My testimony, LONG POST ALERT
Disclaimer: PLS SKIP TO THE INTERVIEW PROPER, if you don’t want to read, I had to post this cuz I promised God to do so, also to encourage others.
I want to start my returning all the glory back to God because He’s God all by himself, my journey to the abroad started in 2017, at the time I didn’t know how to navigate though nairaland very well, I only knew about the front page so I didn’t have information about GRA,GTA and how to go about the application process. I watched some YouTube videos and I was persuaded to apply to a community college, since I got to know the COA of community colleges is quite low compared to that of a university. I got to know about this travel section nairaland community last year July, after asking for advice from Walspring that helped me pay for my SEVIS fee, I decided to cancel my appointment for the interview for community college just 2 days to the interview, cuz I learnt I might lessen my chances of approval if I can’t explain why the change from a community college to a university in subsequent trials. I decided to start my application for a university, after seeing multiple people applying to BGSU because their COA was quite low, I applied along for the Spring 2022. I went for the interview in December, I was denied, I was sad but tbh, I was quite relieved because I don’t know how I would get money to pay the COA, I saw how a person I know really struggled to survive during his program in North Cyprus on no scholarship, also watched YouTube videos of how people struggled through school, I didn’t want to go through that but I was too determined to go abroad and didn’t mind going through the struggle that’s why I went ahead to apply to BGSU. I honestly thank God because he saw the struggle and kept me from going to BGSU, knowing full well they don’t give scholarship for my course the first year coupled with the fact that they’re not among MPower loan schools , I know I won’t have any support from home either and I’d have to fund myself through school. I decided to through all the pages on the travel section 16 and got the idea of how to go about the GRA /GTA application. I can’t count how many emails I sent to professors in my field I was very determined to get partial/full scholarship and told myself I won’t stop until I get one. When I got denied in December, I started submitting application to different schools, At the time I was working with a small company in Abuja that paid me far less than 100k, I decided to quit the job after staying 3+ years cuz I knew that money if I added it for 6 months might not be up to the amount to pay for flight ticket, na so I travel go Lagos by January to look for better job, to get a new job was difficult, I was thinking to just get a job and work for 6 months to save enough, o boy, work no come, I kept praying and God proved himself mighty and gave me a better job almost three times my former pay. I knew getting this new job at a well known company in my field would also increase my opportunity getting the visa, I got the Job and started working in April, continued my application. By April Texas Tech University gave me an out-of state waiver and I have $26k to pay, where I go see money to pay $26k, I kept applying to other schools, the University of Oklahoma sent me just $3k, na so with vex I sent to the graduate coordinator telling him that I don’t have money to pay for the fees and that I initially informed him that I need GRA/GTA and he encouraged me to apply only for him to say no funding after I don pay $100 application fee. Na so we kept dragging it me and the Professor, that time I dey fast and pray like kilode…, the man had no option than to grant me a partial tuition waiver and a GTA position, that covers almost all my tuition fee, I then collected an Mpower loan for my living expenses to show as proof of funds. Interview date come be another mountain to climb, , I no even think Lagos, cuz how I saw people get denied in Lagos with partial funding, I just fear, no available date na so I join multiple Abuja search groups, some groups kicked me out sef, as I no dey update in time, I initially got 12th Sept, 2022 which is beyond my start date, I applied for Emergency date, the only available date was 18th August, which is late for my GTA resumption date, na so I kept praying, I applied for another Emergency with the same MRV receipt, To God be glory I was approved again, but they give me a date just 2 days away,(I didn’t want to move the date, because I heard there were 2 female VOs on seat, no Korean man, that were approving visas, I was praying for a date to be interview by either one of them), how I go come enter ABJ from Lagos with only a day in between, I know say I no get money for flight, na so I enter night bus on Saturday, usually if I enter night bus from Lagos I get to Abuja latest 12pm, the last time I did this journey was for my Int’l passport and I got to Abuja 8am, the devil really planned against this journey, but God prevailed, I planned on getting to Lagos before 12pm the following day so I can collect my Int’l passport (I applied for renewal and did capture in June, I got notification it was ready on Monday, same day I applied for second EA), only for me to arrive Gwagwada Abuja, the same day of the interview 1:30am, I had to lodge in a hotel at Gwagwalada because of how late I got to Abuja, my interview was for 7:30am, I planned on doing a mock interview a day before my interview because I only did one time when I got the Sept 12th date, but I couldn’t make it, had to go to the interview like that, I was just so unorganized, so worn out, I had to wake up very early to do my prayers, I was literally crying when praying I was just saying I can’t go through all these stress for me to be denied, I’ve always prayed I don’t want to be asked more than 4 questions during the interview and God came through, like he always does, I had to first go to my sisters place to get my passport before going to the Embassy, I got to the by 7:25am I was just singing Cece Winas ‘I believe for it’(..from the impossible, I’ll see a miracle, God I believe, I believe for it). As soon I entered the embassy, the 2 female VO were approving visas left and right, at that time I started praising God cuz I knew I’d get the Visa. Although the VO denied 2 people before me, their responses were really weak, I was so certain of being approved, I just want to Praise God for being faithful. Sorry for the late post, I resumed school quite late, tickets were too high, I just got settled. How God caused my GTA monthly stipends to be increased will be told another day…
Interview Proper:
2nd attempt ( I posted my 1st attempt here last year)
School: University of Oklahoma
27th July, 2022, 7:30am, 2 female VO, Bald man came in after some time
COA: 35,600
Partial tuition waiver& GTA: 19,800
Mpower loan approval: $40,000
Me: Good Morning Officer
VO: No response, pass me your documents
VO: Have you travelled out of the country before?
Me: No, this will be my first time; I’ve been focused on building my work profile
VO: Where do you work?
Me: I work with xyz Construction Company as a jkl, my daily duties are….cuts
VO: Who is taking care of your living expenses?
Me: I took out an Mpower loan of $40,000 which would cover for me 2 years course duration, I also have some personal savings which I’ve kept aside to support my travels, My dad will also be serving as a backup if need be, He works here in Nigeria, as axyz at igh (I already included all these as reason for my denial, so she wasn’t even typing much, everything was so fast)
VO: take your I20 along blablala bla
Me: Thank you very much

Hello, pls I need help
Hope to hear from you soon