Grad School Finder Guidelines

How Our Specialist Completed the Grad School Finder Questionnaire

The Grad School Finder is now also available on the Ashiraj App for Android and iOS

GRE Score:

Quant - 163; Verbal - 157; AWA: 3.5. Everything is in order there.

TOEFL Score:

Also not a problem. 104 (23 in each section)

Graduation Percentage:

I held a GPA of 7.8/10. To remain on the cautious side, I picked the bracket below the 7.8 mark since Indian universities vary greatly in their GPA evaluation methods. It is only fair that I avoid overestimating my score.

Relevant Work Experience or Internship:

Initially, I was uncertain about the definition of relevant here. Isn't any internship relevant? Apparently not. I was applying for an Electronics program; I completed a 7-month stint at a financial institution, alongside another 2-month internship focusing on solar cell research. Naturally, only the second one counts as pertinent, which makes complete sense in retrospect. The finance background offers no benefit for my university studies, does it? Therefore, 2 months.

Papers Published:

Ah! I served as the editor of my campus magazine, where four of my papers were published. I even delivered presentations on several subjects at a few IITs. I ought to receive extra credit. Or should I?

Not really, I suppose. Actually, I do not qualify for any because these brief articles and presentations do not truly qualify as published papers. For that distinction, international recognition is required. A work counts as a published paper only when it appears under your name in recognized global journals, such as IEEE and similar publications. None.

SOP Rating:

Now, I do not wish to boast, but I write well. It is simply a fact. Combined with my thorough research on the institution, tailored extracurricular activities, and clearly articulated plans and objectives, I considered my Statement of Purpose exceptionally strong. Several advisors reviewed it and confirmed its high quality, particularly the section addressing how my ambitions align with those of the university and vice versa.

Yet, how high is that standard truly? Even an optimistic assessment would yield around 8/10, given that thousands of applicants have accomplished more, and hundreds have articulated their goals with greater skill. Furthermore, my application profile lacked any truly extraordinary elements. I assigned myself a 6 to be safe.

LOR Rating:

My Letters of Recommendation came from my Principal, my Head of Department, and my supervisor from the solar cell internship. Decent credentials, certainly, though the content was somewhat limited because I rarely interacted with my principal or department head. However, the recommendation from my internship supervisor was definitely a strong point, as we collaborated closely and he knew me quite well. I conservatively rated myself a 7, although an 8 likely would not have hurt.

Extracurriculars:

I earned a couple of silver medals in national-level team football tournaments and numerous others at the university level. I also participated in various debates and Model United Nations conferences. Overall, quite strong. However, upon seeing my friend who is an international-level swimmer in an individual sport rate himself a modest 8, pragmatism prevailed and I gave myself a 6.

Another acquaintance of mine, who took immense pride in serving as the vice chairperson of a minor college committee, rated himself a 2, and frankly, I doubt he warranted even that score.

Community Service:

Frankly, it is hard to know if any amount of service is ever sufficient here. Still, if you have maintained consistent involvement over several years—ideally driven by genuine passion rather than merely collecting certificates—you might reasonably award yourself a 7 to 8. I taught underprivileged children for a year and a half, primarily for the certificate. I rated myself a 4.

Hopefully, this provides everyone with a clearer perspective. Now, use the Grad School Finder based on the profile you have built to discover which universities abroad fall into the Ambitious, Moderate, and Safe categories for your credentials. Farewell!