Welcome!

This is the website of the Association of Indian Graduate Students, at the University of California, San Diego.

Important information for incoming students

Welcome! and heartiest congratulations for your admission to UCSD :-)

This article compiles housing information for new incoming Indian graduate students at UCSD. It describes ways in which AIGS (Association of Indian Graduate students, UCSD) can help in your smooth transition.

First of all, please join the ucsd_india_incoming Yahoo! group. This has been created for communication between current & new students at ucsd. Do introduce yourself to the group, and fill in your details in the ‘background info’ table in ‘database’ section.

Now, do read the excellent FAQ put together by Diwaker. It lists various housing options available at UCSD, and their costs.

In summary, oncampus housing is significantly cheaper than offcampus. Hence there is a big waiting list for it, from around 3-4 months (for single graduate housing) to 2 years (mesa housing). So most probably you will be staying in offcampus housing upon your immediate arrival. But right away, put your name on the housing waiting list.

Now, depending on which oncampus housing option you have opted for, you should estimate amount of time you will need offcampus housing. Apartment complexes around UCSD, offer month-to-month / 6month/ yearly leases. In case your oncampus housing becomes available before the lease ends, you should ideally find somebody to replace you on the lease. As many Indian grads, aim for mesa housing, which have 2 years waiting time, they sign year long lease.

How can we help? Volunteers from AIGS can help by inquiring with the leasing offices of various offcampus apartments, for available housing, and booking one, before your arrival here; so that you have cozy place to rest in, the day you fly in San Diego!

Usually, new students form groups of 4 each, and share 2 Bedroom-2bathroom-hall-kitchen apartments amongst them; or join vacancies in apartments of current students, as advertised on ucsd_desi07 yahoogroup. In this arrangement, you will need to share your room :-) But it makes housing more affordable, as 4 people divide rent of 1500-1700 per month. (each person needs to pay 375-425$/month) In case you wish for different housing option, do let us know. We shall extend all possible help.

Timeline for this process is thus. New students form groups by mid July, and volunteers start scouting for apartments in late July, early August. Leases start in September. Please note that, to pay for the lease, you need to have an international credit card. AIGS will not be involved in any monetary transaction.

Finally, on the day of your arrival, we can arrange for rides from airport to your house, with help from volunteers. Please, do let us know, in sufficient advance, your flight arrival informations!

Ah! fall quarter has started, and you are all comfy and settled. Now we look forward to meet you all bright grads. So do show up for a social to be arranged during first few weeks of fall quarter, details of which will be posted on the newsgroup!

Contact

Ameet Deshpande: adeshpan AT ucsd.edu
Nikhil Rasiwasia: nrasiwas AT ucsd.edu
Ankit Srivastava: ansrivas AT ucsd.edu