If you are coming or you know anyone coming to Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, you can contact me for orientation before leaving Naija. I faced a few set of challenges which I do not want anyone coming from home to also face. That is my personal give back to this community.

Thanks to @Lagosismyhome and some other colleagues that were resourceful when I needed help. There is a lot of works more than one can be so much available here, but I do not want anyone to have issues on landing in Oxford, Ohio.

Caveat: Please, make sure you already have the visa approved before contacting me, I am so fixed that I won't be able to attend to so many enquiries.

We have so many people here that could still help, I also did a little back then and I have a click of friends that I made from this room.

God Bless Nigeria,
God Bless USA.

fkj950ax:


What if school starts in August or September or in 5 weeks time?

He should probably mention at PoE the date he intends to be in school, which explains the NY staycation.




Things to do in NY in addition to Seyewest comments.

Van Gogh’s Starry Night painting is at the MOMA (The Museum of Modern Art). You can get in free from 4.30-8pm on Fridays.

Biking around Central Park (one of the most famous places in New York) and then over the Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan are other top things to do in NYC.

You can hire bikes there and some online sites.

you can only enter the states from 30 days to date of resumption on the i20, mind you, people still advise that you don't leave as early as the first few days in your 30 days counting. It's better you show enough evidence of genuine studentship and not giving the immigration officer a doubt of your genuineness.

seyewest:


That is even better but they may ask you for evidence of your accommodation in New York.

@Seyewest, I really appreciate your input here, however, I will advise that @handoffire do not attempt staying back in New York, please go straight to Missouri on getting to US as the immigration officer might think it's not reasonable to come for studies and first thing is spending time with some mentors, you can do that in December during Christmas.

My opinion though.

maddock:


1. Depends on your budget if bus is cheaper for you why not? Greyhound buses and a host of other have very comfortable seats, leg room, charging port and Wi-Fi.

2. No biggy but to avoid story that touch its better to exit and stay at the bus station instead.

3.Depends on the queue, twice I have used JFK I don't spend up to 5mins at the counter. But the issue is getting to the counter, at times you could spend between 45mins to 1hour if the queue of incoming passengers are much.

4. Twice i had used greyhound buses from their port authority station close to times square. Average distance is between 45mins to 1hour depends on traffic from JFK to the bus station.

Like someone said is better to use uber or lyft, but mind you you can't pay cash as all trips are charged to your card.

I hope you found this useful.

Thanks a lot. I may have to download Uber or Lyft when time comes so I can make use of the app as soon as I exit.

I will have to exit as soon as I get cleared and zoom off to the closest greyhound bus station, so I won't have to tell stories that touch, that is the only one I know for now.

I only pray I get there before the middle of night, if not, Psalm 23 as I stay till day break at the airport.

Thanks once again.

Please, the part that you said all trips are charged to my cards, how can I handle that as a first timer?

I am also considering greyhound, so I spent my evening on their schedules and price ranges yesterday.

My flight is scheduled to arrive at JFK by 7pm, and I am a first time traveler, so, I am planning on booking the greyhound bus 7:10am. It costs $59 + $20(extra checked baggage). I wanted to book a flight ($60- economy) but got to know that I will have to pay extra money for my two checked bags.

My questions are:

1. Is it safe booking a bus instead of flight, won't it be an issue?

2. Can I stay overnight at the airport after checkout without any issues?

3. How long does it take to checkout on arrival at the airport?

4. Any idea of how to transit from JFK to QueensVille? that's greyhound's closest bust station to JFK as mentioned by their call center agent.

Thanks in anticipation.

Hello, I am glad I found this thread, I am in a dilemma, I am going on F1 visa to US, I was trying to save costs so I booked Lagos to New York, then plan to book local flight from New York to Columbus, even from Nigeria oh, the issue is that a senior colleague in the states said it's not safe as immigration officer might say Why didn't I book directly to Columbus?

My flight agent said I should tell them I was trying to get cheaper tickets,then I should show them the local flight ticket, that it is enough evidence to convince the immigration officer, but I am scared.

Time2win:


Apply to university of new haven, they have lot's of juicy scholarship

University of New Haven won't give you full funding, it is a private university that uses the partial funding as a marketing strategy to win students over.

Recently, most issued visas are usually on the basis of full funding.

Biomedical engineering is a course that should earn you full funding as I know it's a course with enough funds for graduate students/ research.

The ball is in your court.

Kirusky4life:
I had my interview on 4th December at Lagos Embassy.

V.O: Good Morning, Can I have your Passport and I.20
Me: I obliged.
V.O: What course are you going to study?
Me: Am going for my graduate studies in Computer science at TAMUC
V.O: Why Computer science:
Me: I did computer science as my under graduate course, during that time, I developed a penchant for programming. It has been something am very passionate about, so I decided to get an advance degree and specialized in the field.
V.O: How did you hear about the school?
Me: I was doing a research online on school that offers database administration as an option in computer science, TAMUC was one of the schools I came across.
V.O: Why do you want to specialize in Database administration?
Me: (I didn’t prepare for this, but I had to come up with something). Database insecurity is one of the major problems facing Nigeria at the moment, we hear every time about people’s account being hacked in and the issue of cyber-theft is not left out. All these challenges are cropping up because of the poor implementation of the database servers. I want to specialize in this area so that I can contribute to combating these acts.
V.O: Did you apply to other schools?
Me: I applied to three schools, MTSU, Illinois state university and TAMUC
V.O: Did they all admit you?
Me: YES
V.O: so why TAMUC?
Me: The computer science department at TAMUC has a research area that most interest me and can benefit Nigeria if well detected. That is on Database SQL Injection and The implementation of ACID property of a database. Also I was awarded $1000 scholarship which also qualifies me for in-state tuition.
V.O: What is SQL Injection?
Me: SQL Injection is a technique used by Database hackers to add their own SQL code to the database via website input thereby making the database work out of the normal ways and work as they intended.
V.O: (He types something that looks like forever and continued). How did you hear of these research?
Me: My course advisor told me about it during one of our conversations.
V.O: and what did they find out after the research?
Me: The research is still ongoing, which is why am keen to know more about it.
V.O: Did you write any standard test?
Me: Yes, I wrote TOEFL and GRE
V.O: Who is sponsoring your trip?
Me: My cousin
V.O: Do you have is statement of account?
Me: Yes. Passed it on.
V.O: (He looked at it and returned it, then started typing again and brought out a white paper, wrote something on it and returned it with my passport and I.20). Your scholarship is not reflecting on your sevis profile, update it and submit your evidence and passport to us via DHL. No need for you to come back here to submit. Go through the paper I give you and see what you have to do.
Me: Okay. Thank you sir

I just sent the updated I.20 today and the dhl said it will be delivered within 21 working days. Please any1 sent additional documents to the embassy recently, How long did it take to deliver it. The thought of that 21 days is killing. school starts on 10th January.

Could it be that there is a premium service pack for delivery whereas you paid for the normal courier package?

I mean a premium service will ensure you have your package delivered within 3 to 5 days.

Walspring:


I advise you to flee and not pay the app fee

Walspring is back again. Glad you are here. Seems another semester is gone.

Walspring:


I advise you to flee and not pay the app fee

Walspring is back again. Glad you are here. Seems another semester is gone.

kfrosh:
Lol....... blah blah blah......

If they like, they should summon Trump too if they can. It won't change their stance towards who they allow into their country. Afterall, it's their country for crying out loud.

I won't deny seeing this.... although you may be right in your opinion that it is their country, but there are bilateral agreement between nations which give them access to each other's soil, either to visit, work, or whichever one that suits both parties.

If there is anywhere our citizens are getting it wrong over there, the US Ambassador should attend the meeting, be blunt with his response, the media will be there to let the world hear from him, whatsoever is causing the increase in the rate of refusals lately, (although, we have an hint of the reasons, but sometimes, our leaders need to hear it from an outsider before acting when necessary).

If they don't want our students over there again, they should stop receiving visa fees, 'for crying out loud'. I don't think you have started the process, if you know how much resources involved especially to those who applied to more than a school, you will think deep before responding in that manner.


So, please, my brother/sister, be cautious and ambassadorial in your response as a citizen of Nigeria.

We all want the best for each other, that is why this platform was created.

Adhheir:

The ds-160 barcode code on my appointment confirmation page is different from that on the DS-160 nonimmigrant confirmation page. Its an error on my part and one would not be interviewed if they don't correlate. Its not a biggie, it's just the limited interview dates that bothers one.

What do you think could have caused it?

CapitoneMax:
Hello, thanks for the information. Please can you help ask your friend to share information on how to join the Whatsapp group?

I wish I could...but he said the room is already filled....and people are always on the queue to take the place of anyone that is removed from the group...

Success in your endeavors.

CuteRedd:
Pls pardon me guys. I have been a silent reader of this thread and i can't help but notice that most people do not gun for top schools like the Indian counterparts. Why is that i must ask. In fact i have come across some "strange schools" since reading this thread. Pls can someone pls enlighten me on the reason why top schools are looking like a phobia for Nigerians. #honestQuestion

Well, there are many sides I could see to this, one is the fact that most of those who applied to top schools don't come over here to make enquiries, they only get to be silent readers, they download the transcript drop box and develop it to their own taste....

You know what it means when Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Duke, Massachusetts give you funding..... for you to have gotten the funding through various mail respondents for months, then, preparing for interview will be an easy ride for you.

I have a friend that scored 316 in GRE, who decided to re write just because is target was Duke University, he wrote again, then scored 315, so, he had to check out lesser ranked schools because of that score....But most of us, sincerely, and probably among busy schedules couldn't get to write the GRE which is what makes those top schools competitive....

Also, this same friend told me of a WhatsApp group that consists of gurus all over the world, including Indian students, studying in US, he belongs to the group, they discuss basically, how to get into top schools, and nothing more, and that's where he got his inspiration...


He was the one that told me Indians usually study with loans so they easily get into top schools even if they don't get funding, and they do so with a target of getting employed in top companies, be it business or manufacturing company in the US....they believe they will pay back while they get employed in those big companies... the difference here is Nigerians hardly attend such schools without funding...


I can keep on writing on it...but let the gurus here help out more.

Bunmip:
Hello wonderful people, please help me scrutinize my transcript. My interview is very close. I'll really appreciate.

VO: Where are you going?
me: I am going to New York to study for my master's degree in Environmental policy and sustainability management.

VO: Why did you select USA for higher studies? isnt this course offered by any university or college in your country?
Me: USA has always been the center of excellence and provides quality education by making students gain knowledge in a practical way as much as possible which cannot be possess anywhere in the world. I need international exposure and USA being the center of inventions and innovations, i could not think of a better place.

VO: why New York?
Me: I chose New York because New York has several top ranked universities, almost all the universities there are within the top 10 or 20 schools (public and private) in the US and have been consistently at the forefront of research, innovation and student success.

VO: How many schools did you apply to?
Me: I applied to 3 schools.

VO: Name them
Me: Pratt institution, TNS and Yeshiva University

VO: why did you choose this school?
Me: I got impressed with their faculty program and course curriculum.The program structure of their master's degree program in environmental policy and sustainability management is excellent. Before i made up my mind to settle with TNS, i checked the course curriculum from the school website which actually matched my interest. I further got in touch with prof Ana Baptista and Rachael Notto, EPSM ambassador to confirm. They both made me realize that the program offers further areas of specialization and students have the option to create their own specialization which could be in the area of finance or food system or Global urban environment or GIS and Data visualization or environmental justice. I am a GIS Analyst, I have good knowledge of GIS and it has always been my dream to furthermore in GIS as a student of EPSM. I have passion of using GIS for solving Environmental issues such as flood or sea level rise, air and water pollution and food system. These are the most important challenges of the twenty-first century in Nigeria.
Additionally, i got the GIS curriculum from Prof Ana Baptista, i noticed python and R programming language are part of the GIS curriculum. It has always been my desire to learn how to apply these two programming language on the ArcGIS interface as this will increase my Analytical thinking skills and critical thought processes.
Furthermore, Students also get to customize their course of study, focusing broadly on either Environmental policy or sustainability management. My hope is to learn how to turn my passion into impactful ways of addressing environmental issues and design sustainable change using GIS that will benefit Nigeria society for years to come. The program is Flexible for me and convenient for graduate studies.

VO: why do you want to actually apply GIS in sustainability management? why not specialize in other fields such as Global urban environment just like you said earlier
Me: Geography Information system is a powerful tool for environmental data analysis. I believe it allows better viewing and understanding of the physical features and relationships that influence in a given critical environmental condition.

VO: How did you get to know about the school?
Me: I did extensive research online using Academic websites such as US News, Princeton review, education USA and then streamlined my search based on my area of interest and schools that match my ambition and goals.

VO: What will this degree do for you?
Me: this degree will make me a valuable asset and give ne an edge when i come back to Nigeria to resume as an Environmental consultant at my place of work as i have been granted a study leave. I also expect the degree to further equip me to be better in GIS.

VO: why MSc? or why this course?
Me: This course will fortify me with the right skills and qualifications to resume as an Environmental consultant at my place of work here in Nigeria.

Vo: what is your study plan?
Me: The degree requires a total of 42 credits i.e 21 credits in the first year and 21 credits in the second year. I will be taking 12 credit i.e 4 courses in the spring and 9 credits i.e 3 courses in the falls semester . for the spring, i will be offering
1. GEographic Information system by Dr xyz
2. NEPS 5001- Climate Change by Dr xyz
3. NURP 5001 - Economic for management and public policy by Dr XYZ
4. NEPS 5005 - Leadership for sustainabilty and environmental polic by Dr XYZ

VO: tell me about your academic background.
Me: I studied Applied Geology at Federal University of technology,Akure and i graduated in 2016. I was ranked among the top 10% in a class of about 60.

VO: What have you been doing since you graduated?
Me: I went for NYSC in January 2017. I served as a geography teacher in a private secondary school which i completed in December 2018.I went for professional courses in GIS in January 2018 and because of my excellent performance, I got an offer as a GIS Analyst in April 2018. I have been working with the company ever since.

VO: How is Applied Goelogy related to Environmental policy and sustainability management?
Me: As a graduate in Applied Geology, I encountered Science, engineering and management courses in the broadest sense. During my Undergraduate level, I studied environmental science, environmental engineering, environmental management which are the prerequisite for EPSM.

VO: What is your work about?
Me: 1. I build digital database, gathering and verifying information in the field.
2. I produce up to date maps using multiple data set to customize information for a particular industries and audiences.
Presently, the company is involved in a project which is supported by Environmental system research institute (ESRI). BAsically what i do in the project includes:
1. Enhancing Geography information system and geographic learning in Nigeria schools through the introduction of ArcGIS online into classroom across the country.
2. Enlightening students the importance of geography in various fieldsof life such as climate, economic needs of people, mineral wealth etc.

VO: what is your intent after study?
Me: After studies, I intend to resume as an Environmental consultant at my place of work here in NIgeria.

Vo: How much is your tuition fee?
Me: My tuition is $33,686, living expenses is $20,160, books and supplies is $2,050. The school estimated budget for me in a year is $55,896.

VO: Who is your Sponsor?
Me: I secured a loan from Sallie Mae student loan. the lender was recommended to me by Juliette who is my financial aid counselor at TNS because the school have good records with the lender and the loan is ready to be disbbursed on the 16th jan, 2019 (i have the loan document to present). My two brothers will be responsible for paying back the loan. presently, my brother in China had pledged to support me with $xxxx for year one while my brother in New York will handle the rest. (I have evidence of the pledged document and support letter from my two brothers). I strongly believe that the loan will be paid back within a very short period of time.
I was also awarded the provost scholarship which covers 50% of the total tuition each semester. In addition, I was also awarded the executive deans scholarship which is an additional $2000 each semester for 2 academic years of study. Furhermore, My employer will be supporting with a total of $6000 for the two academic years of study. ( I have all the supporting documents for the scholarship, bank statements, leave letter from employer to present).

VO: What are your brothers into?
Me: My brother in china is a business administrator instructor at XYZ university in China, he is also a business man, he ships goods fom china to Nigeria while my brother in New york is the Head of school at XYZ high school in New york, he has worked as a co-ordinator assistant principal and a principal for NYCDOE.

VO: why would your brothers be sponsoring you?
Me: Aside from the fact that they are willingly and capable, they have been the major driving force behind my education. They have been responsible for my welfare since high school.

VO: What is Program Commencement and completion date?
Me: The program commencement date is 16 jan 2019 and the completion date is 31 dec 2020.

VO: How will you manage the cultural and Educational differences
Me: I will try my best to observe my surroundings and adjust myself to the life in the US. I fully understand that a different country means different value, aspects, culture and system, So it is my responsibility to adapt myself to my present environment as fast as possible to focus on my studies.

Vo: Any standardized test:
Me: Yes, i took GRE. it was actually optional and and it wasnt used for my admission application but i will still take it during my first year of studies because the school use to save it in their database. ( I am actually saying i will take it during my first year of studies because i scored low in GRE and truly it wasnt used).




Please help me with correction. Help me scrutinize my proposed transcript. I'll really appreciate. my interview is really close.

Lagosismyhome, theamerican, Femi312, Sorelee, Folmus, imperiouxx, Bigfrancis21, Twoods, EZEIGBO1OFIMO, Walsping, Ubah1, Oludare01, Time2Smile, MackyNaija, ponpon, rexcheng, quoran, learner007, happyday, 100kobo, GboyegaD, Godchangemylife, pastor Walspring and other gurus here.

You have done nice to put this up for your defence and also I am sure that bosses in the house will surely do justice, but sincerely, NO verification officer will listen this much to all that you have to offer.

You have more than enough to dish out, but probably you should read those transcripts attached at the first page of this thread to see how it goes when being interviewed at the US Embassy....

We also have latest transcripts on some of the pages, although few successful ones in the past few months...

Please, it is far more than what one can start scrutinizing in bits, so I will advise you take time to read transcripts again, and scrutinize yours into short sentences for each response, as almost all needs to be touched.

I am just paving way for senior colleagues in the house.

Obviously, it's in you, so, Go for Gold.

100kobo:

ETSU is a good profile. Without much ado transfer your SEVIS fee to ETSU, and do well to highlight your scholarship award during your next meeting. You can still be approved. Visa decisions are subjective, fortunately or unfortunately.

You are doing a great job, 100kobo, please can you explain how to go about transferring Sevis ID from one school to another, is there going to be any financial implication?

Please, forget the lashes being dished out from the other side, you are a rare gem.

Enasdan:
yes it can be edited, but a fresh bar code will be generated , to edit the previous submitted one, meaning he/she has to be with the new and old slip. to the best of my knowledge

How will she go about this, please?

But why is Humble1 claiming not editable after submission? I just need to know.

I am asking this for a friend, please, she needs to know if after submitting, there is a way to edit the DS-160 form, I have read something similar here but I couldn't get a hold of the info again.

There is a place that needs to be adjusted, how do one go about it?

Predstan:
Visa Delayed.


So why dis university?
Because of it's interdisciplinary research. Its ranked 12th among universities in world granted... Cuts in

I don't have time here how is this ranking going to help you?




Who's ur sponsor?
I got a loan from prodigy finance and my aunt will be supporting me while my dad will be taking care of any required expenses

Have you travelled out of the country before?
No I have not had any reason to

Am sorry, you have been found ineligible for this Visa. This blue paper would tell you why



Please help me as I will be reapplying soon.

Geez, my own Predstan....Let my bosses do justice, but no one could read the mind of a VO to deduce what prompted issuing a visa, as someone with full tuition to even Massachusetts was rejected from the transcript we read here yesterday...

Lagosismyhome , I got this but you just have to please reply my pm.... same with

100kobo .. Check your pm..I need you now.

Please!!!!

tunz001:
Hello house,
Thanks a lot to those that reached out to me concerning the issues I had with WES then.actually I have used ECE ,it is sorted already. Thanks a lot
So my question tonight is..I got admitted into two schools and I will be going for my interview soon but the issue I am having now is, I had four recipient schools in which I choosed on my TOEFL but I cldnt meet up with the cut off of the remaining two schools ,so I settled for the remaining two schools which I applied to both and got admitted into both.my question now is should in case I was asked for my TOEFL result and they saw four schools there whereas I already said that I apply to just two.hope it won't be like a red flag?...or should I jst say 4?
Note: I didn't apply to the remaining two schools at all...please help a brother!

It's not a problem at all, it's expected for applicants to send results to four schools on the exam day. You should just tell the VO that you applied to two schools so as not to raise issues for yourself.

Note: There is no reason to mention that you didn't meet up with cut off marks for certain schools, that shouldn't make a list of the lines during the interview.

Success.

Chorismate:
Good evening all.
Please I need your input inorder to quell my anxiety.

I applied to Ohio State for Masters for Spring semester which would commence January 7th 2019.
However, am yet to get decision as at today.
I need to know if its too late to get decision for spring 2019.
Also, if I get decision around mid-november, can I still get I20 and book visa interview before end of December?

Thanks for anticipated response

Sure, Mid-November isn't too late to get i20 and book an appointment for visa interview (Spring class). It all depends on the courier service used for the i20. And I think first timers don't have issues with getting preferred interview dates. I wish you success.

100kobo , Lagosismyhome ,what do you think?

kingovie12:
Warm greetings highly esteemed people of this great trend. I am 18 years old and recently my uncle enrolled me to Idaho state university while i was getting ready to take my jamb so that pulled away from taking jamb this year although that was not my first jamb because I finished my secondary School since 2015 and unilag, and lasu has been denying me admission but i took another waec this year not because i had bad grades in my previous one but so i can a more nicer result so I can be admitted into the University but I don't think i will tell the vo i finished 2015 i will just say 2018 to avoid too many questions. So i got admitted into the University with my waec result and nothing more and i will be studying marketing. My i-20 is still being shipped and i have been reading through the transcripts here and i found out that most people have been choosing 2- 5 schools for me it's a different case. i applied for only one and i can't tell the VO that i applied to just one as observed from this trend. i have also been making research on other universities i can tell the VO i applied for but the ones I have been looking for are majorly in idaho and I don't want it to seem like I have a family there that am going to meet that why all the schools are applied to are in that state. Pls can someone help me with other schools that i can tell the VO i applied for and my admission there is still pending when i get to the embassy.
And also I don't know what say when am being asked how did i get to know about the school because my uncle told me that his friend just got back from the school and that was how he decided to send me there too but I don't see that a convincing reason to tell the VO and i applied for spring 2019.
Pls anybody that help me with the screenshot of appointment schedule be it abuja or lagos so i can know how to hurry the shipping agent so that i can quickly apply before appointment dates runs out for this year. Thank you!! I look forward to your correction and addition God bless you all

But why?
Don't make it hard for genuine students.

Please, delete this and I will modify or delete my mention.

Dwebsites1:


pls guys how will I apply to this school & their requirements & application fee is how much?
I just want to have their admission letter as backup, I already know d school I will be going. Thanks for apply God bless

All the info you need is on the school's website, while you ain't supposed to say you just need their admission letter as back up, ahn ahn, somebody's First choice of school, Joking though.

Predstan:




Thank you very much...



7. Sorry, but this is my stand and that is my career. could you please explain why you think its disastrous? I have seen several Transcript mentioning where they want to work after their degree.

Thanks for clearly understanding my points. Don't mind my use of word - disastrous- , I will rather prefer it that you already engaged in activities that has a lot to do with Power right now, which you will be back to build more on getting back home....rather than planning to come and apply for job in the Power sector... probably you shouldn't just mention applying for job, but you should be back to fill some vacuum in the Power sector on getting back home.

Success.

Predstan:
kindly help me Criticize my proposed Transcript.
I will appreciate if you can help with any other questions that could be derived from this. I also want to know which of the documents is required in coloured. I have all my documents in black and white.


Q: How did you hear about the university
A: I have been an ardent reader of conference papers, journals and articles on research gate and IEEExplore and I read one of Prof Don Morel's research Paper in the field of Photovoltaic Solar energy system. I contacted the Prof to show my interest in his work and he advised that I should officially apply to the university

Q: how many university did you considered
A: I considered 12 universities but I applied to 5universities for the Spring Semester.

Q: Name them and how many admitted you?
A: MTSU, USF, GSU, NYIT, and University of New haven. I got admitted into all.

Q: how are they related?
A: I have a potential supervisors at these universities whom I have had contact with to show my interest.

Q: Why did you choose this university over others?
A: The university is a preeminent university. I picked the university because of its world class interdisciplinary research. The university is ranked 12 amongst universities worldwide granted US utility patent for its inventions and has ranked top 20 for over 8years by World intellectual Property Owner. This is an indication of the kind of research that is carried out at the university which I would want to be involved in. An innovative research that leads to an invention.
Secondly, I chose this university because of its location, the university is located in the southern part of america where the whether is warmer and comparable to what is obtainable in Nigeria.

Q: Why US?
A: The united state of America is the best country to study engineering according to international university rankings. Apart from that, Universities in the US are the only universities that look holistically into my transcript rather than the title of my degree and in my case, I had to evaluate my HND with the world education services before I was considered for an admission. I applied to the university of Capetown in south Africa, Stellenbosch university and Rhine Whaal university of applied science in Germany but I was rejected.

Q: How is the degree going to help you
A: The degree is going to help me improve my research ability and my understanding of the concept of Solar energy system so that after my Masters degree in the US, I will apply for job at the ministry of powers where I can present my ideas on how to tackle and provide solution to the power failure and Blackout in Nigeria while I will also improve my Dad's Contracting Company to an international standard.

Q: Tell me about your Educational Background
A: I graduated in 2016 from the Federal Polytechnic ... with a distinction as one of the best student in the department of Electrical Engineering. My undergraduate thesis was a step towards my career goal. I investigated the use of energy saving lamp as a replacement to the incandescent lamp which consumes a lot of energy and had been banned in developed countries like America, Germany, Canada but Nigeria is still in favour of this Lamp. I had to create an awareness on how this lamp is named energy wastage lamp and should be replaced by the energy saving lamp.

Q: What have you been doing since you graduated?
A: I started my NYSC in 2016 at the Kwara state college of education which I completed in November 2017 and I started working in my Dad's Company in January 2018 as a technical supervisor leading his technicians to perform installation, maintenance and repair of air conditioning unit and installation of Cabling and associative devices into structure.

Q: how much do you earn?
A: I do not have a specific amount but I earn 60k on average

Q: who's your sponsor?
A: I got a loan from prodigy finance that covers 80% of the total cost of my attendance while my aunt will be supporting me with 3.5million naira, that's about 10,000 in USD.

Q: Why is your Dad not sponsoring you?
A: He currently does not have the cost of my attendance because he just invested in a Project but he will be paying 500$ monthly to prodigy finance during my study period at the University.

I already got my i20 for University of New Haven, Spring 2019. We should work together. I was about chastising you for the question *How did you know about the school?*when I got to know that you got admitted to University of New Haven too.


1. You didn't mention the school you are going to.

2. Your response to "How did you hear about the school?" started with a weak line.

What if you rephrase, I heard about it while reading one of Prof Don Morel's research Paper on Photovoltaic Solar energy system. I contacted the Prof to show my interest in his work and he advised that I should officially apply to the university.

3. I don't think you will be asked how many schools you considered, it could only be "How many schools did you apply to?" Then outrightly mention the names of the schools, ensure you mention fully, unlike you did here, using abbreviations.

4. Did you really mean "How are the schools related?" or you wanted to say "What do they have in common?" If the answer is the common relationship between the schools, the mention of having potential supervisors in all the schools does not sound well, to me though, ain't a VO. You may think of a program or research common to all.

5. Why did you choose the school over others? If your second point is real, it's welcome, but that first point needs to be rephrased and brief, as no VO will wait for you to say all what you have there without cutting in as usual. Be brief with the first point, then mention number 2.

6. USA might be the best country to study Engineering, but that might not sound convincing to a VO, if your school is not a top ranking school.

What if you start with "Universities in the US are the only universities that look holistically into my transcript rather than the title of my degree as I had to evaluate my HND with the world education services before I was considered for an admission. But wait, evaluating your result has nothing to do with why you choose a school over others.

Please, don't mention the fact that you were rejected from schools in other countries.

7. What will this degree do for you? It could be disastrous to say you will be applying to jobs in the Ministry of Power where you can present your ideas. There is a better way of presenting the same statement but more convincing.

Then, find a better way of involving your dad's company at the second point, you can do better, please.

I wish you success..

Oben209:
Hello House , please I need a good hotel close to the us embassy, my interview is on Monday . Any recommendations please

Good hotel? if they mention their prices now, you will change your mind, well, I don't know how prepared you are financially.

But you haven't mentioned the particular embassy, Lagos or Abuja? so that they can know how to help you out.

[quote author=Enasdan post=72302045] I fully applied to two universities, only one granted me admission does that sound nice as a serious student to a VO,?[/quote

@Lagosismyhome, 100kobo, GboyegaD, Ubah1 , I think we need to start censoring comments as they do in other pages.

So many times it's been mentioned that you should study transcripts of both successful and denied visa applicants, we have a Dropbox folder covering these on the first page, if you need to make any enquiries, then it must be that your concerns are not attended to in the transcripts studied.

I am saying this because recently I am seeing questions that shouldn't be asked for any reason or has been attended to over time.

My opinion though.

2shywayne1:
Hello,please read this and see if it make's any sense

Vo; Good morning
Me: Good morning sir (with a smile)
Vo : What ur study plan ?
Me: I plan to acquire a certificate in nursing of which I will be taking a 70 credit course at a period of 24 month's which include course's like Human Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology, Psychology, and the likes prior to my graduation I might be transferring to obtain a bachelor's degree or get back to my native country depending on my GPA and my guardian decision
Vo: Why associate degree?
Me: The reason is because it is the most affordable for me and my guardian for now and would give me an indepth knowledge of what I actually want within the period before transferring to the university courses,it is not really about associate degree but about the knowledge I can acquire within this period of studying
Vo: Why did u choose this school ?
Me: I choose Baltimore city community college because of the standard and content of education which this school could give
Vo: What are ur plan's after Graduation?
Me: I plan in transferring my credit course's to a university to gain more knowledge that would certify me to compete with my co-colleague if I come back to Nigeria,I plan coming back to the health sector for health restructuring, I want to contribute to my father's land growth,I want to work with team Achiever's with all the knowledge I would have acquired
Vo: When did u finished sec school?
Me: 2009
Vo: What have you been doing since then ?
Me: I couldn't make all my O'level result's which held me for 4 year's since my parent don't believe in giving aid's, so I have been going to tutorials ,so after I made my result I applied for a A'level program and have been in my Uncle's hospital getting familiar with nursing duties on completion of my program
Vo: Which other schools did you apply to ?
Me: I only choose Baltimore city community college
Vo: So you intend going for an associate degree then you will transfer ?
Me: Yes sir
Vo: I will be approving your visa,pick it up in the.....
Me : Thank u sir....

Please am open to suggestions and corrections.... Thanks to all

Hope the interview is not as soon as November? Because you still have a lot of loopholes to cover up. Ain't a guru but I know when you are getting it wrong from personal experience garnered so far.

I know others will also contribute, but take this little piece along with what ever they add.

What happened to Why USA?

Why Nursing?

Also, the response to the question, "What's your study plan?" You are not to even say "depending on my GPA", who says that? I mean the VO might not wait for another second before handing over the blue paper to you. It definitely shows you ain't brilliant enough to study Medicine or whichever course it could be. Haba!! You must be convincing enough to show you are gonna make it top of the class, which I believe you can.

Also, how dare you say "depending on my guardian's opinion" ? If you can graduate top of the class, then you need not ask for your guardian's consent to continue, s/he will be glad to give his/her best to ensure you continue your studies, although I may not be fully right with this, but that remains my own opinion.

Why did you choose Baltimore?
Uhmmmm, any reputable institution will do what you just mentioned, I have seen several times 100kobo and Lagosismyhome, mentioning that you should try to be program specific when giving reasons for choosing a particular school. It shows you have done your research.

When did you finish secondary school?
Don't mention your parents' inability to make available what you think you need to succeed academically, that doesn't sound right to me, although it's a personal decision. But when did you write your A level exams? Will you be presenting it at the interview? Then, it means you were working at your uncle's hospital, spending some time to learn the basics of Nursing before taking your A level prior to applying to a school in the US. Isn't it?


Vo: So you intend going for an associate degree then you will transfer ?
Me: Yes sir

This last statement counters what you mentioned earlier, as you said you are not sure of your next move after graduation.
So, you need to be careful of what your responses as VOs try to play pranks on interviewees.

I ask again, hope you ain't going for the interview as soon as November, if yes, you need a lot of reformation and practice to get the visa issued, well, I just remembered you never mentioned "Who will be sponsoring you?

Success. I long to see your visa issued transcript.

victree007:

Why not mail the school's admission office and the program assistant to inquire if it will be possible to retake the GRE after getting to the US. You can give them valid reasons why you just can't take the test right now.
Sorry about all the heartaches jare. It happens to the best of us

I love your response, I think this is exactly what I would have done if I am having the same challenge.

I can't imagine such a situation, this is one of the reasons why one should secure admission to more than just one school.

Hopefuldreamer:
Nairalanders. Please advice and help me. I have been a silent reader for a while before I opened an account.

After getting admission to Indiana state university terre haute, I have appeared for visa interview twice. I have been to Ghana by road in 2015 via God is good motors with my voters card cos I didn't have an international passport as at then.

My first visa interview was in September 20 at Lagos.

V.O : pass your passport and i20 which I did. Then he asked why I'm going to the US.

Me: to study for my MBA at Indiana state university

V.o: who is sponsoring your program?

ME: I have a personal savings, my parents will also be supporting me.

V.O: asked for statement,

Me: passed it to him

V. O: have you travelled out of the country before?

Me: yes.

V.O: "flipping through my virgin passport." to where?

Me: to Ghana, by road using my voters card because I haven't gotten my international passport as at then and I enquired from the transport company about using my voters card and they confirmed I can.

V. O: passed blue paper.

My second interview was yesterday. Also went smooth until travelling history was asked and I told them the same thing and was still denied.

I didn't want to lie and that is why I told the vo that I have travelled to Ghana before. But since there isn't any stamp on my passport to verify that, I don't know if the embassy have blacklisted me.

I'm thinking of saying I haven't travelled before in my next application but I thought of inconsistency.

I'm also thinking of visiting Ghana this weekend so as to get stamp. But I'm thinking it will raise a red flag.

Please is there any solution to my problem?, I'm scared of reapplying again.

@lagosismyhome, femi312, 100kobo, justwise, every body who has been in this shoes before.

Indeed, I feel sad about your understanding of this procedure. You should know that the fact that you have not gotten your passport stamped shows outrightly that you haven't travelled out of Nigeria, not at all.

But you claiming that you have travelled, shows that you were once an illegal immigrant. And there is no where in the world that an illegal immigrant comes to the public to prove that they are one.

Well, to avoid issues with lies, as you claimed, travel to Ghana as you are planning, then ensure it is by a means that will have your passport stamped, but I will advise that you don't tamper unnecessarily with your passport, be wise, please.

I wish you understand the process beyond what I am feeling from your write up.

Don't give up, just be wise enough to get the visa in your next interview. I love you.

Humble11:


Most school doesn’t include name, like 90% doesn’t. They will just write family or parents on your i20. Your uncle mustn’t have same surname with you

You wanted to say, "It is not a must that your uncle share the same surname with you". The two statements are not the same, although the message has been passed.

cr8tv:
I had my Interview on the 10th of October for Spring 2019, Please Guru's, I need your opinion on why I was denied visa. My transcript goes thus:


* V.O: Pass me your passport and i20

* V.O: Where are you going to?
I am going to Texas A&M Kingsville University for my Masters in Electrical Engineering

* V.O: How did you hear about TAMUK
I have two family friends who currently study at Texas A&M Kingsville. They told me a whole lot about the University and the quality of education I stand to also benefit if I come.

* V.O: Which other school did you applied to and how many admitted you?
University of Texas at San Antonio, New York Institute of Technology and Texas A&M Tamuk

* V.O: Why Tamuk over UTSA, NYIT?
I pretty much enjoyed my interaction with Dr Armit Verma of the Department of Electrical Engineering in the Frank WIttcherweich School of Engineering. He provided me with prompt and precise responses to each of my request. We already built a good rapport. he was very excited on my admission to TAMUK as compared to the other Universities I applied to.

* V.O: Why Electrical Engineering?
Coming from my first degree on same course, I am now more passionate to acquire the requisite trainings to become a leading force in bringing about the lasting change in our power systems. Indeed there are numerous challenges with Power in Nigeria same as its opportinites and the vacuum here can only be filled by those who have the right knowledge.

* V.O: Why do you want to study in the USA?
Graduates of American Universities are always very well skilled. American Universities offer impeccable syllabus with a great blend of both practical and theoretical skills. Also, their degrees are highly regarded globally. They occupy juicy positions on their return to the country due to their acquired skill. Their degrees are well appreciated and recognized globally. Why do I need to consider anywhere else.

* V.O: Tell me about your study plan.
After my two years study stay in the US, I will deploy acquired skill into improving the power system of Nigeria by seeking for employment with the Ministry of Power specifically and becoming a contract lecturer with any of our top rated University in Nigeria. Instilling in them the right academic standard needed to be a better Engineer.

* V.O: What will this degree do for you?
This degree will arm me to be a better competitor among the league of well trained engineers who are willing to help build Nigeria. It will formally align me to global standards in terms of being a properly trained Electrical engineer.

*V.O: Tell me about your academic background
I finished from the University of Port harcourt in 2012 having graduated with a CGPA of 3.85. For my final year project, I worked on the comparison between Proportional Integral and Proportional Integral Differential for Liquid level control. I use Matlab for basic computational analysis. as this was deployed at Afam gas plant in Rivers State.

* V.O: What you been doing?
After my compulsory two one year NYSC, I have worked with a few Nigerian companies in the Engineering sphere, such as (abc) height in Port harcourt, and now (xyz) Electric. Currently with xyz Electric where I function as a Maintenace Engineer, I carry out maintenance checks on Electrical parts with the help of circuit software JIRA.

* V.O: who is paying for your studies?
My Dad.

* V.O: What does he do?
He provides Industrial gas to manufacturing companies in Lagos, Ibadan and Benin.

* V.O: Can I see his bank statement?
Oh Sure.

*V.O Goes through the statement for over 3 minutes cross checking every detail
V.O What is FBM as stated in the statement?
I said its one of the transactions that occurred. Actually a case where a client made payment. The statement actually has N34 Million.

*V.O Goes through the statement again while typing some crap.
*V.O I’m sorry you are ineligible to enter the US at the moment, while handling to me the blue paper. Please check through section 214b …………………
I was dumbfounded, I felt my world was crashing in on me. I left the facility disgusted.

No one can really deduce what went wrong, but from the issue regarding the FBM of #34M transaction, the VO might think it is just a transaction packaged to increase the volume of fund available prior to the interview at the embassy. The same mindset anyone could have among is here if we were the VO. This is because, if truly you said all those above-mentioned statements, then you must have won the VO's heart and nothing more.

Also, as they do say, what sounds good to a VO might sound awkward to another VO, so, the fact that you have two family members studying in same area could be a red flag though. But another VO might not hear that but not disturbed.

Gurus, over to you too. I can't still wait to read success stories.