Receiving Your Decision and What to Do After

The moment after you knew your acceptance will probably be one of the best days of your life. You now have your acceptance letter, and are on your way to the land of freedom!

Submit your statement of intent and deposit

You can do this through their application portal and fill in some basic information about yourself. After completing everything, you then submit a deposit which ranges around $200-400. If you have done both of this, then you are officially part of the school! Next step is to instruct them on mailing your I-20 to you.

I-20

I-20 is like a document which indicates that the school guarantees your status as a student in the US and that you are in a good state—attending your class, getting sufficient grades, not causing trouble or misdemeanor. This is also one of the most important documents you have to have on yourself the whole time you are in the US or traveling between borders there.

Generally, they will confirm your mailing address with you before sending out your I-20. Usually you will not be in the US around this time, unless you are studying in a college or high school there. Just give them the complete information of your current address and you will receive your I-20 within a week after it was dispatched. After receiving your I-20, you then apply for your F-1 student visa.

Applying for Visa

Required documents: 

1. Acceptance letter from school
2. I-20 or DS-2019
3. DS-160 form (w/ barcode)
4. SEVIS fee receipt
5. Interview appointment confirmation
6. Passport (valid for at least 6 months)
7. Previous passports
8. Photograph (white background, 5cmX5cm, no glasses or any accessories)
9. Financial documents (bank statements or scholarship letter)
10. Recommended* (family card/kartu keluarga and birth certificate/akte lahir)

To-do:

• Fill out visa application and pay the fee

You do the application through this link.

I would recommend doing this early, at least a month before your departure date as the interview has congested appointment and it is a rigorous task to complete all the solicited data.

You can pay with cash through CIMB Niaga Bank or through Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) from any bank that transacts with Bank of America.

In the end of the process, you will obtain your DS-160 form which you will print and bring to the interview.

• Register with SEVIS and pay the SEVIS fee

SEVIS stands for Student and Exchange Visitor Information System which monitors our status while staying in the US. You register and pay the fee through this link. 

Print the receipt and bring it to the interview as well.

• Schedule an interview

The United States of America have embassies in 177 countries in the world and usually they are located in the capital city. In Indonesia, you can schedule for interview either in Jakarta or Surabaya. You can schedule your interview through this link.

In the end of the process, print your interview confirmation and this will be your ticket to enter the embassy.

• Interview

Obviously, be punctual to your appointments and bring all the documents discussed above. The queue is in a first come first served basis so it pays to be early. Some general questions asked are:

1. School name?
2. Address in the US? (Dorm or apartment with exact address if possible)
3. What are you going to study and why?
4. Your source of financing.
5. Any guardian or relatives in the US?
6. Show that you are planning to go back to your country after finishing your study.

Apply for Housing

There are three types of housing: On-campus, off-campus, and homestay

• On-campus

On-campus housing is mostly dorms, however, some campus have pretty cool apartment complexes that you can live in.

Dorms are probably the bleakest for living condition as you are sharing your room and sometimes do not have your own bathroom. However, you will constantly be around your friends, have access to dining rooms, and be very close to your classes. For me, living in dorm was an eye-opening experience. I also made my first bunch of friends in there and the rapport lasts up to this moment. I think that dorm is worth the experience and make you feel grateful of the luxurious lifestyle you have back home.

On-campus apartments are pretty much similar with the off-campus' so I will discuss it below.

• Off-campus

Living in apartment made me feel like an adult. I have my own home, decide my own curfew, able to invite my friends, and many more. But those are all the sweet things; you also have the responsibility for the house chores, food, bills, etc. Generally, apartment is for the people who likes freedom but can manage their life independently. Usually rent for a room would cost you around $800-1000/month in cities like San Francisco or Los Angeles, but it could go down to as low as $500/month in smaller cities or states.

Be familiar when you are trying to sign for an apartment. Check whether the rent includes utility (usually not), whether the room is furnished, how long the contract is, is parking included, and if your unit has a washer and dryer.

• Homestay

People usually go to homestay if they are under 18 because you cannot be involved in a contract before you reach 18, and you are required to always be under a guardian's monitor. Homestay family is like gambling, just like matching with roommates. The best story that I've heard is where one of my friends stayed with an elderly couple who likes to take her to festivals and sports events nearby. Needless to say, she adapted to the American life tactfully and improved her English tremendously.

However, the worst story I heard is where my other friend was fed with canned food everyday because the homestay parents were too lazy to do anything.

Next topic: Arriving in the US and Moving in.