International student Murugappan Alagappan shares advice on choosing a location for graduate study, applying for a student visa, and the benefits of attending a university fair.
Originally from India, Murugappan Alagappan has decided to make the US his home for the next two years. That's because he's studying for a Masters in Computer Science at George Washington University in Washington, DC.
"It is always a pride to study abroad in my country and all the leaders in business, politics and in social life whom I come across every day are foreign educated. I want to be a leader, so I opted to study abroad," Murugappan says.
Joining the academic community
During his undergraduate studies, Murugappan developed a passion for research. Working with a professor, Murugappan learned how to approach and analyse a topic which enabled him to present an international conference paper during the second year of his undergraduate engineering degree.
"After that I went to Imperial College, UK, to present my paper. There I met a lot of academics from various universities. I stayed in London for more than ten days among an academic community, which started me thinking about how to select a university," he recalls.
Murugappan's next step in finding his ideal graduate school was internet research, and then the QS World Grad School Tour. Murugappan believes Indian students in general feel more confident in their decisions when they have something tangible to back up their decisions, like talking directly to university representatives or a hard copy of the institution prospectus.
"We go to a library to read a magazine or to browse the internet to get an idea of what we want to do or study, but we feel more comfortable when we have the print format in our hand," he says.
"In the same way, whatever we read in the profiles of universities on the internet, it may not create the same confidence in our minds as being able to meet a representative from that university and talk to them freely. This is the role of the QS World Grad School Tour."
Decisions and preparations
Having thoroughly researched schools and courses, Murugappan then applied to three universities in Europe and one in the US, and was accepted by them all. He also received a scholarship from one European university, complete with a tuition waiver, free accommodation and cash assistance.
However, he chose George Washington University based on its academic strength, rather than financial factors, and as a result is financing his studies with a bank loan.
"In India, getting an education loan is easy once we meet the requirements," he says. "To get a scholarship, students must apply well in advance because they have a separate deadline for applications, so it is advisable to apply very early stating your strength."
In addition to a bank loan, Murugappan also needed to apply for a US visa. "Getting a visa to the US is not in your hands," Murugappan says. "Only the visa officer sitting in the consulate can decide. But one thing I found from my experience is to be very honest and truthful when answering your visa questions."
Advice for others
Murugappan advises future graduate students to read the experiences on visa community websites of those who've already gone through the system. "The host university will not advise you on how to get a visa, but it will send all the documents before the visa interview."
Now settled in the US, Murugappan says he's enjoying the high class education he's receiving, the global exposure and the indepth knowledge, although he is anxious about the weather, food habits and cultural exposure.
"I may continue up to PhD level but that depends on my performance over here," he says. "In ten years time I would like to be in the academic domain, and to be a good teacher.
"My advice to Indian students wanting to study in the US or abroad for their graduate degree would be to set your goals early. As said by our past President of India, Dr Abdul Kalam, dream well and act accordingly. You will definitely achieve your goal one day. Never give up your hard work."
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