Waitlisted International Students?

[superrob-rp7]

Any other international students waitlisted at their top choice schools?

I have an acceptance from another school, but am waitlisted and waiting to hear from my top choice.  I would need about 2 months for my visa, so I can only wait until around mid-June to hear from them - if no news by then, I will decide to go to the other school (from which I have already received my I-20).

Do admissions generally understand such time constraints involved with international students?  Should you actively let them know of those constraints, and that a quick decision is needed?  Would that sound too demanding? 

I would be interested in hearing from anyone in similar situations, plus whatever strategies you are taking, if any.

Thanks. 

[«ě»]

Getting a student visa takes about 3 to 5 days, and valid from the day it is stamped in your passport. You have no reason to worry at this stage.

[superrob-rp7]

Getting a student visa takes about 3 to 5 days, and valid from the day it is stamped in your passport. You have no reason to worry at this stage.

Sure, it takes a relatively short time to have a student visa issued after submitting all the required documentation (a week or so I'm told), but there are numerous steps before that:

- Receive acceptance letter from school
- Send statement of financial responsibility to school
- School to issue I-20
- Schedule, and interview with US embassy / complete and submit required documentation

Considering that it took about a month to receive my I-20 from my second choice school (no delay on my part sending financial responsibility statement), I think 2 months in a realistic time frame, allowing for unforeseen delays as well (remember a lot of the above steps are beyond your control).  In addition, I don't want to arrive in the US the day before orientation starts (a few weeks before would be ideal), plus it is a busy time for the US embassy issuing visas, with lots of summer students applying.   

So I think I should be worrying at this stage.

[«ě»]

Worry as much as you like I suppose there might be differences depending on what country you are in etc, but it took me less than two weeks from my acceptance letter to my VISA was approved.

[NewHere]

I don't know the details, but I've heard it's possible to switch schools WHILE YOU ARE on an F-1 or J-1 visa. What you may be able to do is apply for a visa for your second-choice school, then convert it to a visa for your first-choice school in case you are accepted off the waitlist.

I don't know whether this would in fact be faster or not, but it may be worth investigating.

[«ě»]

I don't know the details, but I've heard it's possible to switch schools WHILE YOU ARE on an F-1 or J-1 visa. What you may be able to do is apply for a visa for your second-choice school, then convert it to a visa for your first-choice school in case you are accepted off the waitlist.

I don't know whether this would in fact be faster or not, but it may be worth investigating.

You may not, per se, switch schools on a VISA, but you can 'give up' your current visa then apply for a new one. However, if it turned out to be as much work as the OP said to get a VISA from wherever he was, this might be more effort than it's worth.

[NewHere]

ě, I'm surprised it went so fast for you. In what country are you?

I don't have a visa yet, but so far it has taken me two weeks from submission of documents to the notice (today) that they sent the I-20 form. Two more weeks till the first available time slot at the consulate. Then another few days for the visa to arrive. All in all about 5 weeks, which isn't bad, but you can't start that process in August if you want to arrive in the US on time.

[«ě»]

I live in Norway. Plus I have previously lived in America, I don't know if that is a factor or not, but it might be I guess. I had all my papers ready, so I just submitted the I-20 as soon as I got it and visited the embassy to submit my application. We had an half an hour talk, they took my passport, and about a week later I got the passport back with an accepted VISA.

[NewHere]

In that case, I have some questions for you:
1. Did they ask you to prove that you are going to return to Norway after law school?
2. (If so:) What did you say?

I really don't know how to answer that sort of question. At this point I'm not planning to stay in the US forever, but I'm not sure I will want to return to Europe right out of law school either. Law school is something quite country specific. If you answer "I'd like to be able to work for the EU or UN" (my honest answer), they will probably ask why you don't study law in Europe. (EU is not applicable for Norway of course.)

What did they ask you, and what did you say?

(I'm in the Netherlands.)

[«ě»]

No, they asked me if I intended to return or to stay in the US, and I said I intended to stay. They didn't have a problem with that at all. Can't really see why they would, they even give preferential treatment to "specialist workers" such as lawyers when applying for a green card. Wouldn't make any sense to do that if you're trying to get them out of the country ASAP.

I wasn't really asked much at all. They asked how I intended to finance my stay, if I were living with someone, or getting my own place. If I intended to hold a job while studying, or just going to school. If I had any girlfriend or SO that would be moving together, or if I was going alone. Essentially, the impression I got from their questions was pretty much "Are you a dead beat who's going to leech off of our welfare system, or are you going to be productive and resourceful?"