Hello friends!! This is Manjiri Keskar. I am an Electronics and Telecommunication engineer from Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering, Versova.
By default, I took up science after tenth. Somehow managed to crawl through the HSC exam and secure a seat in engineering. Till second year of engineering, I was just another ignorant student who studied only after the exam’s time table was put up. From fifth semester onwards, some enthusiastic students started talking about giving GRE. Till sixth semester I had no idea what GRE was. I took one semester to find out.
Thought of giving it too, but my parents were skeptical about sending me abroad alone (!) . Gave up the idea of GRE.
Within a few days, TCS came to our college for placement. Luckily, I got selected. For another year, I was happy just with TCS. However, in the final year, all my friends gave GRE and I felt left out. Incidentally, some ‘chemical locha’ happened in the minds of my parents and they gave me a green signal for MS. Thus I gave my TOEFL and GRE. However, I was too late for fall. So I had to try for spring ‘08.
TOEFL iBT: 113/120
GRE: Quantitative:790 Verbal:480 AWA:4.0
Didn’t know which stream to apply to. So I randomly decided to go for MS in Telecommunication or Telecom Management. (I have been taking decisions based on my intutions ever since I realised that I make better decisions that way). Went to the counselor. I will not disclose her name here, but she is one of the most wicked women I know. Watch out for my post “The Wicked Counselor”.
In the meanwhile, TCS totally forgot about me. I was one of the first people to get placement in college and will be one of the last ones to join, if I do. I inquired at their office and found that my joining date would be on 28th November. Oh well, if it would have been a little later maybe I could have completed my master’s in the meantime and come back and join them.
So currently, I am at home, receiving new admits/rejects every week. Trying to come up with ideas to kill time. As expected, found nothing worthy of my time as yet. So, I am here now working with after-grad to bring into light the speed-breakers and/or potholes that you can expect on your not-so smooth road of transition from being an under-graduate to a graduate.
Popularity: 29% [?]
Same score as urs in gre !
and im placed in IBM ..as of now .. quite interested in knowing wat u doing now ?
and wer did u get admits and rejects from ??
Rebel09
September 25th, 2007
Congrats!!Getting placed in IBM can give your career a dream start!As of now,I am patiently waiting for admits/rejets to arrive.Till date I have recieved three admits..Rochester Institute of Technology,New Jersey Institute of Technology and Southern Methodist University.
Manjiri Keskar
September 26th, 2007
hii manjiri even my life is similar to u…I was placed in HCL nd even i decided to do MS nd I gave GRE(1110 verbal=310 quants=800)TOEFL yet to give…I just wanted to knw how u hve selected the universities nd how u hve applied.
sindhu
September 27th, 2007
Sindhu, I didn’t select my universities. My counselor did that for me. And I regret not choosing them myself. Applying to the universites once you have shorlisted a few names is easy. All you have to do is to fill their online forms and once you have paid their fees, you will get a confirmation page that will show your confirmation or application number. Take a printout of this page and send it along with your marksheets,transcripts,SOP and LORs.Make sure you arrange for your GRE and TOEFL score cards to reach the universities in time.
Manjiri Keskar
September 27th, 2007
I am giving my gre and toefl both in nov 2007.after that will it be ok to apply for fall 2008 or will it be 2 late?
sameer
October 22nd, 2007
No. You will be just in time. Make all your other documents ready before the exams so that you can apply as soon as possible.
Manjiri Keskar
October 22nd, 2007
hey Manjiri…we have the same toefl story except that i took the Kaplan 2 days before the test…It proved to be a disaster with 70% in reading and listening..
And my toefl was at 7.30 in the morning so i had to get up at about the same time when i usually go to bed…
Well then as usual..got late..but managed the first 2 and the last sections. Speaking was well…ummmm…kinda.
Waiting for toefl scores..
GRE=800+580
Sameer
October 29th, 2007
hey manjiri n others… i too have decided late bout appearing 4 GRE…. so i can’t apply for Fall 2008…. can u tell me when is the right time for giving GRE for Spring 2009?…. have been placed wid reputed companies…. which one do u think is a better option— 1) doing a job for 1-2 yrs n then giving GRE or 2) appearing for Spring 2009??? please reply at ur earliest….
susmita kundu
November 2nd, 2007
hey ppl……. wassup??? isn’t there neone 2 reply 2 d posts…….???
susmita kundu
November 5th, 2007
@Susmita
Sorry for the late reply. Coming to your query, there is nothing like ‘right time’ for taking the GRE. I have repeated this time and again, take your exams as soon as possible as it’s always better to have spare time in hand. The deadlines for Spring are usually around 31st August so be sure you take your GRE and TOEFL before the end of June.
Regarding your second query, a M.S. after a few years of experience in a relative industry will always be more prestigious than a M.S. immediately after graduation. An added advantage in this case is that you will be able to fund atleast a part of the course yourself. However, if you want to complete your education without a gap, are not happy with the current jobs in hand or believe that the experience with those jobs will not count as relative experience while applying for further studies, then you can go for Master’s in Spring ‘09 itself. Think carefully about all the facets of the situation before coming to a decision. After-grad team wishes you all the very best for your future!
Manjiri Keskar
November 7th, 2007
manjiri… thank u so much 4 ur reply……. it was really very helpful…. happy diwali….
susmita kundu
November 8th, 2007
Hi Manjiri. Your post about the way you landed up with your GRE is somewhat similar to mine. Parents are so uncertain sometimes!!
I also read your post on ‘The Wicked Counselor’. I think I have guessed who this Hitler is.
I wanted to ask you whether you could suggest me a few counselors in Mumbai. I have heard about a Manoj Kansara who seems to be getting positive feedback from the students.
Now that November has dawned and time is running out, would you suggest that I join a counselor or prepare all the docs myself? I would really like to get your opinion on this. I am still in two minds about joining a counselor. Please reply.
Veena
November 11th, 2007
@Veena
No point in blaming the parents. Some(Many)times we are equally uncertain too!
I have heard a few good reviews about Karan Gupta,Manoj Kansara,Academy One,Nilesh Shah and Pratibha Jain.
More or less all are the same and do nothing but swallow your money and then delegate their work to “senior counselors”. I would suggest you to go for an upcoming counselor as opposed to an established one because of these reasons:
1)They are cheap.
2)They want to make a name and require to spread their goodwill through students, so personal attention and quick response becomes mandatory for them.
3)You can boss around with them.
Again, I repeat that if you have friends/seniors who are ready to help you out, then a counselor is not required. However, if you are short on time and do not have any clue about the application process, its best if you join a counselor.
Keep visiting www.after-grad.com for updates.
Manjiri Keskar
November 12th, 2007
Thanks Manjiri! I’ll stay tuned to your updates.
Veena
November 13th, 2007
Hi Manjiri and others, does any body know anyone who has got an admit even after having TOEFL below minimum?
My TOEFL-iBT score is 99/120 but speaking section is just 19. One of the Universities, where I have applied has minimum TOEFL speaking 20. However total minimum required in that University is 80.
I contacted my chosen department and they said that they look at entire application and not just at TOEFL thats why I applied.
Do you think that I did right?
Arvind
December 2nd, 2007
@Arvind
That should not be a problem. For good profiles they tend to relax the cut offs a little bit… so dont worry and go ahead and apply..
Pratik Shah
December 3rd, 2007
@Aravind
You have done the right thing. Your TOEFL score is decent and you are missing the speaking section cut-off by just 1 point so I do not think it should pose a problem to any of the other Universities either.
Keep checking after-grad for updates.
Manjiri Keskar
December 3rd, 2007
Pratik and Manjiri -
Thanks for your response! Are you doing MS or planning? If yes which University?
Arvind
December 13th, 2007
@Arvind
Pratik is doing MS in EE from UMR.
I am admitted to University of Colorado for MS in Interdisciplinary Telecom Program and will be starting my course this Spring.
Manjiri Keskar
December 13th, 2007
Congratulations to both of you!
I need some information on VISA process and related stuff. Is it possible for you to give me your email id so that I can ask questions therein?
Arvind
December 13th, 2007
you can email either of us on pratik@after-grad.com or also manjiri@after-grad.com
Pratik Shah
December 14th, 2007
@Arvind
I would suggest you to ask your questions here itself because it will not only be helpful and convenient to you, but also many others going through the same phase.
Manjiri Keskar
December 14th, 2007
@Manjiri
Agreed. Actually I wanted to have some info on VISA process etc.
1. When do we apply for VISA?
2. When usually VISA interview happens?
3. Can we apply for VISA before getting I-20 in order to secure VISA appointment?
4. does VISA officer ask for proof of funds?
5. If yes for Q 4 then what are things which can be shown as proof of funds?
6. Does showing 100% educational loan harm chances of getting VISA?
Arvind K.
December 16th, 2007
@Arvind
Q)When do we apply for VISA?
A)When your university is on the verge of being decided or it is decided. Suppose if you have an admit letter but no I-20, still you can go ahead with it. Make sure,however, that your desired I-20 reaches you atleast 5 days before your interview.
Q)When usually VISA interview happens?
A)It happens whenever you have fixed on your university and have it’s valid I-20.
Q)Can we apply for VISA before getting I-20 in order to secure VISA appointment?
A)Yes, you can. But you have to have atleast one I-20 while applying for visa.
Q) Does VISA officer ask for proof of funds?
A)In most of the cases, he will. Carry ALL supporting documents with you to the interview.
Q) If yes for Q 4 then what are things which can be shown as proof of funds?
A)You will have to make a summary statement which will show the summary of all your funds. Divide the statement as shares, mutual funds, cash in hand, jewellery, real estate, loan and its proof,salary, other sources of income. Carry proofs of all the above mentioned other than cash in hand and jewellery. Avoid carrying deeds to the consulate.
Q)Does showing 100% educational loan harm chances of getting VISA?
A)Well it will not drastically affect your chances of getting a visa, but it is better to have some amount sponsored by parents or someone from family.
Manjiri Keskar
December 16th, 2007
>Q)Can we apply for VISA >before getting I-20 in >order to secure VISA >appointment?
>A)Yes, you can. But you >have to have atleast one I->20 while applying for visa.
But in the answer to the first question, you said that we can go ahead with admit offer and w/o I-20. Got bit confused, here did you mean that we can specify one I-20 in VISA application and take some other I-20(received later) to the VISA officer at the time of interview?
>A)You will have to make a >summary statement which >will show the summary of >all your funds. Divide the >statement as shares, mutual >funds, cash in hand, >jewellery, real estate, >loan and its proof,salary, >other sources of income. >Carry proofs of all the >above mentioned other than >cash in hand and jewellery. >Avoid carrying deeds to the >consulate.
Could you please suggest me some format for all this?
If you can send then please send it to asahlot@gmail.com
- Thanks
Arvind K.
December 17th, 2007
@Arvind
Yes,you are correct. You can take a date on some other I20 and if you get a better admit and I20, you can easily change the details before the interview. However, you can do this only 5 working days before your interview, not later.
There is no format as such for the summary statement. Ask your CA to make it for you.
Hope I cleared your doubts. In case of any more questions write back to after-grad.
Manjiri Keskar
December 18th, 2007
Hi manjiri…
1st of all congrats for crackin’ UC….
heard a lot about it…
what is your engg. aggregate??
do u have any backlogs??
and can i apply to UC with backlogs??
Irfan
December 25th, 2007
Hi Manjiri,
How are you?
Here are few more questions. Could you please post some links related to VISA process and application (e.g. website, where one can apply for VISA etc) on this thread?
Thanks!!!
Arvind K.
December 28th, 2007
Hi Manjiri -
I was searching for information on VISA application, process etc. and found this link -
www.vfs-usa.co.in
Is that official link?
Thanks
Arvind K.
December 28th, 2007
@Arvind
Yes,that is the official website.
www.immihelp.com is also very helpful.
Manjiri Keskar
December 28th, 2007
Wow…Its gr8 to hear u are also in Mumbai…I hadnt read any other posts on this site… So u are working in TCS or havent yet joined…?
Subodh
December 31st, 2007
@Subodh
I am not joining TCS.
Manjiri Keskar
January 27th, 2008
Guys,
Which once should I prefer -
Syracuse
FSU
SUNY-Binghamton
Arvind K.
April 14th, 2008
Oops!
Forgot to mention that I plan to go for MS - CS.
Thanks
Arvind K.
April 14th, 2008
This post is directed to Veena, who got a TOEFL iBT score of 19/30. I hope that some of my ideas might help you to improve your TOEFL iBT speaking skills.
How to Successfully Prepare for the Six Speaking Tasks on the TOEFL iBT? By Michael Buckhoff
Since ESL students have to speak in many different kinds of academic situations, speaking has become a high priority at many English-speaking universities. As such, the TOEFL makes the speaking 1/4 of your total TOEFL iBT score. So, what speaking skills do you need and how do you make sure you have them when taking the TOEFL iBT.
“What Do I Need to Do During the Speaking Section of the TOEFL iBT?”
(Speaking competencies that Educational Testing Service is looking for.)
For the two independent speaking tasks:
1. My instructor understands me when I ask a question in English.
2. When I speak English, others can understand me.
3. I can talk in English for a few minutes about a topic with which I am familiar.
4. I can speak for about one minute in response to a question.
5. I can give prepared presentations in English.
6. I can state and support my opinion when speaking English.
7. I can participate in conversations or discussions in English.
For the four integrated speaking tasks:
1. While listening to authentic conversations or lectures, I am an active listener by taking notes of the main ideas and critical supporting points.
2. While reading academic reading passages, I am an active reader by taking notes of the main ideas and critical supporting points.
3. Then, using my notes, I can coherently and accurately speak for about one minute as to how the two sources of information are related. Or if I listen to only a lecture, I can coherently and accurately speak for about one minute about its main idea and critical supporting points.
4. When speaking, I am highly intelligible by avoiding awkward pauses and major difficulties
in pronunciation, intonation, and word stress. Additionally, I have good control of basic and complex grammatical structures, have appropriate word choice, and make only minor errors which do not obscure meaning.
“How Can I Prepare for the Speaking Section of the TOEFL iBT?”
The independent and integrated speaking competencies required for the TOEFL iBT are formidable challenges, but the following suggestions, if implemented through a regular course of study over an extended period of time, will help you to achieve the speaking confidence needed for a strong score.
To perform well on the independent speaking tasks, you should consider the following:
1. Create a list of familiar topics and practice speaking about them: “Describe your favorite vacation destination,” and “Describe an important person who has influenced you” are representative of familiar Independent Speaking topics for the iBT
2. You could also practice by stating an opinion or a preference and then by presenting reasons clearly and in detail. “Which do you think is better: living on campus in dorms or off campus in apartments?” is representative of an opinion-preference Independent Speaking topic for the iBT.
3. Making a recommendation and explaining why it is the best way to proceed is another type of speaking task that you should practice. “What is the best method of travel when going on a vacation? Explain why?” represents this type of Independent Speaking topic for the iBT.
4. Practice giving 1 minute responses to these types of speaking tasks.
Lastly, to perform well on the integrated speaking tasks, you should consider the following:
1. Find a college textbook that includes discussion questions at the end of the chapter. Read the chapter, take notes, and practice orally answering the discussion questions.
2. Read short 100-200 word articles. You can find such articles on the Internet, in the library, or in your TOEFL textbook. After reading the article, make a brief outline which includes its major points Then use the outline to orally summarize the information, after which you can add detail to the outline and orally summarize again.
3. Using the Internet, the library, or your TOEFL textbook + CD Rom, find listening and reading materials on similar topics. The material can provide similar or opposing points of view. After taking notes on the listening and the reading materials, you should do the following:
Orally summarize the information. Make sure that you paraphrase the information using different words and grammatical structures.
Orally synthesize by combining information form the listening and reading materials and by explaining how they relate.
4. Increase your knowledge of vocabulary and idiomatic language. Learn to use them in your speech.
5. Learn grammatical structures, particularly basic and complex sentences, so well that you are comfortable using them in your speech.
6. Learn to solve pronunciation problems, paying particular attention to word stress, intonation patterns, and pauses.
7. When practicing for the TOEFL iBT, take about 15 seconds to prepare a response before beginning to speak.
Write down some key words and phrases, but do not write down exactly what you want to say.
If you read your response, raters will give you a lower score.
8. Use signal words and phrases to create a coherent flow of information: to introduce new information, to connect ideas, and to emphasize important points.
9. Make regular recordings of your iBT speaking tasks and make sure your pronunciation and fluency are clear and easy to understand. If possible, have ESL/EFL instructors evaluate your speech using the appropriate TOEFL iBT Speaking rubrics.
Practice, practice, and practice doing these suggestions, and you will conquer the speaking section of the TOEFL iBT.
Michael Buckhoff is an ESL and English Professor at California State University, San Bernardino California and has been teaching TOEFL preparation courses since 1994. More information can be found in Michael’s TOEFL Blog at http://toeflinsights.wordpress.com or his website at http://www.michaelbuckhoff.com.
Michael Buckhoff
January 1st, 2009
A wonderful article…. In my life, I have never seen a man be so selfless in helping others around him to get along and get working. I feel good that there are people like you too. Thanks for this great weblog of yours. Its surely going to get me to go to higher places!
rolex
January 4th, 2010