June 2007

Dear New GSAS Student,

Welcome to Harvard and to The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences! To ease your transition to Harvard and to GSAS, I would like to answer several important questions that are frequently asked by new students and to offer you some information about services that are offered for graduate students.

· How can I get to Cambridge from the airport?

You can either take a taxicab, which should cost approximately $30-35, plus 15% for a tip, or use public transit.  There are two ways of coming to Harvard by public transit:
A)    Take a free shuttle bus from your airport terminal to the Airport subway station, take the Blue Line subway Inbound to Government Center, change to the Green Line Inbound to Park Street, and change to the Red Line Outbound to Harvard. In order to use the subway a ticket needs to be purchased.  Tickets cost $2.00.
B)    Take the Silver Line bus from your airport terminal to the South Station subway station. There, board the Red Line Inbound subway to Harvard. In order to use the subway you need to buy a ticket from a vending machine at the stop.  Tickets cost $2.00. (See http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/ for a map of the subway system).
 

· What is offered in the way of orientation programs for new students?

GSAS runs a day-long event for new students which is outlined below. You should also be aware that departments also run their own orientations and will contact you directly about these.  Given the important nature of the information to be imparted at the orientations and the opportunity to meet fellow students, faculty and staff, I hope you will make every effort to attend.
 
 
   GSAS Orientation for Incoming Students        Wednesday, September 12
            Welcome Remarks
            Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall            10:30-11:30 a.m. 

            Lunch, Harvard Yard                    11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

            SeptemberFest    , Dudley House            1:00-5:00 p.m.

 

The program provides an opportunity for you to meet fellow students and Harvard staff and to learn about the University and its resources.  The session at Sanders Theatre begins with welcoming remarks from the President of Harvard University, the Dean of the Graduate School, and the Master of Dudley House, the Graduate Student Center.  Following this, we will move to tents in Harvard Yard for lunch. In the afternoon we invite you to attend SeptemberFest at Dudley House. There you will be able to find information from various offices and services from around Harvard, sign up for Dudley House activities and events and enter drawings for prizes. We will also offer workshops on health care and libraries.

· How do I register as a student in GSAS?

Registration in GSAS for incoming students is a two-step process. First, you will indicate that you are ready to begin classes by registering online. The window for registering online will be open from Thursday, September 6 through Wednesday, September 12. You will enter the Registration site by beginning at www.my.harvard.edu and logging in with your Harvard ID and Personal Information Number (PIN). Click on the “Campus Resources” tab and follow the onscreen instructions and you will soon be registered.
Next, come to SeptemberFest on Wednesday, September 12 where you will receive your temporary ID card and will have your photo taken for your permanent ID card. In addition, you will be able to pick up your first stipend check, as well as copies of Courses of Instruction and the GSAS Handbook. Should you have any problems registering, representatives from offices such as GSAS Admissions, and Student Billing will be present to help. If you do not have access to a computer before September 12, terminals will be available at SeptemberFest.

· What is this Dudley House I keep hearing about?

Dudley House is the Graduate Student Center and is the locus for many events and activities designed for GSAS students. It is also the home of the Dudley Café, the dining hall where residents of the GSAS residence halls have their meals.  On Friday, September 14 beginning at 7 p.m. Discover Dudley will give you the opportunity to discover the House, meet other graduate students, the Dudley House Masters, Dudley Fellows, and staff.  In past years this event has proved to be one of the highlights of the opening days.  Don’t miss the fun! For more information about Dudley House, visit; http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~dudley/

· If I am not living in the GSAS residence halls, can I still eat in Dudley House?

Yes, there are a number of options that would allow you to eat at Dudley Café.  Please click on the following link: http://www.dining.harvard.edu/campus_restaurants/restaurants_dudley.html
 

· What do I have to do about immunization?

You will already have received a certificate of immunization, which must be returned to the University Health Services prior to Registration.  If you have any questions regarding the immunization requirements or the forms, please contact the Medical Records Office at (617) 495-2053 or check the following website: http://huhs.harvard.edu/new/GSAS/
 

· Where can I find out information about health coverage?

You can access the University Health Services’ Web site: http://huhs.harvard.edu/Ins/default.htm which contains a wealth of information about health coverage.

· When will I be able to use my computer account?

You should have already received from the Admissions Office an e-mail giving you your Harvard ID number.  The e-mail also contained information from FAS Computer Services about setting up your computer account and obtaining your PIN.  This information is available at: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/computing/getconnected .
You will need your PIN to access a number of online services and to log in to register. If you haven’t received this e-mail with your Harvard ID, please contact the Admissions Office at  617-495-5315, or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it If you have had difficulty setting up your account, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Miscellaneous Items

·    Entering graduate students should be aware that there are a number of fellowships for which you can apply only if you are no later than in the first or second year of graduate study. These include several of the generous multiple year awards available to US citizens, such as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships. You will find a complete list of these fellowships for entering students in a packet you will receive at Orientation, so be sure to look for it. We are alerting you now, since the deadline for these awards tends to be in October or early November, just shortly after you have arrived. Counseling is available on how to write a winning proposal and other aspects of the application process. For a counseling appointment with Cynthia Verba, Director of Fellowships, telephone 617-495-1816. Samples of winning fellowships are available in a booklet, “Scholarly Pursuits”.  You can pick up a free copy at Holyoke Center 3rd floor, or consult it online at: http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/current_students/scholarly_pursuits_3.php?mosmsg=item%2bsuccessfully%2bsaved
·    Several of our first-year winners are students who applied previously without success and have had better luck after counseling and revisions. For more details about the GSAS Fellowships Office, please visit: http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/prospective_students/fellowships_office.php

·    Students who are living off-campus may be interested in purchasing a discounted monthly Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA, also known as the “T”) pass through Harvard.  GSAS offers this service to its students.  Information about the GSAS T-Pass program can be found at http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/current_students/mbta_semester_pass_program.php

·    Each university has its own vernacular and Harvard is no exception. Even if English is your mother tongue, it takes a while to get used to Harvard Speak. Go to http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/prospective_students/harvard_speak.php for a partial list of acronyms and terms used by the Harvard community and their definitions.

I hope this information will help guide you through your first days at Harvard.  Should there be anything I can do to help you with your transition to the University, please do not hesitate to contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   I look forward to your arrival in September.

                Sincerely,



                Garth McCavana
                Associate Dean for Student Affairs