SMA PLT BELIEVES HE WILL FIND A BREAK IN CLOUDS AT DEST TO DSND FOR LNDG. NOT SO! FLT ASSIST.

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I PLANNED TO LEAVE NE PHILADELPHIA ARPT AT XX00 AM LCL. THE BRIEFING FOR MY DEST; INT; NC; WAS FORECAST FOR '6500;' BUT I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS BROKEN; OVCST OR SCATTERED. I ONLY REMEMBER SAYING 'I'LL FIND A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS TO DSND.' I FILED VFR FOR 6500 FT. WHEN I WAS GOING TO TKOF; I FOUND A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS AND TOOK OFF. I GOT FLT FOLLOWING; AND REQUESTED 7500 FT TO MAINTAIN VFR. AS I GOT CLOSER TO MY DEST; WINSTON-SALEM; NC; THE RPT WAS 800 OVCST (IFR!). THERE WAS NO BREAK ANYWHERE NEAR; AND I HAD 1 HR OF FUEL AT BEST. I HAD TO DSND AND LAND. THE CTLR AT GSO SAID '1200 AND OVCST AT GSO.' I TOLD HIM 'I WOULD LIKE TO LAND AT GSO.' HE THEN ASKED ME IF MY ACFT I WAS IFR EQUIPPED; AND IT WAS; AND ALTHOUGH I'M AN INST STUDENT; I TOLD HIM 'NO; BUT I'M AN INST STUDENT.' HE SAID I COULD LAND AND TO DSND VFR. HE TOLD ME TO DSND AT INCREMENTS THAT TURNED OUT TO BE ABOUT EVERY 2000 FT; FROM 7500 FT. HE ASKED ME AFTER EVERY 1500-2000 FT MY VISIBILITY; AND I SAID '0 VISIBILITY.' AT ABOUT 3500 FT; I ASKED HIM FOR VECTORS FOR THE APCH; HE AGREED. BUT HE WANTED ME TO HAVE VFR VISIBILITY CONDITIONS; SO IT TURNED OUT THAT I WAS 800 FT AGL AND GOT RADAR VECTORS (BELOW MVA). I REALIZED THAT IT WAS BUSTING REGS TO PENETRATE IMC CONDITIONS WITHOUT IFR RATING. HE THEN TOLD ME WHEN I LANDED TO CALL THE TWR; AND I DID. I BELIEVE THESE ARE THE ERRORS IN MY PLANNING: 1) WHEN THE FAA WX BRIEFER DID NOT RECOMMEND VFR; I SHOULD HAVE EXAMINED CONDITIONS BETTER. 2) I DECIDED TO FLY ON TOP; TO GIVE ME ADEQUATE RADIO NAV (VOR; DME; ETC). 3) I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN UPDATES ALONG THE WAY FOR RTE DEST. 4) JUST BECAUSE I HAVE 200 HRS PLUS; AND HAVE RECEIVED EXTENSIVE ACTUAL SIMULATED INST TRAINING; I SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID TO MYSELF 'I'LL FIND A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS; KNOWING THAT IF I HAD TO DSND IMC CONDITIONS; I WOULD BE ABLE TO. (I DID NOT EXPECT DSCNT THROUGH THE IMC CONDITIONS TO LAST MORE THAN 1000 FT).