valuable contribution of these competitions was a possibility to meet the same enthusiasts in mathematics. I was particularly impressed when I was invited to participate in an International Summer School and Conference in the ancient town of Pereslavl-Zalessky. There I had an opportunity not only to work on appealing research problems but also to interact closely with working mathematicians such as X and Y. It is difficult to describe the feelings that overwhelmed me but they did incite me to further progress.

Being a high school student I was doing a course on inequalities at Kiev State University where I conducted my first research work. It was essentially proof of Karamat inequality that utilized properties of convex functions and Murhead inequality. It was unforgettable, how the main idea of my central proof dawned upon me. That evening I went to sleep the happiest boy in the world. Although, relatively simple, I did something really innovative, something that no one had ever done before with elementary methods. That was my first moderate contribution to mathematics.Later, while being a freshman at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), I refined the proof and presented it at the 52nd MIPT Scientific Conference where it was honored the first prize.

In my fourth year when students of our University get involved in research activity, Professor X suggested to be my supervisor. Under his guidance I wrote my thesis ”Integration of Multivalued Mappings“ and defended it with Honors. Essentially it consisted in a study of necessary and sufficient conditions under which there exists Riemann integral of multivalued maps. My task was to find some classes of sets of attainability and to investigate relation between Lebesgue and Riemann integral for Multivalued Maps. In this work I analyzed properties of spaces of compacts with Housdorff metric and properties of support functions of convex compacts and applied these theoretical findings to several problems of theoretical mechanics. During this work I acquired a broad range of research experience and background necessary for further research in convex analysis.

My current research work is devoted to differentiating of multivalued mappings and differential inclusions. The main task is to become familiar with ideas and approaches introduced in the Sci. D. thesis of Professor X and to improve the results that are obtained in it. One of the most challenging tasks in the project is to obtain Pontryagin maximum principle in Hamiltonian form from Lagrange form (in terms of tangent cones).

After graduation I plan to continue my scientific career in mathematics. Differential games, convex analysis and Optimization theory are of particular interest to me. I have the strongest incentive to advance as far as I can in this captivating science and feel confident that application to the University of Chicago is the best possible step to accomplish it. I would regard my admission to your University not only as a great honor but also as a great responsibility and an obligation to work hard.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE- Mechanical Engineering

2006-09-15T02:16:00.000+05:30

One evening in xxxx, as I was strolling on the deck of the Motor Tanker X, where I was serving as Chief Engineer, I came upon the anchor which had been heaved up the day before, when we set sail the across the Atlantic. A thrill ran through me, as the anchor had brought up with it loamy clay of the finest quality. I picked up a bucket load of this clay and hauled it off to my cabin to model into a sculpture, a favorite hobby of mine when I was ashore on leave. I enjoyed making that particular sculpture so much, first building a metal skeleton using various tools from the engineer’s workshop, I decided that if there was a career which could integrate engineering acumen and artistic creativity together, that would be the career I would be most happy pursuing. But over the years, I had come to believe that these two were disparate and irreconcilable interests and that one could only be pursued at the expense of the other, at least as far as a career was concerned. It was only when I came across the Product Design course description as offered at Stanford University, that it became evident to me this need not be necessarily so.

I always had a keen interest in the study of Mathematics & the Engineering Sciences, and was always among the top three students in class. On passing out of Higher Secondary School, I was awarded a Certificate of Merit from the Government of India for achieving a score within the top one percent of students all over India that year in Physics. This predilection for Applied Science & Engineering led me to the study Marine Engineering for my Bachelor’s degree, so that I could work with large, powerful and varied machinery in a single capsule unit, aboard a ship. At engineering college, I secured the first rank in Academics during the final two years of study. I was also awarded the Gold Medal from the Office of the President of India for all-round excellence and possessing qualities likely to make the Finest Marine Engineer from my batch.

Having completed 10 years of active service last year as a Marine Engineer aboard X ocean-going tanker vessels, with about 2 years in the capacity of Chief Engineer, I had gained a large amount of hands-on, practical knowledge of marine & mechanical engineering systems, such as IC engines, steam & gas turbine machinery, cargo handling hydraulic systems, centrifugal pumping and purifying systems, advanced unmanned automation & control systems, etc. But I aspired to go beyond being a maintenance engineer to a design engineer, and realized I needed to gain a more research-based, theoretical foundation to complement my practical experience. I applied to and was admitted into the Master of Science degree program in Ocean Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. At Berkeley, I was introduced to modern theory and practice of ship design and was specially fascinated by the field of Structural Reliability as applied to ship design. My final research project was the preparation of a report for a Reliability-based guideline, converting the deterministic Rules for determining structural scantlings for steel ships currently being applied by the American Bureau of Shipping, City, State. XX is a leading Ship Classification Society, a governing body that establishes and administers standards for the design, construction, and operational maintenance of marine vessels and structures. I am currently employed as a Ship Structural Engineer at XX, working on structural plan reviews for new buildings and creating Finite Element Models for analyzing dynamic and static loads on ships.

Yet, all through these years as a professional engineer, I fueled my passion for Art by devoting almost every moment of my leisure, at home and on board ship, to painting or sculpture or to the study of fine art. I created numerous paintings in oil and gouache, and many sculptures in clay, continually honing my creativity and artistic skill. I won many awards and prizes for painting and sketching at the school and inter-collegiate level. Although I could not find the time to learn painting in a formal art course, I have read extensively on various subjects in art and learned further by copying many works of great Masters such as Michelangelo, the pre-Raphaelite painters, and some ancient Indian Masters in Sculpture. I did finally realize a long-standing desire to study art formally when I did an intensive summer course in drawing at Berkeley.

The Product Design Course, especially in the form it is being offered at Stanford University, jointly by the departments of Mechanical Engineering and Art, seems to me to be the most perfectly suited to my dream of forging these two diverse interests of mine into a fulfilling new career. Though I have had no formal training in design, I have found that I could come up with innovative and original ideas for solutions to various problems faced during my career at sea, such as designing new types of tools for machinery maintenance, more efficient methods of overhaul or more effective automation systems. At leisure too, I have always enjoyed designing and building models, be they a set of rotating water fountains for ship-board decoration or a stable painting easel from the limited material available on board or architectural sketches for my future home.

I have also worked with keen interest in computer-based simulation models and training aids my father is currently involved in developing. I have designed numerous models for his company demonstrating lesson plans for the functioning of various mechanical systems such as principles of IC engines, fuel injection and fire detection systems etc., using software such as 3D Studio and Macromedia Director. I am currently engaged in developing a web-site for showcasing an exquisitely beautiful temple complex in Southern India, called X.

While I was studying at UC Berkeley, I had the opportunity of visiting the Stanford University campus and meeting with Professor Y of Design Division. He was very appreciative of my art portfolio and on his advice I visited the Design Loft on campus, which has left a lasting impression on me. There was a charged atmosphere of creativity in that room and it seemed ideas would almost shape themselves out in that melee of materials and tools and half-built models.

I am sure that formally studying Product Design can channelize my capabilities and enable me to come up with functionally efficient and aesthetically pleasing designs especially in the field of household consumer products and electronics. I would consider it an honor if I could study at Stanford University and assure you that I will put in my utmost effort into this domain.

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SOP for Public Administration and Public Relations

2006-09-14T03:16:00.000+05:30

The future probably belongs to people who see possibilities before they become obvious. It belongs to those very travelers who pierce through the clouds of oblivion with the force of their determination. I've always believed that the answer to my destiny lies in creating the results that I desire. To tread upon the hallowed grounds of a successful and fruitful career, I must determine the shape that my actions will take, and trust in their finality. This, I am confident will lead me on to the roads of my destiny.

By the time I was 10, I realized that the only thing I could do really well was write. When I recall my days at 'Haribhai', (my school till grade 10), I discover that the one subject I performed particularly well in was English. Excellent grades in English in school helped me gain admission to one of the best Liberal Arts colleges in my country; St. Joseph's. My love for the language also encouraged me to take up higher studies in British, American and Indian Literature and today, I am confident enough to express myself in a language, which (although not my mother tongue), is no longer alien to me. Starting with summer training at high school at Red, an advertising multinational firm, I can trace my fascination for Advertising and Public Relations (PR) influence my interest in the same, which developed slowly and steadily into a career option.

During the latter half of my graduation years, I was introduced to the dynamic and metamorphic consumer market as well as the Advertising and PR scenario in India. I realized the need to adapt my career angle to suit its ever-changing needs. For the same reason, I took up a distance learning program in Marketing and Advertising Management from MCI University, Bangalore.

Fuelled by the desire to delve further into the field of media management, I took up post-graduate studies in 'Social Communications' at the Loren Polytechnic, New Delhi. I also attended many workshops, including a well-recognized and reputed 4-month workshop on Copy-writing conducted by the Advertising Agencies Association Of India (AAAI) to gain expertise in the field of creative copy writing.

Introspecting today, I believe that my study in the field of Literature, Copy-writing, Advertising Management and 'Social Communications Media' has provided me with a good base for further study in Public Relations. A true picture of the corporate world and an exposure to the media environment in India push me into thinking about the interaction between business houses and professional advertising and public relations agencies for commercial success.

Today, since the need for corporate communication is inherent in the very nature of present day industry and the government, the many 'publics' with their conflicting interests need to be managed by professionals with result-oriented communication in different media. The Indian PR scene is fast starting to resemble the PR scenario in the developed world. There is a growing recognition of the need to co-relate the traditional outlook towards public management with the systematic organization and execution of effective communication programs to keep in lieu with present trends.

Advertising agencies such as Enterprise, DY&R, MAA Bozell and Mudra have specialized PR divisions to offer diverse communication services to their clients. Over the years, several PR agencies have also been set up in India. Many PR agencies such as BM Roger Periera, CV Shandwick and Genesis PR have opted for tie-ups with foreign companies to globalize their operations, increasing the demand for a wholesome communication package other than just advertising. To my mind, a real career in Public Relations cannot be made until one studies it, not purely for its academic appeal but in the hope that it will shed light on the best road ahead. Since the excellence of corporate communications lies in its effectiveness, there is certainly a need for academically trained professionals who are taught to be more strategic and technologically competent.

However, Public relations in India is only 25 years old and is still struggling with a growing demand for its transition into a more professional and desired discipline of business. Except for a few part-time study programs, offered by median private institutions, there is very little development of PR as a separate and specialized academic and practical field of study in India.
Since the United States of America is a country known for its schools and advanced media systems, I find the need to train myself in a specialized institute in the U.S.A- one that will consider my knowledge as a stepping-stone to higher education, and help me expand my horizon. An advanced skill in communication in close co-ordination with the roots of management is what I believe is essentially something I will gain, when I acquire a master's degree in Public Relations. As I browsed through the list of schools, I narrowed down a few selected ones according to their course structures. Your university fulfils all my requirements of a well-designed course: adequate facilities, broad curricula, flexible course structures and practical training opportunities.

I am aware that intensive study in a specialized field is a difficult task to achieve and excel at. But I strongly believe that what we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not because the nature of the thing has changed, but because the power to do it has increased.
I know where to direct the force of my will, to ensure that my career doesn't lay within the ruins of indecisiveness. In this decision alone, I choose the only path that shall lead me to certain success in your program.

SOP for Psychology

2006-09-13T15:43:00.000+05:30

Ever since my first psychology lecture, I have been fascinated by the nature of human memory. Indeed, human memory is one of the most tenacious and enigmatic problems ever faced by philosophers and psychologists. The discussion of memory dates back to the early Greeks when Plato and Aristotle originally likened it to a "wax tablet." In 1890, pioneer William James adopted the metaphorical framework and equated memory to a "house" to which thirty years later Sigmund Freud chimed that memory was closer to "rooms in a house." In 1968, Atkinson and Shrifren retained the metaphorical framework but referred to memory as "stores". The fact that the controversy surrounding human memory has been marked more by analogy than definition suggests, however, that memory is a far more complex phenomenon than has been uncovered thus far. I intend to spend the rest of my professional life researching the nature of human memory and solving the riddle posed yet cunningly dodged by generations of philosophers and psychologists.

When I first came to psychology, however, I wanted to be a clinical psychologist. Only upon enrolling in Dr. Helga Noice's Cognitive Psychology course, did I discover the excitement of doing research. The course required us to test our own autobiographical memory by conducting an experiment similar to the one run in 1986 by W. Wagenaar. Over the course of the term, I recorded events from my personal life on event cards and set them aside without reviewing them. After studying the effect serial position on the recollection of autobiographical memories, I hypothesized that events that, when I sat down at the end of therm to recall those same events I had described on the event cards, that events that had occurred later in the term would be recalled with greater frequency than events that had occurred earlier. Although the experiment was of simple design and predictable results, I found the processes incredibly exciting. Autobiographical memory in particular fascinated me because I realized how crucial, yet fragile, memory is. Why was my memory of even ten weeks so imperfect? What factors contributed to that imperfection? Could such factors be controlled?

I had ignited my passion for experimental psychology. Suddenly, I had many pressing questions about memory that I wanted to research. Under the guidance of Dr. Noice, I continued to study human memory. I worked closely with Dr. Noice on several research experiments involving expert memory, specifically the memory of professional actors. Dr. Noice would select a scene from a play and then a professional actor would score it for beats, that is, go through the scene grouping sections of dialogue together according to the intent of the character. Some actors use this method to learn dialogue rather than rote memorization. After they were finished, I would type up the scene and the cued recall test. Next, I would moderate the experimental sessions by scoring the actor's cued recall for accuracy and then helping with the statistical analysis. My work culminated with my paper, "Teaching Students to Remember Complex Material Through the Use of Professional Actors' Learning Strategies." My paper accompanied a poster presentation at the Third Annual Tri-State Undergraduate Psychology Conference. In addition, I presented a related paper entitled "Type of Learning Strategy and Verbatim Retention of Complex Material" at the ILLOWA (Illinois-Iowa) Conference the following year. Again, I was involved in all aspects of the experiment, from typing the protocol and administering it to the subjects to analyzing the data and finally presenting my results.

The opportunity to perform this research was invaluable, particularly as I began taking independent research seminars in my senior year. For the seminars, I was required to write an extensive review of the literature and then design a research proposal on any topic of my choice. Although I had participated in all aspects of research previously, this was my first opportunity to select my own topic. I was immediately certain that I wanted to explore at human memory. But I spent a long time considering what aspect of memory I found most intriguing and possible to tackle within the confines of the research seminar. I had always been interested in the legal implications of memory, so I to investigate eyewitness memory.

In retrospect, my choice was also informed by my recollection about an experiment I had read about several years earlier. In the experiment, subjects read about Helen Keller. Later they were given a recall test. Still later they were given an additional test to determine the source of their knowledge about Helen Keller. The authors discovered that subjects could not determine the source of their knowledge, that is, they could not distinguish whether specific details of their knowledge about Helen Keller came from the information provided by the experimenters or if the details came from another source at an earlier time. Once their new knowledge about Helen Keller had been assimilated into their previous knowledge about Helen Keller, there was no way to separate the information according to the source it came from.

I wondered what the implications of that conclusion would be for eyewitnesses. I wondered if an eyewitness account could be corrupted by misleading post-event information. My research proposal was entitled "The Rate of Memory Trace Decay and its Effect on Eyewitness Accuracy." While I was not able to complete the experiment in its entirety, I was excited by the fact that I created a possible research protocol. Immediately, I knew I wanted to pursue the field of experimental psychology. My success in course work and my passion for research demonstrated to me that I had both the interest and ability to enter this challenging and rewording field.

I have dedicated my undergraduate years to preparing myself for graduate work in experimental psychology. Once receive my doctorate, I intend to pursue research on human memory while teaching psychology to undergraduates at a small, liberal arts college, similar to the one I attended. It was, after all, my undergraduate research experience that gave me the opportunity to come to psychology with an interest in counseling people, but to leave with a passion for investigating the nature of human thinking. Undergraduates at smaller liberal arts colleges are often left out of research, which makes my desire to provide such experiences that much stronger. In the years ahead, I look forward to teaching as well as continuing my research. In the company of such greats as Aristotle, James, and Freud, I endeavor to leave behind my own contribution on the nature of human memory.

Sample SOP for pursuing higher studies in History

2006-09-12T18:39:00.000+05:30

Why in the world do you want to become a historian? Heaven knows Russia doesn’t need professional historians! » Having studied for five years at the department of history at Moscow State University, I was constantly surprised by how frequently I have been asked that particular question. Many have urged me over the years to make a change, to align my career with more basic interests. Unlike these people I have a firm believe that every person can create his happiness with his own hands, and my happiness is in history.
An intense interest in history has always been a trademark of mine. I grew up in a family of historians, so since early childhood I got used to the sounds of disputes in history, in which later I took part myself: Some day I grew to challenge my parents and win, using my own rules of logic and argument, in spite of their influence on my theories about history.

It was time when the USSR began its painful transformation into the new Russia; the time, full of revolutionary events and ideas, hopes and expectations for a new life after crush of communism. Conceptions, opinions and ideas, freedom of speech and opening of archives created favorable mental atmosphere, which inevitably stimulated my interest in history and aspiration for cognition. When I read books of Walter Scott, I was fascinated by Scotland. Soon my interest of Scotland became more concrete — I tried to examine actual resources of economic growth and rapid formation of capitalist system in XVIII century Scotland in order to find «remedies» for the diseases of Russian economy. My decision to become a historian followed logically the desire to grasp the meaning of the present and the perspectives of the future through understanding of the past.

Entering the department of history at Rostov State University (in my native city) was the first important step in my life. But after the first year of studies I realized that Russian «wind of change» didn’t influence «soviet» ideological approach to history, at least in the Russian province. At this time I have chosen the opinion of English philosopher Joseph Priestly as my motto: «We have to make our lives ourselves.» Inspired by the idea, I decided to do the next important step in my career: to change the kind of education and the way of life. I transferred to Moscow State University, the best institution for getting education in history in Russian Federation.This year I graduated from Moscow State University and faced the dilemma of choosing the best way to continue my education. Today, standing on the threshold of the next vitally important period in my life, I am going to follow my principle in shaping my own life.

To help you understand my current goals better, I would like to explain my educational experience up to this point. While studying I was interested in modern British history, my research work was devoted to the British Enlightenment. The first course paper with the title «Political ideal of Joseph Priestly» had won recognition as one of the three best student’s works of the year at the department. Later I narrowed my focus to a particular problem of the Scottish Enlightenment, because my early interest to the Scottish Enlightenment was born of passion for Scotland. So in my next written works I investigated a contribution of Adam Ferguson, a famous Scottish philosopher, to development of political economy. The graduation paper had the title: «Social and economic thoughts of Adam Ferguson» and it took its place in the department’s library of the best graduation papers.During educational process I had different experiences connected to history. For some time I was lucky enough to teach at school and work in archives and libraries (see attached Student report summary of academic records). Also my educational background and scientific importance of the theme helped me publish articles in historical magazines and to take part in conferences.

In terms of career, my goals are to teach history, conduct research projects, and publish results of the projects. To achieve my aims means to become a specialist with high qualifications. Unfortunately, the latest changes in Russia brought about not only positive democratic reforms and political freedom but also reduction of employment possibilities for scientists and curtailment of stable government subsidies for scientific projects. As a result, history suffers from this situation as all other fields of science do.To my mind it is of key importance to have possibilities to obtain excellent education and to conduct certain research projects independently that is why I consider doctoral studies at Princeton University as the next professional stepping stone in my career. First of all, teaching assistantship program could provide me with the practical teaching experience. My desire is to learn in practice how to guide others in their explorations of the world through history, to encourage them to see in history all I see in it: the whole of human experience and the power of human intellect and imagination.

Further, earning a Ph.D. in history would advance my other goals by adding to my creative and analytical skills in history as well as in working with language. Development of history as a science in Russia depended on ideological strategy of the only ruling political party for the last seventy years. Inevitably it left traces on the main approach to history. With certainty I can assert, that manifestations of such approach are still very powerful in historical education in Russia. Apparently, we should take not only external democratic institutions, but rather change our approach to life, which can affect our approach to history. However it may be, Russian historians should use experience of colleagues from the countries with democratic traditions. I still feel I have so much more to learn about different approaches to history.Taking all the circumstances into consideration, I came to the conclusion, that the best opportunity to pursue my «chosen path» would be to continue my education as a graduate student at Princeton University. The facilities, scholarship, and traditions of your university, combined with the caliber of the student’s body, make me confident that I will be stimulated throughout the course of my studies. Upon graduating from your program, a variety of options are available for pursuing my objectives.

In conclusion I must say that I would regard my being admitted to the graduate program not only as a great honor but more as a high responsibility and obligation of hard work.

Sample SOP for pursuing higher studies in CHEMISTRY

2006-09-11T15:47:00.000+05:30

As the science of theoretical chemistry has matured, its focus has shifted from analytically solvable problems, such as the atomic structure of hydrogen, to more complex problems for which analytical solutions are difficult or impossible to specify. Important questions about the behavior of condensed phases of matter, the electronic structure of heavy atoms and the _in vivo_ conformation of biological macromolecules fall into this class. The powerful, highly-parallel supercomputers that have evolved from recent advances in computing technology are ideally suited to the mathematical modeling of these complex chemical phenomena. Simulations in which the trajectories of a large number of interacting bodies must be computed simultaneously, such as statistical-mechanical Monte Carlo studies or molecular dynamics simulations are particularly appropriate for implementation on parallel machines. I plan to devote my graduate and postgraduate work to the theoretical study and computational modeling of these many-body systems.

In preparation for this work, I have developed a strong background in mathematics and computer science in addition to my coursework in chemistry. Given the current demand for increased computing capacity, this background should prove beneficial. For example, while recent advances in computer hardware alone promise potential tenfold increase in speed, truly significant jumps in computing power (speedups of, say, a thousand fold) will require changes in currently available programming environments and the reformulation of popular simulation algorithms. Furthermore, until highly-parallel machines become widely available, even modest increases in capacity will depend in part upon the innovative use of existing hardware through the continued modification of available software and the development of new algorithms. My elective work in computer science and mathematics should prove useful for both the revision of existing programs and the eventual development of new programs and languages specifically designed for the parallel architecture of tomorrow's supercomputers.

After completing my doctoral work, I plan to seek employment as a university professor. I believe the rewards of such a position far outweigh the greater monetary compensation available in industry. For example, academic scientists are generally allowed a greater degree of freedom in their choice of research areas. They also benefit from exposure to co-workers who have a broad range of experiences. Finally, the satisfaction I have derived from my undergraduate tutoring and consulting experience has convinced me that I would enjoy a career in teaching.

SOP for Public Health

2006-09-10T03:03:00.000+05:30

What if people lived healthier lives, practiced preventive medicine, and took precautions against illness and disease? My days in the physical therapy department often made me think about the prevention of injuries as well as the injuries themselves. I was already doubting my future career choice as a physical therapist. Although I loved the science of it and helping people, the lack of variety within the field and its limited options for growth bothered me. I needed a career that helped a large number of people, emphasized prevention and primary care rather than tertiary care, and would continually challenge and motivate me to improve. Knowing that I really did not want to pursue physical therapy as I had originally planned, my thoughts wandered to the area of public health, particularly health management.

My first true introduction to the public health arena came in a class offered through the Big U School of Public Health. As I listened to experts speak about contemporary health issues, I was intrigued. The world of "capitation," "rationing of care," and Medicaid fascinated me as I saw the range of problems that public health professionals were trying to solve in innovative ways. This one semester class provided me with a basic but thorough understanding of the issues faced in health care today. In the last two years I have continued to learn about public health both through coursework and work in the field.

Because field experience is such a valuable learning tool, I searched for a research assistant position that would allow me to view public health at a different level. I worked on a project at a county health clinic in Englewood, a low-income, minority community. The program attempted to increase treatment compliance rates for adolescents diagnosed with tuberculosis who must complete a six-month medical program. Working for the county exposed me to a different side of health care that I had previously seen. Service and organization were not assets of the county and yet its role in the public health "ecosystem" was and is critical. Its job of immunizing thousands and interacting with all members of the community is often forgotten, but is important for keeping an entire community healthy.

My work at the county health clinic as well as my knowledge of some areas of public health led me to accept an internship in Washington D.C. this past summer. The internship provided me with a greater understanding of a federal public health agency’s operations and allowed me to contribute in a variety of ways to the XYZ Department in which I worked. Most importantly I worked on "policy issues" which involved identifying and summarizing problems that were out of the ordinary as well as documenting resolved issues in order to establish protocols to increase the department’s efficiency. In addition I served on a scientific review panel which was responsible for editing a seventy-page proposed regulation before its submission.
Along with my duties at XYZ, I attended seminars and met with public health leaders at different functions and events. All these activities confirmed my growing interest in preventive medicine, outcomes and effectiveness, and quality of care, particularly within the private/managed care sector. These are my strongest interests because I believe they are fundamental to our nation’s health. We must achieve efficiency and access without sacrificing quality.

The University of ____ would help me achieve my goals of furthering my public health education through the specialize coursework offered as part of its health administration program. [The client provides specifics here about the program’s specific appeal and strengths]
Since rejecting physical therapy as a career possibility my interest in public health has only grown. I welcome the challenge of serving a large community and participating in such a dynamic and challenging field. What if an aspirin a day could prevent heart attacks? What if abandoning unnecessary procedures saved thousands of dollars, which then allowed a hospital to treat other patients needing care? What if every person was guaranteed care and that care was good? I would like to find answers for these questions during my career as a public health graduate student and professional.

SOP for Biology and Human Sciences

2006-09-10T02:59:00.002+05:30

The working of the brain (like most of nature) is all about synchrony. My interest in the brain and biology of behavior gained fresh impetus during my undergraduate studies at St. Paul's. As a volunteer at the Social Involvement Program in my college, I helped with children who had cerebral palsy, attention deficit and learning disorders and were autistic. Each of them had special needs. Their individual personalities complete with likes and dislikes shone through their disorders. However it soon became clear that in spite of all their differences, what lay at the crux of their problems was asynchrony. They lacked the correct interplay of physical and chemical signals between their brains and their bodies.

I want to know why these "crossed" signals make their learning and memory processes different from mine. Is it possible for us to remedy the altered perspective they have of life? My brain communicates in synch with my body. But who is waving the baton that conducts this perfect symphony? How would it be any different if I had a glass of champagne, a snort of cocaine or was 60 years older?

As my undergraduate studies at St. Paul's progressed, I was introduced to many more players that eventually chisel out a unique brain. Aging and neuro degenerative disorders raised a few questions in my mind. In what way are the two related to each other? What effect do they have on our brain and behavior? How do the same molecules (whether hormones, alcohol, drugs or neurotransmitters) elicit a confluence of physical and emotional experiences in us?

While reading about the research being done in the Behavioral Neuroscience program at Binghamton, I have come across work that can provide answers to my questions about the brain and its link with behavior. When I graduated, I knew how the brain looked and worked. I want to continue my education with a study that will help me gain a deeper understanding of communication within the brain.

I am looking forward to being a part of the work being done in the labs of Dr. Paul Silver and Linda Steele. Like most of us, I started out with the same sheet of epithelial cells that developed into a perfect little brain. However, I think the power of this brain lies in the way it has changed with experiences, environment and me to become a structure that is uniquely mine. Aging, chemicals and disease are just a few of the many tools that chisel out an individual brain. Their mechanisms of action have been a source of interest to me ever since my first encounter with them. I hope to turn this interest into a learning experience at Binghamton.

The highlight of my undergraduate years was the Honors Program, which taught me to apply the knowledge I had gained, to achieve a particular aim. One of my projects was as a teacher at the Open Ended Experiments (OEE). I helped my juniors understand vital theories, which they could apply to perform simple experiments. Sometimes one of the best ways to learn is by teaching someone else and thanks to the OEE I have gained new insight into many aspects of my subject. I enjoyed watching the way my questions made someone think and finally learn. I see teaching as an important part of my future.

The sharing of ideas and new findings has always been a vital part of my undergraduate life. Presentations were a perfect opportunity for me to explore beyond the syllabus and were instrumental in giving me a competitive edge over my peers. I relish a chance to indulge my creative side and gaining a deeper understanding of my work in the process make presentations a good bargain! I enjoy diving into a flood of data, picking out relevant information and delivering it all to an appreciative audience! The dynamic nature of scientific research was revealed to me as I worked on my presentations. Often new theories replaced old ones so fast that I was updating my work right up till the morning I had to present.

Once out of college, I was thirsting to put into practice all my undergraduate education. Interning at Wellcome Institute of Fundamental Research (WIFR) under Dr. Ray has given me the perfect opportunity to glimpse at the career I am entering. As my education has progressed, my resolve to have a career in research has strengthened.

At WIFR I saw first hand, the effect that improper communication between the brain and body had on behavior. A defect in a transporter for cholineacetyltransferase results in a lack of acetylcholine at the synapses, which among other things gives rise to an uncoordinated fly. Besides opening up the world of scientific research to me, my experiences here have taught me that mistakes do not always have to hold you back, and often take you closer to your goal. Things often look easy to do at first glance, but a lot of hard work is involved in making them seem that way. After standardizing some protocols myself, I now understand the kind of effort that goes into developing the techniques that make my work so much easier. I have expanded on my work and my motivation to join WIFR in an attachment to this essay.

I am interested in the study of behavioral and cognitive processes because they play an important role in defining us as a species. The study of organisms as diverse as humans, birds, mice and flies brings us closer everyday to the answers we seek. Perhaps there will come a time when research about the brain will eventually culminate in an understanding so profound that it will allow us to tell just from a simple MRI, the kind of life an individual has led. Right from the substances he has abused to the molecules that make him the person he is.

My life experiences have moulded me in to a hardworking and what I would call an "unflappable" person. I have learnt that in science (and life) it doesn't hurt to have a healthy sense of humor. My future goals include establishing a career in research and educating people about science. Scientific research has its origins in a very fundamental human character -- curiosity. It is very important though, to ask the right question. Research in Behavioral Neuroscience at Binghamton has raised many relevant questions and I would like to be one of the people working towards the answers.

SOP for BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

2006-09-09T14:11:00.000+05:30

I am interested in Biomedical Engineering as a field to pursue my career in. I find its unique mix of Engineering, Medicine and Life Sciences very exciting. It is a fast growing area with tremendous potential for research and also an increasing number of applications in today's world of medicine and technology. I am paricularly interested in the application of microsystems technology and the latest microelectronics technology in developing implanted biomedical devices and other medical products. My research interests lie primarily in the areas of Smart Sensors and Integrated Microsystems. My parallel areas of interest are the design and fabrication of Biomaterials and determining the mechanical, transport and biocompatability properties of implantable artificial materials and the applications of Biomedical Instrumentation. To help you understand my current professional goals and research interests better, I would like to first explain my educational experience up to this point.

I have recently graduated from the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at XX University where I completed a non-thesis Masters program in Computer Engineering. My decision to pursue graduate studies in Computer Engineering was the natural culmination of my undergraduate coursework in Electrical and Electronics Engineering where I majored in Computer Organization and Microcomputer Systems. Also, I wanted to broaden my horizons and gain relevant exposure in the field of Computer Hardware.

During the one and a half years of my graduate studies I gained a deep understanding of various fields in Computer Engineering mainly microarchitecture, VLSI System Design ,Analog Electronics and the fundamentals of computer networking and communication. As part of my graduate coursework, I received a number of opportunities to work closely with semiconductor technology through various design, implementation and research projects. Working on key projects like the design of a 4-bit slice microprocessor, 6-bit FLASH Analog-to-Digtal Converters and a number of simulations and experiments to design and determine the performance of computers at the microarchitecture level, I got the opportunities to use state-of-the-art hardware design and simulation tools like the Cadence , Synopsys, Hspice and Verilog.

It was during this phase that I developed an interest in exploring the areas of application of semiconductor and microsystems technology in non traditional fields like the Medicine and life sciences. My studies revealed to me both a high research potential and a significant growth in the application of microelectronics and microsystems in the field of Biomedical Engineering. What I discovered significantly improved my understanding of the subject and further enhanced my fascination for it.[Have you worked on any particular research projects? If yes, definitely elaborate on this. Are you interested in any particular faculty at W.University? If yes, definitely mention it.]

I look forward to a career in committed research where I can not only use my academic background to achieve my research goals but also make original scientific contributions to my field of interest and to mankind in general. I believe that graduate studies would provide me with the opportunities to attend advanced courses and be the stepping stone to my career in research. Graduate study at Wayne State University holds this promise for me. The quality of the faculty, flexibility of the graduate program, the diverse areas of ongoing research, the carefully designed depth and breadth of courses, cultural diversity in the graduate school, seem to me as the right ambience to nurture my research interests and work towards my goal. It would be a matter of great pride for me to be a part of this rich interdisciplinary interface [This is all very general ideas and your statement needs to be personal, about you. Plus next paragraph gives praise to the university and one paragraph is plenty, so I would suggest eliminating this paragraph altogether or partially adding it to the last one]

My strengths are a strong academic background, sense of teamwork, integrity and ability to put in sustained quality effort consistently . It is my desire to have a mutually beneficial association with your University and to contribute my best to the field of Biomedical Engineering .I am aware that X University has high standards for admitting students to its graduate programs. I believe that my academic credentials together with my research interests and potential would help me gain admission to the esteemed Department of Biomedical Engineering at X Universuty. I hope that on reviewing my application package, the University would be convinced of the same. [You might want to change your last paragraph, especially last two sentences. It needs to be more powerful, not hopefull. See examples on my website. I would rewrite this paragraph altogether.]

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STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

2006-09-09T09:38:00.000+05:30

WHAT IS A STATEMENT OF PURPOSE?

The Statement of Purpose is the single most important part of your application that will tell the admissions committee who you are, what has influenced your career path so far, your professional interests and where you plan to go from here.As the name signifies, the Statement of Purpose is your personal statement about who you are, what has influenced your career path so far, your professional interests and where you plan to go from here. It need not be a bald statement of facts; several successful SoPs address these questions through anecdotes, stories or by describing their hero. The SoP is your chance to talk directly to the admissions committee. To make yourself stand out from among a multitude of similarly qualified candidates. To convince the committee that you have the spark, the thirst for knowledge that could add value to your class. Most of us work hard for the standard tests - the GRE, GMAT, TOEFL and others. We attend classes or peruse study aids. We give practice tests and do everything within our power to aim for the highest possible score. Because we know that these test scores, while not a perfect tool, are crucial to our chances of gaining admission and even a scholarship or assistantship. Writing your admissions essays or Statement of Purpose (SoP) is a long and intensive process - eight to ten drafts over a 15 day period are fairly common. It is necessary to put in this hard work to come up with an essay that is uniquely yourself, and a compelling read which convinces the admissions committee that you are right for their school. This is a great opportunity to look inside yourself and be rewarded by a better understanding of who you are and what you want.

WHAT DO COLLEGES LOOK FOR IN A STATEMENT OF PURPOSE?

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. Which is why each essay is read carefully by at least two and often four or five people before a decision is taken on the application. Does this mean that the SoP is 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.

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. What is this, you might ask. Of course we want to have an effect on the admissions 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.

Dont try to be something you are not. Dont 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. Finally, you have to show a desire to learn. From your books and teachers, from your classmates, from music or art, from life itself.

Computer Science - SOP

2006-09-09T02:14:00.000+05:30

This application is very important for me because completion a PhD degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering is the best chance for a unifying my interest in information technologies and my natural inclination to mathematics. I am confident that when I become a serious and mature researcher my desire to make a contribution to science and to our understanding of this world will remain my main driving force.

It took a long time until personal computers became widely available in this country and until then my only single interest was mathematics. At the age of 14, during my school holidays, when my classmates had a rest, I willingly got up at about 7 in the morning and till the evening was absorbed by mathematics. At that time these were mostly Olympiad problems, but two years later, still being a High School student, I attended a course on inequalities in Kiev State University and conducted my first research work. Essentially it was a proof of Karamat inequality that utilized properties of convex functions and Murhead inequality. It was unforgettable, how main idea of my central proof dawned upon me. Although, relatively simple, it was something innovative, something that no one had ever done before with methods of elementary mathematics. That evening I went to sleep the happiest boy in the world. Later I refined the proof and being a freshman at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology(MIPT) presented it at the 52nd MIPT Scientific Conference where it was honored the first prize.

In the third-year at MIPT I started working at the Institute of System Programming (ISP), which is a part of Russian Academy of Sciences. Lectures on computer science at the ISP expanded my knowledge in many important fields such as complexity of algorithms, parallel computing, compiler technology, software engineering and so on. Especially I enjoyed studying new Autonomous Adaptive Control (AAC) method under the guidance of Prof. X. The essence of the AAC method is in simultaneous solution of such problems as pattern recognition, knowledge obtaining, presentation and decision-making. During my work in the ISP I had rare opportunity to interact closely with scientists who stood at the origin of computer science in Russia: Prof. X, Dr. Y and Prof. Z.

In my fourth year I joined Moscow office of NetCracker Corp. that selected several students for training. NetCracker produces software for modeling, analysis and interpretation of complex telecommunication networks. My work in NetСracker gave me solid practical knowledge of many technologies and concepts such as Java, Oracle, XML, Object-Oriented Design and Programming. But much more important is that the project required extensive knowledge of both mathematics and computer science. I personally wrote some modules to NetCracker where actively utilized graph theory, parallel computing and discrete mathematics. Moreover sometimes generalization of classical algorithms was required. For example, I extended Dejkstra algorithm to allow multiple search of optimal paths.

Along with my study of computer science I am involved in research activity in fundamental mathematics. Under supervision of Professor X I conducted research in convex analysis, wrote my thesis ”Integration of Multivalued Mappings“ and defended it with Honors. Essentially it consisted in a study of necessary and sufficient conditions under which there exists Riemann integral of multivalued maps. During this work I acquired a broad range of research experience and strong background necessary for further research. My current research work is devoted to differentiation of multivalued mappings and differential inclusions and is mostly concerned with nonconvex case. One of the most challenging tasks in the work is to obtain Pontryagin maximum principle in Hamiltonian form from Lagrange form (in terms of tangent cones).

My research topic is closely related with and often serves as a background to theory of optimal control and theory of decision making that are widely used in network optimization and graph algorithms - areas that are of great interest to me. Moreover my work on network performance in NetCracker adds up to this framework. Investigations in these fields, in discrete mathematics and in the theory of compilers are widespread at the department and it makes admission to your University particularly desirable. I have strongest incentive to advance as far as I can in this field and to discover something that has not been known before. I am certain that application to Carnegie Mellon is the best possible step to accomplish it and I would regard my admission not only as a great honor but also as a great responsibility and an obligation to work hard.

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Application essays and the SOP.....Passports to your Admission.

2006-09-09T00:12:00.000+05:30

Application essays can do two things for you:
(1) They can kill your chance of getting an admission or financial aid, even though you have a "strong" application (such as high GRE scores, high GPA's, research papers, and/or solid working experience).
(2) Or, they can get you into a US school, with financial aid, despite an otherwise a "weak" application package!

This is how powerful application essays are. Pay attention to them!No matter how much information schools or professors ask from their applicants, they are trying to picture a person based on the information provided. After all, they are taking in a real person, not a bunch of test scores or research papers.

So how do schools figure out what kind of person you are? They carefully exam your scores, your awards or lack of them, your working experiences, your references, and your extracurricular activities. After reading all this information, admissions officers will have a general idea of who you are and what you have gone through in your life. They will also have questions and worries about you. For instance: Why are your GPAs so low but your GRE incredibly high? Why did you switch jobs after only a half-year with your first job? Can you do academic research after you have been in international trade business for three years?Why is there a seven-month period in your life that is unaccounted for?

For some of the questions and concerns, admissions officers can guess the answers on their own. For others, they turn their attention to your essays.Good essays should answer all the important questions in an admissions officer's mind, eliminate his or her concerns about you, and reinforce your qualifications evident in other application materials.Badly written essays, on the other hand, not only are unable to answer the critical questions, but even create more worries on the part of the school. If an admissions officer is already questioning your research ability after your three years in international trade, your enthusiastic description of your trade experiences will only magnify his or her worry. (One of the right things to do in such a case would be to write how you can transfer the skills learned in trading business into your academic research capability.)

To be competitive, your essays should at least outline your general plans for what you want to do in school and afterwards. These plans should be specific and make sense given your background and abilities. Remember, every admissions officer want to know your future plans because your future will be part of the school's future if you are accepted. Good essays showcase the good side of your personality. You are driven but not overly aggressive, you are enthusiastic but not lightheaded, or you persevere but you are not extremely stubborn.Poorly-conceived essays may give readers the impression that you are overly passive, negative, uninteresting, overly private, overly pessimistic, mean-spirited, arrogant, or egotistic. If you would have to spend the next 2-5 years with such a person, would you admit him or her? Some essays written by some Indian students are depicting such a bad personal image that they fail in their application even with very high test scores.

One of the biggest worries that US schools have for their Asian applicants is their communication skills. There are two kinds of communication skills: One is related to your language skills, especially writing and speaking. The other has nothing to do with language skills. Rather it is knowing how to communicate. Many Indian essays show that the writer lacks both kinds of communication skills.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE- Template

2006-09-06T15:28:00.000+05:30

1. List down three of your strengths
a. Analytical Thinking
b. Creative Inclination_________________________________
c. Wide field of experience. Worked as summer intern for the largest steel company in India, Single handedly managing the computer dept of an NGO, made dbase packages for Govt of India Research Lab.(Medicinal Plant Division) and other projects while in college.________________

2. List down three of your weaknesses
a. Not necessary___________________________
b. ________________________________________
c. ________________________________________

3. List down the ten most important events in your life in chronological order. Please state your reasons for choosing these.
a.

4. What department / degree are you applying for?
a. Masters in Computer Science______________

5. In what subject will you specialize in your degree program?
a. Computer Science___________________________
6. When did you first find this subject interesting? (it may be more than one event / person / project / lecture / book / etc.)

During my 1st year in college I was introduced to language C, though I had the initial knowledge of language BASIC, the versality of C left me enthralled.
Then I got my hands on a worn out book of Bjorn Stroussops( creator of C) on C which made me wanting more.
__________________________________________
_________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________

7. What projects (or technical papers) have you worked on in this area? Clarify which of them was a part of the curriculum.
Device Driver in C
dBase in Oracle for projects like inventory control & data handling for Regional Research Lab
dBase in C
Though I was exposed to the prog. Language BASIC in school, programming really caught my attention and when I was in my 1st yr of engg , and I was introduced to C. The versatility and facile nature of C made it even more interesting and really left me spellbound and enthralled. As the depth of study computers increased I was more and more interested in it. Subjects like Algorithms, Programming, OS &amp; Adv OS, OR and internet really fascinated me.
______Seminar on Wireless Fidelity & its Implications in India

8. Any other notable projects or industry experience Explain the project or assign ment and your role in it.

_________________________

9. How do you think you will change after your MS?
I will be two years older.
I would be able to make myself more knowledgeable &amp; technically advanced than my current peers. It would make me better suited to join industry or to take up entrepreneurial venture or maybe go in for research. The MS would make things clearer for me.
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________

10. What are your plans after an MS? (Hint: Pursue Ph.D. studies / Come back to India and apply the knowledge gained / Work in the industry to further your understanding of the subject / Start your own business, etc)

Work in industry or Comeback and start a software development firm or could go for PHD, MS will make the picture clearer.

11. What is your greatest dream in life?
To make a commendable contribution to the computing world either by staring an innovative venture or doing research which would change the dimensions of future computing and the way we perceive the computers. My role model is Bill Gates and the way he turned his innovative ideas to the revolution in the field of computing.
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________

12. What extra-curricular activities did you pursue in college? Any notable achievements in any of them?

a. 1st in Univ. Badminton championship
b. NGO work
c. Made a dbase for Govt Lab RRL
d. Essential member of the university volleyball team( under the Sports Authority of India)
e. ________________________________

SPORTING ACTIVITIES : (Starting with the most active)
Sports / Games Played.....Level (University / College / School) Position Played
Badminton Univ 1st
Volleyball Univ Participation

Sample SOP for pursuing higher studies in ECE

2006-09-04T00:33:00.000+05:30

There is a very famous adage, “ If you think education is expensive, then try ignorance”. I could not agree more. I believe research is necessary to acquire data and formulate theories, but it is just as important to know how to apply those theories and use that data in the real world. To be competent and competitive I will require a master’s degree. A master’s degree will give me the up-to-date tools and knowledge that are the need of the hour.

While in my third year of undergraduate study, I learnt the concepts of signal processing and microprocessors. These topics have fascinated me ever since. When I studied the fundamentals of analog and digital signals, I almost decided that Digital Signal Processing was the career for me. What got me more enthused in this area was when I learnt about microprocessors. I had the opportunity to study some of the processors during my third and fourth (final) year. That’s when I realized how the two fields could be merged together by having dedicated processors. I am certain that my interest in this will increase by taking Digital Signal Processing and Microcomputer System Design as electives in my final semester of undergraduate study.

In DSP we shall learn in depth about FIR, IIR and Quantization errors. Here we shall also cover Z-transform analysis, filter design (IIR filter design and FIR filter design), DTF, FFT and its applications. As an introduction we shall learn Texas Instruments and Analog Devices special DSP Processors. In Microcomputer System Design, the Pentium Processor and PCI bus will be covered. Conceptual view of Microsoft Windows NT, Windows NT models- client server is also a part of the curriculum.

Digital signal processing is one of the brightest spots in the semiconductor business today, and one of the few deserving the title “breakthrough”. Like earlier advances in microprocessors and computer memories, digital signal processing is a foundation technology with the power to transform broad areas of the electronics industry. Its impact is being felt in applications as diverse as stereo systems, cars, personal computers and cellular phones. In the next few years, digital signal processing should give rise to hundreds of new products and change what people expect from technology.

The fact that the world market in programmable Digital Signal Processor chips hit more than $3 million in 1997, having tripled in just three years shows that Digital Signal Processor have come a long way and are here to stay. It is projected to increase to around $14 million by the end of 2002. The future in this field is ever increasing and provides opportunity for the to-be engineers in this field.

Also being a member of the internationally acclaimed Institute Of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE - currently Communication Society, next year I will be enrolled for Signal Processing Society) has given me the opportunity to keep abreast with the latest in today’s advancing technology. This has also increased my interest in the field of Communication. Hardly surprising, much of the growth of DSP is being driven by communication. Thus this gives DSPs a wide area to exploit.

In my final year, I joined hands with three other students to undertake a project. Our project consisted of designing an Automated Teller Machine (ATM). The heart of our system consisted of the 8086 microprocessor. We shall use assembly language for programming the microprocessor. This is one of the most interesting large projects that I had a chance to be a part of. It is an extremely practical experience, which I really enjoy.

During my undergraduate course in the Department of Electronics I have consistently scored above 65 %, which is a matter of great pride for me, as very few student have achieved this feat. This makes me several cuts above the commonplace. Our courses were purely theoretical in nature. I would like to change that. As I have mentioned below, I am a practical person and like to see things work.

I enjoy teaching and although I have no formal experience, my naturally strong communication skills will help me considerably. I envisage myself as a teacher and researcher – either in industry or in the university. I definitely see myself in the role of a teacher to undergraduates. In fact, that’s something I would enjoy immensely.

I am a very practical person and my understanding is prodded by actually seeing things work. I am a quick thinker and learner. Your university could be the nucleus to accomplish my goals, as ample opportunities exist for students like me to initiate independent study and to become involved in active research programs, both experimental and theoretical. I would be more than happy to be given the opportunity to pursue my graduate study in your university. I am confident that in return for this I can make a perennial contribution to your institution.

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SOP Computer Science

2006-09-01T16:09:00.000+05:30

I have completed higher secondary education from Vidyakunj Higher Secondary School, Baroda. During Aug ’97 till Aug ’99, I undertook studies in APPLICATION DEVELOPMENTS qualifying me as an APPLICATION DEVELOPER from IBM-ACE (Authorized Center for education) at Baroda, (Gujarat), India.

Computer education has been a part of my curriculum since secondary school. Numerical & Mathematics have been the subjects of my choice and fascination. All these contributed to my decision to plan computer education as the means to build my future.

The academic curriculum at IBM-ACE provided me with the fundamental clarity in computer languages such as C, C++, VC++ & JAVA. The various modules covered gave me a god exposure in the areas of computer organization, RDBMS & networking.

The simultaneous practical training was undertaken at the computer laboratory of a pharmaceutical organization namely ASTRAL PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES, Baroda. During the practical training I had the opportunity to assist software engineers and systems analysts in designing integrated software specific to pharma industry. The software developed was a part of re-engineering exercise the unit was undergoing. This software is integrating inventory, manufacturing, distribution & marketing of a large number of products being handled by the company.

I have been a sportsman on the field and off the field. On the field I have participated and successfully lead teams in the games of FOOTBALL & VOLLEYBALL in my school at inter school, inter district levels.

I am looking forward to reinforce and continuously upgrade my fundamentals in computer science by persuading further studies at under-graduate level with your esteemed university.

Computer science

2006-09-01T16:04:00.000+05:30

I will never hide my talents, if I am silent, I am forgotten. If I do not advance, I will fall back. If I walk away from my challenge today, my self-esteem will forever be scarred, and if I cease to grow even a little, I will become smaller. I reject the stationary position because it is always the beginning of the end. The above philosophy has played an important role in the shaping of my objectives and framing of my plans for the future.
I have been dedicated towards my studies right from my childhood. I secured 70.44% in Maths and science in my higher secondary certificate examination (10+2 pattern) XII Science, 1996. That opened up doors for me to secure admission in the Four year Degree Program of Bachelor of engineering (B.E.) in Textile Processing at renowned Sarvajanik College of Engineering and Technology (SCET), Surat, India. This marked the beginning of one of the most important phase of learning in my life. This course took me a step closer towards fulfillment of my goal of delving deeper into the world of science.
During my eight semesters so far at SCET, I have come a long way in expanding my horizons. After learning the basics of engineering in first two semesters, we built a slid foundation of Chemistry and Textile Processing in the next two semesters. Out of the plethora of well-structured courses in Textile Processing, I also studied three computer subjects such as Computer Fundamentals &Programming in C
Language, Computing Method Using C &Computer Aided Design &Computer Colour Matching.
My career aspirations have been influenced by fast development of latest technology in India by virtue of Commercial liberalization policy of Indian government and participation of foreign companies in advancement of Software &IT industry. Considering the need of information technology &programming
Knowledge and my interest in computer subjects, I have decided to enroll for the course of Computer Science at your esteemed university.

I believe that the process of learning continues at every stage of life. It is with the help of course of Computer Science your university that I think; I can enhance my academic career. I desire to take graduate study in order to become conversant with Information Technology. I am well are that study in American demands hard work, sincerity and punctuality for which I am physically and mentally equipped. The main aim in opting for an American standard of education is very high competence
Particularly in the field of information system.

I am confident that my earnest aspirations of academic endeavors will become a reality by your kind
Consideration for my admission for masters program in Computer Science. I am confident you will find
In me a person giving his best in all challenging environments utilizing my knowledge and resources for mutual betterment.

Rashesh Patel

SOP Computer Science

2006-09-01T16:02:00.000+05:30

My interest in computer science began when I saw my brother working on his computer. He always used to say you are too small to use it, when I was a child. He did his MS in the University of Maryland. When I hot my first computer (386 DX), I was in love. Then, I knew what I was going to be software professional. I could sit on the computer easily for hours and hours, without feeling bored. I was always ahead of the class in computer science in the XI & XII standards. I was the first in computer science in the whole school. I studied for 12 years in the Indian Embassy School, Saudi Arabia. They used to call me the guru of Pascal. I always was the first to finish my assignments. I also was the class first in mathematics.

Then when I entered Coimbatore Institute of Technology, which is the 5th most prestigious college in my state, I had a problem adapting to the college as I was used to studying in the American system of learning. Then, a change occurred in me, when I met a professor named Mrs. Mohana, in the V semester. She showed me that I was no less than any of the other students in the class. She taught me the way the Indian system of studying works. She changed my life and guided me in getting my B.E degree. When most people thought I was a failure, she believed in me. I owe a lot to her. My father helped me out when I was in a hole. He used to say, “one should always keep trying, if you don’t believe in yourself who will?” I still remember the words he said,” you should not let failure stop you from achieving your dream of going to America and getting an MS degree in Computer Science”. Then I started to prepare for my GRE, TOEFL exams. I decided I was going to be the best software professional I can be.

In this one-year time I had after leaving the college, I helped some of my classmates in passing their programming labs, as they found it very easy to write theory papers, but struggled when it came to programming. They said, “ if you weren’t there I would have never got my B.E degree”. I also helped my neighborhood kids and relatives in mathematics and English. All of the people I have taught have passed in their exams with flying colors. I have completed 3 projects in JAVA, a search engine, image viewer and data base management program. A friend of mine showed my Java image viewer program as his project and got selected as junior software engineer,

I know now that I have passed a low phase in my life. I am sure after doing my MS in your university, I will be a better individual and I can improve my skills in the field of computer science. I know that if given the right opportunity, I can be one of the best software professional in the world. I will make the university and my parents proud.

2006-09-01T16:00:00.000+05:30

SOP -1

Since my first introduction to the technology of computers, I was quite fascinated and this fascination has developed a latent interest for knowing more and increasing my knowledge in this field. From the days of my school, I had developed this interest and I always updated myself to the latest software and literature in this field.

However, after my higher secondary examination, I was not able to get into the computer field. So I had to compromise with my high desire and hence sought admission to B.E degree in metallurgy. This had to be done keeping in mind that I have to graduate in any field, so as to seek my higher goals.

I graduated from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (Gujarat) with distinction in the final year. During my four-year stay in Baroda, I never missed any opportunity of updating myself in the field of my interest.

To put it briefly, I joined ‘Lakhotiya Computer Center’- software training institute which is affiliated to Central College, UK, one of the oldest and most reputed private colleges of higher education in London, for software courses. The program is of 15 months duration and I will be completing it in the month of November ’98. The program has enhanced my knowledge in the field of my desire. I have learned the modules like Dos, MS-Office FoxPro, Hardware concepts, Internet concepts Unix, Oracle and I have yet to complete one more module of programming in ‘C’ and a project undertaken in oracle.

India is gearing to enter the twenty first century as one of the highly developed and industrialized nation on the globe. The adoption of liberalization along with the phenomenon of globalization has triggered a rapid industrial growth and the phenomenon of globalization has triggered a rapid industrial growth and technological upgradation. India is going to be one of the largest market and booming industrial center. This will create new opportunities especially in the field of computer technology. Hence, I wish to take the opportunity of securing an MS Degree in computer science and avail the opportunity of serving my country and people.

My aim of seeking admission in US is to avail the advantages of securing the best of knowledge and the opportunity of the best academic facilities and environment.

I am assured that your university has excellent and strong foundation and the best of infrastructure that will bring the best out of me and help me achieve my goal of being a computer scientist and serve my country to the best of my abilities and patriotism. I hope that I am given this opportunity to fulfill my long cherished dream.

Your kind consideration of my case will be highly acknowledged.

SOP -2

Mr. Adil Gheewala
MS-Computer Science
Statement of Goals.

The computer technology has ushered in a revolution that is unprecedented in its sweep. Its effect on the everyday lives of ordinary people has been phenomenal. Right from the super satellite control stations to the grocer’s humble shop, the efficient office and the busy kitchen in the home this technology is all pervasive, all consuming. This is what makes it one of the most challenging fields as it not only meets needs but has the power to create new needs, rules and total environments of its own. The computer technology has a life, creativity and a vibrancy that is enticing. My decision to focus on a career in Computer Science was a logical culmination of my fascination for computers.

A natural aptitude for mathematics, a sense of logic, analytical ability, capacity for diligent work and high academic credentials secured me a placed the Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues College of engineering. The curriculum at Fr.C.R.C.E exposed me to the entire gamut of computer and electronic courses thus laying a strong foundation for both my Hardware and Software fundamentals. My main areas of interest were software programming, Graphics and Multimedia. I enjoyed the courses in Networks and Operating systems. My interest in Graphics and Databases led me to prepare eye-catching illustrations to explain the working of electronic models. I developed many software programs in C++, Unix and VC++. I gave a number of presentations on subjects beyond the scope of my syllabus including UNIX, Database models, ISA bus Architecture, etc.

My final year project was with the IT department of a shipping company, Herald Maritime Services. The project was completed in a period of 7 months, using VB5 as the front end and Microsoft Access as the back end. My team and I developed the software, which computerized the accident monitoring system. It was a thrilling moment when the maritime company accepted our project for online application on its ships.

The field of application of technology is what interests me the most. I want to acquire the learning that will enable me to contribute to the development of anew software, which can improve efficiency, and accuracy of work in varied spheres. Digital processing is already transforming the world of communications. My ambition is to work at the forefront of the technology with the ability to find innovative solutions to the changing needs.

The distinguished faculty and excellent facilities at your university make its graduate program ideally suited to my professional goals. My desire to pursue further studies in USA is because it has the most dynamic atmosphere, which will shape me to be a thinker and a learner. The flexibility of the curriculum will give me the broad-based education I need to widen the scope of my knowledge and skills. The diversity of the student body will open my mind to new influences, new ideas and new ways of doing things. The world is literally becoming a global village where opportunities for work are transcending physical space. With the cyberspace connections, Indian knowledge workers are increasingly contributing to the global work force. The international education will give me the training and the caliberto meet the global clients. I look forward to being an active contributing member of the student community at your University.

Continuous progress is the key to life. And for progress, knowledge and proper guidance are the essentials. I am sure, the quality knowledge and impeccable guidance, will mould me to be in the learning mode all my life opening the way for constant growth as a person and a professional.

SAMPLE - Electronics Letter of Recommendation

2006-08-19T15:32:00.000+05:30

It is with great pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation for Mr. Aaresh Powvalla as he has an indisputable potential and motivation for graduate studies. I have known Aaresh since 1996. During his coursework in Department of Electronic Engineering I had the opportunity to closely interact with him in the three semesters that I have taught him. This has convinced me that he is very genuine in pursuit of his academic excellence.

His final year project (Automated Teller Machine) is under my guidance. While discussing the concepts of his project work he has been very impressive. He has shown excellent capability to understand technical papers, implement those ideas and work indefatigably on the modules undertaken thus far.

I was associated with Aaresh in the sixth and seventh semesters for Microprocessor II & III Laboratory Work. His lab-work was disciplined and creditable. He has good command over assembly language programming for microprocessors and micro-controller.

Academically he is an intelligent and diligent student, which is clearly reflected in the excellent marks that he has consistently achieved. He was my student for the courses in �Electronics�I� (Semester III), �Microprocessor-II� (Semester IV) and presently in �Microprocessor-III� (Semester VII). I imparted the concepts of 8086 and its peripherals, 80386 and 8051. His performance in these courses has been superior, impressing me with his commitment to learn and think innovatively.

Aaresh is a student of high moral and ethical standards. I am sure he will put forth all his effort into any task that he confronts. By providing him a graduate program in your college you will not only give him an opportunity for career growth but also help his achievements to culminate. I recommend him for graduate studies and deserving financial assistance. I feel that his academic proficiency and potential for research make him one of the truly outstanding candidates I have come across. Yours truly,

LOR for Therapists

2006-08-15T18:44:00.000+05:30

"This letter is in support of X, who is applying for a . . . grant. I have read his statement of purpose with great care; in fact, I have had many discussions with him about his project, which I find both compelling and important.X is a rare combination: he is already at this young age a seasoned expert in both literature and iconography . . . . Having taught him in a language-intensive course last year, I can bear witness to his superb command of German . . . .
His project's focus of interest, the . . . , is admirably suited to someone of X's talents and industry. The . . . Institute is the ideal place to carry out such research, and I am confident that X`s discoveries will in the long run make an impact on learning in that field.
Add to all this that X is a very congenial person, well-liked by teachers and fellow-students alike, and you will see why I am so positive about this bright and energetic young scholar. I endorse his candidacy with confidence and enthusiasm.

During the course of the week, _______ presented material with such ease and humor that she set the tone for the entire workshop. Her creative ideas for presentations and activities were inventive and entertaining; they were also astonishingly effective.With participants from a variety of backgrounds, there was often conflict, and occasionally confrontation. While setting limits, _______ managed to respond consistently with respect and compassion. The experience had a profound effect on the participants and, because of _______'s exceptional skill and professionalism, she has been invited by many schools to offer similar workshops During the time I have known ________, she has distinguished herself as a conscientious and energetic pioneer in the field of social and emotional learning. I have enormous respect for her teaching and leadership skills, and have been pleased to work with her on many occasions. Two years ago, __________ was invited by _________ University Counseling Center to consult to our
Peer Counseling program.

I was eager to have such an extraordinary teacher help with the training of the students and the development of the program. Her skills, which were so apparent in Lithuania, were equally impressive in the United States. She was an eager, enthusiastic teacher who was greatly admired by the Hopkins students. She led group discussions and facilitated role-plays with great skill, and also helped in the development of outreach programs. She is particularly gifted at identifying students' needs, encouraging their contributions, and involving them in the planning process. Her commitment and passion for her work was evident as we worked together during that year, and she became a close friend and colleague during the visit.

I know of _________'s continued interest in programs related to social competence and emotional development. She has instituted many impressive programs for school children and families, and it has been an honor to consult with her on some of these projects . I have the greatest admiration for her work. Your program of study sounds ideally suited to ________'s needs and talents. She will be coming to you with the qualities of a natural therapist: genuineness, warmth, compassion, and integrity. She will also bring her interest in scholarly research and program development. Just as importantly, she would come with an enthusiasm for both learning and teaching, well as a resolute desire to understand new theories and ideas. It is exciting to think of the ways in which she might contribute to your program. I urge you to carefully consider ________ who is, quite simply, the most remarkable teacher I have ever met.Sincerely,

Letter of Recommendation

2006-08-15T16:20:00.000+05:30

If you need to secure a good position in the work force or be admitted to a school of higher learning, you will probably need one or more letters of recommendation. Both employers and admissions boards need to know as much as possible about an applicant to determine his or her ability to perform adequately. Letters of recommendation provide information from a former employer or a credible associate who has been personally involved with the candidate. This outside source provides a valuable record of the candidate's previous experience and can testify to his or her skills and abilities. An effective letter of recommendation:---
verifies experience , confirms competence , builds credibility , bolsters confidence

The information contained in a letter of recommendation depends on the type of letter and its intended audience. Information is often different for a letter written for an academic admissions board than one written for a prospective employer.

The Letter Writer

Choose who will represent you wisely. No one person can represent you accurately in all areas. Find someone who knows your strengths in the areas you need to satisfy the requirements of a particular employer or admissions board. Schedule a convenient time for you and your employer or advisor to meet. Review the requirements and expectations of the recommendation letter. This process helps the person who is writing the letter answer questions, clarify points that may need elaboration, and point out additional information that may be required. Make this process easy by providing all of the information needed so that you can obtain an accurate and positive recommendation.

Keep in mind that the recommender is doing you a favor and has a busy schedule with other commitments. Make sure you allow enough time so that he or she can provide you with a well-written and effective letter.When you request a recommendation, communicate your needs in a straightforward way. Explain what you are applying for and ask if the person can provide you with a good recommendation. If someone exhibits any uneasiness about providing you with a strong recommendation, be polite, thank him or her for their time and then look elsewhere. Choose someone who:-
can provide a well-written letter, knows you well enough to be credible,thinks highly of you and your abilities , holds a respected position.

Writing Your Own Letter of Recommendation

Do not be surprised if a person you are asking for a recommendation asks you to write a first draft of the letter that he or she will then modify and sign. Begin by providing an accurate assessment of your strengths without dwelling on limitations. Letters of recommendation are intended to be positive and realistic evaluations of performance, competence, and capability. Do not be shy in communicating your strengths. Look at the following suggestions:

List your strengths, talents, and abilities. These may include diligence, punctuality, leadership, reliability, enthusiasm, creativity, independence, teamwork, organization, etc. Highlight your strengths and accomplishments without bragging. Choose several of your qualities and strengths that match the current situation; do not list everything you have ever done. Use a professional vocabulary and style; write as if you were the employer providing the letter.

Writing a Letter of Recommendation for Someone Else

When you are asked to write a letter of recommendation, be honest in your assessment. Put yourself in the reader's position and consider what you would want to know if you were reading the letter. If you have concerns about specific areas, be up front with the requester when you are asked to write the recommend. There should be no surprises. A good way to create a letter of recommendation is to use pre-designed templates available in letter-writing products. Additionally, you should review writing samples to better understand the structure before you begin to write. Follow these steps to be fair to everyone involved: Be honest about your feelings, intentions, and concerns. This will save time and embarrassment for both parties if you feel that you cannot provide a good recommendation. If you are not sure what to write, ask the requester to provide a draft letter for you to review, edit, finalize, and sign.Find out when the requestor needs the letter and be sensitive to deadlines.

LOR for fellowships

2006-08-15T03:27:00.000+05:30

"I am pleased to write to you on behalf of X, who is applying for a fellowship to study . . . . I have known X for two years. She took my course in . . . . More recently, I have been advising her on her thesis.

X has done well in Harvard's . . . concentration. The concentration includes preparation in . . . . In addition, she has had substantial exposure to the "practical" aspects of her topic, for example through her work at . . . . Thus she is extremely well prepared to fulfill her proposed project.
X has selected an area, . . . , which is of growing interest. . . . In my view as someone who studies . . . among other topics, questions such as this are severely under-researched. The proposed topic - . . . - seems to be both worthwhile and feasible, and should prove very interesting.

X is an independent self-starter. While she has no trouble working in groups, or interacting with others, she can also work well on her own. Furthermore, she is mature and personable. I would expect her to perform well in a wide range of environments. In fact, her personality and skills should place her high on any list of good "representatives" for the U.S.
I hope that you will consider her application strongly."

LOR for any Purpose

2006-08-12T12:37:00.000+05:30

"I am writing in support of X to . . . . I have known X since September, l986. He was a member of a small . . . tutorial that I taught in l986-87. . . . X was an active and conscientious member of the class. He challenged the rest of the class to consider issues from new perspectives and often asked very penetrating and important questions. He chose to take on difficult topics and handled them well. His assignments were well-written, well-supported, organized, neat, and timely. It was evident that X really desired to learn more and challenge himself. . . .

X also has interest outside of academics. He has been an active member of . . . , a Harvard singing group, and a member of the campus . . . club. He is also a member of the . . . House film society. X's personality is wonderful. He is outgoing and friendly, but not dominating. He has an obvious and sincere concern for others. . . .

X would be a wonderful student to have at . . . . He has skills that he is eager to share, but he is just as eager to learn. . . . I feel very confident that he will be extremely successful in all his future endeavors. He is a focussed and determined young man. I highly recommend him for . . . ."

SAMPLe - Letter of Recommendation

2006-08-12T03:20:00.000+05:30

"X has been an assistant in my laboratory during the past year, and has proven to be exceptional in several respects. First, X is exceptionally intelligent. He proved to be a very quick study, learning the elements of experimental design and the uses of microcomputers in record time. Furthermore, his questions are always thoughtful and penetrating. X threw himself into his assigned projects wholeheartedly, and shows every sign of having real talent in . . . . I was a little surprised by his high degree of enthusiasm because I knew that X was not primarily interested in . . . . When I mentioned this to him, I discovered that he has well defined career goals that mesh with the projects he was working on . . . .

Second, X is exceptionally diligent and hard working. He worked many extra hours over the summer. I vividly recall coming into the lab late in the evening. . . and finding X at work. X invariably finished projects well in advance of our projected target date. X was always cheerful during this intense period, and was a joy to have in the lab.

Third, X is very good at working with other people. He is exceptionally nice and considerate and sensitive. X is not only good humored and friendly, but also is good at gauging other people's level of knowledge and attitudes. . . .

All in all, I think X has a very bright future, and I am sure that he would benefit from . . . . Given his great intelligence and sensitivity, I am sure that he could put . . . to good use.
In short, I give X my highest recommendation, and very much hope that the committee judges his application favorably."

SAMPLE - Engineering Letter of Recommendation

2006-08-11T03:22:00.000+05:30

I am pleased to write this letter of recommendation for Mr. Aaresh Powvalla to attend your Graduate School Of Engineering. I have known Aaresh since 1997. I had the occasions to correlate with him during his coursework in the Department of Electronic Engineering in the three semesters that I have taught him. This has honestly made me believe that he is very decisive in his quest for academic growth. He also has an unquestionable aptitude and motivation for graduate studies.

He is a persevering and intelligent student as far as academics is concerned, which is clearly seen in the admirable marks that he has consistently achieved. I have been his teacher in more than two classes.
He was my student for the courses in :

Electromagnetic Fields & Waves (Semester V),
Microprocessor-II (Semester VI) and
Presently in Digital Communication (Semester VII).

His performance in these courses has been superior, impressing me with his commitment to learn and think innovatively. He has authority over assembly language programming for microprocessors. I have taught him the concepts of 8086 and its peripherals, electromagnetic field theory and digital modulation techniques.I am currently (seventh semester) Aaresh is Lab-in-charge for Digital Communication. His lab-work is very disciplined and meritorious and I am impressed with his interactive approach and clear expression. His prospects as a researcher are ably complimented with his experimental skills in the laboratory.

I recommend him for graduate studies and fitting financial assistance. In my view his academic know-how, competence and commitment for research, definitely make him one of the most noteworthy student I have taught. I am convinced he will put forth all his effort into any endeavor. By furnishing him a graduate program in your college you will not only give him an opening for career headway but also help him reach the supreme level of accomplishment. In a word, I aver that Aaresh is an ideal candidate for your graduate program.Yours truly,

General Letter of Recommendation

2006-08-09T03:25:00.000+05:30

"I first knew X in the spring of l986 when she was a member of my Freshman Seminar, '. . . .` In such small groups teacher and students come to know one another in a way that is seldom, if ever, possible in large lecture courses. In either forum something can be learned about a student's academic ability, but only in the former can one get a reliable measure of the student as a person. . . . Having kept in touch with X in the intervening years, I am confident in my knowledge of her.

To begin with, she is an excellent student, with a lively curiosity that makes her dissatisfied with superficial explanations. That curiosity frequently led our seminar down avenues and into areas that, otherwise, would have remained unexplored. . . .

One has only to speak to her to recognize her openness and eagerness. It is easy to mistake this for naiveté, an error I made when she first told me she had signed up to be an apprentice teacher in one of Boston's more notorious inner city high schools. . . . Throughout the term, often at great cost to her own peace of mind, and sometimes in explicit conflict with the regular teacher, she continued to insist on a high level of performance from her students. She not only survived the term but won the admiration and respect of students accustomed to being patronized by teachers content to believe that nothing much can be expected.

I would expect X to bring these same qualities of character to . . . . That is, an openness to new places, peoples, cultures and customs; a keen intelligence, with which to analyze and order her experience; irrepressible curiosity; and an unusual ability for dealing with people of all ages and conditions. Those qualities, combined with her toughness of character. . ., will enable her to understand and empathize with others while never losing touch with who she is."

LOR for Language studies

2006-08-08T06:42:00.000+05:30

"This letter is in support of X, who is applying for a . . . grant. I have read his statement of purpose with great care; in fact, I have had many discussions with him about his project, which I find both compelling and important.
X is a rare combination: he is already at this young age a seasoned expert in both literature and iconography . . . . Having taught him in a language-intensive course last year, I can bear witness to his superb command of German . . . .
His project's focus of interest, the . . . , is admirably suited to someone of X's talents and industry. The . . . Institute is the ideal place to carry out such research, and I am confident that X`s discoveries will in the long run make an impact on learning in that field.
Add to all this that X is a very congenial person, well-liked by teachers and fellow-students alike, and you will see why I am so positive about this bright and energetic young scholar. I endorse his candidacy with confidence and enthusiasm."
summer conference outside of _________ for teenagers interested in communication skills. During the course of the week, _______ presented material with such ease and humor that she set the tone for the entire workshop. Her creative ideas for presentations and activities were inventive and entertaining; they were also astonishingly effective.With participants from a variety of backgrounds, there was often conflict, and occasionally confrontation. While setting limits, _______ managed to respond consistently with respect and compassion. The experience had a profound effect on the participants and, because of _______'s exceptional skill and professionalism, she has been invited by many schools to offer similar workshops During the time I have known ________, she has distinguished herself as a conscientious and energetic pioneer in the field of social and emotional learning. I have enormous respect for her teaching and leadership skills, and have been pleased to work with her on many occasions. Two years ago, __________ was invited by _________ University Counseling Center to consult to our Peer Counseling program. I was eager to have such an extraordinary teacher help with the training of the students and the development of the program. Her skills, which were so apparent in Lithuania, were equally impressive in the United States. She was an eager, enthusiastic teacher who was greatly admired by the Hopkins students. She led group discussions and facilitated role-plays with great skill, and also helped in the development of outreach programs. She is particularly gifted at identifying students' needs, encouraging their contributions, and involving them in the planning process. Her commitment and passion for her work was evident as we worked together during that year, and she became a close friend and colleague during the visit.I know of _________'s continued interest in programs related to social competence and emotional development. She has instituted many impressive programs for school children and families, and it has been an honor to consult with her on some of these projects . I have the greatest admiration for her work. Your program of study sounds ideally suited to ________'s needs and talents. She will be coming to you with the qualities of a natural therapist: genuineness, warmth, compassion, and integrity. She will also bring her interest in scholarly research and program development. Just as importantly, she would come with an enthusiasm for both learning and teaching, well as a resolute desire to understand new theories and ideas. It is exciting to think of the ways in which she might contribute to your program. I urge you to carefully consider ________ who is, quite simply, the most remarkable teacher I have ever met.Sincerely,

STUDY IN EUROPE

2006-07-27T14:57:00.000+05:30

Jagdish's Page for Foreign Exams brings for you an exclusive experience shared on internet by Tauseef Afzal of Pakistan.This post is an excellent guide for pursuing Higher Education in Europe and Contains in-depth & complete information about Higher education in Europe

To read it -- CLICK HERE

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What happens After I get a VISA

USA Student Visa

Documents Required for Student Visa

Following are the main documents that are required for Student visa of USA.

Dependents Visa

Getting a VISA

VISA!!

Verbal Section : Sentence Completions

Verbal Section : Sentence Completions

Verbal Section : Sentence Completions

Verbal Section : Sentence Completions

Verbal Section : Sentence Completions

Verbal Section : Sentence Completions

Verbal Section : Sentence Completions

Cost of living for a student in UK!

Study Abroad in UK

Top Business Schools In United Kingdom

UK Student Visa Application Form

Interview Questions for UK Student Visa The following are some of the important questions that the ambassador asks during the interview for the student visa of UK.

More Information about UK Student Visa

Visa Information

Practical advice for Foreign Students Studying in the UK

Personal Safety

Cambridge and other EFL Examinations

EXAM INFORMATION

Schengen Visas - General Information

Schengen Visas - General Information

SOP for Medicine and Medical Specialities

SOP for Economics Graduate Studies

Biophysics program application - Sample SOP

SOP for CS students

SOP for Computer Science

How to write a statement of purpose!

Top 10 Essay Clichés

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE- Journalism

SOP for LAW School

SOP for Business Administration

Environmental Studies - Statement of Purpose

Sample Statement of Purpose- Mathematics

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE- Mechanical Engineering

SOP for Public Administration and Public Relations

SOP for Psychology

Sample SOP for pursuing higher studies in History

Sample SOP for pursuing higher studies in CHEMISTRY

SOP for Public Health

SOP for Biology and Human Sciences

Interview Questions for UK Student Visa

The following are some of the important questions that the ambassador asks during the interview for the student visa of UK.