The What Now Timeline

[PFitz]

So. What now?

Does anyone have any useful links/resources on how to handle the summer before grad school?

1. When is tuition normally due?

2. When is enrollment open?

3. What is the timeline etiquette for contacting potential research groups?

etc.

Thanks

[aginath]

1. When is tuition normally due?

Check with your school. It's usually due within a week or two of the first day of classes for the term. Every school is different. The Bursar/Financial Officer's Office website and/or Financial Aid website usually posts these "important dates," to include when aid is disbursed.

2. When is enrollment open?

Check with your school. They ALL handle this one differently. When I was an undergrad and Master's student at Texas A&M, registration was usually the last month of the semester. That meant November for Spring and late April for Summer/Fall. Here at UGA, I registered for the Spring in October and just registered last week for this Summer/Fall. The other thing different here is that I have to be cleared by my advisor to register. That means he has to notify an Admin Assistant that we've met regarding registration and she can click the box in the system that lets me register. At A&M, I had complete autonomy to register. As an incoming student last year, I had to wait until the first week of August to register for my Fall classes because of this requirement.

3. What is the timeline etiquette for contacting potential research groups?

etc.

Check with your proposed advisor/major professor. Different programs have different cultures and can be picky about outside contact.

[wordslinger]

Well, I am reading three books in preparation for one of my classes... at any rate, getting a head start on reading CANNOT be a bad idea.