Handling Multiple Admits

The happiness you feel on receiving your first admit is unparalleled. It could be from your dream university or the one you had applied to as a back-up. Different universities have their own way of letting you know that they have accepted you. Some might send an I-20 by mail directly to you while some might email you congratulating you on your admit. The email will mention some conditions which need to be fulfilled by you to obtain your I-20. For instance, you might need to send your financial documents (University specific form, bank solvency letter and affidavit of support), sometimes the original transcript and many a times a nominal, non-refundable fee to confirm your admission. Some universities might set a certain deadline for your acceptance of admission.

Usually it is advisable to submit the required documents or pay the nominal fee to call for the I-20. Assume you have about six admits out of the eight you had applied for. How to select the best out of these six? If your dream university is one of the six, the next step you take is pretty obvious. If not, then you need to look for the next best university in your admit list.
The criteria on which you should select the university to finally go for:

1. The program offered: if it suits your needs and interests. The electives offered should allow you to do the specialization you are aiming for.
2. The research projects and laboratory facilities: if there are good research projects on, it means the department has sufficient amount of funding. You will have the opportunity to get hands-on research experience, gauge and enhance your ability to apply your knowledge practically and also earn you a research assistantship.
3. Internship and Full-time Job Opportunities: Every university website has this information put up and accessible by prospective students. You can avail a list of companies visiting the university’s career fairs and also a list of companies which have hired students from the concerned university.
4. Cost: The expenses you could incur throughout your course of Master’s program should be feasible for you.
5. Location & Weather, Proximity from Relatives/Friends: These should be the least important criteria

On finalizing the university, you can start preparing the concerned financial documents and apply for the VISA.

Author:
Karishma Tijoriwala
Counselor at ISSC.