Transcripts:

If you are applying to say 9 universities, you could get about max. 18 transcripts, some universities might ask for 2 transcripts and some will ask for just one transcript. If you are undecided on your universities, you could get 18. If you have decided on your universities, you could get the correct number + 2 just in case.

Recos:

Same as above, for paper recos. You may want to get extra extra recos, if, you plan to apply for a transfer after your first semester of studies in the US.

In all cases, DON'T take the exact number of transcripts/ recos you need. Always take extra copies.

Envelopes for the Transcripts, Recos

You will need to seal the transcript/reco in an envelope with gum, and get it signed across the flap by the Dean(Academics) for the transcripts and by whoever is giving you for the recos. This is to ensure that the transcripts/recos are not meddled with. You will also need to get their official seal(stamp) on the flap with their signatures.

SOP, Reccos-

Try to ensure the Statement of Purpose and Reco are as authentic as possible. Try not to copy from websites, as someone else might do the same. Pour your heart out. You might want to structure your SOP like someone else's , but don't copy verbatim. You might want to ask seniors for help in evaluating your SOP for suggestions.

Make a list

Most of the universities will want you to send your paper applications to different places; so visit each university's website and note down the documents which need to be sent to whichever office in the university. Usually there are two offices, Graduate office and the Department office. On a sheet of paper under appropriate columns note down carefully the needed documents and where they have to be sent.

Mailing

I used cloth-paper envelopes(~25cm x ~11cm) to send my documents, making folds in the documents at every one third of the length, so that they fit the cloth envelope. Seal these envelopes with cellotape/brown tape(duct tape), as I doubt gum will do.

How to send?

I sent all my documents through Speed Post; all of them were delivered in approx. one week; some of my other friends used Speed Post, only one of Bhaskar's envelopes was 'lost', as the university did not receive them. Phrabha Shalini sent them by DHL. Speed Post costs ~Rs. 460 per packet, DHL costs ~Rs. 1000(for university addresses). DHL is almost 100% reliable, Speed Post is a govt. entity and you will need to have sufficient faith in it. By which method you want to send your packets, is your choice. But, DHL does not deliver to 'PO' boxes, which some universities have, so you will have to use Speed Post in that case.

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Finances

Disclaimer: The suggestions provided below are what most people do and must not be attributed to me. I will not be responsible for your successes/failures in the adventures you encounter in the financing you arrange.

Why is Finances so important?

I guess, long time ago, some students, on receiving an admit, would gather sufficient money to fly to the US, and, being unable to pay their fees, would find a job off campus or drop out of college and find a job somewhere citing financial reasons, hence becoming an illegal immigrant. So, to avoid such students, the US govt wants to verify that every student is capable of supporting himself/herself for atleast one year, and shows sufficient sources for the subsequent years of study. Hence every university expects a form, showing that you have sufficient finances for one year, to be filled and included in the application packet along with the bank statement.

What is on the form?

On the form, the approximate expenses(i.e. the required money) for one year will be displayed, and you will have to mention if you are supporting yourself or if you have a sponsor, and get his/her signature, and, if that sponsor is not a close relative, you may need a notary certificate showing your relationship with that person. All these details will be on the form and don't assume anything from the information given here.

You will need to attach a bank statement saying that you/your sponsor has the required amount of money.

What is a bank statement?

The bank statement will need to be on a bank letterhead, and will have to state something like "This is to certify that Mr/Ms/Mrs. XXXX, (Father/Mother/Relative of Mr/Ms. YYYY{your name here}) has an account in our bank since **** and has Rs. ##, equivalent to USD $$ @ Rs. 39.85(exchange rate on that day) per USD as on *******." Signed and stamped by the Manager of the bank or the competent authority.

How much money needs to be shown?

Suppose you apply to 3 universities, and they require you to show, say, $21850, $41480 and $57320. Then it would be better to show the highest amount, $59320, in the bank statement, rather than putting in exact amounts for each university.

Wow! $57320 is a lot of money! From where do I get it?

Welcome to the world of worrying. Different people do different things.

• Many borrow money from relatives, put it in the bank, get the bank statement, and return the money back.
• Some may break Fixed Deposits and put it in the savings account.
• Some go to agents.

You might say, my parents have Rs.wwwwwwww in fixed deposits. Can I show that as proof? My understanding is, that in the form from the university, they clearly state, "attach bank statement". Whether they accept fixed deposits, CA statements, etc. is the discretion of the university. They may or may not.

Agents?

Agents are, in my opinion, not persons you should go to. Some will say, I will give you the required money. You pay me x% of that money as interest for the time you keep the money in the bank.

Some will say, we will open a new bank account for you, get you a new pass book, put in the required money for you until your visa interview, and you pay us x% as interest.

Why worry about the visa interview now?

In the visa interview, the visa officer (VO), may ask to see your original bank passbooks (I mean passbooks, not passbook, if you have money in multiple accounts). So, if he sees that you have been operating an account for just six months(which the agent opened for you), he will definitely smell a rat and may bar you from entering the US for life. Or, if he sees that you have transferred so much money into the account and then it's disappeared, he will ask you, and you will have to give him an explanation CONVINCING him, like showing that you sold land, or that FDs matured. If he thinks it's a story, you're dead. But, the VO may not ask for your financial documents, if you have aid or if the fees to your university is not very high. It's just your luck. In any case, when you go for your visa interview, you will have to have the amount displayed in you I-20(i.e. the fees and expenses for one year) in your bank account, and explain from where the money came from. The VO will confirm if you are capable of such amounts of money by asking what your parents do. For e.g., if you have 30 lakhs in your bank account and tell him that your father is the lone bread winner of your family and he is a big industrialist, then, the VO has reason to believe you. Otherwise he might not. Of late though, the VOs were accepting loans also as means of paying for your expenses. I know of a guy who had some $20000 as the required fees and he said, I have Rs. One lakh in bank, and Rs. 14 lakh loan provisionally sanctioned. He was given a visa. Another guy, who said that the money had been transferred from another bank account but did not bring the passbook for that account, did not get his visa. In short, if you get some money to put in your bank account, make sure you have at least a believable tale to tell about the source of the money.

What if I don't send the form with the application to the university?

Good question. Of all the universities I have visited(a good 50+), none of them ever said that they need to see your financial declaration at the time of applying. All they will say is that if you send the financial declaration along with your application, it will take lesser time to issue your I-20,(the document that officially says that you have secured a seat in that university, subject to their rules). If you do not send your financial declaration form now, your application process will not be affected in any negative way.

In fact, one of my cousin who got c.g.p.a 9.8 never sent any financial declaration. She needn't have to(with her near perfect academic records). Get the point now? So, if you are confident that you will get some form of aid, you might not want to send the form or take necessary steps to arrange for the money. And my cousin was fully funded; so she did not have to send any document to the university; when she accepted the offer from Johns Hopkins the university just sent her the I-20.(In fact, she got I-20s from Ohio State and some others without her accepting any offer!) In contrast, cousin 2 who had above average acadamics too did not send his finacial statements but when he got his offer letter he had to apply for it again so wate of tym

if u dont know what i 20 is google it

What else need I know about the visa interview now?

As of now, you need not worry about anything except that you may need to arrange for money if you don't get aid(like loans). As a reminder, don't forget to check your passports and see that you have your first and last names mentioned correctly. This is the name which should appear in your GRE/TOEFL scoresheets and your applications to the universities. Keep your GRE/TOEFL original marksheets safely. Keep your marksheets for all the semesters safely. Talk to your parents about the vaccinations I mentioned in the previous message. I will provide you with information regarding the visa interview and packing things for the US when the time comes. At this point of time look to sending the required documents without making mistakes. Also, don't forget to send your GRE/TOEFL scores to the correct office(some universities will want them to be sent to Graduate School, some will want them to be sent to the Department. Be very very careful about this).

How will my application be processed?

From talking to my seniors and doing a little bit of searching, I have found that this is the procedure of how a student is selected:

• The Graduate School checks if the student is an eligible candidate, with respect to minimum GPA, GRE/TOEFL, etc.
• The department usually has a selection committee where the professors or the members select the worthy applicants.
• If a Professor is interested in including you in his research group, he usually gives some sort of assistantship to you.
• You are an unknown person to the Professor; so the SOP and the Recos are the ones which will present your image. The professors will look at the grades in the subjects you have as your area of interest. Try this - think of yourself as the professor, and then read the SOP. It should give a strong impression to the reader. Try to be normal in your english and not too Oxford-ish(unless you are Oxford-ish yourself).
• When you are applying for MS/PhD, professors usually prefer PhD candidates, as there is an opportunity for substantial research do be done. You could email the prof and ask him if he prefers MS or PhD students.
• If you opt for PhD, be aware - you will be required to write an exam to be a suitable candidate... ask Phrabha or other seniors about them.
• It would be better to, as I mentioned earlier, to be in touch with the professor with whom you are interested to work with.
• If two people with same profiles apply from same college, but different areas of interest, I guess there is no reason why they should not be selected, as two different professors will be interested in them.
• However, if two people apply to the same professor, then, maybe the person with better credentials(read GPA/GRE score/research credentials) will be selected. One professor who visited our college, when asked this college, said that he would not mind selecting both, but another prof said he would select the one with a higher GPA.
• Ultimately, I reason, that the decision usually rests with a professor, what sort of projects he has(short term or long term), how much funds he has, and whether he wants an MS or a PhD student.
• Once the department okays your application, the International Office in the university checks if you have the required financial backing, based on the funding/aid details decided by the department.
• When they get your financial details or do not need them, they will send you your I-20 along with some other material with information about the college.
• Reminder: Contacting a professor in your area of interest in that university will be an advantage.

Fine. Once I've sent my applications, what do I do?

• Check your mail regularly. I will suggest you have separate e mail id regarding universities and others, so that I do not miss an email in my regular email id.
• You should check the status of your application, and see if all your documents have reached or if you have to send any extra documents, if the packets are lost.
• You might get an email from an interested professor for a telephonic interview, or some communication from the university. So keep checking your email.