Application Requirements - USA

Documents for Application Requirements - USA

Resume/CV -

Updated, 1 page (preferably), using action verbs. Skip the “objective” but mention your 12th marks.

Academic Mark Sheets -

Scan them all! 10th standard onward.

Transcripts -

Std. 10, Std. 11 & 12, Bachelor’s, Master’s - you need to go to your institute and ask them to issue transcripts. Get 1 per university you’re applying to. They will be stamped & signed, and then sealed in an envelope which also needs to be stamped and signed. Ensure that the transcript states your medium of instruction was English - this way some of your institutes may waive the TOEFL requirement.

Recommendation Letters -

You will have to add the title, full name, designation, company name and official email ID of your referees to the online application. They will then get an email from the university with a link they need to click on, to recommend you. Half of this is usually a rating scale and the other half is either a text box or specific questions about you need to be answered. Please pick referees who will be comfortable doing this all online and who have an official email ID. Tip: It’s more important for your immediate manager to be your referee as opposed to the Director of the company who has barely had any interaction with you.

Personal Statement / Statement of Purpose (SOP) -

Should address 5 main questions: What motivates you to do this course? What prepares you to do this course? Why do you want to do this particular degree? Why do you want to study at this particular institute? What are your career plans? This should neither be an autobiography nor exceed 2 pages in length. Often, the university will tell you what information they want and what the word/character limit on the question is. Such information is generally available on the website or course page or alternatively, in the online application.

Essays -

Universities will also ask you topical questions with corresponding word limits. Usually, universities that ask for these won’t ask for a personal statement. You must adhere to the word or character count.

Work Experience or Internship Letters -

From all companies that you have worked at.

Score Reports -

Test takers’ reports of the IELTS, TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, etc. If you haven’t taken the test yet, update the test date in the application. These scores will have to be reported to the universities officially as well e.g. TOEFL scores can be reported online by ETS to the university, after making the payment and entering the university code.

Certificated Activities -

Extracurricular activities, social work, volunteer work, community service, etc. Don’t include participation certificates (unless it’s a workshop, seminar or the like - this information can also go in your resume/CV). Keep to the certificates you earned 9th standard onward, unless it’s at the inter-state level.

Passport -

First and last page, plus any correction page.

Photo -

Passport sized photograph in formal dress, with white background. In case of online applications, this may not be required.

Financial Documents -

(i) Bank statement showing adequate funds (1st year tuition + cost of living), (ii) Affidavit of Support if someone else, e.g. your parents, grandparents, aunt & uncle etc. are sponsoring you, (iii) financial certification form (which is sometimes given by the university and needs to be filled up as requested)

Credential Evaluation -

Some universities may ask for an “academic credential evaluation” or a “course by course evaluation”. This needs to be done through WES or ECE, as it is the requirement of the university. You will have to send your academic documents to these bodies who, for a fee of between $150-200, will convert your scores to the US 4.0 GPA system. They will then report these scores to the universities you ask them to for an additional fee. If your Indian Institution is offering you a score in GPA, yet you will need to get these evaluated

Portfolio -

Mostly required when you are applying for art and design-related programs eg. architecture, fashion design et al. Portfolio requirement of each university can be different. These could be slides of your 10-20 best works to date, or anything that displays a combination of your skills, creativity, personality, etc.

Please keep in mind that this is a general checklist, more or fewer documents may be required based on the universities’ requirements. In case of a courier, you will need to attest these or send originals of some documents, like sealed transcripts. In case you are planning to study in USA and need guidance in “Application Requirements - USA” and Admission Counseling then contact us.