Bhavyta Chauhan, who recently won the $80,000 Presidential Scholarship to study Computer Sciences at Florida International University, shares her winning strategy
Start Early: "I started studying for the SAT when I was in the 11th grade itself," says the girl who scored around 2150. "I took about five months to prepare. I know it's possible to do it in two or three months, but if you want to do it at a comfortable, relaxed pace, it's better to start early. This also applies to the college application process. Starting early, helps ensure that everything goes smoothly".
Get Help: Whether you need to approach a guidance and career counselor to help you select the right course and college for you or find a coaching class that will help you effectively tackle the SAT, it's advisable to get help where required. A counsellor at Bhavyta's college, DPS RK Puram, New Delhi, helped her sort through the various colleges that offered courses in the subjects that interested her. Additionally, Bhavyta attended coaching classes, because she believe, "while most Indians are mad about Math and find the SAT Math easy, the grammar and critical writing part can be tricky".
Have a back-up plan: While Bhavyta choose to go to Florida International University because of the generous scholarship it offered her (and the fact that she has had rave reviews from her sister, who has been studying there for the past two years, since she won the FIU Presidential Scholarship), it's not the only university to which she applied. She also applied to Boston University, University of Cincinnati, Drexel University, University of Central Florida, University of South Florida, Illinois Wesleyan University, New York Institute of Technology, University of Texas at Dallas, Florida Institute of Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology, Loyola Marymount University, University of Miami, University of Delaware and Troy University. She received admission and scholarships to these universities too, but the quantum of the scholarship awarded, and the fact that she had seen how much her sister had grown academically and as a person, solidified her decision to join FIU. "While it's important to focus on the university that you really want to go to and give it your best, it's also advisable to have a back-up plan," advises Bhavyta, who also mentions that she didn't bother to check how the colleges were ranked before applying. All she checked was the scholarships on offer and if they were teaching subjects that she wanted to learn and would allow her the flexibility to combine her passion for computer science with her passion for art.
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 "Bhavyta Chauhan won a $80,000 Presidential Scholarship to study Computer Sciences at the Florida International University")
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