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 Before arriving
 Apply
- Although it's time consuming it's worth
making the effort to get it off early then
you can forget about it for a while
- Make the effort to get the transcripts and
letters of recommendation off early
- I had to explain that I didn't get a
Bachelor's degree but a straight Masters
- Don't hesitate to keep calling your
University for signed official copies of
documents
- They were very helpful to me
- Applying for separate
fellowships/scholarships is a good idea
though I never got around to it
- Some of the deadlines are pretty early
- Take the GRE
- It's the test all students have
to take to get in
- I think it applies to US students also
- Berkeley usually asks for a pretty high score
but it depends on the department
- It really helped me having a GRE study
guide with examples
- You can find more info here
» See document: http://www.gre.org/splash.html
Leave your job early
- Once you know you're accepted try to
complete your job as early as you can
(assuming money's not too much of an
issue)
- It's useful to have time to prepare
yourself for leaving
Visit the University
- Made a huge difference to me
- Really worth arranging meetings before you
book as Professors can be very busy
- I was able to get a first hand feel for the
place (although it was raining)
- I also met my future supervisor which
was invaluable
- It gave met the confidence that this
would be a good and welcoming place
for me
 Get the whole visa process going as early as
possible!
To get the visa
- Types of visa
- I'm on an F1
- The standard student visa
- A spouse is eligible to come to but they
cannot work
- It allows me 20 hrs of additional work on
campus to earn if I want
- But usually I'm too busy with classes etc.
- You can also get a J1
- Not so clear on this but I think a spouse is
allowed to work on a J2 visa if you have a
J1
- You need to be accepted by Berkeley
- Make plenty of copies of all your
acceptance letters
- You regularly need them and you don't
want to lose the originals
- Start a file with application info as soon as
you can
- They need to send you your student ID and
pin number
- These can get you on to the various Berkeley
computer systems
- Infobears
- Telebears
- Bearlink
- etc.
- You will get to choose a Passphrase which
you also need to write down and not forget
- (call them if you think they've missed you out
- it happened to me and delayed things)
- Use these to complete the NIF form online
- If you're funded by Berkeley as a GSR or
similar like I am you don't need much to fill it
out except info about you (take it from your
passport)
- They'll send you the I-20 form
-
Don't lose it!
- You'll need it for almost everything when you
arrive
- The I-20 basically lets immigration know
that you are a valid student so they should
let you in
- You CANNOT GET IN WITHOUT IT
- They can turn you away at San Francisco
airport if you forget it
- So don't
- It needs to be resigned by the University
each year
- This allows you in and out the country for
visits home etc
- Call the US Embassy London for a visa
interview - EARLY
- You have to use their super-expensive phone
number, but it's worth getting it over with
- I nearly got caught out by holidays I had
booked as the Embassy will need your
passport for about a week
- Be careful not to need your passport around
the time you need your visa
- The earlier you get it over with the better
- It was a real hassle getting all the paperwork
together - just make sure you have
EVERYTHING and don't lose any of it
- For me there essentially was no interview -
they just wanted to see the forms and asked
me what I was going to do in the States
Contact the Student Loans company
- If you're going to be a student again you don't
need to keep paying them
- I was late and kept paying which more than
drained my finances
- Don't put it off - just give them a call
Check with your local tax office
- There may be forms you need to fill out
BEFORE you leave
- It's always a good idea to let them know
what's going on
Don't hesitate to call either SISS (Services for
International Students and Scholars) or your
department office
- They see this every year and can always
help out
- The website is also very useful
- But there's no substitute for speaking to
someone if you have all your questions
planned out
Book a flight
- The earlier you can get to Berkeley the
better
- You will have a better pick of
accomodation...
- ...and time to sort out many things
before classes start and take up your
time
- Make sure you will have your visa well in
advance
- (mine was a little tight which only added
a little stress)
Pack
- You don't need too much
- But what you don't bring you'll have to
buy when you're here
- Think about the sports you want to play
and the weekend activities you want to
do
- The website has a list (more or less
complete) of the stuff I brought with me
- Though no doubt you'll need to modify
it
First few days
- I was lucky enough to be able to stay
with friends in San Francisco for my first
week until I found a place
- Though the commute made days rather
long
- If there's no one you can stay with and
you haven't got any housing sorted
before you arrive...
- Contact SISS for some advice
- I'm sure you'll manage
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