After you have chosen to attend CSU
How can I find housing in Fort Collins?
Fortunately, housing is plentiful in Fort Collins, and there are several ways to choose your new home. The local newspaper, The Coloradoan (www.coloradoan.com ) has classified listings. Services such as Housing Helpers (www.housinghelpers.com ) and Roommate Shop (www.RoommateShop.com) can also be helpful. The Office of Off-Campus Student Services (http://www.sc.colostate.edu/ocss_ral/ ) has online rental listings as well as other helpful resources, like a worksheet for estimating the cost of living in Fort Collins, renters' resources, a budget workbook, etc. However, your best resource is current students, particularly if you are attempting to find a roommate. If you let one of us know now, we can send out an email to all of the current and incoming graduate students in the Psychology department to find potential roommates. Alternatively, if you are interested in a place but hate to commit without seeing it or knowing about the neighborhood, one of the current students is generally willing to drive through the area and let you know if it appears to be safe and desirable.
What should I be doing the summer before I begin classes at CSU?
Enjoy yourself! Read novels and lay in the grass. There will be plenty of time for learning and reading pertinent literature once you arrive at CSU.
When would I need to arrive in Colorado to begin the Fall semester?
You would need to arrive early enough to obtain all of the documentation required for residency (lease, driver's license, etc.) before classes officially begin. Because gathering this information will require some time, we suggest that students arrive in CSU three weeks to a month before the start of classes. However, coming to Colorado and obtaining the documents you will need to establish residency does not preclude you from returning to your state of departure for the remainder of the summer. For example, you could come to Colorado, register your car, register to vote, get a driver's license, sign a lease, etc., and then return home to pack, move, etc. You will certainly want to return at least two weeks before classes, though, in order to participate in various department and section orientations and the University Teacher's Assistant training. One other note: arriving early gives you time to acclimate to the higher altitude. Fort Collins is just under 5000 feet. Some folks experience headaches and fatigue for a week or two before fully acclimating.
When should I register for classes?
The only requirement is that you register before classes begin, which can easily be done though RAMweb (http://ramweb.colostate.edu ). RAMweb also contains useful information such as your current financial aid status and your unofficial transcript, so you will certainly want to establish this account. When you are accepted to the program, you will be assigned a temporary advisor until you choose your own advisor about a month into the Fall semester. The temporary advisor will tell you which classes you should be taking. Current students also have a good idea of what courses you can take and what constitutes a reasonable course load, so don't be afraid to approach them.
Will I have to become a Colorado resident to attend CSU?
No, you are not obligated to become a Colorado resident, but the consequences of not becoming a resident are severe. So, in practice the answer is yes. The general funding package includes out-of-state tuition for one year only. From your second year on, if you are not a resident, you will be responsible for the price difference between in-state and out-of-state graduate tuition.
How do I establish Colorado residency?
Establishing residency is something you should think about from the moment you cross the border into Colorado. As evidenced by the response above, becoming a Colorado resident is essential to your financial well-being. You will be responsible for gathering documentation that shows your intent to remain in Colorado permanently, including: a signed lease, a voter's registration card, vehicle registration, and a driver's license. (While it isn't required for residency, it is also suggested that obtain your student identification card in the Lory Student Center at the same time. This will assure your library privileges, access to the gymnasium and other facilities, and tickets to special events.) During your first year at CSU, you should also be sure to pay your State taxes for Colorado. The actual process to establish residency will then begin during your first Spring at CSU. The Financial Aid office will offer seminars on how to fill out the residency form, and you should determine early in the Spring semester which seminar you will attend. The last seminar dates are in April, and you are required to attend one of these sessions. You will be required to write an essay to prove your intent to remain in Colorado, and while you are certainly free to go following graduation, it is strongly suggested that you word your essay to suggest that you will remain in Colorado for life. Be sure to keep copies of all forms and documentation for your own records, and the residency packet has to be returned to the Financial Aid office before mid-summer, usually a date in late June. Submitting your documentation early will be to your advantage as residency requests are processed in the order in which they are received, and if your resident status is not approved by the beginning of the Fall semester, you will be responsible for the out-of-state portion of your tuition. This is a real threat, and we have seen this actually happen to students!!! Once again, current students can usually help you through this process.
Does CSU offer health insurance?
Yes, CSU does offer health insurance, but purchasing it is optional. The current cost for 2005-2006 is approximately $1600, including the summer. As a graduate student, you will receive $200 per semester as a bonus in your paycheck to cover health insurance. However, this amount does not have to be applied toward the CSU health insurance program or any other health insurance program. Even if you do not choose the CSU health insurance program, you still retain access to the Hartshorn Health Center, which offers medical services ranging from general practice to physical therapy at a very low cost. Procuring some type of health insurance is still strongly suggested, though, to cover more substantial accidents or injuries.
If I am coming in from a Master's program, what do I need to do to ensure that courses from that program count toward the CSU requirements?
Equivalency is easy to establish at CSU. Take your syllabus and other course materials to the graduate curriculum committee for their approval. some courses have waiver tests such as statistics. Your temporary advisor will let you know about these. If they feel the courses are sufficiently similar, they will sign a memo to that effect. These memos are simple, usually consisting of a sentence or two including the courses to be considered equivalent and where the previous course was completed.
What else do I need to know about getting started at CSU?
Isn't that enough??? Please feel free to call on any of the current graduate students for help with ANYTHING, or the program directors. Faculty e-mail addresses are on the faculty page, and graduate student email addresses are listed at http://lamar.colostate.edu/~iopac/students.htm. Also, once you arrive in town, please contact us so we can show you around and help you to settle in. Most of us love Fort Collins and relish an opportunity to get to show it off. We're also very anxious to get to know you!