₦airaland Forum

SenseiVoyles:
Boss, PMed but it appears my nairaland mail is acting up. Could you please help with the sample CV also at senseivoyles@gmail.com?. Been working on my graduate CV but I feel it's less than satisfactory. Really need a good guide.

Done

Ibukunoluwa01:
Hello Good evening
I earlier sent a message but got no reply. I would like to transfer to a US varsity come January 2018 cause by then I should have completed 46 credits which qualifies me for a transfer.

So I wanna ask,
1. is there any university that you would advise
2. Is it possible to get a full tuition scholarship as a spring transfer

Couse- computer science

Anything is possible. Can you put in the work? Transfers are hard, moreso in Spring. Are you undergrad?

krissconnect:
I've bn following secretly and I must comment your inputs so far, I hope to be part of this family and give my testimony too. Pls I'm interested in studying abroad but I'm cut in between the better country; USA or Canada? And pls how do I start my processing? Pls help.

What do you want in a foreign country? As for permanent residency, Canada is becoming more open to foreign nationals, esp with a PhD, than USA.

electronic:
Hello House
Any Tips for sleeping in JFK for the Night?
To connect a flight the next day
Good or Bad IDEA?

There are tips to sleep again??

You won't be the only one. Once you arrive, get your luggage. It can stay with you, or lodge it in storage for a fee. Next, confirm when your fight would be leaving, to avoid stories. Find a nice beam seat, and answer the call of nature. And if you no wan sleep, there are enough distractions to keep you awake all night. Esp at Kennedy.

Gbemisolarh:
Back in January this year.... Before I came about this thread, an Agent applied my B1/B2 visitor visa on my behalf which I was denied..

Now I just got admitted into a UNi, now am thinking about applying with my real details now...am scared if that will be a problem

There are the details he filed for me:-
- Am a Marketing Manager at a company, (not true)
- I earn 402k monthly (not true)
- Age 27yrs
- Am engaged (not true)
-Reason for going to the USA is to go visit my aunt for a holiday and also my wedding shopping spree
-I finished schooling 2016 August but the agent didnt use that in my application, he used my
diploma certificate I had back then and because I also went for a year college study at the UK

But despite all this Application was denied



Now I have an admission letter for Spring 2018,

- My school retained me to work for its ICT department cos of outstanding my final result (true)

- Started working there 30days after I got denied at the embassy in January (true)

-Sponsor, my dad (former sponsor on the denial was my uncle) (true)

- do I still have to fill married or not

- should I defer till summer 2018



I know the whole thing is complicated cos am finding it difficult to relate all above information s into one but I know you guys can be of good help to me...


Thanks so much and God bless

Congrats on your admission. I think I remember your moniker. You're right, this is complicated. But it need not be.

- Can you prove you're going there to study, and nothing else?
- Won't funding be a problem during your study? If yes, can you prove it?
- Is there proof you'll come back after studying? Extra points if you have multiple ties?

If your TRUE story prove those things, you got nothing to worry. Fill in the truth. And no, don't defer. There's plenty of time between now and Jan 2018 to sort your story, and get your visa.

napa:
Hello house, i went for my visa interview today but wasn't granted. The gurus in the house should please help review my transcript and how soon can i reapply. My program is starting by August

VO-have you travelled outside Nigeria before
Me- yes , Ghana and US
VO-where did you visit in us
Me- i visited five states: new york, florida, atĺanta, Boston
VO-why five states
Me-that is the only time I and my husband have for vacation
VO-How long did we stay
Me- 20 days
VO-where do i work presently
Me - Bleep Bank Plc. I have been working for the past 8 years as a financial relationship officer. I market high network customers and i manage their current and credit accounts
VO-How many schools did i apply to
Me- i actually considered three schools (university of south carolina and university of maryland ) but i choose Adelphi because of the recommendation my mentor gave me and i did my own personal research. I noticed that the curriculum of the masters program fits perfectly into my future career goals
Vo- How many children do you have
Me- I'm hoping to have soon but for now none
Vo-What does my husband do
Me-he works for zyz plc as a category manager and he's been working there for the past 5 years
Vo - sorry i can't approve your visa at this time you can reapply

This transcript lacks depth. Much more than what you said, focus on how you say it. You were too vague. What are your future career goals? Be specific. Do you have an idea of classes you'll be taking in your curriculum? How does your current job tie with your Master's?

You chose Adelphi due to your mentor's recommendation? Which means you got into these three schools, and chose Adelphi over Maryland. And for what? Personal research and rec? Nope, you'll need to come up with better reasons than those.

To boost your odds of getting the visa, you'll need to help the VO answer these questions:
- Is she really going there to study, and nothing more?
- Will money be a problem for her while in school?
- Are we sure she's coming back to Nigeria, after school?

You can reapply, as soon as you're ready to re-fire!

A little prep might help. Better than you just winging it.

obene12:
Already done that sir

Replied bro

obene12:
Guys am new here but I took my time to go thru most of the pages on this you thread. i contacted a prof in a Canadian university who asked me to send my CV and transcript to him, I need guidance on presenting a good CV. Secondly I checked the schls grad admis only to find it has a stringent procedure, admission score of 76% into graduate level(Msc) of which I am short of. What your take on this?. Thanks in anticipation

Right now, you've got a leverage, in that a faculty member is really interested in your story. Think less of the 76% for now, and focus on how to impress him. Send me a PM for a sample CV you could use.

dawbbleOuEi:
Thank you so much!
I just read your post on page 206
I've gathered that there are [b]two [/b]AWAs. Is this true, did you have two AWAs in your time?
Also, how did section-level adaptiveness play out?
I'm a Fall 2018 aspirant, and my thinking is that the 6weeks score reporting period wouldn't matter. Am I thinking ok? Would you advise the paper-based?

Yeah, that's standard. Whichever you take, you'll write two essays. One "Issue", the other "Argument." Practice writing those essays, if only to know how real testing conditions would look like. The PBT can't afford to be adaptive based on sections, obviously. Which means, you get the exact same set of questions irrespective of how well you did in a prior section. And yes, prepare for 6 weeks to get your scores. You know when your apps are due, so you're in the best position to see if it's worth the wait. It's totally up to you, which you take.

Both are comparable in terms of difficulty. Like I said, I took pbt cos it was the only one around me at the time. If I had to choose either, I imagine I'd have taken the computer-based.

dawbbleOuEi:
Morning, guys.
The computer-delivered test and the paper-delivered test: Apart from the huge difference in score reporting time frame and, of course, the extra 5 one-minute-a-question questions on the latter, what other advantages does the computer-delivered have over the paper-delivered? What other things are imputed to the paper-delivered? In essence, I'd appreciate a comparison.

Has anyone in the house ever given both? Is there any evidence that the questions on the paper-delivered are harder? Does picking the paper-delivered have any negative impact on admissions or anything for that matter? Answers to these questions couldn't possibly be found on the official site. It's why I've come to ask the ELDERS of this thread. Please, I need fresh insights into these.
Thanks

No negative impact for the paper-based test. ETS tries to level the playing ground for everyone. Other than the key points you already noted, I wouldn't worry about either of them. Choose the one more comfortable, and available, to you. Back then, I wrote the pbt because it was the only type in my state.
- For the pbt, you'll hand write your AWA instead of typing, so you'll want to make it clear and legible. And you also get a basic function calculator.

gensteejay:
I have suspended any plans for overseas master's program for now owing to some disappointments and financial constraint. I will update the thread if I come across any scholarship information; some people might find it useful.

Hi!

I can relate to the picture. I need to ask though: why schools in the Middle East? Why not try a Physics MS/PhD program in the US? We could work on your profile together, if you want.

ElDeeVee:
I was at Lagos Consulate this morning. I was slated time was 6:30am so, I had to leave home very early.

Good luck, people and see you at the top.

Congrats man. God bless your new journey.

Glowrie22:
Visa approved today.
I've been a silent reader on this forum, and I'm grateful for all the help I got from here.

Thank you very much.

Congrats. Cheers to your new journey!

donanod:
Oga @happyday, pls I sent you a pm

Replied

Chapter 2 - Party like it's 1999! Page 12 - 18

Quote from the book:

- "The first step to thinking clearly is to question what we think we know about the past."

Digging deep into our contrarian question, we could identify a patter to generate many smart answers.

By questioning the various delusional popular beliefs among us. On the flip side of those false notions is the contrarian truth. A good example of a delusion was the Internet bubble of the 90's, which was the biggest since the recession of 1929 in the US. What happened in 1929? What started as a recession ended in a painful economic shift from manufacturing to a service economy. Silicon Valley was just getting started in a somber mood. The Internet won't be made available commercially until '92 and most web browsers were nothing like what we have today.

With the advent of the Internet, everything changed. Between '93 and '97, industry pioneers including Mosaic (later Netscape), Yahoo! and Amazon. September '98 heralded 18 months of dot-com frenzy. There were gobs of cash everywhere looking for people to chase it! People quit their jobs to found or work at startups. Launch parties for newly found companies was the order of the day. Instead of making money, people were losing it. All for the hopes of listing their companies on Wall Street and ending up as millionaires on paper.

PayPal started around this time. In late 1999. The mission was to "create a new currency to replace the U.S. dollar." To start with, the founders built a system to send and receive payments via email. But the transfer volume was too low to justify the continued existence of the company. Not even advertising could help.

Just as Seun canvassed for early Nairaland users by paying people to post, PayPal founders had to pay people to sign up. $10 when you join, an extra $10 for each friend you invite. Even though this was unsustainable, it showed new customers (and hence new business) could be racked up this way. Quickly.

Turns out investors were taking note. By March 2000, Peter and other team members had raised about $100 million, enough to ride PayPal to success.

Building most Internet companies today is no different. The success of most rely on attracting the starting critical mass of users. And if those first set of users like what they see, it becomes easier to convince them to invite their friends. Think Nairaland. Facebook. Google. Think Instagram. WhatsApp.

The early days are usually quiet and painful. Most companies fail at this stage; the ones that survive build something that people actually want.

Quote from the book:
- "The Old Economy couldn't handle the challenges of globalization. Something needed to work - and work in a big way - if the future was going to be better at all. By indirect proof, the New Economy of the internet was the only way forward."

What do you think?

sheeda995:
I see, can you give me any link as regard that. because my major problem right now is what course to study in the US, so that I could make my MSC project to go along the same line, and as such be able to secure admission and funding in the US,and as well to know what to say to the Visa officer

Sent you a PM

sheeda995:
please I wish courses were discussed in this forum, so that one won't regret after finishing msc or PhD. it's not all about going to the US to schoop, but opportunities available after the course. Thanks

Apparently, there're threads for that. not this. Or you risk being banned or your posts deleted.

Zariyah:
What if money is an issue and I can only afford to take IELTS?

You should take the GRE instead. Most good schools would waive the English language requirement for you. Scoring high on your GRE would help you
- overcome their doubts as regards your GPA,
- stand out as an MS applicant (research schools want more PhDs than MS's),
- get funding (funding for MS is tight).

Zariyah:
Hello,
I'm a chemistry graduate with a CGPA of 3.30/5.00 and I have a Gre score of 298 and I don't want to sit for IELTS nor toefl.
I want to have my MSc in chemistry, prefferably nutrition chemistry.
Please, I need help on good schools in which I can apply to (I haven't had any progress with Canada was they want 2.1 or 1st class) and a country that is immigrant friendly.
Thanks.

If money isn't an issue, retake the GRE, & take either of TOEFL or IELTs.

Gbemisolarh:
Hello guys.... Kudos to your amazing contributions that's helping newbies like us to know how things are being done...

1) I have a GPA of 4.0/5 ( what will the result be on a conversion scale of 4.0)

2) which scores can I have in both my TOEFL and GRE to enable me to get a full funding & what are my chances with my GPA

3) is it possible to apply to Universities before writing TOEFL & GRE...

Pls positive and negative contributions will be considered pls......Thanks and God bless bless you all

Score as high as you can in both. Alongside your GPA, you'll make for an outstanding applicant. You'll need to take the tests before your applications can be considered. You didn't say your UG & intended course, I'd have advised better.

sheeda995:
Good day sir, please sir, what do you mean by making ones research outstanding? am about to start my MSC project, I want to be sure of how to make it outstanding in order to get funding for my PHD, please is it the topic that matters or content, or type of research?

If you can get a topic close enough to what you'd like to work on later during your PhD, that would be great. If not, look for a topic that interests you. Your passion will shine through while you work on it, and also by the time you apply to schools. So, choose an exciting topic (according to you), and give it your best shot. Plus, it would be easier for you to select schools, since you'll know what research areas excite you.

md16:
Hello everyone,

I really appreciate everyone on this platform making life simpler and better for others.

I want to apply for PhD Pharmacology in a decent school for fall 2018. I messed up big time with my uGPA. I am studying for GRE, and plan to write by September.

Here's my profile:
uGPA: 2.8 (WES)
Research experience : 1 year
u Major: Microbiology

What are my chances?
What can I do to make my profile strong?
Any safe school for my profile that can offer funding?

@time2smile, happyday, codexgigax, topiipii, Ogreene, scholastica16, ponpon, justwise, adrandaeze, drhopeful, icool, OluDare01. et al

If you're getting a Pharmacology PhD, funding shouldn't be your concern. Focus on getting admitted. You can't change your GPA anymore, but here are what's within your reach. Think deeply of ways on how to make your research experiences stand out (both in your undergrad final year & the 1 yr stint). What you did matters, but how you present what you did matters much more. Look for stellar Statements of Purpose written for PhD applications, and find ways to creatively adapt yours likewise. Also, how do your undergrad courses tie in with your PhD research interests? Are there courses you did in your final years of undergrad that made you want to go into Pharmacology? Think of ways to bridge the gaps between your MCB and Pharm interests, so the switch would make sense!

Score as high as you can on your GRE. The higher the better. Get three lecturers who can write good letters to recommend you.

Those will strengthen your profile. Search for schools that fit your research interests. Sorry, I don't know of any safe schools for Pharm. PhDs.

rattlesnake:
I don't believe this transcript

Lol, if some people start opening their mouths to tell you their experiences on this American journey, there are a lot of things you won't believe! I'm all for hard work, intense prep and all, but the race isn't necessarily to the swift!

1. It's very possible the undergrad was so naive, scared or clueless right at the moment, and spewed out whatever he had in mind. I mean, he was face-to-face to the woman who would determine whether he would be in this Nigeria, or in God's own country, some few months away. Likely a do or die for him!

2. Americans are so lose with the OMG thing! OMG, look at that baby, he's so cute! Me: I know, right!!

OMG, you're so sweet!! Me: And you wanna start licking me?!

Oh my goodness! I love you already!! Me: Just like that??

gaviria:
168 Quant and 160 Verbal? That's reaching if you ask me for someone that's not a science student especially the Quant. Well I think if he can get 310 and above. Then write an impressive SOP detailing why the CGPA is like that.

Of all Social Sciences, economics programs emphasize the most on the GRE Quant score.

seankay:
Can I attach my Assisstantship Letter to my i-20 ?

Why not? Or better, do as you're told by the VO.

Chapter 1 - The Challenge of the Future page 8 - 11

Quotes from Zero to One:
- In a world of scarce resources, globalization without new technology is unsustainable"
- A lone genius might create a classic work of art or literature, but he could never create an entire industry".

It's great to be able to copy ideas from developed nations, and try to adopt same in Nigeria. Which is the whole focus of globalization. But, without considering new and better ways of doing things, we'd just be blindly copying whatever has worked somewhere else, without recourse to our culture, norms, and peculiarities.

By focusing on technology, we can re-imagine globalization in ways that even the original ideas were never implemented. We can think for ourselves. We can re-think businesses from scratch. China might be able to create its own WhatsApp, Google, YouTube, and Amazon, but the country won't be able to stay competitive by simply copying and reverse engineering existing successful products. "Without technological change, if China doubles its energy production over the next two decades, it will also double its air pollution."

The same applies to India. "If every one of India's hundreds of millions of households were to live the way Americans already do - using only today's tools - the result would be environmentally catastrophic.

If a Nigerian city would be competitive, it would require that it does not expect technological change to take place by default. Such a city needs nimble research centers to rethink how businesses should be done, pursue business knowledge and sharing it with the world, an adventurous business culture which, ostensibly, would be built up over a long period of time, sustainable capital base to support daring entrepreneurs to build businesses, and steady business and contract laws.

Each of these four critical supports of a thriving city are better built by "small groups of people bound together by a sense of mission." Why small groups? Peter explained that it's hard to build new things in traditional organizations, and on the flip side, even harder to do it all alone. By staying small, startups can avoid the innovation bottlenecks replete in big companies, and at the same time unite motivated people bonded by a mission to tackle tough problems.

One of the hardest parts of being an entrepreneur is the uncertainty. There are no clear-cut formulas, no syllabus, no teacher to grade your tests. And you can't exactly Google your way through some of the toughest decisions you have to make. And days unending, you'll have to trust your guts that you're on the right path. For the simple fact that the problem you're tackling hasn't been solved, the way you want.

As an entrepreneur, you're essentially building a different future, and a startup is the "largest group of people you can convince of a plan" to help you do that. Peter argues that the most valuable capital a startup has is the diversity of ideas. The ability to think. Starting from what we know, we'll need to "question received ideas and rethink business from scratch."

Quotes from Zero to One:
- "My own answer to the contrarian question is that most people think the future of the world will be defined by globalization, but the truth is that technology matters more"
- "The smartphones that distract us from our surroundings also distract us from the fact that our surroundings are strangely old: only computers and communications have improved dramatically since mid century."

sheeda995:
Good afternoon everyone, I am a US school seeker, I registered for GRE, but unfortunately I couldn't make it on my test date, so I was automatically disqualified from writing the GRE test, now I am planning to re register, but am having problem with course to even applied for because I am very confused. Right now, I am doing my MSC, so I am hoping to apply for a PHD. As I don't currently like my course of study, I am hoping I could change department, but the issue of doing a STEM course hopped in. Write now, as always I am depressed, because I don't know where to start from. My main problem I guess is what course to apply for, what is the probability of staying in the US after the course. I need a course I will be happy doing and as well a course with future prospect, I have googled and googled, and reading GRE together with MSC is as well challenging, I have tried to look for someone in my shoe for motivation but haven't found any

One thing at a time.

Leave the GRE for now. Pick a course you want for your PhD. YOU know what you like. No rush, it might take you a week, may be more. Keep searching. Focus.

jummolami:
Good morning All.

I am a young lady in my early 30s, married with kids. I graduated with first class in Economics (2011) cgpa 6.5/7. Recently wrote Gre and scored 156 in Q and 141 in verbal, AW 3.I have been working as a financial analyst with professional training with ACCA. Though I have never tried any university in USA but tried few in Canada for master. I got one already but without funding. Just don't know if am missing something out. I really want a master program with funding.

Please don't see my question as being stupid kindly assist me with information.

Thank you all.

Can you re-take the GRE? There's a whole world of difference between a 156Q and a 162Q. If you want funding, re-take the test and try to ace it across board.

AusterHeights:
Hello house,
I applied to 5 schools for Fall 2017 and got denied by 3 of them, i had to send email to the remaining two schools to defer my application till Spring 2018 to enable me repackage my application(maybe rewrite GRE);

My Profile:
Course: MA Economics
CGPA: 2.5/5
GRE: V154/Q146(300)
TOEFL: 102

Status:

Illinois State University - denied
Cleveland State University - denied
Eastern Illinois State Uni - denied

SUNY - Buffalo State College - deferred application till Spring 2018
ST. Cloud State Uni - deferred application till Spring 2018

I don't know if i applied to the wrong schools or if the fact that i had extra year in the uni affected my application. I have since applied for WES evaluation. Please if anyone has info about schools that would accept me based on my profile, I'm interested. Hoping to hear from you guys please.

Your GRE was the deal breaker. How badly do you want this?

With that weak GPA, if you could get at least 168 on your GRE Quant, and at least a 160 on your Verbal, you'll boost your odds of getting in. Again, if you want this badly enough, you'll prep for the GRE to get those scores.

FYI, schools don't care how many times you take the test. Just put your best foot forward.

Cheers!

mistytohcute:
Thank you , I'm currently an undergrad but I seek greener pastures

and I'm not interested in US schools

Oh great! I hear Canadian schools might be better.

niyogeol:
I must commend you for doing a good job here. Considering your background in Physics, I will advise you opt for Medical Physics or Geophysics.

It is commendable that you're planning to write GRE and TOELF, these two exams are important in getting admission and funding in the USA. So study well and ace the tests. Canada is another good choice as there are chances of you getting funding for your program and post study opportunities are fantastic. Getting a full scholarship in the UK is not an easy task. Aside from Commonwealth and Chevening scholarship, I don't know of any other major fully funded scholarship in the UK. Also keep your Saudi Arabia option open. I don't know much about Saudi and the chances of staying back after studies though.

Application to schools generally commence around September. But the earlier you apply, the higher your chances of getting funding. Also ensure you apply the one year rule for preparation. Schools in Canada and USA require application fee. Most schools will also require you to get a supervisor before you apply.

All the best in your endeavours.

Thanks for this. Valuable and to-the-point! I've heard good things of recent about the attractive post study work opportunities in Canada. Esp the residency permit for PhDs.

Thanks sirRiddy for this!

To start with, two emerging buzzwords these days are Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. What's the clear-cut difference between these two? Practical applications in each area would be great!

Also, what are some great ML startups ideas one could start working on?

Thanks!