全自费MBA广州遇大水车1000而过(5.28)
今天早上3:30起床,打的到沙面美领馆的时候已经是4:40了,拿到一个好位置-45号,不前也不后.排第一位的仁兄昨晚7点钟就到了,在那儿守了一宿;第二,第三位的是Duke今年录取的MBA(俊男靓女^_^),也是CD的成员,是昨晚从珠海赶过来就在那儿排队的.
本来我是打算这个星期三或是星期四去签的,考虑到外地的人多数是在星期一签(因为周末可以过来排队),所以那天肯定会很多人;而星期五是学生和交换学者专场,一个全自费的MBA夹在一大堆拿奖学金的学生中间,没有什么优势.而如果跟一群探亲签证的老大爷老大娘一起,职业化的仪表和流利的英语估计可以占到一点便宜.谁想到星期三UMBS在深圳工作的一个同学特意请假回来探听消息,然后告诉我如果想在星期四签,必须在星期三中午去领馆登记,然后叫人帮排队,但是下午四点之前本人一定要show up,然后在那里熬一晚到第二天早上面谈(事实证明他排了20小时的队).我一听就蔫了,这么折腾法,等见到签证官时,估计咱的小命也不保了(没办法,就是这么个好吃懒做的主儿 ^_^).因此冒险决定星期五去签,因为只是F1/F2/J1签证,人会少得多.但是去的路上还在嘀咕这个贪懒的决定会不会令我遗憾终生. :) 但是事实证明今天的形势特别好,大部分人都过了.反而是星期四,据我同学说,他前面8个探亲签证都给锯了.本来他还很自信的(因为他的背景很完美),结果心里也直发毛.好在轮到他的时候,CO只问了他三个问题,花了两分钟,就给他过了,什么文件也没看.
OK,言归正传.今天7:00左右,前60名先放进去,排队等待交表(DS156,157和I-20).然后给你一个牌子(号码可能跟先前排队的号码不同,我就拿到了35号,前了十位之多).然后进入签证大厅,又是排队,等CO们8:30上班.我穿着高跟鞋,累的要命,瞅准机会霸了一张为数不多的椅子,休息了半个小时.然后到8:45左右,五个窗口陆续开了(嘿,美国人上班也迟到),边按指模边面谈.轮到我那一队的时候,那CO刷刷刷地撕绿色的卡片,每个人面谈不超过五分钟,又快又好,心中又喜又忧(怕轮到自己的时候他的心情突然变了,自己做了牺牲品).另外几个窗口也不错,Duke的两个人也过了,只是那男的太太给CO盘问了一大轮,又是看照片又是看交往证明什么的,最终还是给过了.然后9:30左右,轮到我了:
M: Good morning, Sir!
CO (Nods his head and asks me to put my index finger on the scanner, first the right hand and then the left hand)
C So you are going to University Of Michigan?
M: Yes, to persue my MBA degree hence achieving a higher career goal.
C What's your company's name?
M: xxx Film Products Company Limited.
C Does your company produce film like Kodak, Fuji film?
M (smile): No, we produce special plastic films which are used for hygienic products such as feminine napkins and baby diapers.
CO (nods his head again): What do you plan to do after graduation?
M: In the short term, I want to be a marketing manager or business development manager for a big multi-national company in China; in the long run, I wish I could be a strategic planning director to set up the development paths and business models for these companies, and help them earn more competitive edges when doing business in China.
C Who will pay for your education?
M: I'll pay part of the expenses by myself and my fiance is going to support me for the rest.
C Where is your fiance?
M: He's in Hong Kong.
C What does he do?
M: He's quite successful, working for a pharmaceutical company as a business development director. He did his undergraduate in Wharton and MBA in Kellogg.
C What's the name of his company?
M: XXX. The owners are swiss but the company is based in Philippine. So he needs to travel a lot.
C What industry do you want to be in after MBA?
M: Preferably FMCG industries.
CO (a little bit shy): What's FMCG?
M (almost faint and then smile sweetly ^_^): Sorry. FMCG companies are Fast Moving Consumer Goods Companies, such as Procter & Gamble.
CO (smiles too and hands me the green card): Come here next tuesday at 3:00 to pick up your visa.
M: Thank you very much and have a nice day! (恨不得给他抛个媚眼,哈哈)
To my surprise, he didn't ask to have a look at any of my documents: my bank statements, my fiance's affidavit letter, his salary tax returns issued by HK Inland Revenue Bureau, my certificate of employment and income and so on. It's so weird. I've prepared them for so long. I also brought with me my fiance's degrees, my company's annual report etc, but they just sat in my folder quietly. Still can't believe it.
我的背景:
1. 女性,未婚,国内无房产(所以象我这么差的背景都能过,大家应该很有信心);
2. 华南地区著名的大学化学系毕业,差不多七年;
3. 在一个中型的美国上市公司任小头(手下有4个人的团队),曾拿多次往返的商务签证到美国总部两个星期做项目,签证3月份刚刚到期(这也许是我最大的优势,因为公司是美国商会的成员,并且参加了他们的Visa Referral Program,所以上次拿签证时也特别简单,这些在领馆的电脑里应该有记录);
4. 英语十分流利, 而且据我fiance的鬼佬朋友们说,基本没什么accent.
我的几点体会:
1. 着装最好正式一点, 我今天穿的是黑白职业套装,用我同学的话来说就是一个elegant career woman, 所以感觉CO看我挺顺眼的;
2. 最好带些巧克力什么的补充能量.因为一大早起来,排队老半天,能量消耗得很快,我在那儿排队的时候就饿得要命(吃了早餐也不行),边吞唾液边在心里咒骂美帝国主义对中国良民的残酷折磨. :) 水在签证大厅可以任喝,厕所也任上,所以不用担心. :)
3. 如果有椅子的话,一定要抓紧一切机会去坐.尤其是女孩子,穿着高跟鞋,站那么久实在吃不消.到现在我的腿肚子都是酸的.
我知道CD这个网站也才是几个月以前的事,但是BBS上大家的经验给了我很大的帮助.本来我是个懒人,不想写那么多,但是为了投桃报李,还是写了一大堆.如果对大家有那么一点帮助,则我愿已足.
从去年5月底萌发申请MBA的念头以来,准备TOEFL,GMAT,申请,录取,签证,过了一关又一关.现在总算大局已定.但是发现自己并没有太多的激动,也许追求的过程才是最幸福的事吧.