Friday, March 30, 2007
Packets
Hello, people! :) While signs of a nascent spring bloom quietly around, while broncin' youths have been out dancing amongst the daffodils, while furry little squirrels have come out again to play, I've been sitting in my office, waiting... for some important official documents to arrive from China, to ensure the possibility of your lovely company this summer!
But guess what? They're finally here! So yes, the point of this entry is to gladly announce that the packets are ready! PRINCETONIANS: Please come by Frist 218 during regular working hours as soon as possible to pick them up. NON-PRINCETONIANS: The packets were sent out today, and should be reaching you some time soon.
Each packet contains the following items:
- Instructional cover letter
- Tuition Bill
- Confidential Medical Profile
- "Terms and Conditions" form
- "Consent for Care" form
- Princeton University "Special Students Registration Form"
- Your JW202 Form ("Visa Application for Study in China")
- Your official invitation letter from BNU ("Admission Notice")
- A visa application form (Q-1).
Once again, take note that the remainder of the tuition must reach us by Friday, April 13. In the event that the packets take a while getting to you, here's a scientific formula to calculate how much you need to pay:
[Amount, if any, awarded by PiB/EAS/PIIRS financial aid].
For those awarded PiB's matching funds, the bill you'll be receiving does not reflect how much tuition you have left to pay when we match the funds you may get. If you've already received the grant that you applied for, please inform me and send me a copy of official award letter right away.
The next most important thing to do is to check that the information printed on your JW202 form and BNU invitation letter is correct. If there's a major error, please inform me immediately! (A couple of you will not receive your JW202 forms because of late admission, etc. I'll be emailing you separately on this.) In the vast majority of cases, it will probably not be a big a problem for your visa application even if there's a mistake on your JW202.
As the instructional cover letter makes clear, the rest of the forms (and two passport photographs) must reach us by Friday, April 27. The electronic copy of these forms can be downloaded by clicking on the individual items in the list above. Also, please send me real passport-quality photos. They will be used for your official BNU ID card and your graduation diploma; scruffy black-and-white print-outs from your computer will not be accepted.
One last thing. Princeton students: we will be having a pre-program orientation session from 4:30 - 6 pm on Friday, April 13, in Jones 202. Our esteemed directors, a motherly McCosh health professional, several nostalgic participants from last summer, and your humble servant here will be present to tell you a little about the program and how you can be preparing for it. Attendance is not mandatory - we're not in China yet! - but highly/strongly/greatly/[fill in superlative of choice] encouraged.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Opening Salutations + Handbook
Greetings! This is Teng-Kuan, the PiB Program Coordinator you've been corresponding with for the past few months. Before anything else, here's wishing you, once again, a big hearty congratulations! I hope you're all getting happy and excited - as I am - about going to
This entry you're reading is the first of a series of updates that will help you prepare for the program. Of course, if you have queries, feel free to email or call me, and I will do my best. If I've been curt or unhelpful in the past, I truly seek your forgiveness. Like you, I am still learning...
As stated in the "[PiB 2007] Deposit and Enrollment Form Received" email, I am in the process of getting the handbook, tuition bill, and miscellaneous important forms to you. Depending on the printers (i.e., the people working them), I hope to send them off next week.
In light of the steadily escalating price of plane tickets - and considering your myriad queries dripping with eager curiosity - the PiB Handbook is now available online in Word format here! To save the trees I'd plead with you to hold off printing it out because the hardcopies will be arriving pretty soon, but if you have to, please print 2 pages per sheet. (That's how it's formatted.) A map of
Information about arrival/departure dates can be found beginning on page 26 of the handbook. One thing I would ask, though: there will be much more information in the cover letter that will be sent to you with the handbook, so please try to exercise restraint in your queries? It's only a matter of time when all will be revealed! (Patience, my little ones.)
Finally, for those of you so inclined, a facebook group (“Princeton in Beijing 2007”) has been created, which I am confident will serve as a conducive platform for developing authentic, meaningful relationships before you leave for the summer together.
Well, that's about all for now, folks! Will talk to you soon. Take care.
P.S: As polite and honorific as it might be, please refrain from referring to me as the hoary "Mr. Ng," or even the misnomic "Earnest" (which is meant to be a fancy synonym for the bland "Sincerely," "Truly," etc.). As you surely will in
