Newly Admitted Students
The Admissions Process
Admission Offers
The Dean of Students sends offers of admission and aid by U.S. mail by the end of the first week in March. All applicants living in the U.S. and most living abroad should receive their offers by April 1. During the same time period, your program may contact you as part of its recruitment effort. Programs that hold campus visitors days will invite newly admitted students directly with details. Visitors days usually occur in late winter or early spring. If you cannot attend, please contact the program's coordinator to determine if an individual campus visit can be arranged.
Information for Newly Admitted Graduate and Professional Student (PDF)
Welcome to Chicago: Graduate Students (PDF)
Admission Responses
Applicants receiving offers of admission and fellowship support for academic year 2008-09 must respond by April 15, 2008 to accept or decline their offers. Applicants to MAPH have until April 22, 2008 to respond. Applicants admitted without fellowship support to other Humanities programs have until April 30, 2008 to respond.
First Steps
Students with Disabilities
If you would like to read about the University's responsibilities to and resources for students with disabilities, go to the web pages at Disabilities Accommodation and read a letter from the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities: Letter for Students with Disabilities (PDF)
Domestic Partnership
In order to sign up a same-sex domestic partner for housing, health insurance coverage, and other University privileges, students must first submit a Domestic Partnership Statement (PDF) to the Benefits Office in University Human Resources Management. For information about eligibility criteria and available benefits, go to the Domestic Partnership section of the Human Resources Management web site.
Student Loans
You can find information and application forms for student loans and the Federal Work/Study Program by going to the Student Loan Administration site. If you have applied by May 16, your loan will be processed in time for the beginning of the academic year in late September, but you may apply for student loans beyond that deadline.
Housing
Applications are being accepted for living in Graduate Student Housing (apartments in the Hyde Park neighborhood), the New Graduate Residence Hall (rooms, most with private bathrooms, and a common kitchen), or International House (single rooms, programmed activities). You will find information about on-campus housing options by going to Housing for Graduate Students. You will not need your UCID number to apply for housing (just leave the UCID space on the application form blank). Good sources for locating non-University housing are craigslist.org (key word "Hyde Park" if you are interested in living close to campus), the University's Marketplace, and the Hyde Park Herald newspaper.
Claiming the CNetID
Students who accept their offers of admission will receive their University of Chicago student ID (UCID) numbers by mail toward the end of May. Once you have been assigned your UCID number you may get a CNetID at Claiming your CNetID. Your CNetID is your account name on the NSIT system; it is used as your email address (i.e., where the CNetID is "janedoe," janedoe@uchicago.edu is the email address on the University system); it is also used as your account name or login ID when you connect securely to your UNIX account at harper.uchicago.edu, when you read your email using Thunderbird or Webmail, when you authenticate to the University modem pool from off campus, when you use the wireless network, and in most situations where an account name of some sort is required. Please claim your CNetID as soon as possible after getting your UCID number from us.
Getting the Visa Process Started (international students only)
International students, including those currently studying at another U.S. institution, who accept their offers of admission should immediately visit the website of the Office of International Affairsand follow the steps to secure a student status. Please note that documents that you must provide to the University in order to be issued the paper work for getting a student visa (I-20 or DS-2019) should be mailed to Sarah Tuohey, Assistant Dean of Students for Admissions, at Walker 111, 1115 E. 58th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637. You should send 1) the printed out Financial Resources Statement; 2) documentation of financial support when appropriate (such as a letter from a sponsor and a copy of the sponsor's bank statement); 3) a copy of the picture page of your passport. Students who are transferring their student status from another US university should follow the instructions at Changing Status in the U.S.
Next Steps
Tuition and Billing
The University Bursar will mail Autumn Quarter bills for tuition and insurance (where appropriate) and fees to students' current addresses on August 25, and the bills are due September 19. Make sure that your address in cMore is the one you want the bill mailed to. Students receiving stipends that exceed the amounts of their Bursar charges will have no balance due until October 24. See the New University Graduate Students 2008-2009 (PDF) and Billing Dates for 2008_2009 (PDF) for more information. Because of tax paper work that must be filed and processed after their arrival on campus, newly admitted international students should expect a delay in their first quarter's stipend check and should bring sufficient personal funds to cover expenses in the meantime, including enough to pay Autumn Quarter Bursar charges (please see Stipends in our web site's Financial Matters section for further details).
Getting Immunization Records/Getting Immunized
All University of Chicago students are required by state law to prove immunity to certain diseases. You may find information about required immunizations and get an immunization record form at Immunization Record on the Student Care Center site.
Enrolling in/Waiving University Health Insurance Plan
Before matriculation at the University, you will be required to sign up for the University-sponsored insurance plan or waive this coverage and provide proof that you have comparable coverage under another plan. Please read the information in the University Student Health Insurance Plan (U-Ship) Brochure and visit the web site at U-Ship Enroll/Waive to elect or waive the university-provided health insurance plan.
Orientation, Registration, Academic Advising
The Dean of Students orientation packets are distributed to new students during the autumn quarter advising and registration period, which occurs the week prior to the start of autumn quarter. Most departments also organize orientation sessions and festivities for incoming classes. In addition, the Office of Graduate Affairs holds a University-wide graduate student orientation at this time, and the Office of International Affairs holds a mandatory orientation for new international students.
Some Other Useful Resources
You were recently emailed some links to and attachments of information about various resources in the division and on campus. Links to these information sheets are below:
LGBTQ Welcome (PDF)
Religion on the Quadrangles 2008-09 (PDF)
Family Resource Center (PDF)
Office of Multicultural Student Affairs Sheet (PDF)