NeverSayNever11:
Please i'm going to texas, can I book flight to JFK and then take a bus or train to Houston (it's about 23hrs). Want to know if it may be an issue at JFK POE considering that I'm supposed to take flight to Houston. Just trying to cut cost. Thanks.

cc Lagosismyhome walspring oludare01 Quoran

I have found that the only time taking a bus saves you money in the US is if you have booked weeks earlier. A lot of the time, there is often not much difference between airfare and bus ticket. In fact, some times, buses are more expensive. It is wiser to check for flight ticket from JFK to Houston ahead of your trip.That road trip go break you oo. More than 24hrs on the road after a flight of over 10hrs is not fun. And who said it is 24hrs by the way? You are looking at over 30hrs on the road by bus.

moriNla:
How can students prove to the VO (using student visa) that they are qualified, credible, and have a concrete plan for returning back to Nigeria when their studies are over?

You will find your answer by taking some time to read this thread from the beginning (although not necessarily from page 1) since this question has been answered multiple times.

lextube:
Please can anybody suggest or recommend any University in America that can accept international student with GPA of 2.6. Thank you.

Uhm. What I will recommend is that you first convert your GPA to that of the US scale and then search for schools or program that can take that GPA. Because that GPA is very low, it may be a little more difficult but not impossible. The lowest GPA requirement I have seen is 2.5 (US scale). Good luck.

Niv25:


Hello Ma,

that's not an excuse ma, as at that time there were lots of strikes in IMO state university. As a result of the free education policy for indigenes of IMO state. which the government was not able to fund well. even after the school strikes, came the absu strike that lasted for over six months which got me frustrated. I have to say the truth but maybe my choice of words might make it look like am giving excuse. pls help me with a better way I can present my profile. I will really appreciate your reply ma

I lost more than a year at Ife due to strikes but never went to the embassy to be saying stories. Look for a stronger reason as you have been advised. Do not go down this path.

kodeya:


I need help on this.

Yes and no.

Yes. If they request that you convert your 5-point scale to 4 which is what US uses. Then you have to use the services of WES or ECE.

No. If they do not. That means they will do the conversion themselves.

But you can use foreigncredits.com to get an idea of what the conversion should look like by converting it yourself.

ChristoBam:

I'm about to risk it and go to the U. S. My plans are one of these
1) Transfer to a community college after getting to the U. S
2) Get a scholarship for my 2nd year if possible but I wonder as i'll get through the first year as the tuition and board is $16k per year.
My Budget is about 2 million.
I don't want to have any regrets so I need your advice. Should I take the risk of traveling given the circumstances.
I don't even know if there's a community college that meets my budget. I searched and I saw some but I don't know if there are high hidden costs. I need advice from experts.

I will advise that you check out CCs in Texas. I think Houston CC is cheap tuition-wise. That being said, on hidden charges, many US schools are transparent about charges but you want to be doubly-sure by putting a call through to them and/or sending them emails.

You should also work on a backup plan on how to get some backup cash. That 2 million may not be enough except you are able to get free accommodation that is close to school and are also allowed to get insurance from any provider of choice. But if they make you buy their insurance, then that could set you back as high as 1500 dollars.

OluDare01:

See question And you expect someone to answer this

You have answered it.

k199192:
One thing I noticed since my arrival in the USA is that all Nigerians try so hard to talk like the Americans. I think it's a bad orientation. We have Americans in Nigeria and I don't see them trying to speak like us.. I think it's a slave mentality by the way. We feel inferior. I will retain my African accent. If I have children in the USA then they can claim to be Americans but I am a Nigerian man.

Lol. Bros, I don't think Nigerians do that out of inferiority complex. I think it is more of a survival skill. Within the school, many people may not have a problem with your accent because they have grown accustomed to different accents over time. Chinese faculty, Zimbabwean lab partner, etc. But outside school, many may ask you to repeat yourself because they have never heard anyone speak like that before, even though the US is very diverse. But last last sha, I think the key is learning the right pronunciation of words, forming accents and speaking too fast often make things worse. If one can pronounce words correctly and speak slowly, then one will be fine.

whandeykoal:
Hi everyone, I'm applying to a school in US, working towards fall 2018 And I'm about evaluating my GP on wes And writing my SOP. Hope it's not too late... 1st of March is the deadline according to their website. IL really appreciate all responses. Thanks

If you have written your exams, it is not. If you have not written the exams, then you must write them this January to meet up with the deadline. Also,if you are sending transcripts through post office, plan for a delivery time of 2 to 4 weeks.

4peace4:
God bless u real good sir please i ll need ur advice as regards what an agent told me but i can't say it here,since i dont no how to pm here on nairaland n u might not want to share ur email here pls kindly email me on omorererosy@gmail.com thanks

By clicking on my name, you will see 'send email message to mjksho' and that's how it's done.

4peace4:
thanks bro 4 ur prompt response......its for my masters (postgraduate) i studied mass communication with cgpa 3.63 graduated 2014 n nysc 2015/2016.i learnt that there are courses that are very lucrative after postgraduate studies in d us i dnt no if my field falls into dat category was looking at social media or marketing communication though,please if it wont lead to better opportunities after studies advice me on which route 2 follow once again thank u.

What do you mean by lucrative after post graduate studies? Do you mean courses that easily get jobs or courses that companies are willing to sponsor the visas of their graduates? If it's the latter, in my own small experience, you stand the best chance with the medical and health field and probably engineering (computer, Electrical, industrial and maybe Chemical mostly). But of course, everyone's situation is different but that social media something, I'm not sure about it. This is my opinion and what I have observed. But it may help to sample that of others.

Also, don't patronize agents. You should write GRE. IELTS was cheaper when I wrote mine last year and I think it's easier than TOEFL. Again, this is my opinion. I wish you all the best.

Gozychuks:
i applied for Michigan Tech Environmental Engineering spring 2018. No decision mad yet

Well, that's good. You have nothing to lose. But make sure you apply to more schools just in case. If MTU pulls through with admission and funding then you are going to have a good time. I hope you applied to the PhD because you have got a better chance with that.

Femmyy90:


Lool...have already applied bro... check your pm

Well, it's good that you have applied. Now, find one more school to apply to. I have replied your PM.

Mayorboi:


Nice one bro.. where have you been since.
At SIUE I was accepted by Prof. Zhi-Qing Lin to join his research on Developing phytoremediation techniques for cleaning up trace elements from contaminated soil & water using phytovolatization - extraction & stabilazation. But he is being shady with the funding talk. I will take a look at this.. tnx.

Bro, allow me to just chook mouth in this one. Bro, explore every option when it comes to funding. If you have not been offered a funding letter, always assume you have nothing even if the professor has accepted you in his group and made verbal promise concerning funding. Things change very quickly and I learnt from experience. I wish you all the best.

femi312:
For Engineering applicants who are looking for extra schools to apply to, you can check Michigan Tech, the graduate school application is free and you can upload GRE and Toefl score report but will have to request for official score report if you decide to enroll.It actually a decent school for Engineering, at least its ranked #62 for Civil Engineering. You have nothing to lose

Hehehehe. Femi, but you know say Dem stingy like mad for funding. I know at least 8 people (including me) that got in without funding. Their environmental engineering is ranked in the top 20, I think. But to give me funding ehn, Chai, e pain me. If you are applying here, just apply and pray that your circumstance will be different but don't go and be putting your mind on it. Else, you will be on a long thing.

Owols:
Hello, pls help with your contact in Ife, I want to request for transcripts too. Kindly assist.

Send a PM.

borie4u:

U self. I need the contact n I be sent u a pm. U haven't responded to it. Let me have the load down on cost too and referral name so that d insider no go feel threatened.

I have responded to your PM. I did immediately I saw it. That was more than 7hrs ago.

femi312:
Yeah ETX is so unreliable, will have to pm to get that your contact details for my Sister, she has been on these transcript thing for about 1month now, different story each day. With that your contact, is it still 20k?

No. It's cheaper. Just PM when you are ready.

femi312:
when last did you request transcript from OAU? As at April 2016, you have to use ETX, you cant collect transcript except its a personal copy

I have a contact in IFe that helps me with that. Officially, etx is the right channel. But they are so expensive and inefficient. I received my transcript from Ife last year and this year. My roommate here in the US still dey cry over etx. He is the 4th person I know having this issue.

lasthero:
Hello everyone,

My location is a little bit far from my school and my current employer wouldn't give me time to travel for my transcript.

Someone recommended this site for me.

https://www.etx-ng.com/


Please who has used them for transcript collection before?. And how genuine are they?

If you are an OAU graduate and you want to use etx for transcript, please don't do it. Find a way to get to school and collect it. 2months from now, you will be crying over transcript delay.
I don't know how it works for other schools though.

ddbluv1:


Same thing I reasoned at the last second, its just that some friends I have do it even in school. 1 guy I met here on nairaland is in school and works 2 jobs from the first semester, off campus job, and he gave them his SSN with no shaking. Dude dey pack ego no be here, >$1200 plus per week while me on OPT don't even earn upto that. It's like I'm slacking here.

You realize you are quoting the VO? Or is this one a learner?

BloodyMitch:


From what I have heard is that the gpa conversion focuses more on your final year grades like year three n four so if dose grades ain't too high your gpa ain't gonna be high after conversion.

Some schools do that too. But not all schools. Some schools will focus more on your last 60 credit hours which is when they think you have started doing serious work in your major, so it can be advantageous to get a good GPA in the last 2 years. Other schools might want to see consistency of good grades hence they want to see that you performed well all through those years. So it depends on the school.

whyqueu:
Hello guys, Please help me. I seriously need help from guru's in the house because I have been a regular follower of this forum since the first day I set my eyes on spring 2018 .
I have spent alot of money of Graduate Application and I'm down casted because of refusal of Applications!
My Application status is below

B. S. C : Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta
G. P. A : 3.24/5.0
Discipline : Plant Science

The problem I'm having with schools in the US is that my score is very low... despite using WES calculator, most of the school are saying they calculate my GPA as 2.5/4 . the schools are West Texas A & M University, Southern Illinois university carbondale , Washington State University despite the schools saying the minimum requirement is 2 7/4.0...Please guys, what is wrong in this my Result . I have 3.24/5.0 and they are saying its very low.. Please give me advise... I have applied for Murray State University now.. Please what do you think I should do and what is wrong with it?

cc Walspring, femi312, slimmy2005, imperiouxx lagosismyhome, mjksho, ProfOjah1234

From my understanding and experience, there are two ways schools convert GPAs. First is the way WES does it by having a standard of comparing grades and scores on both scales. This way, your GP will be around 3.1 or so. The second is direct conversion. By direct conversion, that means (3.24/5)*4=2.6. If your school decides to go with the latter, then that means you will be rejected. Graduate School applications are tough and you will see people with first class getting rejected too. It's a fact. You are not the only one. It's painful but just hang in there and apply to other schools. If you are going for a research masters, it will greatly help to send mails to faculty about your background and strength. Hopefully, if they like it, they will tell you to apply and help get you in. Cheers!

toluene1234:
Hello gurus, please is it possible to get funding with cgpa 2.97 of 5.0 and good GRE in the U.S?
Please advise on wat one can do to get funding with cgpa 2.97 of 5.0.

Thanks.
Cc: Walspring, lagosismyhome and others especially who enjoyed funding to study in the U.S.

A lot of schools will require that you have a 3.0/4 and that's equivalent to something in the region of 3.2/5. So 2.97/5 means you fall short in that category. But the beauty of the US is that admissions are not only based on GP. Prepare for GRE and score very high. Then mail professors in the schools you want to apply to about their research Areas and how you can work in that. If they have funding, they will let you know. It wont be easy. You will get rejections along the way but if you are sufficiently motivated, something good will come your way.

nellyalph:


What airline is this? The food looks good. I wasn't served half of this in Qatar plane?

Egypt Air.

obone4real:

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR JOURNEY.

Thank you very much.

2.
More pictures.

2.

The flight took off at 1:19pm in Lagos. It was 10mins early. Boarding was easy too. We accessed the aircraft through the tarmac.

I sat close to the engine so there was a lot of noise. But luckily, I had bought a noise cancellation headset which helped a lot. Take-off was great too.

The flight was a little boring as I sat beside a Ghanaian lady who I suspect is mute; we didn't say anything to each other through the entire 6hr trip. My advice is that you come with your movie and music. The movie and music onboard may actually bore you to death.

The food was great too. We were served twice on the LOS-CAI leg. The aircraft doesn't have a USB charging port so if your craft is a B737-800, come with enough juice.

We touched down a few mins to 7pm in Cairo. The skyline was beautiful. Everywhere was lit and we were taken to the hotel after waiting for about two hours or so.

floraine:

Hian!!!!

Maybe cos you didn't garri foodstuffs and they are like are we sure he is a student??

I don't think that's the reason, but I'm coming to that soon.

As I promised earlier that I will share my travel experience with you all so someone may learn One or two things, I will start that today and it should run for a day or two.

Let's not waste anymore time and get into it.

Took Uber to the airport in Lagos. Easy stuff. They have done a lot of work at reducing the crowd at departure section of MMIA, so your bags go through the X-ray machine at the main entrance and then to the NDLEA and Immigration desk at the same entrance.

I wasn't carrying any foodstuff so the search was less than 30 seconds. They didn't ask for money too. And then I went straight to the airline counter. No further search was done here as used to be the case some years ago. So good job to them on that.

On Egypt Air flight to the US, you have to put your laptop in the check-in bag. Toothpaste and perfumes too. Baggage drop off is fast too. I spent less than 10mins for everything. I had checked-in online and chosen a window seat too.

Boarding started at 12:15pm. The aircraft was a small Boeing 737-800 on the Lagos-Cairo route.

So boarding at MMIA was good. They asked me for tips though, a couple of NAHCO guys and immigration. But it's all good sha. To dispose my naira sef dey itch me for body.

PS: For those saying POE is no big deal, well I got taken for secondary screening where I was further drilled. I think someone was deported on our flight. I will share with you all the details. But if you are legit, you should not be afraid of a secondary screening.

mizznkem:


Yes you can. I flew Ethiopian airline into washington dulles on Sunday.

Thanks. I found out myself. If you are flying EgyptAir, you can't. Laptop must be in check-in bag.

To all those who have flown recently, can we carry our laptop in the hand luggage? I know the US banned laptops in hand luggage and restricted it to the check-in bag.

I'm flying EgyptAir and want to know if this order is still in place. Thank you