Happy Schools Blog

Why Keck Graduate Institute? With Hardeep

July 12, 2009

Hardeep is doing his master’s studies at Keck Graduate Institute. He’s a frequent Happy Schools Blog reader. He was kind enough to share some of his time between his busy…

How Much does GRE Cost?

July 8, 2009

If you are preparing to apply at universities in the U.S. for graduate school (master of science, M.S.) as an international student, you will have to take Graduate Record Exam…

6 Mistakes that Can Kill Your Resumé

June 22, 2009

Here is an interesting list of 6 common mistakes that you should avoid in your resumé. If you don’t, you will likely be spending more time in your job search….

PhD – Admission, Scholarship & Semester

June 15, 2009

Is it possible to get PhD Admission with Scholarship for Average GRE Scores. I have 1 paper published.

TOFEL – TOFL – TOFLE – TEOFL – TOEFL – Which One is Right?

June 14, 2009

International students applying at U.S. universities are required to appear for a TOEFL exam. But despite this, some students don’t even know the right acronym for TOEFL or what it…

Can an Average Student Apply at US Universities?

June 14, 2009

How is it to select and apply at U.S. universities with an average student’s profile? Comment I’m taking engineering in electronics, I’m in my 3rd year. I’m planning to take…

H-1 Visa Approved, OPT Expiring & Out of Status 5+ Months

June 11, 2009

You got to read Sherry’s situation. She’s in a very desperate state and needs urgent help from an immigration attorney to sort out her current status and give her direction…

Is it Okay to Get University Transfer after First Semester?

June 5, 2009

If you have applied at many U.S. universities but got admission from just one university, what more can you do? Can you go for F-1 visa stamping for one university…

What Should be the Length of Statement of Purpose?

June 4, 2009

What should be the proper length of a Statement of Purpose (SOP)? This is one of the most common questions asked by students applying for masters or PhD programs at…

TOEFL Score 77, Can I Apply for Admission at US Universities?

June 1, 2009

International Students applying for college admission at U.S. universities are required to submit their TOEFL scores. Most American colleges and universities will require the minimum TOEFL score of 79, but…

F-1 Student Visa for 14 Backlogs, Low GRE and TOEFL

May 29, 2009

Is it possible to get an F-1 visa even with 14 backlogs incurred while completing a bachelor’s degree? Yes, you can get an F-1 visa provided you have the right…

Tips to Improve GRE Reading Comprehension (RCs) Test Score

May 28, 2009

If you are preparing for Graduate Record Exam (GRE) offered by ETS and have taken some practice tests, by now you should have realized that scoring in GRE Reading Comprehension…

Cost of Living at University of Southern California, LA

May 27, 2009

Students trying to decide among U.S. universities have to consider the cost of living at those universities when planning to Study in USA. The cost of living at universities varies a…

Minimum Requirements for Master’s Degree Admission?

May 27, 2009

If you are planning to apply for colleges and universities in the U.S., there are few things you have to understand: The US education system is different than the system…

MS in CS – 5 Admits – Which University To Attend?

May 26, 2009

Tushar received 5 admits for MS in computer science programs in various schools in the U.S. Tushar asks about U.S. university selection. He sent this email: The following are my admits…

5-Page RFE on H-1B Visa 2010 Petition

May 24, 2009

One of our blog readers received a 5 Page RFE on H-1B visa 2010 petition. If you have any thoughts/solutions on this RFE, you can definitely write your comments.

10 Checkpoints for US Grad School Admission Process

May 22, 2009

A typical student applying for admission at U.S. colleges and universities has to go through various stages during a school admission process. Here is a list of 10 successful checkpoints…

H-1B Petition with Bachelor’s Degree and Pending Master’s Degree

May 19, 2009

Do you know why questions related to H-1B Visa petition pose so many problems? This is because every person have unique and, at times, strange situation. Here is one such…

MS in USA after MBA in India – Negative Effect on F1 Visa Stamping?

May 11, 2009

What are the chances of getting a Student F-1 Visa for MS in Computer Science after completing MBA in India? Comment – I have completed a BS engineering in computer…

H-1B Petition 2010 Check Encashed = H-1B Visa Approved?

May 10, 2009

Many H-1B 2010 visa applicants are still waiting to receive their receipt numbers. If you haven’t received your receipt number, here’s one way to get the H-1B Receipt Number by…

GRE Cut-off — US Universities

April 29, 2009

Don’t you ever think the world will be a much better place if all the U.S. universities display the GRE cutoff scores in their admissions page? I bet it will…

H-1B Visa — Approval Notice Sent

April 23, 2009

The USCIS updates H-1B visa petition status based on your case progress. What does "Approval Notice Sent" mean? Anne Asks: Application Type: I129, PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER Current Status:…

Graduate School Admission : Applied-6, Rejected-6

April 22, 2009

Students who had applied for the Fall 2009 semester are starting to know about their admission status. In line with this, I encountered one interesting comment from our reader. This…

What is the Syllabus for MS Computer Science?

April 19, 2009

For the first time someone had asked via our blog regarding the syllabus for a specific master’s program. Nonetheless, it’s obvious to see why someone is asking for a particular…

How Much to Pay for Resumé Writing?

April 12, 2009

Professional resumé writing services is expensive to tap. I have to agree with that notion. One of these firm, Resumé Edge, charges around $180 for their resumé writing offerings. Regarding…

How Do I know if my Employer Applied for H-1B Visa?

April 11, 2009

Around 42,000 H-1B visa petitions had been received under the General cap and about 20,000 in Advanced Degree cap. However, how will I know if my employer had submitted my…

I want Admission at US Universities with Scholarship

April 10, 2009

This article is in response to an email I received recently. The problem is that most students assume that universities can be selected based on the types of scholarships they provide…

Now there is No H1-B FY 2010 Lottery – What’s Next?

April 9, 2009

Now that we know that there will just be a mini-lottery for H-1B visas, many questions have emerged that need to be answered. You can find the answers to the…

When to Take GRE to Attend Fall Semester

April 9, 2009

In the previous article When to Take GRE , I gave an introduction about the factors that must be considered before deciding to take a GRE test. After you have…

Top 8 Job Search Methods

April 7, 2009

Job hunting in this economy will be tough. Here are some of possible ways to search and land at jobs. Job hunting should be treated as a full time work….

When to Take a GRE?

April 6, 2009

A GRE exam score is mandatory if you are planning to get admission into a quality university in the U.S. Aside from the exam itself, it will always be a…

I got an Admit, but during Recession, can I still come to the US?

March 30, 2009

Almost all international students have this dilemma. Recently, one student wrote this comment: I got admit from 2 universities. I am almost prepared for coming US for my Masters for…

I’m applying on April 2009, When does H-1B Visa start?

March 26, 2009

International students taking MS usually have this kind of question if they are applying for H-1B visa before graduation.

Low Percentage (57%) in B.E. – Can I Get Admission in US Universities?

March 26, 2009

This post is about low academic percentage and the impact of getting admission.

How to Find US University Giving Scholarship for PhD

March 25, 2009

In today’s Q&A section, Tia inquires about scholarships, U.S. universities, and how to find the schools that give scholarship for international students. You gave very good information about aid. Can…

I Want a BMW — I’m Applying for H-1B Visa

March 16, 2009

Hello guys, April 1 is less than 15 days away, so many employers and consultants are now busy preparing to apply for H-1B visa petitions. There is an interesting discussion going…

Can I get a Master’s Degree from US in 1 Year?

March 11, 2009

It’s been a while since we have answered some of questions related to graduate degree programs and college admission. Here’s an interesting question about the duration of study for a…

Stanford University MBA Admission Essay Topics

March 8, 2009

Last week’s article, Why Colleges Ask for Statement of Purpose, explained in detail how colleges and universities in the U.S. evaluate a student based on submitted college admission essay. Some schools…

When H-1B Quota Cap was Reached, 2005 to 2010

March 4, 2009

We all have some ideas about the H-1B visa lotteries for the last few years, but did you know when did the H-1B cap had been reached a few years…

Increasing H-1B Quota = More Tax Income to US?

March 3, 2009

Last year (2008), Bill Gates had requested U.S. Senators to increase the limit for H-1B visa quota. More than 160,000 applications were submitted for the 65,000 General Cap and 20,000…

Why Universities Ask for Statement of Purpose

March 1, 2009

The Statement of Purpose (SOP) is one of the mandatory requirements when applying for graduate schools in the U.S. Some schools call them as “personal statement” or “college admission essay”….

You cannot get Financial Aid – Do You know Why?

February 24, 2009

American education for international students is expensive. Unless, of course, if you have lots of money to spend. This is why most international students applying for admission at U.S. universities…

MBA — To be or Not to be?

February 18, 2009

This article is a guest post by my friend Ganesh, who had completed his MS and MBA and is currently working as a database developer. If you have questions after…

New Online GRE Score Reporting

February 16, 2009

Educational Testing Service (ETS) has introduced its Online GRE Score reporting feature. It makes reporting GRE scores to additional schools much easier. You need, however, to have a credit card…

New H-1B Rules Removed by Obama?

February 12, 2009

Last week, all H-1B visa applicants became curious to know the impact of the New H-1B rules that would prevent companies receiving TARP funding to hire H-1B visa workers. It…

New H-1B Hiring Rules – Approved in US Senate

February 10, 2009

Read about the New H1B Memo 2010 that was passed on Jan 8, 2010. Find out if you are affected. New H1B Visa Rules were introduced in the Senate few…

Q&A: I Need 5 Universities that Give Funding for PhD in US

February 10, 2009

I’m responding to a question posted in our Orkut Scrap book by a student who is currently studying MS in electrical engineering and is planning to proceed to PhD. I…

new h1b visa bills

New H-1B Visa Bill to remove workers from US.?

February 7, 2009

I guess a few of you should be concerned about the talk of the New H1B bill with 100k salary. Not to mention what President Trump plans to do the…

Breakdown: Cost of Studying MS in USA

February 6, 2009

The cost of studying in the U.S. is very high when compared to the cost that students pay to study in India. If you plan to study at U.S. universities, then…

H-1B Visa Sponsoring Consultants for Biotechnology Graduates

February 6, 2009

  I have witnessed first-hand about the challenges of finding a job in the field of Biotechnology. You have a far greater option to find a job with a professor…