Destination U.S.A!

Every year, several thousand Indian students leave India to study in Universities abroad and it is not surprising that majority of them find their way to universities in United States. Out of the many international students who go to US every year 14% of international students are from India.

The American system of education is renowned for its flexibility, diversity and commitment to excellence. The US educational experience is among the best in the world. Many US colleges and universities are known throughout the world for the quality of their academic programs. Private institutions such as Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Cornell, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and public institutions such as Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Univ. of California at Berkeley, Univ. of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Univ. of Wisconsin at Madison, and Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are familiar to students, educators, and business leaders everywhere. In addition to the more well-known institutions, the US has hundreds of other high quality public and private colleges and universities. The depth and breadth of options available are amazing. A degree from a US college or university is a stamp of excellence that marks you for life.

Education system in US
The education system in the US is a very different from the prevalent systems in India. That which is a 3-year Bachelors Degree in India is a 4-year Undergraduate Degree in the US (i.e. B.Sc., and M.Sc. are called BS and MS). Also the 2-year Post Graduate Degree in India is a 2-year Graduate Degree in the US and the 3-year Doctoral Degree in India is a 3-year Post Graduate Degree in the US. If the chosen course happens to be medicine then the duration is even longer.
Undergraduate education begins after secondary education, students have primarily three options.
a) Pursue a 4-year undergraduate programme
b) Join 2-year Associate Degree or Certificate courses with a community-or junior-college
c) Take up 2-year credit/non-credit Associate Degree or Certificate courses with technical or vocational training institutions. The credit Associate Degree can be transferred to degree courses at a university.

Graduate education is the US is equivalent to post-graduate education in India. Education at this level in the United States can be of two types:
a) Professional studies that require the student to have already earned an undergraduate degree, leading to a Masters degree
b) Post-Masters Research or Doctorate study, and further on to Post-doctoral study and research.

Prominent reasons for Undergraduate studies in US.
A four year bachelor’s degree from the US enables the student to complete the minimum 16 years formal education criteria, which is a pre-requisite for TOP MBA programs in US.
Admission into undergraduate programs at top universities is easier than getting admitted into the same university for the graduate program. If a student is successfully completes his under graduation with a good academic performance from a particular university his chances of getting a tuition waiver for the graduate program is very high.
After completing their undergraduate degree Indian students often take up employment for 2 to 3 years. This not only enables them to save money for graduate school but also garner requisite work experience and adds considerable value to their CVs.
Undergraduate students have a choice of nearly 700 major fields of study and are required to complete general education requirements in addition to their major. The obvious benefit is that students will be exposed to a wide range of subjects, which contributes to the flexibility of the US education system.

Prominent reasons for Graduate studies in US.
1. US universities have one of the most advanced education systems in the world with excellent programs available in all streams.
2. Universities are popular for their academic excellence and providing the latest technology equipment and resources.
3. Sizeable Indian student population, last year 74,603 students have gone for US for studies in which 70% are for postgraduate studies.
4. There are two traditional categories of graduate degrees -- master's and doctoral



Master’s
Master's degree programs are growing and evolving, with degrees offered in just about all fields. Master's degrees can be professional or academic. Professional degrees, such as a (MBA), are designed for employment or advancement within a given field. Academic degrees, such as a Master of Science, are designed for intellectual growth and a prerequisite for doctoral work within a given field. Master's degrees may take one to three years to complete.
Doctorate
Doctoral degrees, the highest possible earned academic degree, can also be professional or academic. Professional doctoral degrees, such as the Doctor of Medicine (MD) and the Juris Doctor (JD), stress the practical application of knowledge and skills. Academic doctoral degrees, the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), focus on advancing knowledge through original research in a given academic field. Doctorates may take three to six years to complete.

Application requirements.
Each school sets its own admission requirements. Because of the large number of international students seeking a US education, the schools do not make exceptions to their requirements. Most schools require a minimum of a high school diploma with solid coursework in science, mathematics, English, and humanities. They will also require academic entrance examinations such as the TOEFL, SAT, ACT, GRE, and GMAT. The more higher your scores on these exams and the better your grades, the better your chances of being admitted. Generally you must have a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale to be admitted, especially for graduate school. Some schools set very high standards for admission.

With all the above information you will be all set to fly towards your dream destination.