Applying to US Universities

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In state tuition and out of state tuition

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Private Universities have a flat fee. Public Universities offer a lower tuition fee to the residents of their own state. This lower fee is referred to as in-state tuition. Only US citizens and permanent residents who belong to that US state are eligible for in-state benefits. Residency can be acquired after living in that state for a certain amount of time, typically two years. Again international students studying on F-1 or J-1 visa cannot claim to be state residents even if they have been living there for any length of time.

The in state tuition rates are typically 30% to 50% of the out of state tuition. At some Universities international students who are working as TA/RA get to pay the in state tuition fee because they are considered to be state employees. Even the receipients of open scholarships are awarded in-state tuition. This varies from state to state. This facility is available in almost all public Universities of Texas.

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The 2009 US News Rankings are out. The online access costs US dollars 14.95. While we do not endorse the rankings or suggest that you buy the online edition, it may not be a bad investment if you can afford it. Rankings are a good starting point to shortlist the Universities. Once you shortlist a few Universities based on your academic profile, app2us.com can help you make the final selection. Visit our forum at www.app2us.com

Here are the top 20 Engineering programs:

1. MIT
2. Stanford
3. UC Berkeley
4. Georgia Tech
5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
6. Cal Tech
7. Carnegie Mellon
8. University of Southern California
9. Cornell
10. University of Michigan Ann Arbor
11. UC San Diego
12. UT Austin
13. Texas A&M University College Station
14. UCLA
15. Purdue
16. University of Wisconsin Madison
17. University of Maryland College Park
18. Princeton University
19. UC Santa Barbara
20. Northwestern University

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Now you can get a prestigious Chicago GSB Executive MBA at Singapore. The Executive MBA is a 21 month program. The program begins in June and runs for 21 months. In each quarter 2 courses are offered and face to face classes are conducted for 2 weeks during a quarter. The faculty at Singapore comes from the main Chicago campus. The MBA degree is awarded by the University of Chicago.

Neither GRE nor GMAT is required but those with insufficient academic preparation may be asked to take GMAT. TOEFL is not normally required but you can be required to take TOEFL if you fail to demonstrate basic English proficiency.

It is not required to be a resident of Singapore for enrolment to the Singapore campus. Many students fly from other countries to attend this program. Some of the companies that recruit at the Singapore campus include GE Money, Deloitte Consulting, Lehman Brothers, Cargill, ABN Amro, Microsoft, Motorola, and many more.

Website of the Chicago GSB Executive MBA Singapore campus.

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US Economy is headed towards a possible recession but that may bring you some good news and well. What can be better relief than a tax free 600 dollar check in the mail for a student? If you are a US taxpayer and are supposed to file your 2007 tax returns, you may be eligible for 600 dollar refund check or more! The stimulus package was signed into law by President Bush on February 13, 2008.The law provides for tax rebates to most taxpayers, and other tax incentives to stimulate business growth.

The package will provide individual taxpayers with $600 and $1,200 for married taxpayers filing joint returns if they are below income caps of $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for couples. There is also a $300 per child tax credit.

Disclaimer: This information is for general information only. Contact IRS or a Tax advisor to find out whether or not you qualify. IRS has an online payment calculator.

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The Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree is the degree you should seek if you are interested in becoming a practicing pharmacist in the USA. The Pharm.D. program takes four years of study. The Pharm.D. program prepares students for licensure as a pharmacist. This degree will allow you to practice pharmacy in a number of settings including in a hospital or community setting, home health care, and nursing home care. A prior bachelor’s degree is not necessary. Admission to most Pharm.D. programs is handled through a common admission process of Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS) Application. Some Universities need a supplemental University specific application.

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Wireless Sensors and Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (WiSe MANet) Lab at the University of Memphis is doing some cool research. Dr. Santosh Kumar and his team of researchers are working in the areas of coverage, connectivity, and deployment, with emphasis on localized design, and energy efficiency.

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US Education system encourages students to apply for PhD programs directly after a four year undergraduate degree. If you have a good academic record and genuine interest in research, consider applying for a PhD program while still in the senior/ fourth year of your undergrad degree. PhD at a US University is an intense and intellectually stimulating experience. In the first two years the PhD students take courses like MS students. Subsequent two or three years are mostly spent doing research work.

Those who enroll in PhD programs without a Masters degree have to take more courses before they can graduate. However overall duration is shorter as compared to the time required for separate Masters and doctoral degrees. Many Universities award a M.S. degree after required coursework is completed, check the policy of your target Universities.

Companies do value a PhD degree in the hiring process and there are many research oriented jobs for which those with doctoral degree are preferred. For teaching at any reputable University in the world, PhD degree is required.

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eLearners.com alongwith American Intercontinental University, Walden University and DeVry University will grant $2 million in scholarships to working moms. This is part of the “Project Working Mom - Putting Education to Work” education awareness program. The project also helps working moms find an online program, provides information on financial aid, and helps connect with other moms studying online

Project Working Moms links:

Project Working Mom website
Online Application

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While you are busy Applying to US Universities, you should get a driving license in your home country as soon as possible. And remember to pack it in your luggage to USA. Once you are settled in USA, you may not be able to buy a car during your student life, still try to get a US driving license sooner than later.

Eventually when you buy a car, you will need to buy vehicle insurance. If you have no driving history, you may be charged twice as much as experienced drivers with a good driving record. Some insurance companies will give no weight to your driving history outside USA and Canada, but some will take that into account. All companies will check how long you have held a US license.

It may be noted that driving history is based on the issuance date of your license. If you can show that you had a US license for a couple of years and had a license in another country before that, you can save as much as 50 dollars per month on your car insurance premium.