Deboadekoya93:
Good morning people,
I have been a silent follower on this thread, my profile goes thus. On May17th 2017 I went for my first interview and I was denied the reason the VO gave then was my school Park University Missouri is a "very small school". I got admitted for spring 2018 into Bowie State University, Maryland and I have gotten two denials again. I am really confused as to whether to give up on this dream. My last transcripts goes thus

VO~ why are you going to USA?
Me~ I'm going for my Masters degree in public administration at Bowie State University Maryland.
VO~ why Bowie state University?
Me~ The scope of the corriculum at Bowie state university is deep, courses like public budgeting, public personnel management and human resource Managment will expressly address the problem of lack of expertise in the Nigerian civil service.
VO~ Have you ever travelled out of Nigeria before?
Me~No, I have never had any reason to leave my country.
VO~Do you have any international degree?
No, I don't.
VO~Did you write any standardized test?
Me- I wrote TOEFL on September 23 2016 and I handed the result over to her wished she viewed and after that stated I'm ineligible.

Please I will really appreciate, advises on whether to pay another application fee and fire back since school resumes January 22nd.
God bless.

the truth is usa visa na pure luck , it isnt about saying the right or wrong answers . try again

EZEIGBO1OFIMO:

1. You do not have stellar academic qualifications
2. Your only standardized testing (TOEFL is not great as the only test for grad school) has a very terrible score
3. You do not have significant ties to Nigeria
4. your DS-160 info (employment history et al) is very very mediocre hence it will literarily take "a miracle" to get an F-1 Visa.

oga you ain't God.... why do you guys always prophecy bad for others!!!! please learn to encourage others rather than throwing aspersion

erniesail:


Thanks......

My school is the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania and it's a grade A- University in the US. Taking the GRE or GMAT wouldn't have been a problem if my school had not given me options.

Abeg carry your 4.2 GPA, write GRE, get a stellar score and join a big public university such as Georgia Tech, UT Austin, U of Michigan, TAMU or Purdue University. Your GPA get swag pass that school. Thanks

jamoyakz:
oga you ain't God.... why do you guys always prophecy bad for others!!!! please learn to encourage others rather than throwing aspersion

Is God the person reviewing visa applications at the US embassy?

Hello
I applied to just one school and I was admitted. If I'm asked how many schools I applied to, should I say just one? And I didnt take any test, is that gonna be a problem?
I'll appreciate comments, my interview is coming up soon.
Thanks

Huh?, why is this a question?

Tell the truth na

TWoods:


Is God the person reviewing visa applications at the US embassy?

oga I know you most mention me? continue with your e-bully

TWoods:


The VOs aren't stupid. I think they can spot a fraud quite easily.

Huh....you'll be surprise that some professional fraudster might not be easily detected by some VOs.

jamoyakz:
oga I know you most mention me? continue with your e-bully

What does "e-bully" mean? I asked a basic question... perhaps you mean another "god" because the God of the bible is not the author of confusion and expects us, as christians, to obey constituted authority (Romans 13, 1 Peter 2:13-25). God will not override the decision of a VO to grant an unqualified fraud a visa, regardless of how much you starve yourself in the name of fasting. You can take that back to your pastor tomorrow.

jamoyakz:
oga you ain't God.... why do you guys always prophecy bad for others!!!! please learn to encourage others rather than throwing aspersion

Read my signature... for all we know, I'm a jobless old fool babbling nonsense

Chidinho10:



Abeg carry your 4.2 GPA, write GRE, get a stellar score and join a big public university such as Georgia Tech, UT Austin, U of Michigan, TAMU or Purdue University. Your GPA get swag pass that school. Thanks

EXACTLY!
Sometimes, impatience leads people to shoot themselves in the foot. Some do not realize that the university one attends determines how viable they will be in the US jobs market or even when they return back to Nigeria.

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EZEIGBO1OFIMO:
Read my signature... for all we know, I'm a jobless old fool babbling nonsense

No offense meant, you obviously are proud of your signature. Do you realize how many times you refer people to it?
BTW there's a typographical error in your " Signature"

EZEIGBO1OFIMO:
Read my signature... for all we know, I'm a jobless old fool babbling nonsense

I don't need to read your signature but just stating the obvious.... there are ways we can pass a msg without casting aspersion on others... sorry if I sound rude but of late many guys here who should mentor others are doing the contrary

sirhamilton:


No offense meant, you obviously are proud of your signature. Do you realize how many times you refer people to it?
BTW there's a typographical error in your " Signature"

... and that's why I am jobless muntula managing my one room here in mushin .... with my third class, you expect me to produce error free grammar ??

jamoyakz:
I don't need to read your signature but just stating the obvious.... there are ways we can pass a msg without casting aspersion on others... sorry if I sound rude but of late many guys here who should mentor others are doing the contrary

OK Sir..... I shall repent

EZEIGBO1OFIMO:
... and that's why I am jobless muntula managing my one room here in mushin .... with my third class, you expect me to produce error free grammar ??

I expect you to stop advertising the bolded, because it adds zero value to this thread. Can you try?

sirhamilton:


I expect you to stop advertising the bolded, because it adds zero value to this thread. Can you try?

OK sir.......... just in case you wanted to put me down with insults , I thought it courteous to save you the stress.

EZEIGBO1OFIMO:
OK sir.......... just in case you wanted to put me down with insults , I thought it courteous to save you the stress.

Sincerely apologize if I sounded insultive. My point is : Sometimes when a question is asked here it's not because the individual is lazy or unserious, for every knowledge acquired there's always a starting point. SOMETHINGS you know today you were probably oblivious of MONTHS ago. I particularly find it quite disturbing when people seize the opportunity to make fun of these individuals or bully them.
No one knows it all. Be polite, or don't respond at all(IMO).

sirhamilton:


Sincerely apologize if I sounded insultive. My point is : Sometimes when a question is asked here it's not because the individual is lazy or unserious, for every knowledge acquired there's always a starting point. SOMETHINGS you know today you were probably oblivious of MONTHS ago. I particularly find it quite disturbing when people seize the opportunity to make fun of these individuals or bully them.
No one knows it all. Be polite, or don't respond at all(IMO).

OK Sir!!... I will stop responding on the thread.

sirhamilton:


Sincerely apologize if I sounded insultive. My point is : Sometimes when a question is asked here it's not because the individual is lazy or unserious, for every knowledge acquired there's always a starting point. SOMETHINGS you know today you were probably oblivious of MONTHS ago. I particularly find it quite disturbing when people seize the opportunity to make fun of these individuals or bully them.
No one knows it all. Be polite, or don't respond at all(IMO).

This wasn't directed at me but i will presume that i'm one of the "individuals" being referred to above. So allow me to state my case, as politely as possible:

1. Yes, most questions asked here are solely because the individual asking the question is lazy and unserious. For example, someone asks the question about whether a school is good or not - this shouldn't even be a question, a 5-year old can find this out in 10 minutes on google. Another example, someone asks about whether a certain school will waive application fees - err most schools have a dedicated admissions contact with a listed phone number and email address; it doesn't take 5 minutes to make a quick phone call to clarify. My point - if you're basing an important life-changing decision, such as what school to do a phd in, on answers you get from a web forum, yes you are unserious.

2. You talk about "knowledge acquired" coming from a starting point. True... but the knowledge was not acquired by magic. It took someone else taking time to search for information. You should do the same.

3. The idea that people are being bullied is simply laughable. I can agree that too often, Nigerians dislike being shown up for their own incompetence... but to label that as bullying? C'mon...

4. Be polite or don't respond at all... now it seems to me that what you want is an echo chamber. If that is the case, please state so.

Thank you.

TWoods:


This wasn't directed at me but i will presume that i'm one of the "individuals" being referred to above. So allow me to state my case, as politely as possible:

1. Yes, most questions asked here are solely because the individual asking the question is lazy and unserious. For example, someone asks the question about whether a school is good or not - this shouldn't even be a question, a 5-year old can find this out in 10 minutes on google. Another example, someone asks about whether a certain school will waive application fees - err most schools have a dedicated admissions contact with a listed phone number and email address; it doesn't take 5 minutes to make a quick phone call to clarify. My point - if you're basing an important life-changing decision, such as what school to do a phd in, on answers you get from a web forum, yes you are unserious.

2. You talk about "knowledge acquired" coming from a starting point. True... but the knowledge was not acquired by magic. It took someone else taking time to search for information. You should do the same.

3. The idea that people are being bullied is simply laughable. I can agree that too often, Nigerians dislike being shown up for their own incompetence... but to label that as bullying? C'mon...

4. Be polite or don't respond at all... now it seems to me that what you want is an echo chamber. If that is the case, please state so.

Thank you.

I'll start by saying if I could choose a mentor on this thread, Twoods would be top of the list
I'd admit your responses can be harsh sometimes, but yes, in there inbetween would always lie the response to the question.

As for the illustration you gave, that's where silence comes in or maybe a scathing response.

gokuu:


EXACTLY!
Sometimes, impatience leads people to shoot themselves in the foot. Some do not realize that the university one attends determines how viable they will be in the US jobs market or even when they return back to Nigeria.

True. I weep sometimes when I see people with 4+ GPAs looking for ways to dodge GRE or trying to apply to super safe schools. They console themselves by saying "ranking or reputation doesn't matter in the US". If you have a decent GPA, try packaging yourself and shoot for good schools. No dey block funding for people with low GPAs wey dey look for schools to suit their profiles.

4.2/5 is almost equal to 3.6/4 for crying out loud!

sirhamilton:


I'll start by saying if I could choose a mentor on this thread, Twoods would be top of the list
I'd admit your responses can be harsh sometimes, but yes, in there inbetween would always lie the response to the question.

As for the illustration you gave, that's where silence comes in or maybe a scathing response.

Ah thank you! Always happy to help... it's a lot easier to help folks who are starting from scratch. If you've got a high GPA (>4.0) you've frankly got the best shot... we should talk, on here. If your GPA isn't that high, that's still not a problem. A lot of graduate schools do not care so much about your final GPA as much as the trajectory of improvement from year to year. If your GPA is low because of a poor first/second year performance but the last 1-2 years were pretty strong, you got a good chance. My only advice would be to take the GRE, always.

Always be wary about schools who don't ask for the GRE. Those are typically smaller schools who care more about the tuition you're paying than the education they are providing. Better schools like the GRE because it is also another means to thin out the applicant pool.

Get to know your admissions coordinator, they always have email addresses or phone numbers you can use to contact them. Especially as an international student who will be relying on a visa, i can't tell you how useful this was for me. She was like a mother to me my first year.

Give yourself at least 1 year to plan. 2-3 is even better. You want to get admission and a visa all in one shot, to avoid stories that touch the heart (there is no guarantee of course, but to be prepared is to improve your chances greatly).

Spare a thought for where your school is located. America isn't the same cost-wise. Schooling in NYC, NJ, California... all look good on facebook. Until you have to pay for rent, transportation, food etc. If you intend a modest cost of living, try Michigan (i loved living there! It's cold in winter but an absolutely lovely state for outdoor activities in spring to fall). It's also a cheap state. Other places to look out for, NM, TX, WI etc. Don't look for cost of living advice when you are now looking to get a visa, its too late.

Funding - you will get far better funding opportunities at better established, highly competitive public schools. I find it sad that it is rare to find anyone here applying to Duke, Harvard, Rochester, UPenn, UMich, MSU, NYU, UNC etc. Why not? Aliens are not the only people admitted there.

Let's face it, 99.9% of folks will be looking to stay and get a job in the US after school. Don't lie . If that's the case, then your school choice is ever more important! You want to go to a school that your future employer doesn't have to use google to find! That is not good... especially in a crowded job market.

Anyway... i truly wish all genuine applicants the best. As for the frauds for whom a student visa is only a vehicle to immigrate to the US... well, i wish you the best too.

onatisi:

the truth is usa visa na pure luck , it isnt about saying the right or wrong answers . try again

NO, it isn't pure luck!

TWoods:


Ah thank you! Always happy to help... it's a lot easier to help folks who are starting from scratch. If you've got a high GPA (>4.0) you've frankly got the best shot... we should talk, on here. If your GPA isn't that high, that's still not a problem. A lot of graduate schools do not care so much about your final GPA as much as the trajectory of improvement from year to year. If your GPA is low because of a poor first/second year performance but the last 1-2 years were pretty strong, you got a good chance. My only advice would be to take the GRE, always.

Always be wary about schools who don't ask for the GRE. Those are typically smaller schools who care more about the tuition you're paying than the education they are providing. Better schools like the GRE because it is also another means to thin out the applicant pool.

Get to know your admissions coordinator, they always have email addresses or phone numbers you can use to contact them. Especially as an international student who will be relying on a visa, i can't tell you how useful this was for me. She was like a mother to me my first year.

Give yourself at least 1 year to plan. 2-3 is even better. You want to get admission and a visa all in one shot, to avoid stories that touch the heart (there is no guarantee of course, but to be prepared is to improve your chances greatly).

Spare a thought for where your school is located. America isn't the same cost-wise. Schooling in NYC, NJ, California... all look good on facebook. Until you have to pay for rent, transportation, food etc. If you intend a modest cost of living, try Michigan (i loved living there! It's cold in winter but an absolutely lovely state for outdoor activities in spring to fall). It's also a cheap state. Other places to look out for, NM, TX, WI etc. Don't look for cost of living advice when you are now looking to get a visa, its too late.

Funding - you will get far better funding opportunities at better established, highly competitive public schools. I find it sad that it is rare to find anyone here applying to Duke, Harvard, Rochester, UPenn, UMich, MSU, NYU, UNC etc. Why not? Aliens are not the only people admitted there.

Let's face it, 99.9% of folks will be looking to stay and get a job in the US after school. Don't lie . If that's the case, then your school choice is ever more important! You want to go to a school that your future employer doesn't have to use google to find! That is not good... especially in a crowded job market.

Anyway... i truly wish all genuine applicants the best. As for the frauds for whom a student visa is only a vehicle to immigrate to the US... well, i wish you the best too.

Food for thought.

My transcript.
My interview was on the 8th of sept. 2017 at Abuja.
We left Ajah Lagos at about 8:45am 7th sept. and got to Abuja 7:45am, an hour 15mins to my interview, escaped 3 accident scenes.

Vo: good morning sir
Me: how r you, good morning dear
Vo: fine thank you, plz pass me your doc.
Me: passed my pee, SEVIS fee receipt and i20
Vo: where r you going?
Me: am going to California Miramar university and i stated the physical address, vo nodded and said good
Vo: for?
Me: my MBA and my program starting so so date, all through to so so date.
Vo: how did you get to know about the school?
Me: yeah, I got to know about the school from a facilitator when I went for a workshop at Lagos business school, this facilitator happens to be a professor and an alumni of the school.
I got him engaged and he told me a whole lot about the school. I made a further research, emailed Carol kulis the DSO to know the course outline, emailed Jim foster who's the operational officer to know the crime rate of the school and also the crime rate of San Diego, lastly, I emailed prof. Kimberly to confirm the details I got from those two.
Vo: who filled your ds-160?
Me: I did
Vo: ok, what will this MBA do for you and why MBA?
Me: it's a requirement for a managerial post in my company.
Aside the managerial skills am going to gain I will also gain leadership skill, these skills are very important and useful for growing my career more also it will prepare me to face the challenges involved in managing a firm and to understand the problem solving technologies in other to implement change. All these am going to get in CMU with the best global practices which can be modelled for use here when I come back to my country.
Vo: when did you graduate and what have you been doing since then.
Me: I graduated 2011, after my graduation I went for the compulsory NYSC for 1 year I then got a job at Snapshots studios, ( I told her my job discribtion) worked there for 2 years, then got a better job offer at so so coy where I am presently.
Vo: how much is your annual pay?
Me: 5,820,000 (485,000*12)
Vo: how many schools did you apply to
Me: 3
Vo: mention them sir
Me me mentioned them and told her all admitted me.
Vo: why CMU
Me: affordable same tuition fee regardless of international or domestic student, small class rooms offering high faculty student interaction, prof. Knows all students by their full names vo cuts in ok ok ok.
Vo: who's sponsoring you
Me: mentioned a company's name and told her it's a family business.
Vo: can I see your SOA?
Me: I only brought the doc. Ds-160 asked to bring (with confidence cos I no carry any doc go apart from my pee, SEVIS and i20)
Vo: your right but I need to be sure you will be able to pay for the school.
Me: I had it sent to the school and I believe the school would have done all necessary evaluation.
Vo: am going to issue you a yellow paper
Me: go ahead plz (cos I no want make she ask any other question cos i was carried away by the guy at the next window denied a guy and the guy come dey cry with abeg)

So I was issued a yellow paper and I was on AP, she checked school transcript on the yellow paper instead of SOA, I sent the transcript and a month later they emailed me to submit my SOA which I did. 2 weeks later my visa was issued.

For those on AP, no worries as long as your doc. Is genuine.

Biggggggg thanx to this thread. Mama of Lagos, e pe fun wa. Thanx to all.
How you fill your ds-160 maters.

My case be different kinda sha hehe. Im 28. Finished my bsc in local government administration in 2015. Finished nysc in july. But as per i never really liked that course, i want to go start another degree in fineart which is the love of my life hehe (im actually a fulltime SELFTAUGHT artist, you can check out my page on insta @scaezar) so i legit wanna go to school, not run away.
Long story short, i applied to troy and msu. Troy gave me admission already without toefl but im writing toefl anyways on dec.9... I20 will be here on dec1.
My question now is.. Is my case not too errmmm..controversial?

Any advice/question is appreciated. Eshey pupo hehe

Una well done for here o....i hail una o
I have been following this thread for almost four years now but because i was not yet prepared to school in the usa i was not taking it that serious,now i was just told by my sister to start preparations for fall 2019,now my sister sent me an agent to help me make preparations,so i rejected the agent,i want to make the preparations my self because i really do not want errors in my applications.now since my following this thread i have been saving some vital informations on my email draft because i k now someday i might need it.From all the information i got here,i learnt about registering for standardised test like SAT and the TOEFL after which you evaluate your waec result (WES evaluation) then you send your evaluated result to the Admission unit of the schools of your choice through courier service (UPS). Then when u receive ur i20..abeg this is where i hook o...please ladies and gentle guide your brother ...IDOBALE ni mowa o....Biko nu mere n'um ebere

And i am keeping Nursing science

snoopylinus:
Una well done for here o....i hail una o
I have been following this thread for almost four years now but because i was not yet prepared to school in the usa i was not taking it that serious,now i was just told by my sister to start preparations for fall 2019,now my sister sent me an agent to help me make preparations,so i rejected the agent,i want to make the preparations my self because i really do not want errors in my applications.now since my following this thread i have been saving some vital informations on my email draft because i k now someday i might need it.From all the information i got here,i learnt about registering for standardised test like SAT and the TOEFL after which you evaluate your waec result (WES evaluation) then you send your evaluated result to the Admission unit of the schools of your choice through courier service (UPS). Then when u receive ur i20..abeg this is where i hook o...please ladies and gentle guide your brother ...IDOBALE ni mowa o....Biko nu mere n'um ebere

2019 still far na....who knows if process will still be the same by then. Receive i20, pay Sevis , pay visa fee , book visa appointment, attend interview.....

Best to focus on admission although having an overview is good