Parichehr: Welcome to EducationUSA Iran’s first podcast. I’m Parichehr, the host of this podcast. Our program today is with a student who recently came to America from Iran to the University of Maryland; her major is mechanical engineering. Hello, Azadeh, welcome.
Azadeh: Hello.
Parichehr: Can you discuss your experiences in applying to universities with us?
Azadeh: Yes, I can say that getting accepted at a U.S. university is easier than Iranian students would think. I think that the question I’m asked the most is how did you apply and get accepted? Very easily. You can go online and search different universities. Once you’ve thoroughly researched the university’s website you can find the application forms online, pay an application fee. Then you need to prepare your documents. All documents you need to submit will be listed on the department’s website. Such as your transcripts, official translations, your language scores, and other things the university might want from you. All these things can be found by searching on the internet. That’s exactly what I did.
Parichehr: Very good. What do you think helped you the most in being prepared for coming to America?
Azadeh: I thinkwhat helped me more than anything else was learning the English language. Because not only will every university require a good language score from you (TOEFL or IELTS are being accepted at a lot of universities these days) but also in the application process, filling out the application forms, the student visa interview, for all of these things we need English. I think more than anything else my grasp of the English language helped me do these things.
Parichehr: How was the student visa process for you? Did you encounter any obstacles?
Azadeh: Getting a student visa for Iranian students involves some problems because in order to get a visa they have to leave the country, get an appointment, which recently especially has been difficult but they can do that part now online. They just need to pay attention to get an appointment for the student visa even before they get the actual I-20 in their hands. As soon as the university e-mails that the student has been accepted and they are mailing out the I-20, get an appointment. But the interview itself was much easier than I expected. The questions they asked me where very simple. They just wanted to make sure that I would return to Iran after I finished my education and asked me some questions in this regard. The trouble I had, that I heard happens to a lot of people, was in the clearance process. In reality getting a visa has two parts; one is the interview which is very simple and two is waiting your visa to be cleared. Meaning once you have to go to Dubai for the interview, and then wait until the visa gets cleared and go pick it up. My clearance took a long time to complete, not for any particular reason—when a lot of people are waiting to get their visas cleared it can take a long time. I mean, I think that students should be prepared for the possibility that maybe their clearance will come late and not see it as a reason to worry. I was forced to defer my starting day until the following term, but no matter what, you should be prepared for it. It’s not that difficult.
Parichehr: What advice do you have for students currently applying universities in the U.S.?
Azadeh: I have three pieces of advice for graduate-level applicants. First, try to strengthen your academic resume. You can get a lot of use out of an academic resume and it will increase your chances of getting accepted. Second, try to publish any research, especially publish any papers or articles internationally that you can. Third, fully strengthen your English language skills. The most important thing is to have self-confidence. I think if they really want it and pursue it they can get it. . One point I must make, is I don’t think you should wait and learn English in America—there’s nothing easier and cheaper than developing your English language skills in Iran. This is the best way.
Parichehr: Did you have any difficulties when you arrived at the airport in America?
Azadeh: No, not especially. There are a series of security checks that everyone goes through at the airport—not just Iranian students or Iranians. It’s possible that your suitcases will be searched with detailed attention—but this did not happen to me. It was nothing worrisome, they asked me some simple questions such as which university are you going to? What do you plan to study? What are your plans here? These questions can be answered very simply. One issue that I think is an official law is that you aren’t permitted to bring any food items in your suitcase. So preferably don’t bring any of that in your suitcase. Any question they ask you, answer them honestly and simply, they interact with you very politely.
Parichehr: Thank you, Azadeh. We appreciate you answering our questions.
Azadeh: No problem and best wishes to any Iranian students who want to come and study in the U.S.
Parichehr: Be awaiting the release of our next program and for more information please, refer to our website www.educationusairan.org.
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