Having more questions? Please consult OIE's online study abroad program guide or contact our Program Coordinator Ms. Rebecca Miller, (404) 385-8127.

• Q: What are the special appeals of China and Shanghai?
  A: With its entrance to the WTO, hosting of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, and hosting of the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China is becoming an increasingly attractive place for citizens from all countries. With 1.3 billion people, China is the most populous country in the world, and its role in world affairs has become increasingly important. The Chinese economy continues to grow at a robust pace, and China is now considered a "must play" for multinational companies.

  Shanghai is a dynamic and cosmopolitan metropolis. It has a total area of 2,448 square miles and a population of more than 13 million. It is one of the world's biggest, most booming urban areas. Although approximately 1% of China's population lives in Shanghai, the city contributes more than 11% to the country's total income. Its port ranks 3rd in the world in volume of cargo. Shanghai is quickly becoming the center of attraction for Asia.

  Play an 8-minute video on Shanghai: high quality (31 MB), good quality (13 MB), medium bandwidth (6 MB), low bandwidth (3 MB).

  Top 10 reasons ...

• Q: Please tell me a bit about the host university.
  A: Shanghai Jiaotong University (SJTU) was founded in 1896. Similar to Georgia Tech (GT), it is a leading engineering university that offers comprehensive academic programs. SJTU has more than 1,420 professors and associate professors and approximately 23,900 full-time students. It has several beautiful campuses occupying a total area of approximately 500 acres. The Xuhui campus, located at the Shanghai city center, is where the 2008 SSP will be housed. Internationalization is one of the key strategies of SJTU. Currently, more than 2,000 international students study at SJTU.

• Q: Do I have to know the Chinese language in order to participate?
  A: No, you do not. Although English is not widely spoken in Shanghai, many young people in Shanghai do understand English (English education starts in elementary school). The street signs in Shanghai are in both Chinese and English. All Georgia Tech course instruction will be in English.

• Q: What about credit for classes?
  A: The courses offered at the Shanghai Summer Program are regular GT classes that appear in the registration system just like all other courses offered at GT. Because they are regular GT classes, grades earned in these courses are shown on a participant's GT transcript and are calculated as part of the GT GPA. All courses are offered on the letter-grade basis (not pass/fail basis).

• Q: Are there scheduling conflicts that I need to consider when signing up for courses?
  A: There are no parallel sessions except for CHIN 1001 and CHIN 1002. CHIN 1001 is a pre-requisite for CHIN 1002 so you cannot sign up for both classes anyways. You can select any combination of 3 courses that are feasible for you and not worry about scheduling conflicts.

• Q: What is the course load?
  A: CHIN 1001, CHIN 1002, and MATH 2403 are 4-hour classes; all other courses have 3 credit hours. Since this is a 9-week program, the normal course load is 9 (3+3+3) or 10 (3+3+4) credit hours. Those students taking the MATH 2403 + CHIN 1001/CHIN 1002 combination are allowed to take 8 (4+4) credit hours. If a student wishes to take 11 (3+4+4) or 12 (3+3+3+3) credit hours, he/she must seek prior approval from the co-directors and must have a minimum GPA of 3.0. On the other hand, if your major or level is such that only 2 program courses can be used for your degree, please write to the program co-directors stating such; approvals can be granted for a 6- or 7- credit hour course load for these cases. Under no circumstance will a program participant be allowed to take fewer than 6 credit hours of classes.

• Q: How much does the program cost?
  Assume that you will take X credit hours.

  If you are a Georgia resident, your tuition amount is ($163, $171, or $188) times X. If you are a non-resident, your tuition amount is ($163, $171, or $188) times X plus $250.

  In addition to the tuition, there is a program fee of $3,395. Georgia Tech also charges a $103 Technology Fee.

  Example: Assume that you will register for 9 credit hours. If you are a Georgia resident eligible for the $163 per credit hour guaranteed FY'07 tuition rate, your total amount due to SSP is $1,467 tuition + $3,395 program fee + $103 Technology Fee = $4,965. If you are a non-resident, your total amount due to SSP is $1,717 tuition + $3,395 program fee + $103 Technology Fee = $5,215. Please note that the program fee includes the cost of 9 weeks of double occupancy lodging and much more.

• Q: Is studying abroad more expensive than taking courses in Atlanta?
  A: For in-state students, the overall expenses (program costs + living expenses) can be comparable with studying in Atlanta. It is surely a bargain for out-of-state students.

  As an example, consider the 9 credit hour scenario and compare with the cost of taking the same courses in GT-Atlanta. For out-of-state students, the per credit hour tuition (Summer 2008) is $803, $842, or $926 according to the semester that you matriculated at Georgia Tech. In addition, there is a $399 mandatory student fee for Atlanta students which is mostly waived for study abroad students except for the $103 Technology Fee. Assume that you are an out-of-state student with a guaranteed FY'07 tuition rate of $803 per credit hour, you plan to take 9 credit hours in GT-Atlanta, and that your monthly lodging expenses amount to $400, then your cost in Atlanta would be $803 x 9 + $399 + $400 x 2 = $8,426, which is much higher than the $5,215 SSP cost. The difference of $8,426-$5,215=$3,211 is more than enough to pay for your roundtrip airfare to China. Your meals expenses will also be much less in Shanghai than in Atlanta (more than a dozen meals are also included in the program fee).

  For in-state students, the GT-Atlanta tuition is $163, $171, or $188 per credit hour according to the semester of enrollment at Georgia Tech; the mandatory student fee is $399. Under the same 9 credit hour and $400/month lodging expenses assumptions, the GT-Atlanta cost for in-state students is $163 x 9 + $399 + $400 x 2 = $2,666 which is lower than the $4,965 SSP cost for in-state students. The difference is much reduced by the lower cost of living (meals, clothing, supplies etc) in China. Note also that the SSP program fee covers at least a dozen meals.

• Q: What does the program fee cover?
  A: See section on program fee.

• Q: What else should I budget?
  A: Roundtrip airfare, books and supplies, meals not covered by the program, visa, and miscellaneous expenses.

• Q: How do I estimate meals expenses?
  A: There are several on-campus dining facilities serving primarily Chinese dishes. For on-campus dining, you can expect 3 excellent meals for $4-5 per day. Prices are higher for restaurants off-campus. Generally, you may find that Chinese restaurant foods in Shanghai cost approximately 1/3 of those in the US. Western eateries such as Pizza Hut, KFC, etc charge approximately the same as in the US.

• Q: What about financial aid?
  A: See OIE's answer.

• Q: Are scholarships available?
  A: See OIE's answer.

• Q: Are the tuition and program fee refundable if the program is canceled?
  A: Georgia Tech reserves the right to alter or cancel this program due to low enrollment, unavailability of a professor to teach a planned course, or other unforeseen circumstances. If Georgia Tech cancels the program before departure for reasons within its control, all fees paid by participants will be refunded. If Georgia Tech cancels the program before departure or while the program is in progress for reasons beyond its control, such as political unrest or danger to participants' safety, only those fees that Georgia Tech is able to have refunded by service providers will be returned to participants.

• Q: What are the eligibility requirements?
  A: See OIE's answer. We do not place special GPA requirements except that you must be in good academic standing. You must also be in good disciplinary standing.

• Q: Do I have to be a Georgia Tech student to apply?
  A: No. If you are not a GT student, you must first apply to become a transient/special student. Failure to be admitted as a transient student will result in him/her not being able to participate, and potentially losing funds. The deadline for non-GT students to apply as transients for Summer 2008 is February 15, 2008.

• Q: I am a graduate student. Can I go?
  A: All SSP courses are undergraduate courses. If you are a graduate student and you would like to take some courses for your own benefit, you are welcome to participate. Please secure your advisor's approval and inform the Graduate Coordinator in your School about your participation in the study abroad program. Please note also that the per credit hour graduate student tuition is $221.

• Q: How do I apply?
  A: Click here.

• Q: Where do I turn in my faculty-led study abroad application, and what should be included?
  A: See OIE's answer.

• Q: What is the application deadline?
  A: February 15, 2008 or until capacity is reached, whichever occurs earlier. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis (first come, first serve).

• Q: When will I know if I've been accepted?
  A: The processing time for applications is approximately 2 1/2 weeks from the time that a student submits his/her completed application to OIE. If the acceptance process appears to be taking longer then usual, OIE will email the student to let them know their status. Applications by students with disciplinary files with the Office of Student Affairs may take longer to be reviewed.

• Q: Is there an application fee?
  A: There is not an application fee, but a $250 non-refundable deposit is required when you turn in your application. If we turn down your application for any reason, we will return the $250 deposit back to you. If you take part in the 2008 SSP, the $250 deposit is applied towards your program fee. If you decide not to participate in the 2008 SSP after you have been accepted into the program, the $250 deposit will not be returned to you.

• Q: What is the deadline for paying the study abroad program fee?
  A: Of the $3,395 program fee, $250 comes from the deposit that we collect at the time of your application; the next $1,500 is due by March 7, 2008; the remaining $1,645 ($3,395 subtract $250 subtract $1,500) is due by April 11, 2008.

• Q: How do I apply for the Chinese visa? Is it difficult to get?
  A: We have made arrangement with a reputable visa service in Houston to serve your visa needs. Their web site is visa2china.com We will email the program participants a special code which entitles you to a Georgia Tech/group discount. More information will be available during our first orientation session. For this program, your single-entry visa will be valid for 90 days after the date of entry (the visa service will have a list of all program participants). The visa application form looks like this. If your passport/visa situation is more complicated, please contact the visa service. Under normal circumstances, we do not anticipate that any participant of the Shanghai Summer Program will be denied the Chinese visa.

• Q: Do we travel as a group? Can I book my own travel?
  A: A limited number of group flight seats (non-stop Atlanta <-> Shanghai) are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Detailed information about the group flight can be obtained by contacting Rebecca Miller. If the group flight does not meet your individual needs, you are free to arrange your own travel as well.

• Q: Who do we go to if we have questions/problems?
  A: The bilingual on-site administration team consists of the Program Co-Director, a Georgia Tech Graduate Assistant, and a local program assistant. All program administrators will carry a cell phone and can respond to emergency situations.

  All students and faculty will stay at the SJTU Faculty Club on campus or immediately nearby. There will be plenty of opportunities for student-faculty interactions.

  The Georgia Tech Graduate Assistant will live with the SSP students. Together with the local program assistant, the two "to-go" staff members can provide assistance to your living necessities and help you navigate around and learn about Shanghai.

• Q: Can I arrive later than May 19, 2008?
  A: No. You must participate in a mandatory on-site orientation session on Saturday May 17, 2008 or Sunday May 18, 2008.

• Q: Is Shanghai safe?
  A: Shanghai has a far lower crime rate than any comparable city in the United States. You will generally feel safe walking around - the streets are full of people even in the night. However, you should always use common sense precaution. Be careful crossing the street - it may present the most safety hazard in China.

  The Shanghai Jiaotong University (SJTU) administration has expressed the following to the Georgia Tech administration: "When GT students and faculty come to SJTU, they are our guests. We will take care of them as our own faculty and students. Shanghai is a very safe city. SJTU has over 2,000 foreign students. We have a regular mechanism to maximize their safety and pleasant living here in our city."

  Q: Is there a health center on campus?
  A: Yes. The SJTU Clinic is in close proximity to the Faculty Club. It is similar to the Georgia Tech Students Health Center but serves students and faculty alike. It is clean and fairly efficient. For minor illnesses, it may be better to visit the doctors there rather than going to a crowded hospital off-campus. The clinic has a pharmacy as well. Please let our graduate assistant (GA) know if you have a minor health problem and would like to see a doctor at the SJTU Clinic. The GA can send someone who speaks Chinese to go with you. It is the student's responsibility to pay for the medical expenses however.

• Q: Are there English-speaking hospitals in Shanghai?
  A: Yes! Huashan Worldwide Medical Center (a division of Huashan Hospital) is close to the SJTU Xuhui campus. There are several others too; for example, World Link has experienced medical and dental professionals from the best hospitals and universities around the world, including the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, Japan and Singapore. Shanghai East International Medical Center is a U.S.-China joint venture hospital.

• Q: Should I consider renting a car and driving in Shanghai?
  A: It is a BAD idea attempting to drive in Shanghai or elsewhere in China. Our lodging facility is on campus, minutes away on foot from the classroom or the library. If you want to go to places, use public transportation - buses, subway, light rail or trains are convenient and inexpensive. Taxis are seen everywhere and are relatively inexpensive.

• Q: I would like to travel in China after the program ends. Will I get assistance with travel planning?
  A: Several travel agencies who regularly work with SJTU, are eager to offer assistance for your travel planning. It is best to make those travel plans after you have arrived in Shanghai.

• Q: Is it convenient to travel from Shanghai to other cities?
  A: Yes! Shanghai has two airports: Pudong Airport (PVG) for most international flights, and HongQiao Airport (SHA) for most domestic flights. Shanghai has direct flights to most major cities in the world. Domestic flight search.

  Trains are also convenient for inter-city travel. Train schedule search.

• Q: What else should I know about traveling to China?
  A: Read this FAQ from www.travelchinaguide.com