The allure of education from abroad - especially from America and Canada - creates almost a mystical desire in the minds of parents and young students. Many reasons contribute to this mindset:
- The belief that higher education in America and Canada is essentially superior to that in India.
- The yearning for experiencing a comfortable and relatively lavish lifestyle in America and Canada.
- The dream of earning dollars - becoming financially well off - through a career in America or Canada after completing the college education.
Just about every student - whether about to start college or already pursuing a college education - at least thinks, if not dreams, about going to America or Canada for higher education. Those who make an effort to explore this possibility soon discover that myths and misinformation abound or, at best, incomplete information is the only thing available. A small but determined minority of students spend endless hours collecting the appropriate information to pursue their dreams.
Many students make the regrettable mistake of going to the so-called advisors or counselors for foreign education. These advisors have set up shops to help you part with large sums of your money. They promise admission and a visa for a steep charge of tens of thousands of Rupees, if not lakhs of Rupees. What students do not realize is that the advisor’s promises are utter nonsense. These advisors have no say whatsoever in the admissions or the visa process. They may be able to provide you some information more readily, but often this information is not complete and is often not even accurate. Why not ask yourself these questions:
- If these advisors have such abilities and knowledge, why did they not study in America or Canada themselves?
- Have they actually experienced first-hand the admission and visa process to offer you accurate and complete information?
- If they did study in America or Canada, why are they in this business and why did they not pursue more desirable careers in America or Canada?
- Did they just collect the information from various sources, and would their information likely be incomplete? (If such a comprehensive source were available, you could collect the information yourself rather easily.)
Having observed the real and often painful struggle of those who wish to study in America or Canada for higher education, we decided to write this book. We did not have to rely on myths. We have personally experienced the admissions and visa process, from the Bachelor’s to Doctoral degree levels. We also have first-hand experience in academia as professors in America and Canada. We have personal contacts in some of the best colleges and universities in America and Canada. We have attended high schools, colleges and universities in India, America, and Canada. We know the struggle; we have experienced it. We can empathize with you. And, we can offer you complete and accurate information in this just one book. The book is not a mere collection of facts. Although the collection of facts is an essential and important ingredient of the book, we go well beyond mere facts by providing extremely valuable advice, guidance, and insights. The book addresses all relevant aspects of education in America and Canada.
