ms for mechanical engineers
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
A guide to your Master’s Degree in USA
Rohit Subramanian1
Higher Education in the United States of America
Some Statistics…
Rohit Subramanian2
Over 40 people went to Universities in USA for Fall 2011 from SSN
12 of our own Mechanical seniors in various Universities
10 in USA, 2 in Germany9 applying for Fall 2012 in USA5 applying for MS in European countries
The Six Questions
Rohit Subramanian3
Why to go for it? The MotiveWhere ? The right destinationWhat to do ? Available Options.When to do what ? The Ideal TimelineHow ? The ProcedureWho to ask? Resources at disposal
Why ?
Rohit Subramanian4
Intellectual Reasons Advanced study opportunities in your area
of interestResearch prospects Career Reasons Global ExposureGood Career growth prospectsOther ReasonsAnyone can aspire for it“American Mapillais” in demand
Where ?
Rohit Subramanian5
United States of America Europe, notably Germany
Great for broad areas of study
Great for core mechanical areas
More generalized approach Highly specialized
Closer to our educational system
Application oriented as opposed to a theoretical approach
Easy to gel into the lifestyle
Comparatively tough life – German language must
Better career prospects – So Good Return on Investment
Relatively tougher finding jobs after MS
Expensive (20 – 50 lakhs)
Relatively cheaper(5-15 lakhs)
What ?
Rohit Subramanian6
Options available to Mechanical EngineersMechanical Engineering Fluid Mechanics Mechanics, Vibrations, Acoustics Thermal ManufacturingIndustrial Engineering Operations Research Manufacturing Systems Production Systems Logistics, Supply Chain Management Quality Engineering
What ?
Rohit Subramanian7
Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Systems Aerodynamics Propulsion StructuresMaterials Science and EngineeringManufacturing Engineering
When ?
Rohit Subramanian8
Time can be a valuable resource in MS applications
Many Universities have Rolling type admits – They process applications as and when they arrive rather than waiting for the deadline to begin processing all at once
Hence, applying soon can help increase your competency
It also gives you more time to plan your next move once you have finished applying/ received admits
Rohit Subramanian9
Month What to do Also do
October- December
GRE Classes
January
February
March Self Preparation •Intensive Search on Universities
•Try to find profs in univs who share research interests
•Write to them “Prof Letting”
•Do some networking to identify profs who have worked with people you know
April
May
June GRE & TOEFL
July Shortlist Universities
August SOP/ LOR
September
October Apply to decided Universities
December Deadline for Applications
How ? GRE
Rohit Subramanian10
Requires about 5-6 months of good preparationVerbal section requires systematic
development of languageProgressive augmentation of personal
communicative lexicon through employment of proficient recollection routines
Important change in pattern: Questions with multiple right answers The destruction of the “Antonyms” and
“Analogies” devil – Good and Bad Sentence Equivalence questions
GRE
Rohit Subramanian11
Important to acquaint oneself with American English eg. the New York Times Editorial page
Try reading abstruse passages on Philosophy and literary critiques – the all-time GRE favourites
Quants is far less threateningImportant change from previous pattern – Questions with multiple right answers Questions with no answer choicesStudy from any online material – widely
availablePowerPrep is the most important tool available
Choosing appropriate Universities
Rohit Subramanian12
Prospects of admission in univs depends on:1.A good GRE Score2.A great academic profile3.Relevant projects4.Good Recommendations from professors5.Tons and tons of research on area of
interest – translates into a kick-ass Statement of Purpose
It’s a combination of all factors that gets you an admit.
Number of Universities
Rohit Subramanian13
Several practices on number of universities to apply to
Cost per univ : Rs. 6000 – 7000/university Identifying universities before you write GRE
and TOEFL can help save $40 per university (Rs. 2000/univ)
Ideal number of univs : 10Princeton method: 4 Ambitious, 4 Reach, 2
SafeSafe Method : 4 ambitious, 3 reach, 3 safeThe Lean Method : 5 ambitious, 2 safe
Importance of Projects
Rohit Subramanian14
Projects show that you are a person who can apply knowledge
For people interested in core areas, internal research projects can add great value
Try getting a summer fellowship at IITM – the IIT tag really helps
Convert as many projects as possible into publications – publications are the biggest endorsements of your research ability
The Statement of Purpose
Rohit Subramanian15
Most important document in your applicationThe Make or Break of any applicationA Good Statement of Purpose shows Why you are doing somethingHow that something defines youHow your research focus matches with the
profs at the UniversityAn SOP is your marketing proposition. You can
paint your entire profile in any desired colour with a great SOP.
Letters of Recommendation
Rohit Subramanian16
LOR’s are very important ‘cos that tells the university what your profs think about you.
Get LOR from faculty members under whom you have worked
Get LOR from faculty members who have handled relevant subjects for you
An LOR from the HOD gives you added weightage
Some IIT professors have very good reputation there. So your IIT project can help here too.
Start making your professors happy
Who ?
Rohit Subramanian17
The Most Valuable Resource – edulix.comA close second – US news rankingshappyschoolsblog.com“Natala Lukina’s homepage” for SOP and
LOR preparation“SSN Mech MS Abroad” Group, Facebook.USIEF – Membership for Rs.2000, Free
consultancy and access to all their libraries, etc.
Private consultancies – Princeton, etc.
Ideating
Rohit Subramanian18
Currently working on profiling the students who have made it from SSN and other colleges in the past few years – Inferred data will give us better picture on what kind of students can apply to which university
Mentoring from students who are already there – “SSN Mech MS Abroad” group on Facebook helped the present batch greatly
We could try to introduce the concept of teaching assistants in the department – where students can handle classes for junior years – adds weightage to the students’ profile
To Sum Up…
Rohit Subramanian19
The MS will be a critical phase of your lifeConvince yourself of all aspects of the
decision you will be making – Ask yourself the Six Questions
Its never too early to start preparing – Slow and Steady still win the race; Only, Don’t start after the fast ones have already left you behind
Rohit Subramanian20
Thank You