Telangana Today Symposium: ‘Plan at least a year in advance’

Hyderabad: Most students dreaming of pursuing higher education in the United States worry about visa rejections and are clueless about the process involved in preparing for studies abroad. “Any student, who plans to study in the US, should start working 12 to 18 months in advance. Short-term preparations will not work,” said P Sraavani, advisor at Education US, an organisation established by the US government.

Listing out the process involved in preparations, she said one needs to follow five steps. All those who follow the five steps have high chances of being successful, she said.

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The first step is to thoroughly research about the course and university. Most students end up selecting a wrong course or a wrong university. One has to always select an accredited university as this helps in many ways, she said. “There are 4,500



accredited universities and short-listing eight to 10 is a task and requires lot of homework,” said Sraavani.

Planning finances is another crucial aspect. Funding or sponsorship for fees is important. Students have to plan their fee payment in advance to avoid stress. Completing the application is another important factor. Apart from GRE, IELTS or TOEFL scores, students need to get a statement of purpose and reference letters from their professors.

If the first three steps are completed carefully, the chances of clearing the visa interviews are high. Students have to explain and convince the visa officer about their intent of going to the US, she said.

After clearing the interview, students are made to undergo a pre-departure workshop. During the programme, the academic and non-academic life, how to maintain legal status and steps to be followed for Optional Practical Training are all explained, she said.