Scholastica16:
My Visa Interview

Timezone difference is crazy but I coped easily as I used to be "Mr Nocturnal" in Nigeria.

Hey!

Congrats to you, and welcome home!! Iowa State is a very good school, though the cold no be here. I've always heard of these local scholarships and their too much gra-gra, I never knew it was this bad. That was some real scuffle there, and for what it's worth, you've crossed the hardest hurdle - you got in. The good news is that, while it might still be tasking to get funding for your program here, you're definitely in safe hands.

You'll have enough time to rest & recover in the summer. But for now, hit the ground running, and PROVE yourself. I wish you the BEST this semester. And remember to stay warm! Very important!!

Congrats bro. I was really excited and I'm really happy for you. I decided not to post my own visa experience due to recent events here but I guess I will shortly.


God bless you abundantly and on behalf of everyone you have helped on this forum, we say thank you.

scholastica16:
....

Scholastica16:
My Visa Interview

I received my I-20 from Iowa State University on December 7th physically and that is because they used express mail services to get it to me. I immediately tried to book a visa date and the earliest I could see was January 22nd whereas my I-20 read that I was to be in the US on the 5th. I stubbornly refused to select that date until people and commonsense prevailed on me to accept it and explore the emergency services option on the visa/travel doc portal.

I told them my story and attached my SEVIS coupon, admission letter (that wrote that 2 profs basically fought to have me) as well as my PTDF award letter explaining to them why I am just applying for the visa. I did this on a Saturday evening which I am guessing was on the 9th of December and by the next day, they approved my emergency request and asked me to select between December 11th to 16th to be interviewed. I went with the 13th because I had boasted to people who knew me (on the 7th of December that I would be approved before the 14th of the same month).

Because where I stay(ed) in Lagos was not too far from the US consulate, I left my house around 5:30AM on that day and was able to get there before 6:15AM for a 6:30AM appointment. I was privileged to not meet the CGI crew of fraudsters who make people print documents they don't need at outrageous prices. I was turned back however at the final checking in stage when one ITK lady realized I was wearing a smart watch but it all worked out in the end as the Visa was eventually approved. My actual transcript went thus;

VO [Some African American lady in window 10]: I see you want to go to Iowa State to undergo your masters in Chemical Engineering. Why?

Me: Started mouthing off something about Biorenewables (my area of concentration) *don't want to bore you with what I was saying*

VO: [Nodding suspiciously] then says, I asked you why Chemical Engineering...stops herself from going further and says "why do you want a master's degree?"

Me: because it is going to be relevant in Nigeria jobwise which is an aside from the fact that my area of concentration is going to be the future of energy and perhaps foreign exchange in Nigeria.

VO: Do you have a first degree?

Me: Yes, In Chemical Engineering as well.

VO: Oh, I see. When did you graduate?

Me: 2011

VO: What have you been doing since?

Me: I worked with an oil servicing company right after the Compulsory national youth service scheme, got bored, taught for a bit and recently quit that job as well.

VO: [Nods approvingly because it rhymes with what I wrote in the DS160 form].

VO: So how will this course help you in Nigeria?

Me: [looks incredulously at her] and says "sorry I don't understand".

VO: Why is this course not being done in Nigeria and why will Nigeria benefit from it?

Me: Well, the world is going greener and scientists are getting more conscious of the non-toxic or -toxic effects that our resources bring to us. Biobased products like biofuels, biodiesels and other biomass derivatives are known to be more environmentally friendly and cheaper somewhat to mass produce. Also, I am aiming to synthesize heterogeneous catalysts that will aide their mass production from the non-edible part of plants and so on [I am chopping mouth here and using ermmss..emmmms a couple of times]. At some point, I say I am struggling to find words to use to express myself to someone who has no clue about my field.

VO: JUST USE CLEAR TERMS AND KEEP IT SHORT I DON'T HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD.

Me: at this point I am getting antsy and even irked but I am smiling and calculating how to swing things in my favor (in my head).

VO: so list some courses you would take.

Me: listed some courses from University but just added Advanced to 4 of them.

VO: [Still looks unimpressed]. So why Iowa State University?

Me: I looked at a couple of schoo....

VO: Does not let me finish. Says "I don't have time for that, I want to know why this school of all the schools you looked at."

Me: Yes, that is what I was about to answer.

Me: did not want to give her the canned answer of class size etc or their ranking in engineering or my course, neither do I tell her about the Prof that wanted me 'cause I am livid at this juncture. So I say "well, after acquiring my scholarship, I was looking for a reasonably priced highly-rated school that was within my sponsor's budget" [did that to just mention my scholarship jare].

VO: [Eyes bulging now], what scholarship? [Says this and looks at the I20 while at it]

Me: I have a full govt scholarship which will take care of all my spendings, I mean tuition and stipend for the duration of my program.

VO: I don't know this scholarship.

Me: It has existed since the 60s and is a renowned scholarship. You can Google it or my name to get more information. I also have my award letter here if you care to look at it

VO: [Offers to look at it ]. Looks at it...types for a bit. Then asks me if I took standardized tests.

Me: Yes ofcourse; GRE and TOEFL. Do you want to see them also?

VO: [Nods]

Me: hands them over to her.

VO: Sees them and immediately says "I will be approving..."

I heard everything she said but at this point I am so exhausted and angry that I give her this inscrutable look. For the first time in the whole interview, she smiles, gives the white paper and tells me she is going to hold unto my passport. I don't thank her, walk out of there, tip the security personnel just outside and pay the police woman that helped me keep my watch - then I head home...angry. I was expecting a really short interview considering I was given an emergency date but I guess God had other plans.


PS: When I am chanced, I will explain my immigration experience just before I left Nigeria. How PTDF almost botched my ticket and travel plans and my experience thus far in the USA (Close to 2 weeks that I have been here) and what I have noticed about our GPAs and much-touted research experience. Timezone difference is crazy but I coped easily as I used to be "Mr Nocturnal" in Nigeria.

I'm so happy for you.

Scholastica16:
PTDF stage Two

...Ater consulting all consultables I applied to Iowa State University. I was conflicted initially because the app fee was $100 and I had limited time but something told me to press on and I did. Exactly 7 days after the grad prog directed emailed me to say 2 Professors saw my profile, liked it and wanted to have a Skype Interview with me. That interview was scheduled few days after his email and I spoke with a very intelligent CALTECH grad of a Professor for something like 18mins. At the end of that chat, he told me straight-up that he wanted to work with me. That is the summary of how I got into Iowa State.

Congratulations bro...

Scholastica16:
My Visa Interview

.
Congrats bro. I wish your the very best in life and fruitful stay in US.Thanks for being helpful and self less

Scholastica16:
My Visa Interview

I received my I-20 from Iowa State University on December 7th physically and that is because they used express mail services to get it to me. I immediately tried to book a visa date and the earliest I could see was January 22nd whereas my I-20 read that I was to be in the US on the 5th. I stubbornly refused to select that date until people and commonsense prevailed on me to accept it and explore the emergency services option on the visa/travel doc portal.

Congratulations! I'm so happy for you. Wishing you the best!

Thanks to everyone that has wished me well. I would mention everyone one of you but it will be unnecessary. This thread was mighty helpful to me so I am surprised that many of you are abandoning it. No matter what, share your experiences and ask your questions here. Someone might know something that the person you PMed may not know. For e.g I saw Yildiz' question on Data Science and I was surprised that some girl I know and is very well-versed in such fields did not respond. It is unfair.

@Yildiz, Data Science is a huge deal in the USA. Look no further when making your inquiries, simply check people's discussions on the subject matter on Quora if you do not get ready information on here.

frostsc:
Congrats bro. I was really excited and I'm really happy for you. I decided not to post my own visa experience due to recent events here but I guess I will shortly.


God bless you abundantly and on behalf of everyone you have helped on this forum, we say thank you.

Baba, don't get flustered if you are accused. If you shed light, darkness will be sent packing. I appreciate all your contributions here and I am aching to see your transcript. Please don't deprive us of it I beg you.

Thank you for the compliments. I truly appreciate you.

happyday:


Hey!

Congrats to you, and welcome home!! Iowa State is a very good school, though the cold no be here. I've always heard of these local scholarships and their too much gra-gra, I never knew it was this bad. That was some real scuffle there, and for what it's worth, you've crossed the hardest hurdle - you got in. The good news is that, while it might still be tasking to get funding for your program here, you're definitely in safe hands.

You'll have enough time to rest & recover in the summer. But for now, hit the ground running, and PROVE yourself. I wish you the BEST this semester. And remember to stay warm! Very important!!

Thank you plenty much man. Long time no read you. How is Louisiana and the RA, I am sure you are making light work of the research?

For me here adjusting has not been exactly easy and that is because the whole system is different from Nigeria. That cold you speak of, I heard about it...but like the Queen of Sheba when meeting Solomon, the cold far outweighed and outfroze any ideas I had before. Even Iowan natives say it is a new one. Truly, this arctic blast meant business when it said it will turn up.

Now I know that thick hand gloves, head warmers and even napkins for the face are not fashion items. My fingers get numb when not in gloves and I don't feel my nose and ears at times. Great thing is, all the apartments and buildings are insulated from the cold, so I stay warm indoors.

I am enjoying the serene environment and easy-going people. I understand there is a phrase "Iowan Nice" in USA when trying to refer to how nice someone is. I see how that came about. Women open doors for me and wait till I walk ahead of them unlike what obtains in Naija. I can get used to the treatment. I really can.

Thanks for looking out. Regards.

LadunaI:


You're a fighter, and your fighting spirit resonates such an optimism that permeates and illuminate the path that seems to be leading to no where. You typified the saying The WINNERS Never Quit.

Your courageous moves always baffles me, and at the same time reminds that truly if there is WILL there will always be a way!

I pray you get the very BEST of your heart desire.

Stay blessed bro!

I am deeply moved by this. Thank you very much.

trillville:
Scholastica16

Congratulations, I am soo happy for yo.u You have been extremely helpful to a lot of us on this thread and God has certainly rewarded your efforts.
I may not be your parent but I will still throw my blessings on you. Whenever you call 1 person, 10 thousand would answer you. The Grace of the Lord will always be upon you. Wherever you sow, you shall reap. May God continue to bless you. Goodluck in all your endeavours and do take good care of yourself.

AMEN!

DexxyAlebs:


Well said, but I believe we that just wrote learnt from some people's experiences, posting some of our flaws might help someone else prepare better.

After seeing my test scores, I just made up my mind not share anything, cos I was heartbroken, but supersmall just moved me to just say my little piece.

I had been following the thread around February last year, got all the materials I used here, the Google Drive links, etc.

So I think I shot my self in the leg by not giving verbal adequate attention.

My Score
Q: 155
V: 141

UG GPA: 3.81/5 (wes unofficial 3.34)
Toefl: registering asap

Computer science.

Sent my scores to
PDX
MTSU
UALR
NMSU

Gurus your thoughts please.
Scholastica16
Lagosismyhome
Et Al.

I still believe your best bet is reaching out to PIs but you should really plan towards retaking the GRE if that fails. Truth be told, we learn nothing in Nigeria so they may need to hold unto something as proof that you can adapt to their system, and sadly, GRE or standardized tests in general still feel like that proof.

lolokike:
Hello guys, i have been preparing for the GRE.
The Verbal reasoning has been time demanding and i really need to write the exam ASAP AS PER THE VOCABULARIES are sumtin else.

I just want to ask if the GMAT is easier as per verbal reasoning?

BTW I dont have any issue with Quantitative reasoning.





cc Scholastica16

Some say GMAT verbal is easier but that the Quants are harder. I could not really tell when I peeped at the GMAT verbal reasoning but I am sure that if you are willing and obedient to the rules of the GRE, you will eat the good of the land.

Scholastica16:
PTDF stage Two

...Ater consulting all consultables I applied to Iowa State University. I was conflicted initially because the app fee was $100 and I had limited time but something told me to press on and I did. Exactly 7 days after the grad prog directed emailed me to say 2 Professors saw my profile, liked it and wanted to have a Skype Interview with me. That interview was scheduled few days after his email and I spoke with a very intelligent CALTECH grad of a Professor for something like 18mins. At the end of that chat, he told me straight-up that he wanted to work with me. That is the summary of how I got into Iowa State.

Congrats on the admit! Your perseverance is exemplary... Have a great semester!!!

Scholastica16 is the main '' Die-hard''. I thought I was the definition of '' we would die on the line ''. I like your perseverance! Congrats Boss

Scholastica16:

Nice one bro. Have a smooth Spring and stay warm in Ames.

frostsc:
Congrats bro. I was really excited and I'm really happy for you. I decided not to post my own visa experience due to recent events here but I guess I will shortly.


God bless you abundantly and on behalf of everyone you have helped on this forum, we say thank you.

I should have written this earlier but I have been busy. I went through your posts after reading what you wrote about how much this thread has helped you and getting your visa but was disappointed that you didn't share your experience(Except for your GRE and TOEFL). If truly you appreciate this thread, then you should give details about your application process and admission to benefit others. What course are you studying? What is your profile? How many schools did you apply to? What informed your choice of school? How did you get funding? All these information are useful and will definitely help others.

You also mentioned that the sacrifices people make to get funded admission are understated, and this is something I have also alluded to before. I think others will appreciate knowing the hurdles you had to surmount and take lessons from it. You can read the contributions and stories of the 2017 cohort, which scholastica16 is part of, and you will see that although the title of this thread is about having great scores in GRE, it encompasses all other parts of the admission process.

Scholastica16 has almost single-handedly kept this thread alive, we need others to chip in too because he is going to be busy now and might not be able to contribute as much as he might like.

Yildiz:
Please gurus in the house I need your advice. I intent to apply to UTK for PhD in Data Science and Engineering, I have mailed the coordinator several times and she is helpful but she has so far refused to answer my question regarding the number of applicants they normally have per year. Further search shows that the program is new, it was just started last year. All she keeps telling me is that about 50% of applicants are admitted. My question is, is this course really worth it considering it is a new course, currently the course is not even ranked and how about job prospect after completion.

Data Science is big now and it is going to be bigger in the future, especially machine learning, artificial intelligence and algorithms. Even in the field of biology, Computational biology is becoming massive and we have students getting Biology PhD without even doing any wet lab work. I wouldn't be too caught up with ranking, a PhD will more than equip you to find a job in the United States or even Canada and beyonds. What is more important is the quality of the work you do and how much you learn.

Since you have applied to other schools, at worst I want you to see this as a backup. If you have more than one admission you can make your choice then, but what if this is the only admit you get (I hope other applications are successful too). Don't let the extra 40,000 or so in application expenses discourage you. I can imagine how much effort you have already put in and don't want to say "I wished I had................."

kacey007:

Am not against what you are doing but must you monetize everything?

Yes, so as to give him the best

Time2Smile:


Whao.
I would do my best to answer your question but I can't cover all bases in one post. One thing all prospective students should have in mind is that a good, or even great, GRE score is not enough by itself to secure admission and funding from a good school. Other parts of the application such as GPA, SOP, research experience also play important roles. I would add unequivocally that an important aspect of the application that is often overlooked(especially in this part of the world) is the recommendation letters. A glowing recommendation letter can be a difference between an acceptance and a rejection. It is a n opportunity for admission committee to gain insight into some of the applicants traits that might otherwise not show up in other parts of the application.


That being said, A great GRE score significantly improves the chances of admission. On why I was accepted late in the admission cycle, It was due to a number of reasons.

First, I didn't start and submit my applications early enough. I only decided to apply around November and could not get an early GRE date so I was forced to write in January. By then the application for most schools had closed.

Secondly, When I started the application process, I didn't know much about PhD in the US and frankly was not interested in US. I was looking at Canada, Germany and some other countries. But as I was preparing to write the GRE to boost my chances in the other countries I started reading about US admission from this thread and the students visa thread. So, I resolved to submit application to a couple of US schools since I meet the minimum requirements for admission. Consequently, I only applied initially to two(2) US schools, LSU Health Science Center New Orleans (which I regarded as a safe school but I was rejected) and University of Houston (Don't have a decision from them application still under review!!! Can you imagine?).

Therefore, I wouldn't really say my decision was late because it took University of Texas about 6 weeks to accept me after scrambling to submit my application on the deadline due to the reticence of my referees to submit recommendation on time. And I believe my GRE and GPA played a great role in getting me accepted. I say this because the Graduate coordinator requested for another recommendation letter after the initial committee review of my application because he said the original three didn't say much about my research skills( An euphemism for they are useless). At that moment I knew I had a good chance if I submit a sparkling LOR, and lo and behold I was accepted when I got another referee to submit a letter I helped him to draft. (It still took two weeks to get him to acquiesce to my request).

I believe you and other prospective applicants can glean some knowledge from my story. But, I think it is worth listing some of the lessons I learnt.

1. Apply early before the deadline and Spread your risk. Apply to at least 6 schools containing a mixture of reach and safe schools.

2. Before you apply to a school know how the admission process in the school works. LSU probably rejected me because I am out of state, it was later I read complaints from other Americans. I didn't have any business applying there I the first place( I am talking especially about the health Science Center). My application to U of Houston was doomed when I couldn't secure a faculty support because it is Professors there that admit PhD student to their labs in the Department of Biochemistry.

3. Don't overlook any part of your application. A great GRE score and GPA are nice, but it may be your SOP and letters that clich the admit.

4. Work on your letters with your referees. A letter from a Dr. might be better than that of a Professor if the said Dr. writes a personal letter filled with anecdotes that shows he/she know you well and hold you in high esteem. (Your recommenders need to only write one letter each and just personalise by changing the name for each school). Also, Institutional email address gives more credibility compared to yahoo or Gmail accounts.

5. Start a draft of your SOP as soon as possible and let a number of people review it. The final version would be significantly different from the version you start with in most cases.

6. Like I have said before, the work that goes into securing admission and full funding is usually understated. However, the good thing is that it is a process with numerous steps and all applicants should take it one step at a time.

7. Last but not the least, Pray for favour, Grace and guidance.

I would add more tips as I remember them.

NB; At the risk of being pedantic, I would like to say that GRE verbal is more than learning vocabulary, it is the contextual meaning of the words in sentences that is being tested. It is always good to heed the advice I read somewhere "Write to express not to impress" in order not to come across as ostentatious.

i just must have a dictionary at arms length whenever I'm on this thread uncle time2smile can i please, have you review my SOP? please?

Scholastica16:


I still believe your best bet is reaching out to PIs but you should really plan towards retaking the GRE if that fails. Truth be told, we learn nothing in Nigeria so they may need to hold unto something as proof that you can adapt to their system, and sadly, GRE or standardized tests in general still feel like that proof.

thank you for your reply brother, had a 3.5 in my AWA, I have been reaching out to my prospective schools, if at least a strong TOEFL scores will remedy this seemingly low verbal score.

ProEnergy:
i just must have a dictionary at arms length whenever I'm on this thread uncle time2smile can i please, have you review my SOP? please?

I will see what I can do, but I also advise you to make use of a free SOP review service that I posted sometimes ago.

Scholastica16:


Thank you plenty much man. Long time no read you. How is Louisiana and the RA, I am sure you are making light work of the research?

For me here adjusting has not been exactly easy and that is because the whole system is different from Nigeria. That cold you speak of, I heard about it...but like the Queen of Sheba when meeting Solomon, the cold far outweighed and outfroze any ideas I had before. Even Iowan natives say it is a new one. Truly, this arctic blast meant business when it said it will turn up.

Now I know that thick hand gloves, head warmers and even napkins for the face are not fashion items. My fingers get numb when not in gloves and I don't feel my nose and ears at times. Great thing is, all the apartments and buildings are insulated from the cold, so I stay warm indoors.

I am enjoying the serene environment and easy-going people. I understand there is a phrase "Iowan Nice" in USA when trying to refer to how nice someone is. I see how that came about. Women open doors for me and wait till I walk ahead of them unlike what obtains in Naija. I can get used to the treatment. I really can.

Thanks for looking out. Regards.

Hahaha, yeah, everyone is saying this year's cold no get chill at all. For one, it snowed like twice here in Louisiana, last month and few days ago. The last time that happened was 'ages ago.' Lol, with the Iowan treatment. Sounds sweet. Abeg,be opening the doors too o, before they think you're rude!

Have fun, man!

Scholastica16 congratulations! I hope you'll enjoy your stay.

How inspiring @scholastica16... thanks for all you've done for us..

Congrats Scholastica16!

You just dropped more ginger for me to fight.

The struggle involved in this is not an easy one.

Lots of constraints but hopefully God will crown it all

okay, thanks. I'll find it. how is Iowa?

Time2Smile:

I will see what I can do, but I also advise you to make use of a free SOP review service that I posted sometimes ago.

Scholastica16:
Thanks to everyone that has wished me well. I would mention everyone one of you but it will be unnecessary. This thread was mighty helpful to me so I am surprised that many of you are abandoning it. No matter what, share your experiences and ask your questions here. Someone might know something that the person you PMed may not know. For e.g I saw Yildiz' question on Data Science and I was surprised that some girl I know and is very well-versed in such fields did not respond. It is unfair.

@Yildiz, Data Science is a huge deal in the USA. Look no further when making your inquiries, simply check people's discussions on the subject matter on Quora if you do not get ready information on here.

Congrats bro, I wish you the very best in life as you commence this next phase of academic life. You are indeed a warrior. I envy your magnanimity.

Scholastica16:
My Visa Interview




PS: When I am chanced, I will explain my immigration experience just before I left Nigeria. How PTDF almost botched my ticket and travel plans and my experience thus far in the USA (Close to 2 weeks that I have been here) and what I have noticed about our GPAs and much-touted experience. Timezone difference is crazy but I coped easily as I used to be "Mr Nocturnal" in Nigeria.

Congratulations Scholastica, you're an inspiration to us. Amidst the hurdles in actualizing our graduate study dream; writing standardized test, paying for expensive app fees, tirelessly begging our recommenders to submit LOR in time, visa fee and interview and beyond. Unarguably, your story has escalated our desire never to give up, there is surely light at the end of the tunnel.

I wish you all the best in your studies. We will get there. repping #teamfall2018

Congrats Scholastica! I am really happy for you!

Congratulations. Smooth ride through out your course in Jesus name.