₦airaland Forum

cosade:
You should start going to La Guardia airport now.

Long Post Alert; Here goes my travel and POE transcript so far; Left on August 12,

I arrived at MMIA airport quite early accompanied by my loved ones. The proper check in for our 6:30 am flight started around 2:30 and went smoothly. One man told me not to bother going for food inspection at the quarantine section and no one disturbed me. Maybe being in the middle of the night contributed to this. After getting my boarding pass I still went and sat with my family to say goodbye. With a heavy heart and fighting to keep the tears at bay, I went into the boarding area around 4:30 and completed the rest of the screening. An immigration officer asked for money half-heartedly but I rebuffed him and just went ahead. Boarding commenced soon after, the flight was right on schedule and we taxied into position and we took off around 6:35 am.

My seat was right beside the left wing and so it gave me a vantage position to experience the take-off and it was a surreal experience. (What a feat of engineering those big airplanes are!!!). The flight experience was really nice, we were served a breakfast of a buttered sandwich, yogurt, soda or juice, very small quantity of tea or coffee, and cake. We landed in Morocco around 10:30 and we were then taken to an Air Maroc lounge for those with connecting international flights to begin the ten hours wait for our flight to New York. There are beds for sleeping, charging points (round mouth sockets), tables to work or play games on laptops and comfortable chairs. Although far from luxurious the place was quite comfy and I personally liked that there is a prayer room which enabled me to perform my salats. We obtained the wifi password from one of RAM officers (be sure to ask, because it was only given to those that requested). We were served lunch of mashed rice( I call it egbo) , fish, yogurt, a small hard bread, creamed cheese and a can of soda.

After a long and tiring wait, we were bused to check in around 8:00 p.m (the sun hadn’t set yet). After going through rigorous screening including swab of laptops and tablets for traces of explosive we boarded a bigger plane (a Boeing 787, the latest Boeing I believe). The flight was full, take off smooth and we were served the same lunch we ate at the lodge although the rice was not overcooked this time and I could eat it.( The only minus for RAM, otherwise their service was excellent). I sat beside a caucasian American muslim guy and we talked for about the first 2 hours of the flight. I couldn’t sleep at the lounge and already had headache before we boarded so I had to get some sleep and slept for about three hours and we experienced some turbulence during this period. We were served sandwich, yogurt and cake just before landing. We landed around 01:07 New york time and the landing was so smooth that you would have missed it if you weren’t paying attention. I heard some claps and cheers (It is a bit embarrassing really and I strongly suspect Nigerians on the flight)
The line at customs and immigration control was a bit long but a number of windows were open and the queue moved quickly. I was placed at the line of a middle aged Caucasian man and the following transpired.

Me; Good morning Sir, and I handed over my passport, He looked at the visa and then stretched his hand to collect my I-20 and custom declaration form. After looking at the form, he said;

What kind of meat are you carrying?

Me: I don’t have meat, just dried fish, he then proceeded to write fish in front of animal product
CBP: Which food do you have?

Me: Dried yam flour, Dried cassava flakes, that’s garri,

CBP: That’s okay, place your left finger on the scanner. After the scan he critically compared my face to the pictures in my passport, visa and the one on his system. He even placed them side by side on the screen.

Me: Should I remove my glasses Sir (trying to help him reach the inevitable conclusion quickly)

CBP: No need. The after he was convinced I am for real, he asked me to remove my glasses and took my picture. He then stamped admitted, wrote D/S as duration then gave be back my passport and said Thank you.

Me: Thank you sir and proceeded to get my luggage. I was expecting Agric check but as I was following others I suddenly found myself in the arrival lounge of JFK terminal 4. That was when it dawned on me that I have officially entered the United States.

I was approached by an elderly Guinean lady, who only speaks French, She asked me if I speak French but I told her I only speak English and some Arabic. She wanted to borrow my phone to call her son but MTN network wasn’t even roaming. While I was searching for someone to borrow her a phone, an African American lady seem to sense our need and offered me her phone. We were together until her son came about an hour later to pick her. She was so grateful.(What a gracious woman!!!, the kind of African mother everyone can relate to).

I am currently in JFK trying to kill some time before taking Airporter to La Guardia airport for my connecting flight to Dallas. I have actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I don waka around all of terminal four (4) and would have taken a full tour of JFK on the airtrain, if not that I am not ready to pay $16 dollars for baggage storage. More gists later.

Labhii:
Did they demand for a return ticket because I was at Zenith and Stanbic at Oba Akran yesterday and I was declined mainly because of this.

Thanks.

ponpon:
CONTD

I had to start searching for other schools in December as the American dream and Funding hope were already doing anyhow, now it dawned on me I had to do TOEFL. The major gist was TOEFL was easy and I would pull a 100+ with one week practice and I did, because I was travelling for 3 weeks.



Sincerely,

9ice

ecoleco:
The off-campus apartment I picked has requested that I bring a check or money order for the first month's rent before keys are handed over to me. I made security deposits sometime ago with GTB Naira Mastercard and payment was received and apartment secured.

I requested that they allow me to make this payment by cash or dollar card (which I will have on me on arrival) but they said that I could use these to make subsequent payments but first payment must be by check or money order. They also gave me a mailing address should I want to mail the payment ahead of time.

The challenge is that I will arrive in my destination city around 5:30pm and banks are closed at this time. What can I do to have this check or money order on me or mailed to them before arrival to avoid sleeping on the streets on my first day?

Ndawe:
If possible, have the money transferred to your account/card you'll use to book and let it be yours to avoid stories that touch. I recently did my own US domestic flight booking with my GT Naira Mastercard, As part of the booking process, you will be informed that you won't be allowed to check in if you don't have the card that was used to book. So I'd advice you have the money transferred to the card/account you're gonna use to travel. You can go with the card na, even if you don't need it over there.

BlinkyBling:
Good day fellow Nairalanders! Got my b1/b2 visa some days ago...
Have been so excited that I have not been able to sleep for the past few days.
Anybody make me angry, I just go bring out my passport and look at my visa.
It hhas been God all the way that iget it.

OGreene:
Alright. I got 296k to DC The other cheaper deal is N223k to New York with Royal Air Maroc

Just thinking the Qatar deal is better for me, the stress of connecting to DC from jfk might be equal to the price difference

folakemmmi:
Thank you, I am just worried my GRE isn't enough and most of these Faculties that I have mailed are not replying. Is it advisable to just apply without having to contact profs before applying? Did your friend had any initial contacts with Faculties? I got admission for Msc in 2015 at University of Maryland College park with my 307 GRE but no funding, so I had to go to the UK for my Msc, hence I am skeptical about applying again to UMC.

Scholastica16:
I can live with the fact that those who got accepted had significantly better research experience, rapport with POIs, better standardized tests scores etc. But it is a very hard pill to swallow when the Iranian posting his acceptance cannot even string coherent sentences together.

Anyways, make I leave am as e dey. Thanks brother.

NefT:
I have been a silent follower of this forum. Regrettably, I  have been delayed a Visa this morning at the US consulate for the 6:30a.m appointment. My greatest fear actually came to pass; I was denied on the basis that I already hold a masters degree in Chemical Engineering and that why would I want to go for another masters degree‎.

ProfOjah1234:
Bro, How much are you seeing from here to ATL?

drhopeful:
I am dedicating a whole box to food items only. I know it shall be condemned after that. Thanks for caring. I don't use dried pepper, only fresh.

atrapon:
The eagle has finally landed!!!!!!!
Brethren, it has happened ooo, I woke up around 1am and started rehearsing the possible interview questions done by Baba Texrem and Chief Blacnewton, I started praising God from 4am to 5am. Then off to embassy from Obalende where I lodged, I was still standing beside the keke when a police man asked me to come down, I come dey reason where I go come down from, omor na em dey collect my file o, begin ask about the SOA, make I call me sister, I come change am for them, naso dey carry me and two other guys with fake SOA to ATM machine, those guys withdrew and sorted their way leaving stubborn me there around after 6.they come give me my PASSPORT make I dey go after enough argument. (first victory)

chinemomah2020:
Visa Approved Today at Lagos Embassy.. 6:30am

Ndawe:
Visa approved this morning at Walter Carrington and the process was a bit tedious, I tire to stand. Also, the Nigerian staff at the embassy are so RUDE & NASTY; I just can't deal. Anyways, I got to the embassy just before 6.30am and my appointment was for 7.30am. The biometric checks and all that pre-interview stuff took a while (see crowd ehn) and it was quite stuffy because the A.C was having issues. So I was directed to window 2 and interviewed by who seemed to be a "new guy" because his supervisor was with him and kinda giving him instructions but they were both very pleasant and we had a few laughs. Here goes:

Sbrainy:
Your inputs are greatly acknowledged

lalahhh:
Congratulations.........
I was scheduled to go for the interview today. I went there but I was denied. Here is how the interview went.
VO - Good morning
Me - Good morning, how are you?
VO - Fine thank you . Please pass your passport and I 20.
Me - I did
VO - so why Arcadia University
Me - I did an online research and I liked the structure of the program at Arcadia. Arcadia offers better expose and ...
VO cuts in
VO - why Arcadia University
Me - apart from this, one of my undergraduate lectures told me to apply to Arcadia University
VO cuts in
VO - You are still not answering the question I asked you ...
Me - like I said I did an online research and my sister did too and we decided for Arcadia University
VO - U know what, I did the same course you are going for. So why Arcadia University why not the school I attended . I bet if I google schools who offer IPCR I won't find Arcadia.
VO presses the keyboard and says you see I can't find Arcadia but I can find the school I went to.
VO - I regret to you inform but you cannot be granted the visa at this point . Pls go back and do your research well and come back.
Me - when should I come back ?
VO - you can come back tomorrow if you get a space while booking .
So I left , I'm planning to try again.
I don't know if I said anything wrong or probably the answer I gave him wasn't enough. Pls tell me so I can prepare for the next appointment.

Sbrainy:
With deep gratitude to God for answered prayers, am grateful for HIS pleasant surprises.

drhopeful:
Congratulations Time2Smile! Please do you know where @scholastica16 is?

folmus:
Congrat baba, but this interview go pass one minute with all the typing; it took me more than one minute to read your interview gan PhD applicants will hardly have problem if they know why the are there. Congra!!!

towbaynah:
Visa approved at the Lagos consulate about an hour 30 minutes ago. Transcript loading!!! As e dey hot!!


Modified:

I erroneously posted this here out of utter excitement lol. Would post the transcript in the student visa thread. Morning, family.

OluDare01:
Lol, you think we follow admission session here
This thread doesn't go more than 400 pages before justy creates a new part

Ndawe:
It takes 2 business days to reflect. Then 10-11th were somewhat available to book, then after that, the next available date is 21st, to help with your decision.

OluDare01:
Part 12 loading.
Buhari seff

Walspring:
It is not but its number generated from www.ceac.state.gov and its generated immediately you start filling the form or the next page at the right top corner of the site

sirRiddy:
"Have the Educational Testing Service (ETS) submit your scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), aptitude portion only, to University of XYZ’s Graduate School"


This is one of the requirements of a grad program.
Please gurus, I need clarification on this.
What part of the GRE is/are being referred to here?
I have a feeling it is just quant and verbal, please let me have your opinions. Thank you.