Hi All,

I am new to this forum. I wish to pursue MS in MIS from the US in Fall 2013.
Below is my profile in brief:

10th - 84.4 % from CBSE
12th - 81.1 % from CBSE
BE (ECE) - 71.7 % from Maharishi Dayanand University.
Work Experience - 5.5 years in IT (Software Development/Maintenance/Production Support).
GMAT/GRE/TOEFL - Not taken yet, planning to take within 4-5 months.

I have following queries for MIS:
1. Shoud I prepare for GMAT or GRE? Which score is usaully prefered for MS by most Universities?
2. What are the deadlines for Fall 2013 intake? Do I still have time to take GMAT/GRE and prepare my application for this intake?
3. I have work experience of above 5 years (and it will be more than 6 years by fall 2013). Is this an advantnge or disadvantage for MIS? Because I have seen that most univerities do not ask for work experience for MS.
4. Which are the good universities for MS-MIS in terms of repuatation, placements, lower tution cost and availability of fundings?
5. What would be the approximate cost for pursuing MS-MIS from the US (I know it would vary for different universities but I would be good to have an idea of the range of tution cost for the whole program )
6. What is the approximate cost of living in the US (again it would be different across various cities, but just want to have a rough idea.)
7. The duration of OPT is 12 months, and I have read that it can be extended upto 29 months for MS students. Is it correct information?
8. How easy/difficult is to get employer who is ready to sponser H1 visa after your OPT expires?

Please answer my queries, so that i can start preparing for the MS. Will ask more questions if have further queries.