AdilB990

Hey Lex, it turned out to be a very smooth ride. The interview was pretty straightforward. Took no more than 5 minutes. As far as I recall, the interviewer asked me about the university I would be attending, why I chose it, the field I would be pursuing, and how I plan to cover the cost. She did ask for my bank statement (which I duly handed to her), but she barely took a glance at it and gave it back to me. I have been to the US once before (in 2011), so she asked me about that as well. But nothing in detail. And that was it. She was smiling throughout, while I didn't show any signs of nervousness or hesitation, so that probably helped too. All in all, I received my passport with the visa stamp just 5 days after the interview!

I will be starting my MS in Transportation Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech this Fall! Will be great to hear from someone here who's also heading to Blacksburg?

First of all, congratulations on an exceptional score! Getting a maximum in Quant is no small achievement, you should be proud. Moving on, your score will be exactly the same as this, don't worry. I'm from the same field as you, and I can assure you that this score has the potential to get you into some top-notch schools. But of course, you'll have to make sure the rest of your application materials (SoP, LoR's etc) are as solid as your GRE score. Also, the fact that you intend to go for PhD ultimately will be another plus point for potential admission commitees. If you're a non-native English speaker like myself, then try to get a score above 102 or 103 in TOEFL; it will further boost your credentials. Having said that, it is never easy to predict one's chances. Anyways, before the application season starts, have clear goals that you want to achieve through graduate school. Best of luck!

LOL... Indeed it could. But since we're supposed to act like adults here, let's not.

Thanks for the feedback, random17. You're right, the best way for a smooth passage through immigration is to ensure that every device is charged enough (if not fully charged) to be turned on if required.

Hi everyone, I'll be flying out to the US very soon. I was wondering if there are any new travel regulations that I should be aware of? BTW is it true that all electronic devices (phones, laptops, tablets etc) are now accessed and screened by customs officials on US bound flights? Thus meaning that every passenger is expected to charge all such devices before boarding! Thanks, Adil

That's great, I took a couple of months off from work (don't ask me how ) for GRE preparation and my SoP. It helped a lot, I don't think I would've managed otherwise. I'm sure you'll be able to make the best of this time. As for Virginia Tech, you should definitely apply! It has a very strong engineering pedigree and is highly regarded not only in the US, but internationally as well. To be honest, I don't know much about their geotechnical faculty, but rest assured it'll be good. One of my classmates from bachelor's went for an MS in geotechnical back in 2008; he only has great things to say about VT! So if you ask me, go for it.

In that case, you're doing it the same way as me. I'm hoping to get some sort of financial assistance from the 2nd semester onward; but of course that entirely depends on how I perform in the 1st semester. Fingers crossed! With deadlines approaching, how's the progress on your application materials?

Oh okay, my bad. Maybe I'm confusing UIC and UC. Well, it already seems like a long time back when I applied. But I'll try to recall what I can. As you are aware, the obvious drawback of applying in Spring is that there are limited options. However, there are still a number of well-known engineering schools that do offer admission. If you're not applying thru a scholarship (like me) then, in my opinion, there is a bigger issue when opting for Spring intake: As far as I know, all TA-ships, and most RA-ships, are allocated in the Fall semester since universities receive their grants at the beginning of the academic year. This is true for most state universities to the best of my knowledge. I think NYU is a private school, so their policy might be different. You might want to look into, and contact, your potential schools to be absolutely sure.

Qasim, now that I've gone through the application process myself, I can probably share a few things from experience. Your scores are pretty good but it's almost impossible to predict how they will be interpreted. Having said that, if you can improve on your GRE Quantitative, that'll make you a stronger candidate. The response from ahlatsiawa is spot on: SOP and LOR's have greater weightage when one's application package is being assessed by the admission committee. But then again, it's not easy to predict how these admission committees work. They are an enigma, I tell you. Another bit of advice: apply to at least 5 schools; more if you can manage. That'll give you a school to fall back on. Btw, are you sure that UIC has a civil engineering school? When I was applying last Spring, I was interested in applying there (since I have relatives in Chicago) but, if I remember correctly, it doesn't have a civil engineering faculty. Anyways, best of luck as you begin this journey! I hope you achieve what you set out to do, Insha Allah.

Hardly any activity in this thread, so I'll do the honours. I'm heading to VT this fall. I've been away from academics for over 7 years now; which makes me feel very nervous and excited at the same time. Starting graduate school is a pretty big deal and the fact that I'm an international student makes it even more daunting. But still it feels great, I can't wait to reach Blacksburg. It'll be awesome to hear from others, like me, who're joining this fall or are already studying there. Adil