Day 7: Over 32,000 register for TNEA online

“Though the application can be filled online, there were around 48 students on day one and 133 students on day two who came to college to register,” said a source at the university. While on day one 4738 students registered, day two saw 6727 applications. Day three saw 6608 but the numbers started dropping from day four onwards with 5150 registrations followed by 4262 and 4265 the following days. 

The last day for online registration is on May 31, 2017. The filled-in application must be submitted to university on or before June 03, 2017. Students who are not comfortable with filling online forms are being helped by teachers in the government schools. “We have helped around 20 students fill the online form as they were unsure about the procedure and online payments,” said Rajasekar, a teacher from Dharmapuri. 

Students who want to apply to the sports quota should submit a special reservation form along with the online application form in person at the office of the secretary (TNEA) Anna University. Application through courier is not accepted.

Parent meets – where parents whose wards are pursuing higher studies abroad counsel aspiring students and their parents – are becoming popular forums to address common concerns on following the path to higher education in the United States of America. 

A group of parents accompanied by their children were keenly listening to Joseph R Kishore, an entrepreneur, who recounted his son, Nikhil Gerard’s experience in the US, where he is currently pursuing his masters in mechanical engineering, specialising in smart materials at the University of North Carolina.

The proud father revealed how his son got a chance to get into a project, funded by NASA, at a parent meeting organised by EducationUSA at the US Consulate. “It was an enriching experience. My son got to be a part of a team, which was selected by NASA for a project revolving around extraction of water from mars. Eight teams, including my son’s group, were selected in December 2016 and a grant of USD 5000 was given to create a prototype and demonstrate in NASA’s centre, which has a simulated Mars environment. For my son, this experience is sure to add great value to his resume,” he said. 

Maya Sundararajan, Regional Officer, EducationUSA, a program of United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF), said parent meets are becoming increasingly popular, since many parents are anxious about not just the financial aspect but also social mores and ease of adapting to new cultures. “Parents have so many questions, not only on the financial aspect but also the kind of support mechanism available. How would their child get a part time job? If they are living outside the campus and stay in the lab till late at night, would they have a means to get back to their living quarters. Speaking to parents who have already gone through the drill helps them immensely,” she explained. 

Some of the questions raised included: How often should the I-2o form be renewed? Who should be informed in case a student is travelling outside the country during vacations? Is the course load manageable? How different is the classroom experience, when compared to Indian colleges? Will my son/daughter be able to adjust to living in a new country? Parents, who had already been through the process, shared their experiences to anxious parents and students, while offering tips to make the transition easier.