graduate assistantship

It’s not too late to apply for fall 2023

Dilip Oak's Academy

The United States is without a question every student’s first choice when thinking about studying abroad for master’s. To convert this dream into reality, many of you may have already started with your applications for the fall 2023 intake. Most universities began accepting applications in October. You might be thinking that it’s too late to apply for the fall of 2023 now that January has arrived. The good news for you, It’s not too late!

Let’s delve deeper into this topic.

  • Roughly 10% of the universities had their final deadlines on 31 December
  • Around 10% have their final deadlines on 31 Jan.
  • However, the majority (about 80%) of universities allow you to apply till March and some of them even accept applications till May.

Which means that you can still secure an admission in a good university even if you start with your applications now!

Why Fall 2023

Fall intake is usually the most preferred among Indian students and for good reasons

  • Fall intake offers a more diverse range of courses
  • Fall intake allows students a better access to funding
  • Many universities have waived of GRE requirement for Fall 2023
  • It also allows students to explore part-time on-campus job opportunities such as research assistant and teaching assistant
  • Probably the most important reason for the popularity of fall admissions is the higher availability of post-study work options for students who start their studies during fall

You must move quickly

Although most universities will still be accepting applications till march, you need to consider time required for documentation and university shortlisting. Documentation includes procuring transcripts, drafting SOPs, personal statements, diversity statements LORs and resumes. University shortlisting involves lot of research to select right universities according to your profile and interests. You also need to move quickly because even after securing an admission, securing a visa can be equally tedious considering you are already on a tight timeline.

We are here to help you

We at Dilip Oak’s academy are here to help you.

  • We are the best when it comes to admissions counselling. We will provide you with a well-balanced list of universities with safe as well as ambitious options, thus increasing your chances of admission.
  • We offer counselling for SOPs (statement of purpose), LORs (letters of recommendations) and resumes and help you prepare everything from personal statements to diversity statements
  • We also provide guidance for visa along with mock visa interviews

Dilip Oak’s academy can be your perfect guide into this often confusing admission process. We have been in this business since 1996 and we have more than 30,000 success stories to attest to our expertise in this field. Our counselors are experienced professionals who interact with every student personally to understand his/her unique requirements and provide guidance accordingly.

Best Wishes and Happy applying!!

As India’s leading Study Abroad Consultants, we offer GRE, TOEFL, and IELTS coaching, GRE Self Prep and guide students with university selection, application essays, and visa counseling under our Admission Counseling Services for USA, Germany and UK.

Master’s With Thesis or Non-Thesis?

Oaks Academy

Once you approach the first semester of your degree program in an American University you will be asked to meet the academic advisor. You will have to decide on your academic plan, during which you will select whether you would like to complete your master’s course with or without thesis. Almost all American universities offer an option for thesis.

Why should I choose thesis option while pursuing Master’s degree in USA?
Course structure varies from university to university. If you apply for master’s with thesis option the course gets divided into research in a specific area, after completing your core courses. Under the thesis option, you will work under the guidance of a professor with a focus on a specific research area. You would are required to successfully complete and defend the thesis after which it could be published in journals or conferences.

Expenses during your degree program can be taken care of, as you may get funding from the professor in form of teaching, research or graduate assistantship. However this should not be the consideration for taking up the thesis option.

Master’s with Thesis option may help you to get a good research-oriented job. Even if you are not inclined towards a research-oriented job, such research-based academic background can help you land a better job as you have an edge over your peers who chose to do their master’s without research. Additionally, your professor will highlight your research capabilities such as creative problem solving, knowledge, motivation, and intelligence. His / her recommendation letter will hold a lot of weightage at the time of campus recruitment or application to doctorate programs, if you may so decide after your master’s.

If you plan to pursue a doctorate, the university you will be applying to would be interested in knowing more about the thesis topic/s and the reasons behind choosing it. Thesis is a very important factor for getting admission for PhD – it acts like rungs of a ladder leading to admission to a good PhD program in a university of your choice.

Life at ‘University of Maryland’, College Park

Dilip Oak's Academy

By Aditya Kulkarni, ENTS Major, Class of 2014

Aditya, an alumnus of Dilip Oak’s Academy shares his insights on the University of Maryland:

University of Maryland: An Overview

The University of Maryland (UMD), located at College Park, just north of Washington DC is a Public University and is the state’s flagship educational institution. Its suburban campus is spread over 1,250 acres (5.1 sq. km.) and has roughly 38,000 students (2012-13 stats), with a teacher-student ratio of nearly 1: 10.

UMD is well known for its state of the art M-Square research park, a new performing arts center and a quantum science lab among other things. The University houses 13 colleges offering courses in Arts and Humanities, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Music, Behavioral and Social Science, Computers, Math, Natural Science, Engineering, Education, Information Studies, Journalism, Business, Planning and Preservation, Public Health & Public Policy. Admissions are ‘very selective’ with an acceptance rate of about 40%. GPA averages for bachelor’s students range from 3.8 to 4 and for master’s level students from 3.5 to 4.

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