JotCast | Admitted Graduate Student Chat - April 3, 2019

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Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:17

Chenxi, I'd give them at least 72 hours to reply. This is an extremely busy time of year for the admissions process, so they may be a bit busy. Thanks for your patience.

Aditya Dhavala

10:13

Can you please give me a POC for directing all my visa related questions?

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:18

Aditya, you should be able to find a lot of information right here: https://global.upenn.edu/isss/new; you can also email the ISSS office at isss@pobox.upenn.edu

Akash

10:13

Hi Will, I've been admitted to the PhD program in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Is there a date by when international students are supposed to be on/around campus, before the SEAS orientation on August 26? I'm asking because the ISSS website says that they have some events scheduled for international students in the week of August 19 - 24.

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:20

Akash, congrats on being admitted! You'll want to check with your program, as it may differ for PhD students, especially if you'll be starting in your lab/research before school starts. We usually recommend that new students arrive at least a full week before classes start, so that they have time to familiarize themselves with campus/their neighborhood/the city a bit before they get into the thick of courses.

10:21

That is all contingent on when your lease starts, of course.

Miranda Stewart

10:13

Hi ZZ! The on-campus housing application is first come, first served, so we do recommend that students apply promptly in order to have the best chance of securing their preferred room type. When rooms fill up varies from year to year. Regarding your question about pests, please visit our Pest Control webpage to learn about the steps we take to prevent pest issues and address any issues that do occur: http://cms.business-services.upenn.edu/residential-services/services-a...

10:14

ZZ, regarding your question about off-campus housing, please visit the Off-Campus Housing Search database to browse the listings and get an idea of prices: https://offcampushousing.upenn.edu/

Abhishek

10:14

Hi Will, can you provide the contact for the Program Coordinator of the MEAM MSE Program?

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:21

Abhishek, yes, that is Maryeileen Griffith, and her email is mebg@seas.upenn.edu.

Miranda Stewart

10:15

ZZ, please note that off-campus rent prices typically do not include utilities, which are often charged as a separate fee. On-campus rent rates DO include utilities.

Bruce

10:15

Hello Will, I am admitted by MEAM as an incoming graduated student. I was trying to ask the MEAM department staff the dual degree related question by email but there was no body answering. Do you know who is the best person that I can ask about dual degree question?

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:22

Bruce, Maryeileen Griffith is the best contact, and her email is mebg@seas.upenn.edu. You can also try Camille Osborne, at camilleo@seas.upenn.edu. She assists with the master's program as well.

Meghana

10:16

Hello Will, I got accepted for the Master of Science in Engineering in Electrical Engineering. I was curious as to how many applied/got accepted for this last year. Also this is a 2 yr program right? Just needed a confirmation :)

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:23

Meghana, congrats on getting in. The program is 10 courses long, and that's usually done in two years. As for last year, the program h ad 234 apps and admitted 108.

Chenxi Ji

10:16

Hi Will, do you have any available time to make an appointment to talk about individual situation in your office? Thank you! Also, what is the acceptance rate for MEAM program.?

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:25

Chenxi, you can send an email to gradstudies@seas.upenn.edu and we'll do our best to get back to you with answers. However, I would recommend contacting your specific program first, as they'll be able to better answer your questions.

Bill

10:18

Thank you for your reply. And when will the transfer/dual degree decision be made and after submit the request after the first semester?

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:25

Bill, the transfer/dual degree decisions are usually made before the beginning of the following semester - if you apply at the end of the first semester, you'll usually receive an answer before the start of the second semester.

Bruce

10:21

Hello Miranda, I want to ask about the safety related question about off campus housing. Which area in Philadelphia should I avoid when I look at off campus website? Which area is safe for walking outside in the night since I might do research very late? And is there a parking permit for students who live off campus? Thank you.

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:26

Bruce, Miranda has answered you further down in the chat.

Meghana

10:21

I would like to know the procedure for applying for the on campus housing and how much would it cost approximately?

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:26

Meghana, Miranda has answered you further down in the chat.

Coulson

10:21

Will, thanks for the answer(yes I am a fan of shield). We know that since international students have to find their H1B sponsor when they look for the job. Can you provide the recent employment statistics of international graduate students in robotics? In career report they do not differentiate US and international.

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:28

Coulson, Glad to know! Unfortunately, I don't have those specific numbers. You can contact the Career Services office, as they collect the employment information and should have a better idea, https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/. I can tell you that, to my knowledge, the vast majority of our graduates that want a job in the US are able to find a job in the US.

Miranda Stewart

10:23

Hi Bruce! I would recommend that you check out the safety resources listed on the Off-Campus Services website for more information: http://cms.business-services.upenn.edu/offcampusservices/living-off-ca...

10:24

Bruce, regarding your question about parking permits, please refer to Penn Transportation & Parking's website, as they are the experts on that! http://cms.business-services.upenn.edu/transportation/

Benjamin

10:24

Hi Will, I have emailed Charity form Robotics since 2 weeks also and haven’t received a reply. Is there someone else I can contact as well as a student I can reach out to? I have to make a decision by today so it is very urgent. Thank you.

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:30

Benjamin, I'm sorry about that. If you forward your email to gradstudies@seas.upenn.edu, I'll do my best to make sure you get a reply. However, if a school is asking you to make a decision today, that is a bit odd, as you can show them this: https://cgsnet.org/april-15-resolution, that students receiving aid for a graduate program aren't supposed to have to commit before April 15. However, I understand that individual scholarship requirements may differ.

Miranda Stewart

10:26

Hi Meghana! The housing application is open now online at MyHomeAtPenn. I'll link you to the instructions page for New Graduate Students, which includes links to the application and the rent rates: http://cms.business-services.upenn.edu/residential-services/applicatio...

Bill

10:28

Does this mean I have to select 3 courses which meet both requirements to avoid taking more than 10 courses or am I able to transfer some of my credits?

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:31

Bill, we do allow up to 2 courses to transfer as master's credits; this is determined by the program on an individual basis. However, for electives, yes, they'd have to meet both requirements.

Chenxi Ji

10:28

Last question: Is there a chance to have a dual master degree with Wharton?

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:33

Chenxi, we do have a dual degree program with Wharton, however you do have to apply separately and be admitted to the Wharton MBA program. If you get admitted to that program as well, you'd then work with both programs to identify the courses that will cross count.

Tanmay

10:30

Hi sir as can you give me information regarding the medical records (vaccinations etc)that I need to show(as an international student) and what is the due date for that?

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:34

Tanmay, you can find information for health records here: https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/shs/compliance.php

Bruce

10:30

Thank you Will, I try to contact Maryeileen, but she did not respond to my email. Is there a subject that I can use to get her reponse?

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:35

Bruce, I'm sorry that she has not yet responded. This is an extremely busy time of year for all of us. If you can forward your email to gradstudies@seas.upenn.edu, we'll see if we can get a response. You can also email Camille Osborne at camilleo@seas.upenn.edu, as she does assist with the MEAM program.

Meghana

10:33

Thank you Will. Also, I was just curious on knowing the difference between a usual MS degree and MSE degree

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:36

Meghana, an MS degree is more generalized, since it's a Master of Science; the MSE is specifically a Master of Science in Engineering, so it will be more focused on how the study applies to Engineering.

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