₦airaland Forum

solihp:
My Appreciation post

First, I want to return all the glory back to God Almighty for the strength he has given me this past 7months, going through this kind of process hasn't been all easy but I thank him cause he's ever faithful, may His name be highly magnified.


GboyegaD: When I first decided to apply for my Masters in December 2018, I emailed him with my list of schools, I had limited list because I was hoping to write GRE in the first week of February, I told him I had gone through all the Nationally ranked schools on USnews that offered Statistics(about 100 of them) , he looked at my list and told me to go over the list again. Looking back at the initial list I sent to him, I realised most of the schools I got admitted into, especially the school I am going to right now; Georgia State University was not there. Thank you very much for the encouragement and for making me go through that list again, I really appreciate your efforts.


Deyemzy: Our friendship kicked off in February, at first because we were both Statisticians. We waited for the admissions together, composed compelling emails to the graduate directors together, when it was time to apply for visa, we scrutinised each other's transcript, conducted several mock interview, etc. Thank you very much dear friend, you were one of my support system during this process.


To my school guys: Tomiwaa, Scott200, iwriterng. It has been a pleasure being in contact with you all and I am hoping to see the 3 of you in school this August during the graduate or international student orientation.


To the wonderful people I have met through this process: Omohakin, Tegaadogb, Spotlighte, etc


To the nice people I met when I got delayed on my first trial: We literally hustled for dates together, shared info about the next available dates for previously refused individuals, thank you; misstemi2, kay100, Temi87, dwilliams707. I am hoping we all get our visas very soon


Fairheart: Immediately I got delayed the first time, I sent him a message, he was very helpful as he scrutinised my transcript to perfection and conducted several mock interviews for me, thank you for your efforts and time, I do not take it for granted


To everyone: To everyone on this thread who has contributed in one way or the other, to those I have read their transcripts, to those who have stayed on this thread just to help out others, to those who came to my rescue and encouraged me when I was first delayed, I say thank you very much, the things you do accumulated to this approval. I hope I would be able to help the upcoming applicants in any way I could. Keep up the good work



One more posts incoming later

Congratulations

Fairheart I respect you a lot sir and you are one of the most revered in this thread. Some parts of your response to lagosismyhome could have been left unsaid. It is totally unnecessary. One does not have to feel threatened by another person's existence in this thread. Both of you have willingly been helping applicants out without a dime from them. You guys even went as far as paying for some people's standardized test. Its normal to vent your anger but you should know lagosismyhome is a less controversial person. Please, let peace reign.

Wretch32:
Shoot sire

done

Wretch32:
The Indians someone talked about in my quote above, they are resourceful because they network and work together, same thing other Asians
But Nigerians?? Nahh our case is different

I’ve decided to rest my case and take the advice of others here... it will remain a dream and tbh I can do just fine on my own

However, as soon as I’m settled in school I will like to change the trend and mentor two people from this thread (intending applicants)

In 2017 I messaged lagosiamyhome by sending her a direct message through this platform
Told her my study plans, Infact I was already expecting I-20 from the school then
We exchanged a few emails that would swing my decision eventually and today I’ve reaped the rewards . She may not remember but I’m eternally grateful for the impact those 2 back and forth emails we sent each other has on me today
I turned down my admission and went back to dig deep and prepare better

That person I was in 2017 could be anybody here right now reading this!!
I want to be part of a success story and I want to mentor someone as much as I’m needed

This is a challenge to the rest of you? How many have you mentored and how many are you willing to mentor, it’s not easy to come here and scrutinize transcript true and that itself is a selfless service but for those who are capable, don’t shy from mentoring others not just academically but career wise
Like a wise man once said “ a little empathy goes a long way”
Let’s try to make the our worlds a better place by helping each other and guiding each other rightly and selflessly

I rest my case...

I would like to send you a DM bro.

Justabama:
Visa finally issued after 45 days of being placed on AP... No funding. 294 Gre scores and so many errors on my Ds160...

I would advise those out there to go all out and try it again, I was denied December 2018, March 2019 and approved June 2019, 3 interviews in the space of 6months( first 2 in lagos and last one in Abuja) and I got it the 3rd time... I remember the day I was first denied in lagos , I walked from Walter Carrington to Constain and I didn't even know where I was, I travelled same day all night cos I had to be at work the following day, it was a cold sad journey form lagos to Ondo state... I stopped believing in my dreams of studying in the US, i didn't even prepare for the last interview at all,my beards was unshaved, I wore a top that isn't good enough to wear to work on a good day and I honestly prepared myself to get the "am sorry you don't qualify" message from the VO, but nonetheless I prayed and I hoped..

Today it AP changed to Issued, after 45 days of tension, I have checked and checked a thousand times and today God did it. I appreciate everyone on this platform and I think we are really going a good job here, God bless everyone and for all those still on AP. Don't worry, your status will change soon... Off to Minnesota,

Congratulations!

kacey007:
Visa approved today at Lagos Consulate.
Deficit: 16k
Msc Mathematics at ETSU

VO: Good morning
Me: Good morning sir

VO: Why are you going to the US?
Me: I am going for my masters degree in mathematics with a specialization in applied statistics at East Tennessee State University, Johnson City.

VO: Why did you choose ETSU?
Me: Apart from the fact that I was offered a GA that covers tuition waiver and monthly stipends, their mathematics and statistics offers a good research and curriculum that is in line with my career pursuit which is a pathway to achieving my career goal as a data analyst.

Then he looked at my I-20 to confirm the GA

VO: What will you be doing as a Graduate Assistant?
Me: I will be assisting the lecturer in the preparation of course materials, marking and grading of assignments and tests.

VO: who will pay the deficit?
Me: My uncle

VO: What does he do?
Me: He is successful business man

VO: Can I see a statement?
Me: Sure (I passed it)

VO: What is your first degree?
Me: Bsc Mathematics

VO: Are you married?
Me: No sir

VO: Any kids
Me: No

VO: What is your plan after studies?
Me: My plan is to return to Nigeria to resume a higher position as a Senior Research and data analyst at bleep company.

VO: I will be approving your Visa
Me: Thank you.

Thank you shawarma, lagosismyhome and fairheart. You all are wonderful.

Congratulations fellow mathematician! May God bless your new journey.

dumbiri99:
Hey guys I've learnt a lot here so need to give back but I will code some things and probably edit when I get my passport
Vo: good morning
Me: good morning Sir
Vo: passport and i20
Me: (passes them)
VO: Why do you want to go to the united states
Me: I want to go and pursue my masters degree in chemical engineering
VO: where
Me: at the university of (city) in (city)-(state)
VO: what branch of chemistry
Me: its chemical engineering not chemistry
VO: yeah what branch of chemistry
Me: am going for chemical engineering not chemistry
VO: yeah chemistry what branch what branch
Me: Biotechnology
VO: why did you choose this university
Me: I chose this university because of all the universities I applied to, this one has the strongest program for the specific area of biotechnology that I want to work in which is biofuels. Also this university is well renowned for chemical engineering and engineering in general. In fact a few years ago, this university was ranked by the Princeton review as the number 18 university in the united states for graduate study in engineering. Another important reason is my advisor prof Y, she is a force to reckon with in the field of biotechnology and she has numerous patents. Our research interests in biotechnology perfectly align and I'm convinced that my potential as a masters student will be maximised under her supervision
VO: what did you score in GRE
Me: 313
VO: how did you get this scholarship
Me: I had a good GPA, very good GRE scores and very good letters of recommendation. But I also had to do two interviews, one with the graduate coordinator and another one with another faculty, Prof Y who is now my advisor. I really impressed them during the interviews so a few weeks after I was notified I would be getting the scholarship together with my admission
VO: Who is paying the rest
Me: my moms younger brother, he is also my foster father
VO: he is also your whattt
Me: he is also my foster father, my moms younger brother
Vo: professor y, what is her first name
Me: X
Vo: I mean her first name
Me: X
Vo: no no no whats her first name
Me: (this vo is trying to confuse me abi lol) her first name is X and her last name is Y
Vo: (types)
Vo: what did you say you scored in GRE again 313 right (at this point I already felt he would give me)
Me: yes 313
Vo: (checks the UAE stamp on my passport)
Vo: what do you want to do with this degree
Me: This degree will make me one of the few and highly sought after biofuel technology specialists in this country. I intend to use this expertise to lecture in my alma mater and also serve as a research consultant for the top energy companies and institutes in this country. That is what I intend to do with the degree
Vo : (passes white paper) pick up in 3 working days........Victoria island........(I didn't hear well)
Me: (collects white paper) thank you sir, thank you very much sir (runs out to punch the air and celebrate)

Tuition scholarship: 65% of total cost of attendance
Deficit: 8.7k
Me and the VO had a good flow throughout though I was the only one smiling. Best interview I ever did

Lol VO tryna mess with your head.

stressfree1:
I am grateful to God most high!

Visa Transcript
Status: Approved
Date: 12th July, 2019
School: Texas Tech Uni
Deficit: 21k
V.O. is a pretty young girl in her twenties (excitingly attractive)

Me: Good morning
V.O. Good morning, pass me your i20 and passport
V.O. How did you hear about this school?
Me. I did an extensive research online using petersons.com and usnews.com to search for schools that offer graduate studies in Engineering with a specialization in .....
V.O. Cuts in. Did you apply to any other school?
Me. Yes! University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Mississippi State University, NCAT.
V.O. 5! How many did you get into?
Me. 3! UAB, MSU and TTU. NCAT was unresponsive.
V.O. What will this degree do for you?
Me. This degree will enable me to fully satisfy the requirements for a promotion to the position of a senior clinical engineer so i can utilize the acquired skills and knowledge gained from the program in service of the company which is a family owned company and repay the faith they had in me as I've been granted study leave and full sponsorship of my program.
V.O. Does your father has a current US visa?
Me. No. But he schooled in the US
V.O. What is the name of your family company?
Me. Bleep
V.O. Where did you have your first degree and what did you study?
me. FUTA, Mech. Eng.
V.O. So after that you went for your nys.....I cut in
Me. Then I worked at Bravo 1 for 13months after which i joined the family company Bravo 2 where i currently work as a clinical engineer. Also, i got my professional qualifications, i was inducted into the Nigerian Society of Engineers in July 2018 and about 4 days ago I got news I made the list for the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) so as we speak..I am a registered Engineer!
V.O. Congratulations!
Me. Thank you with a smile
V.O. What is the address of the company's head office?
Me. I said it
V.O. Can you tell me why your Dad's name is not on the company's website?
Me. (It was like as if I've took a hit in my chest, But as a naija boy, Mo gbe body me sharp) He's a professor at Tango, He works for the government and there's a limit to how much he can be effective in another employment. But his brother is fully involved in the business, he is the CEO.
V.O. What's his name?
Me. I said it
She confirmed it.
V.O. Do you have siblings?
me. Yes. 2
V.O. Did they school in the US?
Me. No. I'll be the first after my Dad.
V.O. Did your father and his brother started the company?
Me. No. My grandparents did
V.O. When?
Me. 2002
V.O. Who will be sponsoring your program?
Me. My Employer
V.O. Can i have the SOA?
Me. I arranged the study leave letter, service bond agreement and the SOA and passed it to the aesthetic V.O.
She read the leave letter, zapped through the bond agreement and did some calculations looking at the SOA then she returned the SOA and held on to the other documents.
V.O. How many staffs work in the company?
Me. I answered.
V.O. What is your GRE score?
Me. 301
V.O. Passes the white paper and my other documents, pick up your.... you know the drill
Though I wasn't in trance but I couldn't hear a thing she was saying after pick up your passport...


Thanks to @fairheart @brown2green @thezed and @everyone in the room


Guys going to texas Tech or anyone resuming this fall, let's connect abeg.


There is no blueprint to getting your visa. Be confident. Say the truth or lie confidently but ensure you have a strong back-up for it.

Congratulations, success bro

misstemi2:
Visa Approved at the Lagos consulate: 15th of July

Before I share my successful transcript, I should share the one where I got denied. I was denied on June 10th.

Profile
PhD Sociology (Gender inequality)
71% Tuition waiver
Teaching Assistantship
Deficit: $7,434
Sponsor: Uncle
Mississippi State University

V.O: Pass your i20 and passport
V.O : You are going to MSU?
ME : Yes
V.O : How many schools did you apply into?
ME: 5 ( she told me to list them and I did)
V.O : Have you ever travelled out before ?
ME : No
V.O : what were you looking out for while making applications?
She didn’t use those exact words but I thought she asked me indirectly why I chose MSU. I went on and on about why I chose the school cos of my research interest and she was listening until I mentioned the prof I would be working with. She interrupted...
V.O : Are you talking about MSU?
ME : Yes
V.O : I am not asking you about a school in particular. I am asking you the criteria you looked out for in schools while you were making your applications. What were the facilities you looked out for?
( As a sociologist, I couldn’t think of any facility I would be needing. All schools have a form of research activity. We don’t use the lab or any equipment. I honestly didn’t understand what she wanted from me. I mumbled something about funding and research. I can’t remember the words I used exactly but it wasn’t very intelligent) I think I said something about the research carried out in the department.
V.O : funding ? That shouldn’t be a factor. All doctoral students get a funded position. Almost all doctoral students get funding. (She corrected the “All”)

ME: Well, funding was a deciding factor for me. I have friends who got admitted for a Phd but didn’t secure any form of funding. (I don’t know why I had to say that though)
V.O: You are not eligible for this visa bla bla

I walked away feeling like disappointed in myself because I know I could have done better. Applied for another interview the following day and got July 15. Interview was for 9am but I didn’t leave the house till 7am. I got stuck in traffic and I was still there till 10am. I entered with the last set of people to be interviewed around 12.

V.O : Pass your i20 and passport. What school are you going to?
ME: MSU
V.O : why MSU?
ME: I chose MSU because their sociology department is profound in my research interest which is gender inequality & stratification and they are also closely affiliated with the gender studies program of the school. Coincidentally, Prof Kelly Kimberly who I would be working with when I resume doubles as the director of the program. I am convinced this affiliation would help me to benefit from interdisciplinary teaching and research. The department also (VO cuts in)
V.O: How many schools did you apply into?
ME : 5
V.O : what will you do after getting this degree?
ME: I would come back to Nigeria to pick up a lecturing job as my career goal is to become a professor of sociology. I would also like to engage in lots of research work that is geared towards having a radical impact on gender policy in Nigeria.
V.O : your uncle is going to sponsor you?
ME: yes
V.O : what does he do ?
ME : He is the head of sales, public sector for bleep limited
V.O : what do they sell there?
ME : it’s like a micro finance bank where they give out loans.
( my heart was beating fast here because my SOA only had 3.1M and my deficit is Close to 2.8M)
V.O : your on-campus employment is what exactly?
ME : It’s a teaching assistantship.
V.O: I will be issuing your visa now bla bla bla

I kept saying thank you � maybe about 5 times nd the guy started laughing. He told me to calm down and keep my i20 safe bla bla bla.

I learnt a lot from this platform and I am really grateful. Thanks to my love TheZed❤️, Soliph ( for her patience and care) and Tjay. Sorry for my long epistle lol

Congratulations ma'am. May God bless your new journey.

Obyknow:
Visa approved at Lagos consulate today
Really appreciate all of you who comment here,you guys rock.Keep up the good work!!

All VOs today were male,not sure of window 1 cos it wasn't in my line of sight
Was praying not to be interviewed by the white guy in window 3,Oga was drilling applicant hard and still issuing pink paper

Alas na him hand i enter oo


VO:Good morning,pass me your documents
Me:Good morning sir
VO: Why are you going to the US
Me: Am going for my master degree in Chemical Engineering at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
VO:What branch of Chemical Engineering interests you
Me: (Was not expecting this question so fast) Am interested in Hydrocarbon processing and Conversion
VO:What's the application of this
Me:This process is used in Oil refineries.I would be learning how to design processes or modify already existing processes in Nigeria oil refineries which are subsidiaries of NNPC(said this in full),this...(cut off)
VO:Do you work in NNPC
Me:No
VO:Oh you pursing this degree to work in NNPC?
Me:Yes
VO:Why this School
Me:Aside from the assistantship I received,i choose the school because of the ongoing research on Hydrocarbon processing and Conversion by Prof Basha,he offered me a research opportunity,i accepted because it aligns with my research interest,i also chose the school because of the school curriculum,i ts.....(cuts me off)
VO: (Quickly checks my i2O),Oh you have a support from the department
Me:Yes
VO:Tell me about this assitantship?
Me:It's a Research assistantship,i would be joining prof Basha research team.I would be setting the lab,carrying out experiments and gathering/analyzing data(VO nods)
VO:Did you take the GRE?
Me:Yes
VO:what did you score?
Me:310(VO nods)
VO: Who's paying for the rest
Me:My mum
VO:Any statement?
I passed it,glances through it and returns it
VO:Have ur mum been to the US?
Me:No
VO:Have u travelled out out of Nigeria before?
Me:No
VO:Any siblings?
Me: Yes
VO: (passes white paper)Congratulations your visa has been approved,pick it up in 3 working days

Congratulations. May God bless your new journey.

Tohajan:
APPRECIATION DIARY

Visa approved this morning
Lagos Consulate
8am
Program: MPH

First of all, Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah) for making this a success. Honestly, my responses were nowhere near perfect. As a matter of fact, it still feels like a dream.

My mentor, Rasulullah (peace and blessings forever be upon him) taught me, "whoever does not appreciate fellow man, will never be able to appreciate God".

My appreciation goes to the following for being a part of my success story:

@Mudicua
Thanks for reviewing my proposed transcript here. Your suggestions worked in no small measure. I really appreciate. Wish you success in your career.

@Shawarma
Queen of queens. This lady and her humorous sense ehn! I hope you remember this line: I wish you all the best and I am sorry if I hurt your feelings. You were the one pursuing me upandan with your transcript
Well, you didn't hurt my feelings in any way. I asked for unalloyed review of my transcript, and you gave just that. I really appreciate because your comments made me return to my drawing table. Wish you success in all your endeavors.

Lastly, but not in anyway the least,
@fairheart
This King of Queen Shawarma... Hmm... I don't even know where or how to start appreciating you. Like it's usually said in my local parlance, "tí mo bá ní kí n ṣe àdúrà, epe má jabọ́".
What a down-to-earth man you are! I really appreciate your efforts and words of encouragement. May you continue to soar higher and higher in life. Thank you a trillion times.


Finally, my NL people. Thanks for everything. Your comments, answers to questions, etc have really been helpful. May we all continue to break grounds in our future endeavors!

To those with upcoming interviews, I wish you a seamless experience with positive outcome.


Will drop my transcript once I get my passport.

Cheers!

Congratulations!

ValentinoPerez:
I sincerely want to appreciate everyone on this trend for great and invaluable efforts put together to bring up fruitful discussions at all time. I have been a silent follower of this trend and finally, benefit from all your productive comments. May the good Lord bless you guys immensely in return.

My transcript goes thus:

Interview date: July 11, 2019.
Embassy: Lagos
Time: 6:45am
Window: 4, a black American man.

VO: Good Morning

Me: Good morning sir (almost at the same time with him)

VO: Let me have your documents please

Me: All right sir and I passed it

VO: Oh, University of Alabama!

Me: Yes, that's right!

VO: Why a PhD in Applied Mathematics?

Me: Pardon? (Because I wasn't expecting that as a first question)

VO: He repeated the question

Me: I want a PhD in applied mathematics because I'm passionate about the use of pure and applied mathematical concepts to study the evolution, effect, control of infectious diseases and epidemiogy of diseases that follow seasonal trend. I enjoy the use of mathematical models to provide insight into the complex structures of epidemiological and biomedical problems.

VO: Why University of Alabama?

Me: I chose university of Alabama because they have a strong research team in BioMathematics. Their applied mathematics group has excellent and award winning researchers, such as Prof Dang Nguyen who has just received a distinguished award from the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. I'm also fascinated by the research of Prof David Halpern-who uses mathematical models to investigate biological and bioengineering process-with whom I have had correspondence.

VO: How did you come about BioMathematics?

Me: During my undergraduate, I took a course on Modeling of infectious diseases and I eventually did my undergraduate research in this area. After which I had a full scholarship to AIMS for my master where I had the opportunity of working under Prof Robert Smith of the University of Ottawa. He later supervised my thesis: Modeling the effect of vaccination on the control of Leptospirosis using impulsive and differential equations. These spur my passion for BioMath and I want to expand my research prowess.

VO: Your GTA, How did you get it?

Me: Pardon? (at this point, I was tired of talking)

VO: Tell me how you got GTA.

Me: The graduate admission committee found my application strong enough and contacted me for the GTA position (I lost composure at this point because this wasn't the response I prepared).

VO: Okay, what is your plan after graduation?

Me: I intend to return to my current place of employment-Landmark University where I currently serve as assistant.....and later pursue a post-doctoral research to broaden my horizons.

VO: Typing for few seconds and then looking at my mouth (as if I have not spoken enough but of course, the flow wasn't like when I was talking about my research)

Me: Yes! (like, that's all)

VO: Continued with the typing

Me: I was just speaking in tongues inside of me with my mouth gesticulating. I was thinking I had floppy responses in the later part of the interview.

VO: Looked up into my eyes and said your visa is approved.

Me: Thank you sir. Thank you for approving my Visa.

VO: No! with reaction. It's my job.

Vo: Reached out for the white paper, pick up your passport after 3-working days at the address indicated on this white paper. And you will need your I-20 at the point of entry.

NB: The VO was patient and he listened to me through out the conversation (lucky me!). I got tired so early because I was passionately dramatizing with my two hands and I expect the interview to end so soon (lazy me!).
However, be prepared for anything, personalise all your responses and be passionate with your delivery.

Congratulations.

CONGRATULATIONS!

TheZed:
Location: Lagos Embassy
Date: 9 July 2019
Status: Approved
PhD Full funding
Everything was barely 3mins

V.O: Good morning
Me: Good morning ma’am

V.O: Pass me your passport
Me: (Passed my Passport, I20 and sevis receipt)

V.O: How did you get this assistantship?
Me: It was recommended by....cuts in

V.O: I mean what made you qualified for this assistantship?
Me: Oh, My GPA and my GRE score.

V.O: What’s your GPA and GRE score?
Me: 4.66 and 304

V.O: Did you apply to other schools?
Me: I applied to just two schools.

V.O: What’s the other school?
Me: Tamuk

V.O: So why Ncat?
Me: Because it’s a fully funded PhD program and........Cuts in

V.O: Didn’t you get scholarship from Tamuk?
Me: I only got an instate tuition waiver.

V.O: How much did you have to pay after the waiver?
Me: $21,000

V.O: Do you have a masters degree?
Me: No

V.O: Oh, It’s directly from Bsc
Me: Yes

V.O: When did you graduate?
Me: 2017

V.O: What have you been doing since then?
Me: I went for my compulsory National Youth service program from April 2018 to April 2019. After which I returned back home to prepare for my graduate school travels.

V.O: What do you want to do after your program?
Me: I want to be an industrial consultant and a lecturer.

V.O: Pick your passport at this location after 3 working days.
Me: Thank you (I was already in a trance at this point)

hollateejay:
F1 Visa approved!

Deficit = $10,194

GTA = $9,168

Tuition = waived

Sponsor = uncle

VO: how did you know about this school?

Me: I searched online through Princeton review, webinar and usnews (vo cuts and asked another question)

VO: why did you choose this school?

Me: (straight to the answer) because of Prof Bleep research project, I do a similar work at bleep research laboratory, he his researching on nanotechnology based biosensor that can detect cancer, oxidative stress etc... I also carry out oxidative stress assay, antioxidant assay and phytochemical analysis (vo nods head and cuts me)

VO: so you’d be working with this person (while looking at my I-20)

Me: (I thought she was referring to my international affairs officer from my school, so I explained) that’s the immigration officer (I made a mistake and corrected myself immediately) sorry, he’s the international affairs officer, yes i’d be working with professor bleep.

VO: what would you be doing? (For my GA)

Me: I’d be teaching laboratory classes, doing grading and assessment.

VO: where did you finish your study?

Me: Federal university of Technology Akure.

VO: what did you do after you finished?

Me: went for my nysc in 2016, worked at Nigerian Export Promotion council after I started working where I am currently.

VO: who would be sponsoring you?

Me: my uncle, Engr...

VO: do you have a statement?

Me: passed.

VO: (did a calculation) and said I’d be approving your visa and passed me the white paper.

It’s God’s favor and grace, if you can fast and pray please do, even though we get close to God at the times of our need, it teaches us a lesson how faithful God can be when we are always in his presence.

Note: please, in the face of all pink papers, every other person have their peculiar case, the place is not so tensed but be prepared and keep smiling.

Thanks to Debbie (your own is sorted already), Nerdychukz, Maximum frequency shawarma and Ayodeji, I wish you all on the USA student visa trend success.

congratulations

tboy47:
F1 visa approved dis morning
Lagos consulate
Was interviewed by dat blak man i guess window 3
Deficit = 5k
Got GTA of about 12k
Before i stat, na God do am for me oo. Nor b small fasting and prayers

Vo- pass me ur passport and i-20
I did
Vo- why did u choose dis sku
Me i was awarded a GA and more importantly, ( i started shaking and was confused) d research been conducted by professor cloiut on geophysics( nigga, what ar u saying, i started saying tins frm my head) it aligns wit my career ( vo was nodding his head) and also d program structure at TAMUC stands out for exmaple i will b learning experimental research on micro computer hardware, X-ray spectroscopy (vo keeps noddin) vo then started typing for like a minute..
Vo- who sponsoring you
Me- my elder bro here in nigeria
Vo- what does e do?
Me- e works at bleep
Vo- i can see you have assistanship
Me- yes sir
Vo- vo typed for like 1min30seconds. ( my heart was beating verry fast and i was also praying) Have you traveled out bfor?
Me -no
Vo started typing again and asked my undergraduate degree and school
I told him
Vo- i will b approving ur visa.
No single document asked..
I jst blank.
Pick up 3 days time wateva. D next tin i started doing michael jackson dance
I av been praying to God for favour and grace to speak for me. And behold e answered my prayers .
Tanks to dis forum and ur Contributions @fairheart, @sharwama and evevy oda members, i tank u all ooo

Congratulations!

iwriterng:
Visa approved!

Appointment time: 6:45am

Funding: $30k (tuition waiver not assistantship)

Deficit: 18k

She has denied like 3 people ahead of me. I also forgot to smile.

Her: Good morning, pass your I-20 and passport.

Me: Did as instructed.

Her: How did you get this funding?

Me: After my admission I had an interview with the program director and director of laboratory, and they considered me a good assistant in the laboratory. But I won’t start in that role until my second semester after my apprenticing period.

Her: When did you graduate?

Me: 2018.

Her: What will you be doing after your studies?

Me: I’m coming back home to take up lecturing job, and also offer consulting service to cancer management centers.

Her: Interesting

Me: Excuse me?

Her: I said interesting.

Her: What will you be doing in the laboratory?

Me: Setting up the laboratory for experiment and also helping with anatomy dissection.

Her: Human body? (She look scared or something. �)

Me: Yes.

Her: Have you done this before?

Me: Yes, as an undergraduate.

Her: What did you say you studied again?

Me: Human Anatomy

Her: Who will cover the deficit?

Me: My uncle, and I have personal savings of $15k as well in my bank account.

Her: Ok. I’ll be approving your visa. This (My I-20) is like your second visa always have it with you all the time.

Me: Thank you

Her: Hold on.

She brought out that US work blah blah

Me: Thanks. Have a wonderful day.

Note:

1. No document was asked. And I went with everything oo, even NYsC discharge certificate cos I did my POP last month.

2. I was greatly favored by God. That’s just it. I believe in Him and He stepped in for me.

3. There is no blueprint for this thing. Really.

4. The entire interview lasted for less than 5mins.

Now to the next thing, ticket hunting.

Congratulations

Abdulrahmon68:
Every successful person has a painful story, so never give up. A school bell that sounds as a disturbance at 8:am also sounds interesting at 2:pm... it's just a matter of time..so Don't envy anyone. Not everyone walking fast has an appointment. Some have running stomach!.

..If a rose smells better than tomatoes, It doesn't mean the rose can make a better stew. Don't try to compare yourself to others. You also have your own strength, look for it and build on it. All animals that exist, were in Noah's ark. A snail is one of those animals. If God could wait long enough for snails to enter Noah's ark; His door of grace won't close till you reach your expected position in life. Never look down on yourself, keep looking up. Remember that Broken crayons still color_. Keep on pushing, you never can tell how close you are to your dream.

As fall session is approaching we await more Approval this month. Let's go get the Visa!

Have a great week ahead...

Vamoss!

beledinho:
Please kindly help me review my transcript and give me reasons for my Denial cos m planning to reapply... Thanks so much...

VO: why are u going to US
ME: for my masters degree at blablabla university to study civil engineering with concentration on renewable energy system designs
Vo: how many uni did u applied to
Me: 3 universities (I named them)
Vo: how did u know abt d university
Me: thru my undergrate final year project supervisor who was d director of centre for renewable energy technology in my undergraduate school
Vo: who is sponsoring u
Me: my father
Vo: what does he do
Me: retired as diretor of a ministry and owns a church
Vo: ur plans after study
Me: to come back to nigeria so dt I can apply for job at the centre for renewable technology center in my undergrated school in order to contribute my quota to the development of my country
Vo: passes my pink paper as ineligible

Note: I just summaried my responses...

you can consult the gurus tho.

From the little i know, I think your response to "your plans after study" isn't convincing and it sounds generic.

beledinho:
Please kindly help me review my transcript and give me reasons for my Denial cos m planning to reapply... Thanks so much...

VO: why are u going to US
ME: for my masters degree at blablabla university to study civil engineering with concentration on renewable energy system designs
Vo: how many uni did u applied to
Me: 3 universities (I named them)
Vo: how did u know abt d university
Me: thru my undergrate final year project supervisor who was d director of centre for renewable energy technology in my undergraduate school
Vo: who is sponsoring u
Me: my father
Vo: what does he do
Me: retired as diretor of a ministry and owns a church
Vo: ur plans after study
Me: to come back to nigeria so dt I can apply for job at the centre for renewable technology center in my undergrated school in order to contribute my quota to the development of my country
Vo: passes my pink paper as ineligible

Note: I just summaried my responses...

How do you want people to review your transcript when you retain important information about your application? it doesn't work that way.

your choice of school could have been the reason you were denied but you refused to disclose it.

Nehemiah77:
Interviewed by the young white man at window 1
26th June

Vo: Good morning
Me: Good morning sir.
Vo: How are you today?
Me: I'm alright and you?(with a smile )
VO: I'm fine.Pass me your passport and other documents
Me:Okay sir (Passes it)
VO: I can see you're going for masters degree
Me: Yes..I'm going to Illinois state university Normal Illinois for a masters degree in Economics.
VO: What do you do?
Me: I work as a real estate agent at Bleep, a family business. I also volunteer as a research assistant to Dr xxxx at African institute of Applied Economics
VO: You volunteer where?
Me: Had to repeat myslef
VO: Okay. Who will pay for the cost not covered by your funding?
Me: My uncle
VO: Does your uncle have 13,000 USD. What does he do?
Me: I gave a smile when he asked if my uncle has the money(like Oga the guy dey ball hard)._ He has the money. He's a major distributor of petroleum in the south east. He owns 7 filling stations in that region.
VO: Really? That's something.
VO: Your undergrad was Economics right?
Me: Yes. I have a a Bsc in Economics from Bleep
VO: How many schools did you you apply to in the U.S
Me: Four schools....University of Cinncinati ,Georgia state university ,Kent state university and Illinois state university
VO: Why did you choose ISU?
Me: Coupled with the fact that i was awarded a GRA with a full tuition waiver, I have the opportunity to work with Prof Bleep whose current research is on structural impediment in developing countries to achieve the sustainable development goals. Prof Bleep research is funded by the UNDP so this will enable me participate as a strategic analyst in the UNDP campaign against poverty in Nigeria
VO: You have this funding?
Me: No..Prof Bleep
VO: I'd like to see your GA letter
Me: Passes it. *This was where the miracle happened. He started reading it carefully and turned the next page,he then noticed a miniature land document that was printed at the back of each page of the document. I didn't see that thing prior to my interview. I guess the people that printed my GA letter used recycled paper*
VO: this proves that you're in real estate.
Me: Oh..I'm so sorry sir for having it there sir.
Vo: It's alright. So what will you be doing after your studies?
Me: I will return to take the position of a research associate at NISER and also consult for the CBN to build economic models(cuts in)
VO: it's okay. Your visa has been approved.

I'm so grateful to God. A big thank you to everyone here giving their time and resources to make dreams come true. God bless you.

Congratulations

Amme018:
VISA APPROVED @ 4th attempt

Date: Friday, 21st June 2019
Location: Abuja
Time: 7:30am Appointment
Status: Was on AP till 25th June when it turned ISSUED.

BACKGROUND
Previous attempts: 2 attempts in December 2017 for Ball State University (for Spring 2018) and an attempt in July 2018 for George Washington University (for Fall 2018) ....All at Lagos Consulate.

I posted past transcripts when I needed help in preparing for my 3rd attempt. I also posted my proposed transcript for the 3rd attempt, but I did not post the outcome because I was quitting then. Although there was no much difference between the proposed transcript for the 3rd attempt and the outcome other than that not all the questions I prepared for were asked.

However, I requested my admission be deferred to the following term (Spring 2019) only to be informed that admission to the program is strictly for Fall Terms. I requested it be deferred to Fall 2019.

Finally when I decided I was going to try the 4th time (which I promised it would be the final), I returned to this thread as a full-time reader, I chose not to ask any question because there are answers to all the questions that anyone would want to ask here already. I read every posts everyday 'as e dey drop'. I researched more about my school and program. I looked for unique features of my school and program, which I integrated into my proposed transcript. I did not post my proposed transcript because in my head, I was not returning to the embassy the 4th time for an interview but to go and talk (have a conversation)

I chose Abuja this time because I learnt there is a bit of serenity over there than Lagos; like not too crowdy and you could sit for a little while before joining the queue for interview (important for someone like me that doesn't like stress).

I had my conversation with the VO, an elderly white woman at window 6. I was the 3rd she attended to that morning, the two before me were denied.

APPROVAL CONVERSATION

Me: Good morning Ma (VO did not answer greeting. I guess because of her experience with the family she interviewed before me. The old man was reluctant to leave the window after she denied him and his family)
VO: Pass your passport and i20
Me: I obliged
VO: Why do you want to study in the US?
Me: I want to study in US because the US have one of the best educational systems in the world. Also, I like to be taught by world class professors, which would make become a world class program monitoring and evaluation specialist.
VO: How did you hear about this school.
Me: I conducted internet search for top MPA programs in the US, I reviewed the result with USNews.com, Webometrics, Times Higher Education, Princeton Review and the website of the Network of Schools of Public Policy Affairs and Administration, I then streamlined the result based on my area of specialization.
VO: So why this school?
Me: My decision to attend GWU was firstly informed by the opportunity to study under professor Kathryn Newcomer, who happened to be the year 2017 president of American Evaluation Association. She is currently having a research on Public and Nonprofit Performance Measurement and Evaluation which is inline with my area of interest as I am interested in looking into Monitoring and Evaluation Framework with the use of Objective Indicators. Also, the MPA curriculum at this school is such that will equip me with administrative-cum-managerial skills and an in depth understanding of the modern principles and techniques of program evaluation and policy analysis which I will be needing to run a consulting firm back home in proffering solution to the challenges of inadequate monitoring and evaluation framework..(wanted to add the 3rd point which is about my $20k fellowship award, but she cuts in)
VO: When did you had your BSc
Me: January 2013....(she looks on her screen and nods, I guess she confirmed what I filled in my ds160)
VO: So what have you been doing since then?
Me: I went for NYSC program, after which I started working in June 2014 at ABCD as EFG where I am responsible for HIJKLMNOPQR (she cuts in before I could finish stating my job roles. She kept her eyes on her computer screen and nodding her head while answering this)
VO: Did you applied to other school?
Me: Yes, I did
VO: Which other school?
Me: Uni of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Uni of Georgia at Athens
VO: You got admitted into all?
Me: No, I got admitted to GWU and Uni of Pittsburgh.
VO: Tell me about this program?
Me: This program focuses of the process and products of government and nongovernmental organisations decision making. It is also meant to development and enhance the ability to analyze ramifications of public programs and policies. It comprises of courses like .........I listed about 8 courses( I maintained permanent eye contact while answering)
VO: What's your study plan?
Me: I will be studying for a total of 40 credit hours courses, out of which 12 credit hours are core Public Administration courses, 25 credit hours of concentration and elective courses with a capstone seminar of 3 credit hours at the final semester. I will have to maintain a CGPA of not lower than 3.0 throughout the 4 semesters of the program which I will complete in May 2021 after which I will return to Nigeria
VO: What do you want to do with this degree?
Me: I want to consult for public and nonprofit organisations in the area of Program Monitoring and Evaluation as well as offering policy advice to policy makers in taking the best decisions as it affect program success in this part of the world. I would also love to work as a Country Program Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at one of the international development organisations around. (we're both looking at each other eyeballs-to-eyeballs as I answer this)
VO: You were denied sometimes ago?
Me: Yes
VO: Why
Me: Well (with smile), I think I was probably not able to convince the Consular Officer that interviewed me then that I am qualified for this class of visa
VO: OK, you took GMAT
Me: No, I took the GRE
VO: Oh, OK, what's your score?
Me: I had 282
VO: OK, What about TOEFL?
Me: I didn't take TOEFL ....(we both looking at each other eyeballs-to-eyeballs)
VO: Is your wife joining you?
Me: (With big smile) That is not in the plan, because of her job. However, I will make it up to my family during school holiday.
VO: OK, who will be sponsoring you for this program? GWU is one of the most expensive schools in the US.
Me: I have a Global Initiative Fellowship Award of $20k and my elder brother will...(she cuts in)
VO: Listen, this school is expensive, you will be having a deficit of $41+
Me: Yes, I know, my brother have what it takes to take care of the deficit.
VO: OK, what does he do?
Me: He is into petroleum products marketing. He is also in charge of the management of my late father's real estate investment
VO: Do you have his bank document?
Me: I have his statement of account
VO: Pass it
Me: Passed (VO checked thoroughly, from opening balance, through the transactions to the closing balance, and checked the account name if it corresponds with what I filled in my ds160)
VO: Now listen, (looking into my eyes) I will keep this with me, we will have to check to be sure it is not fraudulent. If it is fraudulent, you will be banned for life from entering the United States. Do you want me to continue?
Me: Please go ahead ma (while looking into her eyes)
VO: OK, I will give you these papers (the white pick up location paper and a congratulatory-small white one). You will have to keep your i20 with you at all time when traveling and make sure you enter the US before the start date of your program.
Me: Nodding, OK Ma (while packing my stuffs) Have a good day Ma....couldn't wait to hear her respond.

CREDITS:
....To God for the grace
....To 'My Special One' for the unending supports
....To fairheart for helping to review my proposed transcript prior to my 3rd attempt then
....To walspring for assisting in registering for my GRE around early 2018
....To everyone that has ever posted on this thread; be it questions, answers, suggestions, opinion, even 'drama'. Believe me, it all helped. THANK YOU ALL


LASTLY.
Will I be able to get Okada or Keke to take me from Washington Dulles International Airport to my school?

Congratulations.

Erhuns67:
Hey guys, my Visa was approved 26th June at the Lagos consulate. Here is my transcript


VO: pass your i20 and passport
Me: *hands it over*

VO: what is your first degree?
Me: Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering.

VO: what year did graduate?
Me: 2014.

VO: so what have you been doing?
Me: went for my NYSC after which I went for a compulsory missionary service (cuts in)

VO: where did you serve ur mission?
Me: Ghana Cape Coast Mission. Upon returning back, i currently work as a risk engineer surveyor.

VO: who is paying for the remaining cost
Me: my uncle.

VO: what does he do?
Me: Civil Engineer and he owns an indigenous construction firm.

VO: Did you take any test?
Me: Yes, GRE 311.

VO: which other schools did you apply to?
Me: U of Maine, U of Nevada.

VO: why Idaho?
Me: the privilege of working with Dr. Brian in developing an algorithm on the limitations of Non contact temperature measurements method. (cuts in)

VO: So you have a research Assistantship?
Me: No, it is a non resident tuition waiver.

VO: but you will be working with Dr. Brian on his research?
Me: Yes.

VO: you have a sister in Clemson University?
Me: Yes.

VO: Can i have your uncle bank statement?
Me: I obliged, she peruse the bank statement and returned it back?

VO: What is the title of your current job?
Me: Risk Engineer Surveyor

VO: What does ur parents do?
Me: I answered.

VO: what are your plans when you return back?
Me: with the measurements and control skills acquired during my program, I will be able to work in top industrial process industry in Nigeria.

VO: so your area of interest is measurement and control systems?
Me: yes

VO: what's your study plan?
Me: 30 credits is the requirement for my degree of which I will be taking 9 courses (cuts in).

VO: are you married and single
Me for here baba fumble oooo d way she combine am 2geda) No, No

VO: Excuse me sir, are you married and single
Me: (took my time jeje) No I am not married but I am single.

VO: sir ur visa has been approved,..........
Na for here i take blank, mumu like me dey wait mke she give me my passport b4 i come remember say na der dem wan put my visa. Na him i jejely bone my face waka comot mke those security nor come use me shine.

The consular was very thorough and I was grateful to have her interview me. Nor b say dem go ask person 2 question come tell yu say u nor qualify.
Thanks @sharwama for the job yu re doing. When you strictly warn me never to downplay Nigeria research inclination.

Congratulations.

Moshkom:
hello guys, pls at what point during WES evalution (WES.ORG) will i get to see/have a REFRENCE NO? I just signed up.

thanks for the incoming replies.

you get your reference number after paying the evaluation fee.

fculek:
Hello house
i deferred my spring 2019 admission to fall 2019 , and i received the new i20 today , but my sevis ID has changed from the previous i20 i received for spring admission . i went on the sevis fee website to change it to the new sevis ID and they said they will get back to me in 48 hours . please i want to know if i have done the right thing .

I hope your school resumption date is not close. I feel the i-20 got in late.

TokeOlawunmi:
Hi everyone,
My visa was approved on Thursday,Thank you to everyone who assisted in answering my questions especially Time2win, you are super amazing dear. May all of your dreams come true.

Deficit on I20- 45k
School- Georgia Institute of Technology
Program- Quantitative and Computational Finance

VO- Good morning
Me- Good morning

VO- Pass me your I20 and passport
Me- Passed the requested documents

VO- What program are you going for
Me- Quantitative and Computational Finance at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta Georgia

VO- Why did you choose this school
Me- I want to be a thought leader and an expert in the area of risk management in Nigeria. Also, application of knowledge is very important to me at this stage of career, the program is very practical, you get to learn skills such as R, python, matlab and also get to apply these knowledge by working on a capstone project. Also, the program has a small students to faculty ratio hence more access to faculty members and better learning opportunities. As you are aware the financial crisis originated from the US, learning from the school will give me a first hand learning experience of what leading practices standards issued after the crisis are trying to correct, for example Dr Chauva is very popular for teaching cases in financial crisis and credit risk analyses. when I come back, I would like to take a senior financial advisory role and work with the cbn, fmdq (financial market dealers quotation), sec (security exchange commission) in developing standards for our economy. The school also has one of the most brilliant minds in the Quantitative Finance space for example Dr Daniel Weagley who is an expert in teaching the relationship between financial markets and government agencies.
(Basically I forgot my transcript and just kept rapping)

VO- Who is sponsoring you?
Me- My Uncle

VO- What does he do?
Me- He does internal audit, board appraisals and helps organizations in assessing their governance structure

VO- Do you have account statements for me?
Me- Yes I do (passed the statements)

VO- Are you married?
Me - No I’m not

VO- Any kids?
Me- None (laughs)

VO- I have approved your Visa, please pick it in 3 working days


I was worried about my deficit and then saying it was my uncle (different surnames) paying. All the best guys, thank you for your support

Congratulations

Grass2Green:
My opening balance was 3.4m, total credit 156m, total debit 133m, closing balance 27m. In fact about 26m entered the day I printed which was a day to my interview. So I think it depends on the outflow and inflows. Opening and closing balance don’t matter much. Although, there were cases where 26m, 23m, 10m, 11m entered the account.

Exactly what I'm saying. cc philtos

Philtos:
What if the opening balance on a 6 months SOA is about 76000 and the closing balance is abot 12million... Is this acceptable.

If subsequent deposits after the opening balance are a little lesser than the closing balance, you are fine.

omofola93:
Lagos Consulate 6:30...Wednesday Morning (19/06)
V. O: What's your highest degree
Me: I have a bachelor of Pharmacy degree
V. O: When did you complete this
Me: 2016
V. O: What have you been doing since then
Me: I worked for a couple of months as a locum pharmacist before I went for my one year internship program to become a licensed pharmacist, then I went for my compulsory one year National Youth service, which I completed in April, I was retained where I served and I work there till now.
V. O: Did you apply to any other school
Me: Yes I did
V. O: Name them
Me: SDSU, OUHSC, WSU
V.O: Were u admitted in any other school
Me: No, I was rejected at wsu and ouhsc and waitlisted at sdsu
V.O: What will you be doing as a research assistant
Me: I would be working in the laboratory of Dr Wood, who I would be assisting in setting up of laboratories ans working on his current work in d development of immunotherapeutic for the treatment of cancer
V. O: Thank you, what would you do after your program
Me: I would return back to nigeria to work as a research scientist and academic at my undergraduate university, where I would promote the local production of pharmaceuticals in Nigeria
V. O: Are u married
Me: No
V. O: Do you have any kids.
Me: No
V. O: your passport would be available for pickup in d next three days, seems your pick up location is isolo? Have a nice day
Me: Kukuma Catwalk out with grace

Thank y'all for being a part of this Journey.

congratulations

emamoke123:
Visa Transcript yesterday
Vo: Good morning, pass me your documents
Me:Good morning sir
(passes the documents)
VO: Where are you going?
Me: I am going to Oregon State university, corvallis portland to pursue a doctorate degree in Wood Science. I would be specializing in Timber mechanics and structural engineering.

VO: What qualifications do you have?
Me: I have a Masters in Civil Engineering

Vo: Your course, Wood science, is it material science.
Me: No, it is Wood science. I would be focusing on Timber structures(he then looks at my i20, wanting to confirm the course, I guess)
Looks up

VO: I can see you have an assistantship,
Me: yes

VO: will this cover for your stay through out?
ME: Yes it will

Vo: what will you be doing as a research assistant
Me: I would set up and conduct experiments both in the laboratory and on the field. I would also collect and analyze data for use in publications

Vo: You applied to other schools?
Me: Yes, university of Maine, Orono and university of Minnesota, twin cities

Vo: have you ever traveled out of Nigeria
Me: no sir, I have had no reason to

(at this point, I think say interview don end as baba looked down and was typing for a long time he then suddenly looks up and asks the soccer punch question, a question I had three different answers for but as my village pipu wan do nw, I went totally blank and out, infact NEPA take light for my brain)

Vo: why do you want to study wood science (I expected diz question since morning as e no ask dat time nw, I don move on, I didn't know it was still coming behind)
Me : (goes silent for like five seconds, vo looks up as if to say is like your head is not correct, didn't you hear my question)
Me: (stuttering) building with concrete and steel can be quite expensive
(vo nods )
Me: asides that they leave low carbon footprint on the environment (guys, it is supposed to be high)
VO: (SMILES) your visa has been approved
Return my i20 and gimme white paper

My pipu, I just comot for the consulate dey waka inside VI as I no sabi road. Later I siddon for one bus stop like 5mins to recuperate.
Dat last question almost finish me

Guys, question can come anytime and anyhow, pray for favor and do your very possible best to sound confident

God bless everyone here and grant our heart desires.
Thanks so much to the men here. I appreciate.

Lool. congratulations!!!

Ibruks:
Good evening guys, first of all, I want to apologize to you all, I went for my visa interview on Tuesday but I've been out of both data and electricity since then, due to the heavy rainfall in my area. I should have dropped this sooner.

VO : She said something (but I couldn't hear her, my ears were blocked, I guess due to fear)
Me: I just passed my documents to her
VO: Where are you going to? (with one yeye tiny voice)
Me: I'm going to Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, for my Master's program in Physics.
VO: Why are you going to Creighton?
Me: ...because the department offers concentration on astro-particle physics which is a fusion of 3 diff areas of physics, cosmology, astronomy and particle physics. I want to be one of the starting members of this group in Nigeria (this last sentence ehn, I don't know why I said it, I was planning to say some other things that'd answer 'why the course and what will the course do for you'). I was like, I don Bleep up, I'm not even sure I said those well, I think I wasn't audible enough.
VO: What will your research be about?
Me: Can you please repeat that? (She did) and I said "Dark Matter".
VO: Dark matter? (making one funny gesture and I said to myself, Game over, I should have said it In a better way)
VO: (After checking through my i20) I can see you have an assistantship, did you write any standardized test?
Me: Yes, I did. I wrote GRE.
VO: score please
Me: 308
VO: (Typed for like 30 seconds)... I have approved your visa, you can take it up after 3 working days.
Me: I actually still don't know what I said, I stammered and was shaking, I packed my documents and left.

Venue : Lagos Consulate
Time: 7:45am

I think the major reason why I got scared was that I never knew the interview would be kind of Open like that, I thought it was a kindaf private thing that i'd even sit. As I entered into the room, I was like waawu and got really scared.

Thank you all for your contribution. Thank you sir Brown2green and thank you so so much madam Solihp, you attended to 100% of my questions and I really appreciate that.

Congrats in advance to everybody else.

Congratulations

sharwama:
SHARWAMA'S APPROVED VISA TRANSCRIPT.
Date: June 7, 2019
Venue: Lagos Consulate
Time:6:30 a.m
Gender of VO: Male
Window: I Didn't notice, I was blown away by his cuteness and jerry curl
Ok it was the second to last window, before the exit door.
I: (Smiling) Good morning sir
V.O: Good morning, please pass me your passport and your I-20.
I did and he was like "please push your passport a little bit further". I pushed it and asked, "is it okay now sir?"
VO: Yes it is. Why are you going to the US
I: (deep breath + killer smile) To uhm, pursue a masters degree in Biology, Biomedical Science Concentration at East Tennessee State University, Johnson City Tennessee.
V.O: Why this degree?
I: I really want to work as a research scientist at a renowned biomedical research Institute here in Nigeria. Unfortunately, a masters degree in Biology or a closely related field is the minimum requirement for such a position. So this degree would not just help me hone my research skills or build my critical thinking, it would qualify me for the position I really want, when I return.
V.O: So why did you pick this school?
I: (Gesticulating with magical hands) For me, it wasn't just about the generous funding I received, which I am extremely grateful for by the way, it had a lot more to do with the student-faculty relationship I have built with my potential supervisor, professor Burna boy. We Skyped a couple of times and we have chosen a thesis topic I am super excited about.
V.O: What other schools did you apply to?
I: I applied at Texas A&M University, Commerce
VO: uhum(while typing)
I: Cleveland State University Ohio and Kansas State University Manhattan Kansas.
VO: Have you travelled out of the country before?
I: I have not had the need to sir.
VO: Are you married
I: No sir
V.O: You said you have funding, let me see the evidence
I: My school did not give me an official letter but it's on the I-20(I pointed at the document so he looked at it)
V.O: Ok I see $9590 to be payed by someone ,who is this?
I: That's my mum sir
V.O: What does she do?
I: My mum is a business woman, she sells African fabrics and traditional bridal attires
V.O: Yes do you have any proof, I want to see evidence.
I was confused and he mentioned "or bank statement"
I: (Killer smile)Yes, with all pleasure. Just a moment please.
So I got the bank statement
V.O(while looking at the statement) Doesn't your mum have other children to sponsor in school?
I: (I never expected that question, so my English technically failed me, so I looked at him and answered) All of us have finished school, it remainder two of us.
I was so embarrassed about my grammatical blunder but I was glad he understood the point, we were all done with school except two of my siblings.
V.O: Ok, I will be approving your Visa. He hands me the white paper. Talked about pick up in three working days, gave me back my SOA and I-20, asked me to keep it carefully and I would need the latter at the port of entry... Told me to have a wonderful day
I: (Killer smile) Thank you and have a wonderful rest of the day too.
Yup, I bounced out of the building
THE END

congratulations ma'am

Floriyadi:
Haha. I understand. Pure mathematics looks like quantitative philosophy. Purity, abstraction, rigour, and beauty are central. For all its abstraction, very deep results in number theory have found use in cryptography and cyber security. Graph theory is used extensively in traffic modelling in transportation engineering. Pure mathematics is God's way of talking with men.

Well said bro. It is as though we are repulsive to its application here. We are stuck to the theoretical aspect which makes it very boring and a lot more rigorous.
University of Ibadan is the most revered uni when it comes to Pure math in Nigeria but they are too conservative to embrace its application..

Meanwhile, do we have anyone whose area of specialization is cryptography in this country?

Congratulations on your approved visa bro. Best of luck in your future endeavors.