Today at an award ceremony, Educational Testing Service (ETS) awarded 21 TOEFL Scholarships to outstanding students from India. The TOEFL Scholarship Program recognizes TOEFL test takers in India who excel academically and demonstrate well-rounded qualities, including participation in extracurricular activities such as community service.
One scholarship in the amount of US$10,000 and 20 scholarships each valued at US$3,000 were awarded to further undergraduate or graduate studies for students in India in the 2013 academic school year. The scholarships can be used at any of the more than 8,500 institutions âin more than 130 countriesâ that accept TOEFL test scores.
Nine of the winners will pursue undergraduate studies and 12 winners will pursue postgraduate studies. Winners represented numerous regions in India, including Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur, Mangalore, Mumbai, Noida and Pune.
âIt is a great honor to present the 2013 TOEFL Scholarship award winners,â commented Daniel Wakeman, Vice President and Chief Information Officer at ETS. âOver the past four years, ETS has awarded US$240,000 to assist TOEFL test takers in India to further support their undergraduate or graduate studies. Through our scholarship program, educational resources and learning activities, ETS continues to demonstrate our commitment to advancing educational opportunities for students from India.â
Selected from a highly competitive pool of applications, students were evaluated based on their English-communication skills, academic record, leadership skills and extracurricular activities. This was a record-breaking year for the TOEFL Scholarship Program in India, as there was a 92 percent increase in the number of applications received this year compared to last year.
TOEFL Scholarship 2013 Winnersâ Profiles
1. Manjari Akella
Manjari Akella from New Delhi loves Mathematics - the formula and logic that goes behind everything happening in and around us. Her affinity to logic and reasoning motivated her to pursue a career in Computer science and Programming. She will be attending the Ohio State University, Columbus this year, one of the top 10 public universities in the USA. The university is reputed to provide a comprehensive course structure and a flexible curriculum. She chose the USA as it offers a close relationship between research and education. The country also provides a diverse cultural exposure which she feels is very important in todayâs world. Manjari wishes to go into research and work to improve the algorithms in place which use technology to alleviate human suffering especially in the health related sciences. In her leisure time she loves reading novels, watching cricket and sitcoms and enjoys music and cooking.
2. Arushi Arora
Arushi Arora is from New Delhi and finds Physics as an interesting subject. She has grown to love, admire and respect all her teachers through school and college and has learned much from their academic expertise as well as their life experiences. She will be pursuing her Masterâs degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Stanford University, which is one of the worldâs best universities for this program. The university offers research and learning opportunities across a broad spectrum of areas within Electrical and Electronics Engineering, spanning from the more established to promising new areas. This especially attracts her as she aims to explore different areas within this vertical. She believes TOEFL is an excellently designed test that tests all aspects of familiarity with the language- the ability to speak, read, listen and write. Arushi aspires for a career in academia and loves to read and write as a hobby.
3. Ayesha Jamshed Bapasola
Ayesha Jamshed Bapasola comes from Mumbai, the city of dreams. Her favourite subject during school was English Literature, as it provided great scope for critical analysis and opened her eyes to world issues that complimented her academic development. Ayesha will be attending the London School of Economics and Political Science. She chose the school because of its world class faculty and research facilities, as well as its outstanding curriculum in the field of her choice. She will be pursuing MSc. Environmental Economics and Climate Change, as she believes that this field deals with two of the most pertinent problems of our time â economic development and environmental sustainability. Ayesha chose UK because the system of education and the employment opportunities interest her, and she believes she will benefit from the rich culture that the country possesses. Ayesha enjoys working with underprivileged children, as well as playing the guitar and reading.
4. Sabarish Chandramouli
Sabarish Chandramouli comes from Bangalore. He has had keen interest in History, learning about cultures from around the world, and the enigmatic yet powerful figures in the past that shaped the world. Sabarish will be joining the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. The university has been ranked number one for its Game Development program in the whole of the United States. He will be pursuing a Masters in Computer Science, specialising in Videogame Development. He believes that videogames are the next big thing and he wishes to develop games based on Indian mythology to make more and more people aware of Indiaâs fabulous culture. He chose the United States as it has the most vibrant videogame industry in the whole world and he will also get the chance to be a part of the best videogame companies in the world. Sabarish is also crazy about football and loves playing and following the sport. He also enjoys writing and one day hopes to write and publish a novel of his own.
5. Srishti Chauhan
Srishti Chauhan comes from the city of Jaspur in Uttarakhand and has pursued her education from New Delhi. Her favourite subjects include Economics, Mathematics and Physics as these involve logical reasoning and analytical approach besides being mathematically intensive. Srishti will be joining the London School of Economics to pursue MSc. in Economics. Its excellence in scholarly research coupled with its unique legacy of academic brilliance made this college her first choice for higher studies in Economics. She chose United Kingdom because of the striking legacy of academic merit and a history of the most luminous minds being the alumni of the institutions of United Kingdom. She strongly believes that economic policy-making has the ability to directly and most perceptibly impact human lives, making this subject an apt choice for those who desire to bring about a positive change. Apart from working hard towards her goals, Srishti loves sports, leisure reading and learning new languages.
6. Nikhil Harry DâSouza
Nikhil Harry DâSouza comes from Mangalore. He has developed a keen interest in international law and believes that legal work has gone global, and policy decisions in one part of the world cause huge impacts on the lives in other parts of the globe. Nikhil will be joining the Europa-Kolleg, University of Hamburg to pursue European Legal Studies. He believes that it will provide him with a great opportunity to experience their legal system within a very vibrant global learning environment. Participating in the variety of lectures at Europa-Kolleg will enable him to strengthen his foundation in important concepts of International Law. He chose Germany as he looks forward to a unique learning experience that will give him a chance to interact with highly qualified and intellectually outstanding students from both common-law and civil-law jurisdictions. Apart from his academic interests, Nikhil likes swimming, travelling and participating in volunteer work.
7. Devika Halbe
Devika Halbe comes from the city of Pune. She has a soft corner for both art and science. She likes Algebra because it encourages a systematic and structured approach towards solving any problem and English because she enjoys poetry and creative writing. Devika will be joining the Full-Time MBA Program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She will be majoring in Managerial Analytics, International Business and Management and Strategy. She hopes that Kellogg will expose her to industries, people and ideas that shall change the way she has thought till date. She admires the school for its unique emphasis on collaboration and teamwork â both of which are highly sought-after qualities in work environments today. She chose the USA as her academic destination because most of the MBA Programs that ranked high on her list are offered by schools in the United States. Devika is a fun loving girl who loves playing basketball and enjoys writing poems once in a while.
8. Swapnesh Joseph
Swapnesh is a resident of Mumbai. He is a great admirer of science because it has an explanation to everything happening in the world. He will be joining the Georgia Institute of Technology to pursue a major in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Swapnesh chose this school because it has a great engineering program, and he strongly believes that electronics and computers have started taking centre stage in this world. He chose USA as his academic destination owing to its excellent education system that allows students to explore different domains before committing to any specialization. He looks forward to a career that will allow him to use his engineering knowledge in the developmental sector. Swapnesh is also an excellent public speaker and enjoys adventure sports.
9. Aliza Noor Khan
Aliza comes from the city of Nizams, Hyderabad. Her favourite subject is Economics, because at its very core, it is the study of human choices in the face of limited resources. It integrates logical with critical thinking, making it one of the most challenging and fascinating subjects for her. She will be joining the University of Southern California (USC) for a double major in Economics and Film and TV production. She has also received a merit scholarship from the university and is selected for its prestigious honorâs course, the Thematic Option. She chose to study in the United States because its higher education system offers unparalleled research opportunities, while also providing students flexibility within a unique and holistic framework. She plans to pursue a career in filmmaking and aspire to be a screenwriter and director. Aliza loves playing the classical guitar, has served as Student Council President and has organized and led many conferences during her participation in Model UN.
10. Eshita Khera
Eshita Khera comes from the city of Bangalore. Her favourite subject is Biology, primarily Forensic Biology. While the former allowed her to explore the beauty and intricacies of life and its various hues, the latter embodies nearly every aspect of bioengineering and requires a sound foundation of science, math and technology. She will be joining the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor for an MS in Biomedical Engineering. The Michigan University has a very well reputed medical school that collaborates extensively with the biomedical engineering department at the College of Engineering to provide students with a comprehensive and quality education. She chose USA for its academic brilliance, technological advancement, and unparalleled opportunities in scientific research and looks forward to a nurturing intellectual experience. Eshita enjoys taking part in a variety of activities, like reading, dance, fine arts, swimming, martial arts (currently a Blue belt) and is a strong public speaker.
11. Shourya Kumar
Shourya comes from the city of New Delhi. His favourite subject is computer Science as it involves logic and algorithms. Shourya will be joining the University of California, Berkeley for a major in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science as it is among the top ranked universities in the world and is extremely reputed for the course he wishes to study. He chose USA as his academic destination as the country will provide him with an opportunity to interact with people from all over the world and learn about different cultures. Shourya aspires to be a researcher in the field of Computer Science. Shourya likes participating in quizzes, reading and travelling and has a passion for Indian classical music.
12. Nachiket Naik
Nachiket Naik comes from the city of Hyderabad. His favourite subject is Physics. He has always been passionate about engineering, the mechanics behind any device, and always explored to understand it from that perspective. He will be joining the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta to pursue mechanical engineering. The school is one of the premier institutions in the field of engineering and has world-class faculty and facilities. It also offers many opportunities for undergraduate research. He chose USA because their education system is highly evolved. The system involves a lot practical application along with the theoretical studies. He particularly looks forward to the collaboration between academic and research facilities. Nachiket plans to take his passion for science further and work in the aeronautical, energy or the biomedical sectors. Nachiket likes playing Cricket, is trained in Taekwondo and loves playing piano.
13. Bhargav S Narayanan
Bhargav S Narayanan comes from the city of Chennai. He loves science because it satiates his curiosity and enables him to understand the working of everything. He will be joining the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, to pursue Aerospace engineering. The University has the best of faculty and facilities along with a Masters program which gives equal importance to fundamental and applied research. He chose USA as his academic destination because Aerospace Engineering requires the right facilities and support system that are essential for contributing to current research along with the proliferation of the private space industry in the country. He plans to further his interest in this field and wants to be an aerospace science engineer. Bhargav loves leisure reading and likes indulging in badminton and gaming.
14. Bhumycka Patel
Bhumycka Patel comes from the city of Mumbai. Her favourite subjects are English and Fine arts as she loves painting right from her childhood and wishes to pursue a career in the same. She is attending the University of Hertfordshire for a BA (honors) in Graphic Design. She has always loved graphics, whether 2D or 3D and believes that a design foundation will be helpful in studying Visual Effects or Computer Generated Imagery. Apart from design she also has interest in writing and contemporary cinema. She chose the United Kingdom, because it has an excellent reputation in subjects pertaining to arts and enables a faster completion of a Bachelorâs degree compared to the USA. Bhumycka likes to read and paint in her spare time as this has been her childhood love.
15. Akanksha Saran
Akanksha Saran comes from New Delhi. Her favourite subject is mathematics and probability as she finds these challenging and interesting. She will be joining the Carnegie Mellon University to pursue Robotics. It is one of the best schools for computer science and it is known for the cutting-edge research carried out by its diverse student body and experienced faculty. She believes that Robotics is revolutionizing our present and future in fields like medicine, education, health care, entertainment, space explorations et cetera. She chose to study in the United States of America because of the world-class research facilities and expertise available there for computer science. Akanksha plans to take up a profession in academia as a researcher or scientist. Apart from the science she enjoys singing as part of choir groups and loves anchoring events.
16. Shruti Saxena
Shruti Saxena comes from NOIDA. Her favourite subjects have been related to the Economics of Development. She will be joining the Humphrey School at the University of Minnesota to pursue a Masterâs in Development Practice. She chose the school because it is offering a program with courses that interest her, along with the opportunity to learn from a diverse faculty and her peer group. She has been working in the development sector for a couple of years now and believes this course will help her to build on her knowledge and skills and specialize further. She plans to continue working in the development sector, with a focus on community development and educational initiatives. Shruti enjoys reading, theatre and learning new languages.
17. Shivang Sethi
Shivang Sethi comes from New Delhi. His favourite subject is Physics as it explains the visible physical world around him, helps explore the invisible world and excites him with the possibilities of connecting natural processes with different strings of physics. Shivang will be joining the Dartmouth College to pursue environmental/chemical engineering. The college is strongly focused on its undergraduate programme. The student to professor ratio is small which ensures a high degree of individual attention and also allows the students to get to know the professors better. Shivang chose USA because thereâs a degree of flexibility in choosing what one wants to study and he has always felt strongly about having a liberal arts education along with studying science. He aspires to be environmental/chemical engineer and eventually start his own social entrepreneurship in the field. He enjoys playing the guitar, doing photography and go for hiking and camping.
18. Surabhi Shastri
Surabhi Shastri comes from the city of Mumbai. Her favourite subject is computer as she enjoys analyzing algorithms and computer networks. She will be joining the Columbia Business School for an MBA, specializing in strategy. Since Columbia is situated in the heart of New York City, it has unique advantages for studying business. Surabhi particularly liked the structure of the school's social enterprise program, which beautifully weaves classroom teaching with real world experience to provide a holistic and hands on education. She chose the United States because she wishes to study at one of the top business schools in the world, in an energetic and dynamic city. She wishes to work for the healthcare industry and reduce disease mortality through measured interventions. Surabhi is a European handball and Basketball player and has also learned Indian classical music for 10 years.
19. Aashish Vatsyayan
Aashish Vatsyayan comes from the city of New Delhi. His favourite subjects are English literature as it helped open his mind to different schools of thought and Maths because he liked exploring statics and study and calculus. Aashish plans to pursue his masters in Robotics. He believes that robotics can have an impact on our everyday life. It is challenging, creative and futuristic. He chose the USA as his academic destination because the prospects that are offered there are matched by no other country. The level of research along with the facilities offered makes it an obvious choice. Aashish plans to complete his studies and come back to India and make robots of international standard and establish brand value. Apart from robotics, he likes participating in debates, public speaking, trekking, camping, and swimming and helps out orphanages and small schools by volunteering.
20. Gayatri Vishwanathan
Gayatri Vishwanathan comes from the city of Chennai. Her favourite subject is science because it is logical, helps understand the natural phenomena around us and thereby leads to innovation. She will be joining the University of Wisconsin-Madison to pursue Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering. This university is her preferred choice as their Electrical and Computer Engineering program is well structured, offering many courses in Very Large Scale Integration and Computer Architecture. She chose the United States of America because of its excellent education standards and research infrastructure. The US education system provides a very comprehensive and challenging method of evaluation, facilitating tremendous intellectual growth and development of oneâs skills and attitude. Gayatri intends to pursue her Doctoral studies and apply the knowledge learnt to research, innovate and contribute significantly the Electronics industry or academia. Gayatri enjoys playing the Veena (an Indian classical music instrument), dancing and reading novels.