In recent years, the number of Indian students going abroad for higher education is increasing day by day. A large proportion of students travel abroad to obtain a degree in a variety of educational streams, management, engineering, medicine, fine arts, information technology, among others. The allure of earning a foreign degree gains importance as it not only equips the student with relevant skills and training, but also enriches the experience by exposing these students to a global culture. And getting a foreign degree or diploma is becoming much more accessible today. This is because many countries have opened special departments and cells in India itself to give full assistance to budding professionals in fulfilling their educational dream. These departments, many of which work under the aegis of their respective embassies, provide invaluable assistance regarding admission, visa and living. Not only this, the number of foreign destinations where students can enter for higher studies has multiplied in the last five years or so. And with readily available student loans, students are headed straight for the college and university of their choice.
Although the US and UK remain the favourites, followed by Australia, France and Germany, many, many more destinations have joined the list. We have provided you with a list of some sought after educational destinations.
The United States
Students can obtain information on education in the US from the American Educational Foundation in India, commonly called USEFI. US Admissions Tests: Most US colleges and universities require scores on one or more of the standardized admissions tests. Students can visit individual college websites for information on admission requirements. International students whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Some institutions may accept scores from other English language tests.
Universities will require students seeking undergraduate studies in the United States to take the SAT Reasoning Test and the SAT Subject Tests. Most graduate departments require students to take one or more of the following: GRE: Graduate Record Exam (general test); GRE – Graduate Record Exam (Subject Test); GMAT – Graduate Management Admission Test; and TSE – Test of Spoken English Law, Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine programs require: LSAT – Law School Admission Test; MCAT – Medical College Admission Test; DAT – Dental Admission Test; PCAT – Admission Test to the Faculty of Pharmacy and VCAT – Veterinary Aptitude Test.
Also, there are some other tests that students can take, depending on their requirements. These are: USMLE – United States Medical Licensing Exam; CGFNS – Graduation Council of Nursing Foreign Schools; CPA Certified Public Accountant Exam.
The United Kingdom
The most popular university degrees are bachelor’s degrees (also called undergraduate or first degrees), which are now required to enter a wide range of careers in the UK and other countries. British degree programs incorporate the most up-to-date subject developments. Many universities and colleges now co-operate to deliver degree courses, and this has further increased the number and variety of courses and study environments. For English proficiency, one has to take IELTS or the International English Language Testing System.
Undergraduate and graduate applications are processed through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service), a centralized clearing agency. UCAS forms are available on the UCAS website. UCAS is working towards a 100% electronic application system, called ucasapply. UCAS Apply is a secure, web-based online application system for all students (UK and international). The key message from UCAS is that all international students move as quickly as possible from the traditional paper application method to the UCAS Apply electronic application.
Australia
The latest year-to-date (YTD) enrollment data, August 2008, shows that over 80,000 Indian students had enrolled for an Australian degree in 2008. India is now the second largest source country for the education industry. Australian international education. Many Indian students study mainly in the fields of postgraduate studies. This is in contrast to fewer than 500 Indian students in the early 1990s and 10,000 Indian student enrollments in 2001.
Canada
The Canadian Education Center (CEC) – INDIA was established in June 1995 with the support of the Government of Canada to provide information and advisory services to students interested in studying in Canada. There are 14 CEC offices around the world, providing comprehensive information on educational courses and training facilities.
More information about study abroad log in India education website