Gaining admission to universities is becoming increasingly competitive. With thousands of applications pouring in to study MS abroad against only a few hundred seats, students need to create a profile that stands out and immediately makes the Admission Committee take notice. While it is imperative to work towards creating a strong and unique profile to secure admission into a prestigious university, students are often confused and unsure of how to create a glowing profile for applying for their MS in abroad. Here are a few pointers that will help to build an excellent profile for MS in USA and make a difference.

1) Identify your USP (Unique Selling Point)

Many applicants will have a similar or even better academic record and test scores than you. In order to stand out and make your profile unique, you must identify your USP and highlight it to bring it to the notice of the admission committee. Start by jotting down your strengths. Give specific examples and quote instances from your academic or professional life that can substantiate the strengths you want to highlight.  Focus on strengths that will help you to succeed in the program you’re applying to. A certificate of completion or achievement is a good way to validate your strengths. Another advice is to compartmentalize your strength into categories such as academic, professional, communication or technical prowess. Thus, identifying your USP and mentioning it in your application essay will help you to put together a powerful application.

2) Write a succinct and powerful Resume

The University admission committee has to go through several thousand applications, but to ensure that the admission committee does not overlook your application, you must create a succinct and powerful one-page long resume that highlights your strengths and achievements. It must provide more information to the admission committee than what is included in the application and helps them to evaluate your candidacy in a better manner. University resumes should be designed to enhance your application and provide yet another opportunity to showcase your worth as an ideal candidate. You must use crisp language and a clean layout, covering topics like academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, volunteer or community service, certifications, research, publications and leadership experience.

3) An interesting and engaging Statement of Purpose

Your Statement of Purpose (SOP) gives you the opportunity to display your passion and interest for the intended specialization and gives you an opportunity to explain the lacunae in your academic credentials. Your focus has to be on clearly explaining the purpose you are applying for a particular specialization. It should also contain a brief introduction of yourself and your academic background. You must also mention your short-term and long-term goals in one paragraph. These goals have to be as specific as possible. Describe your academic or any professional background that is relevant to your purpose. You should also give details about what motivated you to pursue further studies and have you chosen the university you are applying to. This paragraph requires you to research the program, curriculum, and faculty, so that you can highlight the specific aspects that make the university your preferred choice. It is always a good idea to take the opinions of others and seek professional help from experts like education advisers or counselors as the SOP greatly determines your chance of getting admission in your dream university.

4) Letter of Recommendation

Refer to your strengths in the USP list that you have made and think of people who can vouch for your strengths like a good academic record, motivation, creativity, communication skills, integrity, etc. You must take help of your professors to write impressive letters of recommendation as they qualify to truly assess your performance and vouch for your academic credentials. However, if you have any work experience ranging to a year or more, then get at least one reference from your workplace as well. A Master’s in USA degree requires the student to submit three recommendations; hence it is ideal to get one professional and two academic letters of recommendation. This will give the admission committee a balanced opinion of your academic and professional capabilities.

5) Work experience in a prestigious company

If the company you are currently working in has a very competitive and difficult recruiting process, it makes the Admission Committee view your profile in a positive light. Also working in a reputed company makes your profile stronger and makes the admission committee realize that you are an exceptional student with excellent skills and academic record to have bagged a prestigious job or internship at a reputed company.

6) Diversify your profile

Apart from the technical skills, if you have learnt any new and different skills through extra certification courses or have any experience that can add value to your profile you must mention it. For example, if you have volunteered for any special projects and participated in any conferences or competitions, you must highlight these points to bring it to the notice of the admission committee.

7) Work towards creating a well-rounded personality

You do not want to come across as a uni-dimensional person with only academic or professional interests. Universities believe in taking students who have a holistic and well-rounded personality. If you are a sports enthusiast or have joined any social cause or started a small entrepreneurial venture, you must highlight these in your profile.

For more information visit Collegepond.

The world has changed considerably for most of us since the onset of the new decade, more so, for study abroad aspirants. The COVID-19 pandemic has landed incoming students in a state of limbo, forcing them to revisit their planning and preparations and explore possibilities of deferring their respective enrollments.

If you are an incoming graduate rewarded with an acceptance letter, is deferring a viable option to tide over the prevailing uncertainty? How will this impact your academic goals and career progression?

We at Collegepond would like to share the deferral processes and practices that are being reviewed by leading universities across the globe and how these policy shifts are likely to impact your deferral plans and upcoming admissions cycle.

While some universities such as the University of Washington, and Stanford are deliberating between canceling classes, postponing the fall semester and moving classes online for the rest of the year, many universities intend to extend a more flexible and supportive approach towards incoming students affected by the pandemic, by favoring the deferment of admission from the Fall 2020 semester to the Spring 2021 or Fall 2021 semester.

Under normal circumstances, you can usually defer your enrollment over a year and again depending on the university, you could even retain your seat for as long as two years. Considering the COVID-19 situation, some universities such as Harvard are also considering spreading the deferred enrollment over the next two years depending on the number of students requesting a deferment.

We have herewith outlined some of the benefits and shortcomings that you should consider before deciding to defer your enrolment:

Benefits of deferring:

1. Not all programs may be available online, so it would be prudent to defer and pursue the desired course in-person

2. You can retain the value of education that you are looking for as remote learning is not likely to be as effective as in-person instruction. You will miss out on personal interactions with fellow students and teachers, which is important for knowledge exchange. In essence, the quality of education will not be the same in the online mode.

3. You may consider this time as a ‘ gap year’ and  re-evaluate your study options and career goals by taking up short term course and gaining some work exposure

4. Please be informed that if your university allows you to defer the admit, then you have something in hand for the next year. If you have earned an admit this year, it in no way implies that you will get ACCEPTED next year as well, as the competition is likely to heat up and be tougher (considering the number of applicants will be more if the current situation continues to prevail ) and there is a possibility that you may not get the coveted ADMIT from your desired university in the ensuing year.

Shortcomings of deferring:

1. The general presumption is that it would not be easy to get back into the groove and resume classes due to the break-in continuity and loss of academic momentum, irrespective of the academic pursuits that you intend to take up during the deferral period

2. In case you have been granted any scholarship or bursary, you will not be able to avail of these financial aids if there is a ‘no deferral’ clause attached, and you defer your enrollment

As universities continue to plan and prepare for the immediate and long-term challenges brought about by COVID-19, we hope that you will weigh the emerging scenarios with prudence, foresight, and caution, as the onus to defer or not entirely lies with you.

The COVID-19 pandemic has landed incoming students confused, forcing them to revisit their planning and explore possibilities of deferring their respective enrollments. The world is yet to recover fully from the challenges of the pandemic. Although many universities have resumed their on-campus studies, many are yet to follow it.

If you are an incoming graduate rewarded with an acceptance letter, is deferring a viable option to tide over the prevailing uncertainty? How will this impact your academic goals and career progression? Read the post to know the answers.

We at Collegepond would like to share the deferral processes and practices being reviewed by leading universities across the globe and how these policy shifts will likely to impact your deferral plans and upcoming admissions cycle.

Many universities are still offering classes online; others intend to extend a more flexible and supportive approach toward incoming students affected by the pandemic.

Under normal circumstances, you can usually defer your enrollment over a year and again, depending on the university, you could even retain your seat for as long as two years. Considering the COVID-19 situation and underlying challenges, some universities are also considering spreading the deferred enrollment over the next two years, depending on the number of students requesting a deferment.

We have herewith outlined some of the benefits and shortcomings that you should consider before deciding to defer your enrolment:

Benefits of deferring:

• Not all programs may be available online, so it would be prudent to defer and pursue the desired course in-person
• You can retain the value of education that you are looking, for as remote learning is not likely to be as effective as in-person instruction. You will miss personal interactions with fellow students and teachers, which is important for knowledge exchange. In essence, the quality of education will not be the same in the online mode.
• You may consider this time as a ‘gap year’ and re-evaluate your study options and career goals by taking up short-term course and gaining some work exposure
• Please be informed that if your university allows you to defer the admission, then you have something in hand for the following year. If you have earned an admission this year, it in no way implies that you will get ACCEPTED next year as well, as the competition is likely to heat up and be tougher (considering the number of applicants will be more if the current situation continues to prevail). There is a possibility that you may not get the coveted ADMIT from your desired university in the ensuing year.

 Shortcomings of deferring

• The general presumption is that it would not be easy to get back into the groove and resume classes due to the break-in continuity and loss of academic momentum, irrespective of the academic pursuits that you intend to take up during the deferral period.
• In case you have been granted any scholarship or bursary, you will not be able to avail of these financial aids if there is a ‘no deferral’ clause attached, and you defer your enrollment

As universities continue to plan and prepare for the immediate and long-term challenges brought about by COVID-19, we hope that you will weigh the emerging scenarios with prudence, foresight, and caution, as the onus to defer or not entirely lies with you.