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Admitted Graduate Student Chat - April 17, 2019
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AvatarWill Fenton, Asst Dir
9:59
Good day, all. My name is Will Fenton and I'm the Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions at Penn Engineering. I'm here to answer questions you may have about our Graduate Programs, life as a graduate student at Penn and living in Philadelphia.
10:00
Where do you live?
United States (25% | 3 votes)
 
China (16.7% | 2 votes)
 
India (33.3% | 4 votes)
 
Europe (0% | 0 votes)
 
Middle East (0% | 0 votes)
 
Another Region (25% | 3 votes)
 
Total Votes: 12
Here are some links that you may find useful:
10:02
We'll also be joined by Miranda Stewart, the Coordinator for On-Campus housing, who can answer questions about housing for graduate students.
What questions do you have for me?
Seed
10:03
Greetings. Do you guys grant deferment (ideally for a year) for admitted student?
AvatarWill Fenton, Asst Dir
10:04
Hi Seed, yes, we do offer an option to defer. Please send an email with the specific request to gradstudies@seas.upenn.edu and we will direct it to your program. If approved, you can defer for up to a year, with an option to request it for another year.
Miranda Stewart
10:04
Hi all! My name is Miranda Stewart, and I'm the Graduate Assignments Coordinator in the Housing Assignments Office. I'm happy to answer any questions you have about on-campus housing!
AvatarWill Fenton, Asst Dir
10:04
Good morning, Miranda!
Ranjani
10:04
Hey there! I just accepted my offer to join Penn. May I know when am I likely to receive my PennKey and I-20?
AvatarWill Fenton, Asst Dir
10:05
Hi Ranjani, it usually takes 24 hours or so to receive the PennKey information - your acceptance needs to be registered in our system and then the PennKey must be generated. It may take a little bit longer for the I-20, as this is a manual process and is done every couple of days.
Eshwar
10:05
Hi Will,
AvatarWill Fenton, Asst Dir
10:05
Hi Eshwar. What questions do you have?
Eshwar
10:08
I accepted an admit to the CIS PhD program and am trying to fill my I20 form. However, I'm facing an issue in the financial information section, in stating my fellowship support in monetary terms. The fellowship covers tuition, insurance and a stipend, but only the latter is described in monetary terms.
AvatarWill Fenton, Asst Dir
10:09
Eshwar, this is a question you'll need to direct to your program coordinator, Britton Carnevali, at brittonc@seas.upenn.edu. As this amount can differ per program, I unfortunately don't have the information to assist you. Sorry.
Eshwar
10:10
Right, I'll do so. Thanks a lot!
AvatarWill Fenton, Asst Dir
10:10
You're welcome.
Han Li
10:10
Hi Will ! I have been admitted to the Materials Science and Engineering, MSE Program.But I am not sure about the meaning of a sentence in the decision letter."Your offer of admission is contingent on our receipt and verification of these documents." Dose it mean that there are different kinds of offers in the Master program of  MSE?
AvatarWill Fenton, Asst Dir
10:13
Han Li, this means we still require specific documents from you - usually final transcripts (among other things). So if we don't receive those final documents - a list of which you'll receive shortly if you haven't already received it - then your acceptance and ability to enroll could be in jeopardy.
GuestBiotech
10:13
Hi Will, I was admitted to the Biotech program and am on an H-1B. If I decide to pursue part-time first say for 1-2 semesters and then decide to transition to full-time, what is the process like / how difficult will it be? Thank you.
AvatarWill Fenton, Asst Dir
10:14
Hi GuestBiotech - unfortunately, I'm not entirely sure, as Grad Admissions doesn't actually handle the visa process at all. I will recommend you contact our International Students and Scholars Services office, at isss@pobox.upenn.edu. You can find their website here: https://global.upenn.edu/isss/new
10:15
Sorry I can't be of more assistance. The visa process is unfortunately quite a tricky one, especially over the last year+
ASH
10:14
Hi Will
When do we hear back from the university about FAFSA aid? How is the info conveyed to us?
AvatarWill Fenton, Asst Dir
10:16
Hi Ash, that would actually be a question for Student Financial Services, http://www.sfs.upenn.edu/ as they handle the FAFSA process. Grad Admissions doesn't handle any part of the financial process because Penn Engineering doesn't offer funding for master's students, and the PhD funding process is handled by each program.
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Han Li
10:14
Thanks a lot !
AvatarWill Fenton, Asst Dir
10:16
You're welcome!
AvatarWill Fenton, Asst Dir
10:17
All, I'm sorry that I haven't been able to answer your questions so far. As much as I'd like it (at least sometimes), I'm not omniscient when it comes to processes here at Penn. But keep the questions coming and I'll hopefully be able to answer at least a few.
10:18
Have you submitted your decision?
Yes (28.6% | 2 votes)
 
No (42.9% | 3 votes)
 
Yes, but waiting on other schools (14.3% | 1 vote)
 
No, waiting on other schools (14.3% | 1 vote)
 
Total Votes: 7
Li
10:19
Hi Will! Thanks for hosting the Q&A. I heard that Penn does grant deferment for admitted students. My questions is it against any rule if I defer for a year and apply to other programs next year
(including Penn's PHD program instead of CIS)
AvatarWill Fenton, Asst Dir
10:20
Li, it is not "against the rules."
Ranjani
10:20
Hey Will! What documents do I need to submit in addition to my financial documentation for accepting my offer at Penn?
AvatarWill Fenton, Asst Dir
10:21
Ranjani, you'll receive an email within 24-48 hours of submitting your acceptance form about what we still need. In addition, the Grad Admissions office doesn't ask for any financial documentation, as we don't require it at all. That is usually for the I-20 process, handled by the ISSS office.
James Baker
10:21
Hi Will!

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer questions.

I was recently admitted to the on-campus MCIT program and I was wondering if students usually live in graduate dorms or find off-campus housing?
AvatarWill Fenton, Asst Dir
10:22
Hi James, the majority live off-campus, because we have limited graduate housing. But both options are great. It really depends on what you can afford/what kind of experience you want.
Miranda Stewart
10:24
Hi James -- if you have any questions about the on-campus options, please let me know!
David
10:24
Hi Will,

Do you know how big a class for MCIT is being estimated this upcoming year?

Also, it seems like there are fewer courses per semester than undergrad. Would you say that courses are more challenging, or do students do other things with the additional time (e.g. internships, part-time work, clubs, etc.)?
AvatarWill Fenton, Asst Dir
10:26
Hi David, no, we won't know that until after the May 15 deadline, as there are still decisions to go out. As for your 2nd question, students do all kinds of things. It really will depend on how you choose to manage your time. Graduate students are able to be a part of any/all Penn student clubs, plus they'll do part-time internships, work part-time jobs, start companies, participate in hack-a-thons, play in the Pep/Marching band...the list goes on.
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