• Keep adding contacts. After you have added all the relevant contacts from your email list (the first step when you join LinkedIn) send requests to connect to:

1. Teachers whose courses you are taking. Those with a good standing in the field are especially desirable as contacts.
2. Project guides (internal and external)
3. Teachers and professionals who you consult about seminars, research papers, curricular projects and those for competitions etc.
4. Classmates in college who share your academic/professional interests (keep touch with the others on Facebook)

These steps will help you build a large network in a short time. Start this process now while at your college here in India and continue when you join your American university. The contacts that you make at your American university during internships, while working on projects, research or papers are likely to be among the most useful and important ones you make.

• Keep adding key words, so that interested parties can get in touch

1. The names of fields and areas you are interested in specializing in
2. Areas you have done papers, project work or seminars in

 

• Update your status. :

1. Papers/seminars presented
2. Projects done
3. Courses, diplomas, degrees completed
4. Universities and colleges you get admitted to – and especially where you finally take admission

 

• Join groups:

1. Lots of engineering colleges have ‘future student’ groups that you can join even now while you are still applying
2. Then there are groups for current students that you can join while you are studying in the university
3. Finally, there are alumni groups that

 

• Add the link to your LinkedIn profile in the SOP/resume when you send in your application packet