USA and Canada Universities

What are the exact requirements for admission to colleges abroad?

Different colleges have different requirements. Most of the colleges check your transcripts from
grade 9 onwards. For USA and Canada, extra-curricular activities are also taken into
consideration.

What are the pros and cons of early admission?

Early admissions are applicable to USA. In Canada, early admissions are indicative of merit
scholarship applications. Early admissions have 2 categories: Early decision and early action.
Early Decision - Students make a commitment to a first-choice institution where, if admitted,
they definitely will enroll. Early decision plans are binding a student who is accepted as an ED
applicant must attend the same college. The application deadline and decision deadlines occur
early.
• Apply early (usually in November) to first-choice college.
• Receive an admission decision from the college well in advance of the usual notification date
(usually
by December).
• Agree to attend the college if accepted.
• Apply to only one college under early decision.
• Apply to other colleges under regular admission plans.
• Withdraw all other applications if accepted by ED.
• Send a nonrefundable deposit well in advance of May 1.
Early Application - Students apply early and receive a decision well in advance of the
institution’s regular response date. Early action plans are nonbinding students receive an early
response to their application but do not have to commit to the college until the normal reply
date of May 1.
• Apply early.
• Receive an admission decision early in the admission cycle (usually in January or February).
• Consider acceptance offer; do not have to commit upon receipt.
• Apply to other colleges under regular admission plans.
• Give the college a decision no later than the May 1 national response date.

For Canada, what are the admission requirements to get accepted into the college?
Different colleges have different requirements but a common mandate, is that you should have
cleared 12th grade and you should have taken an English language test, either a TOEFL or an
IELTS. McGill in Quebec is the only university that prefers a SAT score even though it is not
mandatory. No other university has a SAT requirement in Canada.

A brief on the admission systems in Canada, USA and UK -

USA - They consider high school grades, standardized testing, extra – curriculars, internships
etc.
Canada – Very importantly, extra – curriculars, leadership roles, community services and other
activities apart from high school grades are looked into.
UK – Mainly only High school grades. There is no standardized testing and less importance is
given to extra – curriculars unless they are in your field of education.
For all three countries, it is mandatory to give the English language test, either IELTS or TOEFL,
since we are international students. It could be a university requirement or a visa requirement.

What are the criteria I have to fulfill to get into University of Toronto?
The English language test (IELTS OR TOEFL) along with clearance of 12th grade is the basic
requirement. Otherwise, the university requirements for CBSE students is not spelled out. They
take each application on a case-by-case basis. For Engineering courses, however, Physics,
Chemistry and Mathematics with calculus are mandatory subjects. For Medicine, Biology and
Chemistry are a mandate. It’s mainly your profile that the universities scrutinize. Engineering,
Commerce and Medicine are the most in demand. After the profile is submitted, the college
might send a few questions, the answers to which will act as your personal statement.

What is expected from students in their Statement of Purpose or Personal Statement?

A Statement of Purpose is basically a statement telling the university why you are interested in
the applied course. It is all about the subject. It is about showing your interest in the field and
where and how do you wish to excel in it. To add some weightage to the SoP, you can add
details such as your experience in an internship and how it helped. It usually is a one page type
statement in font 11 in about 500 words and is basically about you and the applied course.

How will building a CV help?

There are some universities that ask students to put in their CVs. These CVs also act as a basis
on which your teachers can provide you with a recommendation letter. As for the universities,
it acts as a brief about you that gives them a glance at all your activities, achievements and
other insights about you. However, you can only include details of activities taken part in from
9th grade onwards. It is also a way for you to assess yourself and see which field requires
greater focus.

When should we start the entire application process? (for Grade 12th)
Start as soon as possible. Start writing essays, drafts etc. Use old common application questions
of 2017 and pick from the 6 topics and start preparing them. The summer vacation would be
the best time to start some internship or a community service or anything else that can build
your profile. As for recommendation letters, keep in mind the course you are applying to and
ask the associated subject teacher to give you a letter. A recommendation from the English
teacher would be widely accepted. Some universities provide you with their specific subject
teachers from whom they require the recommendation letter.

What are the different universities offering Computer Science?

Canada – University of Toronto has been ranked number 1 consistently for many years. There is
also UBC Waterloo, McGill and the list goes on.
USA – MIT is number 1, UC Berkley is well reputed. CalTech, GeorgiaTech etc. are all in the top
10 university.

Universities are best known for which courses?

Most of the major universities specialize in various courses. There are some pure colleges as
well which focus only on particular courses. For example, UC Berkley is ranked number 4 in the
world for Economics but also ranked number 3 in the world for computer science. GeorgiaTech
is a pure college of technology.
How to make an attractive application?
One of the things which is very critical is how well you write your essays. The American
application has anything between 3-5 essays. If you apply to 10 universities you’ll be writing 30
essays. You have to showcase yourself through these essays because everything else is just data
aside from the recommendations. So you’re essay should be readable, interesting; it should
compel the person to want to know you, make that person excited enough to want you. Of
course when you get to the stage when the Admissions Officer reads your essay you should
have cleared all the other hurdles that is your SAT scores and school scores are as per the
universities requirements. Essays are a very critical part of your application. There are few
things that you cannot write about. Avoid mentioning things like death, divorce, diseases etc,
nothing negative. For example, if the essay topic is about your greatest failure, writing “ I did
not get 100/100 on that test” or “ I applied for prefect and did not achieve it” is questionable,
because everyone’s failures and experiences are individual to them, but they don’t mean
something to a person in another country who has no clue regarding who you are, so give them
a bigger and broader picture of your personality through your essays.

What do show in extra-curricular activities and what not?

The resume we shared with you is formatted and already has certain sub headings of extra-
curricular activities, but everything is good. from sports, to music, to theatre to community
service, to debating. There are no good extra-curricular or bad extra-curriculars. Now that
you’re in 12th, try to excel in a few activities rather than being the jack of all trades, pick 2-3
activities and really excel in them. If you speak, read, or write any other language that you
aren’t taught in school, mention it in your application. If there’s a 3 rd foreign language you are
learning in school, mention that as well.

What are the preferred courses in today’s world?

Some courses always will be good, say for example, Mechanical engineering, Electronic and
Electrical Engineering. International Relations is now a very popular subject. Philosophy Politics
and Economics is a different course, a three-way course which all Prime Ministers do. A few
traditional courses like medicine are also continually persuaded. About Artificial Intelligence, it
is not a course at the Undergraduate Level. Robotics, Artificial Intelligence etc. are upcoming
fields that are off shoots of computer science.

What are APs and what is its significance?

APs are not required. They can be taken if you plan on completely changing your field of study.
They are NOT mandatory, and neither is it very often chosen by students.
Is Mathematics a mandatory subject for someone who wants to pursue Law?
Mathematics is required because the entrance has a section in Mathematics. Otherwise, for the
course, it is not required. English and Mathematics have, over the years, become a standardized
method of testing across various boards.

What is the acceptance rate in universities?

Acceptances could be as low as 6% for colleges like MIT to 50% for Boston University. This
depends on which university you apply to as they are different for different universities.

Should I do an internship or a summer school?

It really depends on personal choice. If you are planning for a summer school, an academic
oriented one would be preferred.

Can a person get into a college with an average SAT score?

Yes, definitely. There is a college for every student! In fact, there are even a few colleges that
do not require SAT scores. Sometimes, its best to be a big fish in a small pond and outshine.

Is it alright if I have not written SAT 2 even though I belong to the science stream?
An option is to attempt the ACT since it has a science segment. If you’ve appeared for ACT,
most colleges don’t require subject SATs. There are still a few who insist on taking SAT 2 but
such colleges are limited.

What is the scholarship criteria?

There are 2 types of scholarships: Need – based and Merit – based.
Need – based: This is mainly for the local American students, if they are not financially capable
of funding their education. Students who wish to apply for need based scholarship need to
complete the FAFSA form available under the Commonapp for US.
Merit – based: This is a highly recommended scholarship which everyone should apply for. The
selection here is entirely in the hands of the university and is beyond our control. Universities
have a certain budget set for providing scholarships. So, they divide that amount as per their
policies, which changes every year.
Certain universities also clearly state that they do not provide scholarships to international
students. Their scholarships are reserved for local students.

Which colleges are big on scholarships?

It is mainly the small colleges that aim to attract intelligent students to study in their institute.

Tips for writing college essays -

Make it readable and interesting. Get someone to read your essay after you’ve written it and
assess their reaction. Make it your own and let it be natural. The topics can, at times, be very
abstract so it depends on how you write it. It could also be a personality related. It might also
be related to why you would want to pursue the chosen course or why did you choose a
particular university. There shouldn’t be any grammatical errors or slangs. Abbreviations should
also be avoided. Always follow the word limit. Read the topic very careful as we tend to digress
from the topic often.

What is the difference between Computer Science and Computer Engineering courses?
Computer Engineering is about the hardware whereas Computer Science deals in languages,
coding and the software of the computer.

Criteria for applying in US automobile colleges? Top Universities?

Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics are required. In mathematics, specifically calculus and
matrix equations. Statistical analysis is important. Michigan, Purdue, Indiana are very good
areas for automobile. Clemson in South Carolina is very good too. Try to build up your profile by
attending different courses or extra – curriculars in the field of automobile to show your
interest.

What should I consider in a University while selecting and shortlisting the best colleges for
me?
The university rank, their cut offs and requirements. A very strongly ranked university would
require a good high school grade. Look at what all the university looks for in its students. Check
the various courses the university has to offer and if they are offering the course most suited to
you. It depends on personal choice of whether or not you wish to go to a big university or a
local situated one.
Requirement for Medicine in US and Canada Universities?
Biology and Chemistry are mandatory. Math would be preferred. MCAT is the entrance for
medical school. Apart from clearing the MCAT, you need to have good high school grades.

What is the career options for Mathematics with Accountancy and good universities offering
these courses?
Finance, Mathematics, Accountancy, are common to almost all university since most of them
have business schools. Mathematics opens a lot of doors so if it is your strong subject, it would
be wise to choose a field of study there. Banking, Insurance, Actuarial Sciences etc. are all fields
that require Mathematics. It would be a smart choice to check the accounting accreditation of
the course.

Which are the reputed Canadian universities which offer aeronautical engineering? What are
the scholarships in these universities?
Waterloo University, McGill, Ryerson etc. are all very good.

Which colleges are the best for Computer Science and related majors in both the US and
Canada?
USA - MIT, Stanford, UC Berkley, CalTech, Harvard etc.
Canada – University of Toronto, McGill, Waterloo etc.

What are the options available for commerce students in USA and Canada?
All business schools are good. University of Pennsylvania for example has a school in arts and
sciences. There is a possibility that the university does not have a direct business school. In that
case, it is the department of arts and sciences that will offer such courses.

What are the colleges in USA and Canada for Mass Media?
UBC is a very good college to pursue mass media. Animation colleges are also usually popular
for mass media courses. Vancouver has many institutes that are good. McMaster, Trinity
Western University are reputed for mass media. Ryerson University has various courses in
media and communication.

Please share details on studying in AUS in UAE?

The university seems to have a good academic reputation, faculty and facilities. But what is
more important to look into is their placement rates, which kind of company the alumni have
gotten into, their salaries etc. It is a very multicultural place since they have over 90
nationalities.

What are the admission requirements to University of Toronto and University of Waterloo?
Clearance of class 12th, an English language test (either IELTS or TOEFL). The subject
requirements naturally vary for different courses. Both universities are reputed and selective
ones, so they require a good high school score.

Please explain how applications to University of California are different from applications to
other US Colleges (common app)?
The biggest difference is that there is no early decision or early application that University of
California offers. Another difference is that UC offers only a one – month window for
applications. It starts on 1st November and ends on 30th November. UC gives you a choice of 8
essays out of which you have to choose 4 to write on. Your application is common for all UCs
but the payment is different for all. There is a fee of USD 70 for each UC that you apply to.