Shiksha Success Stories: Why Pawan chose to pursue Business Analytics course from a top US university

Studyabroad.shiksha.com got in touch with one of the students – Pawan Natrajan, who got admission at University of Texas at Dallas in the US for the course MS Business Analytics.

Question: Was US your only choice as study destination or did you consider other countries as well?

Pawan Natarajan: I always had a plan to go abroad to study. I wasn’t sure of which country to go for, but US was the default choice as my sister is there and I have a couple of cousins living in Texas. I feel happy with my choice as the institutes there are highly reputed.

The reason why I chose MS Business Analytics course at University of Texas at Dallas is because a couple of years back I had read the McKinsey report on how there is going to be a dearth of Data Analytics specialists by 2018. So I thought maybe I could use my skills and subject knowledge in the US. I gave it a lot of consideration and spent time looking at facts and figures so I can say I’m confident about my move.

I could have chosen MS in Computer Science, but that subject doesn’t require any sort of work experience. Since I had work experience of more than three years, I chose this course. I didn’t go for MBA as this is an MS course and has the benefit of the OPT.

Q: Once you were sure of going abroad to study, how did you research the application process? Was it a difficult stage?

PN: In the beginning, I had no idea how stretched out the process of applying to American universities would be! The complete process appeared simple enough in the beginning – take exams, start the application process, submit transcripts, then  maybe the university will get back within a month. The most important part missing from my understanding was the waiting part, which was the most difficult thing for me. The universities don’t tell you whether your application has been accepted or rejected by a fixed date. In my case, I heard from University of Cincinnati very late as I had applied to the course 15 days after the deadline. It was one of my top choices so I had to keep on hold other college acceptance offers.

After that things were easy, I only had to show sufficient funds for the visa interview. My only concern with the visa interview was the fact that my father is retired, so I didn’t know if I could show him as the main sponsor. I had a word with the Shiksha counsellor regarding these concerns, and he assured me that I shouldn’t worry about it.

Since the application process differs from university to university in US, I didn’t know the exact requirements for each of them. Some universities required Letters of Recommendation to be submitted offline, some were okay with online submission. So I learnt along the way. Plus, my Shiksha counsellor helped me out a lot. I referred to many downloadable guides on the Shiksha website and those proved to be quite useful.

Q: Which exams were you required to take?

PN: I gave GMAT and TOEFL. I wasn’t picky when it came to English language exams and was open to giving either TOEFL or IELTS. I got an early date to appear for TOEFL so I booked my spot immediately. However, I was sure of giving GMAT as I wanted to keep the option of MBA open.

I prepared for GMAT within two months, but during the last two weeks I had to put in dedicated efforts. I referred to the official GMAT guide and a few online resources for sample papers. I scored 700 on GMAT based on this preparation. For TOEFL, I didn’t have the time to prepare for the exam as I was caught up in collecting my transcripts from school and college. Even without any exclusive preparation, I scored 108 on TOEFL.

Q: Did you receive any scholarship?

PN: I had to upload my resume and write an essay for the Dean’s Excellence Scholarship. The award is worth $1000, along with a waiver of the out-of-state fee. The information about the fee waiver was given to me by the Shiksha counsellor. That was my main motivation behind applying to university of Texas at Dallas. After the waiver my tuition fee came down to $28,000 compared to the original amount of $45,000.

Q: How did you come across Shiksha study abroad counselling services? What are your honest opinions about the help provided to you by the team?

PN: During the initial stages, I was browsing through universities and courses online. One such google search led me to Shiksha college listings page, where I discovered the Rate my Chance service. I then had a discussion with the counsellor through a telephonic call.

We researched universities together and he helped me with the shortlisting process. The counsellor always guided me through the process patiently. He pushed me through phases where I was really busy and deadlines were approaching. I even got a lecture from him once about me not being motivated enough about the whole study abroad process! It was a much required chiding at the time as I needed the reminder to stay motivated.

 I had my doubts about hidden charges but he stated upfront that there will not be any charges, the Shiksha services are absolutely free of cost. It worked for me as I didn’t have any plans to spend extensively on hiring the services of a consultant.

Q: How was your visa interview? What questions did the visa officer ask you?

PN: I wasn’t worried about the visa interview, but what was bothering me was the fact that I had to show liquid funds. Ultimately I managed to show the required funds. During my interview, the officer didn’t even look at those documents and only asked me how I am going to pay for it. I replied that I have a student loan sanctioned and she asked to see the document. After that she simply accepted my application and I got the visa.

Q: Do you have any advice for prospective international students?

PN: My advice would be to take one step at a time as the admission process can get very hectic. Don’t think of everything you need to get done over the next months, think only of the next step. You may get overwhelmed if you think you can get everything done all at once. You will have to pace yourself. I learnt that having short-term goals helped me immensely with achieving the ultimate goal.

Pawan is now going to begin his college session in the US. Studyabroad.Shiksha.com wishes him a prosperous career.