International Exchange Student Information

Below you will find additional information that pertains only to those students enrolling at Heinz College as an Exchange Student. Topic covererd include:

Process for Enrolling in Classes
Process to Apply for the I-20 or DS-2019 Document to obtain your Visa
Tips for finding housing in Pittsburgh
Be sure to follow the New Student Checklist as many of these items are also required of new exchange students
Additional Resources from the Office of International Education

Process for Enrolling in Classes

The following steps should be expected for all exchange students in determining their plan of study while at the Heinz College

Complete your proposed plan of study: Most applicants complete their "Plan of Study" and include this with their application to the program. This includes the classes the student is interested in taking during their semester at Heinz College. You must include at least 36 units of coursework in your plan of study. It is strongly urged that you do not propose taking classes that are required for graduation during your exchange semester. Please expect to take classes that will be considered elective classes only within your home program of study. This is important becasue your coursework and course schedule is not final until the first week of classes. If you did not include a plan of study with your application, please be sure to complete and return this to the office of admission at hnzadmit@andrew.cmu.edu

The Heinz College Class Schedule for Fall will be available at this link when the schedule is finalized in May: Go to Schedule
Please do not choose classes noted as Section K, L, W, Z becasue they are NOT available at the Pittsburgh Campus. Also, if the section letter is followed by a number, the class meets for only half of the semester. Sections followed by the number 1 meet during the first 8 weeks of of the semester. Sections followed by the number 2 meet in the second 8 weeks of the semester.
The Heinz College Course Catalog includes class descriptions that may be helpful: Go to Course Catalog

2. The Director of the Heinz Program will review your proposed plan of study. They may or may not suggest changes to the classes you have proposed based on the liklihood of slots being available.

Once you and the Heinz College Director of the program have agreed to your proposed plan of study, the admissions office will begin to generate your admissions decision. Please keep in mind that your schedule is NOT set at this point. You still have a "proposed" plan of study only. Final course registration will not be complete until the first week of classes.

3. After you and the Heinz Program Director have agreed on your proposed plan of study, you will receive your admissions letter by e-mail.

4. When you receive your Andrew Computer Account and Heinz Computer Account information, you will be able to access Student Information Online to view your schedule and additional information.

You may find that you have been enrolled in many or all of the classes from your plan of study, but more likely you will find that you are on the "Waitlist" for all classes. Please expect to be on the waitlist for all or some classes as late as the first week of class. This is expected as all new students entering Heinz College must take placement and exemption exams during orientation. The results of these exams will determine the space available in particular classes.
Please see the main New Student Checklist for dates pertaining to when you can expect to receive the Computer Account information email.

Process to Apply for I-20 or DS-2019 Document

If you are beginning classes at Heinz College as an EXCHANGE student and you are an international student required to attain a J-1 or F-1 student visa, you will need to submit additional documentation to the Office of Admission.

Carefully review all of the information provided below. Many laws regarding international students studying in the U.S. have changed. It is very important that you are aware of the particular immigration laws that affect your country. Please allow sufficient time (a minimum of six-eight weeks) for the University to process your paperwork and issue the Certificate of Eligibility (I-20) document.

Forms and information needed to process the I-20 document:

All international exchange students that require a student visa must submit all required documents (Listed 1 - 4 below) in order to begin the I-20 document processing. We will begin processing documents in March. Once processing begins, your I-20 document will be sent within 6-8 weeks of receipt of all necessary documents. The office of admission will send an email notification to you when we have received your documents.

To avoid delays, please ensure each of the following documents are included in your package before mailing to the admisisons office:

Exchange Student Information Form
Exchange Student Affidavit of Support for Financial Sponsor Form(s)
sufficient supporting financial documents (originals)
photocopy of your passport identification page(s)

Packages containing incomplete or insufficient funding information will not be processed. Due to international mailing times, you should expect to wait at least 6-8 weeks from the date you send this information until you receive your Certificate of Eligibility.

***Forms below are for Exchange students studying at Heinz College for 1 semester or 2 semesters

Forms required to process your I-20 or DS-2012

August 2012

-or-

January 2013

International Exchange Students enrolling in the August 2012 or January 2013 Semester

Please print the above forms and submit a completed version to the Heinz Office of Admissions as soon as possible. For assistance in completing these forms, you may find the Office of International Education's Frequently Asked Questions document to be helpful.

Please note that all of the required forms and documents must be received and verified by the admissions office before the I-20 can be processed.

Please refer to the Office of International Education’s website for further details on whether or not you are required to attain a J-1 or F-1 student visa for studying at Carnegie Mellon: http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/oie/forstu/coming.html

Please mail your completed forms to:

Director of Admissions
H. John Heinz III College
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Ave, 118-1119 Hamburg Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
USA

Receiving the I-20 document

The I-20 document will be sent to you after all forms and financial information have been received and verified. Again, you should allow sufficient time for the processing of all required information (up to six-eight weeks from the time you mail the forms to the office of admission). After you receive the I-20 document, you will need to pay your $100 SEVIS Fee (more instructions will be included with your I-20 document) and then you must make an appointment with the U.S. consulate for an interview to receive your VISA. VISA processing in some countries may require an additional 3 weeks. Consider your country's immigration regulations and allow sufficient time for processing your VISA well in advance of your expected arrival date.

Student Expenses Vary

Actual student expenses vary. Please select your program below for more information on your estimated cost of attendance:

Tips for finding housing in Pittsburgh

Carnegie Mellon University does not offer on campus housing for Master's Level Students. Finding housing for a 6 month period can take time as many properties in the Pittsburgh area require a standard 1 year lease, and locating affordable furnished housing will also take time. We surveyed the past Exchange STudents that have come to Pittsburgh in the past 4 years, and they have offered their suggestions and asked we pay them on to you.

Be sure to start your housing search early! If you wait until arriving to Pittsburgh, you will have less time to enjoy your new environment before starting classes, and will often times feel stressed.
Contact your home institution to connect with students that have already completed an exchange program at the Heinz College. They are more than happy to share their experiences, helpful hints and contacts. Previous exchange students are a wonderful, and often your best resource for housing information.
Remain diligent and hopeful during your search for housing. We are certain that you will find housing that suits you during your time in Pittsburgh.
For information on housing prices, best neighborhoods to live, etc, please visit the Moving to Pittsburgh page.

Be sure to follow the New Student Checklist

Information on this page is specifically for new Heinz Exchange Students but is NOT A COMPLETE CHECK LIST
Exchange Students must still review the New Student Checklist as many of these items are also required of you prior to arriving in Pittsburgh
New Student Checklist

Additional Resources from the Office of International Education

Global Pittsburgh, a regional collaborative initiative, hosts a website intended to introduce you to the international character of the Pittsburgh region.

The Office of International Education has extensive information on their website to help you complete the enrollment process at Carnegie Mellon, such as:

How to receive the Certificate of Eligibility (I-20) document.
Health Insurance
International Student Orientation
Getting to Carnegie Mellon
Tax Obligations for International Students
Housing Resources

The OIE's Settling in Guide contains information about:

International Communities in Pittsburgh
Events Calendar
News of interest to people moving to Pittsburgh

Sending Packages To CMU

Until you know your new address, you may have your letters and packages sent directly to your department or addressed to:

Your Name, Carnegie Mellon University, International Students HOLD AT: 6555 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15206

You must pick up your mail as soon as possible after arriving on campus. To do this you can go to the Carnegie Mellon Post Office located on campus in the building named the University Center and inquire if your mail has arrived at the address above. If it has, your package will be delivered to the campus post office or to your campus department by the following day. Alternatively, you can go directly to the Penn Ave. address to pick up your mail (3 miles from campus).

Additional questions? Email the Office of International Education: newinter@andrew.cmu.edu