昨天通过,今天刚拿到护照,谈点经过。
1、把官方信息作为标准。所有其他方面的信息(包括我提供的在内)仅仅能作为参考,一定要以签证所在地官方信息为准。我在签证之前首先搜集、阅读了官网的信息,有效避免了各种误导。就我在成都经历而言,这些传说都是错误的:DS-160要求写电码,手写中文住址,粘贴中信银行收据、照片。这或许是其他领馆的要求,但不是成都的要求。
2、签证“泡沫”。中介们必然把签证神秘化,复杂化。如果他们告诉你,准备好材料,符合条件的人一般都能过,他们还怎么混饭吃?我只有照相是在中介那里照的。类似的泡沫太多。例如如果每个GRE的培训者都告诉你词汇要靠自己背,记忆法、归类等等的效果非常有限,你还去上GRE培训班吗?GRE的泡沫的前提就是他们必须制造一个自己有独门秘方的假象。房产泡沫的前提就是:房价一直向上。稍有经济史知识的人便知不是如此。还有很多啦。太多的骗局、谎言与泡沫!
3、拿来主义。网上流传的东西垃圾很多,但是有的还是可以用的。例如,收入证明等等,把别人的改改就成自己的了(换成自己的真实信息)。但是,例如学习计划、25问等等,网上的答案实在太糟糕。答案**者的水平太低。那个25问的提问本身似乎都有很多语法错误。例如
2) What is the difficult class do you have?
什么语法!应该说:What is the difficult class that you have taken? OR What difficult class did you take? OR Which course do you find most challenging?
总之,看网上的东西要有“过滤”的本领,把垃圾扔掉。
4、看待85%的通过率。经济学研究的最基本要求就是不要只看数据的表象,一定要看数据的构成、计算方法等等。如果我们问一个条件概率:已知一个申请人是PHD 全奖,请问他的通过率是多少?我相信这个数据是相当高的。我的两位朋友都是PHD 全奖,你们应该充分准备然后放松。
5、我的经历。
我那天预约1点半,一直站到了5点左右才签到。幸好中午朋友请我在食堂吃饭的时候我吃得比较多。一个女生午饭没吃,一直从12点等到5点,真不容易。我们那天主要是夏令营太多。当然,我也觉得领馆的工作人员不容易。收材料的女士嗓子已经沙哑了。有时候想想,在一个民族主义非理性高涨的地方,大家都挤到美领馆签证,真有意思!
我实际的签证时间很短。
VO: So you are going to ** university to learn economics
Daniel: Yes.
VO: Do you have a bachelor’s degree in economics?
DANIEL: Yes. I have got both my mater’s degree and bachelor’s degree in economics.
VO: It seems that they are not charging you anything.
Daniel: Yes. They gave me the full funding.
VO: Congratulations.
Daniel: Should I show you the offer letter?
VO: NO. That is unnecessary.
当然了,同样的签证官在询问其他几个申请者的时候用时就相对较长,让他们出示了不少材料。
我祝福我的两位朋友和其他的申请人一样都顺利通过。我的建议只是:充分准备、放松。
Checklist of Visa Application Documents
Applicant:
Purpose of F-1 Visa Application: PhD, Economics
Appointment Number:
Part A: Required Documents
1. DS-160 confirmation page with barcode (Confirmation Number:)
2. A 2 inch x 2 inch photo
3. Passport (Passport Number:)
4. A receipt from CITIC Bank for the application fee (2 copies)
5. I-20 form (signed)
6. SEVIS fee receipt (SEVIS Number:)
Part B: Documents Demonstrating Sufficient Financial Resources
1. Offer letter from the department of economics: Full Funding (Academic Year 2010)
Tuition Waiver
Health Insurance
Graduate Assistantship:
Graduate Fellowship:
2. Admission letter from the graduate school
3. Certification of Deposit Sum: CNY
4. Property Ownership Certificate
5. Parents’ Income and Position Certificates
Mr. (Father) Total Annual Income (Year 2009): CNY
Ms. (Mother) Total Annual Income (Year 2009): CNY
6. Household Register (Hukou)
Part C: Documents about My Academic History
1. M.A. Economics, * University, China, Jun.
2. B.A. Economics, * University, China, Jul.
3. Transcripts (MA & BA), * University, Sep.
Graduate:
Undergraduate:
Ranking:
4. High School Diploma, * Middle School,
5. GRE Score Report:
6. TOEFL(ibt) Score Report :
7. Resume
8. MA Thesis:
Part D: Documents about My Academic Future
1. Ph.D. Required Plan of Study (by the Department of Economics,)
2. Personal Plan
3. Support letter (by Prof.)
4. Introduction to the University
5. Introduction to the Department of Economics
6. Webpage of Director of Graduate Studies (my advisor for the first two years)
Part E: Other Documents
1. My ID card
2. My parents’ ID cards
3. Family photo