We devote a lot of entries in this blog to the graduate school admission process, and how to navigate it successfully. Today, we’d like to focus on those lucky folks who have received their acceptance letters, but who have one final hurdle to face before beginning school: The process of relocating.
U.S. News’s Education section recently published an article containing a series of tips to help make the transition to a new city smoother. The key takeaways for anyone moving this spring or summer area:
-Plan as far ahead as possible (like, as soon as a final decision about which school to attend has been made). The first decision to make is whether one wants to live on or off campus, and many schools’ on campus housing is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Even for those who decide to live off campus, plenty of time (and often a local visit or two) is necessary to find the most suitable housing option. For people who are starting an intensive new period of their lives, shortchanging the residence search will make their first year less than ideal.
-Know how to pay for the move. Relocation costs can vary, but the constant factor is that the student is generally responsible to pay the full costs out-of-pocket. Most financial aid does not become available until the start of the academic term, and moving costs are not part of the student budget that is set by schools (which affects how much money can be borrowed).
The full list of moving tips can be found here. It is part of U.S. News’s recent series on common questions for people heading to graduate school, which has other valuable resources for anyone beginning his or her degree this fall.
