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Prospective Students - Useful InformationWe are very excited to know that you will be soon part of our McCombs community. Between now and August, you will move to Austin. For some of you this will represent a major move but don't worry, although it seems tough, you will survive.
One of the Hispanic Graduate Business Association objectives is to offer advice and support to incoming students and this guide is one of the first attempts. We hope that you will find the information on the web site valuable and help make it an even better information source next year with your contributions.
Once you are in Austin, there are several things you must do
Apply as soon as you decide to come to McCombs! Call the US embassy and make an appointment as sometime it can take over a month. You cannot enter the US as a tourist if you are staying, you must enter with an F-1 student VISA. The documents you need to take to the embassy may vary from country to country; some of them are: · Acceptance letter from McCombs · I-20 (for F-1 students) or DS-2019 for J-1 · Evidence of how are you planning to support yourself Useful links International Office http://www.utexas.edu/international/ Immigration information http://www.utexas.edu/international/cs/library http://www.utexas.edu/international/cs/f1.html http://www.utexas.edu/international/cs/j1.html Help by country... Mexico: Take with you the I-20 and your letter of acceptance to UT since you have to demonstrate that you are admitted. You should have proof of financial liquidity (bank statements, letter from your sponsors if you have, bank loan, etc). If you already have a tourist visa, take it with you since they probably will ask for it. Take your passport with you and be aware that they are going to keep it at least for a week, so don’t plan any travels for the next two weeks. You also need to prove that you have lived and worked in Mexico, so take with you copies of your “predial” or water/electric services. Also have some copies of your salary receipts from the past 6 months. Basically, take everything you can to demonstrate that you plan to study in the US and not work, and that you are financially stable at least for the first year that you’ll be in the US. Uruguay: Go to http://montevideo.usembassy.gov/usaweb/paginas/12-00ES.shtml
- Passport - I-20 (this is gold, do not lose it) - I-94 (issued to you at the time you enter the US.) This little insignificant piece of paper is also very important, it is called "Arrival-Departure Record" or "Permit to Stay - Admission Letter - Immunization form. Get proof of your immunization history from your physician http://www.utexas.edu/student/health/information/immunizations.html - Birth/ marriage or school certificates - Transcripts Make sure to check in UTDirect or the Admissions office whether you need to bring any original document (i.e. College certificate) Tip: Leave photocopies of all your documents back home in case you loose them.
Social Security Numbers are ONLY available to F-1 students who have an offer of employment on campus or specific work authorization granted by the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services. If you are eligible, apply for it as soon as possible. In the International Office will give you a letter for you to obtain a SSN once you are registered to your courses. You need to go to the Social Security office in person, it will take an hour or so and they will mail it to you in two weeks. Please go to: http://www.ssa.gov/ss5doc/?ID=ori&Selfchild=self&Status=nat18&Submit=Submit to find out the documents you need and the office nearest you.
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing_control/dlindex.htm
If you have a passport and a deposit, you can open a bank account; if you are married, you can open a joint account. (Two ATM cards will be issued, and each person can register their signature). A Social Security Number is not necessary for opening a bank account. Bank of America and University Credit Union has ATMs on campus. WellsFargo has also ATM and branch really near McCombs. Although you rarely go to the branch, pick a bank that is close to your home and has several ATMs as there are fees for withdrawing money from ATMs other than your bank's. Credit Cards Before you get a credit card in the US you need to build some positive credit history. Please do not underestimate the importance of a US credit history. If you a planning to stay in the US for a longer period, it is worth starting to build your credit history as soon as possible. It will come in handy if you later want to get a car loan or a mortgage. What are the options? After a few months (usually six) you can apply for a credit card (a student credit card is easier to obtain). You can apply to diverse student cards that will give you $300 to $600 revolving credit to start with. Accept them and be patient as the process of building credit history is long. Your credit will be increased as you comply with your payments and using that history you can start asking for further cards and credit limits. You will need your social security number (SSN) and an American address. Several banks will give you a credit card if you make a deposit into a "locked" account. You will only be able to spend up to this amount. Even if this is not really a credit card, it is one way of building your credit history. Remember your ATM purchases do not count towards your credit history.
Get to know Austin neighborhoods so you can start your search. Some of the most popular graduate student neighborhoods are Hyde Park, Far West and the Enfield/Tarrytown. A lot of students look out for neighborhoods that are in the UT Shuttle System route. To see the routes go to www.utexas.edu/parking/transportation/shuttle/index.html. We will include some of the most popular neighborhoods as well as opinion of students that live in the area. (Under construction April 30, 2004) Here are some useful links: UT has several sites where you can get information about off-campus housing http://www.utexas.edu/international/isss/housing/ http://www.utexas.edu/international/com/housques.html http://www.utexas.edu/student/housing/index.php?site=0&scode=2&id=639&is_main=1 There a several sites that can help you locate an apartment: Austin Apartments - Small Planet Guide Apartment Finders Service - Executive Living Advertisements Apartment Finders Service - Apartments Rental Overview Austin Apartment Rental Services
Usually, the apartment will have electricity and water, but you will have to set up your telephone. Telephone You will need Social Security number or UT temporary ID number, address, Texas driver's license or another form of ID such as your passport. It is not a requirement to have a Social Security Number for setting up a new line. If you plan on calling your home country you have to subscribe for a basic long-distance program. You can use your local carrier for long-distance or you can also choose among AT&T (www.att.com), MCI (www.mci.com), Sprint (www.sprint.com) and Verizon (www.verizon.com). Internet: You can set up your internet service through any of the following Dial-up ISP service. UT offers Telesys service, which is about $10 per month. You may also choose other ISP providers such as AOL, MSN or Netzero. DSL / Broadband service (Yahoo/SBC DSL) service and Roadrunner (from Time Warner Cable). This costs around $30 per month. You can go to Bestbuy (go to Bestbuy.com for store locator) and look at all the offerings in the market.
Climate Hot Days Cold Days
Average Temperatures/Rainfall by Month
Health Service – Immunization requirements / services Health services http://www.utexas.edu/student/health/information/ Immunization requirements: http://www.utexas.edu/student/health/information/required.html Health insurance http://www.utexas.edu/international/isss/insurance/
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