Prospects for Indian students pursuing higher education in Computer Science in Canada

[syravi]

Hi

I am Ravi Sharma from New Delhi. My personal id is syravi@yahoo.com

My daughter is applying for MS in computer science in Canada.
I would be extremely grateful to you if you could give me a reality check for higher Canadian education.

To begin with she has an average score of 74.5% (six semseter average). Her GRE score is 1130 (with one month of preparation as she had to submit the score to Harvard School of Business, deferred management program). Quant she secured 590. She secured 115/120.

She is from an average University from New Delhi - Indra Prasth University, main college: Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology.

We are looking for a self financed education with as much scholarship as posible.
The total expense will be around 50,000 - 60,000 Canadian dollars.

Ideally she should have a two year experience before she goes for such an expensive higher education but she has lost some time in a gap year she took to improve her chances in 12th standard. And she is afraid that after marriage she may never get the opportunity for higher education. She will complete her 23 years this december.

She is not very good at mugging but she loves programming and is as fast or faster than the toppers in her class. So that way her 74.5 is not a true pic as India promotes rote learning.

We wish to know the job prospects after completing her education, an ability to pay back the education loan she will have to take and the prospect of settling down in Canada. And, should she decide to return to India, how would she viewed by her employers. Will a Canadian Higher education enhance her career prospects in India. But in all probability and knowing her as I do, she might opt to settle there. In that case can she become a citizen?

We would be required to do a lot of legwork and heavy work for the months ahead. If we get some sort of a picture, it would be a great help.

We have just one distant friend in Canada, no one else. They are not in the field but say that Canada is a better country than Australia. Incidentally, she has an offer from Australia National University'sa One year advanced course which can be extended to a two year course if she performs satisfactorily.

Please help.

Thanks in advance.

[jernst]

I don't know the particulars about international students and MS programs, but I can give you some advice based on my own experience in the Canadian system (I'm a Cdn citizen and have been educated here my whole life)

I entered my masters with a higher average than that from here and had some difficulty getting accepted. So for one thing the marks seem a bit low to me. That being said however, I have no idea on the process for international students, there may be different weightings using GRE scores or whatever. To me it seems the best way into the masters program is to find a supervisor willing to take you as a student. If you can do this, the marks matter somewhat less.

In order to get scholarships for graduate research in Canada you need to be a top student (for NSERC and OGS) this usually means at least A- average in the past two years. However if a professor agrees to take a student on, they generally provide enough to cover the tuition and a small amount of expenses. I'm not sure if this is the same for international students, however often the ones I have met have received funding from partner universities in their home countries.

In terms of finding a job after earning an MS, many of my colleagues who have completed have had no trouble finding jobs. There is still high demand and the MS degree usually sets the person apart from those with undergraduates.

[syravi]

Thanks jernst. At the Canadian Education Centre in Delhi, we were told to get in touch with a professor before even applying. So that we are sure to do.

Thanks again.