<p>I'm a grad student and have been accepted for the spring '14 semester at both Colorado state and Michigan Tech. My preference is CSU but the thing is I-20 from MTU is going to arrive earlier than that of CSU, probably in the next few days. Considering there is very little time left for me to apply and complete the VISA process, I can not wait for CSU I-20 since its already November and classes start in Jan. </p>
<p>So the Question is: Can I apply for the Visa based on MTU's I-20, get the visa (InshAllah), and based on that Visa, go to CSU (whose I-20 would have arrived in the mean time) ?</p>
<p>Any kind of information or speculation is welcome. Thanks.</p>
<p>Here’s what i know about visa and uni admissions…
You only get the I-20 AFTER you accept an offer from a uni…but the rules state that you can only accept ONE offer…so in theory you CANNOT get TWO I-20s coz you are not allowed to accept 2 uni offers…and if any university finds out that u have done that then there will be some serious problems for u…(this is the standard for undergraduate admissions and im guessing it applys to grad as well)</p>
<p>as for the time taken to get a visa, the process is pretty straight forward once you get the I-20 and i don’t think colorado state will send the letter so late that you wont be able to get the visa in time, they know how long it takes and so send it accordingly…if u really want to go there, wait for it…</p>
<p>also, no you cannot get the visa from the I-20 of one uni and then attend the other uni…it doesnt work like that.sorry, but that will be more trouble than its worth…the visa isnt just a general visa, its a specific study visa for a particular university, so if u get the visa with MTU’s I-20 u will have to attend MTU…if CSU finds out, im pretty sure u will be expelled…</p>
<p>Addtional info on the I 20 and what it is </p>
<p>“An I-20 form is a legal document issued by a US school as evidence that you have been accepted to a full course of study at the institution. It is valid only for the period of time specified on the form and only for the academic program at the school described.”</p>
<p>As you can read, the visa obtained from an I-20 is institution specific, meaning that you will be legally bound to attend THAT specific uni only…
Also, institutions keep track of the students that they issue the I-20 to and if you fail to show up, then they will inform the homeland security and you will be considered illegal… if caught, chances are that you will be blacklisted for several years…don’t take that risk!</p>
<p>Thanks earlyaction for such an extensive reply and clearing things up. So what I get is, One only gets to have only one I-20 regardless of the number of places he’s been admitted. Doesn’t that call for a centralized system or database which would tell the colleges if a student has accepted a particular offer ? Anyway, that means MTUs I-20 won’t be reaching me just yet as I had thought until CSU finalizes its process. <em>sigh</em>. I’m really worried about the available time here. They are cutting it fine thats for sure.</p>
<p>yes, even if you are admitted into several programs, you can only get 1 I-20, because you can only accept 1 admission offer…
There is no centralized system to my knowledge, but once you accept an offer, they do add your name to their student directory that is easily accessible. Also there are rumors that colleges often share the list of admitted students. either way, there are many ways to find out if a student has accepted more than 1 admission offers…and getting the visa from the I 20 of one college to attend another college is pretty much the quickest path to blow your cover since the college you attend will sooner or later check your passport and visa…</p>
<p>i’d say, that the end of the road is near, so chillax and dont do anything irrational out of panic 
you can always email CSU and ask them the reason for the delay and convey your insecurities…but from what i have seen, more often than not, you get the visa pretty easily!!!</p>
<p>Oh you should see the email thread that I have going with their grad admissions office. If not for my prompts for my application status I doubt if my application had ever gone through.</p>
<p>In that case I’d rethink your choice… If I were going to a foreign country to study, Id definitely want a cooperative and attentive administration since once there, students need to ask for their assistance quite a lot
it really reflects how the place is run to a certain degree
</p>