dgs_advice:matriculation [School of Physics and Astronomy Wiki]

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====== Matriculation Procedures (Fall 2016)======


Process after you accept our financial support and admission offer:












===== American Students (US passport holder or permanent resident): =====

  * By now you should have already received an email from the Graduate School stating a decision was made on your application. If you have not done so, please fill out the enrollment form online by logging into ApplyYourself, and submitting your decision to accept our offer of admission. 

  * In order to register for classes, the Graduate School requires a __final original transcript showing receipt of your degree__; please send this to the Graduate School as soon as possible if you haven't already.  It must be sent directly from your school in its official envelope to the Graduate School.  Sometimes more than a transcript is required.   The Email admission letter you will receive from the Graduate School provides more details.  The address is listed below.  If you sent such a document(s) to us already, we will forward it to the Graduate School, so there is no need to resend it. 

==== Research opportunity this summer ====

If __you are interested in doing summer research__ (from mid-May to mid-August), you may contact the professors you are interested in working on research with. Once you have found a professor to work with, please send an email to Amanda Hawkinson (grad@physics.umn.edu). Please also include your start date, which is decided upon by you and your advisor.

==== Orientation ====

There is an Orientation Program for new graduate students that you are required to attend, scheduled to begin on August 22, 2016.  During this program, you will meet with your pre-academic adviser who will be assigned to you based on what PhD research you are interested in pursuing.  S/he will talk with you about your academic background so that you can register for the most appropriate classes in the fall.  You can discuss with him/her if you should take the qualifying examination right away, and other issues which may be of concern to you.  There will also be a special seminar program designed to prepare you to teach the laboratory and recitation section classes, which will be part of your teaching assignment.  The first day of Fall Semester classes is September 6, 2016.  

==== Proof of citizenship ====

U.S. immigration law requires proof of citizenship as a condition of employment.  Acceptable proof of citizenship is (1) a current passport or (2) a picture I.D. (preferably a driver's license) and a birth certificate or original social security card.  If you do not have these items, please arrange to get them before you come to Minneapolis.

 





===== International students (needing a US visa) =====

  * By now you should have already received an email from the Graduate School stating a decision was made on your application. If you have not done so, please fill out the enrollment form and the financial certification online by logging into ApplyYourself, and submitting your decision to accept our offer of admission. 

  * The I-20 is processed after the Graduate School receives your enrollment form. The earlier you submit the form to the Graduate School, the sooner you'll receive an I-20. If everything is in order, it takes 1-2 weeks after the Graduate School receives the forms to issue the I-20. 

  * You will apply for a visa at a US Embassy or Consulate using the I-20.

  * In order to register for classes, the Graduate School requires a __final original transcript showing receipt of your degree__; please send this to the Graduate School as soon as possible if you haven't already.  It must be sent directly from your school in its official envelope to the Graduate School.  Sometimes more than a transcript is required.   The emailed admission letter you will receive from the Graduate School provides more details.  The address is listed below.  If you sent such a document(s) to us already, we will forward it to the Graduate School, so there is no need to resend it. 

  * If you have not had your official TOEFL score report sent to the Graduate School, please do so soon.  Alternatively, the Graduate School accepts IELTS or MELAB test results. Further details are provided in the online admission letter you will receive from the Graduate School. Note that if you have completed 16 semester credits/24 quarter credits (within the past 24 months) in an academic program in a recognized institution of higher learning in the U.S., you do not need to submit the TOEFL, MELAB, or IELTS scores as part of the application procedure.


==== English workshop - required for TA's ====
The University sponsors a Teaching and Language Kick-off ([[http://cei.umn.edu/courses-programs/cse-teaching-and-language-kick-talk-orientation/|TALK]]) program beginning on Monday, August 8, 2016, for Teaching Assistants whose native language is not English. You are required to attend this program.  (Note that the exemption of TOEFL does not mean that you are exempt from this program since a major component of this program is about teaching culture in the U.S.)  Due to the F-1 visa rules, you are not allowed to arrive in the US more than 30 days before the "Report by" date on your I-20. We do not have funds for foreign students who arrive before the beginning of the language program.  In addition, if you arrive early you will have to purchase your own health insurance. The earliest arrival date for 2016 is August 1st, 2016. Please contact ISSS if you have any questions about international travel and visas.

You are required to pass the test at the end of this TA language training session to be certified to teach in the fall.  It is important that you make every effort to pass.  During the training session, you will not only learn how to communicate better in English -pronunciation, listening, grammar, etc. - but also how to be a good instructor at an American university.
==== Summer research ====

Because of the constraint on the entry date imposed by INS mentioned above, we are not able to offer a summer research opportunity to those that are not US citizens.

==== Orientation - required ====
There is an Orientation Program for new graduate students that you are required to attend, scheduled to begin on August 22, 2016.  During this program, you will meet with your academic adviser who will be assigned to you based on what PhD research you are interested in pursuing.  S/he will talk with you about your academic background so that you can register for the most appropriate classes in the fall.  You can discuss with him/her if you should take the qualifying examination right away, and other issues which may be of concern to you.  There will also be a special seminar program designed to prepare you to teach the laboratory and recitation section classes, which will be part of your teaching assignment.  The first day of Fall Semester classes is September 6, 2016.  


==== Possible help ====
=== General ===

We will be glad to help you resolve any problems you might encounter in coming to Minneapolis to begin graduate study.  Many questions including those related to visa and housing can be answered by 

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS):\\
190 Hubert H. Humphrey Center\\
301 19th Ave. South\\
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455\\
Telephone: (612) 626-7100\\
Fax: (612) 626-7361\\
Email: <isss@umn.edu>\\
URL: [[http://www.isss.umn.edu|general]] 

=== Housing ===

For international students, there are various student organizations offering new students help in adjusting to American life.   Their webpage can be found [[http://www.isss.umn.edu/programs/smallworld/CHhost.html|here]].  If you are aware of other such organizations, please let us know and we will list them here.




 ===== Graduate School Application Status ===== 

To check on the status of your application in the future, the most up to date information is in your ApplyYourself application record.  For access to the ApplyYourself system click [[http://www.grad.umn.edu/admissions/status/index.html|here]]. If you have misplaced your PIN or password, click on “Forgot your PIN or Password?” and then follow the instructions.  Do **NOT** use "Create Account" to obtain this information.


==== Transcripts and Credentials: ====


=== Transcripts from U.S. schools: ===

    * You must provide us with official transcripts from each college and university attended.  The transcripts must be received in The Graduate School Office of Admissions directly from the schools.

  * However, we can consider you for admission if you mail a photocopy or fax us a legible copy of your transcript. If you do fax or send a photocopy, do not send official transcripts at this time; if you are admitted, we will request official transcripts from you when we send you the admission letter.  Transcripts can be mailed to The Graduate School address listed below, or faxed to 612-625-6002.

 

=== Credentials from international schools: ===
 

See below for the types of credentials required from various countries.  However, we can consider you for admission if you mail a photocopy or fax us a legible copy of your credentials.  If you do that, do not send official or certified credentials at this time; if you are admitted, we will request official or certified credentials from you when we send you the admission letter.  Credentials can be mailed to The Graduate School address listed below, or faxed to 612-625-6002.
 

=== Transcripts from international schools: ===
 

All international applicants who have attended universities that issue official transcripts on request must submit such credentials; the transcripts must be received in The Graduate School Office of Admissions directly from the schools.  An official English translation should be attached if the transcript is not in English.


  * Applicants from __Bangladesh__, __India__, __Nepal__, and __Pakistan__ should submit attested or certified mark sheets or examination reports showing the detailed results of all exams taken.  An official English translation should be attached if the credentials are not in English.

  * Applicants from the former __USSR__, __Germany__, __Brazil__, __France__ (and countries outside of France which are on the French system) should submit official English translations of their credentials which should include the detailed results of all exams taken, and the award of all degrees received.  A certified true copy of the credentials, in the original language, should be attached.

  * Applicants from __Taiwan__ should submit transcripts showing grades on the 0-100 scale.

   * Applicants from the __People's Republic of China__ should submit transcripts and degree statements in both English and Chinese; both versions must be official.  If percentage grades are shown on the original Chinese transcript, they should not be changed to letter grades in the translation.

   * International applicants who have attended institutions which do not issue transcripts, exam reports, or mark sheets, should submit an official statement from the Registrar or their adviser giving a detailed description of their program, a qualitative evaluation of their work and the results of all exams taken.  This statement should be addressed to **"SPECIAL TRANSCRIPTS"** in The Graduate School Office of Admissions.

  * All international applicants who submit credentials on which the award of the degree received is not recorded should submit certified copies of their diplomas; an official English translation should be attached if the diploma was not issued in English.

    *  If the grading system employed is not shown on the credentials themselves, a separate statement from the university is required giving this information.

    *  On CERTIFIED or ATTESTED credentials, the certifying official should write "this is a true copy of the original" and should then sign and seal each document.  Applicants may not certify their own credentials.



==== English Language Proficiency Examinations: ====
 

If your native language is not English, you are required to take one of the following:

 

  * TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)\\
  * MELAB (Michigan Language Assessment Battery)\\
  * IELTS (International English Language Testing Systems)

 

The operational standard for admission to the Graduate School is a TOEFL score of 79 on the internet-based TOEFL with section scores of 21 on writing and 19 on reading (213 on the computer-based TOEFL, 550 on the paper-based TOFEL) or a MELAB score of 80, or an IELTS score of 6.5.  Individual departments may have a higher requirement.  __Scores must be less than two years old__.

TOEFL information is available on the [[http://web1.toefl.org/|web]], at U.S. embassies and consulates, information agency offices, and educational foundations, or by writing to: TOEFL Services, Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 899, Princeton, NJ, 08541-6151, U.S.A.

MELAB information is available from The English Language Institute, MELAB Office, University of Michigan, 500 East Washington Street, Ann Arbor, MI  48104-2028, U.S.A.  Overseas testing is available on a limited basis in selected countries.

IELTS information is available on the [[http://www.ceii.org/|web]] or by writing to IELTS International, 825 Colorado Blvd, Suite 112, Los Angeles, CA  90041.

An official report of the TOEFL, or MELAB, or IELTS scores should be sent to The Graduate School.  Our TOEFL __institutional code is 6874__.

If you have completed 16 semester credits/24 quarter credits (within the past 24 months) in an academic program in a recognized institution of higher learning in the U.S., you do not need to submit the TOEFL, or MELAB, or IELTS scores as part of the application procedure.

==== If you need to contact or send something to the Graduate School ====

The address to have your transcript and official TOEFL scores sent:

Graduate School\\ 
University of Minnesota\\ 
309 Johnston Hall\\ 
101 Pleasant St. SE\\ 
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0421\\
USA
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