CS Account Form - at some point will be emailed to you
Graduate Student Data Sheet - (Already completed)

Health History Form
All incoming students must complete Health History and Immunization information.  Please see the requirements on the Student Health Services website. 

Full time students:
Two doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR)

Additional requirements for international students:
Tuberculin skin test (PPD) within six months of enrollment.

 If you have questions, please call Student Health Services at 412-268-2157.

International Student Form (Already completed)
If you are not a U.S. Citizen you will receive the I-20 Form, which will allow you to obtain the F-1 student visa. However, the I-20 CANNOT BE ISSUED until we receive a completed International Student Information fillable .pdf Form from you. Please note that you are not required to provide any proof of financial support unless you have legal dependents (spouse and/or children). In that case you may be required to show that you have additional funds available to support the dependents. 

Classes at Carnegie Mellon begin on August 26, 2013, with the exception of the Computer Science Department and ML. So the Statistics classes start the week of August 26, 2013 but most of the Machine Learning and CS classes don't begin until September 9th, due to the IC.

I will register you for the following courses:
10-701 Machine Learning
10-705 Intermediate Statistics
10-920 Graduate Reading & Research (24 units)

10-915 ML Journal Club is required in either your first or second semester and will be discussed during the IC, after which you will be able to decide if you want to also register for 10-915.

Information regarding registering for courses:
For full schedule of courses go to:https://enr-apps.as.cmu.edu/SOC/SOCServlet
To register for courses go to: www.cmu.edu/hub/sio

Graduate Student Orientation for all incoming Graduate Students at Carnegie Mellon is August 12-15, 2013.

Please note: August 13th is mandatory for International students.

Computer Accounts will be set up for you by the time you arrive. Your CS account will be activated in August. You will also have an Andrew account on the university Andrew network to view your student account, register for courses, sign up for health insurance, etc. This is automatically assigned when you are entered into the Student Information System. You can find out your Andrew login (it will most likely be the same as your CS account)  The Andrew account password is the first 8 digits of your student ID number.

The ML Immigration course (IC) Begins Monday, August 26, 2013, with the beginning of classes and typically runs for two weeks.

The Immigration course is intended primarily to introduce you to the Machine Learning Department and the School of Computer Science. Faculty will give presentations about the projects they are working on. The research presentations will give you an idea of the kind of research that goes on here in Machine Learning and throughout SCS. The Immigration course is held at the beginning of the Fall term. After the IC, students are strongly encouraged to arrange individual meetings with potential faculty advisors.

IC Schedule from 2012

IC Schedule for 2013 is not available until August.

Fellowships
ML appreciates the efforts of its Graduate Students in obtaining outside support. As an incentive for actively soliciting and obtaining support from outside sources, ML provides supplement money. Students receiving outside support at the initiative of ML (with only a vitae - or less - from the student) are not entitled to the supplement. If you have received a Fellowship please contact Melissa Carrozza to find out what information you need to supply to her and what your supplement money would be in your particular case.

Health Insurance

All full-time students are required to carry health insurance and will be assessed a charge for the individual basic mandatory plan offered through the university student health insurance program. The charge will appear on the invoice of the first semester of attendance in the academic cycle. The student is required to take one of the following three actions: 1) Enroll in the basic plan as charged. 2) Upgrade the benefit plan by enrolling in the enhanced student health insurance options during the open enrollment period. 3) Apply for a waiver from the mandatory plan. Student Health Insurance plans

You are responsible to pay the premiums for insurance by submitting a check to the HUB by date???????

Community Housing
For more detailed information on housing and related issues, you may want to visit the CMU Housing Office (412-268-2139) website, which can be very helpful in locating suitable apartments or houses for new students. They can provide computerized listings of spaces available to match your specific needs.

If you will be looking for an apartment before you arrive, the best times are either early May or mid-July. Most leases are for one year, ending in May or August. You can sign a lease any time if the space is available - but people don't always let the landlords know whether they'll be renewing until 30 - 45 days before the end of the lease. There is usually a little overlap in August -- old leases not over until the end of August, but you need a place by mid-August -- but it's often possible to "bunk in" with older students for a few days until your place becomes available. Usually if you get in touch with the person who was your student contact s/he can be helpful in the transition.

If you need temporary housing before transitional housing is available, visit http://www.cmu.edu/home/visitors/accommodate.html. This website provides you information on local hotels.

Transitional housing is available only for international graduate students or undergraduate exchange students requiring housing. If you need a place to stay while you find an apartment.

International Students

If you are not a U.S. Citizen you will receive the I-20 Form, which will allow you to obtain the F-1 student visa. However, the I-20 CANNOT BE ISSUED until we receive a completed International Student Information Form from you. Please note that you are not required to provide any proof of financial support unless you have legal dependents (spouse and/or children). In that case you may be required to show that you have additional funds available to support the dependents. 

Note that all students applying for the F-1 visa are required to pay a SEVIS fee in addition to any other required filing fees. We will not be paying this fee in advance, but you will be reimbursed once you arrive in the fall IF you save your receipt and bring it to me.

If you are already in the U.S.; you will request a transfer through your Foreign Student Advisor rather than receiving a new I-20 form. For additional information regarding visas you may want to visit the Office of International Education website.

International students will also receive information with your I-20 Form regarding the International Student Orientation program sponsored by the Office of International Education, August 13, 2013. This program is mandatory. If you have a situation that does not allow you to attend, you will be required to attend an orientation session before the end of the first week of the semester in order for your enrollment to be complete, and to maintain your valid visa status. An important part of the orientation are instructions of how to obtain a social security number which you will need in order to receive your monthly stipend.

Visa Denials:
During the past year some international students' initial visa requests were denied. However, when re-submitted, all were approved and were able to arrive on time. It seems especially difficult for students from china. The following web link from the Department of state give a good overview of the visa application process for international students.
http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html

Transitional housing is available only for international graduate students or undergraduate exchange students requiring housing. If you need a place to stay while you find an apartment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Responsible Conduct of Research Training
Students must complete training for NSF and NIH grants. A copy of the certificate must be given to the MLD Business Manager, Russ O'Lare.

Monthly Stipend
Your stipend begins on September 1, 2013. Stipend payments are made on the last working day of each month. Your first stipend payment will be September 30, 2013. In order to get "on the payroll" you are required by the US Citizenship & Immigration Services to complete an I-9 Form, which documents your authorization to work in the United States. Please see list below for acceptable documents to show at the Payroll Office. You may also sign up to have your payment directly deposited into your bank account. Please bring a blank check, marked VOID, to the Payroll Office.

List of Acceptable Documents
Citizens of the U.S. must show either a valid U.S. passport, or a state-issued driver's license PLUS an ORIGINAL Social Security Card or a birth certificate bearing a seal. Those who are not U.S. citizens must show their passport (with attached employment authorization Form I-9, which will be issued by the CMU Foreign Student Advisor during foreign student orientation.) Please be sure that you have these documents with you when you arrive.

If you have received external funding your contact person in CMU SCS will be Melissa Carrozza (412 268-9601). If you have any questions feel free to contact her directly.

Dependency Allowance
If your spouse is unemployed, or earns less than $200 per month, you are entitled to a dependency allowance.A dependency allowance of 10% per month of the SCS base stipend amount for each eligible dependent is paid to a Ph.D. student provided that his or her spouse or qualifying domestic partner earns $200.00 or less per month.

In academic year 2013-2014, base stipend is $2,500.00 and the allowance per eligible dependent is $250.00.

Fellowships
ML appreciates the efforts of its Graduate Students in obtaining outside support. As an incentive for actively soliciting and obtaining support from outside sources, ML provides supplement money. Students receiving outside support at the initiative of ML (with only a vitae - or less - from the student) are not entitled to the supplement. If you have received a Fellowship please contact Melissa Carrozza to find out what information you need to supply to her and what your supplement money would be in your particular case.

The department pays your student fees and also pays your tuition by dividing it up each month. You don't have to worry about tuition or the following student fees: Student Activities Fee, PAT Bus Pass Fee or Technology Fee. You will have to pay the Health Insurance and any personal fees, as in Library fees. For more details, please see the HUB website: http://www.cmu.edu/hub/billing/departmental.html

Your student account information can be found at:
https://s3.as.cmu.edu/sio/index.html