₦airaland Forum

TheLasyBuddha:
Instead, you could get adult pre-registration nursing; it is a pathway into nursing for people who do not hold a first degree in nursing.

BunmiBie:
Yes in UK
Check schools for requirements and fees

Gerrard59:
He wrote at the Owerri centre.

Gerrard59:
I know someone who registered his at 50K and it was legit with no issues.

Fall2021:
Visa approved
Location: Abuja

1st attempt:
Program: Master’s in applied economics
School: Illinois State University

School cost: $34k
Graduate assistantship: $21k
Deficit: $13k
Sponsor: Daddy


First of all, I want to appreciate the Almighty God for everything he has done in my life. When I joined Nairaland, my target was Fall 2021. I applied to four schools. Illinois state University, Kent state university, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and University of Alabama. I got two admits and two rejections. I was particular about funding because , I could not afford the school fees. Illinois state and Kent state University got back to me in April with an unsuccessful mails for funding. Omo I cried ehn.

I decided to defer my Illinois state university admission to Spring 2022 and I applied for funding in August. That was how I forgot about USA and started focusing on schools in UK. Illinois state university got back to me on November 22nd, with a full tuition waiver

I want to thank xxxscholar for helping me go through my DS 160 form and also Abacino007 for his encouraging words.

Note: I didn’t have a single mock interview. My workload is overwhelming to say the least. So I want to motivate those that couldn’t prepare for their interview. Just do the little you can and God will finalize the rest.

And to everyone who has posted transcripts in the past to encourage people going through hard times due to delay(s). May we all continue to have reasons to celebrate

VO: Good morning
Me: Hi good morning

VO: Please pass me your documents
Me: You can have it please
VO: Thank you very much

VO: I can see you are going for a masters degree in Econometrics and quantitative economics

Me: No, it’s actually a masters in Applied Economics

Vo: Oh okay great (Looking at my DS160 form)

VO: why applied economics

Me: : I am very particular about a masters in Applied economics because it shifts from the traditional economics framework which is mostly based on theories but rather, it focuses on data analyses, data optimization and data interpretation and how to apply them into real life scenarios

VO: Have you travelled out before
Me: No, I have not had any reason to do so

VO: where do you work

Me: **** Nigeria

VO: what do you do there
Me: I work as a Payables and Treasury analyst.

VO: so what will you do when you return?
Me: Having gained the necessary skillset to building and applying economic models to real life situations, I will come back to Nigeria to attain a higher position in my organization as a senior research associate (NB: This was already stated on my DS-160 form)

VO: I can see you have a GRA of $21k. Who will be paying the deficit

Me: My dad

VO: what does he do

Me: He is into the importation and sales of automobiles. He has four offices Nigeria; Lagos, Warri, Enugu and Anambra

VO: do you have any friend/family in the Us

Me: Not at all

VO: Have you travelled out before (I was already nervous. He has asked me this question before)

Me: No, I haven't

VO: Okay. Your application looks good. I will be approving your visa. He then issued me a white paper

I did not hear anything else. I was just screaming in my mind. Thank you Jesus

Fall2021:
Visa approved
Location: Abuja

1st attempt:
Program: Master’s in applied economics
School: Illinois State University

School cost: $34k
Graduate assistantship: $21k
Deficit: $13k
Sponsor: Daddy


First of all, I want to appreciate the Almighty God for everything he has done in my life. When I joined Nairaland, my target was Fall 2021. I applied to four schools. Illinois state University, Kent state university, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and University of Alabama. I got two admits and two rejections. I was particular about funding because , I could not afford the school fees. Illinois state and Kent state University got back to me in April with an unsuccessful mails for funding. Omo I cried ehn.

I decided to defer my Illinois state university admission to Spring 2022 and I applied for funding in August. That was how I forgot about USA and started focusing on schools in UK. Illinois state university got back to me on November 22nd, with a full tuition waiver

I want to thank xxxscholar for helping me go through my DS 160 form and also Abacino007 for his encouraging words.

Note: I didn’t have a single mock interview. My workload is overwhelming to say the least. So I want to motivate those that couldn’t prepare for their interview. Just do the little you can and God will finalize the rest.

And to everyone who has posted transcripts in the past to encourage people going through hard times due to delay(s). May we all continue to have reasons to celebrate

VO: Good morning
Me: Hi good morning

VO: Please pass me your documents
Me: You can have it please
VO: Thank you very much

VO: I can see you are going for a masters degree in Econometrics and quantitative economics

Me: No, it’s actually a masters in Applied Economics

Vo: Oh okay great (Looking at my DS160 form)

VO: why applied economics

Me: : I am very particular about a masters in Applied economics because it shifts from the traditional economics framework which is mostly based on theories but rather, it focuses on data analyses, data optimization and data interpretation and how to apply them into real life scenarios

VO: Have you travelled out before
Me: No, I have not had any reason to do so

VO: where do you work

Me: **** Nigeria

VO: what do you do there
Me: I work as a Payables and Treasury analyst.

VO: so what will you do when you return?
Me: Having gained the necessary skillset to building and applying economic models to real life situations, I will come back to Nigeria to attain a higher position in my organization as a senior research associate (NB: This was already stated on my DS-160 form)

VO: I can see you have a GRA of $21k. Who will be paying the deficit

Me: My dad

VO: what does he do

Me: He is into the importation and sales of automobiles. He has four offices Nigeria; Lagos, Warri, Enugu and Anambra

VO: do you have any friend/family in the Us

Me: Not at all

VO: Have you travelled out before (I was already nervous. He has asked me this question before)

Me: No, I haven't

VO: Okay. Your application looks good. I will be approving your visa. He then issued me a white paper

I did not hear anything else. I was just screaming in my mind. Thank you Jesus

crowniran:
Why pay $220? All Toefl and GRE registration before Monday will be done for 63k instead of 65k. You get your scheduled date within 24hrs.

You will have access to premium materials, premium maggosh videos. All for FREE!!

08135076974

Note: Inform me you are from Nairaland to enjoy the 2k off

Alexanderfrost:
Status: Visa Approved. Lagos on Tuesday, 28th of September.

Please find below the transcript I prepared Tuesday Night.

So this might be a tardy long read but please allow me to let out how this whole journey started.

First thought about traveling out for Master's in 2017. I actually applied to two universities. Yeshiva University, Newyork where I got a 5k scholarship. I applied to University of Maryland, and surprisingly I was also admitted. So two offers and I really didn't know what to do with it. 2017 was a very dark year and I was really going through it. Mentally drained and emotionally wrecked (not heartbreak). It's only the love of the few who actually cared that kept me going. Ended up not taking the offers. I resumed working and pushed career forward.

In the same 2017, I literally read the *General Student Visa* thread on Nairaland from part 1 to the the latest as at that time. I was consuming information I probably didn't have an urgent need for but they ended up been useful, one way or the other. As of today, I doubt there's any thread created for USA student visa on Nairaland I haven't consumed. Information is power, innit?

Applied to WIU last December. Of course, application fee was waived and the process was near seamless. I got admitted April but somehow, couldn't sort out Financial Statement up until late June. By the time i-20 came and I applied for Visa, the earliest date I got was Sept 28. I applied for expedite date and it was rejected late July. Days before then, I'd give up on going by fall and requested that WIU send me an offer letter and i-20 for spring. Two days after, they did!

While waiting for today's interview, I spent the days leading to today researching, attending virtual sessions and applying to other school's spring and fall '22 program. Person gats get plan B, right?

So today I went for the interview.

Alloted Interview Time: 10:30am

Got to the Embassy: 6:15am

Interviewed around 8am.

Five VO's were on seat. One caucasian guy, one slim black guy, one black woman and two caucasian women.

I was interviewed by the slim black guy. By the time the other guy was done with three candidates, black slim guy was still drilling the man in front of him. By the time it got to my turn, man beckoned on me to come.

VO: Good Morning

ME: Good Morning

VO: How're you today?

ME: I'm very well, thank you.

VO: First time going to the states?

ME: Yes please

VO: What's your undergraduate background?

ME: Economics

VO: Picks up my i-20 and asked me bluntly, Is this the original copy of your i-20 or what?
I said it's the original I printed. Man became visibly angry, picks the i-20 and brandish it in my face, across the divider and asked, 'Does this look like an original to you?'

In my mind, I was like so nah because of i-20 them go deny me visa? Thing is, I'd printed it myself using the office printer and it's in plain black and white. I honestly didn't know if he wanted it in colour or what his issues were, lol. So I asked him, do you want me to go and print it in colours and bring it to you?

He waived it aside and then continued.

VO: Who's your sponsor?

ME: I have a merit based scholarship and my uncle will be covering the balance.

VO: stares at me, so I continued

ME: He owns an Agribusiness and exports major cash crops like Cocoa, Cashew, etc.

VO: What's his monthly income?

ME: 5-10 Million.

He said why am I giving him an estimated amount. I said Shey he knows cash crops are seasonal and income flow can't be fixed for all months. At the end, I told him 10 millions.

VO: How many employee does he have.

ME: Over 100.

VO: I don't want estimates. You keep giving me estimates, he raged in his somewhat East African Americanised accent.

ME: I told him 108. Cause he be like say this guy really wants 'facts and figures'.

VO: How many tractors does he have?

ME: 2

VO: How many hectares of land does he farm?

ME: 25

VO: Do you have his statement here.

I passed it to him and he spent like two, three minutes on it. Checking pages, after pages. When he's done, he asked me why I didn't print earlier months. At this point, I was getting 'angry' too and I told him what he's holding starts from February and ends August. That's 7 months. He said okay.

So in all these, I wasn't certain which direction the interview was going. I felt like he's taken the questions from the rear and was hoping he'd ask me questions I could possibly express my self well.

I just hoped 'Jesus takes the Wheel' and I can shine soon after.

Then he asked me.

VO: Okay, so what's Econometrics.

It's at this point I knew my prayer was answered.

ME: I spoke to the truth of Econometrics and I added Quantitative Economics to it. I finished my bullets here.

He nodded. I told myself, 'now we're in play'!

VO: So what will this degree do for you?

ME: In the short term, when I return to Nigeria, I'll be taking up the role of portfolio manager where I work presently. In the medium term, I'd love to work with CBN and this degree will make that goal achievable. In the long term, I'd love to set up my own consulting firm. The Industry knowledge I've gathered all these years, couple with this degree will make it attainable.

He was staring at me here. So I removed my glasses, folded it, dropped it and looked him eyes to eyes. Then I was spitting.

He then asked how long I'll be staying in the state and told him January 13, 2021 to Dec 15, 2023.

He then brought out white paper and started writing on it.

Then slid my passport back to me. I didn't even know what's going on.

Then he said something about me still having to send the original i-20 to him. I said I'll send today. He said I can chill till when they'll call me.

So bottomline, he said they're not issuing spring visa for now because spring is still far away . They'll call me when my visa is ready and I'll take my passport to DHL. I'm not returning to the consulate.

He gave me my passport, gave me the white paper and I left smiling like a fresh lamp.

For all the years I've been readying myself, reading transcripts and preparing myself for today, nothing I've read was ENOUGH to see me through what I went though today. He's angry with me. And then he still gave me the visa.

Isn't that God's Grace?

I sincerely wish those who're on this journey or about to start the very best.

Love and Light.

brightology3:
how much sir

daceo1:
True. Started the processing today at Alausa. I applied on the 12th August. Submitted all documents today 18th August. I was told i should wait for 3 to 5days for capturing. Though a bit stressful and time consuming. So hopefully its same time.

I will keep updating you guys.

Thanks guys for the updates here.

Enjay316:
bros u are one of the rare 2:2 that is qualified. what most universities want is a minimum of 3.0 CGPA on a 4.33 scale or equivalent. if u calculate ur CGPA 3.48/5.0 is 0.696 multiplied by 4.33 =3.01368. so my brother, u r qualified. do ur maths. ur equivalent of 3.48 is 3.0 on a 4.33 scale. submit ur transcripts. except if ur course is now very competitive.

philipianlobbos:
FIRS benchmarked and approved 2000+ for the new intakes. Less than 2000 has collected their APL.

If your connect actually submitted your names and it's among the 2000+, yet you've not colleced yours, then be patient. You will definitely get it.

lawfree638:
Wow!!! I'm so sorry. This could have avoided with a strong SOP.

IELTS or GRE/GMAT is a function of the course you are applying for and the school. For instance, MBA needs GMAT/GRE.

As regards, your next application IELTS can help in fast-tracking your application via NSE.

For your GCMS note, you will definitely get a suitable response in the course of the day.

Again, I'm sincerely sorry, Ma. Let's refire and definitely, it will end in praise.