elz

BTR, You are surely a doctor with your attitude Seriously, I am glad that you are here and answering some of these questions. Yes, I know that US doctors have to be licensed as well, but most medical students in the US are aware that this is at the end of the road. Young doctors here get really frustrated at the prospect of jumping through all of these hoops. Now that we have you here on the forum, please share your experience. It sounds like you have first hand experience of the process and there is no substitute for that. What do you think about the residency search service that I posted? Do you think that it can be helpful? We have several good reference books and State Department material in our library, but this is such a specialized track - Have you done most of your research on your own? Do you have any idea on what the current situation is for IMGs considering the national interest waiver pathway? How do you feel about it as an option? I have to say that I am not in complete agreement with you about the research option. I feel like it can be a kinder and gentler path for doctors that do not feel that they are really prepared yet. Of course, it is a trade off and not always in the individual's best interest. Elz

I wrote to Pratt - I messaged Pratt - I called Pratt - and could not get through to the admissions people. I did get one department, but it was not the one we needed. I will go over your personal statements tomorrow. I had a truly busy day. Tomorrow however, will be peaceful and tranquil. Elz

These are really good solid scores, especially for your field. Nice high percentiles on verbal and quantative. Yes, the analytical is not so good, but you will have a chance to address that in your admissions packet. I believe that as an international student writing essays under timed conditions without an opportunity to revise them, it can be difficult. Some of our students do really well on the writing, but you may not have had enough time to dedicate to doing a great deal of writing in English every day. On the other hand, I think it is unusual to see such good results in the other areas and a rather weak score on the analytical. I would be very interested to see your full score report when it comes in and see what happened. Just stay with a very good statement of purpose and I would honestly enclose a note on the GRE scores stating that you were rather surprised by the writing, but that you also believe that although the writing may be your weakest link that you are prepared to work on it more. Also, I can look at some of your previous essays and write up comment if that will help. Overall, I am really pleased with your results - those are good scores for anyone and great for an international. Hey, what was your essay score on the TOEFL? That is another way you can shore up your profile. You did quite well on the TOEFL...I know the TOEFL writing is not so hard, but on the other hand, if your TOEFL essay score was quite good, there should not be a wide point spread between the two...it may have just been an off day for your writing. Svaki Cast again... Elz

We will be starting a new TOEFL seminar, as well as SAT and some other courses, the week of 15 January. (Have caught on that no matter how well meaning everyone is terms of wanting to work and study hard, once Sveti Nikola hits, we are all pretty worthless until after 14 January ) So here is how the seminars work: TOEFL iBT: 8 weeks 3 instructional hours per week 3 hours of practice tests per week free placement test Cost: 16,000 dinars (334 dinars per 60 minutes) Payable through rates SAT, GRE, GMAT: 12 weeks 3 instructional hours per week 3 hours of practice tests per week free placement test Cost: 24,000 dinars (334 dinars per 60 minutes) Payable through rates SAT includes a diagnostic SAT exam prior to start of class, as well as the free Placement Test I hope this helps. Elz

Sorry for the load of questions these days, but I thought it would be easier and more useful for everyone to ask them here than at IAC. Anyway, here are some things I would like to ask. This is a great way to ask questions this time of year. You will also see how it easy it is to get a response and a very exact answer First of all, are the preparatory lectures for competitions (some kind of advanced curriculum) in academic disciplines (in my case computer science, maths and physics, the areas of study most emphasised in my school) considered extracurricular activities or academic activities? There is a certain logic to the application - if you can begin to follow the logic, it will help you with the whole process and help you adjust to the bureaucratic side of US life in many situations...so I will be very detailed with the how's and why's of this. The general rule of thumb is that anything organized as a part of your school can be considered any academic activity. Thus, I would really put these lectures under an academic activity. This is much like an AP class - these advanced lectures. Would the membership in a national debate team be rather an extracurricular accomplishment? Is it OK if I attach (in the additional info area) short descriptions of the competitions to help the schools know more about their significance? Debate team membership is a good activity to list as extracurricular since it is not yet offered in connection with the school - there are no hard and fast right or wrong places to put these things, but it does help to flesh out your application under extra curricular activities. As for describing your competitions, use common sense. For example I do not think that anyone needs an explanation of Physics - Gold Medal - Republic Level. However, many schools have no idea what Petnica is. Then, what is the difference in terminology between the occupation of a parent and the position/title? It seems to me that these two terms overlap. Do I have to inform colleges if my parents' positions change? Cultural difference here. Let me try to help - Occupation: Accountant Position/Title: Manager Payroll Department - Penzoil Worldwide Occupation: Banker Position/Title: Vice President And no, you do not need to inform them if the position changes. Also, my friend that has many awards from competitions like me and who applies to the US universities told me that copies of these diplomas are not necessary. I saw such information on Harvard's site, but I would like to know whether this is a generally accepted practice? Cultural again - American brains thinks, "Who would disgrace themselves by lying about such a thing?" Academic honesty is highly valued in the USA. Of course one should be prepared to produce them if asked - but in general there is a strong honor system about these things in the US. Smith, one of the most elite women's colleges in the world, allows students to take the exams home to work on them - the honor system is that you do not cheat. If I may say so, this kind of development in thinking (when it works) is one of the greatest gifts that a US education can give to a young person. When it doesn't work, of course it is a disaster. Also, it is great that you and your friend are working together, but it is also good to ask us about these things just to be sure. We see some real disasters sometimes and wonder..why didn't the student ask us? Remember we are here for you to check with. On the Common App website (in the FAQ section) it is stated that teacher evaluations and school forms can be copied, so that the professors would not have to write them several times. Do the copies have to be signed by the professor or otherwise verified? Once again honor - they can just be photocopied - there is no need for validation at the Opstina. Elz

You gotta be the best of the best....very exceptional...that is true of almost any financial aid package based on academic merit. He he..yeah they are not the greatest message readers on the planet - especially during the admissions season. They are busier than we are. However, as EducationUSA we have alternative forms of contact - on the other hand, just to warn you and other dear readers - we do not contact admission officers upon student demand. We contact them strategically. Otherwise they would ignore us as well. It is unfortunate that sometimes students begin to think we are "their girl Friday"...he he he..and that they can demand that we jump and we respond, "How high?". Also we tend to initiate contact on behalf of students that are known to us due to credibility issues - it makes no sense for me to say someone is a great student when I do not the person. If we start doing that, then we also lose the ears of the admission officers. So as you can see the contact issue is very complex. It. must be a suitable situation for contact. However, it is time to begin to explore Canadian schools and we can start to initiate contact. Elz

You are Speedy Gonzales with the forum Elz

I can also become an aspiring applicant to grad studies in architecture Actually there are other ways for me to get a peek at the form. We will be in touch about that... Also in giving the names in Serbian, go ahead and do that. Here is why they ask - Very often, especially since Serbian credentials are rare birds compared to German, French, the admissions department may not have seen these before. So in many cases they will write to us, they will copy the exact Serbian words that you provided, they may scan documentation such as seals and so on...to ask us if this is what the seal is supposed to look like. This is why they want to see those words in Serbian...because those words represent the most official aspect of your credentials, the English translations are generally for the purposes of helping them understand the content of your program. Believe it or not, once you get a grip of the philosophy behind the whole process, everything starts to make sense - however, by that time, you will probably have already received your offer of admission On the other, once you understand the philosophy of these steps, you will also be able to use that understanding when you go through other areas of official life in the USA - drivers license, taxes, rental agreements, and so on. That is why I tend to press students to at least try to get in touch with the drill - it will help you follow the other workings of other bureaucracies while in the USA - there is a certain logic to all, though it may seem evasive at times. Elz

Zindi, do you remember the email communication instructions that I gave you for personal statement students? I am going to need to see your personal statement very soon - prior to an appointment. I know it has been a long time since we met on the seminar, but this is how I separate my mails so that I am aware that you are from the seminar. I have set up filters to organize my mail in an attempt to prioritize. The next few weeks are the most critical for students from the Personal Statement seminars and the undergrads that we are working with. However, without that header, your mail will not filter as a priority. These questions are best and easiest if they come through the forum. It is so easy for me to find new posts, just a click and there you are...rather than buried in what on some days is 100+ emails. But I did find you starred...along with other huddled masses However, it is important that I see your personal statement and for that you need to use the subject line for the filter. I can see where the Pratt application can be very confusing and even as I looked through it, I wondered how I would have filled it out prior to all this advising experience! However, there are a few very subtle clues that can guide us as we sleuth through their application First I can tell you straight up that they only want to see your undergrad credentials. Every school reporting area has the blank for college GPA. They only ask for transcripts from undergrad institutions. Thus, they want to match what you wrote in with the transcripts and so on - American cross-reference. Now they are uequally "nuanced" about WES: Students who have studied outside the U.S. in an educational structure different from that in the U.S. (three year degrees, for example) are asked to submit a World Education Services (WES; www.wes.org) evaluation (or an evaluation from any other reputable educational evaluation service, e.g., your embassy) to expedite the processing of your application. They allude to degree programs that are different than the typical four year degree - read: "Bologna Process". Therefore, if you have the traditional four year degree - which is considered a straight across the board equivalency to the US Bachelors structure in the USA - you can skip the WES. I hope this helps. GREAT TOEFL RESULTS ! ! ! ! Our record is 119/120...but you are definitely in 2nd place....Svaki Cast! Elz

Ares, sorry because when I pulled up new posts, I just saw the last one - your speed and agility slipped past me! The TOEFL credentials are generally the most widely accepted. For example, at Cambridge University, the graduate admissions requirements accept IELTS as the preferred test, but also accept TOEFL, however they are silent on acceptance of FCE or CAE. Also, a majority of schools want to see English proficiency credentials that are not more than two years old. This said and since I am TESOL certified, let me say this, although the tests are different in terms of the format and skills tested - the new iBT seems, in most cases, to be a bit more demanding than the FCE - texts are more like those in university textbooks, the listening sections are at the level of a lecture in a university classroom. However, if a student did well on FCE, I believe that an overview of the iBT format and a couple of simulations to provide a real feel for the exam, would be about all that was needed to do really well on the iBT. Of course the same goes for the CAE. Over the years I have noticed that many students in Serbia that already hold excellent English language credentials resist the idea of having to fulfill a TOEFL requirement. This is not the best strategy - sending in a great TOEFL score that you already know you can get works to the student's advantage. Imagine that a Teaching Assistant from University of Belgrade - Language Department had to sit for the TOEFL - even though he was teaching in English and his qualifications were absolutely sterling. Imagine that he scored 119 out of 120 on the iBT. Imagine that he was provided full funding for his PhD studies at Yale. Oh, I forgot, you don't have to imagine it - it really happened. So try to look at the language requirements not as something that you want to get out of...but as just another way to showcase your talents and impress the committee. Elz

Yes, the three year diploma will require more extensive evaluation as it is a new program. However, it certainly does not rule out possibilities - it is just not as "cut and dried" as the time-tested four year program. These are questions of equivalency rather than accreditation. I certainly would not just write off graduate school possibilities in the United States. Like any new program, a grad school admission officer is going to take a really good look at the transcript to see the courses. One of the first things that we would like to do is to have a look at the program and open a discussion with various graduate admission departments about the course of study. Here is how I look at it - the countries that are signatories to the Bologna process are at different points of implementation with a goal of 2010. In the same way, US universities are also a different points in evaluation. For example, US programs that are academic homes to many European students are more likely to be very involved in the evaluation process whereas departments that do not see so many EU diploma holders may be less engaged in the process. It is just as I said, a bit more complex - schools are quite used to seeing three year diplomas from the UK, but your three year diploma from Serbia may be something that an admission expert is looking at for the first time. Thus, you can expect some some questions about the program so that grad school can learn more about it. As time goes on, this area will be better defined, but Bologna represents a very broad change - time will be a factor. Elz

GMAT is an admissions test to enter graduate studies in business - usually MBA. It does not have a relationship with recognition of your diploma. However, if you hold a four year diploma from a faculty that is recognized by the Ministry of Education, your diploma will be recognized. Is that what you hold? If you hold a three year diploma as part of the ongoing Bologna Process, it gets more complicated at this time. Elz

Hi Dear...one question are you at Cornell University or Cornell College? Cornell University has been quite generous in the past. Sorry did not make that clear! ! ! MY BAD I will check with the McGill person. Also I will ask Vedrana to contact the Canadian schools to clarify, since she is OUR ALUM FROM THE GREAT WHITE NORTH ! ! ! Elz

Dear DavidSrbu, First of all, you should come to our group advising session on Wednesday at 3.00 p.m. It is free and we provide a great deal of information about continuing studies in the USA. Next, after group advising you can take a free TOEFL placement test to see where you in terms of your English. In addition to being an official site for administering the TOEFL and the GMAT exam, as well as a US State Department certified EducationUSA advising center, we also offer TOEFL preparation classes. Thus, I would advise you to avail yourself of our services. As for how much time it takes to prepare, well that depends on your level of English - just like how long it would take me to prepare for a basketball tournament as opposed to how long it would take Vlada Divac. Elz

Give us the exact link and let me see if I can look on both questions. Have you been to advising yet? I ask because it is probably not a good idea to apply to just one school. Elz

Just hang in there and stay flexible. Everyone, including the admission office, knows that there are so many hoops for students to jump through. Anytime a web page is down or something like that - its a great time for you to hit the forum and get us into action. Probably this certification of finances is the greatest point of confusion for international students. It is a new regulation often the language on the website that schools use to explain it is confusing and makes students think that they have to have the funds to show in advance. And yes, at the end of the day, it is usually the audition that makes a huge amount of difference for you lucky ones with talent! Also I am not sure if Lynn has grad studies for music, but you might want to check because we have a wonderful relationship with them! Anything else like that comes up for you Mina, ask us... Elz

Okay, in the United States, there is only one to mention and that is a spouse. Only a legal married partner can come along. Of course that means you have to have a bit of extra money to provide support, but many schools can offer a J-1 visa and J-2 visa to the spouse so that you can work. You might write to Stevic on our alum site, he knows about this. However, longterm girlfriend/boyfriend...that is not the kind of legal/contractual comittment that would permit the other party to accompany you. So, bottom line is, you gotta break down and tie the knot Elz

In terms of this kind of preparation, there may be an organization here in Serbia, that offers the preparation for the exams. I have never been able to get confirmation on this kind of program. Also it may be possible to go through the organization in order to get a residency. However, in order for us to look into this matter, we are going to need some contact information. It is rather difficult for us to chase after places that people have heard about - it is probably best to thoroughly research the IMG requirements that we have provided on this site as a first step, so that you understand all of the options. From there, IMGs will have all the information necessary in order to make an informed decision as to how to proceed in meeting the US licensing procedures for doctors. Next time someone is telling this, ask for details, such as telephone, website, and so on. It is very possible that there is a program here that offers these things, but we do not have any information in order to look into that. I found some information here: US Medical School in Belgrade: http://www.med.bg.ac.yu/?sid=492 However, this is certainly not a US Medical degree. On the other hand, this type of training in English would certainly be helpful to any Serbian doctor who wanted to sit for the USMLE series. In Nis: http://www.medfak.ni.ac.yu/ims/Tuition.htm There is, unfortunately, no substitute for going to the AMA website, and doing the research. That is where all the answers are - that is where the rules are made and the regulations put in place. Here is what I can say on the matter so far - there is no medical school in Serbia that a person can graduate from, get on a plane, and go to the United States and work as a licensed US Doctor. In terms of exam preparation for USMLE, there may be courses to assist with preparation. There may also be an organization that can assist IMGs with placement in a residency in the United States. Of course, as eveyone who has researched the IMG links from our site has noticed, the regulations vary a great deal from state to state in the USA, so it is important that people comply with the regulations in the state where they wish to live and practice medicine. Thus, prior to availing oneself of any residency service, one would need to be certain that the service provides for residency in the state where one wishes to practice medicine. elz

Yes, professional degree programs are indeed a challenge. However, there are a few that offer funding for international students, so it works out best for the student, if the student starts the process by looking for schools that provide funding, rather than looking for schools and then attempting to get funding. Checking with programs for external sources of funding can also be helpful. Quite frankly, this is something that EducationUSA adviser are quite good at, contacting programs to inquire about external funding sources - unfortunately, because of so many other responsibilities, we cannot do it "upon demand", and sometimes it can take quite some time for us to find the time to get on the horn, during the right time zone, and make contact. However, it is something that I have been willing to do in the past, and will work on in the future - but when I have the time and resources. There really is an element of truth to the idea that to "make money, you have spend money', especially when it comes to professional degree programs, so you really hit the nail on the head about the financing. In fact, the MBA program at NYU is so confidient of the return on the investment that the school makes loans to students, whether domestic or international, to cover the cost of their entire education - talk about confidence on the return! That said, some programs are very generous - it is just a matter of finding these programs.

Hey Dule thanks much - we are having two educational events at the same time, so we have not had access to the forum for a few days. Okay, just to reinforce what Dule said to you - US rules and regs state that before the I-20 can be issued, the costs for your first year of education must be covered. Thus you must begin to submit the documentation, which in the first round will have the documentation of what funds you have available to apply to your education. Then after your application is reviewed, if you are accepted and if it is determined that you will receive funding for your studies from the school itself, that will be added to form. Now as for this comment: It does make sense, but still that's not an excuse for them and the whole conception with charging 100 dollars without telling that in advance, but thanks anyway. First of all, the certification of finances for international students is not just university policy, it is regulation that all schools must comply with before issuing the I-20 - so this is going to happen no matter where you apply to school. In other words, thorough research on your part, concerning the school admissions process for international students would have revealed this, in fact the most basic research would have brought this up through google. The school charges processing fees for going through your entire application package, which gets very complex for an international graduate school applicant. Remember you are asking for very extensive funding, often in the amount of more than $45,000 USD per year from the school, so it is best to keep a positive and cooperative attitude throughout the process. We know it is frustrating to comply with all of these regulations, but that is why you need to read through everything very carefully. Hang in there and check, check, and recheck! For example, I was able to pull up this immediately: http://www.music.uiuc.edu/admissionsGraduateAdmissions.php All of the information for international students is covered. Another area concerns the instruction packet, where it states that students should read the instructions before filling out the application: http://www.grad.uiuc.edu/admissions/instructions/02b.cfm Once again this mentioned. It is very important that you read the instructions in detail! The reason for this is because it is all very complicated - if it were easy, there would not an instruction form - you could just jump in and start putting in your name and address. Thus, to avoid these problems in the future, please pour over the instructions about everything that you submit. It really increases your chances as an applicant when everything is done properly and gives you an opportunity to show them what a good candidate that you are and that you are the one that they want to give the money to! Elz

Advising opportunities are posted in the calendar section of our forum. In general, we offer undergraduate advising on Wednesdays at 3.00 p.m., and graduate advising is scheduled from time to time usually on Thursdays. Also we ask students to contact our office at 334 5227 to reserve their place for advising. Elz

Dear Mickey, I am afraid that December does not look promising. The paperology is just a terrible hold up on things here. It is quite a disappoint to us as well. However, I think that it is very commendable that you comment on the fact that future generations will benefit. In fact, that is the essence of one of the greatest problems that can exist - when no one thinks of future generations. I really wish that you could have tested in your own country. I am so sorry that it did not work out for you, but please keep thinking of others and when you get that wonderful MBA education, you know where your help is needed the most, so please don't forget Serbia! Elz

Okay first of all, you may realize this, but just in case, I want to give you some insight into the whole procedure and why it exists. All of these hoops that you are required to jump through are to insure that you will have the same level of knowledge and skill that is expected of a dentist in the USA. There are some differences in practice between Serbia and the USA - I know that from being in the chair Anyway you look at it, you are going to have to undergo some procedure to instruct you and then to test you. However, there are some shortcuts. It is possible to go through a certification procedure that is a bit shorter. Now what happens with these is that you can find that you are limited to only practice dentistry in the state where this certification was granted. Thus, you want to really look at the marketibility of your skills in that particular state and make sure that you want to settle there. Of course, one thing that you could do if you decide to look at the certification program and you can find a short one that fulfills you needs is that you could set up a part time practice or work in a dental clinic part time, while you earn enough money to pay for the "more intense" procedure, and then you will have more options. I know that these licensure procedures seem like a pain, but honestly anyone who has ever gone through them does find that it is worth it. Also I have no idea how old you are, but most people really regret waiting too long. There is a great deal of information to found here, in case you have not explored it yet: http://www.ada.org/prof/prac/licensure/us.asp I hope this helps. Maybe we could meet - I am always looking for a dentist here! Elz

Dear Mickey, We are hoping for mid-January. Now, that we have been thoroughly checked and charged the maximum amount in every area possible, we are awaiting the arrival of the grant funds to pay for customs, taxes, and other superfluous charges that have been squeezed out of our organization. Although the funds have been traced from the European point of origin directly to our bank account, the bank is still in a state of denial about having received the funds. Isn't it funny about the how unique banking is here? It is so special! Once this is point is cleared up, we will be able to begin to actually bring the equipment into our organization and start to set it up, test it, and get ready to provide GMAT services for students. You know, the young people, the future, the next generation of young Serbian business people who have sharpened their skills by studying throughout the world....as opposed to the wonderful organizers of our current circumstances? Ican't wait to see this next generation of young people in about ten years - hopefully here in Serbia assuming leadership position kicking...oh well that is another story. So probably mid-January. We are sure hoping for that date and it is great to see Serbia on the GMAT map. Even though no one else seems to notice or care - this is really great progress for the student population in Serbia

Fantastic on the comittement to the GRE prep. You have done enough research so that you may be able to put your personal statement together using our resources. But GRE is what will really help you shine. Three hours of class, three hours of practice tests each week, and a 2 hour math workshop. All of this for 12 weeks - BUT people also have to work on their own. This seems to be the BIG SURPRISE! We can't do it for you! However, you seem like a good candidate.... We really look forward to seeing you...and I am flattered that you attended the graduate advising! Elz