New Application

KULeuven's new on-line application is up. The process requires you to sign-up for a guest account and then download the application in PDF format. It is actually a quite simple application, but not without flaw. The areas I have identified as unclear are:

• Was all or part of your education in English?
•  The application only lets you choose one option from secondary school, Bachelors, or Master. It does not explain what "secondary school" means (though a Wikipedia search suggests it is 7-12th grades), nor does it allow me to explain that my entire education, grades PK-12, was in English.
  
•  Profesional Experience: Research and teaching experience / Non-academic professional experience
•  I suspect this is where I can include my internship experience. However, it is not 100% clear. In my university, it was mandatory to complete 280 (?) hours of internship in an area directly related to my major. So, does this still qualify as non-academic?
  
• Are you applying for a scholarship in order to attend this programme? Amount?
• Does not specify if the information they want is the "Amount" in terms of monthly stipend, or the total value of the scholarship. Also, every time I close de PDF document and then open it again, the second entry I added to my scholarship options disappears. 

So, I'll be waiting for International Admissions to clear these questions up for me and then, I'll be ready to mail my application. I hope KUL processes the applications as they come in. I'll definitely get it in before December 15. Wouldn't a letter of acceptance be a nice Christmas present?

1 month for the application period to start

In one month, KUL's new application will be available online at http://www.kuleuven.be/application. Last week I ordered the required documents from my university and will be picking them up tomorrow. I am now considering wether to apply to two Masters (desired + safety) or just the one, since the documents cost me about $80 dlls and the application fee is €50. If I apply to another Master, not only will I pay another application fee, but would also have to order the documents again, as KUL requires original copies of all documents with the application. I've already gotten permission to not show a TOEFL result or a university diploma. I don't feel like asking them to take copies. I feel this is pushing it and could also be detrimental to my acceptance (too many "I don't have this but I'm sending you this instead").

Second time around....

I've been thinking about the things I'd do differently given my previous experience living in Leuven.

First off, there is no need for snow boots. It doesn't snow. So I could've saved myself the hassle of them not fitting in my lugagge and wearing them on a transatlantic flight with a 7 hour layover.

In close relation to that, you don't need 10 sweaters. Really. The key to surviving Leuven is layers. Cause inevitably, you will find yourself in a bar. If you get there early, it'll be cold, or you might want to drink a beer outside. But later, the bar will be full and you will be drunk and very, very hot. You can't dance salsa in thermal pants. I learned that the hard way. But if you're not gonna dance salsa and are cold, thermal pants are still ridiculous...so how do you get rid of them? Embrace the power of thights and leggings.

A raincoat or waterproof jacket is essential. Make sure it falls below the waistline of your pants and you will be safe from drafts.

Pack your bags, remove half the clothes you packed originally, replace with food from home. For me, that means powdered chili for snacking on fruit, dried beef for machacado, green salsa (cause I can always make the red one but you can be sure you'll never find tomatillos in Belgium), gum, snacks, cigarrettes, etc. Packing or finding the right spices means you can cook anything you did before. I once cooked picadillo, Mexican red rice, frijoles charros, guacamole with pico de gallo, and quesadillas for 10 people. The hardest part about organizing this dinner was estimating how many days before I'd have to buy the avocados for them to be perfectly ripe. There are several Asian grocery stores that carry fresh fruits and vegetables you'd otherwise never find.

Choose a GREAT backpack and buy foldable, reusable bags for those unexpected trips to the grocery store.

Wake up early on a weekday and explore the town. There is a great Target-style (HEMA) store that I found probably halfway through the semester. If I had found this earlier, I probably would have invested in good cooking pans and utensils.

Don't settle for the first (or second) kot/studio you visit. I was pretty satisfied with the location and cost of my kot, but later, as I met new people, I realized I could've had a roomier...err....room.

Changes in On-line Application from December 1, 2009

I've had most of my application filled out for a while now. I am pretty much just waiting for December to roll around so I can print out my application and mail it to the Office of International Admissions, as the aplication period starts on Dec. 1 and ends March 1 for non-EU students.

Today, I decided to re-check the list of what KUL calls the "core documents" of your application (transcripts, university diploma, TOEFL, passport + photo). The following notice was posted on the Application Form page:

"Applications for the 2010-2011 academic year start in December 2009. Starting from December 1, 2009 a new version of the online application form will be available on the K.U.Leuven website, so kindly check our website by then for the correct link."

I guess filling out the new format won't be too much of a hassle, but I'll be pretty pissed if the new format includes new requirements. If so, the changes should be announced at least a month before the application period begins. Oh well, guess I'll have to wait for December to find out.

Fortunately, I've cleared up some other stuff that was making me extremely nervous. In Mexico, university diplomas are sent to Mexico City to be approved and signed by the Department of Education, and this causes a 15-18 month delay between graduation and delivery of said diploma. KUL's requirements included sending a certified copy of my university diploma with my aplication, as well as showing the original upon enrollment in September of 2010. I highly doubt I'll be able to fulfill either of these requirements. Fortunately, my contact at the International Office told me that the "Certificate of Diploma in Progress" will suffice.

I guess Belgians understand bureaucracy. It is just as bad or perhaps even worse than in Mexico. Fingers crossed, upon my arrival next year I'll be able to describe that. :D