AspirEEng

Thanks everyone, there are good ideas there.. Another option that may be safer than a regular money order is travellers cheques, which one can easily cancel if stolen (I guess they are best if the amount of money you are bringing is not too great) Panda - I heard of someone who payed $200 for a transfer... I guess that also depends on the amounts... Besides the transfer itself I know that banks in my country (Israel) charge an additional fee for depositing or withdrawing money in foreign curreny (Say I wired in $10K originally in US dollars and then wired them out of the bank I'd leave them a present of $400...)

Thanks Panda. Do you have any details about the conversion of an old credit card? Its the first time I heard about this option and it sounds interesting...

Hi I heard it may be an issue to open up a bank account and get a credit card if you're an international student without a credit history in the US. Has anybody looked into this yet? Any insights? Im also thinking about the best way to transfer funds from my home country account to a US account, since some banks can charge obscene amounts of money just for the transfer.

Hi, Is there any bank that's recommended around the MIT campus? I'm an international student so I'll have to open a new bank account in the US, also heard its gonna be a challenge to get a credit card considering the fact I have no credit history in the US. Thanks!

HAHA, I have the same feeling... They only sent the acceptance form that I was supposed to sign, and a short memo telling me to go over some "guide incoming grad students" on the MIT admissions website which turned out to be just a collection of links to some MIT services, with no information regarding exactly what I need to fill out or receive from them... I was hoping for a more organized packet, they didn't even tell me what my student ID was or what date they would fill on my DS-2019 form... I need to order flight tickets damn it!!! I need to tell my job when exactly I'll be quitting!!! And moreover, I keep having the feeling that maybe I just got the acceptance letter by mistake and they'll find out soon and inform me I was actually on the "REJECT" list!!!! :twisted: Finally got the ID and web certificate on friday *phew*.... I still think they may discover soon that they made a mistake...

the J1 waiver you are talking about - is it the waiver of the 2 year home residency limit? Not all J1 holders have that limit to start with, so for them I think its the best visa option.

Ok, so here's my dilemma: I am an international student, accepted for MS/PhD. I am in a very serious relationship (living together for almost 2 years now, but we've had our ups and downs). We're not married yet, and we are not sure if we want to hasten things up unnaturally and get married just for her visa and work permit. At this point, the best thing would be if there was some way for us to relocate together. We have to find some solution that would allow her to work though. In her field its unlikely that we would be able to have an employer ask for a work-visa on her behalf. I noticed that some universities allow couples housing for unmaried couples, or we could live off-campus, so the main issue is the work permit.. Does anyone know if there is a way to get a dependent visa (J-2) for a "significant other" / "life partner"? Does the definition of "spouse" includes only marriage by law? I am sure that we are not the only ones in this situation... Any insight would be greatly appreciated...

Hi, How is the housing situation for couples/families at MIT? I saw that there are only 2 buildings for grad couples, and the cost is around $1000-$1100, and its hard to get in. Does anyone know how it is to live there? Do these costs include some/all of the utility bills or its just the appartment? And what are the other options for housing around Cambridge? I guess that renting a 1-bedroom outside of MIT will be more expensive than the MIT facilities.. Does anyone have an actual estimate on the current monthly cost for a couple in this area? Any insight will be appreciated, Thanks!

Hi Shaddy, First of all, you don't have to take any action until they get back to you, so you can wait and see if you get accepted to other places with funding (assuming you are waiting for more answers). Personally, in your place, if this was the only place I got accepted to, then I may consider going anyway, hoping to get funding in the second year. I guess that depends on the ranking of the institution and the department (for example, I would probably be willing to take a loan for the first year in Stanford...) It also depends on your area of study, and how long it would take you to repay such a loan. What is your field, by the way?

Hi bittergrrl, I think that the truth is the best choice in your case - you really did want to go there, and the only reason you cannot go is because as a married person, your relocation depends on your partner as well, and that did not work out for him.