What Students Say
Likes
- WSU provides plenty of cooperative courses with the nearby University of Idaho, which is located 9 miles away, giving you more flexibility with electives.
- WSU is a top-ranked university in the field of Agricultural sciences, by which departments under the College of Agriculture are heavily funded, including the School of Economic Sciences.
- Pullman, which is the main campus of WSU, is one of the safest college towns in the USA. Living expenses are also much lower than in other university towns in the same tier.
Dislikes
- Pullman is a small college town. The nearest big city is Seattle, which is 300 miles away(Roughly 6 hours drive)
- Comparatively higher tuition than neighboring colleges and colleges in the same tier as WSU.
- Not many major companies have their office at Pullman except SEL.
Course Curriculum
8
- My major is Economics, and North American economic degrees are known for their difficulty level and extensive curricula. It is highly quantitative and requires a strong background in mathematics, particularly calculus and linear algebra.
- It is also highly practical-oriented, which requires extensive coding. A strong knowledge of programming languages such as Python and R would be greatly beneficial throughout the program.
Admission Experience
- I have only applied to Washington State, as I was already in contact with the Professor before applying. He had already agreed to fully fund my Master's. Even though applying to 5-10 universities is recommended to increase your chances of getting admission, contacting a Professor of interest and seeking graduate assistantships can save a lot of money through tuition waivers. Graduate assistants are also eligible for a monthly stipend, which would cover their living costs.
- My undergraduate Professor helped me connect with a Professor at WSU. I had emailed him, Professor, and explained my background and research interests. The department required me to submit GRE and IELTS scores. The minimum requirement for the GRE was 153 in the Quantitative Reasoning section. A band of 7 or higher was required in the IELTS. The general minimum TOEFL score was 79. The department was satisfied after reviewing my test scores and offered me admission. The most challenging part was communicating with the department, as the Indian Time Zone differs from the USA's. I submitted my application through GradCAS, which is a centralized application service for graduate programs in the USA. Overall, I did not feel the application process was complicated, as the department staff were very supportive.
- I joined WSU in the January(Spring) intake of 2024. I contacted my Professor in July 2023. Therefore, the next immediate joining was in Spring as the fall admission was already closed. I completed my application process in September. Gave my Visa interview in November. Arrived in the USA the last week of December. My classes started in the second week of January.
Faculty
10
- There are eight students in my cohort, and the department has 40 faculty members, including 8 emeritus professors. Therefore, the faculty-to-student ratio is 5:1, which looks pretty decent. Students usually take four classes in a semester.
- The lectures are mostly in person. Micro and Macro economics classes are, in general, theory-oriented, whereas econometric classes involve extensive programming and data analysis. Students can choose their electives based on their career goals. For instance, those who are interested in industry jobs like data analysis tend to take classes like Machine learning and Big Data analysis.
Campus Life
10
- WSU has five campuses. The main campus is located in Pullman, Washington. Other campuses are located in Spokane, Everett, and Tri-Cities. WSU also has a global campus that is 100 percent online. My campus has two libraries, a student recreational centre that consists of indoor sports facilities, a gym, Swimming pools, etc.
- WSU also provides free medical services to students through its Cougar Health Clinic. The Lentil Festival and the Apple Cup football are some of the major events WSU hosts every year. WSU supports student associations of countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Africa, Mexico, etc. Every year, student associations organize cultural nights for students and faculty.
Part Time Jobs
- Almost all departments provide Research Assistantship or Teaching Assistantship positions. The pay range for academic student employees is $2100 to $2700.
- Students work part-time in cafes on campus, credit unions, the housing department, the International Student Centre, etc. Usual hourly wages range from $17 to $26. An international student can only work a maximum of 20 hours a week.
- Most Indian students end up working in cafes on campus. It is easy for them to get a job in cafes. I have also seen Indian students working in the International Student Centre, WSU housing department, Central library, and Student Recreational Centre. Students use the Handshake app to apply for university jobs. Students may use Handshake or submit their CV to the cafes in case they are looking for on-campus jobs.
Placement
8
- I am planning to continue my PhD in Economics at Washington State. In general, our Program has a placement rate of more than 90 percent, including PhD admissions in several universities.
- Recent graduates were placed at companies such as Amazon, SEL, Pacific National Laboratories, Chase Bank, Idaho Central Credit Union, etc. These are the major companies that hire graduates from our program. Students have also secured jobs in agricultural cooperatives.
Accommodation
Off Campus
10
- I have opted for on-campus graduate housing. I have used WhatsApp groups for finding accommodation and a roommate. I live in a 2BHK townhouse. My monthly rent is $455. Electricity and wifi are separate. Water, laundry, and parking are included in the rent. Finding a roommate was the most challenging part.
- I have used the Indian Students Association WhatsApp group to find my roommate. WSU also provides a roommate finder website for this purpose. Graduate students may apply to WSU housing through the website. My accommodation is a 10-minute walk from the campus. WSU transport also runs buses to campus every 8 minutes on my route.
Exams
- My department requires GRE and either IELTS or TOEFL as a language proficiency test. I took the GRE and IELTS. I was required to submit the transcript of my bachelor's degree, a Statement of Purpose, three letters of recommendation, and a CV.
- I have not attended any interviews, but was communicating with my Professor via email. That being said, it depends on the Professor- whether you are required to sit for an interview or not.
Fees
- $53910 is the cost of attendance according to my I-20; however, it can vary. The fee is charged semester-wise. My student account shows a semester fee of $14702. Out of this $14702, I am only required to pay an out-of-pocket cost of $ 952 per semester since I am eligible for a tuition waiver as a graduate research assistant (GRA).
- Students without an assistantship are required to pay the full amount. As a GRA, I am paid a monthly stipend of $2100. The living expenses range from $800 to $1200, depending on the apartment you are living in.
- In my case, I live in a 2BHK flat, and the monthly rent is $455. Utilities (average monthly estimate): Electric - $40, Wi-Fi- $25. Water is free for me, but it is not free everywhere. Groceries would come around $250 a month on average. College bus transportation is included in the tuition, miscellaneous-$200. Overall, my monthly expenses would come to around $1000.
Scholarship
- I have not received any scholarships other than the tuition waiver and stipend I have received as a GRA. However, students without assistantships are eligible for scholarships up to $1000 per year, provided they maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher out of 4. My batch mates received at least $500 in scholarships per year.
- However, scholarships are not guaranteed and vary each year with the departmental funds and alumni contributions. Students are also encouraged to apply for the university's financial aid through the WSU general application process every year. International students are eligible for up to $4000 of tuition waivers upon being selected for university scholarships.
