Graduate Admissions: Next Steps

Housing

Off-campus Housing

SAIC is located in the heart of downtown Chicago, easily accessible from many of the city's historic and diverse neighborhoods. The Residence Life office staff can serve as a resource to you as you seek off-campus housing.

SAIC has partnered with Places4Students to provide students a free and effective, online off-campus housing search database. Access to Places4Students is provided through SAIC's Portal > Resources tab > Housing channel.

Residence Life has also created the Off Campus Housing Guide for your convenience. This guide will walk you through the ins and outs of apartment searching in the city of Chicago. The guide also provides a number of important phone numbers and other contact information for essential utilities such as Commonwealth Edison and People's Gas.

On-campus Housing

Housing invitation offers are sent on a weekly, rolling basis to admitted students. Your invitation letter provides your username and password information for the Residence Life Application site.

Students who wish to live on campus should:

1. Login to the Residence Life Application site 
2. Enter preferences for building, room, bed type, and lifestyle choices
3. Mail or fax a signed copy of your housing contract (available online) to: School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Attention:

Residence Life Office
36 S. Wabash Ave., suite 1203
Chicago, IL 60603

1. Pay your $550 housing payment through SAIC Self-Service on SAIC's Portal. A link to Self-Service is provided under the Quick Links channel on the Home tab. You may also send a check or money order to the Residence Life office at the address above.
2. Once the Residence Life office has received and processed your signed housing contact and prepayment, you will receive an email notification (TO YOUR SAIC EMAIL ADDRESS ONLY) that you have secured a space on campus.
3. Room assignments and roommate contact information will be available the second week of August.

Move-In Dates

New International Students (first years, transfers, and grads) may move in on Sunday, August 19, 2012 from 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

New Domestic Students (first years, transfers and grads) may move in on Saturday, August 25, 2012. Please see the appropriate times listed below.

Jones Hall Residents: New Domestic Students may arrive anytime between 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

162 North State Street Residences Residents: New Domestic Students will be assigned times to arrive based on their room assignments. This will be available closer to the move-in date.

Learn more about SAIC Housing.

Other services offered by Residence Life include:

• How to find an apartment and/or roommate
• Leasing and tenant responsibilities
• What hostels are available in Chicago
• Where to buy groceries and other necessary items
• How to utilize public transportation (trains, busses, etc.)

QUESTIONS?
Contact Residence Life at 312.629.6870 or student_life@saic.edu. 

Register for Classes

Schedule a registration appointment:
Beginning March 31, contact the Academic Advisor listed below. Registration will begin April 23, and appointments are available on a first come, first served basis.

Phone registration:
If you schedule a phone appointment, your Academic Advisor will call you at a phone number you designate to help select your courses. Appointments will last between 30–45 minutes.

In-person:
You may also come to campus and meet with your Academic Advisor to register for classes. Beginning March 31, you may schedule your appointment for in-person registration sessions that will begin on April 23.

Waiving Modern and Post-modern Art History Survey Requirement and Transfer Credits

All Master of Fine Arts in Studio students and Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Studio students are required to take Art History 5002 (Survey of Modern and Post Modern Art History) as a graduation requirement.

If a student can demonstrate via an undergraduate transcript review that (s)he has taken the equivalent of two three-credit classes that cover this period of art history, then a waiver may be requested.

Additionally, if you wish to request transfer credit, this must be done at the time of admission.

To request an evaluation of the credits you wish to transfer, send a list of the classes with their titles and course numbers, and the school where you attended these classes, to:

SAIC Graduate Admissions
36 S. Wabash Ave., suite 1201
Chicago, IL 60603

After the department evaluates your request, you will receive a notification and the approved classes will be forwarded to the Office of Records (Registrar).

Failure to request these credits by the end of the Add/Drop period during the first semester will result in these credits not being transferred.

Make Payment Arrangements

Student Financial Services is dedicated to helping you through the process of financing your education at SAIC and has provided multiple ways to manage your payments, including payment plans which stretch your tuition and laptop payments over the course of the semester.

Beginning in July, tuition and fee bills will be mailed monthly if you have a balance due, or if you have had account activity since the last monthly bill. AIADO laptop charges will be billed separately.

Payment in full or payment arrangements of any balance not covered by financial aid is required prior to the start of each semester in order to avoid late fees, restriction of access on campus, and prevention from future registration and release of academic transcripts/diplomas.

Bills are sent to your billing address as listed in SAIC Self-Service. If a billing address is not available, your bill will be mailed to your permanent address.

Payment Options (made payable in U.S. currency)

Cash, check, or money order (made payable in U.S. currency)

Mail: 
SAIC's Bursar's Office
37 S. Wabash Ave., room 711
Chicago, IL 60603

In person:
SAIC's Bursar's Office, Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Credit Card, or Automated Check Handling (ACH)

• Made online through SAIC Self-Service
• Discover, American Express, or MasterCard accepted
• To allow parents/guardians to make payments, you will need to set up an authorized user account for them
• A service fee is charged for credit card payments, but not for ACH payments

Tuition and Fee Payment Plan

• Four-payment semester plan available
• Payment plan enrollment fee—$50 per semester
• Enroll online through SAIC Self-Service

Important Dates:

• Early July: Fall 2012 charges and payment plans (including laptop) available
• Late July: First fall 2012 bill mailed
• August 1: AIADO students ONLY—Laptop payment in full or laptop payment arrangements due
• Early August: Tuition payments or payment arrangements due
• August 29: Health insurance waivers due

Questions?
Contact the Graduate Admissions office at 800.232.7242 or 312.629.6100.