Experience 1 

my interview was for about 50 seconds only.. 

me: hi, good mornong! :)
vo: hi. ur passport please.
(i gave)
vo: when did u finish ur b.tech?
me: this year, 2010.
vo: how much did u get? 
me: 68%, first class no b/ls
vo:y did u choose this university?
me: because it matches my profile.
vo: ok..what's your profile?
me: well..my aggregate n gre, toefl scores.
vo: how much did u get in gre?
me: 1360 and toefl 101.
vo: how wil u support ur finances?
me: both my parents are working,... blah blah blah.. i even got a fee waiver of 4000$ per sem for the first year ma'm.
vo: thats very good, congratulations, ur visa is approved! :)

keep smiling throughout the interview n look confident with whatever answer u give n u'l b thru!!

good luck!
:)

Experience 3

 my interview at HYD consulate on june 7th.....systems stopped working on that day...it was postponed to 8th june
interview on 8th june..as follows
1) for what u r going to univ? ( Ans..master's)
2) why do u want to go to this univ??
VO : ur visa is accepted and u will get it in 1 week
really it is very simple and is a matter of seconds.....all that i found out is that say with max pitch you have and confidence as always is needed.....

Experience 4

Destination North Carolina State Univ

time 8 15 date 21st june 2010

ME: good morning mam
VO: (smiles) good morning
ME: How u doing mam? (small smile)
VO: m doing gr8 how abt u? (smiles)
Me: m doing just fine (this time bigger smile)
VO: y just fine and y so serious (taunting me caz i was smiling while ans her q)
ME: mam i applied for MS visa so trying to maintain some composure!! (this time laughs a bit out loud)
VO: ( laughs out loud)
(and write something on pc and keep my documents aside i guess mostly to tell me my visa got approved
suddenly ask)
Who is sponsoring your education?
ME: my father
VO: Congr8 your Visa is approved we will courier it in 2 days, have a nice day
ME: Thank you mam

left out smiling
so no worries on visa guys

Experience 5

Finally the d day was here for me today at Mumbai consulate
it was pouring like anything in the morning and i was like man why with me 
neways reached VFS by 7.15 am 
there was long queue for lounge 
frankly speaking it is overcharged for the service they give ,locker room is sumwht like prison

reached consulate by 8.15 and has luck has it ,token were full so we have to wait outside for almost 25 min 

finally went in 
waiting anxiously for my chance 
and for my luck i got counter 4 ( hell i wanted that counter) 
Finally the interview started at 9.35 am

VO : GM how r u doing
Me: GM madam ,doing gr8 ,wat abt u 

here i played lil safe by saying that i have tendency to speak lil fast so kindly bear with me that broke the ice 

VO smiled and she said dont be nervous it's just an interview and i m sure that u will do gr8 
that reply made my day

VO: which univ
Me: SUNY Buffalo

VO: any other admits
Me: well i applied in 9 ,got admit 6 ,rejects 2 and waiting for 1

VO: which univ u got admit apart form this one 
Me: i named the univ 

VO: who will sponsor u 
Me: gave the answer tht my parents and maternal uncle

VO: how much is the income 
ME: i replied as per my parents ITR ( here i added tht this is as per last year and i m still waiting for this year ITR)

VO : u have done gr8 in interview and ur visa is being issued 
me : thank u man ,have a gr8 day

one suggestion i would like to give u all just c how VO replies while u wish that person and be as honest as u can be

well honest do sumtimes helps u 

so all d best and do well everyone 
if nebody has queries do let me knw

Experience 6

I was scheduled for 0945 hours. I reached the venue by 0900 hours (my mom accompanied me - deposit your cell phone and other electronic items at the oxford univ press gate or you can leave them to the person who accompanies you). After the initial screening and frisking, I was lead to the building where VI happened.

The person who interviewed me was a middle aged guy with black rimmed glasses - he gave a Pink slip to the person in front of me (started sweating profusely) [VO - Visa Officer]

me : Good morning [remember to maintain Eye contact]
VO : Good morning Prasaanth [types something]
VO : So, Georgia Tech? [smiles]
me : Yes sir.
VO : What is your area of specialization?
me : Wireless communication
VO : VLSI?
me : No, No .. Wireless communication
VO : Oh, what are its applications?
me : Its anything that involves wireless transfer of data For eg. Mob phones.
VO : How are you gonna fund yourself?
me : I am taking a loan for 58000 dollars and the rest is being funded by my parents
VO : Are you taking the loan in American Dollars? [smiling]
me : No sir, I converted it for your convenience
VO : how much in INR?
me : 25 lacs rupees
Kept typing for some 30 seconds or so..
VO : I am approving your visa, @#@$#$#%#%

I was too excited to hear those words that I didn't listen to what he was saying and left my bag there itself and came out - the officials called me and asked me to take it along :D..

Not even a single document was asked - but it is all about the confidence that you exude.

Experience 7

Visa Interview at Chennai Consolate on 7th July

Me: Hi!!
VO: hullo..

I pass on the documents n the VO flips thru my I 20, checks my GRE n TOEFL Scoresn thn my PDC..

VO: Whts ur percentage?
Me: 65%

VO: Hmm okay, u hav kinda ok ok scores.. But y did the School give u TA?
Me: The School has its own principles to give TA. Probably they hav not only concentrated on my academics but taken into account my extra curricular activities as well...

VO: Wht do u mean by extra curricular?
Me: Hav been a part of the organizing committee in college that has successfully conducted national n state level technical competitions whch included paper presentations, seminars, technical talks so on..

VO: U hav very gud accent.. I cud clearly understand every word of your's..
Me: Hmm oh ok..

VO: No, seriously.. So will u be teaching students as soon as u join the School?
Me: That is still not decided yet.. I ll know of that only after my arrival der..

VO: Gud.. Bloomington is a very nice place .. U ll enjoy the ambiance there.. Enjoy ur 2 years in USA.. HAv a plsnt Journey.. :)
Me: Thank you ma'am.. :)

Experience 8

Decision: Visa approved
Consulate: Chennai
Date/Time: 8th July 2010, 7:30 AM
University Heading to : UFL
Program + Department : MS in CE
Cost on I-20: 28k
Funded/Unfunded/Partially funded (details): Partially funded (AA)
Financial Summary : Family Funds.
Work Experience : Nil

BG : Good morning (he wished before I cud !)
ME : Good morning sir ! (No "How do you do" and stuffs.. The guy
before me did all that and it wud be lik flattering him if I asked
again.. So kept it simple)

BG : (Typing even before he cud start - giving me the receipt of DD
back and glancing the I20 twice) So why University of Florida.. ? (He
dint use any short forms - UFL, so I did the same while answering)
ME : (Gave him the best answer I cud.. Dont remember the exact words
but when I finished answering I was happy. Told him abt DBMS and a
Professor's work which truly impressed me. Finished the answer with
admits)

BG : So how many admits you have ?
ME : (Just told two) NCSU and UTD (Told two jus to keep it simple..
too many and you wud mess it up)

BG : On what basis was the AA awarded ? (I know I was looking dumb in
formals but this was lik an insult.. but then I was enjoying and told
him)
ME : Its based on our GRE score and our previous academic records.

BG : Your Visa has been approved and you'll get it in a week's time.
ME : (What ! I was expecting more... I prepared all these docs.. u
dont want any of it?? And then I realized what he had told.. WOW !)
Thank you sir.

Experience 9

VO: so why are you going to UMD(uMICH dearborn)??(automotiv engg)

me: the feedback from the seniors studyin theregave me a gud impression...and also my undergraduate coll profs recomended me this university...and it matches my research interests....and they have couple of facilities and a two profs currently into this field

VO: when did u graduate?
me: june 2010 
VO: so who is payin for th ecourse.?
me: my grandparents through FD's ,savings..

vo: give me your marksheetss....
ME: gave....

VO:u have a backlog!!!!
ME:yes sir unfortunately i do have one

VO:so what do you intend to do there?
ME: blah blah blah (told him my interest ..just impressed him with some technical jargon.. he seemed to be impressed)

VO:ok sir ur ......
ME: pardon me please repeat

VO:ur visa is approved u will get it in a week.

then another lady directed me to exit...

and i was out haggling with the autos for a fair price...

ths is it guys....i went in 9.30 out by 9.50.....

THEY NEVER ASKED ME EVEN A SINGLE DOC OTHER than gre toefl...ds formsoppintment letter marksheets.....

also they took my i-20 also...will they send it with the with the passport??

also i must thank the ppl in this community..i got the confidence to face it by reading all the info posted here....

SO PPL "CONFIDENCE "...............THAT WILL HELP YOU....

Experience 10

got my visa at the chennai consulate on 11th..... my results were not out and so i was a bit apprehensive about the visa interview..... but luckily they were not much bothered about the marklists...(the visa officer(VO) checked my previoous sem marklists though but it was more of just ruffling through the papers....

another point....u dont have to reach there too early...(atleast for chennai consulate... i dont know about the others...) my appointment was scheduled for 9 am and the guards will let u in only at around 8:15 into the campus.... otherwise u will have to wait on the road.....

and one more thing.... they wil not allow anybody else into the compound.... parents will have to stay on the road....

so here is my interview....
VO (a young guy): gud morning
me: gud morning sir.

(VO told me to give my passport, etc first... the guys at the documents checking section will put the required things to give first into a plastic holder... keep it as it is and give it as such to the VO..)
VO:why this university..?
me: sir it was the best of my admits for the subject which i wish to take..
VO: but why THIS university..? How did u come to this university in the first place?

( oh god.. he is in the same topic... not a gud sign,,,,)
me: (told about some research prospects etc..)

VO: who is going to fund u?
me: my parents..
VO: what r they doing?
me:(told their occupation)

VO:wat is their salary?
(oops...! i hadn't looked into that and i was shuffling through the finance papers wen he said...)
VO: wen will u graduate
me:2010
VO: show me ur marklists..
(gave him my marklists... he just ruffles through it and....)
VO: ur visa is approved and u will get it in 1 week time....

(oh god....he gave me a VISA!! the VO had this suspicious look all the time... and so it was a surprise..)

so that was it... my tip... be honest during the visa interview... and be cool...

Visa related Stuff:

Sample Visa Interviews

http://MSinUS.com/samplevisaexperiances.htm

Student(F1) Visa General Doubts

http://MSinUS.com/f1visa.htm

how to prepare for Visa Interview

http://MSinUS.com/visatips.htm

visa Documentation

http://MSinUS.com/VisaDocumentation.htm

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