Considering going to the US for further studies?

There must be many questions worrying you like:

Which is the best university/ college to go to?

How do you go about the admission process -- should you do it online or offline?

What about financail aid? And the visa process?

US deputy assistant secretary of state for academic programmes Thomas Farrell, who is in India this week to promote education relations between India and the US, answered these and other queries in chat with rediff Get Ahead readers on Friday, March 23.

For those of you who missed the chat, here is the transcript.

Thomas Farrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs says, Hello. My name Thomas Farrell and I'm the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs. I'm delighted to be able chat with you today in advance of our upcoming United States Higher Education Delegation to India. As you may know, this delgation is truly unique. It is the first time that senior United States government officials and the leadership of United States higher education institutions have traveled to India to express the importance educational relationship with India; our desire to increase the number of Indian students and scholars studying in the United States to build a stronger relationship between US universities and Indian institutions of higher learning; and to work with our friends in India to substantially increase the number of American studying in India and learning Indian languages.

ashok asked, hello how i study at america

Thomas Farrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs answers, Hello, Ashok. You have a very well-known name -- a great Indian leader from the past known around the world. We have a wonderful resource I would like to tell you about. It is part of the EducationUSA network that provides a wide-range of information about study opportunities in the United States. In India, one of the best links is www.fulbright-india.org, where you can find basic information and advanced links to specific college and university opportunities in the United States. By the way, I am not a professor. I work in the United State Department of State, where I oversee higher educational exchange between the United States and countries around the world.

shukla asked, what r u doing

Thomas Farrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs answers, Dear Shukla, I hope that my introduction gave you a good sense of why I'm visiting India. The United States-India relationship is extremely important and educational exchange is another important way for our countries to develop mutually beneficial relationships between our countries and to build future leaders.

Anish asked, i want to pursue PhD in Comp sci what are my chances in US Universities?

Thomas Farrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs answers, Hello Anish. Many of your colleagues in India are asking similar questions and I hope I can provide a satisfactory to all of them in this answer to you. Computer Science is an exciting field and every country needs qualified people trained in this area in order build innovation societies that we need for the future. The United States has unparalleled higher education resources and hundreds of excellent programmes in computer science. I would encourage you to investigate the many opportunities through our EducationUSA network to determine the institution that would best fit your needs. There are significant supplementary scholarship opportunities in the United States, especially in the fields of computer science, engineering, technology fields and the sciences. I encourage you to explore these opportunities.

Harshit asked, Sir I wanted to know more about the VISA policies of the United States for this year. Is it gonan be stricter this year as compared to the last year or what? As I already have an admission letter from a US University for graduate program and will soon be appearing for a VISA interview.

Thomas Farrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs answers, Thank you for your question, it is a very important issue for the United States and the delegation will talk about the positive news regarding the numbers of students receiving visas. The United States is committed to balancing openness and welcome to international students and security. Our consular officials work very closely with American education authorities to provide exceptional services for those seeking study opportunities in the United States. Last year, we were extremely pleased that the number of visa applications increased 8 percent in India and the visa issuance rate increased by 15 percent from the previous year. I encourage you to move ahead with your interview and I know your application will be treated with respect and attention.

emcq asked, I WILL USE GOOGLE BEFORE ASKING DUMB QUESTIONS!!!!

Thomas Farrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs answers, Hi emcq -- I hope you understand that this is a very good opportunity for me to get a sense of the issues that Indian students have on their minds. It is very important for me to engage in dialogue with those in India interested in study in the United States. So for me, there are no dumb questions! :-)

arpan asked, Hi Mr Farell. How easy it is for online students to get financial aid. Do they have same chances as on-site students. For example, I am bachelor of Aerospace Engineering with around 5 years of work-experience related to computer programming. I was hoping to apply for Masters in applied mathematics.

Thomas Farrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs answers, Arpan -- excellent question. Universities in the United States and departments within those universities, such as the aerospace faculty, are primarily concerned with including talented individuals in their programmes. You are equally competitive working online with an applicant who resides in the United States with access to the campus. I encourage you to pursue your online application. It will provide the admissions officials with all of the background they need and require for assessment of your application. If they have specific questions during the process, they will contact you in the same way they would contact a resident in the United States, most of whom also apply online.

mm214 asked, Hi Thomas, what is the weightage of the university score in getting an entrance to a prestigous university

Thomas Farrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs answers, hello mm214. There are an extraordinary number of quality institutions in the United States eager to receive talented international students. Each will have its own weighting system on various admission criteria. These criteria include: performance in secondary school or bachelor degree institution; reputation of the high school, college or university that the student attended; scores on standardised admission tests (both general and specialised); indicators of future potential, in study and professional experience and community involvement; and the ability to articulate seriousness of purpose and desire to pursue study at a particular higher education institution. Scores on standardised tests are very important, but there are other indicators of future success that admissions officers consider when reviewing applications.

BadBoy asked, what is the scope of an Indian student in US or any Indian corporate in US, are US providing study package for those student who are egar to study there but lack of financial parameter??? what is the scope of an Indian student in US or any Indian corporate in US, are US providing study package for those student who are egar to study there but lack of financial parameter??? what is the scope of an Indian student in US or any Indian corporate in US, are US providing study package for those student who are egar to study there but lack of financial parameter??? what is the scope of an Indian student in US or any Indian corporate in US, are US providing study package for those student who are egar to study there but lack of financial parameter???

Thomas Farrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs answers, Hi. You are asking a question that is on the minds of American students as well as students around the world. The percentage of students receiving financial aid at US universities is very high. Financial aid is both based on need as well as merit. Financial aid can also take the form of teaching and research assitant opportunities and includes work study during the school term. I encourage you investigate schools and academic programmes that interest you, then make your decisions based on the schools' ability to work with you to cover costs and the institutions ability to invest in your potential.

koppan asked, which r the best colgs 2 study in US

Thomas Farrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs answers, Hi Koppan. The United States Higher Education Delegation traveling to India next week is composed of presidents of American institutions representing a broad range of institutions of higher education in the United States. There are over 4,000 accredited institutions in the United States, including associate degree programmes, bachelor degree programmes, graduate and professional degrees and advanced research. The best advice I can give you is to identify what your educational and career objectives are and explore a number of institutions that fit your needs.

ThomasKaBaap asked, Sooch ra hai......ab aur kuch bolega... Sooch ra hai......ab aur kuch bolega... Sooch ra hai......ab aur kuch bolega... Sooch ra hai......ab aur kuch bolega... Sooch ra hai......ab aur kuch bolega... Sooch ra hai......ab aur kuch bolega... Sooch ra hai......ab aur kuch bolega... Sooch ra hai......ab aur kuch bolega... Sooch ra hai......ab aur kuch bolega... Sooch ra hai......ab aur kuch bolega... Sooch ra hai......ab aur kuch bolega... Sooch ra hai......ab aur kuch bolega... Sooch ra hai......ab aur kuch bolega...

Thomas Farrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs answers, Shabaash ThomasKaBaap. We look forward to being in India.

Thomas Farrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs says, Thank you so much for allowing me to take this opportunity to hear from you about the US Higher Education Delgation to India. It is very helpful for me to hear directly from so many of you about your priority issues. I wish we had more time to chat, but I look forward to returning to India and I especially look forward talking to students, university leaders and officials about ways we can increase the number of American students studying in India as well as welcoming more Indian students to the United States. See you soon.