PARICHAY

A GUIDE FOR NEW STUDENTS

Indian Graduate Student Association

University of Michigan-Dearborn

© IGSA- UM Dearborn 12/05/2016

UMD- IGSA©

Acknowledgment

This eBook consumed huge amount of work, research and dedication. Still, implementation would

not have been possible if we did not have a support of many individuals and organizations.

Therefore, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all of them.

First, we are thankful to the Indian Graduate Student Association, University of Michigan-

Dearborn Chapter for the all-round support and for providing necessary guidance concerning

project’s implementation.

We are also grateful to the Office of Student Engagement for provision of expertise and support

in the implementation. Without their superior knowledge and experience, this eBook would not

have been possible.

We would like to express our sincere thanks towards our volunteers who devoted their time and

knowledge for the completion of this e-book.

Nevertheless, we express our gratitude toward our families, colleagues and alumni for their kind

co-operation and encouragement which helped us accomplish this eBook.

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 1

UMD- IGSA©

A Message from the team IGSA

The University of Michigan-Dearborn stands at a historic moment, unbounded optimism, a time

of great opportunity, and infinite possibility. As Wolverines, we share a passion for our

extraordinary university and the great journey we are taking together.

Today, the call emanates from a world that has experienced an explosion of knowledge, but not a

corresponding growth in understanding; a world that too often lacks trust in its leaders and faith in

its institutions. It is a world that has developed wondrous technologies that link continents, but

isolate human beings, leaving many men and women weary and dispirited, feeling distant from

moral purpose, uncertain about knowledge or the very worth of human endeavor.

As that said, UMD-IGSA is in a unique position. We have an opportunity to take another

significant leap forward and expand the university’s impact at an unprecedented rate and in a short

period. To achieve our goal, while we have achieved a great deal, there is much more to do as we

march toward our lofty goal. Let us move forward with passion, but also with purpose. And most

of all let us be mindful of why we are supporting our beloved country and university. By reaching

this academic summit, your voice will be heard, your ideas will be received, and the impact of

your contributions to country will be fully realized.

We pursue this challenge because it is a worthy goal for any university, but particularly for

University of Michigan - Dearborn, a university uniquely suited to be a beacon of hope and light

for all. We invite you to join us, as a prospective student, parent, or friend. Finally, your decision

to attend University of Michigan-Dearborn will mean much more than earning a college degree.

We look forward to meeting you soon.

Vyas Darshan Shenoy

(President) IMPORTANT NOTE This e-book recommends the steps and procedures that ideally* must be followed once the student

has received an admit from the University of Michigan - Dearborn. The procedure thus mentioned,

might not be applicable to any other university proceedings. The IGSA-UMD holds complete

copyrights for this booklet. Any kind of reproduction without prior permission from the IGSA

Team will lead to legal actions

*steps might need alterations based on individual applications and situation

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 2

UMD- IGSA©

VISA Process explained

The most popular question amongst students who plan to fly to Michigan after getting an admit

from the University of Michigan-Dearborn is “How do I tackle the VISA process?”. This booklet

therefore puts a highlight on all the necessary steps that must be followed in an ideal situation. The

entire process is divided in two steps: -

A. Pre-VISA

B. Post-VISA

A. Pre-VISA

1. Once you receive the admit from UMD, and if you have submitted your financial

documents to the international office at UMD, you will receive your I-20, which is a legal

document issued from the US Department of Homeland Security. The I-20 is a very

important document and has a unique number called as the SEVIS (Student and Exchange

Visitor Program) number.

2. After receiving your I-20, start filling the DS-160 form which is the non-immigrant visa

application form which you can find here1. Follow the steps and enter your SEVIS number

at the last page of the form. After completing your form, take a print out of the confirmation

page along with the barcode.

3. Create an account on the U.S visa website2 as you must pay your visa fees of $165 (F1-

Student Visa). There are four ways of payment3 - but the easiest and quickest option is

paying cash over AXIS or CITIBANK counter.

4. Once you pay your visa application fees, you will get an email confirming your payment

received by the US consulate. This may take about 5-6 hours after you pay your fees.

5. The next fees to pay is - SEVIS fee (I-901 form). For F1 Visa, the fee is $200. You can

pay fees here4 by credit card. Make sure you pay it at least 7 days prior to your visa

appointment. Print the confirmation page.

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 3

UMD- IGSA©

6. Login to ustraveldocs website and you can now book your visa appointment. There are

total two appointments to be booked: biometric (Visa Application Center) and interview.

The biometric appointment should be at least one day prior to the visa interview

appointment. To book your appointment you would require - Passport number, Fee receipt

number and DS-160 number. Also remember, F1 visa (Student Visa) is not issued before

120 days of the course start date. So book your appointment accordingly.

Visa Application Center (VAC)/ Biometric appointment:

● In this appointment, a photo is taken and fingerprints are scanned.

● You will need - valid passport, visa appointment confirmation page, DS-160 confirmation

page.

● Reach 30-45 mins prior to the appointment.

Visa Interview appointment:

● After the VAC, your next appointment will be at the US embassy.

● You will need - valid passport, I20, I-901 fee payment confirmation page, visa appointment

confirmation page, DS-160 confirmation page and supporting documents.

● Supporting documents include - all academic certificates, all financial documents, latest

income tax return receipts. If your education is being sponsored by your guardian/parents,

then all financial documents of the sponsor are required.

● The interview is usually to test your confidence and motivation to study abroad.

● The visa officer immediately tells you the whether your visa is accepted or rejected. And

if accepted, keeps the passport.

● If rejected, you can apply for visa at the same consulate or at different one. But a gap of 2-

weeks to gather all the required documents is recommended. For more information, check the ustraveldocs website5.

B. Post VISA

1. Once your visa is approved, you can check your passport status on ustraveldocs website.

The process ideally takes around 7 days. INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 4

UMD- IGSA©

2. Take at least 20 photocopies of your Passport and Visa.

3. Also, at least 5 photocopies of I20, all academic documents, I-901 fee payment and

supporting documents.

4. You can book your flight tickets either prior to visa appointment or once your visa is

approved.

**You will not be allowed to enter the US on F-1 visa earlier than 30 days before your

program start date.

5. Book a ticket of an airline which allows maximum baggage for students. (Please call and

check with your desired airlines for student baggage allowance.)

6. Once you book your tickets, check the port of entry to the US. Port of entry is the first

airport in US you land. Here you will undergo the immigration and customs process.

Example: If your flight is from: Mumbai-London-Chicago-Detroit, then your port of entry

would be Chicago since it’s the first US airport you land in.

7. The immigration and customs officer will check your passport, visa and I-20 and ask a few

questions similar to the interview. Keep these documents handy. He/She would take a

photo and scan finger prints to match the ones at the time of interview.

**You can declare the goods you have brought but there is not a necessity to do that.

Find more info here6

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 5

UMD- IGSA©

Things to carry

Once you are done with the VISA process, you need to decide what and what not to carry. Usually,

many students end up bringing more than required luggage only to realize that many of the

necessary things are available here in the States and at a fair price. IGSA-UMD suggests the

following list of things that should be carried from India and the things which can be bought on

after arriving. However, this list is only a suggestion and the type and/or quantity of items

may vary as per one’s own needs.

Wardrobe

India United States

Jeans Winter wear

T-shirts and casual wears Winter shoes

Formal Shirts and Trousers Hangers

Formal suit

Belts and Socks

Formal Shoes

Footwear

Wrist watch Electronics

Plug converter Laptop and Cell Phone (if you plan to buy a new

one) Scientific calculator

Power bank

Charging cables (carry extra) Iron Box

Trimmer /Shavers Hair Dryer/ Hair Iron

Portable speakers

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 6

UMD- IGSA©

Personal Care

Toothbrush and Toothpaste Washing detergent

combs Shampoo

Shaving Kit Blanket

Hair oil Pillow

Nail cutter Shades

Small scissors Face wash and body wash liquid

Safety pins and Sewing kit Talcum powder

Towels

Napkin/Handkerchiefs

Perfume /Deodorant

Razor Blades

Back Pack

Alarm Clock

Pen, Pencil, Glue, Cello Tape

Kitchen/Cooking PS: You can talk to your fellow roommates while packing and split the items to bring in

order to have more space.

Pressure Cooker (get extra valves and washers) Mixer/Grinder

Indian Masala/Spices Electric rice cooker

Frying Pans Toaster

Serrated Knife Rice, Daal

Tiffin box (and 1-2 microwavable boxes) Vegetable Cutting Board

Cups and Bowls Spoon, Fork.

Plates(microwave safe) Salt and pepper

Peeler Sugar

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 7

UMD- IGSA©

Instant Food Packets / Noodles (for the initial

days)

Cardamom, Clove, Cinnamon,

Garam Masala

Chilli Powder **Please do not pack the following items while flying to USA. You are wasting your luggage space and you a get those things here.

● Tamarind Paste

● Glass (Mirror)

● Dal and Flour

● Pencil Box

● Ink Pen

● Heavy Winter Jackets

● Plain Rice

● Books

USA Flight Baggage

Following will be the usual baggage allowance in flights to USA -

● Two to three Suitcases for check-in. Each 55 lbs (or 23 Kgs)

● 1 Carry On Cabin Bag (8 Kgs)

● 1 Personal Item (Laptop Bag or Purse) Students with I-20 in certain airlines are allowed to check-in 3 suitcase each 23 weighing kgs. It

might be worth paying bit extra in ticket if certain airlines allow 3 suitcases.

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 8

UMD- IGSA©

Is Dental Care necessary?

After extensive survey and upon seeking the opinion of seniors abroad, a conclusion on the need for dental treatment while in India has been made mandatory.

● The rationale behind taking dental checkup and treatment while in India is:

○ To avoid possible dental treatment abroad as it is a well-known fact that dentists in

U.S charge exorbitantly high.

○ Under inevitable circumstances if you are required to go for dental treatment, you

need prior appointment of two to three weeks in U.S and should be ready to shell

out few hundred dollars.

○ Even students are required to bear the huge expenditure; as dental care is not

covered under health insurance in the U.S.

Spectacles/ Contact Lens 2-3 Pairs Mandatory from India Reason: Eyeglasses are very expensive here in the United States. With Eye Insurance, one has

to pay $225 for one set of contact lens. Same would have cost Rs 4,000 in India. So, if you wear

glasses make sure you get at least 2-3 additional pairs.

Medicines: Carry medical prescription for all the medicines you are carrying.

Medical Files/Medicines

Antiseptic / Betadine

Anti-allergy and Antihistamine

Pain-relief spray/cream

Fever/ Flu

Antibiotic (cold and cough)

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 9

UMD- IGSA©

Antibiotic (infection)

Pain-killer

Band-aids

Anti-diarrhoea

Acne

Vicks

Cough drops (For eg. - Strepsils)

**Any other medicines that you might be prescribed by your doctor or if you have any medical condition.

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 10

UMD- IGSA©

Preparing for Your Travel

Documentation: Carry all documents and their photocopies safely - letter from University of Michigan, mark sheets, etc. Make sure to leave a copy of these documents at home.

Important things to do before you leave:

● Give power of attorney (authorization letters) to an immediate family member or anyone

you rely on.

● Put your signature on 10 plain sheets, write your name below it, keep these at home. Your

parent’s/family members may need it for any purpose like authorization to collect marks

sheets, Provisional certificate, transfer certificate, Bonafide certificate, Degree certificate,

Migration certificate from the university, applying for refund from the college etc.

● You may want to make your bank accounts joint.

Things to be left at home:

● Rundown of locations/telephone numbers at which information about you can be found.

● One copy of all your essential records.

● Organize to gather/divert mail from your room/lodging.

● Organize to apply/gather/mail your transcripts (around 10 in number ideal)

● Your customizing/ tailoring measurements if necessary.

A Review & Miscellaneous:

● Get a driving license and IDP (International Driving Permit)

● Get your application material if you wish to reactivate your applications next quarter/year.

● Get a set of transcripts in case you plan to apply for further studies.

● All degree certificates.

● Get 3-5 passport size photographs.

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 11

UMD- IGSA©

In The Last Week:

● Ring and find if there is any change in your flight schedule (inform the people coming to

pick you up of any such change).

● Find out the name of the individual who will be picking you at the airplane terminal.

Make sure to inform those individuals of your correct flight timings, aircraft no., your

name. Also, educate all these to your kin at home.

On The Day of the Flight and On – Board:

● Since it will be a long flight wear something agreeable (cotton dress + full hand shirt).

Wear your shoes

● Check all the records by and by and keep them at suitable spots.

● Keep your original I-20 and admit letter in your handbag/ an easy place to reach for

immigration-check.

● Be at the air terminal about 3 hours before the scheduled takeoff.

Once Off the Plane:

Hurray!! You are now in the USA!

● Once you are out of the plane go straight to the movement counter - scramble for them to

beat the line. It may take 1/2 - 1 hour here.

● Keep your I-20, international ID(Passport), affirmation and help letters prepared.

● They may ask a couple questions like: ** Is it true that this is your first time in the US? Understudy? F-1 Visa? Which Univ.? How

long do you intend to stay here for? They will join an I-64 card to your visa.

● Once past immigration-point, collect your luggage from the assigned belt.

● We propose you to have an identification mark on your suitcases - a particular thread, your

name tag, name written by marker etc. This will make it easier to find your bags on the belt

among other stuff.

● If you don't get your baggage, inform the inquiry section - it may take 0.5 - 1hour. INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 12

UMD- IGSA©

● Cart your baggage to the nearby customs. If asked tell them that you are a student, F-1 visa,

school, dept., coming to US for the first time.

● The customs officer may ask you to open your baggage. Do not panic and open your bag

to not mess up the place. If asked about the "masala powder” tell them that they are dried

Indian spices to make traditional Indian food.

Note: In most cases, you will not be asked to open your boxes at all & you will be simply waved through.

● Wait at the nearest exit as mentioned in the MAP provided by IGSA and try to connect

with the person who is supposed to pick you up.

● Never leave your baggage unattended. Stay at the exit that you were informed for pick-up.

Don’t hesitate to ask for I.D from the person picking you up but you will be asked for I.D

to make sure they are not picking a person not intended to be picked up by them.

Make sure you are polite while you identify his identity since this person is voluntarily

going out of the way to assist IGSA and you.

● Once you reach your temporary accommodation (or your intended destination) inform your

folks of your safe reach.

● If you get your hand on Internet, do type few words of your experience and email

IGSA or post on Facebook.

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 13

UMD- IGSA©

First Seven Days in Dearborn

The first few days in Dearborn are important as you need to settle down in a new home away from

home. However, keep in mind that certain documentation and procedures need to be completed as

well. We suggest to get this done in the initial days as some of these are mandatory and might be

necessary for a smooth routine.

1) Make your UM Identity M-CARD

Place: The University Centre (UC)- Ground Floor - Information Desk Required Documents: Admit Letter and Passport Ask for the UMICH ID card. Your picture is clicked and ID card will be provided in a minute.

2) Take a print of class schedule

Place: The University Centre - Ground floor - Enrollment services Required documents: M - Card Ask for the class schedule by providing your UMID number, passport and I-20

3) Visit UMCU (University of Michigan Credit Union) to open a bank account.

Place: The University Centre - Ground Floor - UMCU This is needed for your day to day transactions and it can also be used to transfer your fees. It's recommended to open in UMCU account as transactions are easy among the peers and the

university account. Required Documents: I-20, Passport, M - Card

● For your address you can use Eg:- 5590, Nottingham Court, Dearborn Michigan 48126 i.e

(Please Mention Your Temporary Accommodation Address). Update it as soon as you

move in to your permanent accommodation address.

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 14

UMD- IGSA©

**Please keep your questions restricted to your UMCU banking.

4) Visit the library to set PIN for your online library.

5) Visit the Office of International Affairs(OIA)

Place: The Union (across the road from the UC) Visit the International office for Immigration Check as per the dates mentioned on the website.

Documents you need to carry while you visit the OIA (Check the link provided for more details7)

● Passport

● I-20 / DS 2019

● I-94 form8 Note: You can take printouts from the Print-Stations at UC or library using your UMICH

UNIQUE NAME and Password since you will have $25 printing credit per semester from the

university. *In case of any issues you can contact Randy Dillard <rdillard@umich.edu>* **Please maintain decorum while your visit to the OIA, now you are representing India on

a global platform.

6) SIM Card

T-mobile and AT&T connections which are commonly used. A group of 5 members can be in one

connection and on an average it costs 35$ per person. You need your passport for registration. The nearest T-mobile store is in Fairlane Town Center (FTC) mall, which is behind the union

building.

● Laptop – Electronic goods are cheaper in the States. And you can avail some student

discounts too (Especially Dell). You get the best prices for everything though around

Thanks-giving (in November).

● Phone - There are various deals available to purchase a phone on contract. Check them out

while you are buying the sim card.

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 15

UMD- IGSA©

7) Transport

● The campus international shuttle runs from meadows and woods to the UC. The other

shuttles connect UC and COB (College Of Business).

● You will receive the shuttle schedule from the OIA via email or in the shuttle itself.

● It takes 35 mins to walk from Fairlane Meadow, 20 minutes to walk from Fairlane Woods

to UC.

● There is a shuttle service on Saturdays that takes you to supermarket and Indian store for

grocery shopping.

● There is Zipcar available from Meadows and Union. Ask for reference code on the IGSA

Facebook group.

● Lyft and Uber will frequently come in use for moving around. Ask for reference codes for

discounts and refer your friends to get free rides/ credit.

Health Insurance and Medical Examination:

● University of Michigan Dearborn does not require a medical examination certificate in

order to enroll.

● Health insurance is compulsory when you live in US. The health insurance provided by

the university through Aetna Student health is mandatory. The start date of your

insurance is your program start date.

● The cost of insurance is $495 per semester and must be paid along with the tuition fee.

● Dental and Vision costs are very expensive here and they are not necessarily covered in the

medical insurance provided by the university.

● A TB test is mandatory after you arrive and is free of cost.

● If one has a health problem or met with an accident, there are two ways to go to the hospital

- Walk-in or Emergency.

● For more details visit Aetna9

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 16

UMD- IGSA©

State ID or Driving license (DL):

In order to get State ID and DL, a Temporary Instruction Permit (TIP- learner’s license) and Letter of Ineligibility (For those who don’t have SSN) are necessary. If you are taking DL there is no need of getting State ID as one can use DL as an ID

proof. Cost for TIP and DL – $25 + $45 Cost for State ID – $10

● In order to get a Michigan driver's license, you must clear the written test followed by a

road test.

● The first step is to prepare for the written test is by studying the booklet What Every

Driver Must Know 10. You can download a free PDF copy of the book.

● Secondly, the “Letter of Ineligibility” must be procured from the US Social Security

Administration (SSA) office. The documents (all originals) required in order to receive this

letter are as follows:

❖ Passport

❖ Print-out of electronic I-94 Form

❖ I-20

❖ 2 proofs of Michigan residency - the Lease agreement copy and UMCU Bank

statement or class schedule.

● Once the above documents are produced in US Social Security Administration (SSA)

office, the “Letter of Ineligibility” will be issued at the same time.

● Further, the Temporary Instruction Permit (TIP) and State ID is obtained from the

Secretary of State (SOS) office. In this office, all the documents mentioned above along

with the “Letter of Ineligibility” must be produced to the official. A picture will be taken

and State ID will be mailed to your house within 2 weeks.

● After you pass the written test you will receive a temporary instruction permit. You may

have a 30-day practice period before you can take the road test depending on the type of

license you already hold.

● An appointment for the road test should be taken at least a day in advance. Practice driving

well, especially parking as it costs $45 for one test.

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 17

UMD- IGSA©

● You can take a rental car for the test if you don’t own a car. Enterprise is the closest rental

provider from meadows.

● Once the test is taken successfully, you will get a certificate which should be taken to the

SOS office and submitted. You will receive the DL by mail within two weeks.

Amazon Prime – Use your UMich Email ID to create a prime account after you get here. You

will get 6 months of free prime subscription. Check the website to find the pros of having a prime

account.

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 18

UMD- IGSA©

Tuition Fee breakdown: College of Engineering and Computer Science(CECS)

NOTE:

1. All costs shown are with respect to Summer 2016

2. All costs shown are considering you take 9 credits hours (in-class) in CECS

3. Distance learning classes cost $310 Extra per subject and students are only allowed to take

1 such class per semester.

4. Please use the link - Estimate11 your tuition fees as per your requirement (The cost is

without Health Insurance)

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 19

UMD- IGSA©

Tuition Fee breakdown: College of Business (COB) NOTE:

1. All costs shown are with respect to Summer 2016.

2. All costs shown are considering you take 9 credits hours (in-class) in COB.

3. Distance learning classes cost $310 Extra per subject and students are only allowed to take

1 such class per semester.

4. Please use the link - Estimate11 your tuition fees as per your requirement (The cost is

without Health Insurance)

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 20

UMD- IGSA©

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 21

UMD- IGSA©

Tuition Fee Payment methods:

Following are the modes of fee payment preferred by the Indian Students at University of the Michigan-Dearborn:

1. Payment via Cheque:

● This is the most preferred mode of payment.

● Fee amount can be transferred from Indian Bank account into individuals UMCU account.

(University of Michigan Credit Union is located in the main campus of the university and

majority of students have their account with UMCU.)

● UMCU provides every account as separate routing number which can be used to transfer

the amount from any Indian Bank.

● UMCU charges a nominal amount of 10$ for every transaction made between the

international bank and UMCU account. Cash deposit is not charged.

● UMCU provides 6 cheques which can be used to pay fees.

UMCU12

2. Payment via International Demand Draft (DD):

● You can carry International Demand Draft with amount in dollars equivalent to your fees.

● Demand Draft should be made in the name of ‘University of Michigan - Dearborn’.

● Please contact your respective Indian banks for the process.

3. Payment via peer transfer (Flywire):

● Peer transfer is less preferred process as the transaction fees are too high and vary according

to the amount that is being transferred.

● Details regarding the peer transfer - FlyWire13

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 22

UMD- IGSA©

Living Expenses Break Down:

NOTE: 1. All expense shown are on basis of previous experiences and are approximate (for 4 people

sharing). You might need put aside couple of hundred dollars while installing yourself into

new apartment.

2. $570 is the average monthly expense per person. 3. Rent shown is for Fairlane Meadows apartments at $ 1,400/Month. And in Fairlane Woods it

varies from $1400- $1500* 4. Groceries (basics only) cost has been calculated. 5. Telephone bill shown is for AT&T family plan of 10 people. 6. Internet bill shown is for Comcast plan of 75 MBPS INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 23

UMD- IGSA©

Life in Dearborn

Life on campus The UM-Dearborn campus has fully functional fitness center, basketball courts, squash courts,

ice hockey, auditoriums, and cafeterias. As UM-Dearborn is a satellite campus, it is smaller in size than other university campuses. Most

of the graduate classes may be in the evening from 6:00 PM to 8:45 PM.

Shopping:

● Goodwill and IKEA are suggested options to buy furniture for the house.

● Every Saturday, a shopping shuttle leaves Meadows at 9: 00a.m and Woods at 9: 15a.m

and goes to Kroger, Joe Randazzo and finally patel brothers and comes back by 12:00p.m.

● The route is the same from the Union and the shuttle goes at 12:00 p.m, returning by

3:00p.m. Kroger – Supermart Joe Randazzo - Fresh vegetables and fruits Patel Brothers – Indian store Burlington – Best for buying winter clothes.

Places in the vicinity

Walmart and Kroger – Supermarket – 10 mins on foot from Meadows Fairlane Town Center - nearest mall AMC Theaters – next to fairlane town center Indian Eateries- Aahar, Neehee’s, Bawarchi, Turmerican Temples – Bharatiya Temple, Parashakti temple, Kashi Shri Vishwanath temple, Iskcon(Detroit) Mosques – Islamic center of America, Dearborn Mosque Churches – Many churches and communities around. There are small groups in university for

bible study too. Gurudwara – Gurudwara Sahib, Singh Sabha of Michigan INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 24

25

Team IGSA 2016-2017

Vyas Darshan Shenoy Aniket Jadhav (President) (Vice President) Akshay Apte Sujay Deshpande (Treasurer) (Cultural Secretary) Sanjog Gawade Sushanth Pawar (Technical Secretary) (Marketing and Logistics Secretary)

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION

UMD- IGSA©

Departmental Representatives:

Also, supporting the team are the volunteers who are an integral part of every event that IGSA

conducts. For the convenience of all the incoming students, IGSA-UMD has taken an initiative of

appointing the Departmental Representatives. The aim behind this initiative is to guide students

rightly about the respective departments and see to it that all academic queries and concerns are

addressed. Here is the extensive list of all the Departmental Representatives:

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

1) AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS ENGINEERING: Betty Agnes Narendra Mayabhate Vivek Pimputkar Sudeep Katte 2) MECHANICAL ENGINEERING: Avinash Nandi Akshay Sakhare Sushanth Pawar Harshith Gowda

3) INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING: Vivek Shivale Sujay Deshpande

4) MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS ENGINEERING: Prajwal Chougule Shruthi Badam 5) COMPUTER & INFORMATION SCIENCE: Neeraja Krishnan Raspinder Kaur

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 26

UMD- IGSA©

6) ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER ENGINEERING Poonam Birar Chaudhari (For Electrical) Rohit Kumar Kesireddy (For Electrical)

SCHOOL of BUSINESS

1) BUSINESS ANALYTICS Supriya Verma Anusha Reddy Thokala Rose Maria Divya Pragna

2) SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Apalava Karthik

ACCOUNTS & FINANCE ~Queries related to Tuition Fees/Bank Account/Identity Card: Aniket Jadhav and Vyas Shenoy

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 27

UMD- IGSA©

IGSA Celebrations:

Fresher’s Welcome Party

Only studies and no fun doesn’t rhyme good. The numerous associations in the university continue

to host multiple events throughout the year. So does IGSA. As the new students come in, team

IGSA welcomes you all with a Fresher’s Party. The celebration not only helps the students to gel

with the seniors but also makes the students a part of the ever growing UM-D IGSA family by

getting them involved in various fun-filled activities and games.

IGSA Fresher’s welcome Party Fall 2016

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 28

UMD- IGSA©

Diwali

Continuing the fun, we celebrate together Diwali, our favorite festival. Lined up with cultural

performances, group activities and fun filled games, Diwali celebration is marked as one of the

biggest festival on campus.

IGSA Diwali celebration 2015

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 29

UMD- IGSA©

Aarambh

The New Year (according to the Solar Calendar) in many cultures across India is known by

different names - GudiPadwa, Ugadi, Vaisakhi etc. in different regions, As celebrated with great

joy in the company of our family and friends back at home, we make arrangements to bring the

same festivity to our fellows here. It is a program full of entertainment, with cultural performances,

food, games, etc.

The love for cricket comes along with us to this foreign land, miles away from home. We watch

matches together, have fun on the new year. Not the December 31st

but to mark the Hindu calendar

years beginning.

IGSA Aarambh celebration 2015

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 30

UMD- IGSA©

Important Links

1. DS-160 Form, Visa appointment - http://www.ustraveldocs.com

2. Visa fees - https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/?language=English&country=India

3. Ways of paying the visa fees - http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-paymentinfo.asp

4. SEVIS fees - https://fmjfee.com/i901fee/desktop/index.jsp?view=desktop

5. Info on visa interview appointment - http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-typefandm.asp ;

also check - https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/study-exchange/student.html

6. Post-visa info - https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors;

https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/video-gallery/2015/01/youve-arrived

7. OIA page - https://umdearborn.edu/701693

8. I-94 form -

https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/consent.html;jsessionid=bJnlVJ1GqFMQp0nlBDjhHCNYpXGb0Xpq

nywg915TDY85LcsnrJpT!-128391079

9. AETNA health insurance -

https://www.aetnastudenthealth.com/schools/umich/University_of_Michigan_International_5004 99-

912071-900787_1516_FORMATTED.pdf

10. Driver’s License pdf - http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1642-103522--,00.html

11. Tuition fee estimate - http://umdearborn.edu/701653

12. Credit Union bank - https://www.umcu.org/

13. Peer transfer details for payment

https://www.flywire.com/?utm_source=BizCard&utm_medium=Howtopay&utm_campaign=Prin

tB2C

Thank You.

INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION 31