eklavya

maybe they are waiting some paperworks from you? but you should call - it won't affect your admission and enrollment. also, some schools i know of let the graduate admissions handle graduate level i20s (instead of the int'l office). so you might want to inquire on that as well. good luck!

why take 'all the same classes over again'? won't they transfer most of your credits?

usually 1-2 weeks after you submit the necessary paperwork for them to issue the i20. all they (either the grad office or the int'l office - in many schools, the graduate level i20s are processed by the grad office) need is your letter of admission and proof of financial support. to get it, like Bukharan said, depends on snail mail's speed.

if the landlord is okay with you signing the lease, it can be done via email and fax. but i strongly recommend that you don't sign a long term lease without actually seeing the property in person. a very nice alternative to this is to get a room in a house or an apt where someone else is already living. they will have the first hand experience of living at that place and will probably help you sing the lease and all that. in addition, also look for on campus housing. although they are usually not the cheapest and best ones, but it will get you by for a couple of semesters. then you can move after your contract is over, or before by subletting it.

MS or PhD? regardless, talk to current grad students in both programs about the academics, stipends, PoIs, job placements, social life and so on. they will be able to tell you a lot more as well as give you a better picture of what it will be like than any website article. draw your decision based on what you gather. if there isn't enough time to do all that, ask your profs at your current school and search on the internet. am sure you will make a good decision.

same here. got a used one for 5$, and works awesome. to OP: talk to your neighbors when you move - people living next door, floors above and below and such. they might let you use theirs for a nominal fee.

wouldn't define myself as an addict, but i've basically looked at every single street possible within 2 mile radius of my apt and campus building. by deductive reasoning, seemed like the wisest thing to do in a city of unknowns. now every time i open google maps, it feels the buildings and parked cars are saying 'hi' to me.

heh - i knowingly used a random picture in my visa application because i didn't have a recent photo of mine. it wasn't accepted - no surprise there. so, i flew home, and took a printed photo to the consulate.

just FYI, there's no such thing as visa renewal. you need to reapply if you visa has expired or is about to expire.

personally, i think furniture are big waste... especially if you buy them new. they cause pain in the rear when you move again. that's why i get on craigslist, find cheap furnitures or go to yard sales and get them at dirt cheap price. so when it's time to switch rooms/apts, i don't really mind leaving behind my 20$ command-center-sized desk. if you don't move, it's even better. yea, dig around more on these. the 'unversity services fees' are charged almost universally. at my uni, it runs around 600$/semester.

how are UofM folks doin? everyone has a place to crash in for the fall?

also clear your browser's cache and cookies every once in a while. but so far, the links work for me. i use firefox.

getting multiple I20s isn't a problem at all... i had 3 I20s when i applied to undergrad programs in the US. however, when you apply for F1 later, you will have to fill out and pay for the SEVIS, which is a document that links you to an I20 (and the school which issued the I20). at that time, you have to decide which school you want to attend, and use that one. you cannot use multiple I20s to file SEVIS and obtain an F1 visa. congratulations on the acceptances - i hope you do get some neat funding packages!

she replies

grinding gears

indeed. but the number of new (and old) UofM students in the board are few and far between. still, no harm in searching and socializing another place to get such info and potentially, some help, is your department. current students there might be moving in/out and are looking for room/housemates. or they might have friends who are on the look. so, contact the dept and/or current grad students couple of months before you fly out. good luck!

oh my!

good dog

bad driving

at least in the US, international students studying or working or just living in the US are notified at the same time they notify american students. in other words, there is no distinction. so maybe what you are saying is true if you are an international student not residing in the country where you applied for graduate programs.

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