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General FAQ

  1. Is going abroad for higher studies a very costly procedure?
  2. I simply cannot make up my mind. What should I do ?
  3. Is it not unpatriotic to go abroad for research?
  4. Is research abroad better than a software job?
  5. Which is better research in India or research abroad?
  6. Shall I have complete freedom to choose my field of study?
  7. Does a PhD from abroad increase my chance for getting a good job?
  8. Is it possible for an ISI student to apply to a discipline other than Statisitics?
  9. How to get suitable recommendation ?
  10. When should I start the application procedure ?
  11. Can I apply just after my B. Stat (Hons.) degree ?
  12. Should I have some particular field of specialisation to apply abroad ?
  13. What is a SOP ?
  14. What are reasonably good scores in GRE and TOEFL ?
  15. When should I sit for GRE and TOEFL ?
  16. What are the extracurricular opportunities available abroad ?

Is going abroad for higher studies a very costly procedure?

 Well, yes and no. Here is a rough estimate.

However, you may avoid the GREs and TOEFL if you go to Europe, and not to the US. You may ask your seniors to pay the application fees. There are various scholarships that you may apply for to cover your travel expenses and the intial settlement expenditure. Remember that once you get admitted to a US university with regular financial support, you will be able to make up for all the earlier expenses.

I simply cannot make up my mind. What should I do?

 If you are not in too deep a financial constraint, you should at least appear for the GRE and the TOEFL. In case you finally plan to pursue study abroad within 2 years, these scores will still remain valid. (GRE scores actually remain valid over 4 years.) If, however, you end up joining some software firm or some such service then the expenditure incurred in the GRE and the TOEFL will hardly be significant compared to your salary.

Is it not unpatriotic to go abroad for research?

 It depends on your defintion of patriotism. At least do not be under the impression that it is more patriotic to join a US based software firm than to go the US for study.

Is research abroad better than a software job?

 Do not comapre apples with oranges.

Which is better: research in India or research abroad?

 It is very difficult to give a unique answer to this question. It depends on many things --- your personal taste, the schools concerned and the area of research. Here are four points which people often find interesting about research abroad. The host does not personally like the motivation provided by the first two points.
  1. Finance: If you can procure enough money to get abroad for higher study, you can often save much more than what you can in India.
  2. Visibility: A degree from a wellknown US university often outweighs an equivalent one from ISI. This is a sad fact, and has little to do with the student's quality.
  3. Time: Things move way faster in the US than in India.
  4. Learning opportunities: You have a tremendous opportunity to learn new things from different areas. You get to talk to the experts from other areas and get firsthand knowledge.

Shall I have complete freedom to choose my field of study?

 No, not quite complete freedom. But you will get much more freedom in this respect abroad than in India. For example, in UCB many students move from Statistics department to the OR department, and finally to the CS department. In almost all the universities there is high mobility between Statistics and Mathematics departments.

Does a PhD from abroad increase my chance for getting a good job?

 Yes, it does. But it depends on the school and the research topic. And of course you have to show your potentials.

Is it possible for an ISI student to apply to a discipline other than Statisitics ?

 Yes. Other than Statistics, students usually apply to Mathematics, Economics and Computer Science. However, students applying for the first three stand in better chance to enter the reputed schools.

How to get suitable recommendation ?

 You should ask your teachers about giving you recommendation. The teachers who know you more should be preferred. Also see the information about recommendation given in the application procedure page.

When should I start the application procedure ?

 You should start the procedure earliest by the previous May if you are applying for the fall semester, i.e.,if you are applying for fall 2000, start around May, 1999, but no later than the previous October.

Can I apply just after my B. Stat (Hons.) degree ?

 In principle you may. But in most cases you have to apply for an MS degree first. Here you get less finanacial support. Also, since most Bachelor degree programs in the US span over four years, a typical US university may require the student to go through an extra year of course work.

Should I have some particular field of specialisation to apply abroad ?

 Not really. However, it may influence your research topic.

What is a SOP ?

 SOP is an abbreviation of Statement Of Purpose. Most universities require its candidates to write a SOP. This is an informal article that you write about yourself delineating your interests, abilities, and whatever else you think you should mention about yourself. For more on SOP's visit the our page about application procedure.

When should I sit for GRE and TOEFL ?

 If you are applying for the fall semester, then you should apply in time so that your scores may reach the universities by January of that year. To know more about time taken for score reporting visit the GRE and the TOEFL websites.

What are the extracurricular opportunities available abroad ?

 There are many. Swimming, hiking, biking are among the important ones.

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Last updated on Sept 1, 1999