Segmentation Fault: Core dumped..;-)

Why do you want to go to America?

Posted : June 21, 2004 at 5:33 pm [America/Los_Angeles]

[via Destination US: Visa only Power]

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Just how closely Chinese students strategise over the Internet on how to get visas to America at a time when fewer are being given for security reasons was revealed to the embassy recently when on one day one consular officer had scores of students come through with the same line, which some chat room had suggested would work: “I want to go to America to become a famous professor.” After hearing this all day, he was surprised to get one student who came before him and pronounced, “My mom has an artificial limb and I want to build a better artificial leg for my mom and that is why I want to study in the US.’’ The consular officer was so relieved to hear a new line that he told the young man: “You know, this is the best story I’ve heard this morning. I really salute you. I’m going to give you a visa.”

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You guessed it. The next day every other student who showed up at the embassy said he or she wanted to go to America to learn how to build “a better artificial limb for my mother”.

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Thomas Friedman

It sure used to be somewhat simpler at the time when I came to US (1995). The safest and most traditional route for many Indians was as follows:

You finished your undergraduate program and applied for admission at the [A-Z]SUs, the Clemsons and the Purdues of US. If you were qualified and lucky enough to get an admission with an assistantship (Graduate, Teaching or Research), you stood a very good chance. If you did not have an assistantship, you had to produce all kinds of financial documents (dad’s salary, inheritance, etc etc.) to show that you would not end up being a financial liability on the US government. No matter what, it was always a toss-up.

I have been here for some time now. I was in school for well over three years completing my dual Masters. Since then, I have had the privilege of working for some of the best companies in the Silicon valley. However, I think my years at ASU was easily the most fruitful and fun period of my stay here in States. Period.

Wonder what would I say or do if I was in a similar situation today, standing in a long line for a visa to go study in US. Thanks to hindsight being 20/20, how about:

Are you kidding me?

Needless to say, with that answer, my chances of attending ASU would have been as slim as me building SpaceShipOne. Zero, nothing, nil, nada, nix, aught, cipher, cypher, goose egg, naught, zero, zilch, zip. I think you get the idea

- Anand

Category: Our world