Press Releases
U.S. Mission offers FREE Educational Advising for Study in the U.S.
October 25, 2007
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – Yoseph Ayele was interested in studying in the United States, but he didn’t know where to turn for help. So in 2006, he went to the Educational Advising Center at the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam. There he was able to consult the vast number of printed resources on colleges and universities in America, and search online for colleges that interested him with the free high-speed internet. He attended Student Enrichment Seminars (available monthly) that helped with interview skills, got individual help with improving his applications essays, and learned the importance of volunteerism in the college application process. He took practice tests online using resources provided by the Educational Advising Center, and got assistance with how to apply for financial aid. He received individual advice and counseling regularly. And after applying to sixteen colleges in America, this student from Mwanza was accepted to nine U.S. institutions, eight of which offered scholarships.
He accepted his offer at prestigious Harvard University, where he reports that he is fascinated by the beauty of Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is taking courses in Government, Economics, and 12-person seminar with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Samantha Power. He is a member of a study group in the Institute of Politics with Tony Leon, former leader of South Africa’s Democratic Alliance Party. In just a few months at Harvard, Ayele has heard notable speakers such as the Iraqi Foreign Minister, the President of Senegal, and Nobel Prize winner Mohamud Yunus.
And how much did Ayele pay for the help he got from the U.S. Embassy? Absolutely nothing.
Students interested in studying in the United States may search for and receive information in a variety of ways. But the best way to receive free, reliable, unbiased, information about study in the U.S., and how to apply for a student visa is through the Educational Advising Center and the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy itself. These resources are available in Tanzania for Tanzanians from the people of the U.S. because the U.S. Government wants to help potential students get reliable information.
The Educational Advising Center explains how to gain access to the U.S. educational system from the high school to graduate university level. The Educational Advising Center helps interested students locate suitable schools, access scholarship information, and learn the costs of education. It also gives them information on standardized tests and procedures they should follow to take these tests, accreditation, distance learning, fields of study, visa information, and other relevant information pertaining to study in the U.S. In addition, the Center holds monthly Student Enrichment Seminars on skills such as communication, presentations, essay writing and creative writing to help improve Tanzanian students’ applications to universities.
The Educational Advising Center holds an annual College Fair in November for students and parents who are interested in undergraduate education. During the college fair, Ayele met Admissions Officers who later offered him places at their colleges. It also hosts an annual pre-departure orientation in July for those who are admitted to U.S. colleges and universities. All these services are provided free of charge. The Educational Advisor may be contacted through email at eadar@state.gov, by calling 022 2668001, or by visiting the U.S. Embassy. The Center is open on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Together with the Educational Advising services, students need answers about student visas. Many students believe that they could never get a visa to study in the U.S., but that is simply not true. Over 60% of student visa applicants in Tanzania are successful, that equates to almost 500 Tanzanians who received student visas in 2006. Worldwide, the U.S. issued two hundred eighty thousand visas for study in 2006.
The United States actively seeks students who really want to study and learn, who really have clear academic and career goals, who honestly intend to come back to Tanzania to use their new knowledge and skills to advance Tanzania. According to Robert Hannan, Chief of the U.S. Embassy’s Consular Section, “There is no limit on the number of student visas that are issued by the Embassy. All students who demonstrate their eligibility succeed in getting visas.”
The first step is to gain admission to a U.S. college or university. Once the school sends out its acceptance notice, the applicant should follow the procedures laid out on the Consular Section’s website. The Embassy welcomes questions on the visa process and will respond to all inquiries. You can send your questions to drsniv@state.gov.
Ayele recently wrote to the Educational Advising Center from Harvard, saying “Thank you very much for helping me get here. Please continue the good work you are doing.” It is the hope of the U.S. to send as many Tanzanians as possible to study in America, both to strengthen the diverse student bodies of U.S. campuses, and also to strengthen Tanzania when those students bring their new skills back to this country.
The Educational Advising Center available at the U.S. Embassy is from the American people to the people of Tanzania as part of overall U.S. Government direct and multilateral assistance to Tanzania of more than half a billion U.S. Dollars (over 625 billion Tanzanian shillings) in fiscal year 2007.