Take An Expert's Advice

Originally Published in The Hindustan Times Education Supplement

As parents and students begin to ponder the future, many families wonder whether they should hire a private counselor or take guidance from a third party to help plan their education. The answer to this question varies for applicants in different situations. For example, most MBA or graduate students applicants seek outside advising to substitute as a mentor through the application process – someone who can weigh-in on recommender choices or program selection and overall congruity between career goals and educational plans. For undergraduate applicants, however, families often require guidance on both the big picutre as well as the nitty gritty of applying, financing and lifestyle considerations.

Learn the Lingo

Originally Published in The Hindustan Times Education Supplement

A lot of lucky students are about to embark on their adventure to study abroad. The next few months will be full of new experiences and friendships, as well as cultural faux pas. For those headed to the US for studies, I’ve solicited a list of unique word usage from a couple of students who have been studying there for the past two years. Below is a primer on some of America’s campus-related idiosyncratic language usages, which can be quite different and confusing to an Indian student. This should provide some guidance for students and a trip down memory lane for any parents who have ever lived or studied in the US.

Colleges Information

Originally Published in Hindustan Times Education Supplement

I often repeat that there are thousands of colleges to choose from across the world. And there is a ‘right’ place for every student. Furthermore, there are multiple modes of discovering which college is right for you. Thankfully the internet now offers incredibly helpful information at our fingertips. But the rich and replete information offered online also sometimes has the effect of flattening out the differences between various colleges, especially for a student who has never visited a college campus.

Get Started On The Essays Now

Originally Published in Hindustan Times Education Supplement

Previously I wrote about how MBA applicants need to focus on balancing their commitments at the office with the work required for applications. The same is true for undergraduate applicants, but the scheduling process is slightly different.

Campus Safety Abroad

Originally published in Hindustan Times Education Supplement.

Recent news about the tragic mass killing at The University of California at Santa Barbara unsettled those with an eye on higher education abroad. As an alumna of this notoriously scenic university, with its freewheeling, peace-loving ethos I have been especially rattled. We are all asking, how a young student, who is at one moment exploring new ideas and environments, making friends and living it up in the prime of his or her life, can suddenly be shot down in cold blood by a deranged, bitter maniac? There has of course been much said about the state of gun control and mental healthcare in the US since the incident. And of course there is a great need to address both of these serious issues, but on the minds of many students (and their families) who are heading abroad for studies after the summer is the question of campus safety.