US - Top Computer Engineering and Computer Science universities.

U.S. News Rank	University
1	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2	Stanford University (CA)
3	University of California–Berkeley
4	Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
5	University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign
6	University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
7	University of Texas–Austin
8	Cornell University (NY)
9	University of Washington
10	Princeton University (NJ)
11	Purdue University–West Lafayette (IN)
12	University of Wisconsin–Madison
13	California Institute of Technology
14	Georgia Institute of Technology
15	University of Southern California
16	University of California–Los Angeles
17	Rice University (TX)
18	University of California–San Diego
19	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY)
19	University of Minnesota–Twin Cities

Visa Interview Questions

* Why the specified University.

* Which Universities did you apply to? (Both admits and rejects)?

* Show me your GRE scorecard.

* Where did you Undergraduate?

* Who is sponsoring you?

* What does your father do?

* What is your father's Income?

* How many brothers and sisters do you have?

* Do you have any relatives in USA?

* What will you do after completing MS?

* Show your Experience Certificate. (If you are going to studies after some work experience)

* Why Study in USA.

* Did you got any Scholarships?

* Have you got any Loans?

* Show your Pass Books/Bank statements.

* What is your Undergraduate GPA/Percentage?

* Parents retired? Then how will they pay?

* Tell about your university.

* Mention some professor names

* Tell me how can you prove that you are going to come back?

* Where did your brother/parents complete their studies?

* What's your Religion?

* Why are you leaving your current job? (If you are working)

* Have you ever been to US?

* What will you do after coming back to Home?

* You have so...brothers and sisters so your fathers saving are for all, Then how will he/ you finance?

* Where do your parents live (If they live in USA)?

* Do you know anyone (in USA) in your University?

* Do you know anyone in US?

* What will you do if your Visa is rejected?

* Will you come back to home during summers?

* What do you think? Why University is giving Scholarship to you...

* Why do you wish to study in the US and not in India?

* If you have changed field of specialization, (for ex. If you are BE Mechanical and opting for MS in computer science) then what brought about the change?

* What steps have you taken to ensure that you will be able to perform well in the new field you wish to change to?

* What do you plan to study at the university?

* How many universities did you apply for?

* Which universities accepted you?

* Why did you select this particular university?

* What are your plans after graduation?

* How will you finance your education funds for 2 years (generally you have to prove that you can fund the first year of your education but we suggest that you be prepared with this answer)?

* Do you have a brother / sister, or any other relative already at this university?

A list of American words used frequently, especially on the college campuses

Blue Book - (1) A manual, which lists fair prices for different years and models, and makes of used cars (2) A booklet with a blue cover and blank pages, used for writing essay-type examinations.

Buzz Off - To brush off someone rudely Can - Restroom or toilet

Cop - A police officer

Cut - Unauthorized absence from a class Dough - Cash or money

Dude - A person, usually male. Frequently used as a term of address among young men. Implies a certain degree of mutual friendship and respect.

Fall - The onset of Autumn season, typically: August/ September

Fire - To fire someone'- to throw a person out of one's job

Common American Words.

Freshman - A first year student at a high school, college or university

FOB- Fresh Off Boat

Gas - Automobile Fuel

Hairy - Difficult, hard to do

Hang Out - To gather in a casual and social manner

Homecoming - Football game where the alumni come back to campus

Jock - An athlete

Junior - A third year student at a high school, college or university

PC - Politically Correct.

Pig Out - To overeat

Pop Quiz - An exam that is not announced nor expected

Quiz - A written or oral test, less formal than an examination

Rain Check - If one is invited out, but already has plans for doing something else, one may say, ' I will take a rain check' implying accepting the invitation at a later date

Senior - A fourth year person at a high school" college or university.

Slacker - A younger person who does not work or go to school.

Sophomore -A second year student at a high school, college or university

Trimester - A period of study consisting of approximately three equal terms of 16 weeks during the academic year

Covering Letter for F1 visa

ABC
B.E Computer Science
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXX
XXXX
XXXXXX
INDIA.

Dear Sir/Madam,
Subject: Submission of application form to Graduate School for MS (Computer Science) for fall 200X.
I am aspiring student to have further studies at your esteemed university. In regard with this I am applying for your graduate school for M.S Degree in Computer Science for the Fall 2003. I am sending all the necessary documents along with filled application form. Enclosures are as follows:
1.Application DD ( if not payed online)
2.Filled Application form (if not submitted online)
3.An official bank statement and a copy of Affidavit of Support given by Sponsor
4.A copy of Resume(Bio-data)
5.A Statement of Purpose(SOP)
7.Copies of 11th+12th Marks list- Attested by institution head.(2)
8.Copies of B.Tech Memos- Attested by Institution head and University Registrar.(2)
9.Recommendation letters given by HOD and Lecturers.(3)
10.Copies of GRE and TOEFL score reports.

Miscellaneous Documents
1.Prabhava-Paper Presentation certificate(Software Architecture)
2.Service Certificate- Loyola Academy.
Please take note of the following:-
• My university (univ name) does not have the practice of sending Transcripts directly to universities, so in order to authenticate my transcripts I have requested them to seal and sign across the envelope.
• I have not produced the Recommendation letters in the format given by you. My Professors have given their Recommendations on their own letter pads. I request you to accept my Recommendation letters, which are in a different format.

VISA DOCUMENTS CHECKLIST

· Students leaving for the United States need to hold a F-1 visa. This indicates that you are a single student, with no dependents

· The following is a checklist of papers you need for your visa interview. When ALL documents are ready, e-mail us OR call us for your mock interview. We can either do a MOCK on the PHONE OR send you Mock Questions on the E-MAIL.

· All of the following documents must be in separate clear plastic folders and NOT in files and all in ORIGINAL

Prepare the following Documents:

1. VISA APPLICATION - These form/s are available at the US Application Center or check with our office. Xerox the form and fill it to the best of your ability, keep the original one for later. Please get it checked by us.

DS 156– This form has to be filled by all the applicants.

DS 157 – This form has to be filled by the male applicants less than 45 years of age.

DS 158 – This form has to be filled by all the applicants applying for F, J and M Visa.

2. PASSPORT - Must be valid for at least 6 months from the day you apply for your visa

3. COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHS – 50mm by 50mm. Confirm this size from the Visa Application form (or call & check this at the US Consulate)

4. I-20 FORM - When you receive this form and have it checked by us immediately. In the event of any errors, this form must be returned to the University and a new one has to be obtained, all this is very time consuming, so work on it immediately. The I-20 form has to be signed by YOU in the required space.

5. ACCEPTANCE LETTER - Admission letter from the University

6. LETTER OF FINANCIAL AID - Scholarships if any

7. BROCHURES - Catalogs of the University

8. LETTERS/ EMAILS of ADMISSION and REJECT of all the colleges you have applied.

9. TOEFL/GRE/GMAT/SAT - Original mark sheets

10. SCHOOL/COLLEGE MARK SHEETS - You may take certified true copies only if you have handed in the previous mark sheet and degree certificate for college admissions. Otherwise CARRY the ORIGINALS.

11. INCOME TAX ORDER FORMS & CHALLANS – (If your parents pay any taxes in India.) Parent’s originals of last two years. Take yours too if you file taxes.

12. SALARY/EMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATE - Letter of Appointment and/or Salary Certificate from your Parents Company/ Employer. If tax is deducted at source by the company, then your parents have to include the TDS certificate as well.

12b. BUSINESS DOCUMENTS – If your parents have business then please carry following documents –

ü Income tax papers of the company for the last 2 years

ü Partnership / Ownership deeds

ü Balance sheets of the company (Highlight Turnover and Profit)

ü Bank Pass books of the company

13. PROOF OF FIXED & LIQUID ASSETS - in your name, as well as those of your parents. With a summary of the assets you and your family holdings. Example: UTI, Life Insurance, Stocks, Bonds, Fixed Deposits, Property Deeds, any paper which indicates that your family has money.

14. BANK ACCOUNT - Your 1^st year’s fees must be currently in the account. Hence proof of this in the form of a Pass Book entry/Bank Statement Printout.

15. VISA FEES - PLEASE CHECK WITH OUR OFFICE

16. SEVIS REGISTRATION FEE – Student’s whose I – 20 were issued after September 1, 2004, are required to pay $ 100 as SEVIS Registration fee.

We recommend paying the fee electronically, by completing Form I-901 through the Internet and using a credit card. Persons submitting the fee electronically will be able to print a receipt at the time of payment. Receipts must be presented to a consular officer at the time of taking the Visa Appointment, at the time of the visa interview, and again to an immigration officer at the port of entry into the U.S. The SEVIS fee is non-refundable. However, if the visa is denied, the fee will not have to be repaid if a subsequent visa application is submitted within 12 months of the initial denial.

IMPORTANT NOTES -

1. Dress Code: Remember that you are a student and hence must not look like you are appearing for a formal business meeting at the US Consulate. You need to be neat, but casually dressed. Wear western dress, NOT Indian.

2. Students appearing at the Mumbai US Consulate: You DO NOT require any Chartered Accountants Statement, since you will be actually carrying your Originals, and you will prepare the Summary Statement as outlined above.

3. New International students may ENTER United States to begin studies ONLY 30 days prior to the start on I – 20.

4. You can APPLY for the Student Visa not earlier than 90 days before the date mentioned on I – 20.

If your sponsor is a US Citizen or "Green Card" holder:

1. FINANCIAL AFFIDAVIT - also called the I-134 form filled, this must be signed and notarized by your sponsor. This form is available at any US consulate or post office

2. SPONSOR’S LETTER OF EMPLOYMENT - on the employer's letterhead. For example, "Mr. X. has served as a Production Engineer with our organization for nine years, beginning January 03, 1982. His annual earnings currently stand at US $ ............

3. BANK LETTER - verifying the sponsor's credibility. This must be on the bank's letterhead. For example,

"Mr. X. has held a Savings Account with this bank since January 04, 1982. His average balance stands at US $ .......... To the best of our knowledge, his account is in good standing."

4. A LETTER FROM YOUR SPONSOR - stating his willingness to sponsor you.

F1 visa - Application Timetable

	HINT: The more selective the university, the earlier the deadline. Less competitive universities often allow later application than do the more competitive.

The U.S. academic year begins in late August or early September, and many universities will also accept applications for January admission. The following is the preferred timetable for applying to U.S. universities, beginning the year before an August entry.

June-August

• Think about your educational future and career prospects at home
• Talk with your family about financial resources
• Read the section on Selecting a University
• Visit an educational advising center and become familiar with the application process.
• Register for tests such as the TOEFL, SAT, SATII, GRE, or GMAT

August-November

• Take entrance tests
• Attend university fairs
• Research universities and identify between four and ten that meet your needs

December-March

• Pay careful attention to deadline dates.
• Submit a winning application to at least three universities

April-May

• Letters of acceptance or rejection arrive.
• Read acceptance letters carefully. Many institutions require a separate application for housing.
• Choose the university you want to attend.
• Send letters of regret to universities you will not attend.
• Seek information about applying for a visa

June-July

• Apply for a student visa
• Make travel arrangements
• Attend a pre-departure orientation program at your school

August

• Arrive in time to attend the university’s orientation program for new students
• Be prepared for an excellent academic experience!

10 TIPS ON GETTING A U.S. VISA

Points to Remember When Applying for a Nonimmigrant Visa

(courtesy of NAFSA: Association of International Educators)

1. TIES TO YOUR HOME COUNTRY. Under U.S. law, all applicants for nonimmigrant visas, such as student visas, are viewed as intending immigrants until they can convince the consular officer that they are not. You must therefore be able to show that you have reasons for returning to your home country that are stronger than those for remaining in the United States. "Ties" to your home country are the things that bind you to your home town, homeland, or current place of residence: job, family, financial prospects that you own or will inherit, investments, etc.

If you are a prospective undergraduate, the interviewing officer may ask about your specific intentions or promise of future employment, family or other relationships, educational objectives, grades, long-range plans and career prospects in your home country. Each person's situation is different, of course, and there is no magic explanation or single document, certificate, or letter which can guarantee visa issuance.

If you have applied for the U.S. Green Card Lottery, you may be asked if you are intending to immigrate. A simple answer would be that you applied for the lottery since it was available but not with a specific intent to immigrate. If you overstayed your authorized stay in the U.S. previously, be prepared to explain what happened clearly and concisely, with documentation if available.

2. ENGLISH. Anticipate that the interview will be conducted in English and not in your native language. One suggestion is to practice English conversation with a native speaker before the interview, but do NOT prepare speeches! If you are coming to the United States solely to study intensive English, be prepared to explain how English will be useful for you in your home country.

3. SPEAK FOR YOURSELF. Do not bring parents or family members with you to the interview. The consular officer wants to interview you, not your family. A negative impression is created if you are not prepared to speak on your own behalf. If you are a minor applying for a high school program and need your parents there in case there are questions, for example about funding, they should wait in the waiting room.

4. KNOW THE PROGRAM AND HOW IT FITS YOUR CAREER PLANS. If you are not able to articulate the reasons you will study in a particular program in the United States, you may not succeed in convincing the consular officer that you are indeed planning to study, rather than to immigrate. You should also be able to explain how studying in the United States relates to your future professional career when you return home.

5. BE BRIEF. Because of the volume of applications received, all consular officers are under considerable time pressure to conduct a quick and efficient interview. They must make a decision, for the most part, on the impressions they form during the first minute of the interview. Consequently, what you say first and the initial impression you create are critical to your success. Keep your answers to the officer's questions short and to the point.

6. ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION. It should be immediately clear to the consular officer what written documents you are presenting and what they signify. Lengthy written explanations cannot be quickly read or evaluated. Remember that you will have 2-3 minutes of interview time, if you're lucky.

7. NOT ALL COUNTRIES ARE EQUAL. Applicants from countries suffering economic problems or from countries where many students have remained in the United States as immigrants will have more difficulty getting visas. Statistically, applicants from those countries are more likely to be intending immigrants. They are also more likely to be asked about job opportunities at home after their study in the United States.

8. EMPLOYMENT. Your main purpose in coming to the United States should be to study, not for the chance to work before or after graduation. While many students do work off-campus during their studies, such employment is incidental to their main purpose of completing their U.S. education. You must be able to clearly articulate your plan to return home at the end of your program.

If your spouse is also applying for an accompanying F-2 visa, be aware that F-2 dependents cannot, under any circumstances, be employed in the United States. If asked, be prepared to address what your spouse intends to do with his or her time while in the United States. Volunteer work and attending school part-time are permitted activities.

9. DEPENDENTS REMAINING AT HOME. If your spouse and children are remaining behind in your country, be prepared to address how they will support themselves in your absence. This can be an especially tricky area if you are the primary source of income for your family. If the consular officer gains the impression that your family will need you to remit money from the United States in order to support themselves, your student visa application will almost certainly be denied. If your family does decide to join you at a later time, it is helpful to have them apply at the same post where you applied for your visa.

10. MAINTAIN A POSITIVE ATTITUDE. Do not engage the consular officer in an argument. If you are denied a student visa, ask the officer for a list of documents he or she would suggest you bring in order to overcome the refusal, and try to get the reason you were denied in writing.

US - Top Aerospace, Aeronautical, & Astronautical Engineering schools

U.S. News Rank	University
1	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2	Stanford University (CA)
3	California Institute of Technology
4	University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
5	Georgia Institute of Technology
6	Purdue University–West Lafayette (IN)
7	Princeton University (NJ)
8	University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign
9	University of Texas–Austin
10	Cornell University (NY)
10	Penn State University–University Park
12	University of California–Los Angeles
12	Virginia Tech
14	University of Maryland–College Park
15	University of Colorado–Boulder
16	Texas A&M University–College Station
17	Ohio State University
18	University of Washington
18	University of California–Berkeley
20	University of Minnesota–Twin Cities
21	University of Southern California

US - Top Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering schools

U.S. News Rank	University
1	Johns Hopkins University (MD)
2	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3	University of California–San Diego
4	Duke University (NC)
5	University of Washington
6	Case Western Reserve University (OH)
7	Georgia Institute of Technology
8	University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
9	University of Pennsylvania
10	University of California–Berkeley
11	Rice University (TX)
12	Northwestern University (IL)
12	Stanford University (CA)
14	University of Utah
15	University of Virginia
16	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY)
17	Washington University in St. Louis
18	Columbia University (Fu Foundation) (NY)
18	Columbia University (Fu Foundation) (NY)
20	Boston University
20	Harvard University (MA)
20	University of Texas–Austin

US - Top Chemical Engineering universities

U.S. News Rank	University
1	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2	University of California–Berkeley
3	University of Minnesota–Twin Cities
4	California Institute of Technology
5	University of Wisconsin–Madison
6	Stanford University (CA)
7	University of Texas–Austin
8	University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign
9	University of Delaware
10	Princeton University (NJ)
11	University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
12	University of California–Santa Barbara
13	Purdue University–West Lafayette (IN)
13	Georgia Institute of Technology
15	Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
16	Penn State University–University Park
17	Northwestern University (IL)
18	Johns Hopkins University (MD)
19	University of Washington
19	Cornell University (NY)
19	Texas A&M University–College Station
22	University of Pennsylvania
22	University of California–Los Angeles
24	Ohio State University
24	University of Florida

US - Top Civil Engineering universities

U.S. News Rank	University
1	University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign
2	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3	University of California–Berkeley
4	Stanford University (CA)
5	University of Texas–Austin
6	Georgia Institute of Technology
7	Purdue University–West Lafayette (IN)
8	University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
9	Cornell University (NY)
10	California Institute of Technology
10	Texas A&M University–College Station
12	Northwestern University (IL)
13	Virginia Tech
14	Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
15	University of Washington
16	Penn State University–University Park
16	University of Minnesota–Twin Cities
18	University of Wisconsin–Madison
19	University of Colorado–Boulder
19	Princeton University (NJ)
21	North Carolina State University
22	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY)
23	Ohio State University
24	University of California–San Diego
24	Colorado State University
26	Lehigh University (PA)

US - Top Computer Engineering and Computer Science universities.

U.S. News Rank	University
1	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2	Stanford University (CA)
3	University of California–Berkeley
4	Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
5	University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign
6	University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
7	University of Texas–Austin
8	Cornell University (NY)
9	University of Washington
10	Princeton University (NJ)
11	Purdue University–West Lafayette (IN)
12	University of Wisconsin–Madison
13	California Institute of Technology
14	Georgia Institute of Technology
15	University of Southern California
16	University of California–Los Angeles
17	Rice University (TX)
18	University of California–San Diego
19	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY)
19	University of Minnesota–Twin Cities
19	Johns Hopkins University (MD) Check Labels (right of the window) to see top Univeristy in your Subject