covid-19

Impact of COVID-19 on American universities & admissions: An overview by SUNY Binghamton

Dilip Oak's Academy

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES & ADMISSIONS (1)

Last week, Dilip Oak’s Academy conducted a webinar on the current scenario in American universities, the impact of COVID-19 on admissions for Master’s degree, and funding opportunities in the USA. The webinar was presided over by Maggie Wolford, director of graduate admissions and recruitment, SUNY Binghamton. Here is an overview of her valuable insights into the scenario in America concerning several important pointers viz.:

  1. Location: Universities in the major cities like San Francisco, Chicago and New York have been more affected by the pandemic as compared to those in remote areas, like SUNY Binghamton, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, University of Oklahoma, Norman, etc.
  2. Financial impact: High class, Tier 1 research universities (those offering STEM courses) can sustain the effects of the pandemic, but liberal arts and other smaller universities have incurred significant losses.
  3. Factors for resuming in-person instruction: Universities will decide whether to start the in-person instruction soon or wait, depending upon the number of COVID cases in the area, cost of testing, and testing policies. (whether they have compulsory testing, voluntary testing, or symptomatic testing, and the budget for each)
  4. Spring semester schedule: The majority of the universities are quite likely to push their spring semester start dates. Usually, the spring semester commences in January, but universities might extend it to February. In that case, students will have extra time for project completion, but their holidays will be reduced.
  5. Impact on funding: Due to online instruction, positions for Teaching Assistantships are likely to reduce. Research Assistantships will also depend upon whether the university is funded by the government or by private agencies. Government funding has been reduced significantly for other fields, but a few like Supply Chain Management and Healthcare Management will still receive enough funding. Graduate Assistantships won’t be affected since university jobs like web page development, networking, etc. will continue.
  6. Impact on CPT and internships: CPT is activated only after completing two on-campus semesters. If you join in the spring semester, you cannot work on the CPT in summer. In that case, you can utilize the time for summer courses and graduate early, or take campus paid internships which don’t require CPT. For example, lab assistant jobs, office jobs, admin jobs, etc. You can also take up certification courses free of cost, which will add to your résumé.
  7. Impact on admissions: Presently, the examination system all over the world has been disturbed due to the pandemic. Many universities have waived the GRE requirement, and they are accepting unofficial transcripts as well. But the situation will remain uncertain for a few more months.

For the full webinar, you can visit our YouTube channel:

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Most Frequently Asked Questions About Deferrals And Student Visas

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FAQs about deferrals and Student Visa

With the current pandemic situation and uncertainties about deferrals and Visa regulations, most of you who are in the process of joining US universities for MS or who are planning to join next year, have a lot of queries and doubts. To guide you better and help you make a decision, here are the answers to some of the most Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1) I am currently taking GRE classes, and I plan to apply next year. Is it safe to go next year?

Answer: Yes. You can safely apply for Fall 2021 since the situation will normalize by then. Things will begin to get under control right after the November presidential elections.

Q2) Should I defer my Fall 20 admission to Spring 21 or Fall 21?

Answer: At the moment, you can defer your admission to Spring 21 since it is likely that the situation will be under control by then and in-person classes will resume. Otherwise, you will have to extend the deferral to Fall 21.

Q3) I have received admits from eight universities. Will all of them accept deferral for Fall 21?

Answer: No. All the universities may not accept deferral for Fall 21. Some of them are asking students to reapply next year for the fall session.  In that case, your application will be evaluated along with the new applicants. Fortunately, the number of students applying next year will be comparatively less. Therefore, your chances of acceptance will not be hampered.

Q4) When should I book my visa dates if I want to go in Spring 21?

Answers: Visa booking dates for October are now available. Visit the official website of US Consulate for booking your date.

Q5) I am planning to defer to Spring 21, and hence I have booked my visa date for October 20. If I again extend my deferral to Fall 21, do I have to book the visa date and pay the visa fee again?

Answer: In case you book the date for October but instead of joining in Spring 21, you decide to defer to Fall 21, you have to cancel the booked date and reschedule another date, anytime within a year. You need not pay the Visa fee again.

Q6) Will the current situation in the US affect my internship?

Answer: According to the SEVP Advisory, all Indian students pursuing/looking to pursue practical training opportunities, including Curricular Practical Training (CPT), pre-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT), post-completion OPT, and/or the STEM Extension OPT are advised to remain in contact with their Designated School Official (DSO) regarding their situation.

Q7) Will the pandemic affect research and other funding opportunities offered by universities?

Answer: Since majority students are not joining universities for Fall 20, it is affecting their financial condition. On this backdrop, it is most likely that the funding opportunities will be difficult for at least the first two semesters.

Q8) Will the current situation and new rules affect the STEM category?

Answer: As of now, there is no official declaration about it, so it should not be a matter of concern.

Q9) Many universities are exempting GRE, SAT, and English Language Test scores for admissions for spring 21 and in some cases, even for fall 21. Should we not give these exams?

Answer: Very few students are applying right now hence the universities are offering exemptions. We still recommend you to appear for these exams because when the number of applicants increases next year, GRE and SAT scores will give an upper hand to your application.

For any other query about GRE, US admissions and jobs, visit our FAQ Section.

Click HERE to enroll for our online GRE batches.

Lockdown dilemma: Go for Fall semester 2020 or defer to Spring 2021?

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According to the recent update, many universities especially from California, New York, Pennsylvania, etc. have decided to offer online courses for the Fall 2020 semester. However, we do not recommend going for online courses for several reasons which we have explained in our earlier blog Go For Online Semester or Request a Deferral? dated April 23.

Of course, some universities from a few states are also planning to resume in-person instruction for the Fall 2020 semester but they will give a concrete decision in July after consulting the public health officials. In that case, it will be difficult for students to obtain visas at such short notice.

Also, the US consulate has been non-operational since March 16 and with the extension of the lockdown, they have temporarily suspended the visa interviews. The exact date for resuming the process has not been declared yet. There is a possibility that the consulate may reduce visa interview slots and a limited number of applicants will be allowed at the consulate at a given time due to social distancing norms.

Therefore, there is no guarantee that you will get your visa on time.

Moreover, there is no certainty on when international airlines will resume operations. As per the recent update by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the suspension of scheduled international commercial passenger flights would continue until midnight on June 30. Though it implies that operations will resume in July, no official date has been declared yet.

Given the above-mentioned points, it will be wiser to defer your admission to Spring 2021 since in-person instructions are likely to begin from January 2021.

Of course, we recommend students to consider all these factors and make their own decision.

Lockdown activity: Ten tips to write a compelling resume for your dream job!

Dilip Oak's Academy

Resume, as they rightly say, is your first impression to the recruiter and a testament to your personality, accomplishments, and goals. It is one of the most important steps to landing a good job and building a successful career.
Given the lockdown, we are aware of your boredom and apprehensions about college, job, career, and everything that follows. But why not keep the worries aside and utilize this time for something constructive? Why not pave the way to a great future with just one smart step: One smart resume?

Here are ten tips to shed your fears and start drafting your perfect resume for your next perfect job:

Compile everything meticulously: The first step to drafting a great resume is to carefully compile your work experience, all the jobs, accomplishments, and details of your skill sets. This becomes the main resource for creating your resume as well as preparing for your interview.

Give it a tight edit: The next step is prioritizing and editing the information, with your ideal job in mind. Your goal: To communicate that everything you’ve done in your past is naturally & powerfully leading you to this next role. Eliminate ALL the content that does not lend itself to that story. EVERY point should contribute to the story effectively.

Address all posted job requirements possible: Make sure that you are ticking off everything that the recruiter expects for the position you are applying to. That will only show you in versatile light and speak louder about your experience and expertise.

‘Keywords’ is the key: Remember that whenever there is a writeup, a scanner or a person is always looking for keywords to quickly map everything and make mental notes. Instead of making it very wordy, if you use the right keywords that the recruiter is interested in, your chances of being noticed and filtered increase.

Avoid jargon: Always remember, a simple, precise, original, and honest resume makes much more impact on the recruiter than the one dotted with jargon and unnecessary fancy words. Keep it simple, comprehensive, and realistic.

Leave no gaps in work history: Oftentimes, we forget or choose to not mention a particular work experience for one or more reasons. But evident work gaps serve as a major deterrent when it comes to recruitment and raises red flags. Make sure that you chronologically mention your entire work history and don’t give a chance to the recruiter to question your whereabouts.

Ensure your information is legally accurate and will stand-up to background checks: This is a very important point to consider. Make sure everything you write in the resume is authentic, verifiable, and legally accurate. Even minor discrepancies serve as red flags and threaten your chances of bagging a good job.

Make sure your resume does not contain ANY errors/typos: Edit your resume thoroughly to avoid any errors or typos. A resume reflects the quality of the work you promise to deliver and hence it has to be crisp, well-written, and impressive.

Make sure your resume is “easy on the eye”: Many times, people are inclined to use fancy resume templates with a variety of colors, fonts and designs because they think it keeps the reader hooked. However, it makes the opposite impact. A gaudy resume distracts the recruiter. Hence you must keep it very decent, easy to scan, and absorb. The recruiter typically spends as little as 15 seconds and no more than 2 minutes to assess if you are the right fit. So make sure you provide everything that is necessary to be noted in this brief time.

Put on the hiring manager’s hat: Before sharing the resume, step into the shoes of the hiring manager for a moment, and scan your resume from their perspective.

Has it compelled you enough? Check for all the points and then take the call.

Lockdown Dilemma : Go For Online Semester or Request a Deferral?

Dilip Oak's Academy

Due to the Coronavirus outbreak and lockdown, most of the US universities are currently offering two options to fall 2020 students:

1) Online semester for fall 2020 and regular on-campus coaching from spring 2021

2) Deferral to spring 2021/fall 2021

Now as you are aware, the situation is indeed gruesome in the United States where the number of corona patients is increasing every day and there is no clarity on when the pandemic will be arrested and things will normalize.  Under such circumstances, it is obvious for the universities to offer deferrals or move to online teaching as a precautionary measure.

However, as Indian students, here are a few things you must take into consideration before making any decision:

Feasibility of online semester

  • Even for the online medium, students will have to pay full tuition fees for the full semester. (Some universities may reduce fees by 20 to 25 percent)
  • Online semester will mean no financial assistance, no campus jobs/RA/TA which then makes the course unnecessarily expensive to bear.
  • Online semester does not offer the exposure and opportunities that a student otherwise gets while on campus.
  • There are certain limitations to online coaching since the interaction is usually limited as compared to classroom coaching.
  • In any case, students will have to apply for the F1 visa for spring 2021 and in the worst circumstances, if the visa gets rejected; the entire amount spent on the online fall semester goes waste.

Current visa scenario

  • The US consulate has been non-operational since March 16 and there is no clarity when it will resume operations. Once it resumes, there will be a tremendous rush for visas and the situation will become chaotic. (Though it is quite possible that the consulate will give priority to student visas.)

Taking all these factors into account, we recommend that you get in touch with the concerned university official and request time till the end of May to make the final decision of deferral.

Coronavirus Lockdown: US Student Visas and Admission Deferral Updates – Part 3

Dilip Oak's Academy

With the rising number of patients in the United States and the lockdown declared in India, there is no clarity on when the consulates will start processing the visas again. Considering this, it is anticipated that there will be a backlog of visa interviews and many prospective fall 2020 students are panicking whether they will get their visas in time.

Though the consulates are positive of issuing visas on time, many universities in the US have begun offering deferrals in case situations do not improve until August 2020 and students need to postpone their travel and join the course later in Spring. 

As per our latest correspondence, the Offices of International Admissions of most universities have offered deferral for students from one semester up to one year. 

All the fall 2020 undergraduates can get deferral to spring 2021. The graduate deferral, however, can only be offered by the program coordinator. Students are therefore required to connect with the graduate advisors of respective universities since not all units (programs) are offered deferrals. 

Though most universities are offering deferrals up to one year, they are encouraging students to not defer at the moment and wait until May. 

For students who are in the middle of their semester in the US but are currently in India, can fly back to the States once the travel ban is lifted and more so, after obtaining clearance from the US Consulate. For regular updates, visit the DHS and consulate websites.

Important links: 

https://www.dhs.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-news-updates

https://in.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/

Coronavirus Lockdown: US Admission Process Updates – Part 2

Dilip Oak's Academy

In the last blog, we saw the fall 2020 course commencement decisions that the universities are likely to make.

As per the recent updates we received from the office of graduate and undergraduate admissions of a few universities, the fall 2020 admission process is going on and students who are still sending applications can connect with the admission office staff via video chat and email. Those who haven’t received any admits yet, have nothing to worry as the admission process will not be canceled and they will receive admits, though the decision may be released later than the usual time taken by the universities. 

Fall 2020 Graduate Admissions

The graduate application deadlines will not be extended for most universities. As we informed you in the last blog, those of you who haven’t received the I-20 approval yet, the staff are creating the I-20s but the shipments are being withheld until the mail services in India fully resume. For admitted students, the university will send an email with the student’s SEVIS number from the I20 which can be used to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee that is mandatory for the F1 visa application process. 

Fall 2020 Undergraduate Admissions 

In consideration of the disruption of exams and classes, most universities have extended the application deadline for fall 2020 undergraduate applications to May 1, 2020. 

Sending official transcripts and financial documents 

In case you haven’t been able to obtain your official academic records/transcripts due to closure of school or college, US universities are allowing you to send unofficial, digital transcripts for securing admission. 

Even if the deadlines for sending graduate applications have not been extended, most universities have extended their document deadline for graduate admissions to May 1, 2020. This is however applicable to only admitted students. This means you can send your official or university attested mark sheets/degree certificates/transcripts to the office and finish other paperwork by May 1. The packages need to be post-marked by May 1, 2020. Few other universities have also extended these deadlines up to mid-May. 

Most universities have also announced an extension to send financial documents. Some universities have extended this deadline up to May 15 while some of them have extended it up to July 1. 

In the next part, we will cover the updates on visa, program decisions and deferrals offered by universities. The next blog will be published on Saturday,  4th April 2020.

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

Dilip Oak's Academy

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

Dilip Oak's Academy
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)

Coronavirus and Student Lives of Academy students in USA

Dilip Oak's Academy
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.