Guest hydsnare Posted May 1, 2006 Posted May 1, 2006 hey debating... cant u give the intl address as the place to send the i-20s to... no stress that way rite?
Debating Posted May 1, 2006 Posted May 1, 2006 actually more stress since i'm not planning on spending the summer anywhere in particular, just traveling all over europe . i hope i'll get it this coming week... where's the website to check on you i-20 you mentioned in another thread btw?
Guest hydsnare Posted May 2, 2006 Posted May 2, 2006 travelling across europe... lucky you!!! the grad school status page is what informed me that they had recd my confirmation. The IPO office sent me a mail that my I-20s were on their way... i just got them today... but problem... the I-20s have not included the fact that i have a tuition waiver and my financial package - they just show that my own sources will have to fund my phd!!! this can hurt visa chances, so I sent them another mail asking for the edited I-20s... the email of the Foreign Student Advisor is ryam"at"ipo.umass.edu (the "at" is to be replaced with @... this way the spammers cant get email id's off transmitted mail) and his name Richard Yam... mail him and get your details.
Guest Nadine Posted May 2, 2006 Posted May 2, 2006 thanx hydsnare for that info! By the way, a while ago I put my name down at umass renters' list, and I have been getting email on room offers. For those of you that are still looking for a place, you can try this thing. I'm not settled in my housing issues either. But now I have a roomate to consider, I can't be looking at places that has only one bedroom.
Guest lds Posted May 3, 2006 Posted May 3, 2006 After a lot of inactivity on my application status page, I got: "As of May 2, 2006, the status of your application is matriculated." I'm matriculated! Huzzah! Now...I just...wait...until...August... Nadine, glad you are getting some leads on housing/rooming. I hope that all of you international folks are getting your forms and everything with little stress involved. This is just a whatever question, but I will need to get a new computer (probably a laptop) in the fall (my current PC is from fall of '99) and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. Ü
Debating Posted May 3, 2006 Posted May 3, 2006 I'll be getting a new computer as well and have been arguing with myself... I'd really like to finally get a Mac but don't know if I'll be able to afford it quite yet. If you're looking for a PC, Dell, Gateway, Compaq, etc offer amazing deals around and right after New Years (if you can wait) and around major holidays. My sister got an extremely good laptop with a printer for under 900 in January. Many of these also have educational discounts of an addl 5%...
Guest hydsnare Posted May 4, 2006 Posted May 4, 2006 Hi Ids: Yup my status page also says the same... hmmm... and the form thing is not happening on schedule - well at least my schedule :? Debating: Thanks for the tip on when to buy the puter... i was planning to replace my laptop when i get to the Us... but will wait until Jan now... and have u recd yr I-20??
Debating Posted May 4, 2006 Posted May 4, 2006 No I-20 yet here... Have you guys taken care of you immunizations yet? I just coughed out $80 for 3 shots :roll:
Guest Nadine Posted May 4, 2006 Posted May 4, 2006 I'm also getting new comp (probably lap top), but I'm buying this at home (Taiwan). Wow, congrats to Ids for being marticulated! I guess I won't be able to marticulate for a while yet, since I probably need my diploma and other sorts of thig for that But I'm wodering where can I get info about courses, I'm hoping to see what classes will I be able to take this year.
Guest hydsnare Posted May 5, 2006 Posted May 5, 2006 Debating - mebbe u shud call the IPO and get a status chk on the I-20; BTW I am still waiting for my changed I-20s (with the funing mentioned on them)... yes hv started on the immunizations... and it is M U C H cheaper than doing it over there... Nadine - although prices aren't too steep for laptops here, am waiting to buy it coz the warranty and servicing is restricted geograhically... typically the PC companies offer no support when u leave asia or wherever else u bought the machine from before moving to the US... and hv u recd yr I-20?
Guest hydsnare Posted May 5, 2006 Posted May 5, 2006 ooops one more thing... my prgm already has the courses for the first year listed on the dept website... i thought most prgms wud do that... how does it work for prgms other than those at the b-school?
Guest lds Posted May 5, 2006 Posted May 5, 2006 Thanks for the advice re: computers. I have thought about getting a Mac, too, and was thinking about waiting until I can get the "student discount." I've also heard that Apple's new Intel-based iBooks will probably come out late summer, which are the only models I could afford. I've tooled around a little with Macs, and have been impressed. Curious: Are immunizations just for you folks abroad, or will I need to get them as well? Am I the only person who's NOT abroad? Re: Courses for the fall -- Someone in my department emailed me a link to the Fall 2006 course schedule (English), which are already posted on the department's website.
Guest AMB Posted May 5, 2006 Posted May 5, 2006 You're not alone, LDS. I'm in Massachusetts. The form I found on the university health services site says we need proof (dates, doctor's signature) of the tetanus/diphtheria (DPT) series, a tetanus/diphtheria booster in the last ten years, measles/mumps/rubella series or separate vaccines for each, hep B or A/B vaccine ... or positive blood test titers in place of the MMR and the hep A or A/B. "Diagnosis of disease is not acceptable." The form says you can sign a waiver to opt out of the meningitis vaccine, but that may have changed. I know I need at least two needles. Feehhhh.
Guest Nadine Posted May 7, 2006 Posted May 7, 2006 I thought the meningitis vaccine will need three months to complete, because you can only get one shot each month, and you need three. I thought about getting it again, but I just don't have three months to take this shot. I guess I'm signing a waiver...
Guest Nadine Posted May 7, 2006 Posted May 7, 2006 Oops, I'm getting sleepy i meant i know that it takes three months to complete the vaccine.
Debating Posted May 7, 2006 Posted May 7, 2006 I'm in the States, and I think the shots are required for everyone according to Mass state law. Meningitis is REQUIRED starting this Fall and you can not get it only if your doctor signs a form saying it's contraindicative to your health, you can't just sign a waiver. It's only one shot, not three, and it costs $70 after the student discount at my school; Hep B is three shots.
Guest hydsnare Posted May 8, 2006 Posted May 8, 2006 nadine - the meningitis shot as debating has said is only one shot... its the hep B which is three shots... and they have a reqd time gap - i think 1 / 2 / 6 months is the sequence... will be getting the last one in early aug... will do the blood titers tests also here... hope they accept it and dont make us do the tests at amherst again... need to save all the money i can for the upfront costs of setting up... thats giving me nightmares when i stop being threatened by all the paperwork!! the actual prgm seems so distant i havent gotten around to worrying about it yet
Guest Nadine Posted May 8, 2006 Posted May 8, 2006 Really? I will call my clinic again to make sure. I probably got Meningitis mixed up with Hep B (sorry), but I think my doctor told me I didn't need another Meningitis shot since it's required by the law for us to get these shots when we were young. Anyways I'll ask to get the shot this time. Thanx guys:)
Guest Nadine Posted May 10, 2006 Posted May 10, 2006 Hydsnare, have you recieved your I-20? The IPO emailed me said mine is on my way, and I should pay a SEVIS fee sometime soon. I was wondering if you know whether I need the reciept from my SEVIS payment for my interview for US Visa. Thanx
Guest hydsnare Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 sorry about the tardy response nadine - was on a vacation. yes i have received my I-20s (for me, wife and kids) ... once u get the I-20 - u need the SEVIS number which is on the I-20 for paying the SEVIS fee - $100/- i think.... and u need proof of SEVIS fee payment for your VISA interview... cheers
Guest hydsnare Posted May 25, 2006 Posted May 25, 2006 hi all! quiet here!! am heading to the US Consulate for my visa interview on June 10... btw does anyone know how the gyms are at UMass? really need to focus on my (trying to) stay fit regime... am afraid that with all the studying - might bloat up even more
Guest nadine Posted June 14, 2006 Posted June 14, 2006 hi, it's been a while....where's everybody? i will be requesting an interview for my visa this week, but it'll probably be sometime in July before I can actually go. BTW, after i settle my visa, i'm all set to go. I found a two bedroom apartment, and a roomate to share it with. Bought my plane tickets, which is extremely pricey this year. Hope to see you guys sometime in UMass:)
Guest hydsnare Posted June 14, 2006 Posted June 14, 2006 hi nadine... good to see someone here after such a long time... btw, i got the visas for me and my family... now to the tickets... i am tentatively slated to reach the US on Aug 11... am coming in a little early as I need to set up my son's admission into elem school... but look foward to seeing you at the orientation starting aug 28... all the best for ur visa inetrview... cheers!
Lila Posted July 19, 2006 Posted July 19, 2006 Hello! I hope you're all enjoying the summer, which might explain the limited activity here. (I'm still finishing up my German semester, which means I have a lot of work to do. I also have summer reading to do for my graduate classes. I'm already behind and I haven't even started yet!) I'm wondering if anyone has received their registration packet yet. I logged onto Spire today for the first time and I was surprised to find an email address for me. However, I haven't received anything from OIT in order to set up this email address or to link my computer to the campus network. The scariest thing that I saw on Spire: My expected graduation term is Summer 2012. Yikes! Also, to the English grad students on this board, do you know what courses you're taking? I signed up for the Lowance seminar and I'm wondering if anyone here is taking that seminar. (I've also secured housing finally! I'll live in a rather large house in Greenfield, which is only about 8 miles from campus. I really lucked out as the rent is almost as much as a 2-bedroom apartment in the area.) When do you all plan to arrive in Amherst?
hydsnare Posted July 31, 2006 Posted July 31, 2006 hi lila... yes definitely quite around here... just saw some activity on the fall 2007 applicants... thank god i am out of the whole application thing!! i did get my spire account and email activation letters - these were separate... was probably a month ago... but for my prgm - biz school doctoral - i need to attend the phd orientation to decide which classes to register for... and i too have finally tied up acco - got a 2bed place close to campus - more importantly close to a good elem school that my son will attend.. so all set to reach Amherst - we will get there the week of August 21st i think - i am international - we will reach the us on aug 11th and then spend some time with family near boston and i might just visit amherst before the family moves - to get the apt keys etc. i do hope all of the people here can get together for a drink sometime soon... cheers
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