Preparing the study visa application is a pretty easy thing to accomplish, but what with work and procrastination, it took me nearly two weeks.
A study visa falls under the category of non-immigrant visas so this procedure applies:
PROCEDURE FOR NON-IMMIGRANT US VISAS
Once you receive the I-20 from your school, you have to pay the visa fee (see my post on payment thru BPI), fill in the online DS-160 form, prepare your pictures and pay the SEVIS fee before you can schedule your interview. Visa payments are valid for a year so you can do this ahead of time, along with the pictures. You also have to upload a copy of your picture on the online form -- I highly recommend you to use the photo tool available on the DS-160 website so that you are assured that the photo you're uploading will be accepted by the system.
These links were pretty useful for the parts of the DS-160 form that I found confusing:
GUIDE FOR FILLING DS-160 FORM
AVOIDING DS-160 PITFALLS
I had noticed that the embassy procedure emphasizes that applications should state the Mother's Complete Maiden Name but the DS-160 form merely asks for the Mother's Complete Name. I was confused by this so I called up the Embassy to ask. The rep who answered my inquiry told me to just answer the form directly (!!!) -- if it wasn't asking for my mother's maiden name, I can just use her "married" surname.
For the SEVIS, you just have to fill in the online I-901 form and pay the SEVIS fee ($200). You can pay via credit card; just print out the online receipt to bring on the day of your visa interview. This is the link to the SEVIS Main Page:
SEVIS MAIN PAGE
After this, you will then be ready to schedule your visa interview. I had finished my online application last April 26 (I think) and the earliest slot available was on May 3. I had dreaded that there would be a long wait before I'd have my interview, but it wasn't actually a problem. I guess they have a number of slots specially reserved for study visa applicants on each day. I went the online route to schedule my visa interview (way easier than via phone).
========================================================
On the day of my interview, I arrived two hours earlier than my appointment. The interview location is actually at the US Embassy Annex, which is located by the footbridge near the UN Avenue-Roxas Boulevard intersection. Bring fans, umbrellas, a black ballpen, and a book to help you pass the time. Cellphones and other electronic devices aren't allowed inside.
Look for a guard and ask him what batch of applicants are already being asked to line up. (The batch refers to the time of appointment -- eg. 8:30, 9:00, etc.) Those whose batch has been called will already be in orderly lines in the grassy area in front of the annex. The embassy personnel will then check your passport and DS-160 confirmation form, and will review the list of applicants scheduled for that batch to see whether your name is there. They will give you a pink piece of paper that you have to fill in. Then, your batch will go through a security check and go to a counter where you will be assigned individual numbers. After this, the waiting begins.
Once your number is called (by a greeter shouting out batches of numbers), you enter the building proper, go through another security check and fall in line for a preliminary review. After this, you will have to wait for your number to be flashed on the board before you undergo the fingerprint-capture. After yet another wait, your number will again be flashed on the board to direct you to the window of the consular officer who'll be interviewing you. What could make the waiting time quite long is the fact that the numbers flashed on the board are in no particular order. (The "randomness" occurs within a group of around 30-40 consecutive numbers -- from what I observed -- so you can somehow estimate how long you still have to wait.)
My interview was pretty quick (less than 5 minutes, I think). What I didn't bring to the interview that the consul asked for? My undergrad transcripts. The consular officer didn't even check my financial documents.
All in all, I took 2.5 hours to finish the application process. I heard a greeter tell an applicant that the passport will be delivered in 3-5 days. I haven't received mine yet; hopefully, it's on its way.
NOTE: Even if your visa is granted, it does not guarantee your entry into the US. This is ultimately up to the INS [The immigration and Naturalization service]. It is also the job of the INS to determine how long you may remain in the United States.
At the US port of entry, an INS official validates Form I-94 (Record of Arrival-Departure), which states the length of stay permitted. This will be a small white card issued by the INS upon your entry to the U.S. The form I-94 is your permit to stay in the U.S.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Financing your MBA: Scholarships
If you were to talk to an ordinary Filipino and tell him that you were taking your graduate degree in the US, he assumes either of the following:
1. You have a scholarship. A full tuition and board scholarship, with an allowance that you can live on.
Or:
2. You're rich and your family/parents are paying for it. For every single penny.
Sad to say, there are a lot of Filipino MBA students who don't exactly fall into either category, and usually have tuition and living expenses to worry about. If you're planning to take your MBA in the US, be warned: you have a lot of competition for those full scholarships. At most, you will probably get a significant fellowship in tuition fees on account of your being an international student from a developing country. (Read: significant, not full. And that's only for tuition, living expenses not included.) Don't pin all your hopes on getting a free ride.
The two-year MBA program at ultra-elite schools (eg. Harvard, Stanford, Kellogg) has a price tag of Php 8-9 million. That's a lot of money! But ultra-elite schools also typically have a lot of money available for fellowships. And if you land a full scholarship, then good for you! The kind of deal offered by the Eller MBA program, which offers scholarships specifically for Filipinos, is rare in US schools.
In case you're wondering what other options there are in getting a full scholarship, there is only one I can think of: the Fulbright scholarship offered by PAEF(the catch here is that you have to go back to the Philippines once you complete your studies).
There are a few partial scholarships up for grabs that you can search for on the Internet, but I'm betting that you have a lot of competition for those. Which isn't to say, by the way, that you shouldn't apply. I've applied to those myself, and have crossed my fingers.
There are the QS scholarships, for example. I found out about these by attending the QS World MBA Tour here in Manila. Attending the event and answering the online survey afterwards will give you a chance to apply for these scholarships. There are scholarships for specific schools, as well as general scholarships. For the latter, the QS Leadership Scholarship awards $10,000 to the lucky applicant, and the QS Community Scholarships award $2,000 each to five lucky candidates.
Other links you might want to check are:
Whenever I come across scholarships specifically for Canadians, Brazilians or even Indonesians, I feel frustrated that there aren't any -- at least, I haven't come across any -- foundations offering MBA study-abroad scholarships to Filipinos. I know that there are a lot of Filipino MBAs who graduated from foreign schools and built successful careers for themselves here or abroad, but I guess the concept of giving back to fellow countrymen is not so prevalent in our culture. I salute the Asian Institute of Management for offering scholarships, but AIM is in Manila. There are MBA applicants (like me) who want to experience the world outside of Manila. Really -- do all Filipino MBA applicants have the means to study? Are Filipinos so good that they can easily snag full scholarships? I mean, there are MBA applicants who could definitely use some help here...
For more details on how I'm paying for my MBA, visit this link.
1. You have a scholarship. A full tuition and board scholarship, with an allowance that you can live on.
Or:
2. You're rich and your family/parents are paying for it. For every single penny.
Sad to say, there are a lot of Filipino MBA students who don't exactly fall into either category, and usually have tuition and living expenses to worry about. If you're planning to take your MBA in the US, be warned: you have a lot of competition for those full scholarships. At most, you will probably get a significant fellowship in tuition fees on account of your being an international student from a developing country. (Read: significant, not full. And that's only for tuition, living expenses not included.) Don't pin all your hopes on getting a free ride.
The two-year MBA program at ultra-elite schools (eg. Harvard, Stanford, Kellogg) has a price tag of Php 8-9 million. That's a lot of money! But ultra-elite schools also typically have a lot of money available for fellowships. And if you land a full scholarship, then good for you! The kind of deal offered by the Eller MBA program, which offers scholarships specifically for Filipinos, is rare in US schools.
In case you're wondering what other options there are in getting a full scholarship, there is only one I can think of: the Fulbright scholarship offered by PAEF(the catch here is that you have to go back to the Philippines once you complete your studies).
There are a few partial scholarships up for grabs that you can search for on the Internet, but I'm betting that you have a lot of competition for those. Which isn't to say, by the way, that you shouldn't apply. I've applied to those myself, and have crossed my fingers.
There are the QS scholarships, for example. I found out about these by attending the QS World MBA Tour here in Manila. Attending the event and answering the online survey afterwards will give you a chance to apply for these scholarships. There are scholarships for specific schools, as well as general scholarships. For the latter, the QS Leadership Scholarship awards $10,000 to the lucky applicant, and the QS Community Scholarships award $2,000 each to five lucky candidates.
Other links you might want to check are:
- http://fastweb.com
- http://finaid.org
- http://scholarships.com
- The American Association of University Women - http://www.aauw.org/fga/fellowships_grants/index.cfm
The American Association of University Women offers fellowships to female international students studying in the United States. Some fellowships are available for minority women who are U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents. International Fellowships are awarded for full-time study or research in the United States to women who are not United States citizens or permanent residents. Both graduate and postgraduate study at accredited institutions is supported. - The International Education Financial Aid Website - http://www.iefa.org/
The International Education Financial Aid Website provides college scholarship and loan information for international students wishing to study abroad There are many scholarships available on this website.
Whenever I come across scholarships specifically for Canadians, Brazilians or even Indonesians, I feel frustrated that there aren't any -- at least, I haven't come across any -- foundations offering MBA study-abroad scholarships to Filipinos. I know that there are a lot of Filipino MBAs who graduated from foreign schools and built successful careers for themselves here or abroad, but I guess the concept of giving back to fellow countrymen is not so prevalent in our culture. I salute the Asian Institute of Management for offering scholarships, but AIM is in Manila. There are MBA applicants (like me) who want to experience the world outside of Manila. Really -- do all Filipino MBA applicants have the means to study? Are Filipinos so good that they can easily snag full scholarships? I mean, there are MBA applicants who could definitely use some help here...
For more details on how I'm paying for my MBA, visit this link.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
For Filipinos: A Rundown of MBA Expenses Before Arriving on Campus
I keep a rundown of the MBA-related expenses I've had so far. If someone were to ask me how much he/she would have to budget for MBA applications to five US schools, I'd give the following estimates:
Php 5,000 = TOEFL and GMAT reviewers (around 3)
8,000 = TOEFL (with 4 score reports)
750 = additional TOEFL score report
11,000 = GMAT (with 5 score reports)
50,000 = application fees (five US schools, around $230/app.)
Note: At this time of writing, ultra-elite schools charge as much as $265 for an MBA application. But there are still reputable, highly-ranked US schools out there that charge less than $200.
The total would be Php74,750.00 (dollar exchange rate in the Php43 range).
This total assumes that you don't avail of GMAT reviewer courses from Kaplan, etc, nor receive any exam waiver. It assumes that you are satisfied with the 3 reviewers you've picked. It also assumes that you don't change your mind about schools mid-way during the application process, 'coz if you do, then that entails additional TOEFL and GMAT score reports (Php 750 and Php 1200, respectively). This estimate assumes that you are satisfied with your test scores and wouldn't need any retakes. It also assumes that the schools you've applied to don't require any hardcopy documents from you prior to admission.
Some schools provide waivers, of course, but don't pin your hopes on that. From last I heard (March this year), the PAEF office has no budget yet for opportunity grants. So, you're on your own.
==============================================================
Once you've been accepted to a school, you would need to pay a confirmation fee to save your seat. You are typically given a month to decide whether or not to pay the fee. High-ranked schools usually charge $1,000 - $2,000 for this. So that's:
Php 43,000 = confirmation fee for a high-ranked school (dollar exchange rate in the Php43 range)
Running total: Php117,750.00
Applicants usually submit all their school applications in one round (Round 1/Round 2/Round 3) because submitting your applications in different rounds could end up very expensive as you save seats in different schools. Getting offers from all the schools you've applied to is a very nice problem to have, but it's definitely wise to have an idea of what the deciding factor will be in such a case (eg. fellowships, location, etc).
===============================================================
Filipinos have to apply for an F1 study visa from the US embassy. You need an I-20 form from the school, and financial documents to prove that you have enough money for the entire course of study. In my case, I had my bank issue bank certificates and asked my financial sponsor to sign a guarantee letter.
Php 200 = notary public (for the sponsor guarantee letter)
200 = bank certificates for 2 accounts
1,300 = delivery of financial documents to my school via LBC
Php 5,000 = TOEFL and GMAT reviewers (around 3)
8,000 = TOEFL (with 4 score reports)
750 = additional TOEFL score report
11,000 = GMAT (with 5 score reports)
50,000 = application fees (five US schools, around $230/app.)
Note: At this time of writing, ultra-elite schools charge as much as $265 for an MBA application. But there are still reputable, highly-ranked US schools out there that charge less than $200.
The total would be Php74,750.00 (dollar exchange rate in the Php43 range).
This total assumes that you don't avail of GMAT reviewer courses from Kaplan, etc, nor receive any exam waiver. It assumes that you are satisfied with the 3 reviewers you've picked. It also assumes that you don't change your mind about schools mid-way during the application process, 'coz if you do, then that entails additional TOEFL and GMAT score reports (Php 750 and Php 1200, respectively). This estimate assumes that you are satisfied with your test scores and wouldn't need any retakes. It also assumes that the schools you've applied to don't require any hardcopy documents from you prior to admission.
Some schools provide waivers, of course, but don't pin your hopes on that. From last I heard (March this year), the PAEF office has no budget yet for opportunity grants. So, you're on your own.
==============================================================
Once you've been accepted to a school, you would need to pay a confirmation fee to save your seat. You are typically given a month to decide whether or not to pay the fee. High-ranked schools usually charge $1,000 - $2,000 for this. So that's:
Php 43,000 = confirmation fee for a high-ranked school (dollar exchange rate in the Php43 range)
Running total: Php117,750.00
Applicants usually submit all their school applications in one round (Round 1/Round 2/Round 3) because submitting your applications in different rounds could end up very expensive as you save seats in different schools. Getting offers from all the schools you've applied to is a very nice problem to have, but it's definitely wise to have an idea of what the deciding factor will be in such a case (eg. fellowships, location, etc).
===============================================================
Filipinos have to apply for an F1 study visa from the US embassy. You need an I-20 form from the school, and financial documents to prove that you have enough money for the entire course of study. In my case, I had my bank issue bank certificates and asked my financial sponsor to sign a guarantee letter.
Php 200 = notary public (for the sponsor guarantee letter)
200 = bank certificates for 2 accounts
1,300 = delivery of financial documents to my school via LBC
Running total: Php119,450.00
===============================================================
Once you receive the I-20 form, you can now apply for the study visa. Before anything else, you have to pay the visa application fee, which you can do once you receive your acceptance letter. (Visa application payments are valid for one year.) As a student, you also have to pay the SEVIS fee (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System managed by the US Department of Homeland Security).
Php 6,880 = visa application fee
9,000 = SEVIS fee
Running total: Php135,280.00
So far, those are the expenses on my list. I still have to book a flight to my school and pay orientation fees. I hope this gives you an idea (in Philippine pesos) of how much to prepare in case you plan to take your MBA in the US. I hope this didn't make your blood pressure rise in shock. (I paid for all of these on my own, but I prepared years for this.)
Wow, a pretty long post! Any questions? Just email or reply in the comments below.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)