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education Tag
Home Posts Tagged "education"

Tag: education

GRE

When to write the GRE

Me:  What is the best time to write GRE?

 

Mentor: It depends on a lot of parameters.

 

Me: Ah! Not the same thing again. I need a small answer.

 

Mentor: Sadly, no small answers for this one as it is the first step of your master’s journey abroad. So, sit tight and listen.

 

First, let’s get to know when the University application deadlines are, based on the Intake you’re targeting to Apply to.  

 

Application Deadlines- 

Fall or August Intake Deadlines are usually between December-April . Many top programs deadlines are done by December-January. So if you are aiming for them , try to have your tests’ scores by October . 

Spring or January intake  Deadlines fall between June-October. Plan your test, based on deadlines of universities you’re targeting.

Deadlines for some countries, like Canada, are finished much earlier. So check with a few universities in the particular country you’re applying to as well. 

 

Remember this- depending upon Universities’ application deadlines you need to plan to finish up your GRE test.  Many students finish up their test at least a couple months before they start their application process so the earlier the better! 

 

Now, you might be wondering the time you need to dedicate for GRE prep- Let me take you through that as well! 

 

When should you register for the test?

Try to register at least a 5-6 weeks prior, if you’re planning to write it offline, to get slots. Generally July-January tend be busy months so it’s better to book a little early.

 

The Time you need to dedicate for GRE Preparation depends on:

 

  1. Vocabulary and English Comprehension skills: High school math is more than enough to tackle GRE Quant. Most of the students find the Verbal part challenging and rightfully so. Good Vocabulary and comprehension skills  are essential to sail through the Verbal section. The time for preparation depends heavily on how good you are in vocabulary- there are about a 1000 tough english words that you need to learn, apart from improving your english reading and comprehension speed. It is a time taking process for many and the best way you can judge your ability is by trying a few sample Verbal and Quantitative questions from ETS books (official GRE test makers). 

  2. Target Score: Obviously the higher the score the better. But, that doesn’t mean that getting a 330+ will get you into the Ivy league. Remember, GRE score is just one of the factors in your profile. Best way to get a rough estimate of the target score is to look at the university’s previous class profiles. Aim for at least 5-10 points higher than the average GRE score.  Here’s a rough estimate based on Universities you want to study in**-

 

320+ – Management related Master’s in Top Universities

            310+ – Top Universities

300+ – High to Moderate ranked Universities

290-300- Moderate ranked Universities

 

**This is just an estimate based on the student profiles we have guided. Of course, low GRE scorers can also aspire to get into top universities, given other parameters in their profile are good. But make sure you give yourself a high target. 

 

Time you can dedicate: Based on your Target scores the time you need to dedicate varies from 2 -6 Months for preparation. It also depends on how many hours you can dedicate in a day (considering both students and Working Professionals). 

 

Hours/Day Preparation0-4 Hours4-8 Hours
Months3-6 Months2-3 Months



Bottomline– It’s safe to put aside 3+ months of time for your GRE prep for good scores. This includes coaching time as well, if you’re taking up classes. 

 

Expert Tip- Make sure your Prep is continuous without long breaks at least in the initial two months, as it takes a good amount of practise to get used to the kind of questions appearing on the GRE and to also develop your problem solving speed.  

 

Reach out to our in house GRE experts for more tips regarding the test!

 

Jayasurya,

MSc Brown University

GRE: 330/340 (Q170,V160)

jayasurya@drrajus.com

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Education

MS in Business Analytics a great course for all students

Business Analytics is one of the most trending branches of Data Science, which a lot of people are aspiring to study and work in. Many top job recruiters predict that there will be more and more demand for talent in this field over the coming years, and Business Analysts are currently one of the highest paid IT professionals across the world. 

 

In this blog, let’s try to understand more about this field and what are some top universities offering master’s in Business Analytics 

 

What is Ms in Business Analytics? 

 

A Graduate program in Business Analytics is a combination of courses in Data Science, Programming, and Business Fundamentals, which prepares students to be able to use the tools of data analysis in order to drive business decisions. 

 

Who is eligible to apply for an MS in BA?

 

The biggest advantage for MS in BA applicants is that students from diverse engineering and sciences backgrounds can apply to this field, given they have completed undergraduate level Math courses (Which a lot of engineering graduates finish in their 1st and 2nd year). However, some top universities ask for basic proficiency in any one of the programming languages such as R, Python, Matlab etc.. which students can fulfill by taking online courses on Course-era, EDx, Udemy etc.. You need not take these courses if you already have professional experience in using programming languages. 

 

So the bottom line is that no matter what stream you’re from, If you can show Basic proficiency in Mathematics and Programming, you will be eligible to apply for this course. Work Experience is not a requirement for many universities. 

 

How is it different from Data Science?

 

Here’s what the Director of Business Analytics program at Carnegie Mellon University, which is  one of the top 5 universities in Business Analytics has to say-

 

“If students are interested in the application of data to support business decision-making, the students are better served with a degree in business analytics. If students are more interested in the science underlying the models and data or in broad applications of data science, then I would encourage them to consider a master’s in data science.”

 

So if you’re really interested in pursuing a career in MNCs and help businesses use the power of data analysis to drive business decisions, then you can choose Business Analytics. Ms in Data Science courses usually do not offer business related courses, so it’s more of a technical field.

 

Top Universities offering MS in Business Analytics –

There are more than 150 well-ranked universities offering this degree and we have guided many of our students to top ranked universities such as University of Washington- Seattle, University of California-San Diego, University of Minnesota- Twin Cities, Purdue University- West Lafayette, University of Wisconsin-Madison etc.. 

 

Here I have listed the top 10 universities along with important information to apply to these universities.

 

1. MIT: Master of Business Analytics (MBAn)

https://mitsloan.mit.edu/master-of-business-analytics#our-students

 

1. Minimum Requirements: Admission Criteria is Holistic

A. GPA: Average 3.5 (around 80-90%) but no minimum requirement

B. GRE: (v: 154-165; Q: 162-170) or Equivalent GMAT

C. IELTS: 7.5; TOEFL: 100

D. Work Experience: Some relevant work experience (or Internship) in relevant field is an

added advantage

E. Research Experience: Not mandatory but MIT looks for this as a competitive component

F. SOP, Video Interview

G. Recommendation Letters

H. Resume

2. Tuition Fees: 82,368 USD for program

3. Course Duration: 12 months

4. Application Deadline: Fall: Jan 7 th

5. Concentration Areas: Nothing in Particular

6. Course Work: Analytics Edge, Optimization Methods, Analytics Lab, Analytics to Action,

Communicating with Data, Machine Learning, Capstone Projects, Ethics & Data Privacy

among many others

 

2. University of California, Los Angeles: MS Business Analytics (MS BA)

 

https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/degrees/master-of-science-in-business-analytics

 

Minimum Requirements:

I. GPA: Average 3.5 (around 80-90%) low GPA can be compensated with other criteria as

admission process will be holistic

J. GRE: (Q: 167) or Overall Equivalent to GMAT 710 score

K. IELTS: 7.0; TOEFL: 87

L. Work Experience: Some relevant work experience (or Internship) in relevant field is an

added advantage like knowing SQL & Python but not mandatory.

M. Prerequisites: All prospective students are expected to have a strong quantitative

background, including linear algebra, multivariate calculus, statistics and probability. In

addition, applicants should have some experience or coursework in computer programming

(e.g., C, Java, or Python), plus statistical and econometric modelling (e.g., R, SAS, STATA, or

MATLAB)

N. Research Experience: Not mandatory

O. SOP, Video Interview

P. 2 Recommendation Letters

Q. Resume

7. Tuition Fees: 66, 709 USD for program

8. Course Duration: 15 months

9. Application Deadline: Fall: Jan 8 th , Mar 12 th , Apr 11 th, May 14 th

10. Concentration Areas: programming and data management methods, model

development and construction, business analytics and industry applications

11. Course Work: Statistical foundations for analytics, Machine Learning, SQL and data base

management, Business fundamentals for analytics, optimization, Prescriptive models

and Data Analytics, Competitive Analytics, Internet customer analytics, Health care

analytics, Entertainment analytics, Internship

 

3. Carnegie Mellon University, (Pittsburgh, PA): MS Business Intelligence & Data Analytics (MS BIDA)

https://www.heinz.cmu.edu/programs/information-systems-management-master/bida

 

Minimum Requirements:

A. GPA: Average 3.5 (around 80-90%) “low GPA can be compensated with other criteria as

admission process will be holistic”.

B. GRE: (Q: 167) or GRE Overall Equivalent to GMAT 710 score

C. IELTS: 6.5 (Sub scores are also 6.5, W-6.0); TOEFL: 100 ( Sub score recommended 25 but

exceptions)

D. Work Experience: Some relevant work experience (or Internship) in relevant field is an

added advantage like knowing SQL & Python but not mandatory.

E. Prerequisites: All prospective students are expected to have a strong quantitative

background, Objective oriented programming, Java programming database, and statistics

F. Research Experience: Not mandatory

G. SOP, Video Interview (strongly recommended)

H. Recommendation Letters,

I. Resume

A. Tuition Fees: 66, 709 USD for program

B. Course Duration: 12-16 months

C. Application Deadline: Fall: Jan 10 th

D. Concentration Areas: Nothing in Particular

E. Course Work: Statistical foundations for analytics, Machine Learning, SQL and data base

management, Business fundamentals for analytics, optimization, Prescriptive models

and Data Analytics, Competitive Analytics, Internet customer analytics, Health care

analytics, Entertainment analytics, Programming R, SAS, Pyhton etc., and Internship

 

4. University of Texas, (Austin, TX): MS Business Analytics (MS BA)

https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/Master-of-Science-in-Business-Analytics

 

Minimum Requirements:

A. GPA: Average 3.5 (around 80-90%) “low GPA can be compensated with other criteria as

admission process will be holistic”.

B. GRE: (Min 60 percentile on all sections (325)) or GRE Overall Equivalent to GMAT 700 score

C. IELTS: 7 (Sub scores are also 6.5 with few exceptions); TOEFL: 100

D. Work Experience: Some relevant work experience (or Internship) in relevant field is an

added advantage like knowing C++, JAVA, R & Python… but not mandatory.

E. Prerequisites: University coursework or professional experience in computer programming

is required; knowledge of C, C++ or Java (with focus on object-oriented programming) is

preferred. Those admitted to the program are strongly encouraged to learn Python prior to

beginning the program. Coursework in in Linear Algebra and Statistics is strongly

recommended.

F. Research Experience: Not mandatory

G. SOP, Application Essay Questions, One Minute Video Essay

H. Recommendation Letters,

I. Resume

1. Tuition Fees: 46, 500 USD for program

2. Course Duration: 10 months

3. Application Deadline: Fall: Oct 19 th , Jan 11 th

4. Concentration Areas: Financial Analytics, Supply Chain & Marketing Analytics

5. Course Work: Machine learning, Optimization, Financial Management, Advanced Data

Analytics, Marketing Analysis, Health Care Analytics, Data Science Programming,

Information Management, Supply chain analytics, Business Analytics, Demand Analytics,

Social Media Analytics, Analytics for Unstructured Data

 

5. Georgia Tech (Atlanta, GA): MS Analytics (Business Analytics Track)

 

https://www.analytics.gatech.edu/curriculum/business-analytics-track

 

Minimum Requirements:

A. GPA: Average 3.0 (around 75-90%) “low GPA can be compensated with other criteria as

admission process will be holistic”.

B. GRE: (Average GRE 320) or GRE Overall Equivalent to GMAT 666 score (Average)

C. IELTS: 7.5; TOEFL: 100

D. Work Experience: Some relevant work experience (or Internship) in relevant field is an

added advantage like knowing C++, JAVA, R & Python… but not mandatory.

E. Prerequisites: All applicants are expected to have basic background in mathematics (at least

one college-level course or equivalent knowledge in calculus, probability/statistics, and

some linear algebra) and computing (at least one college-level course or equivalent

knowledge in computer programming using a high-level language like C, C++, Java, Python,

FORTRAN, etc.)

F. Research Experience: Not mandatory

G. SOP

H. Recommendation Letters

I. Resume

1. Tuition Fees: 41,000 USD Per Year (Plus Summer term additional Cost)

2. Course Duration: 12 months

3. Application Deadline: Fall: Jan 1 st to May 1 st

4. Concentration Areas: Analytical Tool, Business Analytics, Computational Data Analytics

5. Course Work: Computing for Data Analysis, Introduction to Analytics and Business

Analytics, Data and Visual Analytics, Applied Analytics Practicum, Operations Research,

Statistics Amongst others.

 

6. University of Washington, Seattle(Foster School of Business): MS Business Analytics

 

https://foster.uw.edu/academics/degree-programs/master-science-business-analytics/

 

Minimum Requirements:

A. GPA: Average 3.4 (around 75-90%) “low GPA can be compensated with other criteria as

admission process will be holistic”.

B. GRE: (Average GRE 313) or GRE Overall Equivalent to GMAT 661 score (Average)

C. IELTS: 7.0; TOEFL: 92

D. Work Experience: Some relevant work experience (or Internship) about 2 years in the

a relevant field is an added advantage like knowing C++, JAVA, R & Python.

E. Prerequisites: Our ideal applicant is familiar and comfortable with math and statistics and

has some exposure to R, Python, Excel, and SQL.

F. Research Experience: optional and not mandatory

G. SOP & Video Interview

H. Recommendation Letters

I. Resume

1. Tuition Fees: 52,400 USD for program

2. Course Duration: 12 months

3. Application Deadline: Fall: Nov 5 th (I round ) and Jan 5 th (II round)

4. Concentration Areas: Nothing in Particular

 

7. Purdue University, West Lafayette(Krannert School of Management) : MS Business

Analytics & Information Management

 

https://www.krannert.purdue.edu/masters/business-analytics-and-information-

management/home.php

 

Minimum Requirements:

A. GPA: 3.4 (around 75-90%) “low GPA can be compensated with other criteria as admission

process will be holistic”.

B. GRE: (Average GRE 315-320) or GRE Overall Equivalent to GMAT 677 score (Average)

C. IELTS: 7.5 ( Subscore 7.0); TOEFL: 93(Min 22 subscore is safe)

D. Work Experience: Some relevant work experience (or Internship) about 2 years in the

relevant field is an added advantage like knowing C++, JAVA, R & Python.

E. Prerequisites: Ideal applicant is familiar and comfortable with math and statistics and has

some exposure to R, Python, Excel, and SQL.

F. Research Experience: optional and not mandatory

G. SOP & Optional SOP, Video Essay

H. 2-Recommendation Letters

I. Resume

A. Tuition Fees: 48,600 USD for program

B. Course Duration: 11 months( 3 semesters program)

C. Application Deadline: Fall: Early (Sept1st), Nov 2nd (priority round ) and Jan 16th (II

round)

D. Concentration Areas: supply chain analytics, investment analytics, or corporate finance

analytics

 

8. New York University, (Stern School of Business): MS Business Analytics

 

https://www.stern.nyu.edu/programs-admissions/ms-business-analytics/academics

 

Minimum Requirements:GPA: 3.5 (around 75-90%) “low GPA can be compensated with other

criteria as admission process will be holistic”.

A. GRE & GMAT are not required

B. IELTS: 7.0 ; TOEFL: 100 may be asked to submit after preliminary qualification.

C. Work Experience: 5 years minimum relevant work experience (or Internship) is

required like knowing C++, JAVA, R & Python.

D. Prerequisites: Ideal applicant is demonstrated academic/quantitative preparedness,

either through prior coursework, professional experience, and/or certifications.

E. Research Experience: optional and not mandatory

F. Essay

G. 1-Recommendation Letter

H. Resume

1. Tuition Fees: 81,400 USD for program

2. Course Duration: 12 months part-time

3. Application Deadline: Fall: Rolling admissions ..apply as early as possible

4. Concentration Areas: Nothing in Particular

 

II Program : New York University, Stern School of Business (NYC and Shanghai campuses): M.S. in

Data Analytics and Business Computing

 

https://stern.shanghai.nyu.edu/en/program/ms-data-analytics-business-computing/curriculum

 

9. University of California, San Diego, (Rady School, CA) : MS Business Analytics

 

https://rady.ucsd.edu/programs/masters-programs/ms-in-business-analytics/

 

Minimum Requirements:

 

A. GPA: 3.4 (around 75-90%) “low GPA can be compensated with other criteria as

admission process will be holistic”.

B. GRE (320-325) & GMAT (Average 690)

C. IELTS: 7.0 ; TOEFL: 100 ; PTE: 65

D. Work Experience: Not mandatory but few years relevant work experience (or

Internship) is an added advantage like knowing C++, JAVA, R & Python.

E. Prerequisites: The program usually admit students who have a solid foundation in

quantitative methods, particularly knowledge of probability and statistics and the

use of statistical applications such as R, SAS, STATA, Matlab, or Python. Additionally,

each student must demonstrate evidence of programming proficiency from prior

college coursework, professional experience, a continuing education program,

Coursera, or EdX. If you are new to Python or R we recommend you also complete

courses on programming in Python and R from Data Camp or Coursera.

F. Research Experience: optional and not mandatory

G. SOP(Essay) & Interview by invitation

H. Recommendation Letter

I. Resume

1. Tuition Fees: 58,000 USD for program

2. Course Duration: 11 months full time

3. Application Deadline: Fall: Nov 1 st , Jan 15 th , Apr 1 st ( 3 rounds totally)

4. Concentration Areas: Nothing in Particular

 

10. University of Wisconsin, Madison: MS Business Analytics

https://wsb.wisc.edu/programs-degrees/masters/business-analytics

 

Minimum Requirements:

 

A. GPA: 3.0 (around 75-90%) “low GPA can be compensated with other criteria as

admission process will be holistic”.

B. GRE ( Around 320) & GMAT around 650 average ( **Waived if you have 5 years

work experience)

C. IELTS: 7.5; TOEFL: 100

D. Work Experience: Not needed but relevant work experience (or Internship) of about

2 years is an added advantage like knowing C++, JAVA, R & Python.

E. Prerequisites: Ideal applicant is demonstrated academic/quantitative preparedness,

either through prior coursework, professional experience, and/or certifications.

F. Research Experience: not mandatory

G. SOP (Essay), Admission Interview

H. Recommendation Letter

I. Resume

1. Tuition Fees: 45,00 USD for program

2. Course Duration: 12 months full-time

3. Application Deadline: Fall: Nov 1 st , Feb 1 st , Apr 1 st (total 3 rounds)

4. Concentration Areas: Nothing in Particular

 

**Not just top universities, but there are many more good quality universities offering Ms in Business Analytics. Whatever your profile or budget is, you will have a range of universities to choose from.

 

Expert Tip: One of our Master’s students who is currently working in this field told us that If students really want to puruse career in this stream, they need to build proficiency in programming languages and should be able to demonstrate skill in applying the concepts solving real world business problems, during their Master’s studies

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Education

Letters of Recommendation and What you should know

You have a pressing health issue that needs to be addressed immediately and want to consult a particular doctor. Would you directly go to the doctor or would you inquire about his/her practice first? More often than not you would inquire about his/her skills. Only after getting a “Recommendation” from someone experienced would you make a move. That “Recommendation” that a University asks (about you, of course) from your manager or professors is called a Letter of Recommendation. The university you are applying to is fundamentally looking for someone who can vouch for your skills and talents. 

 

Now, the big question. Whom do I take LORs  from and How to choose my Recommenders?

 

You either take it from your professors (Academic LOR) or Manager/Team lead from work or both depending on your background or course requirements.

 

For example if you’re a Current student with no work experience, your three LORs should be from Professors. If you have work experience, get one or two from your managers. If you have 3+ years work-ex and are applying for Top Management courses, then you should get at least two from your work.

 

Coming to choosing your recommenders, you should pick those people whom you have directly worked under on any project/research or at your current/past work-place. If you do not have any project/research work, then you can also take it from professors who have taught you courses in your Bachelor’s. Remember, picking a recommender who is close to you and knows about your strengths and weaknesses, is always better. There is a common mistake that prospective students make while taking an LOR. They correlate LOR’s credibility with the Recommenders title- It is partly valid. Getting an LOR from a CEO/HOD will give a multifold boost to your profile. But, it will happen only if he/she can convincingly narrate specific incidents in which you displayed your tacts. Remember at the end of the day, it’s all about selling yourself. So, the letters have to be authentic and not generalised. If your manager/professor can pen down those aforementioned points better than people above him/her, please do take it from him/her.

 

Here’s what the Stanford University recommends – 

 

“Please have your recommender write candidly about your qualifications, potential to carry on advanced study in the field specified, intellectual independence, capacity for analytical thinking, ability to organize and express ideas clearly etc… In describing such attributes as motivation, intellect, and maturity, specific examples are more useful than generalizations.”

 

How many LORs do I need to take?: 

Typically Universities ask for 2 or 3 LOR’s. You need to submit the Email IDs of your recommenders in the University application portal, and the University will send an Auto-generated link. It’s safe to plan for three recommendations. 

 

How do I send the LORs?.

Universities usually ask you to submit email IDs of your recommender on their Application portals.  They send your recommender links to upload PDF of your recommendation letter and/or a questionnaire about you. Format varies from university to university. But, it’s pretty easy to figure out! 

 

Will my recommender give me an LOR?

Usually a lot of Recommenders, especially professors, give out LORs to their students as it is a part of their job. Some of them have pre-fixed templates too.  However, never hesitate to ask your professors or managers for LORs, because most of them tend to give LORs unless they’re very busy or in an emergency situation. 

 

Get Templates from us!    

We also see that many times, recommenders ask our students to provide them with some writing samples or format for reference. We give all our students a few guidelines and samples to assist them in getting good LORs!

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