Jay Rege | Academy One

Which country to choose from ?

by Jay Rege | Apr 19, 2021 | Masters Abroad, Study Abroad

Which country to choose from ?

“Which is the best country to pursue my higher education?” – Students often ask us this question and honestly there is no one answer that fits every student. Every country has its own advantages, and the decision on which country to opt for depends on several factors such as the student’s past academic profile, domain of interest, future goals, budgets and a few other factors. Here are some of the Pros of some of the countries/regions.

USA

USA has always been the number one destination among students for higher studies abroad. Its high quality of academic standards, flexible yet exhaustive curriculum, and multicultural environment that US universities offer, make it a preferred destination for many. Over the years USA has emerged as the number one destination for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and MBA programs.

Advantages of studying in USA

High quality education
Wide range of courses and universities to choose from
Funding and scholarships offered by many Universities
Post Study Work Permit known as the OPT (Optional Practical Training) for 1 year which can be extended to 3 years for STEM degree holders
Ample job opportunities for STEM degree holders and high pay scales thereby providing good Return on Investment (ROI)
Students can work on campus while studying for 20 hours a week

UK

UK is a world leader in many areas of education including computing, engineering, science, business, law, art and design. The shorter duration of programs, high living standards, multicultural exposure, affordable and quality education, and student friendly post study working options, make UK a sought after choice among Indian students.

Advantages of studying in UK

Most universities in the UK accept 3 year Bachelors degree from India for their Masters programs.
Most Masters programs are 1 year in duration
Relatively low cost of education.
Students can work 20 hours a week while studying
UK post-study work visa allows international students to stay back and work in the UK for a period of 2 years after completing their education.
Easy to apply for work visa on completion of the post study work period.
Ample job opportunities in the IT, technology, business, design, and legal sectors.

Europe

When it comes to higher education, there are thousands of options in Europe. The most popular countries in Europe, that Indian students prefer are France, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Finland, and a few others. Europe provides a culturally diverse learning experience like none other.

Advantages of studying in Europe

Most universities in the Europe, accept 3 year Bachelors degree from India for their Masters programs.
Wide range of options for Masters programs ranging from 1 year, 1.5 year, to 2 year duration
Relatively low cost of education.
Students can work 20-25 hours a week while studying
Countries in Europe offer post-study work visa that allows international students to stay back and work in the Europe for a period of 1.5 to 2 years after completing their education.
Easy to apply for work visa on completion of the post study work period.
Easy to relocate to any European country after completion of the degree
Ample job opportunities in the IT, technology, business, design, fashion, and hospitality sectors.

Australia

Australia offers high quality education that promotes innovation, creativity, and independent thinking. Indian students who study and live in Australia soon find that their education is intellectually stimulating, fun, and rewarding. Australia as such is a very student friendly nation and encourages foreign students to live and seek career opportunities in the country.

Advantages of studying in Australia

High quality education
Most universities in Australia accept 3 year Bachelors degree from India for their Masters programs.
Wide range of courses and universities to choose from
Foreign students in Australia are allowed to work up to 40 hours a fortnight during the university semester study periods and full-time during holiday periods
2 years post study work visa for after completing a Bachelors and Masters degrees, 3 years for Masters by Research and 4 years for PhD graduates
Additional 1 to 2 years of post study work visa for students graduating from regional campuses
Ample job opportunities in the IT, technology, business, retail, science and design sectors

Canada

Canada is a popular option among students seeking quality yet affordable education. Canada is one of the countries that offers a direct path to Permanent Residency (PR) and Citizenship, making it a very lucrative option to study in Canada. The standards of education in Canada are uniformly high. There are a variety of higher institutions in Canada, which include colleges, universities offering several options for students.

Advantages of studying in Canada

Canada offers Bachelors, Masters as well as Certificate, Diploma, Post Graduate diploma programs all of which come with the option to stay back and work in Canada.

Colleges accept 3 year Bachelors degree from India for their Post Graduate programs.
Low cost of education.
Students can work 20 hours a week while studying
Co-Op options available
Students can get up to 3 years of Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) allowing students to work up to 3 years in Canada after graduation.
Option to apply and obtain Permanent Residency (PR) during the Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
Ample job opportunities in the IT, technology, business, design, animation, and hospitality sectors.

Ireland

Ireland, also popularly known as Europe’s most entrepreneurial nation, is a beautiful island country, with exceptional job opportunities especially in the technology and business sector. Ireland is home to some of world’s top technology companies. With world class universities, internationally recognized qualifications and extensive choice of courses, education in Ireland is value for money due to shorter and more intensive courses.

Advantages of studying in Ireland

Most Masters programs in Ireland are 1 year in duration
Low cost of education.
Students can work 20 hours a week while studying
Ireland post-study work visa allows international students to stay back and work in Ireland for a period of 2 years after completing their education.
Easy to apply and obtain Permanent Residency (PR) in Ireland.
Ample job opportunities in the IT, technology, business, science and design sectors.

NZ

New Zealand, thanks to its foreign student friendly policies, is emerging as an attractive destination for Indian students over the past few years. From high quality education to unbeatable lifestyle, this is a wonderful place to learn and live. A relatively small country, New Zealand has 8 universities, 16 Institutes of Technology & Polytechnics, and a number of private institutions, all known for world class education.

Advantages of studying in NZ

High quality education
Most universities in the NZ accept 3 year Bachelors degree from India for their Masters programs.
Wide range of courses to choose from
Foreign students in NZ are allowed to work up to 40 hours a fortnight during the university semester study periods and full-time during holiday periods
Masters students get a 3 year post-study open work visa that allows them to work and stay in NZ after completion of their degree.
Ample job opportunities in the IT, technology, banking, business, retail, science, animation, and agricultural sectors

Jay Rege

Co-Founder of Academy One

Transfer universities after a semester or year – (Tips to get into top universities) – :)

by Jay Rege | Feb 17, 2021 | Masters Abroad, MS in Canada, MS in USA, Study Abroad

Arjun had a high GRE score but a poor GPA. He had some good research background too. Most top schools he applied to rejected his application. One of the profs at CMU whom he contacted said that if he could improve his GPA, they could consider giving him an admit the following semester. So Arjun joined a low ranked university in the USA for his Mechanical engineering program. For a year he worked hard., managed to get a 4.0 GPA and that helped him transfer to CMU a year later. While CMU did give him credit for some courses he had taken at the other university, it still did take him a semester longer than his counterparts to complete his MS. But with a degree from CMU, it’s worth the time.

While everyone wants to get into a top university, always have your plan B ready. Apply to top universities, but also apply to a couple of programs where you have a high chance to get in. If your think “I would rather study at a top university or not study at all”, that at times is not the best decisions in life. It’s always best to pursue your higher education even if it’s not at your most preferred university. There are options of transferring to a better university after a semester or a year that can be explored.

Jay Rege

Co-Founder of Academy One

Tapping into your personal network – (Tips to get into top universities) – :)

by Jay Rege | Feb 15, 2021 | Masters Abroad, MS in Canada, MS in USA, Study Abroad

When Nikhil decided to apply for his Masters, he knew his GPA was not that strong, although he had done some great projects during his bachelors. Fortunately, for him, his brother was an recent graduate at UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles), and that too from the same department Nikhil planned to apply to. His brother spoke to one of his professors at UCLA and explained Nikhil’s case. The professor agreed to speak to Nikhil over a video call, that although started off as a general conversation, ended up in an hour long interview which ended with a note from the professor saying “Nikhil, I strongly encourage you to apply to our program.” Nikhil put in his best application, and few months later was on a flight to LA.

Like Nikhil, there are several examples where informal referrals by a family member have helped students get admission. Tap into your network, be it friends or family. If you have a friend or family member who is studying or an alumni of the program you are applying to, ask them to refer you to the program.

Jay Rege

Co-Founder of Academy One

Contacting Faculty – does it work and how? (Tips to get into a top university) – :)

by Jay Rege | Feb 14, 2021 | Masters Abroad, MS in Canada, MS in USA, Study Abroad

Kunal graduated from a college in Mumbai with a average GPA and had an average GRE. Here is his story of how he managed to secure admits from Georgia Tech for the MS in Electrical Engineering program.

During his undergrad, Kunal worked extensively on research on ‘Antenna Designs’ . When it came to applying this is what he did:

Researched universities which had research groups relevant to his research interest
Made a list of professors with info about their ongoing research projects
Sent an email explaining his interest, background and how he could contribute to their ongoing research work. This helped him start a conversation with those professors.
He then requested those who replied for phone/video call. Some of the professors agreed to have a discussion with him where they spoke about their research and also tried to understand his background and research.

Mentioning all this in the SOP of the university and keeping the professors updated about his application status helped him secure some top admits.
He eventually went to Georgia Tech where he also managed to get a Research Assistantship with the same professor who had interviewed him

Kunal is not an isolated cases. Contacting faculties at your target universities works provided you have some research experience to discuss with them.

Jay Rege

Co-Founder of Academy One

Changing streams after joining the university – (Tips to get into top universities) – :)

by Jay Rege | Feb 13, 2021 | Masters Abroad, MS in USA, Study Abroad

Anil graduated with a Electronics degree from India but wanted to pursue a MS in CS from the US. When he wrote to the CS department head of NCSU about his interests, he got a reply saying that they cannot consider his application as he did not have the prerequisite courses in CS that they expect every incoming student of the department to have taken during the undergrad. The department head however offered him a solution. Anil thus applied for the MS in EE program. After joining the university he discussed his profile and interests with the Computer Science department head. The HOD asked Anil to take two courses from the computer science department in the very first semester and if he scored an A in both of those, he would let him switch his degree to the MS in CS program. Anil did, and eventually graduated with a degree in Computer Science

You could try this too. There, however, is a risk that after joining the university you may not get the transfer to the desired choice of program the following semester. But after all, it’s all about taking a calculated risk.

Jay Rege

Co-Founder of Academy One

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