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The million dollar, most-intelligent question that international students who want to study abroad ask is this: Will I find a job once I graduate from University X? If this were a multiple choice question, the answers would be:

a. Guaranteed Yes.
b. Guaranteed No
c. May be
d. Who knows?

Guaranteed Yes is for students who are studying in a hot and emerging field – cyber-security, for example, or a field with a shortage of talented workers, such as petroleum engineering. If your major is in a discipline where supply exceeds demands, then as an international student you are at a disadvantage over nationals. Employers would hire a US citizen, for example, before hiring an international student. So think carefully about what you want to study, why you want to earn a degree in your given major, and how you will convince a future employer to hire you over others.

Guaranteed No – two factors come into play. First, if a student is studying in a field where there is little to no demand and second, if the communication skills of the student are below par, the chances of finding a job abroad go down significantly. Superior technical skills (such as programming) can overcome to some extent the shortfall in communications, but it will still place the student at a disadvantage. Good communication skills open many doors.

May be – this is a true and realistic answer. If you are pursuing a Bachelor’s degree, it takes four years; a Master’s takes two years, and a PhD takes four to five years. It is fairly difficult to predict with great accuracy whether you will find a job years down the road. If you maintain a strong academic profile, build your networks, and embrace leadership opportunities while you are in college, your chances are pretty good (assuming your communication skills are good.)

Who knows? is the whole truth. Some students have landed jobs even in a tough economic climate. They were in the right place at the right time. Things worked out for them. Others have struggled.

While we all would like a guarantee in all our investments, whether it is education or the stock market, the world does not operate that way. There are no guarantees, but history and statistics show us that a good education is a worthwhile investment. The returns are impressive. For some it may be quick, for others it may be a little slow, but the returns will surely come.

The real question is: What is the alternative to a good education? Nothing. A good education changes the way you think and the way you view the world. It helps you to become a critical thinker – which means you can look at a problem and see the pros and cons. You become sensitive to your own biases and prejudices. You become a better listener. You make friends who are from backgrounds completely different from yours. You value different cultures and what they have to offer. You understand how to innovate. The benefits of a good education are many. By a good education we don’t mean a degree. We mean a student who is willing and eager to learn. Anyone can get a degree, but only few get a good education. And there is always a job waiting for them.

The post Will I Find a Job if I Study Abroad? appeared first on PlanetGPA.

US colleges and universities. In this post, which is Part 1 in a series of articles on college essays, we offer some tips and guidelines to get you started on the right path.

1. What is the purpose of the college essay? Students often forget about the purpose of the college essay. It is very simple: to tell the Admissions Officer or the faculty at a top US college or university about YOU  and your academic interests. You should not repeat what you made in your test scores like the GRE or GMAT or your degree marks or GPA. That is already given in the application. Instead, you should tell them about your “other” academic credentials or interests. In other words, in your college essay you should tell them about things that you were not able to say in the application form. Don’t write anything in your college essay that is already covered in the application form at a US college or university. The first thing to do in writing a college essay is to outline all your academic accomplishments and interests. Tell them why you want to major in your chosen area. Tell them what you hope to do with that major. Tell them how you got interested in this field. Tell them about a Professor or friend who motivated you. Tell them
2.  if you have done some thing interesting in this area. The reader should have an ah-ha moment after reading your essay. In other words, he or she should be able to know you better after reading the essay than they did before they read the college essay. This is the most important part. If you can do this, the rest is easy. Unfortunately, this step is not easy. So we recommend that you do a brain dump. What is a brain dump? Simply write everything that comes to your mind when you think about your academic profile and interests. It doesn’t have to be in any order nor does it have to be in good English. Just write down whatever comes to mind about your academic profile. You may not remember everything the first time you sit to write. So just keep adding to it every time you remember something. Take several days or even weeks to complete this exercise. This is the most important step in writing a good college essay, particularly for top US colleges and universities that pay a lot of attention to your college essay.
3. Want to impress someone? If you want to impress someone, write your college essay in simple English. For God’s sake, don’t use words that no one can understand in your essay. Simply because a word can be found in the dictionary, does not mean you should use it in your essay! We read a number of essays with big words and the essay stinks! Why? Because often students use big words without truly understanding their meaning. They use it because they read it somewhere or they like the sound of it. What happens to your essay when you do this? Your essay reads terrible and the reader is really put off. Top colleges and universities in the US and around the world want to get to know you – they are not interested in seeing how many words you know from the dictionary.
4. Short on time? Stressed? Not a good time to write the college essay if you are stressed or short on time. In many ways, the college essay is like a piece of art. Sure, you can do a sloppy job, but a good essay is a sweet experience for the reader. Set aside several weeks or even a couple of months to write your college essay. Most students applying to top US colleges and universities think they can write an essay in one weekend or over a couple of days. This is a bad idea. When you are in a rush or in a lot of stress, the chances of you writing a good essay reduce significantly. Instead, set aside several weeks to write the essay. Write it and re-write. Write it and then read it a day or so later. Continue to refine your essay. 

So there are three things that you should remember from this article about how to write a good college essay:

1. Make a long list of everything you want to share with a top US college or university Admissions Officer about your academic profile and interests.

2. Write your college essay in simple language.

3. Set aside several weeks to write your college essay. Start to write your essay the day you decide which colleges or universities you plan to apply to in the US for your PhD or for that matter, MBA or any other degree.

In the next article, we will offer tips on the content of your college essay. Good luck!

The post Top Three Things to Do When Writing a College Essay for PhD at top US Colleges and Universities appeared first on PlanetGPA.

The good news is that almost all top US universities offer PhD scholarships to attract good students.  These scholarship can cover all your tuition expenses (basically you earn a PhD with no tuition) and some top US universities even pay a small amount to cover your living expenses, like accommodation and books. It is very rare that universities will admit students without any kind of scholarship for a PhD program.

So what should you do to get a PhD scholarship at a top US university?

1.  Your academic profile and GRE scores or GMAT scores must be good. So work hard and study hard for these tests. Your GRE scores and GMAT scores will decide the kind of university you get admitted to. So if it is very important.
2. The percentage of marks in your Master’s program must also be good. If you are below average, then your test scores must be very strong to prove to the university that you are a good student with the necessary skills. 
3. Make sure that your TOEFL or IELTS score is also above average. This does not apply to students from English speaking countries.
4. Write a strong, clear and compelling essay explaining why you think you are a good fit with the university that you are applying to. Don’t just praise the university or say flattering things. Instead really understand what the university has to offer and make a compelling argument about it.
5. Write clearly about the focus of your research. Be specific, to the extent possible, about what you plan to study and research. Tie this with the research profiles of faculty at the university.
6. You must get a strong letter of recommendation from faculty and researchers in the field who know your work.
7. Apply early. Some universities will give out scholarships as they receive the applications. If you apply late, all the money may be gone!

Because good scholarships are available, top US universities receive a large number of applications from PhD students. The competition is still.  So you must stand out from the crowd. Hence, your grades and test scores must be good and your application must be thoughtful, well-written, and nearly perfect! An important point to note: even though you may get funding, in order to get a visa, financial documents must show that you have funds to support your education. We like to add that each and every one of the students that we have counseled for PhD has received full scholarship!

The post How can I get full scholarship to study at a top US university for PhD? appeared first on PlanetGPA.

geralt / Pixabay

Do I Need a Counselor to Apply  to Top US Universities for PhD?

You may be wondering whether you should apply on your own or seek the help of a counselor. This is like learning to drive. You can do it your own. You may find it difficult and you may get involved in a few accidents, but  eventually you will be able to learn to drive. On the other hand, if you have a teacher, you will be more successful and the chances of success are a lot higher. If you don’t do it right the first time, you will lose a year of your life and career before you can apply again. More important, you may not get into the university of your first choice, and even if you do, you may not get scholarships. So a counselor, the right counselor, can be very helpful.

Is it worth the cost of hiring a counselor is the other question that students face. If your counselor is good and can get you a full scholarship for four years (this means you are earning a PhD for free!) the small investment you make for a good counselor is well worth it. In other words, the return on investment can be more than a 1000%. You can’t beat that!

Getting into a top US university for PhD depends on your academic profile and test scores. But simply having great scores does not always get you into top US universities. This is because US universities are looking for more than just top scores! They receive thousands of applications from excellent students from all over the world. Our job, and your job if you decide not to use a counselor, is to stand out and impress the faculty and Admissions Officers that you are the best.

The post Do I Need a Counselor to Apply to Top US Universities for PhD? appeared first on PlanetGPA.

When I registered for Planet GPA, I honestly did not expect much. It was like any other registration online and I had nothing to lose, thus, you can imagine my surprise when I did get a call back and was offered  a free counselling session. Ever since then, my perspective towards US University applications changed, and I started to understand that, which until then was incomprehensible to me.  I was assigned a Counselor named Ashok. I had no idea who he was or what he looked like. All I knew was a voice via skype, and that voice was the most reassuring sound to me during my application times, and above all, he was always there when I needed him, whether it be to answer some complicated query, or just a inspiring word to console me when I was apprehensive, and it is all thanks to him that today I have the admission that I dreamed of. This personal attention to the student’s needs is something that I cannot expect from anywhere else, and that I believe is the most unique feature of Planet GPA. I have already recommended it to some of my friends, and intend to do more.  When it comes to knowledge and expertise, I believe my view would be a bit biased, as I rely too much on Ashok’s guidance. Throughout the past few months, his expertise has been invaluable to my applications, and I could not do it without him. I would give the overall service an 8.5 out of 10, because there is still a long way to go, but I have complete faith in Ashok and Planet GPA

Pixy Ghosh, PhD student

I am gifted to have joined USAsiaEDU consultancy and to have Ms. Kristen Murphy as my counselor. I was initially a bit sceptical to join the consultancy as geographic location and huge time difference might be a constraint. But these constraints were well handled by you by your round the clock support and prompt response. I am extremely impressed by your working approach especially in handling issues.  Your assurance on getting me a good university for spring admission boosted my confidence level. The kind of support and advice that you have been giving is really invaluable, well meant, analysed and simply remarkable. It’s a great pleasure to have you as my counsellor rather a friend and I am sure that your guidance will definitely help me shape my goal. Kudos to you for all that you have done till now and further guidance that you will be providing and I am confident that we will together achieve success in our endeavour.

Padmaja Seshadri, Chennai, Graduate program in Immunology

I am really happy to have joined UsAsiaEdu consultancy and am glad that Kristen Murphy has been assigned to work on my case. She was very helpful right from the start and in a day we managed to streamline a lot of work that i had in mind. She knows her stuff and is very patient and understanding towards any small queries that i had.
My biggest apprehension was understanding the US Education system and Kristen made sure that information about the universities were well supplied, and any extra information was quickly provided. She made sure that all big hurdles were crossed with ease and made sure no discomfort was provided.
Apart from being an absolute pleasure to talk to , she managed issues very efficiently.
I am sure she will provide me with the same support that she has done so for, which will just seal my approval for all future referrals that i will provide. When interacting with a consultancy, there is always a doubt of, will the work be done, but after getting support from Kristen, I am relaxed and i know i can count on her for all support. Kudos to UsAsiaEdu for having her.

Ganesh S Gharmalkar

It was a total coincidence of me knowing about USAsiaEdu, I was just browsing when I got this link and I happen to fill a form. It was totally unexpected mail which I received from you the very next day. I happen to meet Ms Gowri the same week and everything else was just through mails and a few phone calls. I was at sometime very particular about the place I moved to. But, it was you who made me understand that I need to take the right step rather than depending on people to make way for me.
Today when I look back at things for the past two months I feel I was lucky enough to have met you people. It completely changed the way I looked at things about Universities in the US. You have helped me understand the value of joining a good University and have given me the opportunity to start my career in the right direction. I would definitely not have got such wonderful options on Universities from here if not for you.
It was a wonderful experience working with USAsiaEdu. Now I feel I am more confident about surviving in the US alone. Thank you Ma’am,

Rashmi Naresh

“My experience with PlanetGPA – Delhi branch was amazing. Initially I was apprehensive about the investment I was making, but once I started working with these guys all my doubts disappeared.I believe the selection of right B schools is an extremely important part of your application process. The way they helped me in zeroing in upon the right B schools was commendable. The research did before providing me a list of the schools that I should apply was great. I would like to specially thank headwest team for helping me gain more clarity on my long term objectives and goals. Thanks a lot guys for the help and guidance you have provided.”

Saurabh Singh

Thank you very much for the report. I looked through the customized report. It was great. Really I dint know that so much universities will be of open to me..!!

Raghav K.

The information provided is very much helpful. It has been of great help in selecting the universities. I understand and I believe that knowledge and expertise (of the counselor) is very vast. Overall I will provide 9 over 10. I would recommend my friends for they will get the best feedback on their profile and the most apt universities selected and applied.

Sumanth Muvvala, Applicant to Ivy League Universities

I have complete trust in the knowledge of the counselor as it compared to what I read about the procedure myself and it gave me better insights. I would rate the overall service very highly as I was able to get in touch with you (PlanetGPA Counselor) any time of the day through an email. Also, your (PlanetGPA Counselor) kind and encouraging words are a real morale booster in these tough and sometimes depressing times. I should have and will recommend the service to my friends, It is the most comprehensive service that deals with all possible stages of applying.

Shaurat Singh PhD candidate

Ashok and the team at PlanetGPA were thorough professionals in all the services they provided. I contacted them after I was rejected by several universities. It was my second try to gain admission into the PhD program in chemical biology. Working with PlanetGPA, I was able to secure 5 interviews and 3 acceptance offers along with full financial assistance and complete tuition waiver. I really applaud the commendable job done by his team from editing my SOP to short listing of universities. In addition, they followed up with the universities to which I had applied to update me on the status of application. It was a great experience working with PlanetGPA. I strongly recommend them for their their unmatched service and expertise about Ph.D programs in the U.S. Thank for all your help.”

Sulay Patel PhD candidate

My name is Suresh Hande from Hyderabad, India. As an interested to pursue PhD in USA, I search for a good consultancy, which has good experience in selecting top quality universities and writing. Statement of purpose and other needs for PhD students.

First, I took help from XYZ consultancy in Hyderabad and I was not satisfied with their services, especially help in writing SOP. Fortunately, I got the information about planet GPA from the Internet.

The services the planet GPA are well appreciated and I got good response and solutions to my problems immediately. The professional behavior of senior counselor, Ashok Gupta is outstanding. He responded immediately to all my mails and he reviewed all my SOPs several times without any loss of patience. I strongly believe in that Ashok Gupta played an important role in my success in getting admission in Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, USA. Thanks to Ashok Gupta.

If anybody asks me to suggest a good consultancy, without any thought, I will refer to PlanetGPA because it is such an outstanding company devoted especially for students aspiring higher education in USA.

Suresh Dande, Hyderabad, India
Email: suresh200678@gmail.com

USAsiaEdu is a parent company of PlanetGPA. The company has now been renamed PlanetGPA Institute Inc.

The post Testimonial appeared first on PlanetGPA.

1. Many U.S. colleges and universities offer online courses that you can take from home in your first or second semester. If you can take a few courses without being on campus in your first year, go for it. For international students, this means staying at home with your parents while taking U.S classes. It is a great idea and can save you significant dollars. You save on boarding and lodging while earning a U.S degree. Can’t beat that!

2. Many international students don’t know about community colleges or they have a bad impression about community colleges.  Even after you enroll in a 4-year university, you can still take some courses at a community college and have them transferred. This will also save you some money.

3.  Some universities have campuses around the world that offer the same degree as they do in the U.S. See if a campus is less expensive and take a few courses at that campus. This has multiple benefits. In your resume you can say that you have lived and experienced different cultures and countries. This is invaluable. Also, you earn the same degree for a lower cost. And you may be able to select a country that is closer to your home country, making travel back and forth less expensive.

The post Smart Ways to Save Money on a U.S. Bachelors Degree appeared first on PlanetGPA.

A PhD in the US is definitely worth it. This is what most people who have earned a PhD in the US will tell you. Faculty (most) are passionate about their discipline and are great mentors. Lab facilities in the U.S. are usually top notch and research is often cutting-edge. US faculty are active in their disciplines and their reputation depends on the careers their PhD students pursue. So, all in all it is a great investment. But if you want to earn a PhD just to earn “more money” it may not be a good idea. The number one question to ask is: Do I love my major or discipline enough to dedicate my lifetime to it? If your answer is yes, you have crossed the first barrier. Here is a great website from Purdue (www.purdue.edu) that answers most questions students considering a PhD have:  http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dec/essay.phd.html

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