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The Graduate Student Interview - New Delhi
For our June newsletter we brave the heat of the New Delhi summer in India to meet 25 year-old Pranay Kumar, a recent graduate from the University of Delhi in engineering.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
I have just finished my four-year degree at the University of Delhi and am currently in the process of deciding on a graduate program overseas.
What and where do you want to study?
I want to continue my engineering studies as I feel that is where I will have most career opportunities after I graduate. My Delhi degree included all aspects of engineering but I now want to focus my studies on production technology. I am interested in studying in either Australia or America; I had initially thought the UK would be a good option for me but the tuition fees and living costs are too high for my budget.
Why do you think studying abroad is important?
I think studying abroad provides you with opportunities that you would never have if you stayed in India. It is my intention to return home after my degree, but living and studying in another country will allow me to develop skills like dealing with people from different backgrounds and cultures. It will provide me with a different kind of challenge that I hope will prepare me for a better career. In India we see that so many of the recent developments that happen around the world affect us and having some international exposure, like studying in Australia or America, will be very important in the future.
How do you choose a university to study at?
I have already selected three universities, one in Australia and two in America, and I have been lucky enough to receive offers of admission to all of them. I initially chose these universities because I had already heard of them through friends and students I had been at university with. All of the universities are known in India so my degree will be recognized when I come home, but none of them feature in the university rankings I have looked at. For me this doesn’t matter, as I am more interested in using the personal recommendation of people that come from a similar background as I and understand the kind of country that I will be returning to. Money is also a concern for me so I have evaluated the quality of the university, tuition fees, whether I can work and study at the same time to be able to pay for some of the things myself, and the chance of winning a scholarship.
How will you fund a postgraduate degree at an international university?
I have received a small bursary from the university in Australia but nothing from the two American universities. Because I will be able to work at the same time as studying in Australia and the cost of living is a little cheaper than in America. I will be able to then use my own funds and a loan from one of the Indian banks to cover most of my expenses.
You attended the QS World Grad School Tour event in New Delhi last year. Did this help you in finding out about universities abroad for your graduate program?
When I learned about the graduate fair coming to Delhi I was very pleased. I did all of my research online but to have the chance to meet two out of the three universities I was interested in was really excellent. After meeting the admissions officers it made me much more confident about making a final decision on where to study. The only thing I would have liked would be to have met the people a year ago so that I could have been in better contact with them and ask them more questions.
Did you find the QS World Grad School Tour event useful?
It was a great chance to meet the people who know everything about the universities I am interested in. It was also good to meet other students – it gave me more confidence in my decision. I also attended a seminar that gave some good advice on selecting the right universities to study at.
