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Frequently Answered Questions (FAQs)
The frequently answered questions are organized around the five topics
below. If you would like to read a question related to a certain topic,
please click on the appropriate link.
BILLING QUESTIONS
Eeek! I just received my bill from UW and it doesn't reflect
the program fee of $3000. Instead it says I owe nearly $6000! What should
I do?
- Don't worry! SEASSI hasn't provided the UW office of student accounts
the list of SEASSI 2006 students yet, so you are being billed the
usual UW summer session tuition. Within a few weeks, you will receive
a revised bill with the appropriate amount owed. You can also view
your bill by logging into http://my.wisc.edu/.
If you don't see a change in your bill by the end of May, please let
us know so we can fix the problem.
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APPLICATION QUESTIONS
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Are the deadlines listed according to the postmark or the date
application is received?
- The deadlines are according to the postmark.
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Can I send my transcripts and letters of recommendation separately?
- Yes. However, please be sure that all materials have been sent and
postmarked by the appropriate deadline.
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Can my recommender e-mail a letter of recommendation to seassi@intl-institute.wisc.edu?
- Yes. However, we prefer that the recommender follows up with a signed
paper copy of the recommendation in the mail.
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I am a non-UW student and last year I had to fill out a Special
Student Form. Am I required to fill it out again this year?
- Every SEASSI applicant who does not currently attend the University
of Wisconsin-Madison needs to fill out the special student application
form to be formally admitted to the university for the summer. The
special student status is needed to enable you to register for the
language courses during SEASSI, as well as to have access to other
campus facilities such as libraries, computer labs, and recreational
facilities. However, unlike last summer, there is now an online Special
Student form. Once we have received all your application materials
and you have been admitted into the SEASSI program, we will send you
information on how to fill out the new online Special Student form.
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I am a UW-Madison student, do I also need to fill out the UW Special
Student form?
- No, only applicants who are not current UW-Madison students need
to fill out and submit the Special Student form.
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I was a SEASSI applicant last year. Do I still need to re-send
all the transcripts and letters of recommendation or can I only
send the most recent ones?
- You don’t need to resend all the transcripts, but please send
us the updated ones. Also, please specify which transcripts you would
like us to transfer from your previous SEASSI application. We do not
recommend reusing letters of recommendation from previous applications.
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What should I write in my personal statement?
- Your personal statement should be about your career goals and the
reasons why you want to learn the particular language you’re
interested in. Describe other ways in which you have been preparing
for your career and/or research goals. Describe how your work will
contribute to your field or benefit others. There is no minimum or
maximum length for the statement of purpose. Most are about two pages
long.
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Are there letter of recommendation forms that we have to submit?
- There are no special forms for the recommendation letter. Please
ask your recommender to write the recommendation on letterhead stationary.
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FINANCIAL AID / FELLOWSHIP QUESTIONS
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Can anyone apply for a tuition fellowship?
- Yes, all applicants to SEASSI are eligible to apply for a Tuition
Fellowship regardless of their citizenship. The majority of these
fellowships are awarded to graduate students, but interested undergraduates
and professionals are also encouraged to apply.
-
What does the tuition fellowship cover?
- Most Tuition Fellowships awarded are partial fellowships to cover
part of the SEASSI tuition cost.
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I already have a Ph.D. Can I apply for the FLAS fellowship?
- No. FLAS fellowships are primarily for graduate students (Undergraduate
students who will have completed a bachelor’s degree before
June 2006 are also eligible to apply).
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I am not a U.S. citizen. Can I apply for a FLAS fellowship?
- No, the FLAS fellowship competition is open only to U.S. citizens
and permanent residents.
-
Am I eligible to apply for a FLAS fellowship?
- FLAS fellowships can only be awarded to people who have finished
a bachelor’s degree but have not yet completed a Ph.D. FLAS
fellowships are also awarded to people who are applying to graduate
programs but who have not yet been admitted. If you are a permanent
resident, please submit copy of proofs of residency
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How many SEASSI FLAS fellowships are awarded each year?
- We have not yet received final information on the total funding
for the FLAS fellowships so we cannot tell exactly how many FLAS fellowships
will be awarded for SEASSI. However, we are expecting approximately
40 FLAS fellowships to be awarded this year and possibly more.
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Is there a separate form to use for applying for the fellowships?
- There is no separate application form for any of the fellowships.
Fill out the main application form for the SEASSI program and be sure
to “x” the boxes indicating which fellowships you are
applying to. However, if you are applying for the FLAS you must fill
out the FLAS information form on page 5 of the SEASSI application.
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Is it going to harm my chances to get a FLAS Fellowship this year
if I was a FLAS recipient last year?
- Receiving a FLAS award one summer will not harm or help your chances
in subsequent summer FLAS competitions.
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QUESTIONS ON SEASSI COURSES
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Do you offer any special language instruction for heritage students?
- In addition to the regular classes, SEASSI also offers specialized
courses in Hmong, Khmer, Lao, and Vietnamese for Southeast Asian American
students. For more information about SEASSI heritage language programs
check the SEASSI Heritage Language website: http://seassi.wisc.edu/heritage/index.html
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Can I take more than one language?
- Since all language courses are scheduled at the same time, it is
NOT possible to pursue more than one language during SEASSI.
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How do the teachers determine our language level?
- On the first day of class we will hold placement tests to make a
final determination regarding which language levels the students belong
to. In the application form, please indicate your formal language
study and informal language exposure. The information will help the
teachers to make preliminary placement decisions. As much as possible
we try to modularize instruction so that students can make optimal
progress. You may be in one level for your reading/writing placement
and a different level for your speaking/listening placement.
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What days and times are the classes?
- The classes will run Monday through Fridays from 8:00am - 12:30pm
with a break mid-morning as determined by the teachers.
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May I take off a few days from SEASSI to attend a wedding/conference/special
event?
- Due to the intensive nature of the language courses, we ask all
SEASSI students to make every effort to attend the full length of
the institute. If you anticipate missing class, you must let the SEASSI
staff and your teachers know in advance. You will need to ask permission
from your teachers. Students who miss class are responsible for catching
up to the rest of the class and cannot expect teachers to give them
individual "catch-up" tutorials. Your course grades may
be affected significantly by the missing of class as well, especially
in the case of unexcused absences.
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Can I come late to SEASSI?
- We realize that the finals and academic calendars of other schools
conflict with the University of Wisconsin summer sessions schedule.
However, due to the intensive nature of the language courses, we ask
all SEASSI students to make every effort to attend the full length
of the institute. If you anticipate a schedule conflict, please let
us know as soon as possible so that we can work with you and your
professors on possible solutions. Students who arrive at SEASSI after
the institute has begun are responsible for catching up to the rest
of the class and cannot expect teachers to give them individual "catch-up"
tutorials. Your course grades may be affected significantly by the
missing of class as well.
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Can I leave early from SEASSI?
- Technically yes. However, we will not give final exams in advance,
therefore leaving early will result in your receiving a lower grade.
If you are planning to leave early from SEASSI it is advisable to
not register for the second session in order for you to avoid getting
lower grades. If you anticipate that you will need to leave early,
it is extremely important for you to inform us in advance
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Can I only attend the first half of SEASSI?
- Yes you can, but you will not receive full year academic credit
and you are still required to pay the full tuition amount for the
whole program.
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HOUSING AND TRAVEL INFO
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Where can I find a sublet for the summer?
- If you go to our Resources for Students page, you will find a list
of housing options in Madison including links to two search engines
to look for sublet ads. Additionally, we have now posted an online
forums page where some local UW students have listed ads for sublets.
Please feel free to peruse the new online subletting
forum.
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What's the nearest airport for me to fly into Madison?
- Madison's local airport, Dane County Airport (code: MSN) is the
nearest airport to fly into. The airport is just a 15 minute cab ride
from downtown Madison. Some students also choose to fly into Milwaukee's
airport (MKE) or Chicago O'Hare airport (ORD). However, if you choose
to fly into O'hare or Milwaukee, keep in mind that you will need to
take a 3-hour bus from Chicago's O'hare Airport or a 2-hour bus from
Milwaukee to get to Madison. For details on your travel options to
Madison, please see our Resources for Students page.
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Is it possible to find someone to carpool with to Madison?
- We have an online forums page to post ads for exactly this purpose.
Please see the ridesharing
forum.
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Contact
Us!
Please
direct any questions to the SEASSI Program Coordinator:
Mary Jo Studenberg
Center for Southeast Asian Studies
University of Wisconsin-Madison
207 Ingraham Hall
1155 Observatory Dr.
Madison, WI 53706
phone: (608) 263-1755
fax: (608) 263-3735
email: seassi@intl-institute.wisc.edu
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