resume preparation

How to get into the best US universities for MS

Dilip Oak's Academy

Making it to the best US universities (2)

Getting into the best US universities is a dream of every student who aspires to pursue a master’s in America. However, these top universities have higher academic and co-curricular requirements that one needs to keep in mind before starting the preparation and application process.

Following are the key requirements to make it to the top 25 US universities:

GRE score above 320: Topmost US universities require a high GRE score, usually more than 320, and a Quant score of 165+. At Dilip Oak’s Academy, our experienced faculty offer thorough guidance to make sure you score well. Two of our students scored 340/340, and two others scored 339/340, along with many others who scored more than 330.  Our GRE Online Coaching is as interactive as classroom coaching, and we already have more than 1000 students enrolled with us.

Good academic performance: A consistently good percentage (70% and above) or a GPA above 8.5 in your bachelor’s program is ideal for securing the best admits. If you are still in your third year and your GPA is not up to the mark, you have a good chance to amp it up.

Projects/internships: Projects and relevant internships contribute a lot to the selection process. Make sure that you have worked on good academic projects that demonstrate your technical skills. Internships show your practical experience and knowledge of the subject.

Paper presentations: Some of the best US universities often require students to publish research papers in nationally and internationally recognized seminars and reputed international publications. If you have enough time and you have not presented any paper yet, go for it. It is a great way to upscale your academic credentials and also stand out among the many applicants.

Work experience: Work experience is often an add-on to your other achievements. If you are not in a hurry to pursue MS right after graduation, we recommend you to work in your relevant field for at least one or two years and then apply for MS. This will give an edge to your application and also help you get a good job after your MS.

Strong SOP and LORs: A Statement of Purpose is a crucial document in the application process because it explains why you wish to join the university and the program. Your intent must come across strongly for the university to find you suitable for admission. At the academy, our SOP faculty helps you to draft appealing SOPs and LORs as per the university requirements.

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Call us for more information: 91-020-67444222, 91-8007878495.

Four ways to build a great career profile during lockdown

Dilip Oak's Academy

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We know how this lockdown has affected your future plans, delayed your dream of flying to the US to start your master’s, and has left you wondering what to do! Well, our suggestion: Do not let the pandemic dampen your spirits. While at home, seize the opportunity, enhance your skillset and start building a strong career profile. Value-addition is the need of the hour and with ample hours at your disposal, you better spend them productively.

Here are four great ways to build a solid profile and skyrocket your career:

  1. Add to your certifications: There is nothing more comfortable than sitting on the couch, snacking and taking an online lesson without the hassle of travelling, or sitting in a class of 100 people! Lookup for online courses, certifications, short term diplomas and get started. There are various websites that offer tons of free courses that are certified and recognized by recruiters.
  2. Internship/Job: If you aren’t already working and you have made up your mind to defer your MS admission to spring 2021 or fall 2021, you have enough time to take a high leap and start working. Look actively for a job that matches your skillset or you can also try something that is not directly in the spectrum of your profile but you are enthusiastic about. Not only will this help you utilize your time prudently, but will also make you independent.
  3. Freelancing: If you do not want to go for a full-time job because you are still dicey about your deferral decision, take up freelance projects. It is flexible, keeps you occupied, gives you hands-on experience, and pays you well! It is a win-win situation.
  4. Learn something new: Co-curricular activities and unique skills are always appreciated by US universities and recruiters. Challenge yourself and pick up a new skill. If not great at it, you will have learnt something 20 other students of your batch or 50 other candidates for the position you apply for, do not know!

So gear up and get going!

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.

October-December Alert for Students Applying for Fall 2014

Dilip Oak's Academy

October-December 2013

For many of you who are applying for admission in fall 2014, the months from October to December will be when several important phases of the application process will draw to a close for you. Here’s what you have to do in that critical phase:

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All About The Resume – Part 1: Why You Must Send a Resume in Your Application Packet

Dilip Oak's Academy

 

Why Sending a Resume Matters

Resumes (pronounced re-syoo-mayz) are included in your application for an American university for three reasons:

  • firstly, to give the admissions committee a brief snapshot of your academic performance – academic performance carries great weightage in deciding whether you will be admitted or not and in some universities admissions committees form their first impressions of your academic performance by looking at your resume
  • secondly, to present your qualifications for a research or teaching assistantship – for this reason remember to attach a covering letter to your resume requesting that it be circulated to interested professors
  • thirdly, to provide details of projects, seminars, industrial training etc. that you could not include in your SOP because of the word limit

All About the Resume – Part 2: Make It Easy for Professors Select You

Dilip Oak's Academy

Why the Resume is Different from a Bio Data or a CV – and Why It Should Stay that Way

Note that the resume is different from a bio data or a curriculum vitae (CV) in several respects: whereas bio datas and CVs are all-inclusive, data bank-like documents written in chronological order, resumes are compact, focused documents written in reverse chronological order that highlight only the most relevant and important information for course (or post) being applied for. So, don’t turn your resume into a Bio Data or CV – that would defeat the very purpose of the document.

Your resume should contain only the relevant information because professors are busy people who are hard pressed for time: if you bury the information they need in a sea of irrelevancies they might lose interest – and you might lose a position they might otherwise have awarded you. In other words, don’t hide the information that tells them that you are the candidate that they are looking for: make sure that when they see your resume they can’t miss it.

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All About the Resume – Part 3: How to Create a Snapshot of Yourself in One Brief Page

Dilip Oak's Academy

Tips for Writing Resumes

A resume, like all other application documents, is designed to answer one crucial question: “Why should you be selected?” Of all the application documents (the SOP, the recommendation letters, and the transcripts), the resume answers that question in the briefest yet most comprehensive way. In order to achieve its goals, the resume must present the most important facts about you in their most concentrated form, in the smallest possible space. This will enable it to present a compelling snapshot of your strengths as a candidate and persuade the Admissions Committee that you are a good choice. Here are some tips that will help your resume to achieve its intended goals:

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Application Timeline for Fall 2014 – Make Sure You Are on Track | MS in US | Fall 2014

Dilip Oak's Academy5 Comments

If you are applying for fall 2014 the clock has begun to tick. So, don’t delay. Review this Application Timeline for Fall 2014 immediately and get to work. Here it is:

June-August 2013 – Review you goals for MS education and choose some specific areas in which you would like to specialize.

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