In order to aid in the difficult transition into Graduate school, IGSA offers temporary accommodation (hosting) with senior Indian graduate students till you find an apartment, for a maximum period of 3 weeks. This also provides you an opportunity to meet fellow Indians. Kindly let us know your travel plans well in advance by filling out the new student travel information form, as soon as your travel plans are finalized. Once you fill out the form, we will send you a mail with relevant contact info. We will assign you to a person who will pick you up from Memorial Union and put you up with your assigned host.
Please remember that this is a volunteer service offered by IGSA members. We often take time away from research and course work to help you. We request you to keep the following in mind:
- We receive hundreds of emails from prospective UW students. Give us at least 1 week to reply to your email.
- Please communicate your travel plans well in advance. Do not email the day before you leave India. While we will try our best, we CANNOT guarantee a pick up and/or host.
- Usually, we provide hosting only at the beginning of Fall and Spring semesters. If you need hosting at another time of the year, please email us at least one month before your travel plans so that we can make arrangements to accomodate you.
- We are not a cab service. We WILL NOT pick you up from the Madison airport or from Chicago, unless the circumstances are exceptional. All our pickups will only be from Memorial Union/Campus. Refer to our "Getting to Madison" section for more details.
- To ensure a smooth journey, please communicate any change in travel plans (flight delays, trip date changes, missing the bus, etc) as soon as they happen. Make sure you carry change of quarter dollar coins to use at payphones. Payphones are located in several locations at the airports. USE THEM!
- We do our best to assign you a host/pick up well in advance. If for some reason, your host/pickup cannot make it, DON'T PANIC! We will NEVER leave you stranded. However, do let us know of any such situation immediately, so we can make alternate arrangements.
- Do not ask to be hosted/picked with friends or in groups. If a group of you are coming together, each one will have to sign up induvidually. One car can only accomodate one person+luggage. Also, many people cannot host more than one student.
- Please fill in the form even if you do not wish to be hosted. This will keep us aware of your travel plans, and allow us to help you in case you need it.
- DO NOT PLAN TO ARRIVE BETWEEN AUGUST 13th AND AUGUST 16th. It is moving time here and things are very hectic for the people hosting you. We will not be able pickup or do hosting during this period.
(Image: IGSA Diwali flier from 2010, Diwali Night is our most awaited cultural show every year.)
