From Passport to Visa : A memorable journey!

There are times when u feel some things are meant to be and my decision to pursue MS was one such thing for me. The day I decided this...somewhere in 6th sem...it felt like a daunting task. Today, a week b4 the flight to US it all seemed so much fun...not easy by any means but FUN!! So heres a short summary of my experiences. It will ofcourse not be a comprehensive documentation abt Dos and Don'ts of studying in US but it shud serve as a guide for the minutiae of studying in US of A.

The story begins in 7th sem when me, mom and dad snagged a passport agent to get our passports made. Tht was probably the day when my tryst with Xerox Machines began for since then till now i must hav xeroxed zillion documents! So we got ourselves photographed, got hold of all the countless docs and ofcourse got the forms filled by the agent. The only big help the agent provided was putting a fella in the passport office line at 4.00 am...a time so early, it makes me turn blue! We took the fella's place at 7.00 am...a more humane time to get up!

Police verification after 15 days was like the Mastercard ad...getting urself police verified is ofcourse a thing tht money can buy in our country. We wer let off with easy since we looked like good honest folks. Then comes the passport in hand. But it is blank...disappointingly blank. The time to fill it with a Visa is sooo far off!!

After passport there was the GRE to face. Look up my March posts for my cribbings on the endless wordlists and the done-without-calci maths. Managed a better-than-good score and cleared another hurdle in the race to MS. The TOEFL cudnt hav been better...well perhaps it wud be if I didn't hav to juggle it with the Innformation Security viva of 8th sem!!!

Then started the MS application process inaugurated with a debate on which counsellor to take. After meetings with numerous counsellors, we decided on Madhavi Desai...more for the ease on pocket than for the reputation! Then comes the SOP...again with numerous iterations which led to me getting sick of the SOP...bt we managed a good one (wud be putting it up on the blog once I reach my univ!)

In between this there was the raging debate on Spring vs Fall vs Infosys at home. I decided to take a big gamble...or so I perceived it to be back then...and go for Spring term application and giv up Infy joining. This inspite of caution frm frends abt less univ choice, no aid, less ppl apping...As u read further I suppose u'd conclude with me tht it was the best decision I took.

The recommendation letters made my profs sick for I was fully into my mission of making the recos GENUINE...so each prof had a bunch of 12 univ forms to fill and 12 letters to sign and put in envelopes and glue the flap and sign thrice on the envelope and get the college stamp put on it...phew!

Same story for the transcripts and the office staff were harassed for 25 transcripts! The bank letters were parents headache...they'd to literally run from pillar to post in the bank for it bt managed to get them and the affidavit of support made well in time. Oh yes the univ list...by the time I shortlisted my 12 univs, I knew atleast 1000 courses offered in 500 disciplines in 100 univs across the 50 states of US. I knew the map of US with its states, their capitals, climate, ppl, shops, apts, students, etc. etc. like the back of my hand...talk abt being called weak in Geography at school!

The application process was like no other. Being frm Maharashtra Board and Mumbai Univ...I was used to longgg queues to pay fees, get forms, submit them and then fight ur way thru a mob to see the admission decision. Here, thanks to the Net, there wer no queues, instant filling and form submission and quick fee payments thru credit cards! Supplementary materials wer sent by courier to the univ's address. A note of caution here...don't just stuff all ur material in an envelope and courier it. Take time to arrange it well in plastic sheets with labels indicating whats inside the sheet. Also EDULIX deserves a BIG mention here for I got loads of help frm here during my entire apping!

Then began the long long wait for replies. To while away the time and to do sumthing useful in betn I took up position as a Lecturer in my engg college - Atharva College of Engineering. Read up my post "Docendo Discimus" for the teaching experience! I cant forget tht night in July when I got a mail frm UPS tht a packet was on its way to my house! Anxious, I checked all my univ sites for status updates and Lo! I'd 2 admits!!! The third was ofcourse the packet tht arrived home 2 days later.

In the 2 months tht followed there was continuous excitement every other night with some mail frm some univ and mom, dad, V had all taken to asking me everyday "you've got mail??" Come 1st November, the tally stood at 9 admits, 1 reject and 1 still pending! I'd dropped apping to one univ wen i received a higher admit. Then the decision to finalise on UFL marked an entry into the second phase of my story!!

Now started the wait for the I-20. After numerous mails to Joan (The graduate co-ordinator of CISE at UFL) to all of which she replied so patiently, I'd the DHL courier with my I-20 in hand. Then the rush for Visa documents...again zillions of xeroxes for bank loan, IT papers, marksheets, SEVIS, DS forms, etc. etc. etc. etc. I'd a harmonium folder stuffed full and overflowing when I went for the Visa apptment on 30 Nov. Like all those who passed this way b4 me had warned, the VI itself was sooo cool and the VO cooler!

So 9.15 am, 30 Nov I'm legally qualified to enter the US as a student of its fourth largest univ and pretty high ranked one for databases - University of Florida - with an achievement award of 10k $ per yr!!! A moment to say YIPPIEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Ticket confirmed with Delta...leaving India on 20th Dec...will miss home and life here A LOT!!! Immunization done (yea this is also one of the things I did in the 2 mnths long wait!), insurance taken, registered for courses...fees and cash to carry arranged...apt found, pickup arranged and I'm READY. Well not quite since packing is still on in full swing.

As I get ready to say Goodbye to the place I've loved being in for 22 yrs, I did realise tht MS and tht too in Spring was the best decision I took. It gav me a good univ, with aid...probably bcos fewer ppl app in Spring...a good course and a very satisfying experience as a Prof!!!

So all u budding appers...Happy Apping...and drop me a mail anytime u need help!!