The EXCEL Sheet!

Prepare a Excel sheet with these headings in bold and start off going through the universities and simultaneously start updating this sheet. It will definitely help you a lot. When in need, you can check through this sheet rather than the University website. :P K Here goes the list:

1. Serial No
2. University
3. Univ Code + Dept code
   
4. Deadline
5. Postal Address
6. Important contact info with email id
7. No of applications and to where
8. Application Fee
9. Transcripts (O/Hc)
10. No of Transcripts
    
11. Statement Of Purpose (O/Hc)
12. Resume (O/Hc)
13. Letter Of Recommendation (O/Hc)
14. No of LOR's
15. Gre Scores (O/Hc)
16. Toefl Scores (O/Hc)
17. Additional Information

No = Number
O = Online
Hc = Hard copy
Trust me this is damn helpful!

LOR's!

Most of the universities request minimum of 3 LORs. Ask your recommender a month in advance and help him/her with the LOR. You have two options for Letter Of Recommendations:

1. Online Recommendations: You have to provide your recommenders email id and he/she will be sent a link, the recommender will be given some time to respond say 2 days, a week etc. The recommender will have to fill in details about him/herself, details about his/her relationship with applicant, grade the applicant, write few lines on the applicant, submit it.
   
2. Hard Copy Recommendations: You have to download the LOR form given by the university and get it filled by your recommender and post it to the university along with the other hard copies i.e. your application packet. Envelopes need to be signed and sealed at both the joints. Better not tamper with them.

An LOR Format for reference for the recommender:

Introduction

• Introduce yourself as the recommender. State your professional position, how you know the applicant, the length of your relationship, and any other pertinent information to build your credibility as a knowledgeable contributor.
• Provide an overview of your general impressions of the applicant.

Body

• Cover one exceptional quality of the applicant in each paragraph
• Use specific examples to show how you observed each quality
• Address qualities in order of importance
• Keep the body of the letter to two or three paragraphs

Conclusion

• Confirm that the applicant would be a desirable employee/student, adding any other comments you feel appropriate.
• Encourage the reader to contact you for additional information or with any questions.
• Don't forget to personally sign the letter.

Sincerely

SIGNATURE
your name

Statement Of Purpose- SOP!

"A good SOP could get you a very good university in-spite of low acads/scores!"

What to write in a SOP:

1. Be clear about what u want to do in your masters and elaborate the same on paper. Justify your stance clearly by giving specific examples either through academics/projects etc. You might have done innumerable projects
   
2. Mention about the University,faculty,infrastructure,research which u r interested in!
   
3. Avoid quotes and flowery complex language ...
   
4. Download Word Web. Here's the link where you can download Word Web ( if u want a good word for a particular simple word enter in word web and u get synonyms and choose one among them suitable to your sentence.Use apt words which suit the context and makes sense.)
5. Communication skills are very important. This is the edulix link which gives good tips !
6. Mention valid reasons why you are choosing USA and not your own country{in spite of having the best institutions} for your higher studies, like

• World Class Education
• Excellent research facilities
• Easy to survive
• International exposure
• Immense Opportunities for the deserving

% <--> Grade <--> GPA

Many a times while filling the application you might encounter with the word GPA(Grade Point Average). That is actually not for us. Personally I didn't fill anything for GPA, but you could do this calculation. I just came across this and these mite help you. Ask some senior/lecturer and find out which one's better of the two??

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grade ----------	GPA ------------	% ---------
A+	4.33	90-100
A	4.00	85-89
A-	3.67	80-84
B+	3.33	76-79
B	3.00	72-75
B-	3.67	68-71
C+	2.33	64-67
C	2.00	60-63
C-	1.67	55-59
D	1.00	50-54
DFT	0.00	49

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Percentage ---------------	US Grade ------------	Equivalent GPA (approximate) ------------------------------------
60-100	A	4.00
55-59	B+	3.33
50-54	B	3.00
43-49	C+	2.33
35-42	C	2.00
0-34	F	0.00