Admission & Financial Assistance

1. I have a GRE score of x, TOEFL score of y, GPA of z. Can you tell me my chances of getting
admission and financial aid?
A. We CANNOT make an honest evaluation of your chances of admission (much less financial
aid) based on your academic performance, test scores, projects, work experience. We suggest
that you contact the faculty or staff of your department and the admission committee through
email; they can give you more accurate information regarding your admission status. We
further encourage you to keep in touch with the admissions committee, letting them know that
you are interested and are waiting for their response.

2. Will I get funding when I get to UMR

A. This one's probably the most frequently asked question. It is possible to arrive at the
University and then find TA (Teaching Assistantship), RA (Research Assistantship) or some form
of campus job. Compared to other departments, the chances of getting financial aid in the
computer science department are relatively less. However, you should NOT assume that you
will definitely be able to secure funding and should be prepared financially in such case.
Securing an RA position depends on finding a professor who is:
a) willing (would be willing if his/her research interests match yours)
b) able (would be able if has enough research grants) to fund your study.
It is not necessary that you find a professor who meets both conditions. You will most likely but
not necessarily get RA if you enroll in PhD program, since you would be able to make
substantial contribution to your professor's research. Note that it is possible to get RA with
professors outside your department; however his work must be related to your program of
study (you must check with your department).
The same goes for TA positions too. TA positions are decided before the start of the semester.

3. Is it possible to get TA before I get to the University?

A. Yes it is, provided you received admission. You need to contact the faculty and department
regarding this.

4. Is it possible to get RA before I get to the University?

A. Yes it is. We suggest you email professors who are working in your area of interest. We
suggest that you describe your experience in his research areas and attach resume (in text
format only), but please keep it short and to the point. Note that most professors probably get
dozens of such mails daily, so don't be surprised if you don't receive a reply. Contacting
department representatives in your department could be useful as they could tell you about
the current funding situation in your department.

5. Will it help if I come early and talk to the professors?

A. Sure it could help; this depends on the professors and the funding they have. Remember,
there is NO GUARANTEE that you'll be able to secure funding even if you arrive early.
6. Can I work on-campus?
A. If you are on F-1 visa, you can work on-campus during the semester (up to 20 hours per
week) and up to 40 hours per week during summer and winter break. There are a number of
on-campus jobs available. You could earn about $250 per month, which would cover your living
expenses. On-campus jobs do not cover tuition, which will probably be your single largest
expenditure.

7. Can I work off-campus?

A. You cannot work off-campus without authorization from the INS and International Student
Services.

After receiving Admission

8. What are credit hours?

A. Credit hours are the number of hours every week that you are required to attend for a
course / subject. Each course usually is three credit hours. So every week you attend three
hours of classes for that particular course.

9. How many credit hours does a student register for?

A. As per university guidelines a student registers for minimum 9 credit hours (3 courses) during
regular semesters and for 3 credit hours (one course/research work) in summer.

10. What are the requirements for completing the course?

A. For a master’s degree a students has to complete 30 credit hours (9 credit hours for 3 regular
semester and 3 credit hours in the graduating semester)

11. What is the Fee Structure?

A. International students have to pay the 'Non-resident Gradate Students' fees (Instate fees +
Out state fees). Currently the instate fees are $150 per credit hour. And out state fees is $450
per credit hour. http://campus.umr.edu/cashier/calculator.html

12. Are there any other fees?

A. There are other fees like IT fee, Health fee, and Activity fees. The students also purchase
health insurance every semester.

13. What is the total fee that will be charged from an international student?
A. Our estimate is that you will be required to pay approximately $8600 per semester at UMR.

14. What is the form of financial assistantships available?

A. Students may receive financial assistantship in the form of a Research Assistantship (RA) or
Teaching assistantship (TA).
RA - Professors conducting research activities may recruit students to assist them in their
research work. For any such student who is hired, the out state fees are waived. He receives a
stipend of approximately $3000 per semester. But the student still has to pay the instate fees.
TA- Teaching assistantships are decided by the college. They are usually given out before the
year starts along with the I20 (to students with outstanding qualifications or to PhD Students).

15. Are there any other form of financial help available?

A. A student is allowed to work on campus for 20 hours every week. The pay for such a job is
approximately $5 per hour. The job does NOT qualify for a fee waiver.

16. What is the procedure for securing a Research Assistantship?

A. Our experience that that very few international students at UMR get financial assistantship in
first semester, (Ceramics, metallurgy, Transportation may be an exception) so a RA is allotted
from the second semester onwards by interested faculty members. The availability of RA varies
among different majors and also among sub-fields of the major concentration area. For
information it is recommended to contact representatives of respective departments

17. What is the ranking of the university?

A. Different agencies have different ranking schemes. The ranking of the major field of
concentration is what matters. There is no University ranking.

18. Can you tell me something about getting a visa?

A. We suggest that you contact the branch of the United States Educational Foundation in India
(USEFI) closest to you to answer your visa related questions. You also might find the following
web site useful: http://usapply.tripod.com/

19. Do I need to get any inoculations or immunizations before coming to UMR?

A. You need MMR vaccinations and proof that you don't have tuberculosis (Mantoux, PPD,
Tuberculin skin test and chest X-rays). However you can also get your MMR vaccinations and TB
tests here at the Student Health Services for a fee.

Coming to UMR

20. When should I arrive in UMR?

A. Your I-20 specifies the date by which you are expected to arrive at the University. We suggest
that you arrive by that date. Keep in mind that it is good to have at least a week to settle down
before classes begin. Please arrive between 21th July and 6 th August to benefit from our pick
up arrangements. Coming earlier could be helpful if you are interested in meeting with faculty.
If you decide to arrive early, keep in mind that:
- some professors might be on vacation.
- You will have to budget for your longer stay in US and also you will easily be spending extra for
your pick up alone.
If you need to arrive later than the date specified on your I-20, we strongly suggest informing
the International Affairs Office ( india@mst.edu ) and your department as well.
However we do encourage you to come before the specified date on the I-20 because you will
have to attend the mandatory International student orientation, undergo English language
testing (if required on the I-20) and you will have a chance to settle in before the classes start.
Best Ways to get from Airport to Rolla
- USA Express
- GreyHound

21. How much money should I carry with me?

A. If you do not have aid, you must carry at least the tuition fee (which is listed in your I-20) and
living expenses for the first semester. There may be few additional fees not included in your
tuition fee.
If you do have aid, you will receive your stipend/salary at the end of each month (and no, you
can't reason with the Department to give you a part of that early). So you will not be paid till
the end of September. You should carry enough to meet the first two month's expenses (and
more if you're arriving here early).
Getting $1500 apart from the Fee for the School should be a sufficient amount to last for a
semester.

22. What are the Living Expenses?

A. According to our estimates, $ 250 would be a good number for a month. This includes rent,
food and utilities.

23. Should I take the TSE before coming to UMR?

A. The University requires that all TAs take the TSE or the Speak Test administered by the
University. If you have not taken the TSE in India, you can take the speak test once you get
here. The speak test is free of cost for the students of UMR.

24. Can I have email address of other students coming to the UMR?
A. Unfortunately, university guidelines do not permit us to give out email address that we have
on mailing lists. But you can contact other new students through the yahoo mailing group. Join
the group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/umr-india-prospects/.

25. How do I transfer from one department to another?

A. You will have to reapply to the new department or pursue it as a second major. You should
contact the department and your advisor after coming here and enrolling.

26. What Books should I carry?

A. Check out the Books section under the things to get section of the website. Books are really
costly here, so we will advise to get as many books as possible.

27. How is the Weather at Rolla?

A. Rolla gets very cold from December till Feb. The temperatures remain below the freezing
levels for most of this period. For the rest of the year it is pleasant. Don't get winter clothes/
leather jackets/ shoes etc from India. If you are interested in knowing more about the weather
check out this link: http://weather.yahoo.com/forecast/USMO0768.html

28. Should I carry Medicines and Health Insurance?

A. You will need to purchase insurance here on campus. Insurance coverage from India doesn't
apply here, so don't bother getting one. Fall semester 2007 (Aug-Dec) insurance will cost $438
per student. Insurance is available for spouses and children, if they are coming with you. Get
medicines for common ailments like cold, fever, cough etc.

29. Do you have RELIGIOUS PLACES at Rolla?

A. St. Louis is a multi-cultural community where many religions exist side by side. Temples,
Mosques, Gurudwaras, are all located in St Louis. Churches are located in Rolla itself.

30. How should I carry my tuition fee and other expenses?

A. For expenses while traveling, carry either cash or traveler’s cheques (TC) (Try to get TCs in
less than $100 denominations, as these are easily acceptable). For tuition fee and expenses at
UMR, you can carry a single Demand Draft (DD) in your name. You can pay tuition fee to UMR
through the bank account that you create, once you arrive here.

Renting Apartment

31. Can I find an apartment after I reach UMR and how long will it take?
A. Of course you can. Finding an apartment depends on when you reach here, your preferences
and your ability to find roommates. During this time you will be provided with temporary
accommodation at an apartment with the present Indian students. Typically finding an
apartment takes 2 to 4 weeks. Students coming in spring, find it more difficult to find a
roommate.

Roommates and Apartments

Once a number of students have contacted us about housing and/or roommates, we'll send out
emails to groups of people so that you may contact each other. Another good source of
contacting others is the UMRFALL2004 Yahoo Group and online accomodation listings through
the india association website. http://web.umr.edu/~india/prospective_students.html

32. Can you book an apartment for me?

A. No, we cannot. We can only arrange your accommodation for the first week and you have to
find an apartment by then.

33. I don't know anyone; can IA find roommates for me?

A. Don't worry; most of us didn't know each other before we got here. You can wait till you
come here. Usually most Indians find Indian roommates.
34. What is the duration of the lease?
A. The lease may be signed for 1 year or in some cases 6 months depending on the owner's
rental policy.

35. How many roommates can I have?

A. The maximum number people that can share an apartment depend on the owner's policy
and are listed in the rental agreement. Generally, two are allowed in a single bedroom
apartment while four are allowed in 2 bedroom apartment.

36. How much would be the rent and deposit?

A. Depending on factors such as number of rooms, furnished/unfurnished, closeness to
campus, paid/unpaid utilities and other facilities, the rent can vary anywhere between $200 to
$700 which can be shared between the roommates. The deposit is usually one month rent.

37. Are apartments furnished?

A. It depends, furnished apartments cost more. Unfurnished apartments are equipped with
refrigerator, cooking range (conventional oven + burners or hot plates) and maybe a
dishwasher. The apartments are carpeted, and have closets. Furnished apartments have couch,
beds, dining table etc. apart from the above.

Living in Rolla

38. What are the average living expenses?

A. You should expect to spend approximately:
$100-$200 per month, apartment/house rent + utilities
$75-$150 per month, food and supplies
$30-$60 per month, miscellaneous expenses

Note that this would be the minimum that you would need to spend.

The above list does not include international or long distance calls. This depends on your usage.
You can purchase phone cards online to call India or long distance within US. International
cards may cost anywhere between 25 cents to 50 cents and 2 to 5 cents for long distance calls
within US. Apart from cost per minute, you should look for hidden charges such as connection
fee, rounding minutes, weekly/monthly charges etc. The card quality might depend on the
price, time and day (you may get better quality on weekdays than on weekends) you call. You
can also buy calling plans with phone companies. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with
the plan and the expenditure before you buy the plan. Currently, the approximate cost for
these plans is 55 cents or above for international calls and 5 cents or above. You can make
international and long distance calls through internet too at competitive prices but the quality
depends on the bandwidth (ISP) and the company providing the voice service.
39. Will we have to cook our own food? If so, what should we carry for cooking purposes?
A. Yes, you will probably have to cook your own food. Most of us here cook. Pressure
cooker/Pressure pan is the most important utensil that you need to get. Do not forget extra
safety valves and gaskets. You might want to get some kitchenware as well such as frying pans,
serving spoons, plates etc though you can buy all that after you come here. When buying these
utensils, make sure they are big enough to cook for 4 people.

40. I heard that UMR is really cold in winter. What kind of winter clothes should I carry?
A. You heard right. It snows and snows hard in winter, which starts in December and the snow
stays till Feb all apartments are equipped with heaters, and you won't feel the cold indoors.
Carry 1 or 2 sweaters, a woolen cap, warm socks and a winter jacket. You can buy winter
clothes that can withstand the Rolla winter here cheaper than in India.

41. What about laundry?

A. Washing machines and Dryers are available in most of the apartment buildings. If not, you
can always find public laundry nearby. You'll need around $2 (in quarters, 1 quarter = 25 cents
and 1 dollar = 100 cents) to wash and dry one load. You will probably need to do your laundry
once in 2 weeks (or with a lesser frequency).

Campus Safety

42. How safe is UMR Campus?

A. UMR Campus is very safe. Many of us spend late nights in the labs, and walk back to the
apartments alone. Even the doors are rarely locked in our houses.

We hope that the above information will answer most of your queries. If you have any more
questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us. Please note that it would be highly
convenient and suitable if you could email us at india@mst.edu or any of the executive
members email addresses listed in this website. It would help us to help you.