Studying Abroad: Guidelines,Fees and Help thread

[pApArOACh]

Anyone help studying in Australia?

What kind of help do you want? I applied for Australia and made my payments today. Going Perth, Australia InshAllah.

 

[Blastwave]

Australia section is in the first post

 

[Fkhan]

Salam PG friends, i m IA moving to melbourne for masters (information technology), need to ask u a couple of question if u may plz guide; firstly, i have only sufficient funds to reach melbourne and pay tuition fee of 1st semester, is it practical in melbourne to manage fees and living expenses from part tym job? I will have maximum upto 2000$ wid me when i reached there!

 

[vtec]

i have 3 B's in a levels...n if i score 7 in ielts n 1800 in sat1 n i wana do software engineering ,wat institutes in u.s.a or germany shud i go to ??? helpppp plzzzz

 

[pApArOACh]

Salam PG friends, i m IA moving to melbourne for masters (information technology), need to ask u a couple of question if u may plz guide; firstly, i have only sufficient funds to reach melbourne and pay tuition fee of 1st semester, is it practical in melbourne to manage fees and living expenses from part tym job? I will have maximum upto 2000$ wid me when i reached there!

Going in july intake?

Sent from Motorola Droid Pro

 

[Salvation]

The town of Freiburg is a dreamland as I have heard, and its on the border of Germany, Switzerland and France (all 3) and adjacent to the Black forest..
[/B]

Adjacent to black forest.....man that is so cool! Also please shed some light over fee structure..Living expenditure etc. as well.... I am also planning to apply abroad in near future. Most probably Germany or Austria.

 

[hassaan123]

Guys only SAT 1 is required for applying for undergraduate in USA or SAT 2 is also required?

 

[Fkhan]

Going in july intake?

Sent from Motorola Droid Pro

no, july is too close, i m aiming for november session now

 

[splitfiredaewoo]

I've been accepted to the University of Southampton in MSc Managment. But after reviewing their fees which is 15,500 pounds and the amount of money to spend on a monthly basis on rent, food, etc. is close to 800 pounds. So are there any other reputable universities that don't cost a kidney to get into?

 

[Khawaja]

People How's University of Manitoba?

 

[Fkhan]

I am planning to go melbourne for masters this september, anybody from melbourne or australia? let me know ..

 

[Fkhan]

I dont know y people here are so much obssesed wd US, Europe and UK , australia is d best place to go for masters these days, ratio of visa application for streamline courses in Australia is almost 98% , after 2 years course u get 2 years of work permit (it is understood) , after PGD u get 1 year of work permit , 2 years of education also support u in immigration process (u will secure 5 points). Australia is much better than rest of d places in terms of almost all aspects including, fees, expenses ,job oppertunities , easier to immigrate etc.

 

[Constant]

Ive applied at QMUL for a MSc degree. Anyone else here who applied there too?

 

[xtremists]

i am going to canada newfoundland in memorial university applied visa for this september although many of my friends living there university is cheap its just 8800$ and they provide huge schlorship for deserving students with good grades one of my friend got 20000$ funding from university its a nice place to live clean place and peaceful crime rate is really low and no racism ppl are very friendly but not too much pakistani and indians like ontario living cost is cheap you can get room for 300 to 450 $ including all utils and 150 to 200 $ is your other expense city it self is really beautiful lot of landscapes but temperature is cruel sometimes there but over all its an awesome place to study university is cheap but good uni and you can work off campus once you got the workpermit which you usually get after 8 months and first 3 months you cant even think of doing job as if you didnt perform well in your studies you wont be eligible for workpermit you have to maintain cgpa of 2.5 so you can appply for workpermit and they expell you if gt fail in 2 semesters so study should be yyour first priority campus is huge really huge most of the ppl are there fromn outside the canada and getting pr is easy in newfoundland

 

[NaNoW]

This is an epic blog ...very very informative...nearly everything written is true..

Information on Study in Germany for Pakistani Students




Study and Visa guide for Study in Germany(MS Study)
*Errors and Omissions accepted.
Section 1: Pre Application.

First of all you have to visit DAAD website. Search for all the courses you are interested. Check out the basic requirements and also check the webpage of that particular program. You can also find the information about other programs by visiting the mentioned websites. Also you can collect information by contacting with seniors students or on different yahoo groups to have up-to-date information.
When you are done with short listing the Universities and Programs, check out the requirements of that particular program by visiting the webpage of that program (IELTS/TOEFL, GRE or German Language etc). Ideally you should have IELTS/TOEFL. GRE is not compulsory in all Universities but compulsory for some programs/Universities (TUKL, TUHH etc). If you have GRE then it can give you an advantage for admission, but normally Universities consider academics only.
International Master Programs are usually in English, but there are some programs partially in German Language. If the course requires you to have German Language then you can learn in the nearest GOETHE Institute or any private institute also.
Section 2: Application Procedure.

Normally you have to apply online for a program through particular program website (not for all the Universities). Following information/documents you have to provide:
1. Personal Details.
2. Academic Qualifications (Bachelor -> 12th -> 10th).
3. Work Experience (also Internship).
4. Research experience or Publications.
5. Information about recommenders. (Usually 2/3).
6. Statement of Purpose or Letter of Motivation.
As said before some Universities first demand to have online application. In this online application they short list the candidates for further procedure, but in some Universities after online application you get a PDF format application form (filled by you online) and you have to send that particular application form to University along with required documents.
Now coming to documents you need.

1. Transcript and Degree.

Usually you have to send the transcript of you bachelor transcript/degree. If you are still studying at time of application then you can send the result of previous semesters and later you can provide them the full transcript. (I don’t know what is the time limit because never experienced it).
• You can attest the Transcript/degree from your University/Notary Public. Normally Universities demand notarized documents. Some Universities also demand transcript/degree attested by the University in sealed envelope (like TU Darmstadt), in this case you have to send as it is recommended.
2. IELTS/TOEFL/GRE.

For IELTS you can attest it by Notary Public. For TOEFL/GRE you have to the send the result through ETS. As I know they charge some amount to send your result to respective institute. I don’t know the whole procedure because I had IELTS.
3. Letter of Recommendation.

Normally Universities demand 2 Letters of Recommendation. If you are working in any organization then you should have one Letter by the Employer and one from the educational institute where you studied your last degree. If you are still in college, get two recommendation letters from your professors. Try your best to get it from a professor who has a PhD and not from a junior lecturer or an assistant professor. It is always recommended to have the letter neatly formatted , spell checked and printed under the college letter head or under the letter head of the concerned professor and don’t forget to get the signature and seal of the professor in the letter. Once the letter is complete, put it an envelope carrying the name of your college. If that’s not available put it in a white envelope, seal it using good quality glue and take a seal and signature of your professor across the flap of the envelope. Please avoid using brown, orange or any other envelopes for recommendation letters.
Following details should be on LOR.
• Full name of Recommender.
• Email and Telephone Contacts.
• Position of recommender.
• Name of University.
Important: Some universities have their own specific format for recommendation letters. You need to download the form, get it filled by the recommenders and send it to the university in a sealed envelope. Make sure you visit the university website or contact the course coordinator to know exactly how the recommendation letters need to be sent (like in TU Munchen you fill the online application form and then you get PDF format of filled application form along with LORs at the end).
4. Statement of Purpose (also Letter of Motivation/Intent).

This is the most important part of an application. Spend considerable time on preparing, refining, and proof reading this document. Think of what will go through an admission committee members mind if he/she finds silly spelling or grammatical mistakes in your SOP!! It’s a clear indication of lack of professionalism on your part. Keep it short – within a page or two. Focus on why you are interested in that particular specialization, how your BE course has prepared you for this particular specialization (give details about your electives, projects, seminars etc.,), your long term research interests, possible research topics for your MS thesis and what are your plans after completing the master’s course.
Important: Do not copy readymade SOP’s available in the internet. Use it as a template but blatant copy-paste job makes it easier for the reviewers spot it and that can ruin your chances!
5. CV

Detailed CV (one or two pages) containing your personal information, educational information (bachelor’s and 12th grade is sufficient), work experience (including any internships), paper presentation in national or international seminars, publications in reputed journals and your hobbies/extracurricular activities. In the extracurricular activities section mention only about the recognition or prizes won at the state, national or international events. Do not include stuff like won inter-school dancing competition while in 5th grade or adjudged as the best singer of our apartment block!!!
6. Other Documents.

If you have other documents you can send them along with your application package, but don’t send useless documents/which are not necessary for admission decision.
Section 3: Sending Documents.
Once you are prepared with your all required documents, send them to the university/department address via courier. You can use any courier service which is reliable. In my case sometimes I used DHL and most of times I used Pakistan Post (Registered Service Only). DHL takes 4-5 working days and Pakistan Post takes about 15-20 working days. Fortunately I had no problem with anyone of above. So make one packet and put all your required documents in an order. There is no specific order for putting your documents but for guidance you can use the following order. (In descending order)
1. Application form (University’s/Department)
2. Educational documents(MS-> BS-> Fsc-> etc)
3. Language certificate (everyone which is available or required).
4. Statement of Purpose/Letter of Intent.
5. Experience certificate/Extra qualification certificates.
6. Any extra document which is required.
7. Letters of recommendation.
Usually don’t staple the documents. Only just put them in one big envelop and go to the respective courier.
Once again use attested copies of your documents and don’t use photocopy of attested copy. Also don’t send any original document. For any specific information it is better to be in contact with course co-ordinator for any extra document or about attestation of documents but normally as I said before Notary Public is enough (in my case I attested through Notary Public or through my University). If university asks you sealed documents then do as requested (in case of TU Darmstadt they ask the attestation of degree by the respective university and in sealed envelop).
So at this point your documents are ready to send. So send them and keep on tracing them. Usually university respond you immediately after they receive your document but sometimes they don’t reply immediately so don’t worry if your documents are delivered then no need to worry about misplacement here.
Section 4: Decision Time.

Normally Universities take 2-3 months for making decision. Sometimes they make overall decision for all the candidates and sometimes they make decision after regular time intervals. It is not necessary also that university makes decision after the deadline. They can make decision before the deadline also (like TU Darmstadt etc) but at least you have to wait until the deadline or the date they give you for final results.
Section 5: Learning German:

During the decision period you can join any institute to learn German language because it’s better to have some idea about German language beforehand so that you would be able to make conversation with people here.
There are many institutes offering German Language courses.
1. GOETHE Institute (Lahore and Karachi)
2. NUML
3. Punjab University.
There are also many other private institutes those offer German courses so you can join whatever you like.
Section 6: Admission Decision.

Once you get admission your university informs you through email/softcopy of your admission letter and after 15-30 days you get your hard copy of admission letter at your home.
In case of negative response they also inform you about it (sometimes they don’t inform through hard copy; only through Email.)
Section 7: Bank Account Opening.

Once you get admission then you have to open bank in Deutsche Bank. You go the respective Deutsche bank branch with your admission Letter, Passport and National ID card. If you have short time and your hardcopy of admission letter is not available then you can make print of your soft copy and show them. They accept in either case (they just need admission Letter).
Follow the following steps for account opening:
1. Go to the embassy’s website before going to the bank and find the amount which is required to be blocked ( in my case it was 7776 Euro with monthly limit of 648 Euro and you have to mention this amount on the form which the Bank will provide you for filling out the information). So fill out the required information and ask them for help if you need it.
2. After filling out the application form and stamped by the Deutsche Bank branch you have to send that application form along with the copy of admission letter and your passport to the desired address (this address will be available on the application form). Photocopy of your Passport and admission letter should be attested by the Deutsche Bank branch (they will return you above three documents fully attested).
3. Once you complete the documents, send them through DHL or any other courier service ( I did through DHL).
4. After 4-5 working days you get information about your bank details through an email (pdf file). Once you get your bank information then you have to transfer the required amount to this bank account. You can use the foreign currency account (Your’s/your father/any other member/friend; I used of my friend to transfer the amount). If you don’t find it then you can transfer the amount through Dollar East also. It is also a safe way to send but they charge extra amount. You can check for latest rates.
5. Once you will transfer the amount from Pakistan then after 3-5 working days you get the notification by Deutsche Bank the you amount has been transferred( Pdf through Email). One page will be in German and One page will be in English stating your amount in the bank account). At embassy you have to show only print of this Pdf file (no other financial proof).
Important:

1. Minimum amount should be 7776 Euro in your account with monthly condition of 648. But better you transfer more than 7778 Euro because once your amount will be here they will charge around 15 Euro and later 50 Euro when you will activate your account after coming in Germany. So it’s better to transfer 100-150 Euro extra. Any extra amount more than 7776 Euro will not be blocked; you can get this amount directly after coming here. So you can deposit extra amount which you like.
2. Sometimes it happens that you open account on the base of admission letter of one university and later you go to another University, but that doesn’t matter because you can access your account anywhere in Germany and you can activate at any Deutsche Bank branch here after coming ( for example I’ve my account in Munich because first I had the intention for TU Munich but later I applied visa for University of Stuttgart; so this thing doesn’t matter).
Link for Deutsche Bank Pakistan:
http://www.db.com/pakistan/en/content/contacts.html
Section 8: Embassy Appointment.

(For Islamabad case only; because there is somehow little different case in Karachi)
When you send your bank documents to Hamburg (for account opening) then at that time call the German Embassy to take an appointment for visa because they give you appointment after time period of 20-30 days (because in winter semester many students apply for visa and Embassy processes around 20 candidates per day). So it’s better to take appointment well before time and during this time your account and amount transfer will be done. They ask you about your name, date of birth and give you date and time for your interview (with token number).
You have to take appointment by phone. Use this link to make an appointment:
German Missions in Pakistan - Home
Section 9: Visa Documents.

Now you have to prepare for visa interview and prepare your documents. Following are the documents required. Arrange them in the same order which is mentioned here (otherwise you have to arrange at time of Interview). You need 3 sets of documents (make one original set and 2 sets of photocopies in following order for Original and same for Copies).
1. Application form.
2. Passport Copy (1st four Pages only)
3. List of Relative and children outside Pakistan.
4. Security Questionnaire.
5. Applicant’s Declaration.
6. CV
7. Academic Documents (Degree->Transcript->HSSC->SSC).
8. Other educational and Experience documents.
9. Proof of Blocked account (print of Pdf file); only German page is enough.
10. Health Insurance (here you have to show your travel insurance which you can get through companies mentioned on Embassy’s website. It is not necessary at time of Interview but it’s better to take with you because I didn’t take and she said to send it later through Fax).
11. IELTS or German Language Skills.
All the above documents are important other than at # 8 (because they don’t consider it for study visa and it’ll only make more documents). Well you have to attest only your original documents (no need to attest photocopies). Original degree+transcript through HEC/Foreign Office and HSSC+SSC through IBCC/Foreign Office.
You are also required 4 photographs. Staple 3 photos on application forms on the space available for photos (don’t paste) and put the 4th photo with a paper clip on original application form. All documents should be duly signed by the candidate where it is required.
So that’s it with arranging your documents.
Section 10: Visa Interview.

You should be there well before time. You can use Shuttle Bus Service to go to embassy which will be available outside Diplomat Enclave. You should be at Shuttle Service station 45-60 mints before starting your interview because it takes some time to purchase ticket and other such stuff. So at your assigned time you will enter in the Embassy and there will be a counter when you enter in Main Hall. You have to deposit visa fee (60 Euro) at that counter and you will get a receipt (more information you can find on Embassy’s website). You will find your token under specific counter. So you have to go at that counter and have to appear for Interview.
Following are the questions usually asked during your Interview:
1. What you have studied?
2. What are you going to study?
3. How long this course is?
4. Why you selected this University and course?
5. How you find information about this course/university?
6. Do you have any friend in Germany?
7. About family (members, what they do)?
8. About family financial status?
9. Who is going to finance you?
10. Some other general questions related to you/famil/course etc.
Interview will be for about 15-20 mints. During the interview answer all the questions confidently.
So now you are done with your interview. After 4-8 weeks you get response about your visa.
Wish you best of Luck. May ALLAH help all of you.
This information is for public use so guide the other students as much as possible for you.
Remember me in your prays.
*Positive suggestions are always welcome.
Reference and Important links:
www.daad.de
www.masterportal.eu
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=109906431608 (Pakistani Students in Germany)
http://www.facebook.com/Study.in.Germany
PakistanischeGemeinde : Pakistanishe Gemeinde
German Missions in Pakistan - Home
http://www.db.com/pakistan/en/content/contacts.html
Credit:

This post is originally written by Muhammad Afzal,.

 

[Ali250]

Guys only SAT 1 is required for applying for undergraduate in USA or SAT 2 is also required?

Depends on the uni. SAT I is required almost everywhere though.

 

[xtremists]

I've been accepted to the University of Southampton in MSc Managment. But after reviewing their fees which is 15,500 pounds and the amount of money to spend on a monthly basis on rent, food, etc. is close to 800 pounds. So are there any other reputable universities that don't cost a kidney to get into?

Manitoba is awesome university plus its cheap and Opportunity Fr pr is really strong plus they rebate your tuition fee after the completion of your program so inshort its a good university am also going to canada

 

[zylo123]

A very informative thread.

But it all comes back to the age old question, How much an overseas education is gonna cost you ? Will it be worth the money ? Would there be any chance of immigration after completion of degree ?

and while you are it can somebody tell which is the cheapest place to study in the category of US,Canada,Australia,UK and rest of EU.

 

[XxRebellionxX]

Guys a little question here, My family will be shifting to Ireland soon, my brother already lives there, my question is, is it wise to go there without doing A-levels?
We may be going next year so I'll be done with As by that time I think

 

[xtremists]

A very informative thread.

But it all comes back to the age old question, How much an overseas education is gonna cost you ? Will it be worth the money ? Would there be any chance of immigration after completion of degree ?

and while you are it can somebody tell which is the cheapest place to study in the category of US,Canada,Australia,UK and rest of EU.

in canada where am going average living cost is 600$ a month including food living transport and per year fee is 8800$
and chances of immigration is canada is really strong brother after completing your desired coursed you get 3 years work visa to gain canadian experience and in that time you can apply for pr is easy in canada and in first 6 months you are not allowed to do job as per canadian rule but everyone does but to be safe first 6 months are the most depressing so its better if you study 6 months hard and gain good gpa then do a job and finding part time job is easy in canada if you anyother query i will b happy to assist you

---------- Post added at 12:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:12 AM ----------

Guys a little question here, My family will be shifting to Ireland soon, my brother already lives there, my question is, is it wise to go there without doing A-levels?
We may be going next year so I'll be done with As by that time I think

its better if you do your a levels here it will be a wise decision although ireland is not so big and job are less so try to complete your a level here so you can get admission direct in to a university