<p>ah OK that makes sense - anyway the idea of debt gives me the creeps :p</p>
<p>don't dismiss ceedit cards. they are very useful.</p>
<p>I was going to recommend Wachovia too- they have a great service for college students; I don't have an account yet, but that's probably what I'll get. PNC is very popular in jersey and pennsylvania but they're hardly around elsewhere (at least not in ny) so make sure to choose a bank that you can access when you're at home also.</p>
<p>S opened the account with Wachovia yesterday.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Also, you being international may not qualify for a credit card.</p>
<p>Best option for you - have a debit card.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>What about non intels? Aren't credit cards recommended for us to gain a credit history? If you only use a debit card the whole 4 years of college then you graduate without a credit history.... so how do you buy a car, mortgage a house, take out a loan etc? Are there other ways to gain a credit history?</p>
<p>
[quote]
...you have to have a credit history to get a credit card. You can't have a credit history unless you have a credit card or history of paying back
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That's not necessarily true - there are many credit companies that are willing to grab us college kids and get us to sign up for their cards. You have to start somewhere, n'est pas?</p>
<p>i agree with gia..this website list some of the credit cards available for students
<a href="http://www.creditcards.com/college-students.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.creditcards.com/college-students.php</a>
it does not list american express for students, which you can find at
<a href="https://www66.americanexpress.com/cards/Applyfservlet?csi=2/22/b/10/1702992565/170095848929/22/n&from=0&mgmID=undefined%5B/url%5D">https://www66.americanexpress.com/cards/Applyfservlet?csi=2/22/b/10/1702992565/170095848929/22/n&from=0&mgmID=undefined</a></p>
<p>as for intels/domestics - i am not sure about it although from what i have seen, none of the card applications ask a question about nationality etc. So as long as 1 has social security #, it is good to go.</p>
<p>the other thing (which is what i might be doing) is having your family member in the US 'sponsor' you with their credit card. The sponsorer does not have any liability, but allows the student to get a credit card with a higher credit limit and build credit history.</p>
<p>also the bank where we open checking/savings account might offer us some credit cards.</p>
<p>so getting a card should not be a problem as long as they offer a good credit limit. The reason is because ideally borrowing more than 1/3 of the available credit at any time will penalize your credit score (not sure, but i remember some1 tell me that)</p>
<p>btw - if there is ne1 else like me, who is wondering what the heck credit score means and how it is calculated. I found this document pretty useful. It is from the people who calculates the score and explains the Do's and Dont's of credit
<a href="http://www.fairisaac.com/NR/rdonlyres/6F127C6D-E5D2-4EB3-B0CC-A0BD3FE00D94/0/UnderstandCreditScoreBklt.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.fairisaac.com/NR/rdonlyres/6F127C6D-E5D2-4EB3-B0CC-A0BD3FE00D94/0/UnderstandCreditScoreBklt.pdf</a></p>
<p>^ I don't think international students can get a ss#.</p>
<p>Internationals can get a SSN, otherwise they wouldn't be able to work. There'll be a day when the SSN people come to campus and you can apply then.</p>
<p>Personally, I prefer to cash personal checks at the U-Store. They allow up to $100/day for members.</p>
<p>Ashley '06</p>
<p>theres also a sovereign bank on nassau, towards the equad side of campus. its kind of a regional bank though, popular with locals.</p>
<p>whichever bank you choose make sure about 'hidden' charges. Balance requirements, atm charges, # of transaction etc etc.</p>