Omamode recalls his journey from Nigeria to the US:Shiksha Success Stories
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Studyabroad.shiksha.com got in touch with one of the international student we counselled – Omamode Ohwofa, who got admission to American University in Washington DC, US for the MBA course.
Q: Was US your only choice as study destination or did you consider other countries as well?
Omamode Ohwofa: The American education system is very valuable and I get to experience it now. I have had a diverse experience in education as I have studied in Nigeria and UK. I was looking for a diverse society and culture which is why I chose US.
Q: Did you have any apprehensions when you signed up for Shiksha study abroad counselling service?
OO: As far as not meeting the counsellors in person is concerned, I had nothing to lose as everything was done through e-mails or WhatsApp. So I thought why not go for it and we’ll see whatever becomes of it. Even though there was no physical presence of the Shiksha counsellor, my experience of working with him was great.
Q: Did you hire the services of any other counsellor before you discovered Shiksha?
OO: My experience with Shiksha was special. Back in Nigeria, there are a lot of counsellors who help you with applying to universities abroad. I did visit a couple of them but for some reason or the other things didn’t work out. There was no connection, no zeal shown by the counsellors, it felt like a task. But my Shiksha counsellor was very professional and friendly. He kept reminding me of the deadlines and made me follow the timelines. I would get tired but he would push me and motivate me to get my things together. Writing the statement of purpose took a while because I was working at the time but we managed to make it work.
My Shiksha counsellor kept me going, he would call me to follow up on the timelines and deadlines. He and I are friends now, it never felt like a business relationship.
Q: How did you approach your Statement of Purpose (SoP) and Letters of Recommendation (LoR)?
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OO:Everyone has a general style of writing statements of purpose, which could be based on your experience. I did that part and passed on my draft to the editor at Shiksha. She gave me recommendations on how I could focus on specific things like goals and aspirations. Those tips and advice did help me a lot. I also got a very important feedback on how you have to change your writing style according to the country. In America, they have a different way of phrasing their sentences and writing overall. So I kept that in mind and made the changes accordingly.
Q: According to you, which was the best thing about the Shiksha counselling services?
OO: I would say the speed of communication, the promptness of the counsellors to get back to me whenever I tried to contact him. If you have a laptop, internet connection and a phone you are good to go with the Shiksha services. I never felt the need to have a meeting in person and even if I did, I knew there is internet and Skype and I could talk to the counsellor anytime. Shiksha has the potential to help anyone anywhere in the world. Initially my counsellor told me that the services were exclusively for Indian students but he took the initiative and said let’s give it a try. It proved to be quite successful as I’m at the college of my choice right now!
Q: What was the most challenging part about applying to universities abroad?
OO: It would depend on which stage the person is at the time. I was working and creating my application. I was juggling between my work hours and writing statement of purpose, and to write it you need to sit down and relax, then focus on how you are going to frame the content. You could be applying to one or five colleges, and you need to tailor your application for each one of them accordingly. I wouldn’t say writing SoP was a challenge but it took a lot of time.
Q: How is your experience of living in the US so far?
OO: I have been here for almost one and half months now. It is a new experience, a completely new society. I have to fit in here as I came here primarily to study and get good grades. Right now I’m soaking everything in and I’m open to new experiences. I also know that I have to put in my best and work hard as the academics are really competitive here.
Q: Do you have any advice for prospective international students?
OO: You need to start early with your applications. In my case I started quite late and I thought I would make it but most of the intakes were closed by the time my application was ready, and it would help if you start early. You will have time to correct any mistakes and you will get to choose from a lot more college options. So plan at least a year ahead and stay on track.
I would say Shiksha is the best way to go about for anyone considering studying abroad. I have recommended Shiksha services to 3-4 friends already.
Read more Shiksha Success Stories:
- How Priyanka scored a scholarship to study in US
- P. Gopinath's journey to making to the course of his choice at Sweden
- Sourabh shares his experience of successfully applying to universities at US and Canada
- Shubhansh's journey from quitting his job to getting into NJIT
- Vaibhav on why European universities were his exclusive choice
- Why Aishvarya chose a Canadian university over American colleges
- How Ankit made it to Lakehead University's most popular course
- How Medha made the decision between pursuing MBA and MS
Pick your stage and get free guidance from counsellors who've helped thousands get into top universities.
Starting research
Shortlisting colleges
Exam preparation
SOP/LOR writing
Scholarship & finance
Visa application
Statement of Purpose
Letter of Recommendation
Student Visa Application
Admission Essay Writing
Student Curriculum Vitae
The Alabama University application fee for International students vary by application type. Mentioned below are the application fee for UG and PG applications at Alabama: