₦airaland Forum

NKnight:
Got accepted via email by the MechSE dept of the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC). Glory be to God!

Checking one's mail 300 times a day has not been easy but we thank God!

For those of us still waiting, may God grant us swift and positive replies.

Congratulations! That's very great

suxes2005:
Hello house,

please i need this quick information from u guys.

My friend's elder sister wants to study Pharmacy in Usa
for PG and she needs a very good school and also
how will she go about the GRE or GMAT?

Which of them is compulsory? And also SAT n TOEFL

Plus how much does dose exams cost?

SHALOM

but you should know that at-least half of the people here will be monitoring the events on the USA STUDENTS' VISA trend even if they are not actively participating in-terms of posting information, and we all know you a very active contributor to that trend and that means you are not naive to all these information you are asking. By inference, we know you got admission with CSUN and you must have passed through all these stages to get the admission. So why playing games with us here, what is been hypocritical for?
Your questions is not even coherent, what relationship does GMAT-GRE has with SAT?
abeg joo, don't play Turai - Yar'adua for us here.

You are busted!!!

Great argument here from u guys - SEFAGO, Biina (like fire lol), and 4Play - but i think we should focus more on the GRE as cautioned by SEFAGO.
Besides, is there anybody going for the test?!!!

@Superbrain,
I am going for Chemical Engineering. I want to keep the name of the school to myself for now for personal reasons. LOL. I have registered for the TOEFL and i will be taking it very soon. Wish you "GOODLUCK" in your applications.

@SEFAGO,
Your case is rather pathetic, but I will join others in advising you not to give up. Try and mail the Profs again and again.

Hi guys,

Honestly speaking I thought this topic is dead, until when I wandered into it last night. I must commend you guys are doing greatly.
@Superbrain, Sefago, and Godeagle, nice job for keeping the flag flying high.

@Godeagle, sorry about the visa thing. It really pained me when i saw your post, but I believe All is Well. Never throw away your dream, cus it is worth pursuing and I believe God will surely make a way for u somehow.

I decided to focus on my wife's admission last December since mine was delayed till Fall, and to the glory of God she and my baby are doing fine in the US even as I am typing now. I am still waiting for the confirmation of my admission, the school said I will have to wait till April. They even told me to go and do TOEFL (may be because my Verbal score is low or because it is a PhD admission they are given me, cus my wife did not do toefl, and she is in the same school). I used to think getting visas to US is the toughest part of the journey, I never know, until now, that getting admission might even be worse unlike UK education that I even have up to 4 admission wasting in my desk.

Anywayz, am back since the blog is still alive and hoping to help the little way I can.

@Godeagle, I say it again, don't quit the dream. Try to re-strategize your plan. Mail the admission officers of your intention to defer the offer till Fall. If that is not possible, ask them if u can re-apply, and spell out your reason of needing the degree. Find a very good reason why it is necessary that you have a sound academic knowledge from such a reputable school. You can even link your application for admission to the present Climate Change. Knowing fully well that Nigeria is flaring gas and that has been one of the main way why the ozone layer has been depleted. Let them know that you need the academic knowledge involved in helping Nigeria to solve this problem. You can read more on climate change - the cause, the impact, and the vulnerable - for u to have enough information in achieving this purpose. And since it is Fall admission, you can still get the visa because a space of like 5-months would have passed since you last applied for one, and i am sure by then your confidence would have risen higher.
Best of luck mate.

@Poster,
a very good analysis but i fault a lot of your argument. I think i strongly support the view below;

vislabraye:
You made a good analysis but you conclusion is false,

Firstly, the reason no Sub Saharan Nation has lifted up the cup has nothing to do with EPL. It has everythig to do with game techniques, team work and enterprising play.

Secondly, I don't know of any influential Cameron player who plays in the EPL except Song who plays for Arsenal. Arsenal does not play the typical English football, its a club that develops great players. If Song had been in an African league, do you think he would be this good.The funny thing is that the EPL claim that the influx of forieigners is affecting the game.

Even if you say Europe league is affecting our game, you would still be wrong.
When Man U and Portsmouth played against Nigerian clubs, why didn't our club with the "robust players" at our disposal win the game. Europe especially the premiership has made a +ve impact in our game. The fact is that the players featured had pass their peak or they are not in form,

Lets tell ourselves the truth, you can't stop a player from playing in Europe or EPL if he has the offer. All over the world, great players desire to play in the EPL. Money is involved, ofcourse yes.

While supporting the view above. How many of our players play in the EPL? they are not even upto half of the whole team. Two of the defenders (Yobo and Shittu), two in the midfield (Mikel and Ethuhu), and only Yakubu upfront. You can see that our problem is not the EPL, but our mentality.
Nigeria have brought politics into football. Gone are the days when coaches, players, and even NFF members were chosen based on merit and passion to serve the country, but now what do we see on the field of play. always having the wrong pegs in the wright holes.
Even a day old baby knows that Amodu has nothing in his head when it comes to football, so why appointing him as the coach?! (Abeg i no wan talk joo).
EPL is one of the major things guys are using to relax now, we look forward to every weekend to chat with guys, talk politics, talk babe (sef), even babes now join in the train.
To add to that, it is a source of living for those that know the business.
If it were to be days when Nigeria football is still being managed rightly, I tell you, i would still be mourning that defeat against Ghana. But, WTF! when Terry has nodded Chelsea back to the top of the league.
we need to be realistic here, and stop been unnecessarily optimistic

@zukkie4eva,

It is still close as you are taking the GRE in January and the same month is the deadline. I think you can still go ahead. From what I studied from the schools, they don't really care about the deadline. If you are qualify and there is space, i think they will still consider you. What they actually care about is the available space for you, thats why you also have to consider schools that are less popular to be on the safer side.
Anyhow, u are good to go.

my suggestions on the SOP are as as follows;

1. Get guidelines on the internet (just guidelines, pls dont copy oooo)
2. Go to the website of your chosen schools and department, check the research interest u are applying for. I am very sure, u will get some information that will help you.
3. Start the introduction with why you chose your undergraduate course and its relevant to the development of the nation
4. Relate your undergraduate course to the intended post-graduate course you are applying to (check your transcripts for guide on this)
5. Hail the school VERY WELL. Check their past achievements in the department you are applying to.
6. Then, tell them about your extra-curricculum activities which might give insight about your inter-personal relationship skill and the likes.

NB: These are just from me, it might be right or not, but i think it will surely help.


On the referee, it was a very difficult task for me too, i wasted a lot of credits calling those guys, even though i used my bossess in the office (we travel a lot in my office).
This is what a friend did. She got a laptop and a modem (all this MTN, Starcomms whatever, u get what am saying) and target a day she will meet all of them in school. It paid her cus they referenced her in her presence, u know what i mean by that.

I wish you all well.

I have gotten admission with one of the schools, but they are considering me for Fall because of the course i applied for ( they even admitted me to PhD straight, i am very happy about that), thou i am still waiting for one other school, if that one jell, i dey carry my kaaya in January.

Best of luck my peeps

Hi guys, whats going on? Any news yet?

@Moviebuf87, and netotse,

I think Godeagle and Sefago has done justice to your questions. Just to add to all that, you need to believe you can do it and increase your resilience. As per the RCs questions, i read a lot of journals when i did mine. I read boring ones, not sport or celebrity journal. I read journals like The Economist, The Conscience, Time Magazine, and the likes. The result might not yield immediately but with time and constant practicing, i believe you will get there.

@Sefago,
nice job for those informations

@Godeagle,
My man, i dey o. I have been too busy with office assignment these days (which involves lot of traveling). Thank God i finished all the application processes in September, i doubt if i would have the time now. All in all, i am good, following the thread every time i have the chance to do so.
As per the admission, the schools are mailing me informing me of the status of the application. I am hoping to get the good news before the end of this month or early Nov (with respect to the time they gave me).
How far with yours, any news?

Another 27th here

@Nknight,
Thanks for the CGPA, though i have sent the application before u post it, but i still appreciate it, at least others can make use of it.

@All,
Don't mind me, i have been away on official assignment for close to a month now. How is it going? any positive news?
We shall surely get there.

@NKnight,
Menh! u really tried, and it is very good you did the GRE on time. You will have time to search for good schools and enough time to write a mind blowing SOP. U are welcome on board!

@SEFAGO,
Well said.

@Godeagle,
I think it will be nice if you can proceed to PhD immediately. (Everybody has their reservation anyway). But, all in all, you are doing well. Wish you best of luck!
Wait a minute, where is emmyclev, has he done it? Brother, show your face o
We shall all get there.

@all,
I have already submitted to two of my intending schools as the deadline of one of them is tomorrow (Sept 15). As per the CGPA conversion, a friend in US said he paid $170 dollars to have his converted. I can never pay such! I did a test for $180 and i will now pay that close to convert my CGPA, it doesnt make sense to me. Anyway, i am waiting for positive response from the schools, i will submit the other two before the end of the week.
I wish u all well

@House,
Does anyone know how to convert CGPA to American standard?
Please, it is urgent
Thanks

@House,
I mailed two of the schools (my priority schools). These are their replies;

I am sorry, but I unable to offer any feedback about the likelihood of admission based on your GRE scores. There are numerous factors that go into our admissions decisions including the GRE scores, academic record, work experience, and letters of recommendation. No one component is weighed more heavily than the others.



For your second question, we can use printed or scanned copies of your transcripts for evaluating your application. However, the University requires that you have official transcripts on record before you will be allowed to enroll. If you are unable to get official copies of your transcripts before January 2010 (Spring start), the University would not allow you to attend – we as a department have no control over this fact. You may try contacting representatives in the Graduate School (http://gradschool, edu/) to discuss this issue with them.



Finally, you can have any qualified individual supply your letters of recommendation. We do not require that they come from previous instructors, Letters from your current employers will better address your qualifications to succeed in graduate school because they can better assess your skills at this time.

The second school;

Our deadline for Spring 2010 is Sept.15th not October 15th. Yes go ahead and scan a copy in and send it to me via email as an attachment.

Thanks,

I am just posting this for others to learn and to assuage your worries over the ASUU strike and other bilious questions about the admission.

I think its getting better, and i am on course.

We shall get there.

@Godeagle and Sefago,
Thanks for the responses, i appreciate it. I am going to mail the department to get some facts anyway.

@House,
I did the GRE again yesterday, and i love the score. I think GRE is one of the most tough test i have ever done. The score did not change form the last one i took, only that i love the distribution of this one. I scored 440 in the Verbal and 610 in the Quantitative. I think this one is better than my first score that is just one sided.
Anyway, let me share the experience so that others can learn from my mistakes.
I should have scored more in Quantitative (because i know i am very good at it, and i know what i said very well), but during the test, i had about 3 minutes left on the verbal and i was still on question 24 on reading comprehension. I started fidgeting and i lost my total ground, i couldn't put myself together till the end of the test, even till i got home.
Before i could know what was happening, the test was over.
another mistake i did is that i did not take the 60 seconds break which would have eased my tension, may be i could have put my shaking feet together.
I know that it will take a miracle for me to score higher than that at the Verbal, but the Quantitative is surely my error.
I beseech you to watch-out and be composed when you are taking your!
GRE is done and dusted in my life. I am sending the applications any moment from now.
Best of luck to you all.

@Godeagle,
That's cool

@emmyclev,
That's better, you are on the safer side.

@Godeagle,
It is such a pity it happened to you. Nigeria is always Nigeria. Even thou the test is an international test, all the people supervising it are Nigerians, and you know most Nigerian organizations don't open on Sundays.

That aside, I feel you should try and pay the $50 and re-schedule it for an earlier date, because definitely your scores can't get to your school in a week. I have not even received my Essay score up till now. If you compare what you will loose if you do the test on Sept 10th (when the deadline for your school is Sept 15th), and paying the $50, you will agree with me that it pays you to pay the money.

Anyway, I registered mine yesterday and I will be taking it on Sept 1st (Next week Tuesday).

As per the Kaplan CD, there is nothing you can do with the file, if you don't have the CD. I have to be taking the CD home and bringing it to the office since the software won't work except you insert the CD. You can still prepare with the POWERPREP, if you have it or the GRE Bible. Infact, i don't really think the questions on the CD is that relevant except that it helps you to be time conscious. The test i did is very very different from the questions on the Kaplan CD, but very very similar to the questions on the POWERPREP and GREBIBLE.

@emmyclev,
You are still on course, when you get to the center, they will still verify all your data before you take the test. So, you can change anything you want to change. But, try to stick with the information on your international passport for all your dealings to be consistent.

@SEFAGO,
Nice one SEFAGO. Your last advice really get to me.

@All,
Just keep moving on, but remember ASUU in your prayers. It won't be funny o, if we are hooked because of ASUU.

@SEFAGO,
Nice one SEFAGO. Your last advice really get to me.

@All,
Just keep moving on, but remember ASUU in your prayers. It won't be funny o, if we are hooked because of ASUU.

@SEFAGO,
Nice one SEFAGO. Your last advice really get to me.

@All,
Just keep moving on, but remember ASUU in your prayers. It won't be funny o, if we are hooked because of ASUU.

emmyclev:
@arshy
As per safety school, well have always wanted to be go to top schools since i will like to pursue my Ph.D immediately,

I am not saying you should not go to top school. I am only saying that if you are applying to 3 or 4 schools, let 1 or 2 of them be a 'safety school', at least to be sure you will have admission and get to the US. It is always good to go for the best anyday, but we must still apply wisdom (you know what i am saying?)

emmyclev:
@arshy

Can u elucidate on this terminal masters and Ph.D of a thing, can i apply for master and make them understand that i will be interested in running my Ph.D immediately, or better still apply for Ph.D direct (i know say he no easy)

I think this is common psychology. If you apply for master leading to PhD, you have a better chance over applying for the terminal masters program. If you complete the masters and you are not ready to continue, i don't think they will arrest you for that except if you sign any agreement regarding that

@SEFAGO,
No whaala. U are welcome

emmyclev:
can anyone help me with the mathematics behind gpa conversion,

a 3.7/5 on a scale of 4, ( i would appreciate the mathematical approach)

I think what they look for in the transcripts is beyond just conversion, if you have study the information on the schools' websites very well. For example, if you are applying for Electrical Engineering, they might not be interested in your scores in Biology. Infact, most schools only check the trend, most especially that of the final semester[b]s[/b].
All in all, getting admission is not only based on CGPA or GRE. Your statement of purpose must be good, and you must also have a strong recommendation. There are a lot of guys that graduated with 2.2 and are running their masters over there. A friend of my scored 1050 and he is completing his masters now in Mississippi.
Just focus on the GRE for now and bother-less on the CGPA thing. You might also need to apply to 'safety school' as described in Kaplan.
_{I am also an applicant joo lol}. I don't know much, but i know IT IS WELL.
Best of luck ma guy.

@ SEFAGO,
Dont u think that is off the topic? We are discussing GRE here and not career choice. But to respond sha, it will interest you to know that there are more graduates of Accounting, Business Administration than Engineering. It is just unfortunate that most of them dont continue their education because they are stuck in the banking hall _counting making money.
@emmyclev,
U are welcome on board. How is the preparation for the test going?

Godeagle:
@ arshy,
Yes o, we can only keep praying for ASUU to call off the strike. Meanwhile, I will contact the schools regarding collecting copies of transcript. Did you contact the graduate coordinator or a member of the admissions committee? Did u contact University of Texas @ Austin too? My preparation is going fine, I'm focusing real hard on the quant, so my verbal preparation seems to be suffering. My challenges are in RCs and sentence completion. Once I'm comfortable with my mastery of quant, I will review the verbal section again and practise excercises especially from the big book. For the analogies, I think the key is to master the vocabulary wordlists and to be familiar with the different sort of bridges that link those words. For that, I think barron's list and a review of the analogy section will do. Of course, you will need lots of practise too.

Yes, i mailed the grad coordinator and he responded that i could send the photocopy pending the time the strike will be over. Though, i want to chill till September before i send it. (If madness never chop ASUU head finish, den suppose don call off the useless strike by then, am praying sha).

As per the school, i am not considering Texas again, most Engineering students from Nigeria are applying to Texas this or that, i want to be reserved some how (hope u could guess why, Nigeria factor wherever they dominate. I no wan sand for my garri joo. lol)

As per the TEST, i think i am adjusting to the RC, i have started reading a lot of ridiculous and boring journals (its not easy men). My headache is now with analogy, i am sure i will get over it. The exam is in the next two weeks, no time to waste at all.

Wish well.

@P.oj,
You can ask any of your friends or relatives in America to help you register, then later you will send the money to them. I did mine like that.

@Godeagle,
Make we pray for ASUU o! I am worried too concerning the transcripts. Even thou, the deadline for my schools is around October but who knows when this ASUU strike will end. Besides, i mailed the schools to ask if i can send the photocopies of the transcripts pending the time the strike will be over and they responded positively. May be you should try and contact your intending schools as well.
As per the GRE, how is your preparation, and how are you tackling the Reading Comprehension and the Analogies Questions? These two seem to be my toughest headache for now.

Wish well.

SEFAGO:
I havent researched all schools (I have better things to do).

I am still wondering the importance of that line in your reply. Is it a crime to look well before you leap?

@Godeagle,
Congrats on your registration, i will soon re-register too. I should be taking it around that time as well.

femilangy:
My peeps for Spring2010 lets knw ourselves,spring is almost here i cant wait!!!!!!

Here we are, more motivated with the stories here. I cant wait too! We shall all get there. Amen

SEFAGO:
yay, I am also trying to do chemical engineering, but a PhD not masters- yeah u texas at austin doesnt give assistantship as u call it for engineering, neither does any skul so PhD is the way to go.

I don't believe that at all, I have research more than 100 graduate schools in the USA and almost all of them give assisstanship in the Research Assistant or Graduate Assistant (except on some rare occasions), it is just that more consideration is given to PhD students because all the Professors receive grant from the school and they are ready to spend it on students that are ready to use it judiciously. Plus, you need to score high in GRE to be considered for the assistanship.

@Godeagle,
You are most welcome