Flying off to the U.S.?
SHALINI UMACHANDRAN
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All you wanted to know about studying in the U.S.
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It all started in 1998 when a friend applying to college in the U.S. asked Natasha to look over his Statement of Purpose (SoP) and application form. "I realised that a lot of people are short-selling themselves. We have so many brilliant students but they don't aim for the top schools. At some level, we're content to settle for less than the best," says Natasha Pratap, in Chennai recently to release her book, Wanna Study in the US? 101 Tips to get you there!
Her book is a comprehensive guide to getting through the process of applying to universities in the U.S. She says most Indian students are misguided and do not think their application process through. "You need to show the admissions officers that you have a vision for your life. You are evaluated on the basis of how much you have made of your life from what you have been given."
While you already know some of the 101 tips, such as "Use the resources offered by USEFI" and "Register for your Test (SAT, GRE, GMAT or TOEFL) well in advance," others would be rather useful — like the tips about college selection and writing an SoP.
Getting it right
Some of the tips are inspirational as well with Natasha telling you that great scores are not essential for admission. "You need to understand the philosophy of the American education system," she says. "They don't want statistics; they also want to know how you can contribute to make life on campus more interesting."
Statements of purpose written by undergraduate and graduate students have been included with notes about what makes them stand out — useful before you get started on your own SoP. The section on visas has been put together in association with the U.S. Consulate and covers all possible queries about the visa process. Successful candidates give advice in another section. There are tips about how to put a portfolio together, meeting deadlines; one student has even listed the documents he took in for his interview and in what order he arranged them. Teachers writing recommendation letters and guiding students could also read this book.
While the book is incredibly useful and possibly, as Natasha claims, "the first of its kind in India", this is not information that you would never get anywhere else. It's just all in one place and put together very well from an Indian perspective.
Wanna Study in the U.S.? 101 Tips to get you there! by Natasha Pratap, published by Rupa, is priced at Rs. 395.
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