WELCOME TO WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY'S EARLY CAREER MBA PROGRAM!
Admitted International Students

This Information Directory provides some basic information you will need as you plan for your MBA education at Willamette University's Atkinson Graduate School of Management. We will keep you up-to-date and informed throughout the coming months.

Be sure to contact us with your questions. Call 503-370-6167 (toll free within the U.S. at 1-866-MBA-AGSM) or email Judy at joneill@willamette.edu.

If you have questions about visa, immigration or health insurance issues, contact Chris Andresen, Associate Director of International Education. Call Chris at 503-375-5404, fax 503-370-6565 or email candrese@willamette.edu.

The entire Atkinson School community congratulates you on your admission to the Willamette MBA program and encourages you to join us for a career-building and life-changing experience.

Sincerely,

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Reserve Your Place in the Incoming Class of 2008
To confirm your place in the entering class of 2008, complete the Acceptance of Admission form enclosed with your letter of admission and return it with your $200 deposit to the Willamette University MBA program by your deposit date. Make checks payable to Willamette University. The deposit will be applied toward your tuition and fees billing for fall semester 2008. Deposits are not refundable.

If you need more time to make your decision, email Judy O'Neill at joneill@willamette.edu to ask for an extension of your deposit date. If you decide not to attend the Willamette MBA, please notify Judy O'Neill and return your I-20 to the admission office.

International Student Advisor
Christine Andresen, Associate Director of International Education, is your international student advisor. Contact Chris with questions about visa, immigration or health insurance issues. Email candrese@willamette.edu or call 503-375-5404.

International Arrival Assistance
An Atkinson School student will pick you up at the Portland airport when you arrive for fall semester 2007. The liaison will help you find a place to live, start your bank account, etc. We will provide more information about International Arrival Liaison services during the summer.

Academic Calendar for 2008 - 2009
Fall Semester 2008 starts Wednesday, August 20th with Compass Week. Compass Week is required for all new students. A one day orientation for international students will be held before Compass Week begins. The academic calendar for 2008-09 is shown below.

Laptop Requirement
All Willamette MBA students are required to have a laptop computer. In some classes you will use your laptop extensively; in others periodically or minimally. Current required laptop specifications are listed below.
* 802.11b or 802.11g wireless LAN capability
* Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access) compatible with Microsoft Office 2003
* Recommended RAM of 2G
* Some courses require Windows only software applications. Apple OS X Intel based laptops (MacBook and MacPro) must be set up to support the
Windows operating system. The cost to purchase Windows operating system software and license are the responsibility of the laptop user.

Special Note #1: The new Windows Vista with Office 2007 software will work fine. However, if students are submitting an assignment electronically, it will be important to do a "save as" and save the document in the previous version of Office before sending. The "save as" will allow the document to be received in a readable format by computers running the previous edition.

Special Note #2: If you intend to use a laptop provided by another organization or an employer for your MBA course work, be sure the laptop administration is NOT restricted by the organization's IT department. You may be required to install software, make network changes, or make other system configuration changes to your laptop. Laptops with administration lock down or that are only partially configurable will not meet the requirements of this program.


Tuition for 2008-2009
Tuition for full-time students for 2008-09 is $27,200 for the academic year ($13,600 per semester). The student body fee is $80 per academic year ($40 per semester). Tuition generally increases for the second year of study. There is also an additional second year of fee of $50 for renting graduation regalia.


Financial Aid
Educational loans are the most common source of funding for MBA students in the United States. Educational loans may be available from your home country or from private credit-based loan programs in the United States. Private credit-based loans require a co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

If you are interested in a private loan and have a U.S. cosigner, email Katy Wilson, Willamette University Senior Financial Aid Counselor, at gradaid@willamette.edu. Programs to consider are: CitiAssist Loan for Graduate Students http://studentloan.citibank.com/slcsite/fr_apnow.htm, and Bank of America International Student Loan: http://www.bankofamerica.com/studentbanking/index.cfm?template=stb_studentloans_privateloans_bofa_loans.cfm

Merit-based scholarships are awarded to approximately 50% of full-time Early Career MBA students. Scholarships are announced in your letter of admission and based on a number of criteria including GMAT score. Applicants who did not receive a scholarship or are interested in increasing their scholarship will generally be required to retake the GMAT. If you are interested in retaking the GMAT, be sure your new GMAT scores are received by the admission office by March 1, 2008. If your GMAT score increases significantly, your eligibility for scholarship assistance can be reevaluated.

Fifty percent of a scholarship award for the academic year is dispersed for fall semester and 50% is dispersed for spring semester. Scholarship awards are not available for summer semester.

Atkinson School MBA scholarships are generally renewable for the second year of study if the MBA student meets all of the following requirements: 1) maintains a minimum MBA cumulative grade point average of 3.3 (B+); 2) maintains fulltime enrollment in the Full-time MBA program and completes a minimum of 12 MBA credits per semester; and 3) maintains good standing within the academic policies and expectations of conduct of the Atkinson School and Willamette University.

Additional scholarship opportunities for second year students include a selection of competitive scholarships that recognize characteristics such as entrepreneurship, academic achievement, leadership, service, and initiative. Our MBA students apply for these scholarships during the spring semester of the first year of study.

MBA/JD joint degree students who receive scholarship assistance from the MBA program will receive the scholarship only during the first academic year in which they are enrolled full-time in the MBA program.

Off-Campus Housing
Most MBA students live off-campus in apartments. A preview of some off-campus housing is available from the brochure titled Moving to Salem - How to Look for Housing. A recent Statesman Journal newspaper article (Your Town - April 22, 2008) estimates the going rate for two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment ranges from $560 to $650 per month. ...The typical one-bedroom rents for about $460 to $570 per month."


On-Campus Housing
UPDATE: At this point, Willamette University estimates that on-campus housing for graduate students is full for fall semester 2008. If you are interested in living on-campus, you are welcome to email housing@willamette.edu, tell them you are interested in living on-campus, and ask to be put on the waiting list.

Most MBA students prefer to live in apartments or houses located off campus. However, each year, a limited number of on-campus apartments are available in the Willamette University Apartments. The UA's are very nice, located close to the Atkinson Graduate School of Management building, and are completely furnished (except for dishes and linens). The price includes electricity, local telephone service, and wireless internet access. The building also has laundry facilities and a lounge with satellite TV. Information and pictures of the University Apartments are available at http://www.willamette.edu/dept/resservices/areas/apts/. The cost is determined by whether you choose to live in the room by yourself or have a roommate. Costs for the 2008-09 academic year are:

Email housing@willamette.edu as soon as possible to make your reservation or be placed on the waiting list. Be sure to tell housing@willamette.edu if you want a room by yourself or if you want to share a room with a roommate (another WU student).

Health Insurance for International Students
All Willamette University international students and their accompanying family members are required to have health and accident insurance for each semester the student is registered for classes. Insurance coverage must be equal to or greater than the following:

• medical benefits of no less than $50,000 per each accident or each illness
• medical evacuation (assisted transportation to home country provided to a seriously ill person) to the insured’s home country no less than $l0,000
• repatriation (transportation of dead body to home country) of remains no less than $7,500
• a deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness
• benefits must be payable in the United States
• terms of coverage (beginning and ending dates) must e in effect throughout the entire semester and be renewable for continuing coverage
• maximum dollar coverage for each accident or illness
• list of covered services
• list of excluded services
• insured person's name
• address and telephone number of the insurance company

Willamette offers a health insurance plan that meets and exceeds the above requirements. The cost for insurance for the 2008-09 academic year is $402 per semester for six months coverage ($804 for 12 months coverage). The cost of the health insurance is automatically billed to you by Willamette University at the beginning of each semester. Payment is required at the time other charges are paid. Check with Chris Andresen, Willamette University Associate Director International Education (phone 503 375 5404; fax 503-370-6565, email candrese@willamette.edu) for coverage and rates for family members.

You will not be required to purchase the Willamette insurance plan if you can prove that your existing insurance policy meets the minimum requirements listed above. If you have an insurance policy which meets the above requirements and contains all the information listed above, you must obtain a copy of your insurance coverage (written in English), and take it to Chris Andresen, Associate Director of International Education to be evaluated for compliance by the first Friday of classes each semester. If you are not able to provide proof of the required level of insurance coverage, you will be automatically billed for Willamette's health insurance plan.


Communicate with an MBA Student, Faculty Member or Alumnus
If you would like to communicate with an MBA School student, faculty member and/or alumnus, we will be happy to connect you! To request contact, just email joneill@willamette.edu.

Changes in Your Mailing Address, Email Address or Telephone Number
If you have a change in your mailing address, email address or telephone number, be sure to tell us so we can continue to keep you informed of important information. Email changes to joneill@willamette.edu

Deferment Policy
Admitted students may defer their enrollment for up to one year. Deferment applies to admission only and does not defer scholarship awards or financial aid.

Disability Services
Students who have a documented disability requiring accommodation should contact the Office of Disability and Learning Services at 503-370-6471 or email JoAnne Hill at jmhill@willamette.edu. The offices web site is at www.willamette.edu/dept/disability/.

WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY

WEB RESOURCES FOR LEARNING ABOUT OREGON, SALEM AND PORTLAND

• Statesman Journal Online (Salem area news and classified ads for housing, etc.)
• Salem Convention and Visitors Information
• Portland Essential Links
• Portland International Airport
• Oregon Live.com
• Travel Oregon Online
• Welcome to Oregon