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UTA Newcomers

UT_Arlington_LogoThis post is intended for the UTA newcomers. So if you are not associated with UTA, you can skip to next post safely.

I had very intense discussion with UTA newcomers on Orkut community (with over 500 replies by now). Here is the link to that post: Orkut Thread Link

I am not that active on Orkut, so you can continue that discussion here in the comments. I will reply as needed.

Many people requested for the famous PDFs that I used to host at my old website. Here is for all you to-be-UTA people. Again the password to access the PDFs is the same “brijesh_chauhan” (without quotes)

Useful information for UTA newcomers:

1. Applying to UTA
2. Before VISA
3. Clothing
4. Personal Stuff
5. Kitchen
6. Money
7. Medicine
8. Insurance
9. Books for EE
10. Books for CS
11. Driving License
12. Pre-departure
13. Port of Entry
14. Arrival at DFW Airport
15. Post Arrival at UTA
16. American terms explained
17. Useful Links
18. I-94 Sample
19. General Guidance

This information is a courtesy of UTAgujjus. They put up a geocities website at http://geocities.com/utagujjus. Fortunately, I backed up all pages before that site went down.

Feel free to ask any questions in comments.

134 Comments

  1. Sumit
    Sumit December 6, 2009

    Doubt – Got Admit from UTA
    hi seniors,
    I got admit for MS in CS for Fall 2010 but they said following in mail

    “Congratulations! It is my honor to inform you that you have been admitted on probation. To fulfill our admission requirements, please satisfactorily complete the conditions listed below to end your probation.

    Student must make no grade lower than B in the first 9 hours of graduate work taken as a UTA Graduate Student.
    Student must complete the following deficiency courses: CSE 2320 and IE 3301”

    now can you plz tell me what is admitted on probation ? n wht is that means ? n also wht is deficiency courses CSE 2320 and IE 3301 ?

  2. Brijesh
    Brijesh December 6, 2009

    @ Sumit,

    It just means that your undergrad courses do not meet minimum requirement. So to overcome that you will have to take this two extra subjects. But you can come here and talk to your advisor to get a waiver on this.

  3. Sumit
    Sumit December 9, 2009

    @ Brijesh
    Thx. I will talk to my advisor becoz I already checked curriculum for that courses and I have done it in my undergraduate studies. Besides there is more doubt. Generally in order to complete MS we need to complete 30 credits but at UTA it seem to be 12*3 = 36 credits + 1 seminar, is it correct or I am having improper information….????

    • Brijesh
      Brijesh December 9, 2009

      @ Sumit,

      There is no rule that says MS should be completed in 30 credits. Each college has their own requirement about the credits and it will very among all universities.

      Also, there is no need for 1 seminar. I dont know what you mean by seminar. Never heard of it.

  4. Sumit
    Sumit December 10, 2009

    oh… I read it from MS guide for CS. Btw ppl say doing MS in UTA cost so less even if u did nt have any kind of funding. Is it true ?

  5. Brijesh
    Brijesh December 12, 2009

    @ Sumit,
    Yes

  6. Abhishek
    Abhishek January 9, 2010

    Hi Brijesh,

    I have recieved my visa on the 7th of Jan, I am travelling on the 11th of Jan. My visa was delayed under the section 221G and everything happened in such hurry that I could not my seniors in advance, is there a chance that someone could pick me up.I tried contacting ‘Indian student Association’ thru e-mail but there was no reply. Who should I contact?

  7. Brijesh
    Brijesh January 9, 2010

    Call ISA and verify it. I am not in UTA anymore.

  8. Abhishek
    Abhishek January 9, 2010

    Thanks for replying brijesh and your site is very helpful, specially for newcomers.

    • Brijesh
      Brijesh January 12, 2010

      I am glad that you found it helpful

  9. Arjav
    Arjav January 28, 2010

    @Sumit: If the advisor doesnt waive the courses right away, there is a test you have to pass in to waive the subject off.

  10. Opting for MS or BS-Phd
    Opting for MS or BS-Phd February 17, 2010

    I had applied for MS in Mech. Got an admit yest. and later a mail stating tht my advisor has recommended me for BS-Phd Program. Now i dont knw much abt this program except tht it wuld be a direct Phd. What is the aide scenario if i opt for it and how the placements likely to be. I am kind of confused and would like someone to help me wther to opt for MS or Phd. (btw i wuld like to pursue Phd eventually after MS too)

  11. Joseph
    Joseph February 17, 2010

    Sorry put the subject instead of name above

  12. Brijesh
    Brijesh February 17, 2010

    @Joseph,

    This is unusual scenario, best thing would be to call your advisor and ask him if you can directly get in to PhD. I think if you convince him the right way, he would agree. You can find their phone number from http://www.uta.edu

  13. Joseph
    Joseph February 17, 2010

    This was the mail received from UTA:

    “You are receiving this email because Dr. Tong, the Graduate Advisor for the Mechanical Engineering Graduate School at UTA, feels you might be interested in changing your application to our BS/BA to PhD program rather than the masters program.
    He would like to recommend you for that, but needs to know if you would indeed be interested in it, first.
    Please reply as soon as possible, so we can make the necessary changes in your program.”

    and this is the brief description of the course:

    Applicants who have completed a bachelor’s degree and who wish to pursue a doctoral degree without completing a master’s degree may apply for admission in the B.S. to Ph.D. Track. The admission requirements to this highly competitive track are the same as those for all doctoral applicants.

    In addition to the requirements for the Ph.D. degree, a B.S.- Ph.D. Track student will be required to enroll in at least three hours of research each semester during the student’s first two years, receiving a pass/fail grade (no R grade) in these hours. A student may be exempted from enrolling in research hours in the student’s initial semester. A B.S.-Ph.D. Track student must have a faculty research (dissertation) advisor prior to the start of the student’s second full semester. A B.S.- Ph.D. student must take the Ph.D. diagnostic examination prior to the start of the student’s fourth full semester.

    I guess it seems to be as a direct entry to phd only…

  14. Joseph
    Joseph February 20, 2010

    request u to reply asap..thank you

  15. Brijesh
    Brijesh February 21, 2010

    @Joseph,
    What is your question?

  16. Joseph
    Joseph February 21, 2010

    I received the mail as mentioned above frm UTA and when i chked abt the BS-Phd track program this is wht was given (also mentioned above), by reading it seems to me that its a direct phd program. Culd u tell me how gud is this program in relation to Mech and will thr be any funding associated with. Also i wuld be gratefully if u culd suggest me wht wuld be better doin an MS nd then Phd or direct Phd.
    Thanking you in advance

    • Brijesh
      Brijesh February 22, 2010

      @Joseph,
      If I were in your position, I would first find out length of each program. I personally don’t believe that spending those extra years in PhD is worth it. As I said before, talk to your advisor and work on getting into MS degree

  17. Trishul
    Trishul February 23, 2010

    I have got admit for fall 2010 msee, they have stated it as non thesis. i had applied for thesis. whats the difference? i also heard they ll change it to thesis once i reach there and request. is that true whats the procedure. thank you

  18. Brijesh
    Brijesh February 23, 2010

    @Trishul,
    It doesn’t matter what is written on your documents. You can always select thesis or non-thesis in your course work after coming here, its all up to your choice. You have to select your courses before starting of each semester, choose thesis as subject if you want to do that.

  19. Trishul
    Trishul February 24, 2010

    Thank you for the crystal clear answer bro, what is the difference bw thesis and non thesis subjects
    Also among U of Tx arlington, U of Nrth texas, U of Houston, Texas tech, U of south florida tampa.
    Which should be given top priority to do my MSEE ( communications). i have got unconditional admits from UTA and USF, will get from others soon.
    Thank you.

  20. Brijesh
    Brijesh February 24, 2010

    @Trishul,
    You’re welcome.

    Thesis is like research. You do research on your interested topic instead of studying books.

    And I don’t have idea about any other college other than UTA

  21. Trishul
    Trishul February 24, 2010

    Thank you bro….

    • Brijesh
      Brijesh February 25, 2010

      You’re welcome Trishul. I hope this helped you.

  22. Yogesh
    Yogesh March 1, 2010

    Hi Brijesh…
    First of all, thanx for this gr8 website.
    I got an admit for PHD in CS at UTA.

    “Congratulations! It is my honor to inform you that you have been admitted to The University of Texas at Arlington. Please submit the items listed below as soon as possible, and please remember to include your UT Arlington Student ID Number in your communications with us.

    Submit Statement of Resources, Sponsor’s Statement, and Bank Affidavit. Go to http://grad.uta.edu/prospective/apply/howto/ to obtain these forms.

    Your I-20 form ( if applicable), registration, and orientation information will be issued once the documentation is received.”

    Does this mean I did not receive financial aid?

  23. Brijesh
    Brijesh March 3, 2010

    @Yogesh,
    You’re welcome. I feel good about sharing what I know.

    From what you have wrote, it looks more like an admission letter, which only says that you have secured admission. This does not say anything about financial aid.

    If you already received your student “NetID” and password, you can go to http://www.uta.edu and click on the MyMav link. You can see the status of your financial aid after logging in.

    If you don’t have NetID yet, you can call your advisor or admission office to confirm about that. You can find their phone number on UTA website.

  24. Randhir Mitra
    Randhir Mitra March 11, 2010

    @Joseph & Brijesh

    To compare BS/MS/PhD is meaningless. If the end goal is to make money, spending four years in Engg is also useless. Why add another two to do an MS? The point is what do you want out of these degrees?

    Again, if it is money that one wants, a better route would be to get hired in India (since hiring in India is probably better than anywhere else at present) then come to the US on H1, save more money, do an MBA and get rich that way.

    On the other hand, you want to enrich yourself in some area of interest and you wish to make a contribution there, by all means go for a PhD.

    A BS-PhD is an accelerated program. You will typically get a PhD in 4 years as opposed to the 2 + 3 (or 4) following the conventional route. If you do an MS with thesis, it would typically take you slightly over 2 years to finish. Since the likelihood of your extending your MS work for PhD is always high, you will finish up your PhD quicker. In the conventional route, you might end up working on two different research topics, one for your MS and the other for your PhD.

    The graduate advisor has asked you to go for this BS-PhD program since he feels that you have an excellent academic record. Not everybody gets this invitation. The chances of funding in the program are probably good to excellent. Look upon it as an incentive. If you eventually plan to do a PhD, why not now.

    One more thing, you dont have to ask people whether or not you should do a PhD. Is the other person better qualified at answering the question? I dont think so. What one will tell you is based on some half-baked conclusions from a limited sample of observations. Yes, it is a commitment of time and if you have the will, you will do great.

    Finally, any PhD without publications or stellar academic performance will fall by the way-side. If you take this up, you have to strive to be the best at it. After that, since you are a bit specialized, jobs might not be plenty but they will come. For e.g, any joker who picks up a book on programming can write code. You dont have to be an engineer for that. You are not one of those. Companies, when they hire PhDs invest a lot in intellectual capital and PhDs are looked upon as assets. Just ask how many PhDs there are in the TI research labs and Intel research labs. These jobs are relatively recession proof. Even when GM was downsizing, they did not close down their R & D unit.

    Hope you have enough to think about now.

    Good luck
    Randhir Mitra

  25. Brijesh
    Brijesh March 15, 2010

    @Randhir

    Thanks a lot for your views and sharing your knowledge with us. Hope this will help a lot to UTA newcomers.

  26. Pranav
    Pranav March 18, 2010

    Hii Mr.Brijesh …u r doin great job on UTA forum….i know u have passed out of UTA but still i want to know about Faculty n teaching quality@ UTA.
    I have got admit for Aerospace BS for Fall 2010 with scholarship .I have to pay 2200$ per year.Kindly guide me with oncampus living and jobs if possible.
    take care

  27. Brijesh
    Brijesh March 21, 2010

    @Pranav,
    I would say go for UTA if you have already got scholarship. $2200/year sounds really good. You will get on-campus jobs easily. Even if you don’t get it, it will compensate in your fees as it is already this low.

    I would say go for it.

  28. Brahadeesh
    Brahadeesh March 28, 2010

    Hi Brijesh,
    I got admit for MS in EE(control systems). I want to know how are the on campus job opportunities in UTA.
    Also hows EE department in UTA??

  29. Joseph
    Joseph April 2, 2010

    @randhir & brijesh….
    is thr any way i can get the contact of someone doin phd/ms in mech. dept. i wuld really like to knw more abt the dept. nd the profs. than whts in the site…..
    wuld highly appreciate ur help.

  30. Brijesh
    Brijesh April 4, 2010

    @ Brahadeesh,
    You can easily get on campus jobs at UTA. But I don’t know how to answer your question “Hows EE department at UTA”. Its very generalize question and there is no definitive answer. If you are asking overall, its good place to be. If you have any specific question, let me know.

    @Joseph
    If you have any contact in UTA, you can ask them to redirect you to Phd students in Mech Department. Or you can ask the international office to introduce you to the faculty to know more about Mech at UTA.

  31. Anurag T.
    Anurag T. April 12, 2010

    Hi Sir,

    Can you please throw some light on which companies are hiring C.S graduates for Internships as well Jobs after MS.

    In UTA Website, I cant find any link to career centre.

    And I got admit from CS department with 4 Pre-requisites (Conditional Admit).

    1. Can I do On campus job with this admit.
    2. Will I eligible for RA/TA and Internships position.

    Waiting 4 ur reply sir..

  32. Brijesh
    Brijesh April 13, 2010

    @Anurag

    There are 1000s of companies who hire CS Graduate. So don’t worry about that.

    Regarding your question,
    1) If your admission letter doesn’t say anything explicitly about this, you can do on campus job
    2) Above answer applies to this as well.

    Anurag and all others, if you like the posts here, please become fan of Brijux.com by clicking this button below.

  33. Nikhil Shaun
    Nikhil Shaun April 15, 2010

    Sir,
    I have received the I-20 for MS in mechanical engg at UTA. I just wanted to know is there any need for acknowledgement letter of receiving the I-20 from me? I have been granted probationary admission to the university. Will I be able to work in the university during the probationary period?
    Waiting for your reply sir….

  34. Brijesh
    Brijesh April 30, 2010

    @Nikhil
    Sorry for the late reply. You don’t need to acknowledge the receipt of I-20. And if your admission letter doesn’t say anything about your work eligibility then you should be fine.

  35. rahul
    rahul May 11, 2010

    Hello Brijesh sir,
    I have got admits into UTA and New Jersey Institute of Technology for M.S in BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING. How is the course in UTA? What are the job opportunities post MS in this field?Are there many companies which hire graduates from this stream?Is living on campus better or living off campus?

  36. Brijesh
    Brijesh May 13, 2010

    @Rahul,

    I would recommend UTA compared to NJIT. From my opinion, job does not depend on your school unless you are in top 20 schools. And for UTA, living on campus is way better than off campus.

    Hope this helps. Please click like button and become fan on facebook page if you found this useful.

  37. Amee
    Amee May 19, 2010

    Hi Brijesh,

    I have got admit for fall 2010 msee but it is provisional. ne idea what are conditions or criteria i need to complete prior to the comencement of the semester. at the same time i m confused bcoz i have got regular admit at northeastern for TSM(communication &networking). according to u, which one should i go with??

  38. Brijesh
    Brijesh May 19, 2010

    @Amee

    Provisional means you will have to maintain minimum of 3.0 GPA in your first semester. That is the only thing unless they have mentioned anything else on your admission letter. Regarding choice of college, I would suggest to go with UTA. \

    Hope this helps.

  39. Amee
    Amee May 20, 2010

    @brijesh

    Thanks a lot

  40. Sush
    Sush June 7, 2010

    Hi,

    Thanks a lot for this info. Could you please elaborate on the vaccinations to be taken? It is causing a bit of confusion. Is it TB or/ and meningitis? Is there anything more on this list?
    Thank you

  41. Sush
    Sush June 7, 2010

    and also where it has to be taken, whether in India or in the university?

  42. Brijesh
    Brijesh June 8, 2010

    @Sush,

    There is no requirement to take vaccinations for UTA. You will be given vaccination in UTA regardless of whether you took it in India or not.

  43. Sush
    Sush June 8, 2010

    Thank you

  44. Arun Kumar
    Arun Kumar June 9, 2010

    I have got admits into UTA for Computer Engineering. Planning to take Networking. In the admission letter they mentioned we write 3 papers. I am a ECE student. Shall i get waiver of those papers. What is the reason behind. Shall i get part time jobs. How do i contact newcomers.. in your website.. if i try to open some files it is asking for some password.. your site is very good.

  45. Brijesh
    Brijesh June 14, 2010

    @ Arun,

    I didn’t get your question about writing papers. Elaborate more. You will get job if you want. The password is given in the post itself and also the link to orkut where you can find other new comers.

  46. Balaji
    Balaji June 24, 2010

    Hi Brijesh,
    I got admit for MS in CS and I’m from Electronics background hence I was given Probationary status with 6 subjects to complete.Hence I want to change my branch to CE is it possible.

  47. Brijesh
    Brijesh June 24, 2010

    @Balaji,
    Yes, you can easily change your branch. Please talk to your adviser for instructions.

  48. Balaji
    Balaji June 24, 2010

    Thank you very much..for ur advice.

  49. Sai Srinivasan Subramanian
    Sai Srinivasan Subramanian July 4, 2010

    Hi Brijesh,
    awesome website and kudos for that…
    i got admit in EE dept and am a 2010 Electronics and communication passout from chennai,India with a distinction
    right now i havent decided my specialization… i wanna take a deeper look and consult lot of successful seniors like u before jumping in
    can u kindly suggest which is the very good in UTA (in EE ) and has good prospects when we look in
    a) on campus jobs
    b) jobs in the field after graduation
    c) possiblity to get funding

    i chose UTA over other colleges(SUNY,UIC ,UH etc) because of low fees and cost of living and many said UTA is good in EE … as many indians depend more on funding… what are the DOs and DONTs to get a good chance of scholarships ..

    is it better to contact grad advisor prior going there or its better to meet him in person and talk about registering in courses….

    is there any chance to convert my MS (non thesis in i20) to a pHD based Study which has prospects of scholarships and stipends every month after coming to arlington??

  50. Brijesh
    Brijesh July 5, 2010

    @ Sai Srinivasan,
    Thanks for your compliments. I am glad that you liked my website and my work. I will appreciate if you can pass it to other aspiring UTA students and if you can be a facebook fan of this website.

    Now your answers,
    – On campus job, most likely you will get it;
    – jobs after graduation, it depends on you, there is no campus-interview system here, it depends on your abilities
    – funding, again it depends on your field and the requirement of the department in that field, I would suggest better contact your professor and check with him
    – you can contact adviser now, and check with him about your path, email would be the best way, and be prepared to wait for few days before they answer
    – if you are interested in PhD, MS+PhD is the best way, it will reduce the number of years for your education, i will highly recommend it.

    Hope this helps.

  51. sai srinivasan
    sai srinivasan July 6, 2010

    THANK U 1st for a very elaborated reply…and ll surely pass on to uta aspirants
    can u kindly explain about MS+phD course in EE …like duration and funding chances
    should i contact now itself regarding this change or after going there only i can change eh?

    its a general doubt so am asking on behalf of every newcomer here…
    how should we start our 1st mail to a professor/grad advisor???
    many say ts premature to mail them before entering uta .. some say they expect us to mail properly and they have a view that indians mail to ask scholarship stuffs only…
    can you kindly give tips on these and throw light on us so that we could survive and shine better ??
    tank u once again

  52. Brijesh
    Brijesh July 6, 2010

    @Sai Srinivasan,
    You can start your MS now and you can decide about MS+PhD after coming here.

    For contacting professors, do as your instinct says, there are no rules.

  53. dilip roy
    dilip roy July 10, 2010

    I am goin to attend the visa interview on the 14th of this month.. So can you kindly tell me a few of the first year courses that I would have to study. And can you please tell me the areas of specialization available in electrical engineering for graduate study in uta. And is the course renewable energy considered as a specialization in EE??

    • Brijesh
      Brijesh July 11, 2010

      @ Dilip,

      I would suggest you to check the website directly. Go to http://www.uta.edu and go to the EE section, you can find all the course information there.

  54. Sriram LNS
    Sriram LNS July 17, 2010

    hi brijesh ,
    You r doing an amazing work n hats off for that .

    Coming to the point I got admit for MS in CS for Fall 2010 and also my VISA got approved but they said following in mail.

    Congratulations! It is my honor to inform you that you have been granted probationary and provisional admission. The provisional conditions listed below will need to be satisfactorily completed by the end of your first semester of enrollment in order to continue your studies. The probationary conditions listed below will need to be satisfactorily completed to end your probation.

    Prob: Student must take or test out of GESP.
    Prov: Submit 7th and 8th semester mark sheets and diploma or provisional degree certificate.

    can you plz tell me what is admitted on probation ? And any info reg GESP ?
    And also what is provisional admission ?
    And are there any chances of getting scholarships and stipends every month after coming to arlington ?

  55. Rajat Nijhawan
    Rajat Nijhawan July 28, 2010

    hello

    first of all lemme tell u , u r doing a great job.. I wanted to knw about masters in INFORMATION SYSTEMS..is it equivalent to MBA(IS) and what are the job opportunities after that.. So, to sum up..whether its worth doing masters in info. sys. from UTA..

    please reply asap..It wud be a gr8 help.

    Thanx a ton!!!

  56. Brijesh
    Brijesh July 29, 2010

    @Sriram LNS
    Probation means you will need to take GESP exam. It stands for Graduate English Skills Program meant to test your english. If you are good in english, you dont need to worry about it. Otherwise you may need to take 1 or 2 extra classes.

    Provision to my understanding means you have not submitted your final marksheets yet. So it will be removed after you submit it.

  57. Brijesh
    Brijesh July 29, 2010

    @Rajat,
    Sorry dude but I have no idea about that course.

  58. @aruun
    @aruun August 20, 2010

    @brijesh
    I got probationary admission in UTA for 3 different subject. But i approached my dean they didn’t provide waiver even though i showed my syllabus. What is the procedure to admit in MS. Other than 3 deficiency courses shall i possible to take 1 credit during my first sem other than seminar paper. What is the rule. Can you please provide the suggestion or where can i find the details.

  59. Utkarsh Singh
    Utkarsh Singh September 3, 2010

    Hi Brijesh,

    My name is Utkarsh Singh. I applied to UTA for fall 2010 EE. I got a call from UTA but very late. Since i got this call late I could not proceed with my VISA interview as Visa Dates were not available. I deferred my semester to spring 2011.

    I got a mail stating that the entire application process will start all over again and I am worried because of that. I am not sure if i will get a call again from UTA.
    My profile is
    GRE 1410
    tofel 109
    btech 74.4%
    ok LOR
    3 yrs work ex .

    Can you please suggest something? I am very thankful for your any help that you would provide.

    Regards,
    utkarsh Singh

  60. Brijesh
    Brijesh September 9, 2010

    @aruun,

    I didn’t understand your question properly. You can with UTA website for admission procedure.

  61. Brijesh
    Brijesh September 9, 2010

    @Utkarsh,
    The best advice is to follow what UTA has suggested you. I would also apply to other universities as a back up plan.

  62. Prasoondeep
    Prasoondeep October 11, 2010

    Hi Brijesh!
    I will be joining UTA in Spring 2011 for MS in EE…mine is a case of transfer from different university to UTA for my second semester…just wanted to know whether my credits will be transferred or not to UTA.If yes,the procedure?

    • Brijesh
      Brijesh October 12, 2010

      Prasoondeep,
      As far as I know, UTA transfers maximum of 9 credits. So you should be good to go!
      But I would confirm with UTA official before taking any steps.

  63. Shiva
    Shiva October 18, 2010

    Hi Brijesh & others,
    i got my I-20 for Spring’11 frm UTA yesterday. but it says
    “Congratulations! It is my honor to inform you that you have been admitted on probation. To fulfill our admission requirements, please satisfactorily complete the conditions listed below to end your probation:
    Student must make no grade lower than B in the first 9 hours of graduate work taken as a UTA Graduate Student.”
    However it does not mention that i shud take any deficiency courses. Is there any chance that the deficiency courses may b imposed upon my once i begin my classes?

    Also, I wil b gettin my I-20 frm NJIT this friday,, but i think its unconditional only..
    which one do u think i shud select? i personally feel that there wil b some sort of pressure on my in UTA due to the “Probationary” condition in the first sem. not to forget that i may also require to take a few extra subjects..
    P.S.: The course i hav applied for is M.S.Industrial Engg for the Spring’11.

    • Brijesh
      Brijesh October 19, 2010

      If it does not say about deficiency courses in I-20, it wont be imposed.

      NJIT vs UTA, its totally depends on you. Its your call. But if I were to chose, I would go for UTA.

      Hope this helps.

      • Shiva
        Shiva October 20, 2010

        thanx for ur assistance.. it really is helpful..

        ok,, as of nw im proceeding wit UTA.
        also,, i hav a long list of backlogs(history of arrears – around 18!) but i hav a aggregate of 66% in my B.E. Mechanical Engg. frm Anna univ. chennai.. do u think that my backlogs may lead to visa rejection,, coz of late i hav been hearing a lot frm ppl here at chennai that their visas are being rejected even if its with 12 backlogs.. so im very anxious to kno wat wil b my case… any suggestions to counter the questions frm the VO with regards to this(my huge backlogs) wil b very helpful..
        (My GRE is also very avg. only: Q=510; V=460; A.W.=4.0 ; Toefl=100)

        & also, my sponsor is my Uncle(paternal) only,, wil this also hav a negative impact durin my Visa interview.?
        can u think of any good answer if asked the reason for my uncle’s sponsoring..??

        any convincing answers for the above mentioned queries wil b of gr8 help…

        • Brijesh
          Brijesh October 20, 2010

          Shiva,
          I can help you with doubts concerning UTA but I can’t help you with your VISA process. Sorry dude.

          • Shiva
            Shiva October 20, 2010

            oh.. its ok Brijesh,
            hows the Industrial Engg. department in UTA.?
            Is it easy to find on-campus jobs easily.? if s? then approx. how much wil i get/mnth?
            and is the on-campus apartments cheaper than the rental rooms taken privately outside the campus.?

          • Brijesh
            Brijesh October 21, 2010

            I think industrial engg is good. On campus jobs depends on your ability and convincing power. The pay you get depends on the job you get. The highest paid is GTA/GRA for which you will have a tough competition. I would prefer to live on-campus apartments though it costs same as off campus

          • Shiva
            Shiva October 21, 2010

            oh,, ok Brijesh.. Thanq for ur reply, it was very informative..
            but when do i need to apply for on-campus apartments?? should i apply online frm here or shud i apply for it wen i reach UTA? if i shud apply online frm here then when shud i do it..?
            also i hav a frnd coming along with me, he is also for the same intake & same dept…

          • Brijesh
            Brijesh October 22, 2010

            Applying as soon as you can will be helpful.

          • Shiva
            Shiva October 23, 2010

            Alright Brijesh,, wil do as u suggest.
            thank you ur guidance.

          • Utkarsh Singh
            Utkarsh Singh October 26, 2010

            Hi Brijesh,

            I had applied for spring 2011 EE department. I had a call from UTA in fall 2010 but could not attend the Univ due to VISA problem ( i had written in earlier post ). My App status gradually moved from My application status moved gradually from “Pending decision review” to “Awaiting final decision from Dean” .

            Yesterday my application status was changed to
            ” Application status deferred as admission requirements have not yet
            been satisfied. Please monitor your email for details.”

            In the email there were four courses – control system , circuit analysis-2, electromagnetism and fund of power that i have not done in my under grads course.

            First of all i cant understand how is this possible after getting a call in fall 2010. More-over what would u advice for me

            Thanks,
            Utkarsh

          • Brijesh
            Brijesh October 29, 2010

            @Utkarsh
            The best thing in this situation is to call them over the phone and confirm.

          • Nitin
            Nitin March 10, 2011

            Hi Brijesh ,
            This very nice work u r doing and is very helpful for all the people going through this blog.
            i received admission for fall 2011 on probation and have been asked to complete following deficiency courses: CSE 1320, 2315, 2320, 3315 and 3320. I have done my grads in ECE and have three years experience in IT.

            Congratulations! It is my honor to inform you that you have been admitted on probation. To fulfill our admission requirements, please satisfactorily complete the conditions listed below.
            Student must complete the following deficiency courses: CSE 1320, 2315, 2320, 3315 and 3320.

            i have not understood whether ..am i suppose to take these courses in very first sem? if i take them all it will really mount lot of pressure. because i will have to complete mandatory credits for sem appart from deficiency courses so what is recommended as per opinion ?

          • Moumita
            Moumita April 27, 2011

            you will have to complete these five subjects during ur stay with the school. Any info,how much extra bucks you need to pay for the course?

          • Brijesh
            Brijesh May 9, 2011

            @Nitin,

            Sorry for the late reply. You will need to take these courses but you can take it over two semester. If the syllabus of these courses is similar to your undergrad course, you can negotiate with advisor to get waiver.

          • Brijesh
            Brijesh October 29, 2010

            @Shiva
            You’re welcome!

  64. Brijesh
    Brijesh October 21, 2010

    Aneri Desai asked on October 21, 2010 at 12:45 PM

    Sir,
    I got I-20 from UTA for MBA (spring 2011)
    Could you suggest me , How to find house or roomies ??
    Thanks for the help u provide to new comers ..:-)

    Aneri

    Aneri,
    Join the yahoo group named “uta_apt”. Lots of people post room mate ads to that group and thats the easiest way to find a room mate directly from India.
    Also search for other UTA groups on yahoo, its very useful for new comers.

  65. Naresh
    Naresh October 28, 2010

    Hi brijesh ,
    This is naresh applied to uta-mechanical for spring 2011.. i gt an admit frm niu ,wmu n texas kingsville ..waitin fr reply frm uta ( my profile : gre 940 ,tofel :92 acad : 63 , OSmania university ) , just wanna knw wht could my chances n my status says : ” awaitin final decision of graduate dean” . i have sent my packets in august and i havent heard nythin frm them till nw .
    btw which univ preferbly to go wid ??

    • Brijesh
      Brijesh October 29, 2010

      @Naresh,
      “awaitin final decision of graduate dean” the message is very clear, your final decision is pending!

      I would say go for UTA!

      One suggestion though, try to improve on your writing skills. I know you enjoy typing in short forms and without proper punctuation/capitalization as its less pain to you. But its a pain in the *** while reading it.

  66. Pavan
    Pavan November 6, 2010

    Hi Brijesh,

    This is pavan i got admit for MS in EE in UTA for spring 2011..CAn u please give me info regarding the jobs after graduation in EE telecommunications..and how abt the oncampus jobs or off campus jobs over therer and how abt the chances for gettign the GA/TA/RA ….(funding scenario) Am actualy an ECE student with 3 yrs IT experience..any people says that after MS students opt for software jobs as there are few telcomm jiobs available ….can you please suggest me which univ to take…i actually got admit for MS in CS in ULL(university of louisiana lafayette) also…
    please reply soon

    Thanks in advance
    PAvan

    • Brijesh
      Brijesh November 7, 2010

      @Pavan,
      Can you be more specific on what info you need regarding jobs?

  67. Dinesh
    Dinesh November 24, 2010

    Hello,
    this is dinesh i received an email from uta saying

    Dear Dinesh Kumar T,

    Congratulations! It is my honor to inform you that you have been admitted on probation. To fulfill our admission requirements, please satisfactorily complete the conditions listed below.

    Student must make no grade lower than B in the first 9 hours of graduate work taken as a UTA Graduate Student.Student must test out of or successfully complete GESP.

    Can you please tell me what will be the cost of English deficiency course. and can also brief me on other part of that (Student must make no grade lower than B in the first 9 hours)

    thank you

    • Brijesh
      Brijesh November 29, 2010

      @ Dinesh,

      As far as I know, there is no cost to take GESP exam.

      You must maintain Grade B or higher in your first semester. In the most case, people take 3 courses in a semester, each course is 3 credit hours. So for the first 9 credit-hour courses, you need to maintain grade B or higher. i.e. work hard in first semester 🙂

  68. naveen bj
    naveen bj December 1, 2010

    hello brijesh
    i require an urgent advice.
    i have applied for spring 2011(MS-EE). My present application status says “Application decision deferred as admission requirements have not yet been satisfied”. i called the graduate advisor and got to know my toefl scores have not reached the university even after 2 months. so i mailed them a scanned copy of my score sheet and again i have ordered an additional score from ETS to the university of Texas,Arlington. its already december 1st and college starts on jan 18th. is it worth waiting until they give me a decision? since i am yet to book my visa interview n stuff… the graduate advisor even told me that all the other requirements are adequate to get admissions. so wat do i do? i have got a TOEFL score of 109 which satisfies the admission criteria too.

    • Brijesh
      Brijesh December 4, 2010

      @Naveen
      Call graduate advisor again and ask him if the scanned copy of TOEFL is adequate for the admission purpose and tell them that its been 2 months since you requested it.

      If that doesnt work out, do you have any other backup colleges? I would advice to go for any other college and take admission and VISA for there. You can change your college to UTA after you get your admission confirmed at UTA. Hope this helps.

      • naveen bj
        naveen bj December 6, 2010

        thanks a lot Brijesh. i have got admissions,i20 from syracuse.i ll take visa for that college, come to america couple of days early and apply for transfer before college starts.will that be fine?? syracuse bein a private university ther wont be any problem for transfer to UTA before college starts na???

        • Brijesh
          Brijesh December 16, 2010

          @naveen, I think you should be fine.

          • naveen bj
            naveen bj December 22, 2010

            I got my visa approved yest, that is for Syracuse university. today i got a mail from UTA stating my admission is granted n the i 20 will be sent soon. it also says my degree is MS non thesis. i heard we can change this to thesis even after an year but only if the college provides that option. is it fine i continue with the transfer to UTA?? electrical engineering is better in UTA than Syracuse.its cheaper too rite….

          • Brijesh
            Brijesh December 30, 2010

            @naveen, What is your question?

          • NAVEEN
            NAVEEN January 11, 2011

            i was just asking is UTA better for electrical engineering?
            and thank u, i got a transfer from syracuse to UTA just yest, i have submitted my transfer form at the graduate office of UTA…….:)

  69. suraj
    suraj December 23, 2010

    Hi brijesh ,
    firstly , thnx to u for helping so many MS in US aspirants

    I have got my visa stamping for Northern illinois university , two days back i have received i20 from university of texas arlington ; i20 from uta i have never expected , this was too ambi university fr me , i am very much intersted to join UTA?
    what should i do now ?
    i read some where that it is possible to transfer our sevis record from one university to other ..how is it done & is there any alternative where i could directly come to UTA and get it done ??

    kindly help !!

    • Brijesh
      Brijesh December 30, 2010

      @Suraj, I mainly help people with information about UTA as I have knowledge about that. I do not have much knowledge about other universities and VISA process, you should consult embassy about the specific VISA questions.

      • NAVEEN
        NAVEEN January 11, 2011

        Go to the international office of either northern illinois university or UTA and request for the transfer, its a easy job…..

  70. yashaswini
    yashaswini January 24, 2011

    Hi Brijesh,
    I got admit for MS in Mech engg for Fall 2011 but they are giving me admit on probation basis and have asked me to satisfy the following condition:
    “Student must make no grade lower than B in the first 9 hours of graduate work taken as a UTA Graduate Student.”
    so, my question is that suppose if iam unable to maintain a ‘B’ grade in the first 9 hrs, what will happen? can i be suspended for this?
    Actually, i have heard that most of the students find it hard to maintain a good grade in the first sem.Is it true?

    • Brijesh
      Brijesh January 24, 2011

      Yashahwini,
      Its not hard to get B grade at all. I have never seen a single case when someone failed to maintain this requirement, i.e. getting lower than B grade. It would also help to chose your subjects accordingly in the first semester to get through this. If still in doubt, ask your advisor on what happens if you get lower than B grade.

      • yashaswini
        yashaswini January 25, 2011

        thanks!!

        • yashaswini
          yashaswini April 16, 2011

          hey Brijesh,
          is UTA good? wht r the job prospects aftr i graduate? I knw u cant be sure on this but atleast u may hav som idea.
          Actually i heard that its nt a good univ and students dont get job aftr graduation. is that true? Actually im takin a loan so really worried.
          PLS REPLY ASAP!!

          • Brijesh
            Brijesh May 9, 2011

            @yashaswini

            UTA is not the best college but its not bad either. Everyone I know from my batch got jobs after graduation.

          • PARTH
            PARTH May 27, 2011

            Hey yashaswini…. i also got admit for FAll 2011…. ME program… U frm India..?? and gonna join the program…

  71. kannappan
    kannappan February 23, 2011

    hello sir,
    i applied for graduate studies in UTA and the status of that is”Application decision deferred as admission requirements have not yet been satisfied”
    will i get admitted or it ll be denied?

  72. kannappan
    kannappan February 23, 2011

    hello sir,
    Univ of Texas,Arligton has deferred my
    application because my writing section score is less in IELTS and they
    have suggested me to retake the exam.
    If i retake the exam n get good score will i get admitted in UTA?
    please help me out sir
    tank you

    • Brijesh
      Brijesh February 28, 2011

      @kannappan
      I can not answer this question on their behalf. You need to speak with them to find it out.

  73. Rohan Aurora
    Rohan Aurora March 9, 2011

    Its a very useful page indeed. Sadly, UTA is poorly ranked in the U.S. ( as a university and as a biomedical graduate course).

    • veritas
      veritas January 2, 2013

      where does it say that UTA’s BME program is poorly ranked? It’s not like SC is sitting pretty in the top 10 either. A graduate degree is what you make of it. Rankings are just marketing fodder.

  74. shiva
    shiva April 25, 2011

    Is there any google or yahoo group for people joining Fall 2011 ?

  75. vijeyendra
    vijeyendra May 15, 2011

    hi. i have applied for fall 2011 electrical.i have received two mails until now 1.u r application has been received 2. u r application has been forwarded to grad school advisor.
    i have NOT activated my UTA student Email till today(just now i did)..i thought i would be notified on the previous email id to which they sent first 2 mails. but those 2 mails were the last ones. and my UTA id has 0 inbox messages…in MYMAV the application status says “Admission has been granted. You will receive a formal letter of admission by mail.”

    but i have not been notified by mail nor did i receive any post..i am now worried. what do i do now

    PS: in MyMav the home address and mailing address shows “no address” but when i click on it my address was there..is this any reason for not receiving any mail or post..please reply ASAP

  76. PARTH
    PARTH May 27, 2011

    Dear Brijesh,

    I have got admit from UTA for Fall 2011 in Mechanical Engineering Program to pursue my Masters. So how is the course and University. Should I go for it….?? Please Help

  77. Swathy
    Swathy June 30, 2011

    Hello,
    My admission status says “Admitted on Probation” for UTA – CS for fall 2011. I dont have any other courses listed. Will this have a negative impact during my VISA interview? Also, could u please let me know what are the research works in the computer science dept which are noteworthy.

    Thanks

    • Brijesh
      Brijesh July 9, 2011

      @Swathy,
      Probational admission does not have any effect on visa interview. You can search the current CS department research on UTA CS website. I am not in touch with it from long so I am not aware of the updates.

  78. Anithaa
    Anithaa July 21, 2011

    hi brijesh

        can you tel me how are the career opportunities in uta for ms in cs.i am admitted to cs for fall 2011

    • Anonymous
      Anonymous July 25, 2011

      Anithaa,
      Need more details to answer your question. What do you mean by career opportunities?

  79. Shwetachauhan71
    Shwetachauhan71 September 11, 2011

    hi brijesh,
                      can u just tell me what are the living expenses for staying over there

    • Anonymous
      Anonymous October 24, 2011

      You have to be more specific in your question.

  80. Shivamsoni
    Shivamsoni May 23, 2012

    Hello Brijesh!! This is Shivam Soni, and i’am presently in India and want to do my undergraduate in UTA in Electronics and Telecommunications, so i wanted to ask that in what SAT score can i get admissions in UTA and also scholarships and does UTA offer a good Campus Placements?

  81. Rashmi
    Rashmi May 29, 2012

    Hi Brijesh!! This is Rashmi. Your website is very informative.Keep up the good work. I am planning for fall 2012 and i have got a mail from UTA saying admission will be taken after passing  a test called GESP. 
    My GMAT verbal score is low but have good TOEFL score. I have 3.4 years of work experience.  I am living in texas since a year. Considering these, Is there any possibility of GESP 
    waived  ??? If not, is GESP similar to TOEFL.Please let me know if you know anything about this. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

  82. Naga Avinash
    Naga Avinash September 21, 2012

    I have applied for UTA in AUG 24th 2012,
    Today I checked my application status and it says “application decision deferred as admission requirements have not yet been satisfied. Please monitor your email for details.”
    Also it says No To do lists.
    help me, how to solve this problem..
    Thank u in advance.

    .

  83. Srinikhil
    Srinikhil September 26, 2012

    Hi, i got admitted to UTA computer engineering Dept, Can i change it to Electrical Engg Dept.?
    My Major is Embedded systems, This course is offered in both the dept.’s, I am confused which one to choose.

  84. Anoop
    Anoop October 17, 2012

    Hello guys/gals,

    For those of you, who are planning to attend graduate school without any probation. UTA is the place.
    But if your imposed on probation like getting B is first 9 hours of your graduate work or GESP english courses, then my suggestion is to look for other admits. Having these imposed on you while studying is really hectic and makes students less motivated towards graduate program. If the GESP is imposed after coming here, then its is little kinda of money making policy from university. So think wisely, before taking a crucial decision for graduate studies. Coming here without any conditional admit or probation is really a good idea. But not for students who are having probation or conditions as GESP.

    Thank You.

  85. venki
    venki January 30, 2013

    can i get admit in uta with 6 backlogs and 70% from annaunive & 303 gre & 7 bands in ielts

  86. Amy
    Amy February 6, 2013

    can u please give me current scenario about jobs after completion of MS in Mechanical Engg from UTA.
    I have got admit from UTA for MS-Mech, Fall-2013

  87. dhiren
    dhiren March 10, 2013

    hello!!!
    I have apply for uta
    my gre is 295 Q-154 & V-141 my AWA is3
    toefl 81- r-20, l-22, s-17, w-22
    my academic is cpi 6.9 (no backlog) till 6th sem in mechanical
    10th-88.57 and 12th -60.
    Shoul I get addmissin in uta????

    thank you!!!!

    • Dhiren
      Dhiren March 11, 2013

      Hey friends plz reply

  88. Rohith BS
    Rohith BS March 20, 2013

    Hi,
    i had appplied to MS in CS for fall 2013 on mid of october 2012, since then the application status is in pending status till today.please let me know by when i can expect the final decision by them.

  89. Malavika Murali
    Malavika Murali April 15, 2013

    hey i’m not able to access any of the pdfs. Can you help me out? if u have the pdfs plz send to my fb messenger.

  90. rakesh
    rakesh August 20, 2013

    Hello Friend,
    My Application status is showing that admission has been granted, but i have not yet received any mail from them. What does it mean?

  91. divya jillu
    divya jillu March 16, 2016

    Hi Brijesh,

    I have 299 GRE score and 7.0 IELTS with a CGPA of 7.56 in y Bachelor of engineering. I applied for UTA to be specialized in MIS-Fall 2016. Though, I had submitted everything in prior to deadline, I see my status with a deferred message.

    What are the chances I get into UTA as this is one of my dream university?

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