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City and Regional Planning Program Frequently Asked Questions |
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City and Regional Planning Program
College of Architecture Georgia Institute of Technology 245 4th St., Rm. 204 Atlanta, GA 30332-0155 Phone: 404.894.2350 Fax: 404.894.1628 Contact CRP Program |
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City and Regional Planning Program
You can access the online application from the Institute Graduate Studies website at http://www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu/ [back to top]
2. Where do I send my biography and letters of recommendation? When you apply online the CollegeNet system manages all the application pieces. The recommendation letters come via e-mail to Grad Admissions and are made available online to the programs. All documentation should be sent to Georgia Institute of Technology Graduate Admissions 631 Cherry Street, Room 318 Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0321 International Students should also send bank statement(s) to this address [back to top]
3. Where do I send my transcript(s), application fee and residency form? Georgia Institute of Technology Graduate Admissions 631 Cherry Street , Room 318 Atlanta , Georgia 30332-0321
4. What is your admission deadline? We review files in batches as they become complete throughout the spring. To be competitive for a graduate research assistantship, you should have your materials complete by March 1st. [back to top]
5. Is there any need-based financial aid available to me through the City & Regional Planning Program? For need-based aid, we encourage you to contact the Financial Aid Office at http://www.finaid.gatech.edu. All of the resources our program has available to it are allocated based on merit, not need. [back to top] 6. What is the deadline for GRA consideration? To maximize your graduate assistantship opportunities, your file should be complete by March 1st. [back to top]
7. How do I apply for a Graduate Assistantship? There is no separate application. On the regular application (question 14.f), all you need to do is indicate that you wish to be considered for financial assistance and we will consider you for a graduate assistantship. All decisions for graduate assistantship support are based on merit, not need. [back to top]
8. When will I be notified that I have received a program-funded graduate assistantship? We award Program-funded assistantships as we review files for admission. Therefore, you will receive an offer letter along with your admission letter. In some instances, additional funds may become available to award at a later date. In this case, selected students would receive a separate offer letter. [back to top]
9. How long will I have to accept or decline a GRA offer? You will generally have until April 15th (as required by the Council of Graduate Schools) or three weeks after the date of your offer letter, whichever is later. It is possible to get an extension of this time, under unusual circumstances. [back to top]
10. What types of graduate assistantships are available? There are essentially three types of graduate assistantships, depending upon their funding source: (1) Program-funded graduate assistantships, which are funded by the City & Regional Planning Program; (2) Sponsored Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA's), which are funded through research projects with faculty; and (3) GRA/Co-ops, which are funded by outside planning organizations. [back to top]
The 2006-2007 GRA stipend is $2479.72 per semester or $4,959.45 for the Academic Year. [back to top]
12. If I'm awarded a GRA, how will I be paid? For a full year award, you will be paid in 10 installments (1/2+ 8 full + 1/2). A full check is $551.05, and is paid at the end of the month. [back to top]
13. I'm a resident of Georgia . What tuition break does the GRA afford me? With a GRA, all the student is responsible for is fees. For AY 2006-2007, the fee amount is $542 per semester or $1,084 for the year. The remainder of your tuition, $4,536 per year at the in-state rate (regardless of your residency), is covered by your assistantship. [back to top]
14. I'm a non-Georgia resident, what tuition break does the GRA afford me? Whether you are a Georgia resident or not, with either a Program funded graduate assistantship or externally funded GRA, you pay the same tuition rate. For out-of-state students, this amounts to a savings of $19,160 in tuition for the year 2006-2007. [back to top]
15. Are International students eligible for GRAs? Yes. This also includes GRA/Co-ops.[back to top]
16. I'm a minority U.S. Citizen. Is there another source of aid for me? The American Planning Association offers Planning Fellowship awards ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 for African-American, Hispanic, or Native American students who are citizens of the United States and enrolled in an approved Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) graduate planning program. For further information and an application, see http://www.planning.org/institutions/scholarship.htm
Also, visit this page on our website for more scholarship information: www.coa.gatech.edu/crp/graduate/scholarships.htm [back to top]
17. What is the City & Regional Planning Program's minimum GRE requirement? There is no minimum requirement. Generally, we are looking for scores above 500 on each of the first two components of the general GRE (verbal and quantitative) and 4.5 on the analytic component. Students with higher scores (265+) are more competitive for graduate research assistantships. [back to top]
18. Where do I report the GRE score? When you register for the exam, choose the department code 4402 for City and Regional Planning and 5248 for Georgia Tech. This should ensure that the score is reported to the City & Regional Planning Program Office and doesn't get misdirected to Architecture, Civil Engineering, or some other department; thus, delaying the completion of review of your file. [back to top]
19. Where do I report the TOEFL score? When you register for the exam, choose the department code 97 for City and Regional Planning and 5248 for Georgia Tech. This should ensure that the score is reported to the City & Regional Planning Program Office and doesn't get misdirected to Architecture, Civil Engineering, or some other department; thus, delaying the completion of review of your file. [back to top]
20. What is the minimum TOEFL requirement for City & Regional Planning? The minimum TOEFL score is 600 on the paper-based exam or 250 on the computer-based exam. Applicants with a minimum score of 265 (or 630 on the paper-based exam) will be more competitive for Graduate Research Assistantships. [back to top]
21. What are your financial requirements for the I-20? All International applicants must show that they are able to fund their first year of study. Our graduate office estimates that a minimal budget for year of study (including housing, living expenses, transportation, books, incidental expenses, etc.) is $33,112 for Academic Year 2006-2007. The new estimates will be available in early May for the 2007-2008 academic year. [back to top]
22. How do I show this financial support? Before we can issue an I-20, you must send an official sealed bank statement indicating that you have $33,112 ($13,954 for students awarded a GRA) available. If you are being supported by a sponsor (family member, government entity, etc.), the sponsor must provide a letter indicating his/her relationship to you and a willingness to use these funds toward your education.
23. Is the City & Regional Planning Program accredited? Yes, we are accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB), the specialized accrediting organization for planning education. [back to top]
24. How can I compare this program to other accredited programs in the United States ? You can view a Graduate Guide to Education in Urban and Regional Planning published by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning on the ACSP website. [back to top]
25. I am unsure whether I want to pursue a planning career. Where can I go to learn more about what that entails? There is information on the APA website and in the ACSP Guide mentioned in question no. 24. [back to top] |
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