The mere thought of applying to US universities for MA-PhD programmes is enough to send a shiver down the spine of the average student.

Like any other intimidating and complex task, US graduate school applications too can be successfully executed if one clearly identifies the different steps that constitute the process.

Where to apply
The first stage of the application process ought to be shortlisting universities to apply to.

• Identify your research interest: Since you are applying to a graduate school, you will be expected to have an idea of what research you plan to undertake as a PhD tudent. On the basis of your BA and MA studies in India, you may have identified certain opics or broad areas that stimulate your interest and that you feel have not been sufficiently studied by existing researchers.

• Once you have an idea of what you want to work on, read up on that topic if you haven’t done so already. You will then be able to see which of the scholars’ research interests or methodology appeal to you. Find out the universities where those scholars teach. This is one way to shortlist universities. The other is to go to the websites of universities and departments that you are aware of. Check out the list of faculty members and see if their stated research interests match with yours.

• Shortlist, in this way, between 5-10 universities.
   
• It is most tactical to select a few top-ranked universities, a few mid-ranked universities and a few low-ranked universities – the latter two depend on how keen you are to go to the States to study. So, if you would like to shift to the US only if you get to a top-ranked university or the professor of your choice, then there is no harm in applying only to institutions which are harder to get admission into
   
• The earlier you start surveying university web sites, the better. Try to begin this process at most by August of the year in which you apply, if not earlier.
   
• e-mail any queries that you have about the admission process to the staff members designated on the website, such as admissions coordinators and the like. Do not contact professors with queries about the admission process. 

Qualifying for exams
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE)  and the Test of English as a Spoken Language (TOEFL) are the two different exams conducted by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). 

•  Log on to www.ets.org and read up on the GRE and TOEFL exams.
   
•  Select a time and venue for taking each of the two exams from the list on the website.
   
• Make sure that there is at least 6-8 weeks for you to prepare for the GRE.
  
  
  
•  Register for the exam online on www.ets.org. The process of online registration is easy and quick but requires a credit card or access to a credit card (such as that of your parent or a friend whom you can repay in cash if you don&rsquot have your own credit card).
   
• In case you don't have access to a credit card, do not worry. You can pay through a money order and can download the appropriate form from the section that offers details about the GRE for test-takers on www.ets.org.

• Also, don't take the GRE after mid-November if you are planning to apply that very year.
   
• Set aside 2-3 hours every day in order to study for the GRE. The syllabus for the GRE covers class X level maths and has a fixed list of word meanings to be mastered for the verbal section. Apart from this basic syllabus, the key to doing well in the GRE is doing as many practice tests as you can.
  
  
• GRE preparation books such as Barron, Princeton Review and Kaplan are available in bookstores. Choose any one of these books and study it entirely.

• Also, purchase the Tenth Edition of Practicing to Take the GRE General Test published by ETS. This is also easily available in bookstores. Cover this book well. Download GRE Powerprep software from the ETS website and make full use of the free resources offered on this website.

• Take plenty of practice tests. You will get a CD containing computer-based practice tests along with any GRE preparation book. There are also paper-based practice tests in the ETS Tenth Edition. You must practice every single test in the book. Be sure to time yourself while taking the practice tests.

• Practice the essay portion (analytical writing) of the exam by randomly selecting a topic from the lists on the ETS website and then writing the essays within the specified time limit. Guidelines on how the essays will be graded are in the ETS Tenth Edition book.

• 6 weeks are enough to cover the syllabus well and to practise enough tests. Take at least 2 computer-based tests a week and as many paper-based tests as you can lay your hands on. Start practising even before you have completed the syllabus.

•   In order to prepare for the TOEFL, access the materials on the ETS website. You need between a day and ten days to prepare for the TOEFL, depending on how your English grammar is. Do not go for the exam without preparing at least for a day and being fully aware of the format of the exam.

• On the day of the GRE and TOEFL tests, if you can enter at the start of each test the names of up to four universities to which you intend to apply, the ETS will send your scores to these universities for free. This will save you $80.

• To send your scores to universities, you have to pay an additional cost of $20 each time to the ETS. Make sure that you send in your score at least a week before the application deadline, so that it reaches the university in time.

How to apply 
 Once you have identified the departments and professors that interest you, email the professors whom you think might be interested in the research you plan to undertake as a PhD student. This you should do around 2-3 weeks before the deadline.

In the email, write VERY briefly what you are currently doing (in one sentence), your academic qualifications (also one sentence), what particular research questions you want to examine and why you would like to work with them. In sum, this email should not exceed 3 short paragraphs. The shorter the better.

Be polite and to-the-point in such correspondence. Do not be overly flattering or wordy and at the same time, do not be boastful about yourself.

The professor may reply and encourage you to apply to the PhD programme. Conversely, the professor may reply and discourage you from applying because his/her research interest may not match yours. In this case, you should not apply to that department unless another professor in it encourages you to apply. Lastly, there may be no reply from the professor in which case you should only apply to that university if you really want to study there or if you are very keen on working with that professor.

If the professor does reply to you, do not needlessly contact the professor or ask him/her questions about the admission process.

THE APPLICATION GRE and TOEFL scores
Remember, GRE and TOEFEL scores  are only one component of your application and it is easy to get overwhelmed by preparation for these exams.  However, it is important to keep in mind that these scores are not the ultimate determinant of the success of your application. As, if not more, important are the other components of your application. They are,  the statement of purpose (henceforth, SoP), writing sample, curriculum vitiae (cv), transcripts of your marks and recommendations from teachers or other relevant people.

Statement of Purpose (SoP)
Start working on this latest by late October. Stay within the word limit specified by the department to which you are applying. State briefly and clearly what you want to work on, why you want to work on it, how you will do it (i.e. what particular place or archive or data you will examine), what is the relevance of your proposed research to your discipline and what relevant qualifications you have to pursue your research (such as language skills or technical training or prior research experience).

Writing sample(s)
Again, start work on this by late October. Applications for an MA-PhD in the social sciences require one (or sometimes two) sample of your academic writing. This essay may be something you have already written in the course of your MA or may be something that you write afresh for the application. Be sure that it is what you consider the best example of your academic abilities. If the sample has nothing to do with the topic on which you are proposing to work, that is alright. In this case as well, do not exceed the specified page limit.

Letters of recommendation
Make sure that you inform your referees (that is, those who will write letters in support of your application) at least 6-8 weeks prior to your application deadline. While choosing your referees, choose those teachers or employers or academics who know you well as a student and who will be able to reflect upon your abilities as a writer, thinker, speaker and person. You should offer a brief overview of your proposed research to your referees so that they are familiar with what you want to study and can incorporate it in their letters. Most universities require three letters of recommendation.

Curriculam Vitiae
Your CV should contain basic information such as your date of birth, your marks (class XII, BA, MA etc), educational institutions attended, degrees earned, scholarships/fellowships/ grants, prizes/awards, work experience, research experience, publications, extra-curricular interests and achievements &ndash whichever of these you may have.

Transcripts
Transcripts of your marks containing a detailed break up of the marks you earned in each paper in the course of your BA, MA (and MPhil, if applicable) and the exact title of each course you took are required. Usually two copies of each transcript are required for each university. Make sure the transcripts are signed, stamped and sealed in envelopes before you send them with your application. Start this process by mid-October since it can often be tied up in red-tapism and bureaucratic paperwork.

Application form:
Each department to which you apply will have a link to its online application. Fill out each of the sections in the online form and pay the fees online through a credit card when your application is complete. Send the paper components (usually the writing sample, transcripts and cv, and sometimes the SoP too) of your application through mail or courier to the address stated on the department website. Letters of recommendation can now be submitted online by your referees. If you prefer to take them all in one go from each referee, you can send in paper copies in sealed envelopes.

In case you do not have access to a credit card, you can download the application form, fill it out on paper and pay through money order.  Be sure to mail the application at least 2 weeks before the deadline and keep a photocopy of the final application for your own records. Send your GRE and TOEFL scores to the department through the ETS. Make sure your application and its various components reach the department by the stated deadline, so mail/courier them well in time. You should receive an email confirming the receipt of your online application and later, an email confirming that your application is complete. Make sure to track whether each of your applications are complete so that you can re-send those components of your application that may get lost in transit.

So, between the months of September and December you can easily accomplish the various tasks that make up a US grad school application.

Break it down into each of the steps described above and then, tackle each step at the appropriate time. With this approach, you will be in control of the situation and not the other way around. Graduate school applications need not consume your entire life and can easily be executed well by putting in 3-4 hours a day.