hey i'm new.
anyways, i've been looking around for MBA/MA programs abroad and i'm rather curious about the general requirements for international students.
i checked out www.mba.com and know that the GMAT and TOEFL (dur) are available worldwide. here are my questions:

1. do i really have to call all the way to malaysia to make an appointment and take the test/s here?
2. how much are the exam fees going to set me back? (i still need to get a credit card )
3. can't i waive the TOEFL? (english was the mode of instruction for eco in ateneo after all.)

please, if you know the answers or know anyone who can give me answers, kindly reply or drop me a private message. thanks loads

1. That's right. You have to register with the Silvan office in Malaysia first.

2. Each take of the GMAT is around US$180 to US$200. TOEFL costs almost the same amount.

3. To have the TOEFL waived, please email the school(s) you're applying to and ask them how to get your college (Ateneo?) to certify that English is indeed the medium of instruction.

One more thing, an application fee to an American school costs US$150 to US$175. If you don't have an international card (with a high-enough credit limit), just borrow from your parents or a relative and pay them through check ASAP.

hahaha...i don't even have a checkbook
thanks so much for the advice. this looks like it's going to take a while

all i can say is...credit cards are evil!!! i said ill only use mine "for emergencies only"--you guys can say that a lot of emergencies piled up hahaha.

Yup, but I don't think Silvan will accept cash payments. And I don't think they accept cheques either.

ha! i wouldnt worry abt the TOEFL if i were u. its chicken feed. when my sister took it to study in BU, she was #2 highest one in the whole bacth.
the questions are like: anne went out to the park and bought a hot dog. who went to the park? a) hot dog, anne, c) park. for as long as ur filipino, no worries!!

oh, i'm not worried about flunking the TOEFL. i'm just annoyed that it's so expensive and we don't really need it. i mean, how would you fill out an application form to a foreign school (and have a satisfactory interview) if you couldn't read, write and think in english?

The TOEFL may seem very easy to people who were lucky enough to study in a top Philippine high school or University, but this may not hold true for those who do not share this background. So I wouldn't be too hasty to make the claim that "as long as you're Filipino, you have no need to worry about the TOEFL."

As for the comment on filling out application forms and interviews, there now exists a thriving underground business in places like China, Korea -- and yes, the Philippines -- for people who are paid to fill out application forms and stand in during interviews.

The TOEFL is in no way a perfect screening mechanism, but at the very least it provides an indication of whether or not you can survive in the US on a daily basis using everyday English.

As for the price you need to pay for the GMAT and TOEFL, think about it as part of the entry costs of graduate school in the US. Trust me -- there are far greater costs coming up for you if ever you do decide to pursue graduate studies in the US, costs that will make the price of the GMAT and TOEFL seem insignificant. Things like rent and utilities, for example (what kind of rent do you pay in New York, reyesaa? ). Books that cost $80 to $100 each. Tuition that can top $30,000 a year.

That is, of course, unless you're going to be relying on Mommy and Daddy to foot the bill for your graduate degree?

And just in case you're wondering about whether I'm just sour-graping about the TOEFL and all -- yes, I did find it easy. I perfected it.

If you don't maintain a credit card or checking account just yet, how many years of work experience do you have under your belt? If you don't have at least two to three years (some would say four to five) of work experience under your belt, you may want to reconsider postponing your MBA applications to a later date. The MBA experience just won't be as rich and meaningful if you haven't had a chance to work "in the real world" for a few years.

As for MA programs, you may not need as much work experience, but this depends on your field.

It takes time to prepare seriously for an MBA program -- at least 18 months of planning and preparation in order to put together a strong package for the top programs. It's great that you're asking questions this early on, though.

Good luck in your endeavors!

Does anyone know how to apply for financial assistance coz I am considering getting a Masters degree in IT here in Illinois. But although I already have a full time job, between car payments and utility bills etc., I dont think I have enough for tuition. What are the usual procedures needed to be done to apply for this or even grants? Does financial assistance even cover graduate studies or it is just normally for college tuition?

Hello, another one here from Illinois. If someone knows how financial aid is obtained for graduate studies, please post some info here. I'm just curious.

Hi, honey_babes. Unfortunately, there is no simple, direct answer to your question. Financial aid comes in two forms:

1. Grants -- includes fellowships, scholarships, etc. Can either require you to do work to "earn the grant" (teaching and/or research assistantships, for example) or come with no strings attached (obviously this is ideal). Sometimes these grants can take the form of competitions: "Write an essay about why leadership is important in your country" and then hope to win $2,000 to $5,000 or something like that. If you're a Filipino citizen, for example, you may want to check out the AT&T Leadership Awards (write a 700-word essay and win $5,000! Check out their website at http://www.ap.att.com/about/award.jsp). If your IT interests are matched with an interest in pursuing a business degree, you may qualify for the Ayn Rand Essay Contest (http://www.aynrand.org/contests/). These little things add up.

2. Loans -- something you will obviously need to pay back. You can apply for a student loan in your local bank, or apply to various governmental programs at the federal or state level in the US. For government-sponsored programs you will have to be a US citizen or permanent resident, although some schools have pioneered loan programs that are extended to both US and non-US citizens.

At this point you will have to look for grants/loans contingent on:

1. Your particular field: I'm not sure what IT schools offer; are there foundations that support IT education? You'll have to look around for this.

2. The particular school or program to which you will be applying: You have to ask the specific program's directors or administrators if they offer any form of financial aid. Probe deeply: Financial aid can vary across different schools and departments in the same University.

Most students put together packages that include grants, loans and out-of-pocket payments. Some also choose to work while they're studying, but this depends on whether your program will allow you to do such a thing. There are various on-campus and off-campus job opportunities around, with pay scales that vary from lump sum amounts to tuition remission to hourly payments.

So the net conclusion is that you will have to take this on a school-by-school, program-by-program basis. You will also have to plan your application strategy pretty much simultaneously, since many of these financial aid programs are only disclosed to students who have been offered admission.

There are some scholarship search engines that might help. Visit http://www.fastweb.com and see if their service (it's free) can help match your interests and preferences with financial aid opportunities.

Preparing for grad school in the US takes a lot of work! Think about this in terms of the investment that you are making: Will you need to take time off work? How will this affect you in terms of foregone wages and promotion opportunities? Will getting a Masters in IT help you in your career, or is it just a needless distraction? Why are you going to grad school to get a Master's degree? Is psychic utility another consideration -- "it feels good to have a Master's Degree"? Or is this just part of your overall plan for personal and professional development? The more clearly you can answer these questions, the better your chances of zeroing in on the program that's right for you -- and the program that provides you the kind of financial aid that your particular situation requires.

[ February 08, 2002: Message edited by: victory_fils ]

you can opt to be a teaching assistant in exchange for a grant or whatever (im just assuming if u become a TA u have some sort of deal w/ the school in exchange for your grad school expenses--whether they cover part or the whole thing)---but being a TA is a lot of work. in addition to going to your own classes and doing the work for them, you gotta either assist whatever prof you're assigned to in class, or teach the class itself...and then you are stuck with the crappy work of correcting the papers/tests, making photocopies, and if the students need help on anything...its YOUR office hours that they give out, since the TAs are in the office more than the profs are (theyre probably doing research or playing golf or something), so the students actually are more in contact with you than with the prof. i just see the work our TAs got and they are real busy busy people!