GRE department Codes and Test centers

Here is an official document from ETS that lists various department codes and test centers.

In case if you are not sure on the department codes, consult this document

Click here

Other Topics:
GRE Revised General Test - Major Changes - book from March 15 2011

Resources for TOEFL (self preparation) - How to prepare for TOEFL

What is a Transcript

Multiple I-20 forms

One of the most frequently asked question regarding I-20 is
"Can I have multiple I-20 forms ?" or "How many I-20 forms can I request"

It is absolutely fine to have multiple I-20 from multiple universities/schools. But you need to use only one of them when applying for Visa. If you have multiple I-20 forms, select the I-20 issued by the university which you have selected to attend. Use the information from this selected I-20 while paying the SEVIS fees and while filling up the DS-160 forms and also when attending the visa interview.

One of readers asked this question :
Each university sets an official deadline when post (acceptance) notification to applicants. It might be the case that university X’s deadline is 15-20th march. However the applicant may still wait to hear from some better ranked universities. Now, if he sends “accept” acknowledgment to X, X will process sending I-20. Now suppose another university Y responses positively (Y is preferred to X), and applicant now accepts this offer too. Now 2 universities post two I-20 for the same applicant. Does it make any problem when the applicant faces the US Embassy? I’m really worried about it.

No need worry about this scenario. Select only one of the I-20 and use it for your visa application.

Apply for student visa (F1/J1/M1)

Procedure to apply for a student visa:
Step 1:
  Complete the I-20 form sent by your university/school in which you are supposed to attend.

Step 2:
   Pay your SEVIS fee (applicable for F1 and J1 visa applicants) - Go online here and complete SEVIS I-901 form and pay SEVIS application fee ( $200 effective from 1 Dec 2010). Log on to http://www.ice.gov/sevis for further details.

Step 3:
  Go online and complete the DS-160 form here
  DS-160 is a fully integrated online application form for the purpose of obtaining a non-immigrant visa for temporary stay in United States of America. It is an online form, which has to submitted to the Department of State via internet. You will need a scanned copy of a recently taken passport-size photograph to complete the online for (Specifications : .jpg file between 600x600 pixels to 1200 x 1200 pixels - less than 240 KB in size)
Review the application form thoroughly before submitting. Even minor errors/mismatch in the form or I-20 or your passport may lead to deportation or cancellation of your visa.

Step 4:
   After submitting the DS-160 form, print out the confirmation page (with barcode) that appears at the end of submitting the application. Take a backup copy (save it as pdf and store it in your email/personal disk as a backup)

Step 5:
  After submitting the DS-160 form, you need to pay a visa application fee to complete the process.
For F1/F2, J1/J2, M1/M2 visa application the Visa Fee is $140 (effective from 1 Dec 2010).

Step 6:
  Schedule an appointment with VFS (click here if you plan to attend visa interview in india).

Step 7:
   Bring the following items along with you on your interview date

Valid passport and your previously used passports if any

One recent (within the past six months) passport size photograph 50mm X 50mm (2" x 2") with a white background.

The DS-160 confirmation page with barcode

The visa application fee receipt.

VFS appointment letter

F, M students must bring the SEVIS receipt and completed I-120. 

A detailed CV/resume (this is not necessary, but having it might help you sometime)

Unleashing the myth behind I-20 form

I-20 form (see the sample image below) is a document that serves as a precursor to obtain a F1-student visa. International students willing to study in US, need to have an I-20 form before he/she can get a student visa.

I-20 form (see the sample image below) links the student and the university which has granted admission to him/her.It identifies the student,the school he is hopping to attend, the degree sought,intended major, English proficiency of the student, student's country of origin and the cost of attending the school. It will clearly show how the financial obligations of the student (expected expenses during the course of study at-most for 1 year period) will be met. The form also includes the student tracking number (SEVIS number - "Student & Exchange Visitor Information System" number) for the student and program

Pre-requisite for an I-20:
1) Acceptance to a program (undergrad or grad course) from an university/school
2) If the school requires "English Proficiency", then the student must have demonstrated his "English Proficiency" by some means ( ex: TOEFL,IELTS scores etc..,)
3) Cost of attending the university/school (estimated upto maximum 12 months)
4) Information on how the student will be supported financial for the above mentioned period (by grants, scholarships, fellowships,self support,support from family etc..)

After obtaining I-20:
The university which accepts the student will fill-up the I-20 with the above mentioned information and will send it to the student by post. Once the student receives the I-20, he/she needs to sign it. To obtain a F1-student visa, the student needs to go to a nearby US consulate/embassy (with prior appointment and DS160 form) with a valid passport and the completed I-20 form. List of US consulates and their addresses around the world can be obtained from here.

The US consulate will issue a F1-student visa (which will be stamped on your passport). Then you can go ahead and purchase your plane tickets.


Landing in the US: (I-94 card)
After you have landed your feet on the US soil, the first form you will fill-up is the I-94 form (This is also called arrival-departure record card/form - see sample image below). It will record your date of arrival and your duration of stay in the US. You may remain in the US till the departure date marked on the I-94.


Note: I-20 is NOT applicable for international students who are wishing to enroll in a primary/secondary school in United States.

Sample I-20 Form:

Sample I-94 form:

Selecting Universities/Schools

The general strategy to select university/school for your graduate study (especially PhD) involves

1) Identifying your areas of interest

2) Identifying the research areas of professors listed in a particular school/university

3) Matching your areas of interest and the listed areas of research in a particular school. Only select those schools that offer a program that matches your interest.
If you applying for PhD, make sure that the faculty of your interest is active in the respective areas of research. Go through their publications and note down the date of publications. Choose those professors/his research interest who is actively involving in publishing journal articles/research work. Do not choose those faculty who are dormant for years (the research publication dates will indicate it).

4) "US news rankings" ranks schools in US based on several criteria. Select those schools that interest you the most (depending on your own criteria - some may prefer to study in a school that is nearer to their state or in the same state, some prefer schools that offers lower fee structure etc..,)

5) Shortlist 7 to 8 schools (this list may contain - 2 to 3 top-10 schools , 3 to 4 medium profile schools (where you have a fairly good chance of securing an admit) and 3 to 4 low profile schools (where the probability of getting an admit is almost one) ).

6) You can also select schools based on funding (that suits your needs), location (like schools nearer to science parks or business parks - it is easier to find a job in such locations after graduation),research output of the department/school,faculty profile etc..

Resources for TOEFL (self preparation) - How to prepare for TOEFL

Some people go for class room courses to train themselves to crack the TOEFL examination and some prefer to do it on their own. It does not matter how you prepare for TOEFL as only the final goal is important.

Tips to help you prepare for TOEFL:

• The questions in TOEFL do not test your extensive tough vocabulary (which is often found in GRE questions). The questions are designed in such a way that they are easier to understand, comprehend and easier to answer. International students whose medium of instruction in school/college will find it very easier. Those from non-English medium of instruction may find it a bit difficult, but it will turn out to be easier if you train for it. If you are able to comprehend the contents in this post, you are good enough to crack the TOEFL exam :)
• Begin your preparation in advance to allow yourself adapt to the TOEFL test pattern and structure.
• Know the test pattern clearly

Build your basic vocabulary:

• Complete the book: "Word Power Made Easy" by Norman Lewis. It takes maximum 6 months to finish the book (depending on your grasping power and interest). This book is essential to understand simple words, use the right word at right place, pronounce and spell correctly, avoid illiterate expressions/word usage, speak grammatically without embarrassing mistakes .
• If required, go through another vocabulary builder - "How to build a better vocabulary" by Maxwell and Morris
• Read lots of texts (they can be novels,children stories,news articles, blogs etc..)
• Your reading must be diverse and may cover topics from arts,science, technology, sociology, history,geology, politics etc..,

Comprehend, ask questions and make hints:

• Don't just read, try to comprehend the gist of the article that you are reading 
• Ask the following questions:
• Who is the author and who are his audience
• What is the general idea the author is trying to convey
• Is the author bent on proving some point? if so what is it?
• What is the tone of the author ( like approving, disapproving, neutral argument etc..,)
• If the author is trying to make a point, what is your opinion on it.
• Make a hint about your understanding and try to write it in your own words (This is called paraphrasing)

Listen and grasp:

• The next level of preparation will be to hear audio books.
• Buy/download an audio book version of your favorite book and load it in your mobile phone or computer.
• Best place to buy/download audio books - 1) click here and 2) click here
• Whenever you are on travel or sitting idle, listen to the audio book
• After you have heard a complete chapter , pause your audio book and try to recapitulate the content of the chapter in English
• Get hold of your friend or your family member and tell them what you have heard in that chapter (in English)
• It would be good if you hear a story and communicate the story to your friends/family

Engage in Conversation:

• Find a friend or make friendship with one who is well versed in communication skills in English
• Engage in conversation with him and share your experience
• Do not get ashamed during initial stages of your conversation due to the lack of control on your language. Everything will be alright as time passes by.

TOEFL Structure

TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language) is a test that measures ones ability to use and understand English at the university level. It evaluates how well you combine your listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to perform academic tasks.

It is available in two flavors namely 1] TOEFL Internet Bases Test (IBT) and 2] TOEFL Paper Based Test.The format depends on your test center. Most of the test centers offer IBT format.

TOEFL IBT Test Structure:

Section	Time Limit	Questions	Tasks
Listening	60 – 90 minutes	34 – 51 questions	Listen to lectures, classroom discussions and conversations, then answer questions.
Reading	60 – 100 minutes	36 – 70 questions	Read passages from academic texts and answer questions.
Break	10 minutes	—	—
Speaking	20 minutes	6 tasks	Express an opinion on a familiar topic; speak based on reading and listening tasks.
Writing	50 minutes	2 tasks	Write essay responses based on reading and listening tasks; support an opinion in writing.

Click Here to download TOEFL IBT Sample Questions