admissions is increasing to accommodate the bulging numbers in the shrinking
bracket.
The trend is certainly worrisome.
The situation has thrown up a lot of Ideas,none of which seem to be
acceptable to all and workable on the ground.
In order to get a hold of the pioneer's rope, we have to accept the new
standing and Implore the healthy standing.
For a few ,who are unable to find their weakness and strength..actually
begin a runaway slide.So to underpin these aberrations...we the team of
KINJUNKTION would love to earn out the useful tips and the gesticulations of the extortionate people who have made it big in the GRE/TOEFL.......!
Following Is an e-Interview(specifically regarding the GRE/TOEFL) with my mate's brother...Santosh G Vattam, who has made it to the University of PENNSYLVANIA.
It was a dashing one. Hope a lot of aspiring GRE crackers would draw loads of Inspirations.
>>Questions:
*What are the entrance requirements for top slot colleges ?
> Applying at the right time (apply early, much before the deadline).
> Good academic standing at the undergrad level.
> Good GRE Score.
> Good recommendations.
> Good professional/projects experience.
> Above average TOEFL score.
In that order. Although the requirements I've mentioned above are
definitely essential, they do not guarantee an admit. I have myself
gone through the process of applications, admits and rejects, and have
seen many others having gone through it too, I still haven't been able
to figure out the ingredients of that magic potion that gets you an
admit. I have got rejects from really crappy universities even though
I was well qualified so to say for them. But, these above requirements
will definitely give you a great shot at the application process.
>> *What should be the pre-requiste to crack the GRE / TOEFL?
There are no prerequisites to GRE or TOEFL. You just have to have
graduated or should be graduating within the next year. However, if
you are asking how much you need to prepare for it, then that's a
different question.
>> *Whats the level of proficiency in TOEFL / IELTS?
TOEFL usually is a cakewalk if you have had an education with English
as the primary medium of instruction.
>> *The scholarship availability?
These days the US economy isn't doing too well and so fee waivers are
difficult to get. Most universities clearly state that Masters
students won't be provided with any kind of funding. But then again it
does depend on the university. There are part-time jobs on campus that
provide enough to manage the living expenses but definitely not enough
to pay the tuition fee.
>> *Whats the rift in coaching centers?
Personally I feel coaching is not required for GRE or TOEFL.
>> *How to evaluate the level of difficulty in GRE / TOEFL?
GRE in itself isn't a very difficult exam, of course I'm talking about
the old format and I don't know much to comment about the new format.
The math/analytical part is almost a cakewalk for most Indian
students, mainly because it's mostly high school mathematics. A couple
of practice papers should be enough to help you get into the groove.
The verbal part is where most of us take a hit. The ideal preparation
would be to start off 1 year before you plan to take up the exam and
work on it slowly and steadily. Start off by learning new words each
day, using them in sentences, in everyday usage. Developing the habit
of solving crossword puzzles and word games helps also makes the
learning more enjoyable. Although in a not so ideal scenario I'd say
2-3 months of preparation will help cross the 1250+ score.
>> *When and how did you start preparing for GRE / TOEFL?
3 weeks before the exam date for GRE and 1 day before the exam for TOEFL.
>> *What study material / books / study kit did you use to study for GRE /
TOEFL ?
For GRE it was the Baron's word lists and a bit of Kaplan. For TOEFL,
it was just the practice papers that are provided on the ETS website.
>> *How did you strategise your preparations ?
I had two other friends who took the exam along with me. So we
prepared by studying for a few hours and testing each other with what
we learnt.
>> *How long were your preparations?
Typically since I started pretty late we had to cram in a lot more
hours. So it was typically 5-6 hrs a day.
>> *What were universities you shortlisted after applying the four
universities.
EPFL(switzerland), Gatech, UMich AA, UCSB, UCI, SUNY SB, USC,
UPenn(where eventually I got through).
>> *Can you name a few Universities as a reference for which a candidate can
apply through GRE scores (relative to GRE cut off scores ) ?
Most of the universities I mentioned above usually have a cut off of over
1300. 1300+ is a decent enough score to cross the cut off of most
universities. Of course there are some crazy universities like UCB, MIT that expect
a score of over 1500.
>> *Any Advice for the younger lot for their GRE journey ?
Start early for GRE. 1 year might feel like a long time, but you will
need that time for preparation for GRE as well getting your SoPs and LoRs in place.
Thank you Santosh G Vattam for taking off your precious time for sharing with us and also many GRE takers, your valuable experience which will be definitely helpful in many ways for the GRE takers. And also you have made the process of admission through GRE simply transparent. Thanks Once again And All The Very Best
All The Very Best to you READERS And GRE TAKERS also.
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