What are the various stages of the application process for admission to a US University and their time frame?

      If you are interested in applying for admission in Fall (September) Semester in 2010, the following should be your time-table:
      Taking Entrance Tests: April - December, 2009. Sending completed applications: October, 2009 - February, 2010; Receipt of Admission Letters from Universities: January - July, 2010; Visa Application: June - August, 2010.
      As stated earlier, many Universities have now provided the application forms in their web sites, and you can download and print them for subsequent use, and do not have to send letters to them for getting their application forms. The website address of a University may be found by logging on to a search engine such as ‘google.com’ or ‘yahoo.com’, typing the name of the University and giving the ‘search’ command.

      Specifically, when should one ideally take the entrance tests?

      Students seeking admission to Undergraduate courses are advised to take SAT and TOEFL by December of the year in which they are studying the 12th Standard. There is no point in taking these tests earlier because both their English and mathematics skills are likely to be better when they are in the 12th Standard than when they are in the 11th Standard.
      Students seeking admission in Graduate courses in the September Semester should preferably take GMAT or GRE (as the case may be) and TOEFL in or before December of the previous year, because the last date for receipt of applications in most Universities is January 15.
      Students seeking admission in the February Semester should take these tests in or before September of the previous year because the last date for receipt of applications in most Universities is October 15.

      Can there be a break in continuity in education before one seeks admission in MA, MS or MBA in a US University?

      Yes. Unlike in India where the general practice is for students to go directly from BA/BSc/BCom to MA / MSc / MCom / MBA or from BE/BTech to ME/MTech/ MBA, a large number of American students take up employment for a year or two immediately after their Undergraduation, and come back to the University only later for their Master’s degree. Many Universities value some practical experience in a related field as a desirable qualification for admission in a graduate course. In fact, a number of Universities now insist on practical experience of at least two years as a prerequisite for admission in their MBA courses. Therefore, the fact that you have been ‘out of touch’ with a classroom after you had passed your BE/BTech/ MA/MSc need not deter you from planning for higher studies in USA.

      How much is the annual tuition fee in a US University?

      There is wide variation in the tuition fees charged by US Universities, ranging from $3500 to $25,000 for a full academic year covering 9 months. The quality of teaching or the reputation of a University is, however, not directly proportional to the tuition fee charged by it. In fact, the annual tuition fee in some of the most reputed Universities in USA is as little as $7,500.
      Generally speaking, the tuition fee is the least in Universities funded by State Governments (which can be identified by the name ‘State University of Kentucky’ or ‘Alabama State University’), while it is higher in privately funded institutions.
      In State-funded institutions, permanent residents of the concerned States pay much less tuition fee (called ‘in-state’ tuition) than permanent residents of other US States. Foreign students have to pay the same higher tuition fee as residents of other States in USA.

      What are the types of financial assistance extended to students by US Universities?

      US institutions grant two types of financial assistance. The first is a Fellowship or Scholarship, which is a direct aid. In addition to the waiver of tuition fees, this type of financial assistance will make available sufficient amount to the student to cover his/her living expenses too.
      Fellowships/Scholarships are based on merit, and do not require any reciprocal service by the student to the University except an obligation to continue to maintain a meritorious scholastic record. But this type of assistance is offered only to students of exceptional merit.
      The second, and more common type of assistance, which has financed the higher studies of a majority of Indian students in USA, is the Teaching Assistantship/ Research Assistantship. A Teaching/Research Assistantship consists of a partial or total waiver of the tuition fee plus a cash allowance which may range from $400 to $800 per month. A Teaching Assistant will be required to assist a Senior Professor in his teaching functions (such as grading the test papers of undergraduate students), or to take classes for undergraduate students, or to assist undergraduate students in their laboratory assignments.
      A Research Assistant will be required to assist a professor in one of his research projects. Research Assistantship is generally not offered along with admission because the concerned Professor would like to have first hand acquaintance with the student before taking him/her as his Research Assistant.

      How easy is it to get such financial assistance from US Universities?

      The position was quite easy till 2000, when many bright Indian students applying for admission in graduate courses received an offer of Teaching Assistantship or Research Assistantship along with the offer of admission. This has become quite rare in since then. Universities nowadays send only letters of admission, and expect students to enroll first without any financial assistance and then take their chance for Assistantship during the second semester or in the second year. Therefore, if you propose to seek admission for a graduate course, you must be prepared to pay the tuition fees and also meet your living expenses for at least one year (both of which together may cost a minimum of Rs. 6 lakhs).
      Candidates for MBA should particularly note that an offer of Teaching or Research Assistantship along with admission is almost impossible for them, because most of them (except those who have studied commerce) are not initially qualified to teach any subject to the undergraduate BBA students. Depending on their performance in MBA in the first semester, they can hope to get such Assistantships during the subsequent semesters.

      How much will be the monthly living expenses of an Indian student In USA?

      This amount will vary with the location of the University and will depend on whether it is a metropolitan city such as New York, Chicago, Atlanta and San Francisco, or is a relatively smaller city such as Cincinnati, Phoenix, Albany, or a university town such as Amherst, Purdue and Hampstead. But since the prices of essential food articles such as milk, bread, rice, sugar, vegetables and eggs are uniform almost throughout the United States, the difference in the cost of living will be mainly attributable to the different levels of house rent payable in these different places.
      Many Universities themselves provide accommodation facilities to a large number of students enrolled in them. In addition, in and around almost all Universities in USA, houses are available with two to four independent rooms with a common lounge, kitchen and toilet. Typically, two to four students combine together to rent such a house, each student getting an independent study-cum-bedroom, but sharing the other facilities with his house-mates. Since food cooked at home is much cheaper than restaurant food, the house-mates cook by turn and share the total kitchen cost. Many Indian students who had not even gone near the oven in their homes in India, have become expert cooks during the period of their stay in USA!
      As a thumb role, one may say that the accommodation will cost each student $200 to $250 per month, and food will cost around $50 to $75 per month. Books, travel, telephones, postage etc would cost another $50 a month. So, with an Assistantship of $500 per month, a student can save sufficient money to travel around USA during his/her holidays and even to cover his/her to and fro trips from India.

      To how many colleges should one apply to ensure admission?

      This will, of course, depend upon the individual merit of the student.
A student who, for example, has consistently been a topper in one of the IITs in India with an overall Grade Point Average of 4 (out of 4) and who scores over 1550 out of 1600 in GRE, and also has excellent references from his professors who are themselves internationally reputed for the high quality of their research work, may perhaps choose just one top institution such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California at Berkeley, Purdue University or Princeton University and could be certain of admission in it with an offer of substantial financial assistance.
      The above is, of course, an exceptional case. Typically, an Indian student collects the application forms of 20 to 25 universities, and finally applies to around 10 institutions for admission. If he/she has been careful about choosing these institutions, diligently matching his/her credentials with their expectations, he/ she can hope to receive admission offers from 5 or 6 of them.

      How much will be the monthly living expenses of an Indian student In USA?

      This amount will vary with the location of the University and will depend on whether it is a metropolitan city such as New York, Chicago, Atlanta and San Francisco, or is a relatively smaller city such as Cincinnati, Phoenix, Albany, or a university town such as Amherst, Purdue and Hampstead. But since the prices of essential food articles such as milk, bread, rice, sugar, vegetables and eggs are uniform almost throughout the United States, the difference in the cost of living will be mainly attributable to the different levels of house rent payable in these different places.
      Many Universities themselves provide accommodation facilities to a large number of students enrolled in them. In addition, in and around almost all Universities in USA, houses are available with two to four independent rooms with a common lounge, kitchen and toilet. Typically, two to four students combine together to rent such a house, each student getting an independent study-cum-bedroom, but sharing the other facilities with his house-mates. Since food cooked at home is much cheaper than restaurant food, the house-mates cook by turn and share the total kitchen cost. Many Indian students who had not even gone near the oven in their homes in India, have become expert cooks during the period of their stay in USA!
      As a thumb role, one may say that the accommodation will cost each student $200 to $250 per month, and food will cost around $50 to $75 per month. Books, travel, telephones, postage etc would cost another $50 a month. So, with an Assistantship of $500 per month, a student can save sufficient money to travel around USA during his/her holidays and even to cover his/her to and fro trips from India.

       To how many colleges should one apply to ensure admission?

      This will, of course, depend upon the individual merit of the student.
A student who, for example, has consistently been a topper in one of the IITs in India with an overall Grade Point Average of 4 (out of 4) and who scores over 1550 out of 1600 in GRE, and also has excellent references from his professors who are themselves internationally reputed for the high quality of their research work, may perhaps choose just one top institution such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California at Berkeley, Purdue University or Princeton University and could be certain of admission in it with an offer of substantial financial assistance.
      The above is, of course, an exceptional case. Typically, an Indian student collects the application forms of 20 to 25 universities, and finally applies to around 10 institutions for admission. If he/she has been careful about choosing these institutions, diligently matching his/her credentials with their expectations, he/ she can hope to receive admission offers from 5 or 6 of them.

      Should the annual tuition fee be taken as a criterion while selecting Universities to which one applies for admission?

      Certainly YES! Even though the scholastic record and the scores in the entrance tests are good indicators of an applicant’s ability to be a successful Teaching or Research Assistant, US Universities have found by experience that some students with otherwise good credentials are poor teachers, at least in the first semester when the American educational milieu is totally new to them. Therefore, US Universities tend more and more to wait to have a look at the student before committing themselves to the offer of Teaching Assistantship. As a result, nowadays, most students who are accepted for admission are initially informed that, while they stand a good chance of securing a Teaching Assistantship, a firm offer will be made to them only after their arrival at the University. While some of them are able to receive such firm offers within a week of the commencement of the classes, most have to wait for at least one full semester, and some of them even for one full year, before the fortunate break.
      As a result, it will be prudent on your part that, while applying to a University for admission, you also provide for the contingency that you will have to pay the tuition fee for at least one year, in addition to finding your own funds for maintaining yourself in the University during that period. Obviously, this will be easier if you have applied to a University with a tuition fee of $5,000 per semester than to a University with a tuition fee of $10,000 per semester.
      Also remember that, even if you earn waiver of half the tuition fee in a $20,000-a-year University you will be spending much more there than in a $7,500-a-year University where you are called upon to pay the full fee.

       What other criteria in an institution should an Indian student look for before deciding to apply to it?

      If you are keen on a Teaching Assistantship, you should choose Universities with large Undergraduate populations and which also offer Undergraduate courses in the subject in which you had taken your degree in India. Many students make the mistake of applying to smaller institutions which offer only Graduate courses, and feel disappointed when they are not able to get a Teaching Assistantship in them.

       Should the ranking of the Universities in particular subjects be taken into consideration while making selections?

      Naturally, any student would like to get into the best possible University in which he/she can get admission, consistent with his/her academic record and GRE/ GMAT scores. Unfortunately, as stated earlier, the offer of financial assistance along with admission has become rare in recent years, which means that affordability has to be the most important consideration in the selection of Universities to apply to. It can be generally stated that Universities in the northeastern parts of USA and California are the costliest (costing between $22,000 to $30,000 per year inclusive of tuition and living expenses), while those in the southern parts are the least expensive (costing between $12,000 to $16,000 per year), while those in the middle parts of USA cost between $16,000 to $20,000. Prudence therefore requires that, even though a candidate may have sufficient credentials for securing admission in some of the top ranking universities in the northeast and California, most of his/her selections have to be restricted to Universities in the southern States of USA, namely Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Kentucky, Missouri and Kansas. Fortunately, there are a number of very good universities in these States with relatively less tuition fees.

      What is the total expenditure one has to incur in applying for admission to US Universities?

      The cost of application has gone up steeply in the last few years because of the increase in the value of the dollar from Rs. 16 to Rs. 49, and the increase in the test fees for GMAT, GRE and TOEFL. While nearly 50% of the Universities did not have any application fee till about 15 years back, almost all of them have now prescribed application fees ranging from $25 to $125. Taking these into consideration, the following is a rough budget of the application expenses now:
      Test fee for GMAT/GRE: Rs. 12,000/8,300
      Test fee for TOEFL: Rs. 8,000
      Fee for forwarding test scores to additional Universities: Rs. 6,000
      Application Fees for 10 Universities (average $30): Rs. 15,000
      Total: Rs. 41,000/37,300
      But do not allow these figures to put you off. At this stage of your life, this should be considered not as an expenditure, but as a valuable investment that could cdmpletely change your future life and give you the type of prosperity you cannot hope to have with a mere Master’s degree from an Indian university!
      Also remember that, translated into dollars, this amount works out to just around $800, which is equal to the possible monthly Assistantship which you can hope to be awarded, at least in the second year.

       What are the other sources available for financing one’s education in USA?

      Most nationalised banks in India have schemes to offer loans to students who wish to study abroad. State Bank of India, for example, has formulated a scheme named Gyan Jothi, under which a student who has secured admission for higher studies abroad can avail of a loan upto Rs. 6 lakhs, at a rate of interest ranging from 10% to 14% depending upon the amount of loan. Repayment of loan by parent/ guardian will commence immediately after disbursal. The initial instalments will, however, be nominal (to cover only the interest portion) during the period of study of the student, and will be stepped up one year after the completion of the course, and will have to be completely repaid within a period of 48 months thereafter. (If you are able to secure a job in USA for an annual salary of around $50,000 after the completion of your studies there, as most past students have done, you can very easily repay the loan instalments.) You can contact the local branches of nationalised banks for further information on similar schemes administered by them.
      There are some other Indian scholarships which are awarded annually on a competitive basis such as Tata Fellowships, Inlaks Scholarships etc. The procedure for applying for these are announced once a year in leading newspapers. Only students of exceptional merit can hope to get these scholarships.

      Can one take up a part-time job even while studying in a US University?

      Foreigners on a Student Visa are prohibited from taking up part time jobs outside the University campus. The Immigration Department has, however, been authorised to grant such permission in special cases after the first year is over (if you are able to prove that your financial status has undergone a major change in the preceding year because of unforeseen circumstances). Whether you can get such a job in the proximity of the University will, of course, depend upon your credentials and the location of the University.
      You can, however, take up part-time or casual jobs within the University campus even during the first year of your study, upto a maximum of 15 hours per week, and earn at the rate of around $6 per hour. Light jobs are usually available within the University in the Dean’s office, library, book store, canteen etc. It is therefore possible for you to earn around $350 a month, even if you do not get an Assistantship from the University, and this will cover a substantial portion of your living costs there.

       How long does it usually take to complete graduation in a US University?

      Typically, one can obtain one’s MA/MS/MBA after four semesters of study , the total stay in the University extending to 21 months. If the university you join runs a summer course in your subject, the period can be reduced to just 18 months.
      If you are applying for MBA, you can identify a number of Universities where the total course extends to just 12 months, including summer classes.

       Can one take up a job in USA after completing graduation there?

      Yes, because this is what a large number of past students have done. Under the Student Visa that you get from the US Embassy in India prior to your departure, you can take up employment for one year after your graduation without a change in your visa status. (There is a proposal to increase this duration to 2 years.) For continuing in employment beyond that period, you have to get a fresh employment visa from the Immigration Department there.

      What is the starting salary that a graduate degree holder can hope to get in USA?

      This will depend upon your subject, and whether you take up employment with a private company, or with the government, or with a local body, or with a university. Generally speaking, the starting salary can range between $45,000 and $70,000 per annum.

      Can an Indian student study for MBBS in USA after completing his 12th Standard here?

      No. There is no undergraduate medical course in USA. You must first complete a four year BS degree course with Biology as one of your subjects, and then take a test known as Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). It is only on the basis of your academic record as an undergraduate student and your marks in MCAT that you can apply for admission in a medical college. (MCAT is not held in India.) Medical education is USA is very expensive, and there are usually no scholarships available. It can therefore cost you nearly Rs. 30-45 lakhs to secure a medical degree from USA.

      Can an MBBS degree holder from India seek admission for further studies in medicine in USA?

      In theory, yes. But, in practice, mostly no. Even the entrance examinations for such admission are not held in India. It is almost next to impossible for MBBS degree holders to obtain Visa for further studies in medicine or surgery in USA. But an MBBS degree holder can seek admission in MS or Ph.D in subjects such as Immunology, Bacteriology, Anatomy, Genetics, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Toxicology etc, for which he will have to take GRE and TOEFL.

      Is every candidate who gets admission in a US University granted Student Visa by the American Government?

      Not necessarily. Admission in a US University does not by itself entitle you to get a Student Visa to enter the United States of America. You have to independently satisfy the Visa Officer in the US Consulate that you have sufficient academic credentials such as a good college/school record and good scores in GRE/GMAT/ TOEFL. In addition, you have to show proof of having sufficient financial means to meet your expenses towards tuition and living expenses. Most importantly, the Visa Officer has to be convinced that you are not a prospective immigrant, but your intention is to return to India after higher studies. For this you have to show strong family, property or employment ties in India. In addition, periodical changes in policies of the US Government make the issue of Visas relatively easier or more difficult in particular years.

      What are the similarities and differences between the former paper-based GMAT and GRE tests and the present computer-based tests?

      The purpose of both types is to test the same level of knowledge or skills of the candidates. Therefore, the syllabus covered for each test continues to be the same. Consequently, there should be no significant difference between the methods of preparation for the paper-based tests and the computer based tests.
      The paper-based tests used to be administered just four or five times a year on specific dates throughout the world. So, if you missed taking the test on a particular date, you had to wait for another two or three months for its next administration. It often happened that students sat for the test without adequate preparation merely because they did not want to miss the date and thereby the deadlines for applying for admission in the universities. The computer-based test, on the other hand, is held on every working day of the year, and you can choose a date to suit your own convenience after you have gained the confidence that you are fully prepared for it.
      Each computer-based test has just a little more than 50% of the number of questions in the earlier paper-based test, but the time given is nearly 65% of the time available earlier. Therefore, in terms of the time available for answering the questions, the computer-based test is more liberal.
      All the thousands of students taking the paper-based test on the same day all over the world used to receive the same question paper. Now, if fifty persons are taking a computer-based test at the same center at the same time on the same day, each will be getting a different set of questions chosen at random for him/her by his/ her computer from a question bank stored in its memory according to a set program.
      In the paper-based version, the level of difficulty of questions in any particular section used to increase progressively, with the first few questions being quite simple and the last few being fairly difficult. But each question used to carry the same mark irrespective of its level of difficulty.
      In the computer-based version, on the other hand, different questions are assigned different marks depending upon their relative difficulty levels.
      The first two questions that are posed to you by the computer will be of medium difficulty. If you answer both of them correctly, the next question posed to you will be a difficult one. If you answer this question also correctly, the next question posed to you will also be a difficult one. If you answer two consecutive difficult questions incorrectly, the computer will give you a medium-level question next. If, again, you answer two consecutive medium-level questions correctly, you will get another difficult question. If you answer two consecutive medium-level questions incorrectly, you will attract an easy question. If you answer this correctly, you will get another easy question. When two consecutive easy questions are answered correctly, you will get a medium-level question again, and so on. Even though every candidate will be administered the same number of questions in each section, his/her final score will depend upon how many difficult, how many medium-level and how many easy questions had been posed to and answered by him/her correctly.
      For getting a high score, your aim must be to attract as many difficult questions as possible.
      One more difference is that, in the paper-based version, you could skip a question in the first instance and go back to it later. In the computer-based test, every question has to be necessarily answered before you ask for the next question, and once the next question has been displayed on the computer, you cannot go back to the previous question.

      What are the Entrance Tests for which American Education Aids conducts postal coaching?

      American Education Aids conducts postal coaching for GMAT and GRE (General).
      It does not coach students for TOEFL, GRE Subject Tests or SAT.

      What is unique about the coaching programs of American Education Aids?

      Some of you living in metropolitan cities in India, who have come across guide books on GMAT and GRE (by American authors) may be wondering how our instruction materials are superior to what are contained in these books.
      These books have not been rewritten for the computer-based format and, except an additional chapter explaining the features of the computer-based test, they continue to incorporate the same lessons and the same set of 3 to 6 model question papers designed for the paper-based test format.
      When the earlier format was in vogue, American Education Aids’ preparation materials for these tests used to contain over 25 actual GMAT and GRE question papers of earlier years, along with detailed analysis of each question in them. A candidate for either of these tests, who was a student of American Education Aids, thus gained the experience of answering 25 actual question papers before he/she sat for his/her own test. This was the main reason for the high marks scored by thousands of our past students, enabling them to secure admission along with liberal financial assistance in highly-reputed US Universities.
      In the light of the change to the computer-based format of these tests, we have revised our study materials for each of these tests with the view to simulate, as nearly as possible, the question banks stored in the computers from which questions will be selected when you actually sit for your test.
      In our study material for each subject, the questions similar to those asked in that category in the written tests between 1980 and 2002 have been classified under various heads, their various patterns identified, and detailed lessons have been written in a lucid manner explaining the basic concepts that are sought to be tested and the method of tackling each pattern of questions correctly and in the shortest possible time.
      For example, you may face just one or two questions on ‘Circles’ in the Geometry part of the Quantitative Section in GRE, but our question bank on ‘Circles’ has as many as 240 questions similar to those asked in the earlier tests, along with lucid directions for answering them.
      Similarly, our question bank on Critical Reasoning for GMAT contains 512 questions similar to those asked earlier (classified under specific categories to enable you to have a structured and focussed study), which is more than 50 times the number of questions that you will actually face when you take the test.
      Educational Testing Service, which conducts these tests, has announced that the question bank in its computer for each test contains a large number of questions that had been asked in earlier years with some slight modifications.
      Thus, students who have made full use of our study materials may, when they take the test, find many questions that they are already acquainted with being posed to them by the computer.
      Our study materials also contain the pool of essay topics from which alone two will be selected for you by the computer when you sit for GMAT or GRE. We have also given a number of sample essays on these topics.
      We can therefore claim authentically and with justifiable pride that our coaching materials are the best available today anywhere in the world for these tests.

      Why should a prospective candidate enroll with American Education Aids!

      Established in 1980, American Education Aids had developed into the foremost institution in the world coaching students for the paper-based versions of GMAT and GRE, as gratefully acknowledged by the thousands of our past students who were able to secure not only admission, but also very attractive financial assistance in various US Universities.
      (‘Stanley H Kaplan Educational Center Ltd’ and ‘Graduate Admissions Preparation Service’ are two leading institutions in USA which prepare students for GMAT and GRE. Our past students, now in USA, who have had occasion to peruse the lessons of these institutions, are unanimously of the view that the coaching materials of American Education Aids are far, far superior to them, and are much more comprehensive. The fee charged by Kaplan is $800 for each course (equivalent to nearly Rs. 40,000) and is as much as 5 times the examination fee for taking GRE. Our fee for each course is just a fraction of Kaplan’s fee, and is much less than the examination fee for GMAT/GRE.)
      We believe that we are not being immodest in concurring with the judgment of our past students that we provide the best coaching in the world for GMAT and GRE, and that too for a very modest fee! We can confidently assert that our revised study materials for the computer-based tests are even superior to our earlier lessons for the paper-based tests.
      Secondly, as stated earlier, an Indian student typically spends more than Rs. 40,000 while applying for admission in a Graduate course in USA, exclusive of the cost of actual preparation for these tests. To make an investment of this order meaningful and fruitful, you should obviously equip yourself to give the best possible performance in these Tests by incurring a small incremental expenditure.
      Moreover, scoring substantially higher marks as a result of our coaching will enable you to reduce the number of Universities to which you have to send your applications for admission. If you can apply with confidence to 8 Universities instead of to 12, you can thereby save nearly Rs. 10,000 on application fee alone, which is substantially more than the fee you will be paying us.

       What do the study materials of American Education Aids contain?

      Our study materials are in the form of printed books on the different types of questions in each test:
                                                  GRE
          Verbal Ability I:                 Antonyms
          Verbal Ability II:                Analogies
          Verbal Ability III:               Sentence Completion
          Verbal Ability IV:               Reading Comprehension
          Quantitative Ability I:        Arithmetic
          Quantitative Ability II:       Algebra
          Quantitative Ability III:      Geometry
          Quantitative Ability IV:       Data Interpretation
          Writing Assessment I:        Lessons & Essay Topics
          Writing Assessment II:       Analysis of Issue - Model Essays
          Writing Assessment III:      Analysis of Argument - Model Essays
          Question Papers:              Three Model Question Papers of the computer-based                                                GRE but in printed form.
          Compact Disc:                  A compact disc containing 2 model computer-based                                                GRE tests
      (The full set of books contains more than 1300 pages as against just under 500 pages in typical GRE guides such as Barron, Kaplan or Princeton Review.)

                                                   GMAT
          Verbal Ability I:                 Reading Comprehension
          Verbal Ability II:                Sentence Correction
          Verbal Ability III:               Critical Reasoning (Lessons & Questions)
          Verbal Ability IV:               Critical Reasoning (Answers & Analysis)
          Quantitative Ability I:        Arithmetic & Algebra
          Quantitative Ability II:       Geometry & Data Analysis
          Quantitative Ability III:      Data Sufficiency
          Quantitative Ability IV:       Problem Solving
          Writing Assessment I:        Lessons & Essay Topics
          Writing Assessment II:       Analysis of Issue - Model Essays
          Writing Assessment III:      Analysis of Argument - Model Essays
          Question Papers:              Three Model Question Papers of the computer-based                                                GMAT but in printed form.
          Compact Disc:                  A compact disc containing 2 model computer-based                                                GMAT tests
      (The full set of books contains more than 1300 pages as against just under 500 pages in typical GMAT guides such as Barron, Kaplan or Princeton Review.)       
             
      Each chapter in these books starts with a self-explanatory lesson on a specific type of questions, along with a large number of worked examples of that type from previous question papers. Special techniques of how to identify and answer each type within the shortest possible time are explained lucidly. Then hundreds of questions (identical to those from previous question papers) are given in sets of 10 for being answered by the student. Each of these questions is also answered and lucidly analyzed in the latter part of the book.

       How long does one need to prepare for these tests effectively?

      A period of 10 to 12 weeks is usually sufficient for the preparation for these tests. You should ask for a date for the test only after you prepare fully for it.

       Does American Education Aids also provide Counselling Service on the procedure for applying for admission to US Universities?

      Because of the large number of students enrolling with us, American Education Aids does not give counselling on an individual basis. But, in addition to our study materials, we give a detailed Counselling Kit, which exhaustively guides the student on the entire application process.

       Where can one get further information about GRE Subject Tests?

      GRE Subject Tests cover the same syllabus as what you would have studied in your own college for your graduation, and no guide books are therefore necessary. You can download a model question paper for each GRE Subject Test from the website ‘www.gre.org’.

       Does American Education Aids conduct classroom courses in addition to postal coaching?

      No. Because, in our view, classroom coaching is not appropriate for tests of the type of GRE and GMAT.
      The syllabi for GRE and GMAT cover mathematics of only the high school standard, and basic English grammar, and these need not again be taught to graduate students in a classroom set-up. What the students have to be taught are not basic lessons, but techniques to answer the questions of the types asked in these tests. These techniques are lucidly explained in our lessons, and students do not have to sit in a classroom for learning them.
      Because time is of the essence in tackling the questions, what is needed is that the student should undergo a structured drill by answering by himself/herself a large number of questions actually asked in previous tests. The subtleties involved in some of these questions are explained lucidly in our study materials in clear, conversational style.
      Studying our materials, answering the questions in them by themselves and then reviewing the answers with the help of our exhaustive analysis will give much more beneficial results to the students than sitting in a classroom.