US universities woo Indian students, waive GRE

HYDERABAD: Universities went out of their way to convince students that US education remained the best even during a pandemic. To woo students, a majority of universities have waived the GRE for their programmes and many are offering remote learning options.
Speaking to TOI, a representative of University of Michigan, Flint, said, “Our computer science program does not require GRE.” For students who are apprehensive of travelling to the US, the university is offering a hybrid mode of studying. “We also emphasise hands-on learning so there are lots of opportunities for internships and 100% of CS and engineering internships at UM-Flint is paid,” said the spokesperson, adding that in spite of the pandemic the quality of education being offered is unmatched.

Alyssa Bixby of Chatham University also said that most of their programmes did not require the GRE. “We only offer two fully online programs: Healthcare Informatics and MBA. While some are considered a hybrid, most of these programs are on-ground,” she clarified.

While a majority of institutions TOI spoke with are waiving the GRE for this year, some did continue to insist on it. A representative from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School said, “We will continue to accept at-home/online versions of required exams including GMAT Online, GRE at Home, TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition, and IELTS Indicator.”

However, the representative maintained that keeping in mind the inability to take standardised tests as many times as one would prefer or prepare in the same way, “we will consider applications holistically and take testing challenges into account as we review applications this year”. The representative added that test score requirements have been waived for all applicants to part-time programs for spring 2021.

In most universities, a decision on fall 2021 requirements is yet to be made.