I have been accepted by a US university for their postgraduate programme. My father is a retired government officer and we live in a rented apartment. I have got a scholarship and have also taken a loan to cover the rest of the expenses. What I want to know is that since we do not own any property, will that hamper my chances of getting a visa? My friends say that, as my prospects are not good, the visa officers may be biased against me.

P. Rao
Chennai

Applicants are not required to own property in order to qualify for a US student visa. It is a requirement that applicants demonstrate strong social and economic ties to India, but this can be done in a variety of ways and there is no bias for a particular type of asset. As for tuition and living expenses, you will need to show that you have sufficient funds for the first full year of studies, and a readily available source of funding for the remaining years in the programme. Scholarships are helpful in fulfilling funding requirements, but keep in mind that you will need to show how you plan to pay back the loan after you have finished your studies.

I have got through to the Chicago Business School in the US. However, I am appre-hensive about the fact that since I will be taking a loan to finance my studies, by the time I come out of the school, I will be neck deep in loans. Will that harm my chances of getting a visa?

V. George
Gurgaon

It is important that you are able to show that you have readily available funding for your first year of college, and that you will have a source of funding for the second year and beyond. You would also need to explain how you plan to pay back the loan and if you would have the ability to pay back the loan on the salary that you expect to earn after having graduated from the business school and returned to your residence in India.

Please list the best universities in the US and UK for mass communications (electronic journalism) and international relations.

Arun

Noteworthy institutions in the US for electronic journalism are New York University, Missouri School of Journalism, Agnes Scott College among a host of other such institutes. For international relations you can try out places such as the California State University or Cleveland University . For electronic journalism in the UK , there is the University of Central Lancashire, or University of Exeter, and for international relations there is the University of Kent or Cambridge University.