Thank You. well written fairheart:
There are people on this thread with negative opinion on things they do not understand, and I feel if they see things from another angle, it will help their journey.
On revealing school or not, nobody was forced at gun point to do it. I only advise those who are in touch with me and they see sense in that advise. We have seen 0ver 1000 approved f-1 transcripts from this thread as they continue to grow. One thing is certainly not useful to any student on these transcripts: the school name. Instead, picking up schools from transcripts here is part of the reasons some of you are not getting your visa and that you will still not get it until you change and do your home work.
WHEN YOU COPY SCHOOL
When you copy school and only rely on transcripts for this purpose, you CHEAT YOURSELF of potential opportunity for your own school and perhaps, good scholarship and funding. I am of the opinion that if your Dad is not so rich that he could pay about $30K cost of attendance X 2, you ought to take the path of strength and self-sufficiency: getting good scholarship or assistantship. I understand that there are people on this thread with intention to merely use the F-1 visa to migrate. My advise are for those who actually wanted to study and secure a better future for themselves. These are the people that are required to do their homework--as part of the price for future success. It is not suffering!
When you copy schools from here, you deny yourself the opportunity to find schools that can offer you better opportunities. There are hundreds of schools for your program and that will fund you if you have a good profile and you apply early. All you have to do is explore those schools! But when you copy school from here, chances is high they will exhaust their funding due to high volume application and stop funding subsequent admission. WIU was used as a case study. They may give you admission, but always remember that every school has number of international students they wish to take, and every department has number of GA, scholarship, fellowship they award to admitted students. Bombing a school someone got admitted into always cheat you of opportunity to get something better if you had applied to a school that is not like a pure water on Nairaland.
The better your financial opportunity and unique your profile, the higher your chances of approval. Your friend might have done it and easily get their visa, but it doesn't mean it will work for you that way. This thing is case by case.
I have shared ideas on doing the work in the past. Sometimes, people assume because I am experienced on F-1 application that I know all the school that funds and easily give admission. And when I tell them I have no idea, they assume I am selfish or doesn't want to help them. The truth is that, I don't have schools in my head, except the ones students on and off here recently got approved with, and it is a matter of time before you forget them. Because of this, I feel those who did not understand should be made to understand.
There's nothing hard is finding your own school, and it is not a crime to keep it only to a small circle of friends. It doesn't mean selfishness or greed. By keeping it away, you give others the opportunity to work and find a school that works for them. But if anyone feels they want Nairaland to know their school, I have nothing against it. Who am I to be against such?
HOW TO SEARCH AND FIND GOOD SCHOOLS FOR YOUR PROFILE.
1 Google is the first place to start. And cost of attendance and profile of the school should be on your mind as you begin. First, you want to go to a school your sponsor can afford. Secondly, you want to be considered for funding that will come with monthly stipend to offset living expenses, so that you will not worry how to survive (especially if you can't get adequate support from home while in the U.S). Thirdly, you want to study at a school that offers courses that will equip and prepare you for the next phase of your career. You need specialty, broad knowledge, internship opportunity, etc. Remember, I am talking to students who genuinely want to study in the United States and are willing to do the work. Now, the three points should be in mind before you begin your school search.
1a, Be creative about it. Use search strings that is worded with your wants, i.e affordability, funding, good course., etc. Let me give you a list:
AFFORDABLE UNIVERSITIES IN THE U.S FOR MASTER'S IN CHEMISTRY (For blog posts and sites that catalogue affordable schools for chemistry).
BEST UNIVERSITIES IN THE U.S FOR MASTER'S IN AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS (For top ranking, research-driven universities for the mentioned course)
UNIVERSITIES IN THE U.S WITH ASSISTANTSHIP FOR MASTER'S IN MATHEMATICS (For schools offering assistantship for mathematics).
As you would see, search string contains what you want Google to show you, and that is what you will see. The more creative you're, the better. Your search result will bring up blog posts and sites that discuss and list universities for what you want. Then, you visit site by site, and from there, make a list of the schools you see, and keep away. When you are done, visit those schools one by one. You could make a list of 20 schools, or as much as you want.
1b, Get your schools by choice of U.S States. If you were to go to the U.S which state would you like to study? California? Texas? New York? Tennessee? Etc! Select best 3 states of your choice or that you have a family member or friends.
Go to Google and type, for example, ALL UNIVERSITIES IN TEXAS. Google will bring up sites and blog posts with list of these schools. I advise you look for Wikipedia page for all the schools on the list. As a study-abroad consultant, Wikipedia [/b]page for all schools in each U.S state seems the most resourcesful. There, private and public schools in the state you search is catalogued, so you get to see list of public and private schools in that state. You see their acceptance rate as well. All you do is open those schools in new tab, then read about it and get the school website directly from them. It is simple, except you are not computer literate.
[b]2, CHECKING FOR ASSISTANTSHIP: When you open the school webiste, go straight to academic and you will see undergraduate and graduate programs. It is always under academic. Click the one that applies. Check list of programs offered and pick the program (s) you are interested in. Check program courses, and look for assistantship/scholarship. Every program page has information for assistantship/scholarship. If your master's program department offers assistantship, you will see the information there. Read it and understand condition for selection. If that school is okay, make a list on a paper and keep. You can do for as many as you want.
2a, Immediately you review your program webpage, look for the "Graduate Coordinator" or "Program Director". These are the faculty members with information on funding. Your duty is to contact each school before you even apply to them. I always advise my students to contact their program coordinator before they apply. Get the email and name of this person. Take your time to write a 3-5 paragram message detailing your course, undergraduate GPA, that you are interested in the program for so, so admission term, and that "what is the chances of being selected for a graduate assistantship or departmental scholarship if admitted into the program."
ALWAYS CONTACT YOUR POTENTIAL SCHOOL BEFORE YOU APPLY THERE.
2b, If you compose your message well, your program coordinator will be compelled to tell you what is obtainable according to your profile, GPA, experience, etc. They always tell you what is obtainable. You can then use this information to decide if you will apply or not. In December last year, a student followed these step and the two schools he contacted promised --right in their response to her message--that based on his profile, if he apply, he will be considered for admission and assistantship. He did, and both schools admitted him and offered him assistantship. He got his visa last month with deficit of $1K.
If the response from the person in charge of department seems favourable, go ahead and apply right away. The earlier, the better for you.
2c, Don't underestimate your potential of getting into top schools. Explore those too. Make a budget on how many schools you plan to apply to. Be principled about it. Be creative. Use initiative and push yourself and do your thing.
RESOURCES YOU NEED.
A LAPTOP--You need a laptop to do these search well and for better result.
DATA FOR INTERNET-- plan how you will always have data for this task.
TIME--Decide which day of the week you will use to explore schools (put off things that won't add value to you for this task).
It is funny that some of you who complain that people are hiding their schools and so you couldn't apply their and get the same opportunity carry expensive smart phone but don't have a computer, and you say you're a student in 21st century? What exactly do you want to sacrifice to study abroad? As a youth, I was fortunate to start using computer at 17. By the time I was 21, I own a brand new laptop as a gift. I didn't ask for shoes, no jeans, but a laptop. I was hungry for knowledge. Even when I clock 30 and I needed a new laptop, I deny myself a smart phone and used the money to get a UK-USED laptop. I was using a Nokia analogue phone for 15 months, using laptop for Whatsapp, email works, and others. A silly person would say "O, you must have suffered." This is not suffering! This is sacrifice for a better life and a glorious future!
Some of you have rich parents but you never asked them for things that will help you advance your career. It is either expensive wig, phones or shoes. What happen to asking for laptop, books, and things that the beautiful future you want required?
Going to America to study is a worthwhile dream. It is a dream that both young people from the grassroots and the upper class can achieve. Last week, a student from this thread called me that he got an internship of $10000 per month. He sacrificed a lot to get his visa. Look at him today? Sacrifice paid off! I have seen young people that sold their stuffs to make these dreams a reality. Today, they are richer and more successful their their peers with rich parents.
You must gift yourself what your future demands! Get a laptop, keep money for data and make this task of getting a good school for you a priority. Enough of Netflix that add no academic value! Enough of using social media to waste quality time. If going abroad to study is your dream and you have no rich parents, listen to me and you will remember this message 10 years to come. If you really want to study abroad and become your best, get yourself a laptop, create time for the work involved. You have no business carrying iPhone 12 if you don't have a personal computer you can go to, to do the things that are better done on laptop.
The school search I just shared here needs a working laptop.
I know some of you already hate to see the name Fairheart  , but well, I know my people and my people know me. Those who needs the message I preach will take it and use it. And for that, I am blessed!
It has been nice being here.
All the best!
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Travel / Re: General USA Student Visa Enquiries-part 16 by FRUDO200: 12:16am On Aug 10, 2021