TOEFL – READING COMPREHENSION TIPS!

 TOEFL – READING COMPREHENSION TIPS!

The first Section that you will have in TOEFL iBT exam is the Reading Section. The Reading Section of TOEL iBT measures your ability to read and apprehend academic based passages in English. You have to have a strong and effective Reading Skills that will help you achieve high Score in the Reading Sectopn. As we discussed in our previous TOEFL iBT Format Blog; with its 4 Sectional division of Reading, Listening, Speaking & Writing, in my TODAYS BLOG, we will be learning about the 1^st Section of READING SKILLS & its STRATEGIES.

There are 3 main purposes for Academic Reading in TOEFL iBT:

1. Reading to find related information

2.Understanding the Basic comprehension

3. Reading to learn

The Reading Section in TOEFL iBT consists of 3-5 Passages; each Passage is about 500-700 words long. Each Reading passage is followed by 12 – 14 questions related to the passage. The complete time frame for the reading Section is 60 – 80 Minutes, depending on the number of passages appear.

The total time dedicated to all the passage is for 60 -80 minutes for reading and answering the questions, this time as mention varies depending on the number of Passages that appear going up to maximum of 80 Minutes. The system will automatically stop you after the time ends, so you must be very attentive on the time. Thus, you must be not only good at reading and grasping the details of the passage but also pretty quickly in it.

 10 Strategies for Reading Comprehension:

1) When you have at least 3 month in hand: I suggest you Read, Read & Read a lot. Keep a regular habit of reading English Newspaper that will particularly enhance your reading skills. Emphasis on academic based reading particularly, from university textbooks or other materials. Don’t just read on topics that interest you. Your Reading Comprehension passage comes from wide range of Topics, Therefore, expand your reading topics, whether is suits your interests of NOT, whether its boring or interesting, make it a point that you read from different subjects & topics like History, Arts, Sociology, science, Finance, Social science, Business journals, Archeology, Geography, Economics, and any others. Academic texts, apart from textbooks, these could be found in variety of articles in various Publications like Nat Geo Magazines etc. and academic publications Or on the Internet or your university libraries.

2) Strengthen your vocabulary: When reading any topic on different subjects you should make your own set of vocabulary. Improve your vocabulary by starting with Root Prefixes & Suffixes first, have a grip over your Root Words, the origin of these words, this you will find in my previous Blog on VOCABULARY. Then make separate list, organize your list in topics for better results may be alphabetically. Study through Flash cards, there are lots of flashcards available by various publications like Barron’s, Kaplan & Princton, study them when you are travelling in Train, Bus, Or Car make best use of your travel time. Or you can make your own flashcards to help you learn those set of Vocabulary. Use the words learned in your writings and speaking section of your TOEFL / SAT / GRE OR GMAT.

3) Take rough notes: You are provided with a rough sheet to take notes on them, make full use of it – take notes on that paper. It is an absolute essential element, as it’s difficult to remember all facts and details from a reading text in order to answer the questions. You don’t want to waste your time in searching details over & over again in the passage. So, the best thing to do is to keep taking note with line numbers for reference. While skimming and reading the texts you should jot down all key facts and details so find them when, you need them.

4) Skim the Passage: Skimming is reading the passage in about 30 seconds, just an over all look on the passage. Skimming means having a quickly glance of the Passage to obtain very first idea / imprint on what the passage is about, or get a rough idea of what is its main idea of it. Train yourself to skim quickly through the passage, without wasting much of your time and by identifying the main point & key words in the passage. Taking notes will help you sail through this.

5)  Read Passage after skimming : Once your skimming is done, read the Passage carefully looking for details & facts. Look for key words & Phrases mentioned in the passage. Particularly the 3 Major types of transition Words: Connection, Progression & Contradiction, along with them look for Phrases, idioms and Adjective words. It will enlighten you with author’s opinion and point of view. As only skimming is not enough. Reading it more carefully, but don’t forget you do not have much time. Keep taking notes; make it a habit whenever you solve any practice test. You need to understand the ClassificationOR Types of Passages like – classification, Rhetorical Type, Cause & effect, Persuasive, Factual Type, Detailed type, compare or contrast, Narrative, Problem OR solution, Sarcastic Type, etc.

6) Make an intelligent guess the word meaning: Use your knowledge of Prefixes, Root & Suffixes in order to identify the meaning of the word from the passages; refer to its context to get the over all meaning of it. Guessing the words from the context is very easy, as it must not be a dictionary meaning. You save on time and it its very quick.

7)  Practice, Practice & Practice a lot: Practicing in a proper exam environment will help you deal with exam pressure better. Try to take a minimum of 5 Full-length Test before your main TOEFL Exam. You need to always remember that TOEFL is a standardized test. This means it always follows the same format. Keep practicing tests to familiarize yourself with the format and testing conditions and keeping track of your time.

There are lots of Free Online Testing site to help you attain good score in respective sections like:

1) http://www.testden.com/challenge/free-toefl.asp

2) http://www.4tests.com/toefl

8)  Remember: That all the answer are present in the Passage, you are not expected to answer from your opinion. Through the Reading Comprehension it tests your ability to understand and comprehend ideas related to the passage. Hence focus on reading & cognizing the over all idea of the passage.

9) As discussed earlier understand and keep taking note with line numbers so you can quickly reach that part, Note down the Main Topic or its Main idea and the Key words / points or Phrases when reading the passages, and use your notes for answering the questions.

10) Read the questions careful, remember if you interpret the meaning of the question wrong, you will choose a wrong answer, so be careful! However, remember that the answer to all the questions are in the information provided in the passages itself. Try to answer these questions using what you have understood from the read passages.

If you want to get a superb score in the TOEFL Reading Section my advice – Keep Practicing!

ALL THE BEST for your TOEFL EXAM !!

See you in my next Blog on the Different TYPES of QUESTION & and its approach, under the TOEFL READING SECTION, which will help you score high in READING PASSAGES.

Till then Adios mi amigos !! 😀

Shraddha

TOEFL – SPEAKING TIPS !!

Hello, My awesome students …!  

As discussed with you all, we will study & now more about the TOEFL Speaking Tips :These simple tips will assist you achieve higher score on the Speaking section of TOEFL exam.

Content under the Speaking Section of TOEFL:

It comes directly after the 10-minute break. It measures the test taker’s ability to converse and communicate in the Speaking section of English. The Speaking section of TOEFL consists six tasks, majorly into two types – independent speaking tasks (2 tasks) and integrated speaking tasks (4 tasks). Students must demonstrate that they are able to comprehend & communicate fluently as per the questioned asked.

Speaking Section

The speaking section measures your ability to speak in English about a variety of topics.

The format of the speaking section is given below.

• Time limit : 20 min.
• You may take notes on paper, and you may use them to answer your questions.

Know the content of your TOEFL Exam 🙂

Directions: The Speaking section in the test measures your ability to speak about a variety of topics. As per the http://www.ets.org/toefl

• In questions 1 and 2, in an actual test, your response will be scored on your ability to speak clearly and coherently about familiar topics.

• In questions 3 and 4, in an actual test, you will first read a short text and then listen to a talk on the same topic. You will have to combine appropriate information from the text and the talk to provide a complete answer. Your response will be scored on your ability to accurately convey information, and to speak clearly and coherently. In this sampler, you will read both the text and the talk.

• In questions 5 and 6, in an actual test, you will listen to part of a conversation or lecture. Then, you will be asked a question about what you have heard. Your response will be scored on your ability to accurately convey information, and to speak clearly and coherently. In this sampler, you will read the conversation.

TOEFL is Awesoeme! The most easy Exam I have ever come across!! 😀

The First 2 TasksYou are expected to do the following things:

• Speaking need a clear Structure of your response.
• Try to speak the way you as an individual speaks, try not to Speak in a Accent, as I warn not to use such accent based speaking. Just focus on speak than on accent, just be as clearly as possible. Have a clear Pronunciation of what you speak.
• The Structure MUST include an introduction Quote, a body and a conclusion.
• A Smoother transition from one part to another is important in a very clear, logical, specific and organized manner.
• Avoid using Pause sounds like Hmm… Aaaa…. Weelll… Umm… with long sound involved in it. Be short & clear in your approach.
• Try not to use High Level English Vocabulary, be clear & specific in your approach, and speak as confident as you can in an expressive manner. i.e: Use Simplicity English.
• For the Give Topic you are expected to provide a maximum of three reasons & examples with detail for your response. You are expected to not go around the bush.
• Use Specific Adjectives to clarify your thoughts & Ideas. The Usage of Verbs is more functioning and makes your English sound more attention grabbing – Use them frequently.
• Speak clearly, so that the listener understands what you speak. Try not sounding too ROBOTIC or taking lots of Long Pauses in a sentence. It’s always good to speak using your points which the examiner can understand your words, that to speak randomly.
• Always concluding your topic, because it shows that you were not in a hurry, but got good time to conclude your Topic. It leaves a good impression on the listener.

Independent Task 1 TOPICS : Asks you to Describe the given topic.

Examples Topics : Describe a teacher who has influenced you and why. Be sure to include specific details and examples in your response.

You have 15 Secs to Prepare and have 45 Secs to Respond (Record) your answer.

Sample Response :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux2Q0upiD_0

Similarly , following are few Sample Question on Task 1 of Speaking Section: 

1.Who is your best friend? Describe this person and say why do you consider this person as your best friend.

2. What is your favorite place to visit ? Explain in brief why it is your favorite place to go with specific examples.

3. What is your happiest childhood memory? Describe it and give reasons to explain why it is your happiest memory.

4. Who is your most favourite charter in History? Describe the reason for him/her to your favourite.

Independent Task 2 (Preference Based) TOPICS :You are given a choice and you need to take a STAND and You cannot be Neutral on the given topic.

Examples Topics : What do you prefer to get News from, by reading a NEWSPAPER or Watching LIVE T.V. NEWS ? Please choose which one & describe it with reasons you so? Use specific details and examples in your response.

You have 15 Secs to Prepare And have 45 Secs to Respond (Record) your answer.

Similarly , following are few Sample Question on Task 2 of Speaking Section: 

1. What do you prefer to go out to dinner or stay home and cook a meal? please choose one and use reasons to support your response.

2. What do you prefer to Study alone or in a group? Please choose one and explain in details you point of view with example.

3. Some people prefer to Study abroad or Study in your home country? Please choose one and explain in details you point of view with example.

4.“Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in and why? Please choose one and explain in details you point of view with example.

Sample Response : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjS74bf2v3A

Hope you liked it, Post your comments & likes !!

Have fun !! Lets meet next time with a Reading Section of TOEFL !! 🙂

Adios Amigos 😀 !

F.A.C.T.

 Visit: http://www.ets.org for TOEFL’s Official Website for details!

SAT/ GRE – ESSAY WRITING TIPS !

Hello Guyz… Welcome once again to F.A.C.T.  – SAT Writing TIP!

  

Starting with SAT – Essay Writing Section!

One thing that you MUST always keep in Mind is that You MUST always KNOW the DIRECTION before hand, and do not waste your valuable time in reading Direction during your EXAM.

So Lets, start with few basic things KNOWING the DIRECTION : http://sat.collegeboard.org

The SAT essay measures your ability to:

• develop a point of view on an issue presented in an excerpt
• support your point of view using reasoning and examples from your reading, studies, experience, or observations
• follow the conventions of standard written English

The essay gives you an opportunity to show how effectively you can develop and express ideas. You should, therefore, take care to develop your point of view, present your ideas logically and clearly, and use language precisely.

Your essay must be written on the lines provided on your answer sheet — you will receive no other paper on which to write. You will have enough space if you write on every line, avoid wide margins, and keep your handwriting to a reasonable size. Remember that people who are not familiar with your handwriting will read what you write. Try to write or print so that what you are writing is legible to those readers.

You can practice writing essays using the essay prompts from the most recent SAT from http://sat.collegeboard.org. website.

Few Very Important COLLAGE BOARD RULES :

Important THINGS During exam :

1. A pencil is required for the essay. An essay written in ink will receive a score of zero.
2. Do not write your essay in your test book. You will receive credit only for what you write on your answer sheet.
3. An off-topic essay will receive a score of zero.
4. If your essay does not reflect your original and individual work, your test scores may be canceled.

How does it look ??

SAMPLE ESSAY : The SAT examination begins with a 25-minute writing task: The essay; You have no choice of topic: you have to write on the prompt ESSAY TOPIC given in a text box. For example you may see something like this:

Underneath the prompt is the assignment a statement that clarifies what you are supposed to do. For example, after the issue given in the prompt above, you might see: Assignment:  Plan your response, and then write an essay to explain your views on this issue. Be sure to support your position with specific points and examples. (You may use personal examples or examples from your reading, observations, or, knowledge of subjects such as history, literature, science.)

The examiners tell us in the Official Guide to the SAT that there is no formula for writing an effective essay. I suggest that you practice a few practice essays within a set TIME.

BRAINSTORMING :NOW HERE IS HOW TO FRAME YOUR ESSAY :

Since the Essay is of 25 Minutes spend around 2 or 3 minutes making OUTLINES OR DRAWING notes and organizing your thoughts. Spend about 20 minutes writing your essay. Spend 1 or 2 minutes for proofreading your essay. Use & Divide your Time very Efficiently!

Think over the following things:

• What claims does the author make?
  • Why do they sound good? Is it the logic, the sources, the writing, the structure? Is it something else?
• What evidence does the author present? (Look for his Examples)
  • Why does the evidence sound credible? How does the author present facts, and what is his/her approach to telling a story with facts?
• Is the logic sound or faulty, and why?
  • Why is the logic sound? Does the author back up his/her claims with examples that are easy to follow?

                                            ——————-@–@–@–@–@——————

Scrutinize your ESSAY Carefully! 

1. You have in all ONLY 25 minutes to plan effectively and write an essay on the assigned topic. You will have line space for writing notes to help you organize your thoughts, write within that only , as you will not be provided with extra sheet.
2. Use Quotations related to the TOPIC of prompt issue at hand.
3. Keep a tab on TIME,  plan your time during the practice test itself !!!
4. Notice that this topic, or prompt, features a quote about an issue to which you are asked to respond. It is written with the intent that you will be able to respond quickly regardless of your background or interests.
5. The Topic, or prompt, could have a one quote or a pair of quotes (two quotes) about an issue at hand to guide you better.
6. Try not be over smart by using Large writing, filling pages, it does not serve the purpose,Try not to leave extensive wide margins.
7. The assignment will ask you to give your view on a topic. Support your point of view with reasoning and specific details or examples out of your experience drawn by you over the years.
8. Any Drift from the Topic mentioned to write on will not fetch you marks. So, Make sure that the essay you write is on the mentioned topic only.
9. Use Correct Grammar, make it a point that you use correct form of Standard written English Grammar and your PUNCTUATIONs are used well.
10. You are expected to write of Minimum of 3 to 4 Paragraph of ESSAY. Very short essays will receive very low scores. Aim for at least three paragraphs.
11. Be clear & specific to your Point / idea / argument, not vague . Your readers are not, as you may suppose draw inference from your writing. They are looking for Clear,Logical & Specific details,with concrete evidence of some kind used to support your point of view and ideas.
12. Remember: Your essay should be clear and effective.
13. Do not forget to write the CONCLUSION, Without a proper conclusion it looks incomplete  you may loose points on it!
14. Do not forget to PROOFREAD it, you might notice that Facebook & Wass app has ruined your English Writing with all the Shortcuts! as , wen U mght Bf9 with it!  (Avoid it – Rather NOTICE IT)
15. Last but not the least, Quality Matters NOT the QUANTITY! , So don’t write lengthy essay write quality essay.

                                                    ——————–@–@–@–@–@——————

CREATE OUTLINE OF YOUR ESSAY within 2-3 Min.

Brainstorm and assemble, anther collect your Ideas into an outline. Write a topic sentence for your main ideas. Then, underneath, make bullet points for every Paragraph and list your supporting evidence as per requirement. Generally, you want a min. of 3 arguments or pieces of evidence to support each main idea.

Paragraph 1: Introduction

Explain, in your own words, what the issue is. Include a thesis statement, which is a clear statement of your point of view/ idea / argument.

Paragraph 2: Point one in support of your thesis Statement

• Example 1 : ABCDEFG
• DETAIL : …… Explain the point you are making with the aid of a specific example with detail, Write the point & example you want to use in 1 -3 words. Explain every point you make is related to the Question or Issue / Topic asked. Look at the ideas / points/ examples that you came up with. Choose one to three of your strongest ideas that supports your topic the best. You should be able to support these ideas with evidence from your ideas/ experiences & studies drawn from over the years.

Paragraph 3: Point two in support of your thesis statement

• Example 1 : ABCDEFG
• DETAIL : …..Explain the point you are making with the aid of a specific example, again write the point & example you want to use in 1 -3 words supporting your IDEA!
• Use Correct TRANSITION WORDS to connect two Paragraphs.

Paragraph 4: Qualification

• Example 1 : ABCDEFG
• DETAIL : …… Explain that, under certain circumstances, the opposite point of view might be correct. (This is to show that you are aware of all aspects of the issue, even though you are 80-90% convinced of your thesis.) [Sometimes this paragraph is replaced by another point and/or further discussion or reasoning.]

Paragraph 5: Reinforcement of thesis / CONCLUSION

Show how your  idea / argument/ viewpoint, despite the qualification you have just made, is more persuasive under the present circumstances.Draw your themes together.

                              ————————@–@–@–@–@———————-

I hope you got how to Write an effective Essay for SAT or GRE. Plan & Write effectively!

 Tell us about your Experience, Tips, Ideas on SAT / GRE ESSAY – see you soon with New TIPS on Other Writing Topics!

Have Fun! Gracias , Amigos! 🙂

F.A.C.T. Or VISIT Our FACEBOOK PAGE on FACT  🙂

FACT SEMINAR in APRIL!

Hi Everyone!

MISSED the SEMINAR ??  NO Worries… Call on the respective Office to Meet the COUNSELLORS, One on One, for Expert Guidance ON YOUR CAREER!  OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE on F.A.C.T. !

Careers after 12th & Diploma are getting increasingly “UNCERTAIN” in India. Every year, lacs of students appear for IIT-JEE, AIEEE and the state CETs. A Seminar by well known Career Advisor Mr.Sunil Shah who guided more that 10,000 + students to study abroad ranging from HSC to Ph.D.

We are very pleased to say that the dates for our Seminar for X , XII & Diploma students in the month of April 2014 are as follows:

PLACE – DATE    –  DAY  –   SEMINAR TIMING         – PHONE No.
Thane – 05 April’14 – SAT – 1.00 pm to 3.00 pm    – Call on  025397777
Dadar – 05 April’14 – SAT – 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm    – Call on  024170056
Borivali – 05 April’14 – SAT – 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm  – Call on  028984773
Vashi – 06 April’14 – SUN – 10:00 am to 12.00 pm – Call on 065224435

Its always better to take a Professional Guidance before starting thing on your own, it give you a clear picture of the Process!

So, complete your online Registration soon & for more details about the event and happenings at respective days, Visit us on http://www.gurukulonweb.com/hsc.html Or CALL US on the ABOVE  RESPECTIVE Nos.

 

 See you soon then! 🙂

 

TOEFL Registrations!

Hello Every one ,

Today I thought that I we will discuss about TOEFL iBT and how to go about its registration details.

TOEFL is conducted by ets.org

I have always been asked by students about  its registration & University unloading details, so i thought to hare it with all of you.

TOEFL is abbreviation for Test of English as a Foreign Language. It’s international test conducted by ETS that is Educational Testing Service. The TOEFL Exam is compulsory for students who come from Non – English Background, i.e. If you do not come from a country where English is NOT you 1st Language then you are required to take the TOEFL Exam. This exam basically conducted to estimate a level of English language of foreigner speakers. Many university need students to take and pass TOEFL with Minimum requirement of 85+ to enter students to there Masters or Undergraduate Programs. TOEFL is accepted in more than 300 Universities in USA and Canada; and more than 150 world countries accept TOEFL certificates. TOEFL certificates can be accepted even in UK. If you are planning early to start preparing for higher education , you can take TOEFL Exam as its Valid for 2 Years and the registration Fees changes as per your area you leave, like TOEFL Fees in INDIA is $ 165 and UAE $ 235. 

TOEFL iBT Test has four sections consisting the 4 division of English language skills like of Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. It is approximately 4 hours long, with an obligatory 10-minute break after the Listening section.

At FACT we train you to prepare you for these specific section with online tests & evaluation of every test that you take.

TOEFL iBT Test is approximately 4 hours long

‘TOEFL iBT Test is for 4 hours long so be prepared to sit that long’

 

Scoring On The TOEFL iBT Test – The TOEFL score report will show:

1. Separate Score of 0 to 30 for each of the Four Sections of the language skills
2. Total test score of 0 to 120

Uploading Of your Universities: You can upload the names of 4 Universities for FREE, under the Test Services in your Account, but this should be done BEFORE the Exam , as after the exam you pay  $18 for each university you upload.

For more information: Visit the official website: www.ets.org/toefl

There are various books available to prepare yourself or TOEFL like …

Will meet next time with Tips for every section of TOEFL, till then adios… 🙂

Byeee… All the best!

A Night on a Dhow Cruise!

People in this day and age have forgotten a really important and necessary skill, the absence of which makes life quite dull, that’s why I have always looked at doctors with pity wondering how they could devote so much of their lives to work and considerably less to play.  You may have guessed that I’m talking about having a good time, letting your hair down, or fun as it’s generally called. Now I know you’re wondering if I’ve written this just to discuss my petty views and opinions, well no. What I’m really trying to say or rather recount are the happenings of a particular night which I thought to be rather fun.

We had been through a rather grueling six days of study which was both educational, tiring and Fun filled week, for we were preparing for our SAT’s. We at F.A.C.T. conducted a 7 Day ‘SAT – WORKSHOP’, which was a combination of Fun & Tedious all together! For all 7 days we studied English & Math solving worksheets, watching movies as well, in the Breaks! Guess what by whom? – by our Teachers on a Projector! Can you believe that!

 

I being a student at FACT, was a part of this amazing course and be a team member of this. So, it was decided that we should reward ourselves with a well-deserved evening of fun and frivolity, but here’s the thing about having an evening out and trying to write about it; time flies and everything goes by in a blur, as though the human condition has been put under some kind of spell. We decided to go on a Dhow Cruise! The day was too hot to go sailing on a boat so we went in the evening, although it was still clammy and I was exposed to the salty spray of the night sea and the constant rocking back and forth of the boat, but this soon fades away until you can barely feel it; soon, floating rounds of cold drinks are served until the air is alive with chatter and laughter and casual innuendo and pointless conversations forgotten on the spot. As the lights die down and the sea lurches away from the earth, we sat grouped up in tables each lit by a lone candle like stars on a black sky. The groups change more swiftly, swell as they form two large groups and then dissolve and form again in the same breath.

‘That Fun-filled Memorable Night!’

As the night wore on it came time to eat of which I did little, I managed to grab a quick bite but that was it. I found myself looking into a mirror at some point in the evening in some cabin beneath the boat, I could hear the dull roar of the party somewhere above me. Later a man walked up to the floor, dressed peculiarly in a frock dress and shirt with intricate markings upon it, I was shocked at first but then I soon realized it was part of the show for that evening as it had been conducted time and again on the boat. Even though I lived in the middle east for a long time this was the first time I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing such a performance, the dancer gradually built up a slow rhythm and kept it up, then the beat gained pace almost as if it had come to life, and he started to spin, the sound reaching a feverish pitch in my ear; The lights went off and he lit up, emitting a soft glow from the markings on his dress, illuminating the dark interior and we looked like a lantern drifting aimlessly at sea.  He picked up the pace and started to sway to the ever increasing rhythm almost in a trance like state and I was all in awe.

We all were having fun with FACT Teachers & our Mentor Mr. Sunil Shah, he is the one that we all look upto. He guides us all  in correct direction.He being with was never  occurred that we were with our teacher he is so friendly with us , that we are more close to him than our own Parents!!

Once his performance was over people once again called for more photo taking. What came next was quite a sight to watch, and yes there were watchers, families who had come for a quite dinner aboard a boat seated in the lower deck, where we soon found ourselves, at the height of the evening. And so they watched, watched as a crowd descended the stairs and subsequently start dancing to music which just happened to be conveniently present. The music was loud and the people wild. This seemed to go on for a while, I guess it’s just one of those things that happen, you can’t tell when they happen or why, just that they do. The boat pulled towards the harbor and it was finally time to call it a night.

We all Crazy smart people!!

The Goodbyes! – were the most sad part! It declared the end of all the 7 days studies with fun & enjoyment, getting to know each other making new friends & then parting! But we loved being at FACT and looking forward for the next Workshop !  🙂

 

 

Testimonials – What Students have to say about us!

Destination USA – The Brilliant Success Story of an average Student

This is a story of a confused yet a bright engineer who took 5 years to complete his engineering studies and yet succeeded in securing admission to the masters program in one of the better ranked universities in the USA.

Kartik came to us as a confused soul who had his heart set on making a fresh start in the USA, he had already taken his GRE as well as TOEFL examinations but had messed up in both of them. We encouraged him to retake the tests, but in spite of his best efforts, he was just not able to focus on the same.

We were candid in advising him about his options, which was to apply to universities with his existing scores, but not to put a lot of hope in securing scholarships/funding. We believed in Kartik and more importantly Kartik believed in us.

We ensured that there was absolutely nothing left to chance when it came to the documentation for application, chief among them the SOP which went through umpteen revisions before it met was deemed “as good as it could get” crisp and compelling.

Then there was the additional problem of his sponsor as well, his father ran a small business and the paperwork was far from sound. We managed to get around the problem by documenting some of his other close relatives as sponsors, it was universally accepted by all involved that Kartik’s only chance of making it as a professional was a change of geography, he had far too many setbacks in India.

We finished his documentation process within the time constraints and guess what; he was offered admission by 5 different universities. He was more than happy by what he had achieved. He told our counselors that this was beyond his wildest expectations; especially with his range of scores and academic record. He thanked us profusely for whatever we did for him, but there was one more hurdle to cross: his Visa. With complicated and somewhat less than sound finances, his prospects for a VISA was a constant source of worry and lack of confidence in Kartik, but as before we believed in him – as he did in us – the team at FACT put in its all in preparing Kartik for his Visa Interview.

Kartik got his F1 Visa approved at the very first attempt, and he was off to the land of opportunities to secure a career of his dreams.

In summation, Kartik was probably one of the weakest profiles we had come across, a year drop during his bachelors, lesser than average academic scores, GRE & TOEFL Scores in the lower range, yet his career has received a fresh lease of life, he was on his way to USA securing Masters in Computer Science and his career flying high and prospects looking up.

The last we heard from Karthik – he had secured near-perfect GPA, and had also bagged an internship at one of the reputed firms in USA. Meanwhile he is also pursuing his passion as a guitarist (he had his own rock band in India)

Kartik’s success story is a typical case study that exemplifies the stories of a thousands of FACT students who walk through our doors every year, filled with self doubt and looking for a chance to realize their potential in the land of opportunities.

Check out our web page to read summaries of more such success stories.

GOING USA FOR STUDIES

Considering the number of Indian students going abroad every year for education, the number of institutes have also mushroomed up. Some are genuinely in the business of making the careers of these students while some are just for exploiting the students for filling their own pockets.

FEW TIPS FOR PEOPLE GOING FOR USA STUDIES :

1. USA universities stress on research work and academic studies equally. That’s why students get scholarships while doing research work. Hence American education is considered best today with students from various countries studying there. In that also, the percentage of Indian students is far higher. This is coupled with the easy availability of loans from Indian banks thus enabling the middle class to dream of studying in USA.

2. When you approach any counselor who is into sending students abroad, be sure to ask the following things : Which field to study ? Which university to select ? How to raise funds, get scholarships and financial issues ? Guidance for VISA . Ensure that these things are properly addressed by the counselor.

3. If you don’t get proper guidance, then you can be playing with your career.Here, parents should be more cautious and alert. It is very important to understand that two types of counselors exist. First type are the one who act as commission agents for certain universities and send students to those universities only. Second type are the ones who donot act as commission agents and send students to universities solely on their merit. Since the First type counselors get commission from universities, they do not charge the students. But before approaching such counselors, parents and students must ensure whether the university and course offered fits his/her choice.

4. Foreign education builds students career but also involves investment from parents.So it was very necessary to get proper guidance. Think wisely before taking any decisions while choosing your counselor.

Consider the following factors for selection of your counselor :

– Experience of counselor in the field
– If the organization is certified or registered.

Scholarships of more than Rs. 5 Crores

F.A.C.T. students rock Foreign Universities !!!

The academic year has ended for most courses and students are busy planning their next career moves. Intense competition, limited opportunities and rising cost of education is making even the most competent students worry about their future. Most of these students do not realize that in the era of globalization, they need to sit with the map of the world to explore options and suddenly the doors to careers of there choice open.

 

A Unique Career Opportunity after HSC

Planning careers after HSC has become a nightmare in the recent years. The intense competition for entrance tests and the necessity of taking different tests for different careers has left the students parents in immense concern regarding careers after 12th standard. One good and workable option for such students is to study abroad. The competition is far too less and the Indian students perform much better on international campuses making them eligible for high scholarships. So, low cost of education and easy admissions process has attracted increasing number of students to plan their careers abroad. However, most students and parents are unaware about the process and procedure for planning a successful career abroad. 

Engineering Careers

Engineers traditionally have been the largest community of students going abroad. However, the overexposure to the system results in mechanical approach to planning careers and as a result, though most engineering students get admissions, very few get scholarships and research opportunities in their area of interest.You need to have a clear strategy, an ability not just to collect information but “Analyze” the information to your advantage and work in a disciplined manner right from the third year of engineering. Moreover, at every stage of preparation, the students should know its likely impact on the admissions and scholarships decision. This will result in reducing the cost of education to a substantial 75%.

Guidance is given by FACT (centers in Borivali,Nashik,Pune,Thane,Dombivali,Vashi,Andheri,Dadar) on how to plan a career path right from third year of engineering, the technique of selecting right universities and right program and most importantly, how to manage finances.

Education Abroad… the Doctor Factor

Planning for career opportunities abroad for the Medical and Para Medical graduates is a complicated process. Most countries like to have stringent and complex rules structure for the ever sensitive health care sector. However, it is also true that many medical and para medical graduates want to fly abroad partly because of lucrative opportunities and partly because of intense competition and rising cost of post graduate education in India. These graduates often make a quick and ill informed decision and then regret for the lost time and money.

In order to assist young graduates from medical and para medical branches, FACT provides career guidance for education abroad.

In order to help the engineering students plan a successful career abroad with scholarships,  Foreign Academic Consultancy and Training (F.A.C.T.), a professional career guidance organization, is actively conducting research for availability of various career opportunities and scholarships abroad. The organization has 9 offices spread all over Maharashtra . In the last 8 years, FACT has guided more than 5000 students  for higher education abroad with maximum students getting scholarships.