Studying abroad options for Indian students and future plans

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has globally brought about massive personal, economic and social disruption. It has upended lives worldwide and raises a critical question — how does one respond and cope when a crisis becomes the new normal?

Owing to global health concerns, students who are currently pursuing their education are increasingly anxious about traveling to study abroad. While the pandemic has not deterred all students from pursuing an overseas education, there are many students who have delayed or cancelled their plans of pursuing a degree outside of India in response to what is taking place in the world around them.

According to a report titled "Indian Student's Mobility Report 2020: Impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education Choices," released by QS IGAUGE, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the decisions of more than 48% of Indian students who previously wanted to study abroad. The substantially lower return on investment for an already expensive higher education degree, along with the reduced odds of employability due to the COVID-19 situation played a crucial role in bringing about this change, the report pointed out.

With the GRE General Test, students have the choice to take the test in person or at home to ensure that they can continue their higher education journey at some of the world’s most renowned universities, many of which are situated in their own country

Choices Indian students are making

While the pandemic has not deterred all students from pursuing studying overseas, a significant number of students have delayed or cancelled their plans of seeking a degree outside of India. Some students are instead opting to pursue a local route to fulfill their dreams of getting an international degree. One way they can do this is to enroll in a transfer program, where students study for a year in India and then transfer their credits to a university abroad where they can then complete the rest of their coursework that enables them to earn an international degree in their own country. Reputed Indian colleges  like S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University are now seeing a significant increase in student interest for such programmes.

Many of the universities offering such an option in India usually rely on the students’ scores from switching to an overseas university. However, these universities do require students to take an admissions assessment such as the GRE® General Test.

GRE scores acceptance among Indian institutions

GRE scores are also an accepted  admission criteria by several institutions overseas and marquee Indian colleges like the Indian Institutes of Management in Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta, and the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. The acceptance of GRE scores at most graduate programmes in the United States, India and other locations closer to home, empowers students with more options as they plan their studies abroad in these unusual times.

Taking the GRE General Test has a number of advantages for Indian students, especially during the pandemic. For one, GRE scores are valid for five years, this provides students with ample time to tide over the current difficulties while leaving the door open to study abroad opportunities in the future. In addition, it ensures that students are much more in control of their own future and can confidently wait out the current period of uncertainty without having to give up on their dreams of studying abroad.

Taking the GRE General Test can grant one access to a variety of graduate programmes ranging from business, STEM, humanities and law to name a few. This gives prospective test takers the option to choose from a variety of fields while not excluding other career options at the earlier stages of their education journey.

GRE® General Test - home solutions

Furthermore, to ensure that the test-taking process carries on smoothly during the pandemic, students can continue to pursue their educational goals without interruption. The GRE® General Test at home solution allows test takers to take the exam from the comfort of their homes. The GRE test at home solution has not just helped soothe the anxieties of students who are worried about venturing out to a physical test center due to safety concerns, but it has also ensured that the start of their educational journey can continue smoothly. Moreover, the security and integrity of the test is the same as the GRE exam taken at a test center. In addition, the GRE test at home is identical in content, format and on-screen experience to the GRE General Test taken in-person except it is taken on a computer at home and is monitored by a human proctor online who provides support for each test taker during the exam.

When a situation such as a natural catastrophe of the kind that we are grappling with at this point in time, throws plans awry it is critical that there are options in place like the GRE test at home solution that empowers test takers to continue to move towards their future goals in designing a career path. The at-home test enjoys the same global acceptance, test-taker friendly features and effective pricing, adding to the overall appeal of the GRE test at home. While things for overseas education are uncertain right now – pursuing an international degree is still within reach and achievable even as the world looks very different than it did before the pandemic began. As everyone continues to navigate its impact on everyday life, students deserve to have options that allow them to continue to pursue their graduate degree dreams. With the GRE General Test, students have the choice to take the test in person or at home to ensure that they can continue their higher education journey at some of the world’s most renowned universities, many of which are situated in their own country.