AkinOseni:
Good morning all. Now I'm done catching my breath. Here goes the transcript:
School : Bowling Green State University, Ohio
Programme: MA (Literary and Textual Studies)
Visa : F1
Status : Approved
Funding: $25508
Deficit: 3K
I was attended to in an anteroom by some white male VO
VO: How did you know about Bowling Green ( being the first question, while seeming not to have heard my greetings).
Me: I read about BGSU in Princeton Review. EducationUSA and through some random google searches.
VO: How many schools did you choose?
Me: I chose two schools— Alabama and BGSU
VO (cuts in ) so BGSU gave you more money than Alabama and that’s why you are choosing BGSU?
Me : (confused and almost lost for words) No, not really...ermm... I had actually chosen BGSU because the university is rated high in terms of teaching quality, not only in Ohio but also in the United States as a whole.
VO: No (speaking assertively) you have chosen BGSU because of the money, or did Alabama offer you any money? How much did Alabama offer you?
Me: (almost dumbfounded) not really because of the money ...
VO: No, it may be because of the money. There is nothing wrong about that. $25508 is a huge money.
VO: Where do you stay?
Me: Ikorodu here in Lagos
VO: Oh OK, you are a teacher?
Me: Yes I am a teacher. I teach Literature at Eppie International School
VO: What?
Me: Eppie International School at Ikorodu
VO: How many students do you have?
Me: you mean the number of students I teach or you are referring to the school capacity?
VO: Yes, I mean the school capacity
Me: 120 in all
VO: What? (sounded stunned)
Me: Yes, 120. It’s a high-paying school.
VO: What do you teach?
Me: I teach Literature and I also freelance for Digirature (I don’t think he heard the latter)
VO: So who is your favourite author?
Me: William Shakespeare (I actually fancy Alexander Pope the most but Shakespeare surfaced first in my heart and I did not want to engage in any internal conflict, not at that moment)
VO: so you did English Literature (or something like that)
Me: Yes I did. In fact, I taught Shakespearean texts during my national youth service scheme at the department of English, Zamfara College of Arts and Science.
VO: Do you know Nnedi Okorafor
Me: (Just heard the name for the first time). ‘No I don’t.
VO: (looked astonished) you don’t? s/he is a Nigerian. S/he wrote the novel — Lagoon.
Me: Oh, I don’t know her. There are many great Nigerian authors such as Sefi Atta, Chimamanda Adichie, Lola Soneyin, Chogozie Agbim (Obioma intended but I ended up calling the name of a Nigerian goalkeeper but I mustered that divinely inspired confidence ) and a couple of others – pulling this as a stunt not to appear blank and stupid on home front .
VO: But you don’t know Nnedi Okorafo?
Me: what text did you say he wrote, again?
VO: Lagoon
Me: I don’t get that. Could you spell please?
VO: Lagoon like where we are ( referring to the location of the consulate on the Island)
Me: Oh OK. When was that published?
VO: it was published in 2014, no sorry 2015. It is about some aliens who came from ... hesitated
Me : (I quickly filled in an attempt to take charge of the conversation and make up for my ignorance about the author) ... from the space
VO: Yes from the space. It is quite interesting. Muttered other words but I could only hear so when you get to .... don’t blah blah ... Goodluck to you...
Actually, I didn’t know what his decision was but he gave me a white paper and retained my passport and I was sure he had approved my visas.
Epilogue (Comedy of Error)
The guy at the door told me congratulations (perhaps he had heave-dropped the VO). I was happy too until I got out and read the paper:
The consular officer refused your visas due to CGI reason. You need to submit additional documentation and maybe schedule another appointment. My hair stood on end. I couldn’t get the drift. I knew if I had my visas denied, he should not be with my passport. Many thoughts were competing for attention in my heart, the most prominent of which was that I had been denied the visa because I did not know the Nigerian author – Nnedi Okarafor. But I was not too convinced about the refusal since he retained my passport and offered a white paper after the interview.
So I took everything to the CGI point for further clarification.
The woman who attended to me asked: what did the VO tell? Did he say your visa has been approved or did he tell you to provide any document? ‘ I couldn’t even get him because he was rushing towards the last part of the interview,’ I said. But he has my passport with him. ‘ He has your passport with him?’ the woman asked. Yes.
OK, bring your Confirmation. I gave her. She came back some 10 minutes later with a man, both smiling. ‘I’ve got some good news for you, said the woman. ‘You will go in again and meet my colleague, the man added.’
I was led to the interview room again. I had thought it would be another round of quizzing. But on get there, the guy quickly spotted me and led me to a woman. He was the one given the wrong paper. It was a mistake, the VO wanted to give you your pick up note — your visas has been approved.
She took the other paper from me and gave me white paper for Issued visa delivery. If you want somebody to collect your visas on your behalf, fill the back paper (blah blah blah)
Remember, a fellow posted something like being initially denied and later called back? I did not altogether believe but I had a change of mind yesterday after the spectacles of comedy of error.
Note : Prepare well and don’t rely solely on regular questions. My interview did not altogether take the regular route. Remember some very basic things in your field too. Who knows if the VO has just bagged a degree in International Relations and may be willing to test your knowledge on the most basic thing about the discipline?
Most importantly, pray, pray and pray as if that is the only thing you are taking to the interview. Our God is able. Alhamdulillah. I pray Allah, our God ease the affairs for those having their own interviews in coming days. Congrats Pls who know anybody that got F1 visa from Turkey |
Travel › Re: General USA Student Visa Enquiries-part 15 by moreshould1: 12:03pm On Dec 13, 2020
