HoluwadareY:
Though I feel the new proclamation is not very fair especially for students already in the US, but I think it's ICE' way of ensuring ONLY people that needs to travel to study are given VISAs...I also think this is a good step leading to embassy reopening (International students are to be prioritized for the new i-20). All the best guys and I hope those affected negatively will be okay , too.

I'm not sure you read the stuff.

They're saying people there should come back to their countries but you think it's a way of opening embassies so that those outside would come in?

Being hopeful and optimistic is good.

Please those affected can also consider transferring to schools doing on-campus or hybrid for fall semester. Don't go back to Naija

Most schools might quickly switch to hybrid tho.

Friedpotato:
I'm not sure you read the stuff.

They're saying people there should come back to their countries but you think it's a way of opening embassies so that those outside would come in?

Friedpotato:
I'm not sure you read the stuff.

They're saying people there should come back to their countries but you think it's a way of opening embassies so that those outside would come in?

The guy funny ghan. Plenty people just full nairaland dey dream, only seeing what they want to see out of every situation.

Omon US don cast.

Eniolakiite:

Being hopeful and optimistic is good.

Please those affected can also consider transferring to schools doing on-campus or hybrid for fall semester. Don't go back to Naija

Most schools might quickly switch to hybrid tho.

Transferring is not an option as most schools are done with admission processes. Then the logistics involved is cumbersome and unnecessary. I believe most schools would make it hybrid for international Students.

Below is an excerpt from Havard's response.

That's good. Hybrid is the way for now.

My school sent a re-assuring email this morning stating we are not affected as they already planned to resume on campus since. These schools know the value of international students.

Friedpotato:

Transferring is not an option as most schools are done with admission processes. Then the logistics involved is cumbersome and unnecessary. I believe most schools would make it hybrid for international Students.

Below is an excerpt from Havard's response.

Friedpotato:

Transferring is not an option as most schools are done with admission processes. Then the logistics involved is cumbersome and unnecessary. I believe most schools would make it hybrid for international Students.

Below is an excerpt from Havard's response.

Everything na politics but one yeye ICE no fit outsmart thousands of school. Schools go outsmart them by moving to hybrid with a large percentage of activities still online.

We no suppose to dey give this yeye proclamation all these attention wey we dey give am.

In my opinion, it's a dead on arrival proclamation

Yea right, schools will come up here. Not like ICE will be going round classrooms to see that international students are attending face-to-face lol. Even before now, some of my classes are online and some face-to-face.

sheke01:


Everything na politics but one yeye ICE no fit outsmart thousands of school. Schools go outsmart them by moving to hybrid with a large percentage of activities still online.

We no suppose to dey give this yeye proclamation all these attention wey we dey give am.

In my opinion, it's a dead on arrival proclamation

Like you said in the first sentence, Trump wants to win by November and every move he makes is as important as ever.
For us intl students, the best is to speak with your school on what the next level of action is from their end.
If you can, please defer to spring (at least after election is over) whether he wins or not, something will be different by then.

For folks in the US already, it's a game like you said, play it well.

Imagine schooling in Harvard and your location is Ijora with terrible 4G network in Naija. God forbid.

sheke01:


Everyone that has sense by now would have known that anything this administration does now is a reelection strategy.

You want to force schools to reopen at the expense of elderly professors that are likely to die at Covid-19. Go and see the mutiny Georgia Tech professors are brewing against in-person classes

How will school react? Most schools like my school will smartly switch to hybrid and shey ICE will be in their office and know what percentage of student are really doing the in-person part of the hybrid.

USA right now is a game, the best players will come out top

Phenomenalopeye:


Ok thanks

So I've narrowed my list of universities for undergraduate admissions

MIT
Harvard University
Princeton University
Yale University
Stanford University

Gpa: 4.95/5.0
WASSCE 7B's and 2 A's
Great essays
Great letters of recommendations
I've not taken SAT/ TOEFL
Due to the pandemic, but I've been emailed by each institution that I can submit my application without test scores

Pls what's my chances of admission
I'll be using the coailation app

And your questions and contributions are highly appreciated

Thanks!

1. No safeties? These are schools that consistently reject students with 9As in waec, 4.0 GPAs and 1500+ SAT. I have a friend here in Nigeria that was rejected from all these schools with 1570/1600 in SAT and another with 1540, both had 8A1s in WAEC and 1600/1600 in SAT 2. Please do your research and find schools. There are over 50-100 colleges that offer full financial aid to international students.
2. MIT? Harvard? Princeton? Without test scores?
Please try as much as possible to take the SAT or ACT so you can stand even a half chance at these schools.
3. I'd advise you use the Common Application, I found it much easier and straightforward than Coalition.
4. You don't need to take TOEFL, just the SAT or act will be okay.

labylaby:



Hi!

I'm quite knowledgeable about the undergrad process. Those colleges are high reaches for everyone--including students with all As. You can't apply to only those schools.

Are your Bs B2s or B3s?

I know a lot of people who got into these schools for undergrad and I must say their WASSCE was way higher. This isn't to say you can't do it, but you need to add other schools. Add LACs with international funding like Amherst, Williams, Lafayette, etc.

Also check out Minerva at KGI.

You should totally take the SAT &/ Subject SATs. My friend with a 1510 was rejected at a lot of top colleges, but got into Amherst and Darmouth. And she had a 4.0, 5 A1s and had Olympiad experiences. Another with a 1460 got into Stanford with a phenomenal essay and international experience. All my friends basically had *something* that set them apart.

Don't stalk college confidential for the sake of your mental health.

Basically, you need something that shines through your app. How are your ECs? Your essays need to be awesome. I promise you a lot of essays are really horrible.

Honestly, your SAT needs to be really high to make up for the WASSCE.

I wish you the best of luck, but that college list of yours is not it. Besides, I think at first all of us are blinded with the promise of prestige. Why do you even want to apply to those ones? Have you checked out your future departments in each one. Ivy or not, not all departments are fantastic.


Goodluck!

There are a lot of schools offering full financial aid to international students, and anyone can find them if they are willing to do their research. I have friends on full rides (tuition, room and board, transportation in some cases) at schools like Vanderbilt, Vassar, University of Rochester, Tufts, Washington and Lee, Cornell, Smith, etc.

Mind you, mostly all of them had stellar SAT scores (1400+) and WAEC results (5As+). They also had things that set them apart (competitions, projects, talents etc).

Graduating from good secondary schools like Dority also gives you a huge advantage.

sheke01:


The guy funny ghan. Plenty people just full nairaland dey dream, only seeing what they want to see out of every situation.

I see this in uk thread as well..... dream over reality.

drDoom3:



There are a lot of schools offering full financial aid to international students, and anyone can find them if they are willing to do their research. I have friends on full rides (tuition, room and board, transportation in some cases) at schools like Vanderbilt, Vassar, University of Rochester, Tufts, Washington and Lee, Cornell, Smith, etc.

Mind you, mostly all of them had stellar SAT scores (1400+) and WAEC results (5As+). They also had things that set them apart (competitions, projects, talents etc).

Graduating from good secondary schools like Dority also gives you a huge advantage.

Yea! Dority. One of my examples actually went there

Friedpotato:
don't mind her. I have a full ride undergraduate scholarship which includes a free laptop for this fall 2020 session. I should just leave it and go to Canada.

She herself is there on a good scholarship offer. I hope she sees what we've been trying to say since that Trumps policies are not pro-americans but purely anti-immigrant and xenophobic.

Can i send you a PM??

NaotoKan:


I remember when I posted this and was severely criticised. Did I imply prospective Nigerian students shouldn't target or apply to institutions in the US? No. Knowing fully well that most of us use this education route to permanently emigrate from Nigeria, I suggested that students should have it at the back of their mind to research about alternative countries where they can use their degrees from institutions in the US to emigrate to and get the passport (which honestly is the end game for most people here). Yes, get get admitted into Cornell, Georgia Tech, Purdue etc. but use that qualification and work in alternative countries where the immigration policies are favourable. Should this Trump guy win this November (his prospects are declining though), e go horror for immigrants. Indians who are very influential in the US are severely affected by this new policy yet he went ahead. Let alone for Nigerians - the largest contingent of black Africans studying/working in the US - who are already banned from getting permanent residency.

No be say na bad advice I dey give except you intend returning to join Buhari and El-Rufai in making Nigeria great again.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53145317

I don tell una to find alternative options. If this guy win eh, e don be o. Find alternatives.

Eniolakiite:
It doesn’t have to be US of A There are many other options. A country can decide what to do with foreigners at any time. Everyone can always look at things and decide what’s best for them. The same UK that doesn’t allow students stay before now allows them to have work permit after studying. That’s an option and many others. Canada is there. Australia is there. Germany is there. Ireland is there. Anything can change at anytime especially when in a country that is not yours or that you don’t have permanent residency yet. Policies upon Policies
Who knows the next thing that will change or the next country that will change??
All the best to everyone as they make their decisions.

Always easy to write when you are in the country (US) not outside like most people here. I doubt you would have written the bold if you were in Nigeria but hey, what do I know?

Keep doubting and keep asking yourself what you know

Peace unto all

NaotoKan:


Always easy to write when you are in the country (US) not outside like most people here. I doubt you would have written the bold if you were in Nigeria but hey, what do I know?

Well written

drDoom3:



1. No safeties? These are schools that consistently reject students with 9As in waec, 4.0 GPAs and 1500+ SAT. I have a friend here in Nigeria that was rejected from all these schools with 1570/1600 in SAT and another with 1540, both had 8A1s in WAEC and 1600/1600 in SAT 2. Please do your research and find schools. There are over 50-100 colleges that offer full financial aid to international students.
2. MIT? Harvard? Princeton? Without test scores?
Please try as much as possible to take the SAT or ACT so you can stand even a half chance at these schools.
3. I'd advise you use the Common Application, I found it much easier and straightforward than Coalition.
4. You don't need to take TOEFL, just the SAT or act will be okay.

quasarJose:
@Greenskittles
How good was that website you shared for grading Gre-essays? Was it very close to what you actually polled in your real test?

On the website I consistently scored around 4.2 and 5.3 and in the real test I got 4.5, so I'll say it's decently accurate. But note that it's just a rough approximation, because it scored the official ETS 6.0 essay (the one the textbook) a measly 4.5 or so when I tried it.

I just think it's a decent tool to have, since the real test is scored by a combination of a software and human graders. So you can just use this one to learn how to "game" the Natural Language Processing algorithm.

drDoom3:



1. No safeties? These are schools that consistently reject students with 9As in waec, 4.0 GPAs and 1500+ SAT. I have a friend here in Nigeria that was rejected from all these schools with 1570/1600 in SAT and another with 1540, both had 8A1s in WAEC and 1600/1600 in SAT 2. Please do your research and find schools. There are over 50-100 colleges that offer full financial aid to international students.
2. MIT? Harvard? Princeton? Without test scores?
Please try as much as possible to take the SAT or ACT so you can stand even a half chance at these schools.
3. I'd advise you use the Common Application, I found it much easier and straightforward than Coalition.
4. You don't need to take TOEFL, just the SAT or act will be okay.

Thanks!

All ivies made test optional because of the pandemic

As for MIT I've communicated with d admission committee nd I was made understood I won't be penalized if I didn't submit my test scores because of the pandemic.
But I think I'm more comfortable with the coailation app

Thanks!

ND I won't need my wassce result tho

Has anyone renewed their Nigerian passport here in the US? How did you go about it pls? I need to know the steps on how to renew a Nigerian passport in the US

neurosci:
Has anyone renewed their Nigerian passport here in the US? How did you go about it pls? I need to know the steps on how to renew a Nigerian passport in the US

I just did mine last week at the DC embassy. Right now it is hellish, as there are tons of applicants still on the queue since far back as January. The NY embassy is still closed down, Atlanta refused to reply any emails, so I had to apply though NPVS (an agency that relays your application though innovate1). It costs more but was worth it for me. The embassy at DC only resumed skeletal services on the 1st of July, and has been mandated to attend to ONLY 20 applicants per day.

sonofakin:
I get your point. But one thing I know is that one can still use a stone to kill many birds. You can get into US,
have a plan B from day one on ways to get into other countries and still get your US degree. People are doing it. Canada and UK for example have other immigration pathways that isn't student Visa. For example, UK has a route for PhD holders. I heard of someone that got into US to study MSc Systems Engineering on full funding and still found his way into Canada post graduation to work as a Data Scientist. The guy even turned down a PhD offer from his US school. Truth is US is a land of opportunities, though, it is unfortunate that they don't want us. Someone that graduated with a 2.2 here still has the chance to get into a reasonable school, study for free or almost free at worst, by just strengthening other part of their application package. The country practically gives you hope of a standard reasonably priced education.

Honestly, this is what I'm thinking about right now. I just have to keep reminding myself that all this uncertainty surrounding my life right now is one of the consequences of me trying to seek a better life for myself and my children if I eventually get married.

sheke01:


This one is a dreamer o, walatali.

How will this proclamation by ICE help USCIS that is about to furlough a major amount of its workers reopen embassy?

This proclamation has just thrown more uncertainty into the whole school, F1 visa and everything related to it.

And international students are the only students that need i20, so there will be no i20 priority over any other subset of students

Lol...no harm in being hopeful, not everyone can be negative.
Apologies, i actually meant students that require new visas(obviously those still in their countries) based on the info in the broadcast message ( I have attached the image here incase you missed it)...

There are 2 things:

1. The proclamation does not change anything about the way visas are obtained or make anything more complicated, because on a norm, International students do not qualify for visa if they are offering courses fully taught online...the only change is that this now affect people that are already in the US who may have to switch to online classes due to the Pandemic...

2a. Since embassies are closed in the whole world, it is safe to assume that there will be specific steps to be taken to get them resume normal activities...one of those, i suppose, will be that ONLY those that MUST be in the States to study are invited for interviews and subsequently given visas (this is common sense). If that proclamation is not made (esp having it included in the i20s) then people whose courses have completely moved online will still apply for the Visas , filling up the spaces for those who actually need it....just think about this

2b. I will then think once this has been done and people who actually need to b in the US are given the new i20s by the specified dates on the broadcast, the next steps will be to open the embassies (prioritizing F1) so that they can resume with their peers...

2c. I am not sure there will ever be a time when the embassies in the whole world will be completely closed to international students for a whole academic year...so your argument that the embassies ll not open because the USCIS is having some financial issues does not hold any water.

In all, I really wish things move faster so that all of us can laugh at this...all the best bro

Its totally political you should read Trump tweet today about schools

learner007:


I just did mine last week at the DC embassy. Right now it is hellish, as there are tons of applicants still on the queue since far back as January. The NY embassy is still closed down, Atlanta refused to reply any emails, so I had to apply though NPVS (an agency that relays your application though innovate1). It costs more but was worth it for me. The embassy at DC only resumed skeletal services on the 1st of July, and has been mandated to attend to ONLY 20 applicants per day.

Damn, did you have to go all the way to DC or you did it online? I'm in California and wouldn't want to travel to DC for this. If you did online, could you pls share the link including contacts of the agency? Also, how much did it cost you in total? Thanks for responding.

learner007:


I just did mine last week at the DC embassy. Right now it is hellish, as there are tons of applicants still on the queue since far back as January. The NY embassy is still closed down, Atlanta refused to reply any emails, so I had to apply though NPVS (an agency that relays your application though innovate1). It costs more but was worth it for me. The embassy at DC only resumed skeletal services on the 1st of July, and has been mandated to attend to ONLY 20 applicants per day.

Can one go to the embassy without an official appointment? I got scheduled for December

Our guy

For real Bros. We have to do what we have to do

greenskittles:

Honestly, this is what I'm thinking about right now. I just have to keep reminding myself that all this uncertainty surrounding my life right now is one of the consequences of me trying to seek a better life for myself and my children if I eventually get married.

sonofakin:
Our guy

Did he really say this in the buildup to the elections? (Not that it matters, because he denies everything). He'd declared his intention to run when this tweet was posted, right?

greenskittles:

Did he really say this in the buildup to the elections? (Not that it matters, because he denies everything). He'd declared his intention to run when this tweet was posted, right?

That tweet was posted in 2015.

Geewin69:


That tweet was posted in 2015.

Yeah, I was asking whethee he had announced his candidacy when it was posted. Just looked it up and he had announced by June and this tweet was posted in August.