You are currently studying computer engineering in India. After completing your course, you want to pursue an MS in America. What are the best universities for you to consider?

During an hour-long chat on July 27, overseas education counsellor Karan Gupta suggested the following: Consider universities such as Stanford, University of California, Berkeley, Georgia Tech and so on, all of which boast excellent courses in computers.

 Karan Gupta says, Welcome. I am here now, so shoot your questions!

Karan asked, I am in class 12th. Please advice career options. Regards, Karan Keswani

Karan Gupta answers, There are many options open to you after Class XII. If you decide to study in the US, you will be able to take classes in all streams for the first two years and then after trying out the classes, you will have to decide your major. If you study in the UK, Canada [Images] or Australia, you have to decide your major before you enter the university (just like India).

vipin asked, Hi, i m vipin here. I am an engg grad from IIT-D and have a work ex of 5 yrs in india and abroad. I scored 650 in GMAT. I would like to go for a good MBA course in US or Canada. Is doing MBA from Canada a good option? ( I don't really have money for doing it in US)

Karan Gupta answers, Your profile seems good. It is possible for you to get funding from US B-schools. If not, Canada also has some good schools including University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, McGill University and so on.

sandhya asked, hi, i am planning to do my criminal hustice courese in USA. i want to know more about the course and the career growth one can have.

Karan Gupta answers, If you are applying at the undergraduate level, you can double major in Criminal Justice along with another field such as business. Criminal Justice is a very good field and has good career options but not being an American citizen will not let you get a job with any government agency.

Nirupama asked, My son is doing cmputer engg, he would like to do MS. Which is the best University u can suggest from US.

Karan Gupta answers, You can consider universities such as Stanford, UC-Berkeley, Georgia Tech and so on. All these universities have excellent courses in computers.

sandhya asked, can u please suggest some good universities in USA for criminal justice

Karan Gupta answers, You can try University of Maryland, Penn State University and so on.

ramesh asked, Hi,iam ramesh completed BBM,which is 15 years of education.Can i want to do MBA in US.If not,What courses are available in bangalore so in order to complete 16 years of education.Please let me know

Karan Gupta answers, You can opt for any course from the main university in Bangalore (eg University of Bangalore) at the post graduate level. Usually M Com is sufficient. If not, then any MA course is fine too.

Abhishek asked, I am Abhishek and I am applying for PhD in New Zealand [Images].Is that a good option.

Karan Gupta answers, Evaluate your career options. A PhD is a good degree for people who want to do reserach or teach or just increase their knowledge.

rahul asked, cud u suggest sum specialization courses for brand & marketing communication

Karan Gupta answers, Brand marketing is a specialisation itself. You can find this course under Integrated Marketing Communications as well as some MBA programmes.

nitjas asked, What are the kind of courses avaialable in US universities to someone who is interested in taking up 1. a blend robotics and computer (Intelligent machines/rovers) 2. Financial Engineering Are there any pre requisities that the academicians seek before they even consider admission (post GRE/TOEFL)

Karan Gupta answers, In most cases, you can study robotics under Computer or Electrical Engineering. Mainly engineers apply for Financial Engineering. The GRE and TOEFL both are needed for admissions to these courses. (US universities).  

Risham asked, hi karan, my question is not related to the topic, but i want to knw the job oppurtunities in canada for an network engineer

Karan Gupta answers, Canada's economy is doing well. Getting immigration is not difficult. If you are good at what you do, you may just land a good job in networking in Canada.

varun asked, I karan i would like to know was there a steep rise in applicants this year(2005-2006) for GRE in comparison to last year(2004-2005)? As I have seen many students with very good profile getting rejects from US Univs this year.

Karan Gupta answers, Yes, there has been a steep rise in students applying to US universities. But this is not the reason why they have been rejections from universities. Most of our students have got admission to universities of thier choice. It all depends on which universities you target with your profile. Again, in my opinion, there have not been rejections of "good students" applying to top universities.

suma asked, hi, i have completed B>E & i would like to do MBA I am from a Middle class family how to go about

Karan Gupta answers, Remember, the most important thing to have while opting for an MBA is work experience. Only after having two to three years of full time work experience, should you consider an MBA. You will need to also take the GMAT and TOEFL for admissions.

SHAMBHU asked, I am S.K. Jha . Working as a Sr Lecturer with a total work ex of 6 years. Presently pursuing my MPhil research in the area of Component Based Software Engineering. I just wanted to know abt the oppurtunity available in any Australian University for Pursuing PhD in the same area

Karan Gupta answers, You can find Australian universities such as RMIT etc, which offer programmes in Computer Engineering. Under Computer Engineering you will find more specific topics like the one you mentioned.

kaushikbaruah asked, I have got 4 years of work exp. I have a score of 690 in GMAT. Which all colleges should I apply in the US?

Karan Gupta answers, Apply to colleges in the range of USC, Penn State University, Vanderbilt, Pittsburg and so on.

Aneesha asked, Hi Karan, I am interested in doing Phd in Geography related topics in US or UK, could you tell me if there are scholarships available for the Phd Programs? Do i need to take GRE or TOEFL. Could you recommend any university websites or links

Karan Gupta answers, Yes, there are scholarships available for a PhD in Geography. You need to take the GRE and the TOEFL for admissions for US Univeristies and only the TOEFL for UK universities. Penn State University is one of the universities that offers a PhD in Geography.

Anubhav asked, Hi karan, iam an MBA have a workex of 2+ yrs in a reputed IT company. However, i wish to do a second MBA from an ivy league school. how would my work ex help me in tht?

Karan Gupta answers, Work experience is a must for admissions to top business schools. Teamwork, leadership etc. are qualities that B-Schools look for while admitting an applicant.

Nilanjan asked, HI i want to do PhD from UK, which is the best univ in UK

Karan Gupta answers, Cambridge and Oxford are top universities in the UK for many fields.

syedali asked, Hi I am Ali. I have applied for F1 visa (US) to pursue my MS in Computer Science thrice , but was rejected on three occasion. I appered on folloing dates : 1. june 2004 (fall2004) 2. july 2004 (fall2004) 3. August2005 (fall2005) Should I appear for F1 visa for the forth time? They rejected me thrice saying I am potential immigrant. My Profile : 68% (B.Engg Computer Science,no backlogs) TOEFL :273 GRE (1200) Plz advice I am keen to pursue my MS from an American Univ.

Karan Gupta answers, Yes, you can reapply for a student visa. This year, almost every applicant was granted a student visa and if you are a genuine student going to a 'good university' you should have no problem in getting the student visa.

kartik asked,  Dear sir I want to know how to explain my low analytical score in my statement of purpose. I made a mistake by misinterpreting one of the ques. in Analytical part. My other scores are very good. Q 800, V 640, TOEFL 280. Please help me.

Karan Gupta answers, Well, it's best not to make excuses for a low score. Instead, focus on your strong points. It's unlikely that a university will penalise you because of your low AWA score. If you are still not sure, take the GRE again.

Arjun asked, Hello Karan, how are you ?

Karan Gupta answers, Fine. Thank you.

sumeet asked, hi i have finished my first year in aerospace engg. in uk how difficult is it to get into a different university either in uk or us.

Karan Gupta Chat Room answers, To transfer to the US, you should take the SAT and TOEFL and apply as a "transfer student" to universities. If you are transferring in the UK, you can use the UCAS form. Usually transfer admissions are not very difficult.

ajit asked, Hi karan I have passed my graduation in 1997 and post graduate in 2003 in physics.I have also some work experience during these periods. so my query is Am I eligible for a PhD in US ? kindly suggest me .

Karan Gupta answers, Yes you are eligible. Again, you need to take the GRE and TOEFL for admissions to US universities.

Arjun asked, I am trying to identify a course that best suits my needs. Can you help me ?

Karan Gupta answers, Read the courses online in university catalogs. This will help you understand what the contents of each major are. In my opinion, aptitude tests are not accurate for most people and hence the best way for you to decide is to read the course content of different majors.

ram asked, Hello Sir,Good afternoon. I Would like to know how good is University of East London [Images]

Karan Gupta answers, University of East London is an average university.

Abbas asked, Hi Karan I would like to pursue my higher education in Ireland how it could be. Iam a Science Graduate and having work experience too

Karan Gupta answers, For admissions to Irish schools you need the IELTS or TOEFL only. They will also ask for your last three years academic record.

ankur123 asked, hi i am currently doing btech in electrnis and want to do mtech from a high ranked foreign university(as good as IITs)...can u plzz tell me how to go about it ??

Karan Gupta answers, Take the GRE and TOEFL and then along with your statement of purpose apply for admissions.

Omkar asked, Sir, i am in my last year engineerin from Mumbai. i would like to know about future prospects of electronics ( ie my field ) in countries like singapore and New Zealand, in terms of education there.

Karan Gupta answers, Many students have reported that getting jobs in Singapore and New Zealand are not easy. Hence, your best bet would be to stick to the US, Canada or UK.

ajaybom asked, I want to know if there are nay good GMAT coaching classes

Karan Gupta Chat Room answers, Helen Mathur (Education 101) is very good for GMAT classes.

prawesh asked, canyou give the names of some good scholarships which aid in financinf post graduate courses in journalism abroad or also in India?

Karan Gupta answers, Try to apply to universities which are known to give funding to students. External scholarships are always difficult.

samodi asked, Hello Sir I am a Chemical engineer with 12 years of Industrial experience. I want to have a higher education in chemical engineering at US. How to proceed?

Karan Gupta answers, Take the GRE and TOEFL and apply for admissions.

jhampu asked, Hi karan I am ravi. I am interested in doing MBA from Australia i have total 4 yrs of work experience in marketing & sales field & i have done BBA can u suggest me what kind of course i can take for my master so that it will help me to live in aus & how much would be the cost for the various courses.

Karan Gupta answers, An MBA would suit your profile. Depending on what you like, you can opt for a specialization in Finance, Accounting etc. The costs vary from $15,000 to $25,000.

navneeth asked, my son has scored 1300 in gre, what good universities available, he is an mechanical engineer?

Karan Gupta answers, University of Maryland - College Park, Villanova University, Temple University etc. are some of the schools he can look at.

Pooja asked, hi karan r u thr?i wish to do azn mba in a foreign school.can u just guide me whether which palce wud be better austarlia or usa and ya wat wud be the approximate costs of an mba in australia...i knw tht in usa it wud be sumwhere arnd 25-30 lacs

Karan Gupta answers, US universities are usually better with job prospects and campus facilities. But of course, this varies from school to school.

Luis asked, Hi Jai just wanted to know about National University f Singapore for masters in engg

Karan Gupta answers, NUS is a good school and most students who have studied at NUS have been happy with the curriculum.

arun asked, hi karan, what is the demand of an foreign MBA in domestic market? How can I get a Indian offer. I mean is it through consultancies or direct approach etc.

Karan Gupta answers, Most employers in India have reported that they don't give any additional payments (salaries) to candidates with a foreign degree. They do, however, give preference to people with foreign degrees.

Next: Part II of the transcript

Karan Gupta, founder of Karan Gupta Consulting, has been working as a professional counsellor since 1999. He studied at Ithaca College and then at the University of Texas at Austin in the United States. While pursuing his education, he worked at the Office of Admissions, Financial Aid office and the International Office. Karan is now the honorary study abroad counsellor at Jaihind College, Mumbai. For further information, please visit Karan Gupta Consulting.