₦airaland Forum

Topiipii:
The admit person is right, 320+ is unusual. Our average scores are 144.9V and 145.8Q from the 2018 report. The 2014 and 2016 reports were just a little bit better.

https://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/snapshot_test_taker_data_2014.pdf page 20 (24 of 72)
https://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/snapshot_test_taker_data_2016.pdf page 20 (24 of 72)
https://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/snapshot_test_taker_data_2018.pdf page 20 (24 of 73)

I took the liberty of plotting the values from the 2018 report and checked to see what percentage of people scored in the range 155-165 for both Quant and Verbal.
Verbal:
Mean: 144.9, Standard Deviation: 7.4, P(x>155) = 0.08615, P(x>165) = 0.0033

Quant:
Mean: 145.8, Standard Deviation: 7.8, P(x>155) = 0.1191, P(x>165) = 0.00692

Total number of test takers: 6,861

Less than 1% of test takers scored more than 165 for both sections and 8.6% and 11.9% scored above 155. How is 320+ not rare?

For anyone interested, I plotted the curves at:
https://homepage.divms.uiowa.edu/~mbognar/applets/normal.html

it's not by plotting graph and writing big write ups. If you are half as good analytically as ur graphs looks then you will know that mean(average) is not the best among the center measure of tendency. Very low scores will greatly skew that distribution.

And how in hell's name will a mean meant for a range of score between 155-165 result in 144.9 and 145.8 for verbal and Quant respectively...nawa o

Do you even consider Simpson paradox in that data set you analysed and plotted. Data can always be analysed and interpreted to support any side of argument

Funaki:
I get your point.

But saying something is unusual isn't the same as average. In the report you posted, no country as an average of 320, even USA, China, India and UK average are all less than that. US has 150.2 in quantitative reasoning and 152.6 in verbal (even as native speakers). The average total score will be 302.8 you can't then say most people score 302 in the US.

Nigeria may have a low average score, but that doesn't mean high score is unusual. If you are in engineering as you said, 320+ won't be unusual. Except you want to apply to unknown schools for STEM.

You're head is so on point. People filling up the thread with posts yet they know not the meaning of unusual. If only they had checked for synonyms of unusual they would have known that 320+ is not a rare score for Nigerians

nayo10:
Good day guys, please I need advice on some certain issue, I got an admission at University of Houston, we did a zoom meeting today about the course, the department is proposing we enrol online and start classes while we wait for embassy to open. So my question is can I start classes online pending the time embassy open without paying tuition due to the risk of the visa. Thank you

.

Yea you can enroll and start class online without paying tuition. Your tuition will be calculated based on the amount of classes you enroll in and you can go ahead and start class. Though they will give you a deadline to pay tuition.

Most schools won't cancel your enrollment if you don't pay up on the deadline, they'll hit you with a penalty fee instead. They will however prevent you from enrolling for subsequent semesters if you haven't paid up at the beginning of the next semester .

So my advice for y'all, if your school offer you online fall classes, take it but don't pay a dime till you get your visa and get to campus. Don't let your school hustle on your head as paying tuition and doing an online semester won't guarantee you visa

Disclamer: Please ignore my advice above If you have the money to pay while in Naija and don't mind losing it if you don't get visa later on or you are OK with doing the full program online if you don't get visa later on.

reigningme:
Please ooo, advisers and gurus in the house, kindly advise me on this. I no sabi anything oo. Na beg I dey beg. Let me quicky apprise you on the following. I have been admitted to the following schools for fall 2020:
(1) Rowan University ( MS Data Analytics, awaiting GA)-
(2)Mercyhurst University (Ms. Data Science)-awaiting GA
(3) Bowling Green State University (MS Data Science)- awaiting GA
(4) NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY (MS Information Systems)

Here is my thinking:
(1) Due to this extraordinary time, I want to defer the admissions
(2) Due to the paucity of funds, I want to make Northwest Missouri state Uni my final bus stop. since it is cheaper even without funding. But they do award GA second semester and they have on-campus jobs.

Please note I have the following pending
(a) Grand valley state University (MS Applied Computer Science, Ms. Health informatics (just a trial)). I got a reject for MS Data Science and Analytics
(b) Cleveland State University (Ms. Computer information systems, Ms. Software Engineering)
(c) Southeast Missouri State University (MNS Mathematics).

I NEED YOUR CANDID ADVICE PLSSS. Is there anyone in this schools I have been admitted including Grand Valley State University.

Cleveland State University is broke. Our CIS dept have No funding. They will prolly admit you but without funding and non will be forthcoming.

I'll advice you to take any offer that comes with funding. If all offers are the same, I'll advice you to take Northwest Missouri state University Ms Information systems degree if the program is being done in their business school. I won't advice anyone to go for a data science or business analytics degree over a business school run information systems degree except he/she has years of working experience in hard core analytics.

IS degree gives you more flexibility than data science or business analytics alone. There's a rumour that Covid 19 has burst the data science hype. If business are broke, then businesses won't be experimenting much on data science. So it's better to go for IS degree that you can venture into data engineer, DBMS, data analytics, data science, cloud computing and even software development

kastgeraldino:
Guys what would you all do when OPT and H1B visas are finally restricted or scrapped? That reality seems highly likely in the coming weeks.

They won't scrap H1B or OPT. With all the noise the current administration is making about immigration, they are yet to revoke work permit of H4 spouses.

Pandemic aside, this is an election year. If you know you know

sonofakin:
People come here for advice so if you have one to give,
be unequivocal about it. Like I wrote earlier, what is your exact advice?

Also, no one is taking your posts personally, remember I even thanked you for it. But if your posts are about your opinion, I also have the right to look at it from my own perspective. I'm sure that is why Seun Osewa included the 'quote' option. Remember the topic on ground is open to different interpretation

People also come here to hear facts and know what's happening.

You can air your perspective independent of my opinion. Don't wait for me to post something then you come out to find "exact advice" or do witch hunting.

What you think is not an advice to you can be advice to someone else. Live and let me live too

sonofakin:
Thank you once again for the update. However, as someone in position of extreme knowledge, I think you should be more explicit with your advice. It would really go a long way for both the 'realistic' and 'unrealistic' individuals on this thread. Like what exactly do you want people to do? Stop applying for admission? Stop applying for funding? Stop requesting for email version of I-20? Stop asking questions on this page? Pay or dont pay for SEVIS? Defer admissions? Pay and request for online classes? Apply to Nigerian schools instead?P.S: Canada are already upfront about the fall classes situation. Hopefuls already know they would have to make do with virtual classes come fall semester.

Am not in a position to tell people what to do. All I can do is tell situation on ground, whatever anyone do with such news is up to them.

And please for Pete sake, stop taking my posts personally. This is an online forum, I have a right to my opinion as long as it's not misleading.

sheke01:
San Francisco state University and all 23 campuses of California state University just announced that fall semester will be online. No in person class till at least 2021.

let's keep watching

For those that care about reality and facts

Some schools are making plans to start in person fall semester as early as first second week of August and go back online towards Thanksgiving. Will this affect incoming international student visa chances?

Meanwhile US and Canada reached another agreement to keep their borders closed to each other for another 30 days.

Chill, chill and plan.

San Francisco state University and all 23 campuses of California state University just announced that fall semester will be online. No in person class till at least 2021.

let's keep watching

Predstan:
Yeah DHS officials. There are so many of them here who knows exactly what the US will do and not do. However, there is nothing wrong with being optimistic and pushing whatever plan one have towards Fall 2020.

But I still stand to say, you shouldn't pay SEVIS fee even if you have recieved your i-20. SEVIS can be paid anytime when Embassy reopens.

My point too. But some peeps want to eat me for airing my opinion

Stevenssen:
Now you're backtracking .
My opinion has always been that the only problem there is the embassies and that depends on the other countries and how they are managing the crisis, not on the US.

The part of your post that I challenged is about something entirely different.

Kindly point it out. I don't delete my post here. kindly point out where I said what am backtracking on

Stevenssen:
What about UK? 30k + dead and borders still open.
The truth is, Covid cases and deaths in the US do not have any effect on international students coming in. The two things do not relate in any way.

The effect it would have had was universities refusing to reopen In fall but many of them are planning to reopen.
So how will international students coming in change US priorities? Is it going to make them start dying more or what? If anything, it's only going to help their universities

If you've been paying attention to anything I've ever said you will see my chain of reasoning. The US is still arguing about reopening. Some little states are beginning to see spikes in cases and deaths. Schools are planning on reopening but are still saying "we will do so if it's safe"

US evacuated it's citizens from different countries of the world. Who will reopen the embassies? US citizens. Where are thus US citizens? They all ran back to the comfort of their homeland. When will the embassy reopen? Undefined. How likely will DHS believe other countries are safe to send their citizens to reopen the embassies? No one knows when

How will international students gets visa to resume by fall? No one knows except some nairaland e-warriors that also doubles as DHS officials.

lol

Stevenssen:
You're making general statements. Australia and New Zealand care about that money and are letting international students in.
If your economy is dying, that means less funds for the universities and that means international students become more important.

https://thepienews.com/news/australia-to-consider-july-entry-for-international-students/

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/416109/international-students-may-be-allowed-into-nz-before-border-opens

Incase you haven't checked, Australia has 6964 cases and 97 related deaths, New Zealand has 1497 and 21 deaths. When you have over 1.3million cases and 82,000 related deaths your priorities changes

tmphoto:
You have always been tackling the fact/idea that schools might resume by this FALL... It is the truth we must embrace even if we like it or not Coronavirus is really here and it might take the world a couple of year to get fully back on her FEET. It has happened in 1918 (SPANISH FLU) and it run till 1920 Did the world not resume back to what they were doing at the time?? Oh yes they did even if it was little.

Go check the International news “India Govt. is planning on evacuating her citizen most especially student from the UK and the president in charge of institution was stylishly begging that they should be taken away” saying they need them more now and their cash the U.S.A on the other hand can not stand on loosing money from international student why they need every fund they can get from anyone coming in.

You should also know that there will be a very strict measures to contain anyone coming into the Country no matter where you’re from same as what the U.K is imposing currently on all of its travelers except for France �� that I don’t know why. Lastly leave our optimism’s to us cus we all know the world can’t be on her feet for long owing to a Virus that scientists proved over 80% of people who contact it will live from it.

Misquoting me again. I never tackled the idea of schools reopening by fall. I need schools to reopen so I can do my one remaining class and get my degree in Information systems/ business analytics. Schools will definitely resume, what we don't know at the stage if it's is gonna be in class or online. Schools will definitely reopen but with new international students? Highly negative. Your optimism would not influence anything

Who needs international students now more than ever when their citizens and economy is dying? Believe whatever you like, it won't change the truth. World economy is in recession, people will lose their jobs like never before. There will be less money to spend and international students won't have thousands of dollars to spend like before. Every player in the game know this fact already. Your optimism won't change it either.

Incase you don't know, because of Covid-19, some US senators are thinking of placing a ban on what type of courses Chinese students can come study in the US. They don't want Chinese coming to the US to study quantum computing, IT and sciences that they will take back to China afterwards and compete with the US. Chinese spend the most on tuition in the US. No one cares about your international money in a pandemic

1918 pandemic killed an estimated 50 million people. It would be pure stupidity to think the world didn't learn from that and would want a repeat of that. Just 81000 people have died from Covid 19 and the US senators are currently drilling Dr Fauci and the CDC directors. Nobody want a repeat of the more deadly second and third wave of outbreak experienced in 1918.

President of schools would wish what they like but it's up to countries government to decide what's best for the general populace. Schools make billions of dollars from students every year so it's ok for them to wish things won't change but covid19 will change things from what they were before. Your optimism won't change that too

sonofakin:
We can keep doing analysis till eternity but it still wouldn't change anything. Come August, embassies might still be closed, in fact, it is very likely. The point is that you can maybe advise people not to make any active financial commitments; like paying SEVIS fee. It is really wrong to tell people to stop being positive and hopeful. Optimism is free and is inherently embedded in people that chose to be. Even as messed up as Nigeria is, some people are still hopeful that things will be better. Should we crucify them?

Misquoting me again. I never said people should not be positive or optimistic. In all my posts I used the words "tamper optimism with actual reality", "chill", "chill". I never for once tried to dim anyone's hope, positivity or optimism or sounded negative in any way. I only aired my opinion based on analysis of reality on ground.

Generally people only want people to tell them what them want to hear. Anything else will be termed "dimming their positivity". I rest my case. At least people have 2 versions of opinion here now. One opinion supporting them to carry on as if nothing is happening and my own opinion of caution as things isn't as before. Let them choose their path themselves.

Predstan:
But international students coming in by fall 2020 is not feasible especially the way Nigeria is handling Covid-19.

People can only be hopeful but I do not advise anyone to pay for Sevis until there is an order for consulars to resume activities

Now you are beginning to see my point in all of this

Mosminic:
This is false actually. Majority of schools are planning for in-person classes come fall 2020. https://www.chronicle.com/article/Here-s-a-List-of-Colleges-/248626?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20200508%20-%20GRE%20-%20NEWSLETTER%20-%20CTNT visit this page. It contains all schools that have made decisions on what they'll do come fall.

please don't misquote me. I never said schools won't plan to resume on campus. Everyone will plan to resume if it's safe to do so. Everyone will plan but no one can guarantee an on campus fall semester at this stage. All they can do is plan for on campus semester.

An international student in a foreign country without a visa and closed US embassy and borders cannot possibly plan for an on campus semester. Semester resumes in 3 months, no talk of reopening embassy, schools are still putting their reopening plans together and they might not have communicated this plans to DHS and yet people keep getting high hopes of arriving here for fall semester.

What is the possibility of DHS believing other countries are safe enough for their citizens to go and reopen embassy?

Let's let this rest now. we'll surely revisit this in August

Eniolakiite:
If we are actually being realistic, we will understand that this lockdown can't continue forever, sooner or later, everyone will have to adjust and incorporate personal protective measures. My school has emailed us that fall semester will be fully on campus and that measures will be put in place to keep everyone safe. States are already opening here. And even here in New York where we have the highest cases, people are slowly going back to work and Governor Cuomo has said hopefully by June, the state will open. Flights have started movement again two days ago in New York. In every situation, choose to remain positive. You can have other plans and take other steps but nothing wrong with remaining positive.
Better to be prepared.

New York will gradually reopen by June. I wake up everyday to watch Gov. Cuomo press conference on CNN 11:30 EST. You think I just come here to say anything I like?

New York will reopen because the hospitalization and deaths are declining. Yesterday was about 200 deaths. What will happen when they reopen and the rate goes up again?

I won't believe your school have already sent out emails saying fall semester will be on campus. My school and the general consensus I see online still haven't decided on how fall semester will be. In order not to misinform the public, please provide a screenshot of such email

Yes, people must adapt and adapt protective measures but how will the world as a global village adapt? Will international borders open for non essential stuff like schooling without a vaccine? The US and Canada border is still closed, I can't go for my planned trip to Toronto.

Borders will likely be opened eventually but will the embassy open quick enough for students to process visa for fall semester which is barely 3 months away? I don't expect you or anyone to process stuff the way I process, it's what I do everyday so I understand.

P/S: Am a very positive person but I like to call a spade a spade

UhnNah:
You’re analyzing like a Nigerian and not with FACTS!! So people should just cancel their dream of schooling abroad?! The right thing to do is have hope! It’s already getting better because countries are willing to open back their economies with the virus still lingering around! We just have to live with it till we find a permanent solution! State of Florida alone brings in around $40 billion per year from tourism and you think the economy will remain closed because government officials caught the virus? We’ve passed the ‘panic’ phase of the virus! We’re in the take responsibility phase of it!

It’s getting better...

Am not here to exchange words or call names. No one is saying people should cancel their dream of schooling abroad, all am saying is that there is a 95% chance that there won't be international students in the US come fall semester so guys should think plan B. The wise ones are already doing so, the overly optimistic ones that like to hear only what they want to hear are still dreaming of embassy reopening, successful visa interview and Trumpland in fall.

The world economy is in shambles. International students in the US are dreaming of applying for economic hardship to survive. DHS knows this and they also know that it would be extremely difficult for international students to spend tens of thousands of dollars in tuition and other expenses right now.

Summer semester is entirely online. Schools don't even know if they will have fall semester, if it will be online or how many seats will be taken out of classes if they decide to do physical classes. All this factors have not been decided for fall semester which is 3 months away. Schools were the first institution to shut down due to Covid 19 and they will likely be the last to open up

The POTUS is screaming open the economy, states are doing whatever they like, city mayors are going against their state governors and people are scared to go back to work even if they reopen.

The US death rate is almost at 80,000. Florida might open their beaches. Nevada that has similar economy like Florida is not even talking about reopening. There is talk of a worse hit second wave in fall and you think they will be want to accommodate international student as early as fall. I laugh in swahili

It's easy to say "things are getting better", what aspect is exactly getting better?

sonofakin:
What the whole academic/immigration world are trying to do is to stay positive and maybe be prepared incase things turn out well. A lot of recommendations are being made by the stakeholders concerned to adapt to the situation. Schools, SEVP, USCIS are all trying to modify policies to suit the current situation. An example is allowing schools to send i20 to students' school email addresses. Everyone is only trying to be hopeful, preparing for both the worst and the best, the alternative is doing nothing at all. Worst case scenario, one can defer the admission. Good for you that you got admission and funding and good for you that you are sad about it but everyone must not share your pessimism

Even while you try to be optimistic also try to be reasonable.

The press secretary to the US vice president tested positive to Covid 19 last Friday. Panic is high once again. Borders remain closed. Lots of temporary visitors are stuck in the US with no viable way of leaving. Lots of H1B and OPT workers that recently lost their jobs will become illegal by July if something miraculous doesn't happen between now and then and you think what the DHS is thinking right now is how to send their citizens to African countries to reopen their embassies and conduct visa interviews for potential fall semester students and bring them to the country without a vaccine

Please tamper your optimism with actual reality. The impact of Covid 19 is bigger than what you see on the surface

tracyroy:
Hello guys, please what are the chances of getting visa approved by spring if I take online classes this fall in the hope of going over by spring for on campus classes for 4 more semesters to complete the program.? Thanks.

This is why I say you guys should pause on anything US schooling till things get clear.

Doing a semester online does not guarantee the embassy will grant you visa for subsequent semesters. It's like thinking paying full tuition will guarantee you visa.

You can take a semester online, pay tuition for that semester and embassy will still deny your visa application.

Chill, chill, chill

Damian457:
Good evening guys! What’s the Visa prospects of somebody that wants to get a masters degree in a field different from his undergraduate degree?
E.g a Medical Doctor that wants to study master in Biology or Environment science.
Is that a red flag in the embassy?

Prospects are 50/50 but it has to be well calculated. Some Visa officer might see it as a red flag if it's not well calculated.

Example, most visa officer will see it as a red flag if a medical doctor is switching to go study environmental science. Environmental science is well below a medical practitioner and the switch should be in the reverse order or on the same wavelength for it to be viewed as a well calculated switch.

I switched from mech engineering to information systems. Both could be viewed to be of the same wavelength and I was already into programming so convincing a Visa officer of my switch was a walk in the park for me.

All in all, it will boil down to how the candidate package everything and how convincing he sounds on the interview. Also the visa officer would be the one to decide if he is convinced it's a genuine switch or a red flag

Eniolakiite:
There are many people here living in the US trying to get their green card so they don’t need any embassy opened. He is saying that will be paused for now. Also no one can say for sure that everyone would get their jobs back when things go back to normal. And tech jobs and other jobs have been lost. Most companies laid off plenty workers this month alone so not just menial jobs.

It is clear that you are talking as a newbie in the US ecosystem. Anybody already in the US and trying to adjust status to green card must be either working legally with H1B or other forms of work permit which the ban did not affect (and this work permits are renewable) or married to a USC. We will see how things unfold If the ban affects USC marriage based green card.

I'll drop some excerpt from experienced analyst

Trump announced that he will sign an executive order blocking most people for 60 days from receiving a permanent residency visa, or green card. But the order will still allow the government to continue processing visas for hundreds of thousands of temporary employees, including farm workers, landscapers and crab pickers — the largest source of immigration.

Why then did he make so much fuss about the ban then??


“Briefly delaying green cards for people, most of whom are already in the U.S. and working, and ignoring work visas doesn't help U.S. workers and doesn't ease pressure on hospitals, “ said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies. “Can't know for sure until there's actually something official to read, but this looks more like a political gesture than a serious policy move.”

Soon after Trump finished speaking, Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who occasionally advises the president, blasted the effort, saying Trump “failed” to protect American jobs.

"Conservatives have been pushing Trump for weeks to stop allowing temporary foreign workers into the United States during the pandemic. But so far, the president has sided with business leaders who argue immigrant workers are still needed, even with so many Americans out of work, to preserve the food supply and keep other industries staffed."

"if the executive order remains in place through the fall, Trump could once make immigration a centerpiece of his campaign, the way he did in 2016 when promised to build a wall on the southern border with Mexico and deport millions of migrants who arrived in the country illegally. During the pandemic, Trump has also restricted foreign visitors from China, Europe, Canada and Mexico, and frequently touts those decisions."

“The president is using a national health crisis to pander to his political base in an election year,” said Ayda Akalin, an immigration attorney. “Announcing an executive order feels more related to making good on campaign promises than actually trying to help the American people during this crisis."

I'll still say, if you know you know

Eniolakiite:
My point remains many Americans have become jobless during this period and he saying he is pausing immigration so that his citizens can get jobs is a good move. If you are in a leadership position and hoping to be retained, you’ll definitely make moves that will please your members.

I don't want to be drawn into a needless argument.

This is a medical pandemic not a job recession pandemic like 2008. He should be more focus on solving the health issue. He's fighting with Governors like Andrew Cuomo of new York on who should take responsibility of testing.

Right now his focus should be on ensuring aduquate testing testing and more testing so there could be a safe reopening of the country and stop diverting people's attention to immigration ban and tweeting Liberate Illinois, Michigan which are states with Democratic governors

The immigrants won't get visas to come and take anybody's job as all embassies are closed down. No need blowing trumpet on something that is irrelevant.

Most of the 22 million people that filed for unemployment are people working in mediocre jobs. These are not typical jobs immigrants come to America to do. These jobs will likely come back once everything gets back to normal.

This isn't like the 2008 wall streer crash. The main structure of the economy are still intact and everyone will gradually get back their jobs once things picks up

He should tackle the pandemic and stop diverting attention

Eniolakiite:
How many countries have the rate of unemployment the US currently has due to this pandemic. This is a pandemic, he has to take steps to protect citizens interests first. Other countries should do so too. Put your citizens first.

What you don't know is that this issue is a political move to score cheap points among his fan base. US embassy worldwide are closed and won't be opening up in 2-3 months. Countries have closed borders, only privileged travel are being permitted.

Closed embassies means there won't be any new issuance of immigrant visas that will lead to green card anytime soon too so he saying he is going to ban this and that is irrelevant except to score cheap political points.

By the way, this is a medical emergency and not an immigration pandemic and so should be treated like one and not playing politics.

His ratings have been dropping since this issue started. What better way to get in good terms with his fan base than to promise them what he promised them I 2016?

If you know you know

Nad95:
Hi, good people of this thread. I hope you're safe wherever you're. In light of the recent decision by President Donald Trump to suspend immigration to the USA. Will US schools stop giving admissions to international students? Or what will happen to the thousands of students who are waiting to travel to the US to begin their studies?

I look forward to your responses..

Thanks.

I'll still say that things are currently unclear. Don't get deceived by people on here that say you should proceed with travel plans as usual. Pause till things clear up a little.

Trump just dropped a bombshell. He will do as he as said just like how he threatened to cut WHO funding and went ahead to suspend the funding.

Embassies won't resume until Trump lays down the directives on immigration going forward.

Some schools don't really know the exact situation on ground regarding embassy in all countries. A friend who is an international student ambassador was asked about the current situation of US embassy in Nigeria. Some schools don't know and that's why they keep on issuing i20

My advice still remain, pause and watch things unfold before making any step

thekingofafrica:
abeg what is your gain by discouraging people ? American Embassies all around the world are closed and at some point, they’d reopen and anyone can schedule an interview, it will shock you people like this might have a fully funded i20 already, nah dem de go for night class lie say dem no read.

Some of una think say na everybody wey dey comment for here follow una dey naija dey find funding and visa.

iWise:
This is a terrible advice. There is no harm in being prepared.

Terrible advice?

What value is the i20 if you cannot book interview with it as the embassy is closed with no resumption date.

what value is the i20 since the US has evacuated all its citizens from the country with no return date. Who will run the embassy and interview visa candidates?

What value is the i20 if school move fall semester to January 2021. or if schools move fall semester to online making your need to be on campus useless?

The value of something lies in the importance you place on it and right now i20 should have little importance

Not requesting for i20 doesn't make one unprepared. If the poster is at i20 stage of this schooling journey, the absence of i20 cannot make him unprepared. There are other stuffs to prepare on than having i20 at hand with all these current uncertainties

tmphoto:
Hello, everyone on here I have some few questions I would like to ask for a clearer path

1: With Trump making move about reopening the United States ��, will we then be able to request for our I-20 form or we will have to wait for our own country to also open before we can make such request.

2: I don’t really know the one that someone has to put one’s proof of fund (bank statement) DS-160 form/ SEVIS. I need clearance on that as well

3: After Submitting a PROOF OF FUND for Filling the I-20 form then on the day of the interview can I bring along another PROOF OF FUND if i wasn’t able to get the previous one at hand, will it not affect the visa interview and will it also reflect that it is a different one I am submitting for the interview ?

4: One of the Schools that gave me admission didn’t indicate any form of Scholarships does this means I would have to apply for scholarships separately and or contact the school email about it.

5: I would be glad if anyone could suggest the cost of getting a Visa myself and also the other related fees like Tickets, BTA( money needed at the landing airport)

6: As I am an undergraduate student a little a young I guess but will it be advisable and worth it if I can make the procurement of the VISA myself since I will be one speaking to the VIO

If I may ask, what do you need i20 for?

The US has evacuated it's citizens from Nigeria and closed their borders all over the world till further notice. Schools over here are contemplating online class in fall semester. Summer classes have already been scheduled for online only. Some schools are even thinking moving fall semester till January 2021.

My advice is chill. Everything is uncertain right now. If I was in your shoe I'll wait till things gets a little clearer before I make any move

lordeoregon:
I'm doing my MS in Mech Engineering and currently taking 3 CIS courses as multidisciplinary electives because IT and business intelligence skills are valuable in the industry here. My 2 Naija friends who graduated from Electrical Engineering programs last December, currently work as Data Scientists at IBM and Amazon just because they took a CIS class on Computing for Data Analytics and were able to do their MS projects with Python. Will you say they were not passionate about Engineering?? I also know Industrial Engineering grads who completed MBA/Supply Chain/Procurement/Business Analyst internships last summer.

The best advise a recruiter from a career fair gave me was "Don't narrow your options by focusing on your passion alone, be ready to learn new in-demand skills". Also remember that Accounting doesn't qualify for STEM OPT, so even being a very good CPA still puts him in a tight timeline after graduation. That 12 months flies by so fast and some companies won't easily file H1B for a young grad in his first year with them! So consider that too.

What some folks have to understand is that we're just sharing opinions here. Take your time to smartly and critically choose what works for you.

Baba, leave Francophone1234 make he dey do passion passion passion. whey he go listen, glean better advice wey you dey give am, he dey talk about passion.

The hype over data and analytics won't go away anytime soon. He's even into Accounting that easily blends with analytics. What he will cool down and look for analytics or information systems course to mix with his accounting, he's here forming James Bond with passion.

What harm is there having some analytical skills anyway

N/B: It was one advice from BigFrancis21 on here that changed the course of my life and I'll be forever grateful to him.

Why even waste time to get to the US before switching? Pikin wey listen to elders no dey miss road

Shuayb0:
Thanks for this amazing response, it’s an eye opener.

I read your post about going for MS information systems in a business school. Can you please offer some suggestions. Thanks again

I can't really suggest schools because I don't know your pocket. Am the wrong person to suggest schools that will give funding for MS Information systems because me myself is still looking for the funding even after 3 semesters here...lol

Shuayb0:
Hello Everyone

This is an amazing forum with lots of people using their precious time to assist others. Kudos

Any one with info on a school with a non expensive Ms Data Science or Analytics program or one with a good prospect for graduate assistantship (I’m already applying to Minnesota state and Austin Peay State). I have a computer science degree, 3.94/5.0. Thanks

MS data science is expensive and usually not funded. MS business analytics is quite expensive and it being done in business school as packaged deal with MBA makes funding slim.

As you have a computer science degree, look for MS in computer science or computer Information Systems. This will increase your chances of funding then you can do business analytics option. You can always learn analytics online or in boot camps.

You can kill two birds with one stone. Check my other posts