Serendipity

The California Institute of Technology

May 26th, 2010

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The California Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Caltech) is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. The Institute maintains a strong emphasis on the natural sciences and engineering. Caltech is a small school, with only about 2100 students (about 900 undergraduates and 1200 graduate students), but it is ranked number 2 in the world according to Global University Ranking and in the top ten universities worldwide by metrics such as Science Watch, Nobel Prizes, and general university rankings.

Contents:
a. Introduction & History
b. Academics & Degrees Offered
c. Research at Caltech
d. Funding Options
e. Estimated Budget

Introduction & History
The California Institute of Technology traces its origins to a local school of arts and crafts founded in 1891 by the Honorable Amos G. Throop and named after him, Throop University. Astronomer George Ellery Hale, the first director of Mount Wilson Observatory, who became a member of Throop’s board of trustees in 1907, envisioned Throop as an institution of engineering and scientific research of the highest rank. Under his leadership its transformation began.

By 1921 Hale had been joined by chemist Arthur A. Noyes and physicist Robert A. Millikan. These three men set the school, renamed the California Institute of Technology, firmly on its new course. They were dedicated to the development at Caltech of exceptional research and instruction in Engineering and in the fundamental sciences and to the enrichment of that curriculum with course work in the humanities.

Current President Jean-Lou Chameau continues this tradition, by placing a strong emphasis on improving the educational experience of students, increasing diversity, and fostering research as well as entrepreneurial and international opportunities for faculty and students.

Academics & Degrees Offered

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As a small school, Caltech cannot and does not offer the breadth of academic programs possible at larger universities. It does, however, offer co-operative programs with other schools, such as the Pasadena Art Center College of Design, Occidental College, UCLA, and Scripps College.

Master of Science
The Master of Science degree is a professional degree designed to prepare a student for teaching, for further graduate studies, or for more advanced work in industry. Under normal circumstances, the requirements for the M.S. degree can be completed in one academic year.

Doctor of Philosophy

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy is conferred by the Institute primarily in recognition of depth of research, and the power to investigate problems independently and efficiently. The work for the degree must consist of research and the preparation of a thesis describing it, and of systematic studies of an advanced character, primarily in science or engineering.
In addition, the candidate must have acquired the power of clear and forceful self-expression in both oral and written English.
Minor Programs of Study

The Institute does not require a minor for the Ph.D. degree, but the individual options may have minor requirements as part of their requirements for the major. A minor program of study should be at a level of study in the minor substantially beyond that typically acquired by students as part of their major requirements.
Residency
At least nine terms (three academic years) of residence subsequent to a baccalaureate degree equivalent to that given by the Institute are required for the doctor’s degree

B.S/M.S Degree
In exceptional cases, undergraduate students may pursue a joint B.S./M.S. program of study in some options. Such students must follow the normal procedures for admission to the M.S. program in the option of their choice. Students attending courses or carrying out research toward an M.S. degree before completion of their B.S. degree requirements will be considered as undergraduate students and will not be eligible for graduate financial aid, graduate housing, or other graduate student privileges.

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M.D/Ph.D
This program is managed by the Division of Biology, in conjunction with UCLA and USC.

There are two programs available:

Caltech-UCLA Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)

A joint program between Caltech and the UCLA Medical School has been established for the granting of the the M.D./Ph.D. degree. Students do their preclinical and clinical work at UCLA, and their Ph.D. work with any member of the Caltech faculty, including the biology, chemistry, and engineering and applied science divisions.

The M.D. degree would be from UCLA and the Ph.D. would be awarded by Caltech. Ph.D. studies involving collaborations between laboratories at both institutions could lead to a joint degree with both schools being cited. For more information, see http://www.medsch.ucla.edu/mstp.

Caltech-USC M.D./Ph.D. Program
A joint program between Caltech and the USC (Keck) Medical School has been established for the granting of the M.D./Ph.D. degree. Students do their preclinical and clinical work at USC, and their Ph.D. work with any member of the Caltech faculty.

Admission to this joint program is made through the usual USC process, checking a box indicating interest in the Caltech option. The M.D. degree would be from USC and the Ph.D. would be awarded by Caltech. For more information, see the USC M.D./Ph.D. web page

Part-Time Degree Programs
Part-time graduate study programs at the Institute are for graduate students who cannot devote full time to their studies and are allowed to register only under special arrangements with a sponsoring organization, and such students are subject to the following rules:

Applicants for the part-time program must submit a regular application form accompanied by a detailed plan for meeting the course requirements for the degree.
Any research work done for academic credit shall be supervised by a Caltech faculty member.

In general, students admitted to the part-time program are required to take at least 27 units of graduate course work or research work each term during the first academic year.

Research at Caltech
Caltech’s research efforts and discoveries in the sciences are world renown. Graduate students enjoy the wide range of research opportunities that are available in the institute.

Caltech’s research facilities are top caliber. In addition, their students and faculty have the chance to do research in top notch facilities in other universities, research center, and private industry.

Some of their most prestigious research facilities are:

Funding Options
funding In general, most graduate students at Caltech receive full funding for their graduate education. In fact, approximately 99% of doctoral students have full financial support. Financial support for graduate students comes in the form of fellowships, research assistantships, teaching assistantships, or some combination of fellowship and assistantship support. In most cases financial assistance is awarded on an annual basis, and is based on satisfactory academic progress.

On average, more than 98% of graduate students offered admission at Caltech are offered a package of merit-based financial support that pays all tuition charges and provides them with a stipend. The only major exception is the case of students in terminal master’s programs, who in many cases are self-supported.

For an estimated budget visit this link. http://www.gradoffice.caltech.edu/images/estimatedbudget.pdf

Tags: fall, Funding options, GRE, MS in US, Scholarship, semester, structure, university
Posted in Application process, GRE Newbie, Motivational, Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

GRE Test Tips to get consumed in!

May 18th, 2010

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Answer every question. The GRE is not an exam where you go about skipping questions you’re unsure about. No one cares if you don’t really understand something and are making random guesses. You are not penalized for guessing on the GRE (unlike the SAT), so it’s in your best interest to answer every single question thrown at you, even the ones you don’t like.
Be sure of your answers especially when taking the Computer-Adaptive GRE. As you can’t go back to answer something you selected previously. On the computerized version, you’ll simply get a zero if you leave something blank. So make the correct choice the first time around!
Use the scratch paper. You will not be allowed to bring any papers to the testing center. However, you will be provided with scratch paper. Use it to solve math problems, outline your essay for the writing portion or write down formulas or vocabulary words you’ve memorized before the test.
Use a process of elimination. If you can rule out even one wrong answer, you’ll be in a much better chance for guessing if it comes to that. Instead of looking for the “right” answer, look for the “least wrong” answer. Most of the time, you’ll be able to narrow down your choices to two, which obviously gives you much better odds of getting the answers right.
Spend more time on the harder questions. Chances are good that you’ll be taking the computerized version of the GRE, so the scoring is scaled: harder questions equal more points. Even if you miss quite a few easy questions and get a smaller percentage of the harder ones correct, your score will be much better than if you answered all of the easy ones correctly and only answer a few difficult ones right. So plan your time accordingly. This is one of those GRE test tips to memorize.
Pace yourself. You may be a dreamer in real life, but during the GRE is not the right time to wander mentally off into space. You’ll only have about one minute per question for the verbal section and approximately two minutes per question in the math section. Two minutes may seem like a long time to answer a math question, and it would be for the easy questions, but once you’re doing the higher level questions, you’ll realize that the time is whittling away. So don’t waste it.
Don’t second-guess yourself. Statistics prove that your first answer choice is usually correct. Do not go back through the test and change your answers if you’re taking the paper test. Your first instinct is typically correct.
Mentally manage your stress. Once you’re sitting at the desk or in front of the computer screen, your ability to physically do too much to manage your stress about the GRE and its implications for your future dwindles. So, your best bet is to manage your stress mentally by repeating a positive phrase or envisioning the end result of all your hard work.
In the reading comprehension section, read the answers first. Instead of plunging ahead into the text, read what you need to be looking out for. You’ll save time and score more points by reading the answer choices before you read the text.
Outline. It may seem like this tip is outdated, but you can’t disregard the GRE writing section. Before you start writing, make sure you take five minutes to outline what you’re going to say first. Your organization and thought process will be much higher if you do.

That’s it! Join GREedge to get the latest tips from GRE experts.

Tags: Crack GRE, etymology, GRE, GRE questions, GRE score, GRE test tips, GRE tips, GREedge, MS in US, Quant, Verbal
Posted in GRE Experience, GRE Newbie, GRE Quant, GRE Verbal | 3 Comments »

Arizona State University – Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering

May 11th, 2010

Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering

The vision of Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering is “Leading Engineering Discovery and Innovative Education for Global Impact on Quality of Life”. The school drives the mission to produce the new engineers as well as discovered that will assist the quality of research in the US and beyond. The mission of the school is, Deirdre R. Meldrum, Dean says, “Provide an Environment Rich in Transdisciplinary Research, Education, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership Resulting in Successful Engineers and Technologies that Benefit Society.”

To know more about why Fulton is different from other engineering schools, refer to: http://engineering.asu.edu/fultondifference

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ASU College of Technology and Innovation

The College of Technology and Innovation is the core college on ASU’s Polytechnic campus, which enrolls more than 9,000 students on a 600-acre campus built in a beautiful desert arboretum in the dynamic, growing Gateway region on the southeast edge of the Greater Phoenix metropolitan area.

The Dean and Vice President of the university Keith Hjelmstad expresses the mission of the school as, “Creating the ideal environment for students to prepare for a future built around technology”.

To know more about why ASU College of Technology and Innovation is different from others, refer to:
http://technology.asu.edu/home

Tags: courses, Funding options, GRE, MS in US, Scholarship, university
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Scope of Biosciences at Keck Graduate Institute (KGI), Claremont

May 10th, 2010

The university of the fortnight is Keck Graduate Institute (KGI), Claremont. KGI being the best institute for Applied Sciences in the US, takes the pride in offering MBS (Master of Bioscience) – a unique program of the institute.

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Information on MBS Program: KGI’s two-year MBS degree program educates technically savvy professionals for the bioscience industry. The MBS degree is increasingly spreading its riches in the student community. KGI, though not a university, but a specialized institute for Applied Sciences has put in lot of good research into the field. The program is successful in catalyzing the concepts of basic life sciences into useful products and services that are in turn used in sorting out the real life issues.

Adding to the voluminous scope of the degree in students’ career, in the second year of the course, the students will be involved in Team Masters Projects, wherein, they will be given the opportunity of working with the sponsoring companies to solve the real problems. “This industrial tie-up is a good dais to the students to get into the corporate world and to come out in flying colours”, says Durga a student of GREedge who got an admission for MBS at KGI.

Financial Aid To the support the aspirations of the students, KGI offers scholarships up to USD 30,000 -50,000 for the two-year course. In addition to this, KGI also considers offering loans to the students based on the need and which the students can repay within 10 years after the completion of their graduation.

Student support The institute also receives the students to KGI through a host family. They pick the students from the airport and provide accommodation and guidance to the students for 10 days and would also assist the students to secure themselves in an apartment.

Tags: Funding options, GRE, MS in US, Scholarship, university
Posted in Application process | 7 Comments »

Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Financing/scholarship options

April 26th, 2010

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of the foremost institutions in US that is taking ahead the higher education blended with the technology with a motto advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century.

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Financial aid at Massachusetts: MIT is no less than any other university in providing the students with the scholarships and loans to make their dreams come true. MIT has many schemes of funding. It has loans, scholarships and grants. In MIT, there are two kinds of loans: loans based on financial need and that are not. Generally, loans that are based on financial need have lower interest rates and need not be payed back till the completion of the course. Loans based on need are available to any under graduate, graduate and professional student of the institute. Generally, this loan is either issued by the federal government or by MIT.

Loans that are not based on the need are available to both the students as well as to their parents. Generally, here, the interest rates are bit higher than the previous scheme. In this scheme, if the students take the loan they need not repay till they leave the school, but if the parents take the loan, the loan is supposed to be repaid before the student leaves the school. Furthermore, there are a variety of repayment options like; Standard repayment, Extended repayment, Graduated repayment, Income-contingent repayment, Income-based repayment. For more information, refer to: http://web.mit.edu/sfs/loans/get_a_loan.htm

Scholarships and grants are those funding options that student will avail that are purely merit-based. Occasionally, MIT does consider granting the scholarships on need-based issues. For more information on scholarships, refer to: http://web.mit.edu/sfs/scholarships/index.html MIT also has a facility for on and off campus jobs for students.

To know more, refer to: http://web.mit.edu/sfs/jobs/index.html

Tags: fall, Funding options, GRE, MS in US, Scholarship, university
Posted in Application process | 5 Comments »

The biggest obstacle for students planning to go to the US: Fear of expense.

April 21st, 2010

Anyone who wishes to pursue higher education in the US can do so without apprehension. Scholarships, fellowships, students’ loans from universities and governments are available for those who care to look.

Today, find details on funding options provided by Stanford University (in the following days find more information on funding options provided by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Columbia University, Stanford University.

For students around the world, US is a land of education with world-class facilities. The quality of education, the facilities, the career opportunities are making every graduate to make their moves towards this land of education. Studying in US is the wish of many hearts, but is the gift for only some Grey cells. The reasons for this are many. The most important issue that hampers the students to go for the US is the expenses. There is not a flea’s breath of doubt to say that the study in US would cost the students an earth!

Finances are a concern for most graduate students and their families. The outnumbering fears of expenses would make some even nip the budding wishes. But for now, anyone who wishes to pursue his/her higher education in the US can do so without any apprehension. The announcement of scholarships, fellowships, students’ loans etc., from the universities and the respective governments sounded the death knell to all the dubious thoughts of students and their families about the education in US. Now, it is no more the goblet of an elite; it is the earthen pot of every commoner.

Each and every university is striving hard to attract as many international students as possible by announcing various funding options. There is no denying that graduate education at some of the top 10 universities in the US like Harvard University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Columbia University is difficult. Nevertheless, these universities have come up with different funding options that are flexible to the student community.

Stanford University will be one among the priority list of the students to select the universities. Established by Leland and Jane Stanford in 1891 to “promote the public welfare by exercising an influence on behalf of humanity and civilization”, Stanford continues to remain dedicated to finding solutions of the day and to preparing the students for leadership in today’s complex world. Every year, Stanford contributes to creating history with over 8,000 students pursuing degrees in more than 65 departments and programs.

Funding at Stanford In Stanford, financial assistance varies considerably from departments, schools, and programs. Some of the important considerations in awarding of graduate financial support are academic record and the availability of funds. Usually, in Stanford, Master’s students do not receive funding. Most fund the tuition expenses through loans or savings. Fellowships and assistantships are rarely given to students enrolled in master’s programs.

Professional students (J.D, M.B.A., M.D.) often rely on loans. Financial aid for professional programs is managed through the financial aid offices of the law, business, and medical schools. Upon admission to a doctoral program, students are usually offered a funding package that includes tuition and a stipend for living expenses for four to five years. This package may also include support through assistantships for part of the program.

Types of Funding : Students usually combine a variety of sources of funding over their time in graduate school.
• Research and teaching assistantships (work on campus that is directly related to students’ academic progress)
• University or departmental fellowships
• External financial support awarded to students directly by foundations or government agencies (most requiring that students apply directly)
• Jobs on or off campus unrelated to students’ academic work
• Loans

For further information on funding refer to:

http://vpge.stanford.edu/funding/
http://vpge.stanford.edu/funding/basics.html
http://vpge.stanford.edu/funding/vpgefellowships.html http://vpge.stanford.edu/funding/project.html
http://vpge.stanford.edu/funding/other.html
http://vpge.stanford.edu/funding/sources.html

Tags: Funding options, GRE, GRE news, GREedge, MS in US, Scholarship, semester, structure, university
Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

Will the Old GRE score be valid even after August 2011, after the new pattern takes effect?

April 17th, 2010

Recently I have seen a lot of students (both GREedge.com and non – GREedge.com students) ask questions regarding the validity of the old GRE scores. There are even many rumors amongst the students, that the old GRE (Exam taken before the revised GRE pattern takes effect) scores will not be valid after August 2011 (after the revised GRE pattern comes into effect). I will try clarifying some frequent doubts in this post.

Many students also seem to have a doubt on how long the old GRE scores would be valid for, will it hold well even by 2011 ending. In reply – Yes, they will remain valid for 5 years (from the date of your GRE) as is the case currently. Just to give you some more clarity, imagine if you have written your GRE by August 2010, your GRE score will be valid until August 2015.

Some students also doubt if the schools will start discriminating amongst the old and revised GRE exam students. Will the schools actually accept the old GRE students as well? Yes, you can be rest assured that the old GRE scores will be accepted until they have not expired. ETS has made it clear in their updates that the schools must not discriminate between students basing on GRE pattern. Now, what if there is a case that a student has given his GRE more than once? In this case, the schools will base his admissions on the scores of the revised GRE pattern.

Last but not the least, I hope this clarifies all your doubts and puts to rest all the rumors about the revised GRE pattern. Follow this blog to be updated on the recent changes in GRE pattern from time to time and also get various preparatory materials, techniques, and methods to crack the GRE. Register with GREedge and receive the latest updates on the current trends in GRE.

Source: ETS website.

Tags: GRE news, GRE pattern, GRE score, New GRE pattern
Posted in GRE Newbie, Revised GRE, Uncategorized | 19 Comments »

Nothing is impossible at 98

January 7th, 2010

If Fauja Singh can achieve at 98, what's stopping you?

Fauja Singh, Britain ’s most popular Sikh is 98 now, the oldest runner in London Marathon. He is threatening to break his own world record of 5.40 hours in the 90 plus age bracket that he set previously.
While running Marathon races in London , New York and Toronto, he raised thousands of pounds for various charities promoting Sikh culture around the world.
He has also raised money for B.L.I.S.S., a charity dedicated to the care for premature babies. He describes it as the “oldest running for the youngest.”
Fauja’s jogging skills were developed on an Indian farm in Punjab, and then at the magical age of 81, when he moved to the UK , his love for the sport became more “serious”.
His current personal best time for the London marathon is 6 hours 2 minutes, and his marathon record, for age 90-plus, is 5 hours 40 minutes. Fauja Singh shot to fame, when aged 89, he completed the gruelling 26.2 mile distance in 6 hours and 54 minutes. This knocked 58 minutes off the previous world best for anyone in the 90 plus age bracket.
The career of this extraordinary marathon runner is closely supervised by his personal trainer Harminder Singh. He says, “He can still run for a few more years. And he might be the oldest man to run a Marathon.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: GRE, GREedge, inspiration
Posted in Motivational | No Comments »

7 New Year’s Resolutions for your GRE

December 31st, 2009

Plan your GRE prep Take a diagnostic test to decide which areas you need to focus on. Hammer out a plan with deadlines by which you will create improvements. You can sign up for a diagnostic GRE test

Plan your GRE prep, find GRE support & take it one step at a time...
Take it one step at a time Small changes to your regular habits can add up to substantial gains. Let’s say, you review ten GRE words for each hour you spend online. You will? Here’s an easy way to work out your GRE vocabulary as you browse.
Talk about the GRE You don’t have to bore friends with the intimate details of your GRE preparation. Take your anxieties and questions to a friendly forum
Find others taking the GRE You can find GRE friends and ask around for GRE resources within your favorite sites. Spend much time on Facebook? Here’s a Facebook GRE resource
Talk to fellow GRE aspirants You will become frustrated faster if you think you’re doing this alone. Join communities where you will find fellow aspirants
Tweet about the GRE Use networking time to brush up on your GRE prep. You can find several GRE resources on Twitter. You can follow GREedge here
Ask for GRE help Have a question? Want help with a specific topic? Leave a comment or request a blog post below. You’ll get it.

Tags: Facebook, GRE, GRE forum, GREedge, Orkut, Quant, Twitter, Verbal
Posted in GRE Newbie, GRE Quant, GRE Verbal | 1 Comment »

Score Booster Technology

December 23rd, 2009

In this space, we’ll talk about all things tech. Whenever you are studying through any of our software – be it the Learning Tracker, the GREedge toolbar, the mobile wordlist, whenever your personal coach analyzes your performance and gives you feedback, whenever authors create your lessons and tests… the underlying technology delivers these fantastic learning experiences for you.

It is developed by the Research & Development team at GREedge and this the space is where we rant, rave, hypothesize, vent, joke and otherwise share our experiences on technology. (And while software or algorithms may not be asked on the GRE General Exam, you just might work on these at graduate school or in your career!)

Many software developers tend to think that only logical bugs are bugs worth fixing, and usability problems are not even worth a discussion, leave alone fixing. Let me ask you this: Ever found yourself resizing mySQL columns after running every query? Ever wished you didn’t have to do that every single time and that mySQL would please please auto-resize instead?

Well, this is a known “bug” (the developers might even call it a “feature”). Technically, it is not a logical bug, but a usability bug. It’s been around for years now – you can see the conversation thread here: http://bugs.mysql.com/bug.php?id=13760

Now the interesting this is that lots of people want this bug fixed, but the mySQL developers don’t bother to change it. Listen to a couple of mySQL users venting their frustration below:

[18 Jun 2008 17:27] Harald Groven This bug/feature is one of the two reasons that makes me prefer PhpMyAdmin to Mysql Query Browser. HTML-tables auto fits and autowraps nicely. The other reason is the lack access to an easlily accessible table of table metadata.

[5 Mar 2009 5:35] Howard Bayne I came here looking for an answer to this issue and instead I found out it’s a known issue that’s been on the table for over three years. It seems the developers and the users of this tool have differing views on usability.

[18 Mar 2009 17:30] Andrew Roe This is honestly a real nuisance. As developeres and DBAs, we are in the business of streamlining diagnostic processes wherever possible and the lack of response to this all too common request this is highly frustrating.

This mySQL bug was just one example. There are many such bugs in lots of software and languages meant to be used by developers.

Now the point I’m trying to make is this: Just like we who write software feel frustrated when some tool or api we use is buggy, those who use our software (students, SFAs, lesson developers and others) will feel equally frustrated when they use buggy tools. At least mySQL developers have the excuse that their code is open source and their users are also developers, so their users are welcome to roll up their sleeves and fix the bug. But it’s a poor excuse and anyway we don’t have that excuse.

Now, in our R&D labs, if we don’t like the tools we use, we change them, right? We switch from one platform to another, one tool to another, one language to another. Our users have similar choices too – there lots of content authoring and grading tools, CRM apps, etc. But there’s NOTHING out there like the potent combination of what we have, we believe in the quality and power of our learning platform. So, instead of being complacent, we got to roll up our sleeves and start fixing all the issues there are, according to the user pain threshold they cause.

Summary: A bug doesn’t have to produce wrong results for it to be “worth fixing”. There are lots of software out there that crunch the numbers right or do whatever else they’re supposed to do, but only a few of them become popular and appreciated. Why so? It’s because they reduce the user’s pain. Many users may not even be able to articulate their difficulty. But we got to understand their language if we want them to use and derive value from what we write.

So, always strive to fix irritating and painful bugs quickly. It might not seem like a bug to you as a developer. But to the user, it is a bug, even if they can’t articulate it or propose a fix. To rephrase Gertrude Stein, a bug is a bug is a bug.

And dear users, if you happen to be reading this, and if there are some bugs on the Learning Tracker or the GREedge Toolbar or any of our other software that annoy you, please write to me at webteam@vepl.com. We know there are pain points and bugs lurking in there and we are working on them. That’s part of our job, to provide you better learning experiences and we love what we do!

Tags: GREedge, technology
Posted in GREedge Tech | 1 Comment »