Snapshots
Name : Anurag Kumar
Graduation College : Sathyabama University, Chennai
Graduation Stream : B.E in Mechanical Engineering
Graduation Aggregate : 87%
GRE Score : 1260 (Quant: 760; Verbal: 500)
TOEFL Score: 101
University for Masters: University of Florida (UFL), Gainesville
Course Details : Mechanical Engineering
Term: Fall 2012
Applications & Admits
Universities & Courses applied to :
Applied for Mechanical Engineering program in the following universities:
- University of Michigan Ann Arbor (UMich)
- Georgia Institute of Technology (GaTech)
- Purdue University, West Lafayette
- Texas A and M University, College Station
- Ohio State University
- University Of Southern California (USC)
- University of Florida, Gainesville (UFL)
- Arizona State University (ASU)
- University of Cincinnati
- State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo
Admits from:
- University Of Southern California (USC)
- University of Florida, Gainesville (UFL)
- Arizona State University (ASU)
- University of Cincinnati
- State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo
Minutia
Projects:
Design and fabrication of the phase changing materials tank for a solar cooker equipped with thermal energy storage system. Done by using softwares (Solid Works, PROE, ANSYS)
Letter of Recommendations :
Three STRONG LoR's.
Extracurriculars:
Nothing out of the way.
Work Experience/Internship:
Internship with Indian Railways.
Financial Aid :
- 40% fee waiver from University of Florida (UFL)
- 85% fee waiver from University of Cincinnati
Preparation:
I used to learn new words every day from about 8 months before the exam from Barrons and Princeton Hit parade. I went for my GRE with a preparation of about 3hrs/day for 1 month.
Ideal time for taking GRE would be august for fall applications. I took GRE with little preparation in june because the pattern for the gre exam was about to change in august and I did not want to try the new flavour.
SOP Advice:
I wrote the SoP completely myself. You should use the phrase - "I have always been" to stress that you have profound interest in your proposed field of study. Don't state anything without giving proper reasons. If you say that you are innovative then you would have to give an instance from your life to prove that you are innovative. The purpose of study must be clear.
Counselling opinion:
Those guys who have absolutely no idea about how to proceed can take a counsellor. The good ones are very helpful. It was very easy for me working out things with their help and they are the best in Chennai I suppose. But at the same time some counsellors would just waste your time and money, so be careful in selecting them as they would guide you right from the university selection to applications to visa counselling to pre-dep. Counselling.
You should also use your brain and not depend completely on the counsellors for university selection. Do lot of research, surf many websites and the college website can provide you with ample information you would need.
Reasons to choose Current University:
Reasons for selecting University of Florida, Gainesville (UFL):
- Was the best of all the admits
- 40% fee waver
- Good research work and good faculty
- Good ranking by us news. Good reputation of the university
Advice to Juniors:
Getting a good score in GRE is the only key to enter into the top universities of the USA. It does not matter much that you have published journals or technical papers under your name or not unless it is MIT or Stanford. Even if you have your aggregate in the 70's or 60's you can land in the top universities if have a high gre score and if you apply in a good no. of universities.
So please spend some money and apply to a lot of ambitious colleges. Keeping the money under your a** would be like playing with your future.