What not to do in USA as an International Student- Part 2

This will be the second post in the series of post "What not to do in USA as an International Student". 

If you have missed the first part then read it here : What not to do in USA as an International Student-Part 1

1) Do not drive others car or rental car without proper insurance. Its not recommended at all and it is not legal in the first place because if you are diving a car then you have to carry insurance. 
Also remember that there are two type of insurance here : One is liability and the other one is collision. If you have a "liability insurance" only then if you hit somebody's car then the insurance would cover the damage cost of the other person's car. But just having liability insurance will not cover the expenses to fix your car. Too have your car fixed as well you need to take full insurance or comprehensive insurance. Now do remember that even if you take full insurance you will have a deductible. Deductible means if you hit somebody's car then both of your damage expenses will be covered by your comprehensive insurance but still you would have to pay a sum of money ( usually ($500) and the rest of the money is paid by the insurance company.

Also remember as most of the international students do this mistake and take rental car for their driving test. Rental cars are not allowed in driving test , you have to have your name on the insurance to give the driving test.

2) One other thing which you should not do at all is to park your car in disabled parking ( If you are not disabled). Even if you have a leg injury or some other injury but you don't have a handicap tag , then there will be a chance that you will get a citation or your car will be towed at your expense and you would surely not want to get into this. 

These were a few more things which you should not do in US. I will continue with this and will tell you more about " What not to do in USA"
 
As mentioned above that this is the second post in the series of posts "What not to do in USA" so keep checking back to find out the rest of things you should not do. Read the first post here.
  I hope the above information helps. If you have something to add to it , do leave a comment below. Don't forget to like our facebook page for latest updates. Also follow us on Twitter and Google+
 

You would also want to look at my article : Best Money sending Service to India 

What Not to Do in USA as an International Student

Today I will be sharing what not to do in US and specially if you are an international student please follow the advice closely.

This will be the first post in the series of post "What not to do in USA". Keep checking back

1) Do not drive over speed limit. You must have seen a lot of movies ( fast and furious) and if you under the impression that you can drive as fast as you can then please come back to reality. There are strict speed limits imposed everywhere in US. Please follow those speed limits otherwise you would end up getting a ticket ( which can be expensive) . Also say if the speed limit is 65  and you are driving at 85  miles  then its an automatic ticket i.e. if you are driving at 20+ speed limit than what is specified then its an automatic ticket. If its over 35 or 40 then its a free trip to jail. So please follow speed limits closely.  

 Also your license will be suspended if you get 12 points or more within one year. This varies from state to state. Also remember every time you get a ticket your auto insurance cost would go up. Say your premium goes up by $10 a month which means $120  a year.

The bottom line is drive within speed limits and drive safe.

2) Do not stay without a health insurance. If you decide to save money and not to get health insurance then that the worst mistake you can do . Medical care in USA can cost you a fortune if you are without insurance. So don't think about a few 100 dollars a year spending on your health insurance but if you think about it in the long run then it will help you. 

These were just two points in the first post of this series. I will continue with this and will tell you more about " What not to do in USA"

As mentioned above that this will be the first post in the series of post "What not to do in USA" so keep checking back to find out the rest of things you should not do. 
 
I hope the above information helps. If you have something to add to it , do leave a comment below. Don't forget to like our facebook page for latest updates. Also follow us on Twitter and Google+


You would also want to look at my article : Best Money sending Service to India

CPT Universities from Day 1

Below is the list of universities which provide CPT from day 1.

Suggested Reading : H1B 2017 Visa Prediction

University	State	City
University of Northern New Jersey	New Jersey	Cranford
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology	Pennsylvania	Harrisburg
Virginia International University	Virginia	Fairfax
University of North America	Virginia	Vienna
Stratford University	Virginia	Falls Church
University of Virgnia	Virginia	Charlottesville
Goldey–Beacom College	Delaware	Wilmington
United States University	California	Chula Vista

 

Disclaimer: This is just what I found on the web and for our readers convenience I am putting it in one place. All About MS in USA  does not give guarantee on the accuracy of this information and is not liable for incorrect information. If you want to correct any information given above or you want to add a university to the list please message on our facebook page.
  
I hope the above information helps. If you have something to add to it , do leave a comment below. Don't forget to like our facebook page for latest updates. Also follow us on Twitter and Google+


You would also want to look at my article :H1B 2017 Visa Prediction

Sample Email to Professors in USA for Assistantship

I have received a request from few of our readers asking about a sample template/email which they can use to get various assistant-ships ( Research Assistantship, Graduate Assistantship Etc ).

Before I provide you with a template here are a few basic tips you should keep in mind before sending the email to professors.

1) Have a good and catchy subject line. E.g. - Prospective Student Fall 2016  ________________________ ( In the blank include your Research Information) . DO not forget to include prospective student because this will tell the professor or the person who is reading the email that you are currently not an enrolled student but are looking for admission currently.

2) Make it short and simple. Don't be too verbose. The professors usually are very busy and they would not go over a very lengthy email.

3) Make sure there is no typo or grammatical mistake. Also use proper punctuation.

4) If you want you can attach your resume and write in the email saying that " You can read about my research in detail " in the resume attached.

5) Make sure you read the research papers published by the professor and you are well versed with his research. 

6) Highlight ( bold) the key research or technical words in the email.

7) Never ask for funding directly in the first email itself. 

8) Be polite.

9)  Also if you do not receive a reply. Don't be pushy . Do not follow up more than once in two - three weeks. 

Here is the sample email to professor asking for funding : 

Subject : Prospective Student Fall 2016 - Interested in your Research "Security and key length in Cryptography"

Hello Dr. Oscar, 

I am a prospective student and I am applying to XYZ university for Fall 2016 for MS in Computer Science. I came across your research publication on "Security and Key Length in Cryptography". I have worked on similar research in my undergraduate studies which involves the role of length of the key in cryptography. I am really interested in your research work and would like to know if you have any opportunities for me. 

Please find attached my resume for your kind perusal.

Looking forward to hear from you.

Thank You, 
ABC
 

This was a sample email to professors in US asking for Assistantship. You can modify it as per your convenience.  

Suggested Reading : How to Find an on Campus Job

If you have something to add to it , do leave a comment below . Don't forget to like our facebook page for latest updates. Also follow us on Twitter and GooglePlus.

OPT Start Date for Post Completion OPT

Many readers have asked me this question that what start date they should choose for their post completion OPT after they graduate in fall or spring.  

You can apply for your post completion opt (EAD) 90 days before graduation . But the main question which intrigues a lot of students is what date we should select as the start date for post completion OPT. 

If you are graduating in December then I would suggest you to select a starting date as the first Monday of February or last Monday of January . The reason I say this is because finding a job is a time consuming process. If you are graduating in December then February is a safe time as you will will have time till February to find a job. If you give a date of January then it can be a bit early for you as searching and finding a full time job is a time consuming process and if you don't find a job till January then your OPT days will start and get wasted. I would not recommend you to give a starting date of March as it can to be too late. Say if you find a job in December or January then it is a possibility that the company will not wait till March for you. 

Though if you give a starting date as February the company usually have no problems waiting for 20 odd days or a month but no or most of the companies would not wait for you till  March. 

So if you are graduating in December give the starting date of OPT as first Monday of February ( Recommended). Similarly if you are graduating in May then give OPT starting date as first Monday of July. Again this is just a suggestion , please take in consideration all possibilities and take a best decision for yourself. 

Also as I have mentioned in one of my articles Benefits of Graduating Early , graduating in December is always better as you get three chances to apply for H1-B visa. 

Recommended Reading :  H1B visa Prediction 2017.

If you have something to add to it , do leave a comment below . Don't forget to like our facebook page for latest updates. Also follow us on Twitter.

Travel Tips for International Students

In this post I will be sharing traveling tips for international students traveling to USA. 

1) While traveling from an International country to USA put photocopies of your passport and visa in all your bags.

2) Tie a unique colorful thread or put any other identification on your bags so that it is easier for you to identify when picking it up from the conveyor belt.

3) Know your travel schedule (length of trips, stopovers)

4) It is advisable to carry a security pocket or a passport holder ( hang it around your neck) . You can easily keep your passport, Visa, I-20 and an additional ID card. Also carry a pen with you. (Picture below) 

5) Do not carry a lot of cash. Take travel cards which can also be reloaded later. Carry a few denomination of bills : $1, $5, $20 and $100. 

6)  Always keep your medicines in your backpack or carry on bag. Also you can buy medicines from drug stores at the airport. 

7) Also book your tickets in advance or as soon as possible after getting your visa. Waiting till the last moment is not desirable as the tickets will keep getting expensive. ( Also while booking travel it is advisable to book it from the company's website and not through any agent )

8)  At the port of entry make sure you have your - Passport , Visa, I-20 easily accessible . I-94 is now an online system so you don't have to worry about your i-94 any more. 

9) Label your luggage. Put name tags which has your university address and your name on the labels. If you don't have a phone number , just put Universities International cultural centers phone number on the label.

10) Dress casually - Its going to be a long long flight so make yourself comfortable and don't wear tight clothes.

If you have something to add to it , do leave a comment below . Don't forget to like our facebook page for latest updates. Also follow us on Twitter.

You would also want to look at my article : A day in a life of Master's Student in USA

 

OPT 17 month STEM Extension White House Petition Response

 * UPDATE 10/29/2015* - White house has responded on the petition for OPT STEM Extension. Here is the link to the response.
http://1.usa.gov/1NbGdaP

*UPDATE 09/11/2015* : All of you have signed the petition should be receiving the below email from info@mail.whitehouse.gov.

It states - "On September 8th, a petition you signed -- asking the Administration to put in place new OPT STEM rules -- reached 100,000 signatures, the threshold for receiving a White House response.

We'll make sure the appropriate folks from the Administration have a chance to look at the specific requests of your petition and determine how best to respond, and we’ll keep you posted here with updates along the way.

In the meantime, know that the President is committed to fixing our broken immigration system, which includes streamlining and modernizing the legal immigration system for students, entrepreneurs, workers, and families. For more information, visit:www.whitehouse.gov/immigration. "

Please refer to image below for more information.

 
As you already know that there is a petition to get response from white house regarding proposal of a proper regulation for extending the 17 Month STEM OPT.

More Information about the above news here : OPT 17 Month Stem Extension Revoked or Not ?

We are eagerly waiting for the response to the petition from White House regarding the 17 Month OPT Stem Extension. The petition needs 10,428 more signatures. We are very close to it and so don't let the petition die . If you have not signed the petition yet you can do so here : http://bit.ly/1i01B6v

I will update you as soon as we get the reply to the petition from White house. 

Till then stay tuned and like our facebook page for latest updates. Also follow us on Twitter.

OPT 17 Month Stem Extension Update

Currently its a do or die situation. As you already know that there is a petition to get response from white house regarding proposal of a proper regulation for extending the 17 Month STEM OPT.
More Information about the above news here : OPT 17 Month Stem Extension Revoked or Not ?

The petition till now has got 85,329 signatures. The  petition still needs to get 14,671 more signatures before September 13 2015. 

Don't let this petition die. We are very near to our goal and try to share this petition with as many friends as you can . Share it on your ISA page and other social platforms to make it more visible.

You can sign the petition here : http://bit.ly/1i01B6v

You would also want to look at my article : What is OPT  17 Month Stem Extension? and ALL you need to Know about H1-B 

Don't forget to like our facebook page for latest updates. Also follow us on Twitter.