greenskittles:
I'll eventually have to ask my supervisor himself but I'd like to hear opinions please. I was admitted for a masters with a fellowship, including both tuition and living expenses. During my interview my supervisor made it clear, he wants "no work" for me for my first three quarters so I can focus on studying, and then contingent on my performance, I'll join him in research as an RA for my second year.

Now with these new rules and all, if I have to take classes in Nigeria do you think it's possible I get paid my fellowship stipend here? Since if I was in the US I wouldn't have to work either. I browsed through the department website and apparently cheques are paid to the address listed in my student portal every two weeks (if I was in the US). The only available fact I have now is that the President of the University assured all students who've been offered financial aid in any form that the University will honor their promises in spite of COVID-19. But there's no assurance of that with deferring and they'd have to check with the specific office that offered them aid if they defer.

So my question, has anybody here ever had this happen to them before? Or at least were in Nigeria receiving remote payment for work? What do I need to do to successfully receive the money *if* this is possible?

I really don't want to defer because I'm in it for the long haul, I expect to be at this school for the next 5 years because I'm pursuing a PhD, and would like to get the coursework out of the way as soon as possible. So I really want to know if I could get paid, because studying without any income is not possible for me, I'd have to get a job which would mean deferring.

if you know Nigerians in Stanford. Talk to them, they'd have more knowledge with this.

Also, it's important you contact the fellowship and send them a carefully thought, emotionally appealing E-mail. If they agree, you can contact the Nigerians there if it's possible they receive the check on your behalf and send it to your account through Sendwave app since you have no US account yet.

Nothing is certain so you have to take your chances. They might even agree to go through the stress of paying it directly to you.

greenskittles:

N10k for data probably won't even cut it, I've been taking so many online courses (personal development) since the lockdown started and I've needed more than that. The cheapest you can get with N10k in Nigeria is 40GB as far as I know. Honestly having to study in Nigeria will be a real pain.

I saw #8750 for 42GB Glo. That's an average of 1.4GB per day.
- I won't be receiving classes everyday
- I intend to use my phone for zoom which would minimize data instead of if I'm using laptop
- My classes are 1 or 2 a day, rarely 3.

So I think it'll be enough or if more than that, small.

Sanguine1:


It is not that i really have a hidden agenda about going to the US, but we all know that schooling in the US is more beneficial than doing it online.
In the US i Will be schooling and work and together with my stipends to support myself financially, forget about that i have sponsor remember am going to be the one sort myself out for about 80% of my expenses because I am a working class here with wife and kid too.
So going to the US will make the studies very easy for me and i Will also be able to cater for my wife and kid that i left behind here in Nigeria out what I am earning from the part-time job I will be doing there now. At all at all I must be able to pay for their house rent and feedings here in Nigeria now.

But schooling online here in Nigeria, all these benefits would be lost now. This is my plan oooo

Personally I think you should defer to spring especially since you're paying yourself and you have a family.

As for if you're asked why you didn't just continue with the online classes instead. Just google, "why onsite classes are better than online classes", you should find an answer for the V.O with that.

Sanguine1:

Boss are you too putting in for online classes for this FALL-SEMESTER 2020? But my fear is that how is it going to be because I need my GPA badly oooo and I don't want to be underperformed due to many factors like :
Bad network during the lecturers
No Light or NEPA take Light during the lecturer
Battery low and so on.
Hope you people get my points?

I have to. To keep my full scholarship.
I'm doing my calculations now.
#10,000/month for data max.
#10,000/month for fuel max.
The time zone though.

Cocao:


You are making sense. I understand. But nobody needs to hear the epistle you just wrote. People on this thread want hope, even a ray of it will make their day. Most of what you typed could be true, but right now, nobody wants to hear that. It is not your job to give anyone the reality on ground, believe me, they know this reality. But reality has never stopped anyone from hoping or having more faith. There is a time for everything and Sir, kindly note that now is not the time for what you typed.

actually, a lot of people here want to know the real reality of things so they can plan adequately.

Abby190:
Hello everyone. Is it possible to switch to an In-person program in another school when one already on an online program in a school?

What are the chances of getting an F-1 visa, thank you.

there are grey areas in your post. Try to rephrase.

Sanguine1:
Hello my better people,
If i want to register for the online class for FALL-SEMESTER 2020, do i need to pay SEVIS FEE now now, or I should wait till when I am about to go to the embassy for visa interview?

you don't need to pay SEVIS fee

Are there people here planning to enroll online like me instead of deferring to spring 2020?

drDoom3:



Ivies are test optional for 2020/21 application season. Now ivies are extremely competitive, picking only the best students from the country e.g the kids who win Cowbellpedia, SPAK, international olympiads, etc.

You will be competing with these students academically for as few as 4-5 slots per ivy from Nigeria (which could potentially reduce as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic). Even with international level competitions on your resume, you still need a stellar SAT score to even begin to compete. Some students applying to these schools for fall 2021 already have their scores down, waiting for applications to open in August.

Applying test optional as an international student for significant funding from a top school is kamikaze.

some even have SAT subject tests.

Also he has to remember that SAT is valid for 5 years. So people that had 1500+ before are so competing with you, even with more experience.

If you can, please take the SAT.

Eniolakiite:

Being hopeful and optimistic is good.

Please those affected can also consider transferring to schools doing on-campus or hybrid for fall semester. Don't go back to Naija

Most schools might quickly switch to hybrid tho.

Transferring is not an option as most schools are done with admission processes. Then the logistics involved is cumbersome and unnecessary. I believe most schools would make it hybrid for international Students.

Below is an excerpt from Havard's response.

HoluwadareY:
Though I feel the new proclamation is not very fair especially for students already in the US, but I think it's ICE' way of ensuring ONLY people that needs to travel to study are given VISAs...I also think this is a good step leading to embassy reopening (International students are to be prioritized for the new i-20). All the best guys and I hope those affected negatively will be okay , too.

I'm not sure you read the stuff.

They're saying people there should come back to their countries but you think it's a way of opening embassies so that those outside would come in?

sonofakin:
I get your point. But one thing I know is that one can still use a stone to kill many birds. You can get into US,
have a plan B from day one on ways to get into other countries and still get your US degree. People are doing it. Canada and UK for example have other immigration pathways that isn't student Visa. For example, UK has a route for PhD holders. I heard of someone that got into US to study MSc Systems Engineering on full funding and still found his way into Canada post graduation to work as a Data Scientist. The guy even turned down a PhD offer from his US school. Truth is US is a land of opportunities, though, it is unfortunate that they don't want us. Someone that graduated with a 2.2 here still has the chance to get into a reasonable school, study for free or almost free at worst, by just strengthening other part of their application package. The country practically gives you hope of a standard reasonably priced education.

yes bro. With what's happening, I am and I believe we should be checking the US to Canada route

sonofakin:
You can keep preaching till eternity. Most people chose a particular country for a reason. Most are potential graduate students and are adults that know the options available to them. They have heard about UK, Australia and Canada, Estonia and Germany, Turkey, North Cryprus, Scandinavian countries and the likes. Some are so desperate that they try five countries at a time. I can apply to a UK university today with my undergraduate transcript, WAEC result and paper reference letters and get an admission offer in 5hours or 3days. Very easy and less tedious. But we still go through the pain of writing GRE, GMAT,TOEFL and the likes to get to a US school. All for a reason. Everyone knows where they came from. Millions of dollars are awarded to Nigerian students in funding every year, you won't get that in any other country. I am sure you are currently enjoying some of their benevolence. My point is that it is not as easy to ignore US as you are presenting it to be

don't mind her. I have a full ride undergraduate scholarship which includes a free laptop for this fall 2020 session. I should just leave it and go to Canada.

She herself is there on a good scholarship offer. I hope she sees what we've been trying to say since that Trumps policies are not pro-americans but purely anti-immigrant and xenophobic.

labylaby:



Hi!

I'm quite knowledgeable about the undergrad process. Those colleges are high reaches for everyone--including students with all As. You can't apply to only those schools.

Are your Bs B2s or B3s?

I know a lot of people who got into these schools for undergrad and I must say their WASSCE was way higher. This isn't to say you can't do it, but you need to add other schools. Add LACs with international funding like Amherst, Williams, Lafayette, etc.

Also check out Minerva at KGI.

You should totally take the SAT &/ Subject SATs. My friend with a 1510 was rejected at a lot of top colleges, but got into Amherst and Darmouth. And she had a 4.0, 5 A1s and had Olympiad experiences. Another with a 1460 got into Stanford with a phenomenal essay and international experience. All my friends basically had *something* that set them apart.

Don't stalk college confidential for the sake of your mental health.

Basically, you need something that shines through your app. How are your ECs? Your essays need to be awesome. I promise you a lot of essays are really horrible.

Honestly, your SAT needs to be really high to make up for the WASSCE.

I wish you the best of luck, but that college list of yours is not it. Besides, I think at first all of us are blinded with the promise of prestige. Why do you even want to apply to those ones? Have you checked out your future departments in each one. Ivy or not, not all departments are fantastic.


Goodluck!

hello. You got in to which college?

labylaby:



Hi!

I'm quite knowledgeable about the undergrad process. Those colleges are high reaches for everyone--including students with all As. You can't apply to only those schools.

Are your Bs B2s or B3s?

I know a lot of people who got into these schools for undergrad and I must say their WASSCE was way higher. This isn't to say you can't do it, but you need to add other schools. Add LACs with international funding like Amherst, Williams, Lafayette, etc.

Also check out Minerva at KGI.

You should totally take the SAT &/ Subject SATs. My friend with a 1510 was rejected at a lot of top colleges, but got into Amherst and Darmouth. And she had a 4.0, 5 A1s and had Olympiad experiences. Another with a 1460 got into Stanford with a phenomenal essay and international experience. All my friends basically had *something* that set them apart.

Don't stalk college confidential for the sake of your mental health.

Basically, you need something that shines through your app. How are your ECs? Your essays need to be awesome. I promise you a lot of essays are really horrible.

Honestly, your SAT needs to be really high to make up for the WASSCE.

I wish you the best of luck, but that college list of yours is not it. Besides, I think at first all of us are blinded with the promise of prestige. Why do you even want to apply to those ones? Have you checked out your future departments in each one. Ivy or not, not all departments are fantastic.


Goodluck!

if his high school GPA is 4.95/5.0, I think he can use that instead of the WAEC.

Also he should look up these schools.
Franklin and Marshall college
Washington and Lee university
Berea college.

ottiz:
Transcripts are compiled from continuous assessments, mid-terms, attendance, and of course final exams, over the course of multiple years. It shows what kind of student the individual has been, the depth of subjects they've taken, and progress over the years.

You cannot determine how smart somebody is simply because that individual took one time exam, such as WAEC, SAT/ACT, etc, and did very well. This one time assessment cannot accurately determine or predict how this student will perform in the university setting without taking into consideration what kind of student this person was during high school.

And just so you know, the internal exams (CAT, mid-terms, finals), from which transcripts are compiled, are not standardized exams. Exams become standardized when people from different settings take same exam (like WAEC, GRE, SAT), and this is not how transcripts are compiled.

with your argument. You're also contradicting your stance.

There are persons that were not serious/studious throughout their undergraduate years. But on deciding to go to graduate school prepared well and scored high in the GRE. They later went on to do well in graduate school.

With your analysis, based on what he did for four years in college, he's dull and that is wrong.

Also saying you can't judge how smart someone is with standardized tests is like saying someone scoring 1500/1600 SAT or 330/340 GRE is dull. No, whether you like it or not, they aren't dull. Yes, some might go on to perform lower than expected later on due to one reason or the other but they aren't dull.

Muleriders:


Same here. SAU Students will be back to campus for fall 2020 from August 11.

We have also been briefed on the compulsory nose cover policy. "No face mask/shield, no entry into lecture halls"

The fate of international students coming in now lies with the sooner opening of embassies.

other schools are proposing online classes for international students.

sheke01:


I find this funny

I wrote the GRE twice. First time I score a miserable 305, second time I scored 318. Does that mean I wasn't smart enough the first time I wrote the test or my smartness/intelligence increases with increase in the number of GRE tests I take?

Do you know the average number of GRE tests people that score very well on the GRE usually take? I guess you will be surprised if you do this research.

GRE is a standardized tests that like every other test can be mastered. If I have written GRE a third time, I most definitely would have performed better than my first 2 trials

y'all have been going back and forth since and you all are funny with your points.

If GRE is not a test of smartness then exams are generally not a test of smartness then.

With your analogy of repetitive test writing. When you attempted GRE the second time, you're definitely smarter. Smartness can be increased and you're smarter because (you now know how to prepare better and you've gained and experience). It's same way you have a carry over, read for it again and pass it the next year. Why? Because you're now smarter.

Someone that passes you on a test might not be generally smarter than you but in that particular test he is. Exams are the only way we can ascertain what is inside your brain. If you say GRE doesn't show smartness, what now shows it?

A dude came up with an argument of "he was tired before he wrote the exam and he perfomed low" but that condition stands for all exams too.

GMAT, SAT, GRE scores are a good predictive indicators of your smartness on the tests.

Funaki:

I get your point.

But saying something is unusual isn't the same as average. In the report you posted, no country as an average of 320, even USA, China, India and UK average are all less than that. US has 150.2 in quantitative reasoning and 152.6 in verbal (even as native speakers). The average total score will be 302.8 you can't then say most people score 302 in the US.

Nigeria may have a low average score, but that doesn't mean high score is unusual. If you are in engineering as you said, 320+ won't be unusual. Except you want to apply to unknown schools for STEM.

Exactly. That a score is average is different from it being unusual.

Take for example the common entrance exam for Nigerian secondary schools.

The cut off mark to enter public schools in the south due to performance is like 70/100, 75/100 but in zamfara it is 2/100, borno 10/100 or so. Taking an average of this score would be 30-40/100. Would you then now say 70 is unsual despite the high number of people that pass it in the south?

Sure a lot of people score very low marks but a good number of people still score good scores.

Funaki:


320+ isn't unusual. It depends on your field and schools you're targeting. All my 4 friends that we wrote last year scored 320+. If you want to apply to a 2nd tier engineering school (Georgia tech, UIUC, Purdue etc), you need at least 320 to be in safe zone.

abi o.

By the way, did all your friends get full funding too?

Admitwithschola:


Please we are not talking undergraduate here. GRE is for MS/PhD. SAT is for undergraduates - AB/BS/BSc.

Or what are you particularly saying?

I know what SAT and GRE is.

You've been making unnecessary generalized conclusions from the very little data you can access. A lot of Nigerians score 320+ they just don't come on nairaland to shout it.

Also how are you sure that no one gets into all the Ivy leagues? If it happens for undergraduates, definitely it happens for graduates. I don't know how you got to know about the application of the whole kit and caboodle of persons applying for GRE that you said with CERTAINTY that know one gets into all.

Please stop making hasty generalizations from limited data.

Lifeisforliving:


We are at the point where we have to face reality. The Embassy is still closed and will be until futher notice. So accept any request to defer your admission to Spring 2021, beyond or an online option. If I were you I will wait till August b4 taking a decision �

We'd know the most like option by 10 a.m tomorrow.

Seen this?

Why would they want to discuss F-1 VISA, if there's no modicum of possibility that interviews would resume soon?

Kimzylove:


Sorry for stressing you but i need more clarification..
Do you mean overall secondary school result?
For someone with GCE that means you have to go to the school you wrote your exam.

I'm talking of your overall secondary school result. From SS1 to SS3. Your tests and exam scores in all the subjects. If you go to your school, they sure have an idea of this.

If you cannot do that, then evaluate your WAEC result. It costs 100K roughly for all the processing. Here, your WAEC grades would be converted to a GPA.

Sanguine1:

IF I SHOULD WAIT TILL AUGUST BEFORE I DECIDE ON DEFERMENT, WHAT OF THE I-20?
THE SCHOOL CANT JUST WAIT FOR ME TO KEEP MUTE FROM NOW TILL AUGUST BEFORE I REQUEST FOR MY I-20, HOPE YOU GET MY POINT SIR

you can request for soft copy I-20. Due to this COVID, it's acceptable.

Time2win:


Correct! only lazy nigerian youths say that

you don't necessarily have to tag him lazy.

Snakedoctor1:
My cousin's tough visa experience; advise needed.
He got a full funding and had attended visa interview twice but unsuccesful in all.
The first one, the CO said he was preaching her. She also asked him how he could leave his family for 4 years. And what business the wife does.

The second interview after the first refusal, another CO asked him about standard tests. And other schools he applied for. He produced a GRE result that had the name of a school he didnt mention; the result was merely sent to the school but he didnt actually conclude the application. He was not allowed to explain. He was summarily refused again.

Though the funding is still valid and school promised to write the Embassy on his behalf but he said he has changed his mind as 2 times refusal means he will never get the visa again.

lol, there are people here that got it on the 4th attempt.

Since it's full funding, he should try again.

Kimzylove:

Transcript received from secondary school?

yes

Kimzylove:


Congratulations......

Please i have a few questions
Do you know if A level is compulsory for undergraduates?
How is GPA calculated for a Nigerian who has WAEC and the necessary tests?

You don't need A'levels at all.

GPA is either calculated by evaluating your WAEC certificate or the transcript received from your school.

Admitwithschola:


Lol. Not necessarily type I..Some of these things can be random sometimes. A strong profile often does not get accepted everywhere, I have not seen. One must to reject. This guy did well, his hit rate is so good, just one rejection.

@stanford guy, would you also mind explaining how you owned the GRE? 320+ is unusual for a Nigerian, even those with impressive GPA

I've seen alot of strong profiles accepted every where o, but it's mostly for undergraduates. Person go apply go all the Ivy leagues get full rides to all of them.

fairheart:


Well, he has reasons. I'll not blame or condemn him for taking this direction for the American people, especially during this period that unemployment rate is at 13.3-- and his first term coming to an end. He's seeking to use all options on the table to lower the unemployment rate and remove competition from foreign skilled workers against home-based Americans ahead and after election, in case he's re-elected.
But I also understand that it's a political stunt to make himself look better in the American people's eyes, so he can get re-elected. Not sure if it'll work.
More so, it is not a permanent ban. I am sure it will be lifted at some point in the future.

H1B jobs till the end of this year is about 250,000. So far Americans have lost 30 million jobs. So how is this number significant if not for his unnecessary propaganda.

The 250,000 figure is calculated with the total number of jobs taken in 2019 by H1B divided by 2. But this year won't even be up to 250,000 Because employers would want to prioritize US citizens.

So I really don't see the economic and patriotic importance of this rule.

obajoey:
Never say never.
If I am the person receiving your kind of advice, I will take it as a challenge and do everything possible to prove you wrong.
Your advice should be what the person can do to scale up.
Many in the past who took your kind of advice as a challenge most times had a happy ending.

Peace.

stop being unnecessarily emotional. What the guy said is factual. Her stats are very low. She couldnt get an average score in GRE maths but wants to pursue a masters in maths? That's illogical of you ask me.

But I believe there are verified schools that would admit her. There always is. But it's advisable she doesn't choose maths.

I think muleriders had 2.0/4.0 and got admission, I'm not certain though. Plus, there's still a lot of time, she should take the GRE again.