Anyone who has completed a bachelor’s degree from a three-year
college in India or Nepal, or other similarly structured universities
and wanted to apply to graduate school in the United States
will be familiar with my story and identify with the frustration
of being told that our degrees are not recognized by the U.S.
educational system. To add insult to this, I found that my friend’s
credentials from England, which was earned in the same length
of time was readily accepted. Ah! Coming to terms with this
reality is a bitter revelation.
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In most cases, most of us would probably drop the whole
idea of pursuing advanced studies. Or at least, this was
the notion etched in my mind until I discovered what is
propagated to be “the best kept secret in town.”
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So, what does this mean? Are three long years that we spent
toiling to attain our college education and
achieving that hard-earned degree going down the drain? In
most cases, attempts to transfer credits in typical four-year
colleges are met with the most minimal of nods. We are told
that our curriculum, not being based on a similar evaluation
system, has little to produce. Alternately, choices that are
offered are limited; either an almost start from the scratch
approach or get very disappointed. In most cases, most of us
would probably drop the whole idea of pursuing advanced studies.
Or at least, this was the notion etched in my mind until I discovered
what is propagated to be “the best kept secret in town.”
After a hiatus of almost four years since my Delhi University
days, resuming my studies in the U.S. was not an easy call.
I was determined not to let go of my Indian degree simply because
it was graded differently. Fortunately, during my initial trip
to the U.S., after several visits to various universities and
snooping around, I stumbled on the secret of the CUNY Baccalaureate
program. Administered by The CUNY Graduate School and University
Center, it is the only university-wide individualized bachelor’s
degree program. (You can find more details about the program
in their Web site http://web.gc.cuny.edu/cunyba/index.html)
Opting for this choice had multi layered advantages for me.
First, it allowed me to optimize my transferred credits. Yes!
Ninety solid ones, thanks to the program’s comprehensive
credits transfer policy. All I had to do was convert my academic
qualifications into their U.S. equivalent from an accredited
institution. I picked the World Education Services, WES. (For
more information look up http://www.wes.org/.)
The fee for this particular service then was $125. To see all
the coursework that I had ever taken laid out systematically
was a feast for the eyes.
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. . .do not be disappointed if your old transcripts showed
nothing higher than sixty- percent marks. Trust me, by the
time they are evaluated you will be looking at a beautiful
set of ‘A’s and ‘B’s. Scores that
in Delhi were only mediocre seemed to excel in all their
glory now. |
One more word of advice from my experience here, do not be
disappointed if your old transcripts showed nothing higher than
sixty- percent marks. Trust me, by the time they are evaluated
you will be looking at a beautiful set of ‘A’s and
‘B’s. Scores that in Delhi were only mediocre seemed
to excel in all their glory now. Not a bad start at all, especially
after the initial disappointment of being told that they amounted
next to nothing.
Next, I could propose my own area of concentration, so much
so, that I even had the liberty to create a title for my course
of studies. I called it my International Development and Mass
Communications degree. What I found appealing about this offer
was that I could actually warm up for the same field that I
was to continue later. By then I had made up mind that I was
going in for a master’s degree in international studies
focusing on communications. In other words, this step was a
good means to meeting my end.
Furthermore, the program requires all its students to work
one on one with a mentor or mentors, depending on choice of
subjects. Based on the area of concentration that I had proposed,
I had to approach two professors from two different departments.
This was yet another dose of graduate school preparation where
it is all about selecting the right committee members or else
stay miserable. I’ve heard stories of students who have
given up in despair because they weren’t able to establish
good working relations with their mentors.
Another benefit of this program is the convenience of mixing
and matching classes. It is appropriate for students who wish
to pursue an area of concentration that is conventionally not
available. Depending on the specific design of studies, you
can take classes in any of the CUNY colleges. Although, I personally
did not take advantage of this feature, there were many other
students who did. It is a requirement though to be matriculated
in at least one CUNY campus. The process of admissions is the
same as any standardized CUNY application.
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In addition the program also allows students to receive
credits from their work experience. This was a feature that
really attracted me to this program since I had accumulated
a considerable amount of it myself. |
In addition the program also allows students to receive credits
from their work experience. This was a feature that really attracted
me to this program since I had accumulated a considerable amount
of it myself. I’d say a generous opportunity to optimize
credits in order to gain ‘as fast as possible’ a
U.S. equivalent baccalaureate degree. Eventually, I did not
have to petition for this since I had already surpassed the
maximum credits that could be transferred. Not long after I
joined the CUNY Baccalaureate program, I walked down the aisle
for my graduation commencement. It took me three semesters,
a little over a year to bridge the East to West college gap.
Had I not discovered “the best kept secret in town,”
I’d perhaps still be just a sophomore or junior in college,
or probably slogging to crunch a four-year coursework in two
years. (Believe it or not! I know some people who have. All
I can say is kudos to them.)
By the end of it all, I was glad to tuck yet another bachelor
degree under my belt.
