How We Can Help International Students

Stanford University. Image: Rao Advisors.

Our Legacy of Helping International Students

We have been helping international students pursue education in the United States since 2012. Hundreds of our clients have gained admission to the most prestigious schools, including Harvard, MIT, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, Duke, Dartmouth, and Columbia. Among the public Ivies, our students have attended elite institutions such as UT Austin, Michigan, UNC Chapel Hill, and Georgia Tech.

Our founder, Rajkamal Rao, has written numerous newspaper columns about higher education and H-1B matters in the United States and is considered an expert in this field. He recently appeared on Worldly Wise, a podcast from The Federal, to discuss systemic issues, due process concerns, and the long-term implications for US higher education and Indian students’ aspirations.

Recent Changes (July 2026)

On July 16, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security issued new rules for F‑1 visas and J‑1 visas that will take effect on September 15, 2026. The regulation creates a fixed period of admission for nonimmigrant visa holders in the F, J, and I categories. This replaces the long‑standing Duration of Status system.

In simple terms, this means that if a student enrolls in a master’s program that normally takes 21 months to complete, the visa will also be issued for 21 months. After finishing the program, students will receive a shortened 30‑day grace period to transition to the Optional Training Program or to a work visa such as the H‑1B.

Under the previous Duration of Status (D/S) rules, students could extend their graduation timeline by several months, sometimes even a year, often by citing incomplete thesis work or other academic requirements. This flexibility existed because D/S allowed students to determine how long they needed to finish their program. Their visa remained valid as long as the university approved their continued enrollment.

“For nearly half a century, the outdated 'duration of status' system has compromised national security and created an environment ripe for immigration fraud,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “For decades, foreign students have been admitted into the U.S. indefinitely, allowing thousands to abuse our immigration system by perpetually enrolling in courses to avoid having to leave the U.S. By implementing clear, finite limits on these visas, the United States is reclaiming its ability to properly screen, vet, and monitor individuals within our borders. This final rule ensures that foreign students remain focused on their primary purpose: completing their studies and returning home.”

Under the new system, students must apply to the government for an extension if they need more time, and this process includes a biometric appointment. 

An even-more significant change is that students can no longer switch to a different master’s program or begin a second master’s degree or apply to a Ph.D simply to prolong their stay in the United States. They would have to return to their home countries and re-apply for a new student visa. 

What Do You Get As Part Of Individual Counseling? 

Pricing information on this page applies to students pursuing Master's degrees in STEM fields and MBA programs that only require a Personal Statement or Statement of Purpose (SOP). It does not apply to MS or MBA programs that require multiple essays, MS/PhD joint programs, or PhD programs - for these students, our Tier-A per-hour charge and terms and conditions apply.  

Summary: When you engage us, you will get up to 1½ hours of one-on-one counseling in a private, secure video conferencing environment.  [No free introductory counseling minutes].  We make extensive use of Google Apps for Business in the cloud and email.  All interactions are secured using 128-bit encryption.  Our package fee, which includes additional services indicated by the bullet points below and the development of one Master SOP, is $599.

[In some cases - such as changes of major - it is difficult to finalize an SOP for the above fee and additional hours of service may have to be purchased. An example is of someone who has received admission to an MS degree in Computer Engineering, but wants to pursue an MS degree in Computer Science instead. Understanding the differences between the two is a crucial first step. See the last bullet item in this section].

Payment terms are half upfront before our first call and the balance before we release your SOP. We only accept credit card payments from international clients and our bank assesses a 4.9% transaction fee.

Branding:  We will help you define your profile and interests, identify your higher education needs and evaluate other options.  For example, if you are a Mechanical Engineer, should you be studying in Germany where tuition is free? 

Field Selection Strategies (i.e. map interests to careers):  We provide advice regarding the field of study that best exploits US market conditions.  For example, should you consider a Professional Science Masters program in the US?  Which industries are hot?  What are work visa restrictions?  For example, it is not a good idea to pursue Aerospace Engineering because many jobs require US citizenship. 

Find US States and regions that are economically strong:  Not all US states are equal.  We will help you find company concentrations and job clusters in hot states and regions.  The premise is that if you are educated at a college nearby, you will become a local candidate with specific skills and thereby more easily get an internship or a job. 

Find Colleges: We will counsel you on college selection of up to 12 schools using a combination of your profile, hot regions, college rankings and desired course availability - diversified into three groups (dream, core and safe).  [If the only assistance you want from us is our college shortlisting and selection service, our price is one hour our Tier-A rate. This is an offline service so there are no audio or video communications with the client.] 

Subjective Criteria Strategies: We will counsel you on how to write strong SOPs and optimize your recommendation letter strategies.  We provide advice regarding composing resumes and cover letters, including providing you with free templates to make it easier. 

Work Flow and Task Plan: We will provide you with a detailed checklist of when to do what until you are ready to apply for your visa. This website from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is an excellent resource for visa information. We will also provide two detailed original presentations with all the information you need to be successful.  Most slides are linked to our website for additional detail. 

Statement of Purpose (SOP) Review: Your SOP is the most crucial element of your application. It needs to be specific to you bringing out your voice, personality, and academic/life experiences that are unique to you. Please review our guide on how to develop graduate statements of purpose. 

Your SOP will undergo our proprietary two-pass review, just like shorter essays written by high school students applying to college. On our review team are creative writers from Stanford, Duke, and Penn with years of experience reviewing essays. The review team is managed by Rajkamal Rao, who is an accomplished author of 4 books and a respected op-ed columnist.  We don't review cover letters and resumes. 

Other SOP-related services: SOP Review Only. If the only assistance you need from us is to review your SOP, you may buy this service online from our essays shopping cart.

Additional Hours:  You can buy additional hours of counseling (including for visa advice) at our Tier-A rate. 

A Note About Rao Advisors Premium Services
Our promise is to empower you with high-quality, ethical, and free advice via this website.  But parents and students often ask us if they can engage with us for individual counseling sessions.

Individual counseling is part of the Premium Offering of Rao Advisors.  Please contact us for more information.