Is USA Admission a Rat Race Based on Grades and GRE?
Comment from Ravi at the post Minimum New GRE Scores for Computer Science and EEE calls admission to USA as a rate race and compares that to getting job in Infy/Wipro/TCS freshers.
I have shared some interesting comments from Facebook Fans too.
USA Admissions system is similar to Infy/Wipro/TCS freshers shortlisting.
Its a rat race based on grades and GRE scores. Hell with such system which doesn’t recognize genuine talent.
I’d rather go to European/UK countries instead of wasting my time, energy and money into application to US universities, which I feel is kinda gambling, you may or may not get ‘lucky’ to do your precious graduate studies in the university you like, with professors you like to work with.
If you want, you can be a competent graduate student anywhere EU/UK/US. Finally the work you do at university, the kind of collaboration you do with professors is what matters. And as for the BIG question/myth of after MS jobs, again, if you are the right candidate with up-to-date skills and stellar MS profile, you will be welcomed to work with a good organization.
Throughout your academic years in India you were compared/judged with grades, with your friends, relatives, etc. A single mark also made difference. If you have to do the same to thing to go to graduate studies too, its like falling for the same sh*tty trap. You decide whether you want to be respected for your genuine interest and skills or to participate in rat race with luck to get selected .
Rat Race vs Grades and Scores
If you have genuine talent, then you should be able to get good score and good grades. What other ways can you express your talents?
If you cannot score marks and get GRE scores, then show that you have created a product or have an idea that has changed the world.
What is the use of having talent, when you cannot express that talent to external world?
By the way, its rat race all over the world. Only the fittest who can run the race would survive.
You are talking as if in Europe, they give admission without grades and scores?
Do you have your aunt or uncle running universities in UK/Europe, where you can get admission?
Comments from Facebook Happy Schools Page
Ajit Rai
Buddy when you have some brilliant brains competing for the same seats, there should be a parameter ( generalized) which should be acceptable to all. Moreover workex gives an edge because they have the real hands on experience of technology and not just book facts and formulae. US admission is costly, tough …. but search the rankings n reputation- US dominates it too… Anyways U can go for MS in Germany too, its the pinnacle of engineering since more than a century and believe me German MS would be far far more tougher than the MS from US.
Atokpas Udayamaan
I don’t feel if you have a genuine talent, they will reject you… how is genuine talent of a student shown beside the grades and test scores? And what do you think, good universities of UK and other European countries don’t have selection criteria?
Abhishek Anshul
The most important part of the application which makes a remarkable impact is the SOP. Being an average student with an exceptional idea, presented in your SOP, takes you smoothly through the process.
Chalasani Pallavi
disagree….MIT takes students based on their talent (read extensive research work) rather than gre scores….GRE is just a standardized test which is just the step 1 in the admission process…our grades, extra curriculars, prev research work, work exp are all taken into account….in my opinion these criterion are good enough to recognize genuine talent…
Tope Owope
are you actually serious?, First of all, the US has some of the best universities in the world(in fact, most), second, the US provides the most financial support to graduate students. the way you talk you must have the money to afford schooling in the UK, they don’t really care much about talent, just after your money. you obviously are not ready to fight for a place in the US. i have some rich friends in the UK and they go admitted without stress, quite easily and they wrote no exams, in my case, i want to school in the best system in the world, and i want to do it at no cost, so I WILL FIGHT, get my SOPs, LORs, and try to ace the GRE
Subham Dasgupta
that i guess depends on ur interests, funds, job prospects, and a lotta other things…for eg, for most unis of europe, I guess applis are free (as opposed to around 50-100+$ per uni to US + GRE + Toefl)..so from the financial point of view, Europe may be easier. Again one should consider the work done, courses, job prospects…it’s unfair to judge one country’s unis by their criteria of admission.
>>> Its easy to say education in Europe is Free. Think beyond that. Consider the living condition. There are countries where nearby Indian Grocery store is 3 to 4 hours drive away. They don’t speak English. Cold for several months. Probably you will be only student from India in the school.
Saad Bin Akhlaq
why is it that only people who are not getting accepted or who have doubts
>>> Need a place to vent out the anger right?
Anindya Biswas
The sentence what RAVI wrote I feel came from some frustrations.UK universities are after your money,agreed,but one should be smart enough to get the refund from the money s/he paid to them.US is best,no doubt about it,but don’t trash UK/EU universities.(I one I was in is known as ‘MIT of Information Security’ and the best in world for Information Security MS,imo).You see, life in western countries about getting good high paying jobs and life is achievable,but beware of immense hard work and education life first. are the ones who complain
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Comment from Saad says it all.
Only frustrated people vent out the anger.
That’s human nature.
Its knowledge, education, maturity and life experience will make them realize their mistakes.
There is lot of anyalysis about the education standard and way of selection. We should accept that rules and education system in USA is completely differ from India . You will have to come through process in education system where you require good GRE score of minimum 1300 with high recomendation to get admission in top USA Universities of USA with eligible scholarship. Even if you do MS and PhD from a standard university with sufficient publication in international journal,there is no job guarantee for international students due to complicated rules and systems in USA .Moreover presently thousands of Indians in USA after completion of their MS or PhD is not getting good job and doing either Post doctoral fellowship or searching for job with tremendous frustration as now a days ,it is very difficult to get H1 visa sponshorship in USA due to high recession.
Our ultimate aim of education is of getting good job. The average student with low GRE score below 1300 should not make a try in top universities of USA for MS or Phd in USA as it will create colossal wastage of money and time ,inviting unnecessary frusration and criticism . We can not judge education system of USA from Indian point of view and govt. policies.
This is a very typical analysis of a teen age boy turning into man about life and want to conquer the world.change it bro.
USA admission process needs more transparency. No one knows what happens behind curtains. Everything is subjective and I bet each candidature is debatable. Unlike Indian system which works on a competitive examinations followed by interviewing. You can figure out where you went wrong or where you fell off even if you fail. With the US admissions, no one has any idea. They do not divulge any details or feedback. I had a good profile and I got rejected from 10 universities. I am not angry but the whole process seems very unfair. I have no clue at all.
I agree with this writer.Even the technology is good in US but the crieteria for choosing international student to get visa, that couldn’t be understood yet!!!
It’s only normal for people to vent their anger. US grad admission process is very stressful and expensive but I believe good things don’t come easy. I applied to one expensive UK school (name witheld) and got an unconditional offer in less than 3days (I didn’t submit any score or LORs). I believe every prospective grad student should know what they want : research-based schools with lots of scholarships and a chance of getting a job or just school as usual.
7 Billion people habitat this plant. You don’t need to be no Rocket Scientist to approx. the number of candidates fighting for a seat in the top universities or any university in US for that matter.
Tell me, if you were in-charge, would you be sitting down with each and every candidate, evaluating his credentials, listening to his story and then taking a informative decision about his future. I don’t think even superman can handle that sort of stuff.
Like Rocky said “Life aint all sunshine and rainbows”. And I say thank god for that. RAVI, you frustrated, that’s good. You know that all these applicants, at some stage or the other, felt EXACTLY LIKE YOU. I am sure we all complained to ourselves once. About things being unfair. I am sure you know this man, just want to reassert, Achiever’s were the once who moved on from that feeling, accepted the fact that world is unfair, kept trying and then beat life in its own game.
Just the fact that you thought of moving ahead and trying for something good, graduate studies in this case, makes you better than a big number swimming in the same pool as you are. Now, ‘f’ this shit you are feeling, go ahead and get what you set out for. I am sure its going to be worth it.
I second Shekar. Universities in US have tough competition and everyone needs to fight their way in. There are yet other ways in which one can get recognition of their talent. Get strong recos, great SOP, Show some research potential by publishing your research work as an author/co-author or at least ||successfully|| complete a lot of projects and write about your ideas, approach and your work in the work experience when asked for. These will surely land you in a good institute despite your low grades. Many univs completely scan the profile which includes all the above stated and take a final decision. The grades and minimum scores are just a way of providing you with a general idea. USA has top-notch educational institutions, funding and excellent job prospects right after you finish. Take the list of top universities of the world. See for yourself the percentage of American colleges versus those of the other part of the world. The answer should be pretty obvious.
Finally, if you are determined not to run in the rat race, prove yourself exceptional through some other means.
said true abhimanyu..ravi ,change your attitude brother..its true ,its the rat race all around ,only u have to decide whether to survive or not ? ..instead of thinking negative aspects and putting your frustations on this blog..do something innovative and constructive to put yourself aside of this crowd..if you have the passion for something,you will achieve it for sure..one has said,’fortune favours the bold’..and believe me my bro,its true ..
yeah thats absolutely right
Mr. HSB,
I think even you are venting your frustration against Mr.Ravi by posting all those vitrial Facebook page comments below your post . You could have rationally addressed his concerns rather than saying ‘he is just venting his frustration’. I am a regular reader of HSB and I would have expected more maturity from you.
That’s my way of writing posts. If you been here long enough you should know that by now.
He said what he felt like. Similarly, I am sure even we can say what we feel like. And nobody’s judging Ravi. He is upset and we just telling him that relax, and take our point of view into consideration and then judge for yourself. Good thing HSB posted this.
And Ravi, UK/US/EU, just hope you go somewhere and just don’t giveup because of this brief moment of feeling you going through.
Hello OD ! 😛
I dont think here’s someone right from Ravi’s back ,Don’t you ? Feeling frustrated huh ? I would be really happy if the comment from you saying regular reader would be period definitely be above 2-3 yrs.If so ,The posts are always pointing at the person who blabber around instead find something useful around in the internet . 🙂
BTW Happy Pongal 🙂
Good Luck
MAVERICK
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Hey !!! Thats not the case really !!!
If you have low GRE score also many universities (I mean state uni, top universities) accept if you have done research in your UG level. Please check the websities of diff universities what they want !
I accept partially that US uni’s look for money, but they also provide RA,TA,GA for research oriented students and getting job is easy in US. In Uk or Europe you have to spend more (Euro> Dollar) and also getting job is difficult compared to that of US !!!
So, focus, focus, focus but dont lose trust !!! 😀
Very good share Mr. HSB..The only thing I would like to tell Ravi or whoever thinks that US education system is unnecessarily tough is that the things which you get easily in life are not worthy enough. If you want something unusually extraordinary or out-of-the-league, You need to pass the threshold. Dont scrap a system like that. Esp the system which has produced so many greats. If you cant get admission, then just accept it with high spirits that maybe you lacked something … and that something can be your luck, efforts, resources or whatever. Once I was thinking about the competition v/s jealousy reality? I found the answer in two simple questions. Competition is ” How he got there” while jealousy is ” Why he got there”….Try and love the healthy competition!!! I also want to study in US but I am also aware I dont have the right ammunition yet for it.. so I will wait for the optimum time. Hope u dont get discouraged and dont vent buddy. If u lay the blame on urself, it will help u…. if u lay it on others, it will harm u… just know that,