In the previous episode of Students Speak, we gained some great insights into Teja Sadineni’s academic qualifications, university, course, motivation to select his dream university, reasons to pursue higher education and his research mechanism. In this episode, let’s explore other information, such as the university shortlisting process, application process, role of the education consultant and visa application process.
How did he shortlist his university
Initially, Teja had shortlisted four universities, including the University of Central Missouri. He evaluated these universities against the parameters such as study programs, courses offered, curriculum, subjects, student-faculty ratio and more. One of his friends studying at one of his shortlisted universities shared information about the pedagogy, infrastructure, and learning experience that helped Teja a great deal.
To explore UCM, he got in touch with a professor who was a former student at the university. Currently, he works as an instructor for Computer Science at UCM. He shared some valuable information about the research activities related to his domain. During this conversation, Teja learned about his unique initiative. This initiative is about sharing the latest developments. So, students and faculty members can share new learnings related to their domain with each other to stay updated.
Since the software field witnesses constant upgrades, it can sometimes be challenging to keep up with the pace. So, through his initiative, the students are encouraged to share their expertise with the faculty, and faculty members can share their knowledge too. This is a win-win situation for both the professors and students. When he heard about this initiative from the professor, it piqued a great curiosity that encouraged Teja to opt for UCM.  
Application process
Teja found juggling between his work and applying to university to be extremely taxing. Hence, he connected with an education consultant to get the necessary assistance with the university application process to study abroad. Education consultants are professionals who assist the students in their academic journey planning as well as the application procedure. Teja spoke to multiple people to get a fair idea about the processes and protocols that needed to be followed. He received meaningful insights from his friends, education consultant and colleagues, which gave him a holistic view and further assisted him in taking the right decision.
The role of the education consultant in Teja’s academic journey planning
Students shortlist universities based on their preferences and requirements. Similarly, the universities, too, have a list of criteria to evaluate students before admitting or rejecting them. Teja wanted to know these criteria to create a perfect application to increase his chances of securing his seat at the university. This is where the education consultant assisted him by sharing all the relevant information that helped him create a unique student profile. Secondly, it is necessary to follow up on the status of the applications. Since universities receive a sea of applications, the process sometimes gets delayed. Therefore, tracking the various documents required, the status of the applications, etc., are seamlessly handled by these consultants.  

So, his education consultant assisted him with the following tasks:

• GRE preparation
• Mock visa interviews
• Shortlisting the universities
• Application process
• Follow-up to understand the admission status

Visa application process
Teja timely applied for a student visa and secured the necessary approvals for the same. Which means he is all set to fly. According to him, booking the slot for a visa interview should be your primary task; the rest will fall in place. He further added that luck favoured him as his travel document was issued on time enabling him to book the slot at the earliest. He completed the biometrics in Chennai and cleared his visa interview in New Delhi. He arrived fully prepared for the visa interview with a strong determination to clear it and carried all the prescribed documents. His security check took an hour, so it is advised to reach the office well before your allotted time to avoid the last-minute rush.
Some of the questions asked to Teja during his visa interview:

• Which year did you finish your graduation?
• Are you currently working?
• What are your job profile and key responsibilities?
• How do you plan to fund your education?
• Where does your father work?

Although Teja experienced a quick visa application process, please remember that multiple factors can delay the overall process. Hence, starting the visa application procedure well in advance is best to avoid hiccups.
So, this episode has captured Teja’s university shortlisting process, the application process, the role of the education consultant and the visa application process. In the next episode, we will learn about entrance exams, his education loan partner, accommodation plans, and valuable tips for study abroad aspirants. Meanwhile, if you have any queries, please feel free to reach us, and we will be glad to assist you.