Coronavirus Lockdown: Student Safety in US and Course Commencement Updates – Part 1

To update our students on the changing situations in the US due Coronavirus outbreak, we are publishing this blog that will be carried in three parts. In this first part, we shall provide you with firsthand information about student safety, fall 2020 admissions, and course commencement decision.

 International student safety scenario

All the international students in the US are safe and have been asked to stay in their respective housing facilities within the US.  For those who are on campus, many universities are providing temporary accommodations with fixed supplies until any other arrangements are made by the student.  All the universities are offering only online classes for the spring 2020 semester. Universities have offered webinars to enable students to continue their studies and chat in real-time with the faculty members. Most universities have also shifted their administrative offices online. Students have also been provided with essential contacts and links to US Health Departments.

Fall 2020 admissions and course commencement decisions  

A lot of confusion is going on among Indian students about the fall 2020 admissions and whether the course will commence in time or not, considering that the embassy has temporarily stopped processing US visas. However, universities are actively arranging webinars for the prospective students where they are informing students about the process. You can get in touch with the universities you have secured admits from and join the webinars. 

Meanwhile, here are a few developments about the fall admissions and course commencement, that as Indian students, you must pay heed to:  

  • Even if the visa process has been stopped, for now, admissions of students who have received admits for fall 2020 is secure. 
  • As per the possibilities cited by a few prominent US universities, there are three ways in which fall 2020 session will be commenced: 
    1. If the situation comes under control by May 2020, the session will commence in August as per regular schedule but the students will be required to join 14 days prior to the commencement date and they will be quarantined for these 14 days before moving them to the campus.
    2. If the situation comes under control by June/July, the semester will commence in   September and it will be an on-campus semester.
    3. If the situation does not improve until July/August, the fall semester too could likely be shifted to online mode.  The decision is also likely to be influenced by the situation in India but in any case, the fall semester and admissions will not be canceled. 
  • Those of you with I-20 forms already approved, their forms will land in India on time since the shipping process is still functional in the US but the forms won’t be delivered at home. They will be delivered only after the lockdown in India is lifted. Those who have their approval pending will have to wait for the updates as the Department of Homeland Security will be taking a call on it soon. 

 

The next blog will cover updates on the admission process to US universities and will be published on Thursday, 2nd April 2020.

Coronavirus Lockdown: Impact on GRE, TOEFL and IELTS Tests Administration

There is a lot of confusion overtaking the GRE® General Test if your test date is during the lockdown which has been put in effect till April 14, 2020. Due to the health and safety concerns for students and staff from the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the ETS has postponed tests in many affected countries, including India. According to the latest update on the ETS website, the GRE® General Test and TOEFL iBT® Test have been postponed in India till April 11, 2020.

 

While both the GRE® General Test and the TOEFL iBT® Test are now being offered as Special Home Edition test, this is only available in the United States, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Hong Kong (China) and Macau (China) from Thursday, March 26. India is not one of those countries: there is no Special Home Edition test for Indian test-takers.

If you are concerned about the rescheduling of your GRE® General Test or TOEFL iBT® Test, the ETS is regularly releasing updates taking into account the WHO directives and the local government orders. If the ETS postpones your GRE® General Test or TOEFL iBT® Test, you will be notified by email and your test will be rescheduled in your account. Check your account and your email regularly to confirm your testing status. If the ETS reschedules your test, the applicable fees will be waived (no rescheduling fees will be applied).

 

If your GRE® General Test or TOEFL iBT® Test is not postponed but you would like to reschedule, you must contact the respected services directly by sending a mail to the addresses provided below. This rescheduling will incur a fee.
To reschedule the GRE test:
Email: gre-info@ets.org
To reschedule the TOEFL test:
Email: toefl@ets.org
To register for tests:
Test dates scheduled within the next 5–6 months are still open for registration for both GRE® General Test and TOEFL iBT® Test. Students can register for available dates on the GRE Tests registration website.

 

Important Links:
GRE & TOEFL Tests
Updates due to COVID-19: https://www.ets.org/s/cv/important-update/
Updates for GRE: https://www.ets.org/s/cv/gre/asia-pacific/
Updates for TOEFL: https://www.ets.org/s/cv/toefl/asia-pacific/
GRE at Home: https://www.ets.org/s/cv/gre/at-home/ (Not Available in India)
TOEFL at Home: https://www.ets.org/s/cv/toefl/at-home/ (Not Available in India)

 

IELTS Test
IELTS with British Council: https://www.britishcouncil.in/exam/ielts/important-information-covid-19-ielts-candidates (India – Some tests are suspended. Please check with your local test center for details)
IELTS with IDP: https://www.ieltsidpindia.com/ (All tests canceled till April 14th, 2020)

Ten Reasons Why USA Remains The Best Choice For Indian Students (Part 2)

In the last blog, we covered the following points:

  1. Abundant employment opportunities
  2. The strongest economy in the world
  3. Worldwide acceptability of US degrees
  4. Wide range of universities to choose from

In this blog, we will cover the remaining six points:

  1. Access to the latest technology and research

It is a well-established fact that US education offers an updated syllabus in accordance with the industry requirements. It provides easy access to the latest developments in various fields and enables you to stay abreast of the changing technology which adds to employability. Almost all US universities focus on research-based education which again opens multiple career avenues for those of you who wish to work on research-based projects or go for a Ph.D. subsequently.

  1. Students of all calibers can make it to the US

One of the biggest plus points of studying in the US is that due to a large number of universities compared to Germany, Canada, and other European countries, students who are fairly good and not extra-ordinary, too can make it to good universities and secure good jobs. With decent GPAs, good overall experience and a GRE score above 300, you can definitely make it to a good state university in the US.

  1. Flexible course structure

In the USA, you have a wide scope to choose your subjects and there is ample flexibility to switch courses and classes to manage your studies at a steady pace without feeling burdened or obligated. This ease of learning lets you settle faster and allows you to blend in with the culture, both inside and outside the classroom.

  1. 100 percent loan availability

Another key point of studying in the USA is the easy availability of education loans as compared to other countries. Due to job guarantee and high salary structures in the US, most financial institutions have the guarantee of repayment and therefore provide easy loans for higher education in the US. We assist you in the process with our partner financial institution that offers up to 100 percent loan against property. Many a time, they even offer unsecured loan to students joining universities with a high reputation.

  1. Rich campus experience

US universities are known for their rich campus life which includes not just academic activities but also various extra-curricular activities, volunteering events, clubs, and student organizations. These engaging experiences play a huge role in ensuring the overall development of a student. What adds to the comfort is the excellent student support, aid, and services that these universities offer to make you feel at home.

  1. Lifestyle

The USA is probably the only place that offers a perfect blend of everything and has something for everyone. Its multi-cultural environment becomes one of the most conducive factors to settle down. Be it in the college or at the workplace, your interaction with diverse groups of people allows you to develop in a versatile manner.

Coronavirus and Student Lives of Academy students in USA

We have been getting several inquiries from the concerned family members and media regarding the impact of Coronavirus on the lives of foreign students and especially students from the academy currently studying in the USA. We wanted to clarify some of the questions regarding the same.

Housing:
90% of the students from the academy live away from the campus, in private apartments which are less expensive and more convenient for our students. They usually live with a group of fellow Indian students, so they do have a support system. These students have not been impacted and continue to live in their own rented space.
For students who do live on the campus itself, some universities have asked students to look for housing out of the campus to encourage social distancing, however it is important to note that in many such universities – students can file applications to request an exception to the campus closure. Additionally, several U.S. universities are willing to work one-on-one with international students and assist them with accommodation during hardships.
In the majority of the universities, food service, campus health, libraries, and computer labs are open to supporting international students.
Additionally, university medical phone lines and medical services are open for diagnosis and potential testing of students who may show any symptoms or need medical attention.

Food:
Grocery stores are open all across the U.S.A and online food delivery services are open as well. Universities have been in constant communication with students regarding the COVID-19 outbreak and as a result, students were already alerted early on that they need to stock up on groceries and essential supplies. Medical pharmacies too, are open across the USA in all states. These pharmacies also carry basic food supplies which the students can purchase in case of emergency.

Academics:
The majority of the US universities have canceled in-classroom instruction and have moved the classes online, and this will most likely continue for the entire spring semester.
For future students: coming from a country where coronavirus is present has no effect on whether students are admitted or not in the universities. The admissions process will continue as per the usual guidelines of each university.
We urge everyone to stay safe and take the utmost care during these times. We also want to ensure that there is no anxiety or incorrect information that can cause additional worry to friends and family in India.

Ten Reasons Why USA Remains The Best Choice For Indian Students (Part 1)

If you wish to study abroad and you are having a hard time deciding between the USA and other countries, you have probably landed on the right page. After the election of Donald Trump, there were a lot of rumors going around about difficulty in getting H1B Visa and students were reluctant for applying to American universities. Even now, they are opting for other countries like UK, Canada, and Australia where getting a visa is easier even if job opportunities are much lesser than the US. It is high time that we correct these misconceptions and understand the many advantages that the USA has over any other country, the biggest one being President Trump’s support to merit-based immigration policy that promises better education and employment opportunities to Indians.

Here are a few other reasons why the United States remains the best choice for Indian students: 

  1. Abundant employment opportunities

Apart from ace education, the USA offers abundant employment opportunities to students, especially from the STEM category (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The USA has an unemployment rate of only 3.5 %, which is the lowest since 1969 and there are abundant job opportunities available. Our students too have secured jobs without any hassle and the demand for Indian employees is on the rise. As per the CNN Business survey for 2019, Google has over a hundred thousand employees to this date and more than fifty percent of them are Indians. Other tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook have more than a hundred thousand employees who testify the favorable employment scenario in the US.

  1. The strongest economy in the world

The USA has retained its position as the world’s largest economy for decades and its current GDP is $19.3 trillion. Occupying more than a quarter of the world economy, the USA has emerged to be a superpower and promises to stay so in the years to come. Compared to the USA; GDPs of other countries are way behind, especially the UK where Brexit uncertainty has caused a dip in the employment rates and pay scales. Also, countries like Ireland, Denmark, and Sweden have very limited capacity to absorb immigrants.

  1. Worldwide acceptability of US degrees

It is seen that students who earn degrees from the US are often sought and preferred by employers for their overall experience, research-oriented knowledge, and diversified skills. Most of the international companies that strive to make a global presence opt for US graduates since their communication, negotiation, and business skills are better as compared to graduates from other countries.

  1. Wide range of universities to choose from

With over 200 good universities for almost all the disciplines, the United States has the largest university pool to select from as compared to any other country. From the popular Ivy League schools to some of the best state universities, you have ample scope to select what suits you the best according to your score, field of interest, budget and long term goals.

Stay tuned for the second part which will be uploaded on Thu, March 19, 2020.