First Year Abroad: Accepted Students

Accepted Students Passports and Visas Health and Travel Insurance Valencia Academic Calendar Orientation
 

Accepted Students

If you have already been accepted to Berklee College of Music's First Year Abroad program for the upcoming fall, then there are a number of things that you need to do prior to check-in. This section of the site is designed to help you make a smooth transition.

Acceptance Expiration

Your acceptance is dependent on the successful completion of any outstanding schoolwork. Admission to the First Year Abroad program on the Valencia campus is only valid for the fall semester that you were accepted.

If you do decide to defer your acceptance, you must submit a written request to refund or transfer your tuition deposit to a later semester. Your refund or transfer request must be received by the college no later than May 1.

Next Steps

Pay Your Bill

Your bill is due on August 1. Go to my.berklee.edu and log in using your onepass credentials to view and pay your bill.

If you don’t know your credentials or are having trouble logging in, you may contact our Student Computer Support Center for help at 8800@berklee.edu or 617-747-8800.

Check Your Passport

All students must have a passport that is valid for at least six months after their program end date. It is recommended that you have your passport ready at least three months before your program start date so you can apply for a visa.

Learn More About Passports and Visas

Apply for a Student Visa to Study in Spain

First Year Abroad students need a long-stay student visa, which allows students to study for up to one year in Spain. The visa application process requires the student to present documentation at your corresponding Spanish consulate, and can take up to three months to process.

Who Needs a Visa?
All students on the Valencia campus need this visa unless you are a citizen or legal resident of the European Union, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland, or Switzerland.

Timeline
It can take up to 12 weeks to process your student visa. You should have your visa completed by August 1.

Learn More About Passports and Visas

Submit Your Immunizations

As a part of your completion of your acceptance process, all entering and transfer students must submit a completed Berklee Entering Student Immunization Form and submit it to Magnus Health, Berklee’s provider for collecting, managing, and tracking immunization information. You should receive an email from Magnus Health to the email address that is connected to your application with information on how to access your Magnus Health account. This step in your acceptance process cannot be completed until Magnus Health emails you with your login credentials.  Please be aware that it may take up to a week from your admittance to the school for your Magnus Health account to be active. Go to the Berklee Health & Wellness Immunization Requirement page for more detailed information about submitting your immunization requirements to Magnus Health. You may retrieve an Entering Student Immunization Form and submit your immunization documentation online at https://secure.magnushealthportal.com/.

Special Notice: All immunizations must be completed before arriving in Spain, as some immunizations will not be available there.

Timeline
The entire immunization process can take up to 16 weeks. You should have this completed by August 1.

If you are an entering student and have questions about your immunizations or immunization requirements, please contact the Magnus Help Desk.

Magnus Help Desk Number: 877-461-6831, or for callers outside of the U.S.: 919-502-7689
Magnus Help Desk Email: service@magnushealthportal.com

Student ID Photo Submission

Please visit the Student ID Photo Submission web page to submit your photo for your Berklee I.D. electronically. The web page includes rules that must be adhered to for the photo to be accepted. Use your onepass credentials to log in to be able to access the web page.

Timeline
Complete photos are due by August 1.

Submit your ID Photo

Student Agreement Submission

Enrollment at Berklee's Valencia Campus is subject to students' revision and agreement to a number of terms and conditions that relate to student life at the Valencia campus.

Timeline
All First Year Abroad students will need to complete these student agreements and email them to StudentAffairsValencia@berklee.edu by August 1.

Complete your agreement

Submit Personal Contact Information

All Valencia students are required to provide personal information for various administrative tasks such as processing your health insurance, creating your Valencia Campus Intranet accounts and IDs, etc. You will need to upload a scanned copy (or photo) of your passport.

Timeline
Submit the form as soon as possible so we have all the information we need for the various tasks. We need this information no later than August 1.

Submit your info

Submit Your SAFO Form

Submit the online "Student Acknowledgement of Financial and Other Obligations (SAFO)" form. All students are required to submit this electronic agreement acknowledging their financial obligations before they will be allowed to check-in for the semester.

You can find the link to the SAFO form under the Check-in section on my.berklee.edu. Log in using your onepass credentials and be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page, check off the box which states that you have read and agreed with the three disclosures, and then click SUBMIT.

If you don’t know your credentials or are having trouble logging in, you may contact our Student Computer Support Center for help at 8800@berklee.edu or 617-747-8800.

Complete Your Ear Training Assessment

The Ear Training Assessment, required of all entering* students for the Fall 2019 (September) semester, is now available. We ask that you complete this 20-minute assessment as soon as possible.

Complete your Ear Training Assessment

*Students who previously attended the 12 Week Summer Program, or are part of our Berklee Global Partners Network, are exempt from taking this assessment.

Review Your Check-In Requirements

All restrictions on your account must be cleared before you will be allowed to check-in for the semester. Go to my.berklee.edu and log in using your onepass credentials to view the "Semester Check-In" in the Check-In section.

If you don’t know your credentials or are having trouble logging in, you may contact our Student Computer Support Center for help at 8800@berklee.edu or 617-747-8800.

Review Transfer Credit

As an admitted Berklee student, you may also view a transfer-credit evaluation from the Office of the Registrar. Go to my.berklee.edu and log in using your onepass credentials and click on "View Transcript/Transfer Credit Awarded."

If you don’t know your credentials or are having trouble logging in, you may contact our Student Computer Support Center for help at 8800@berklee.edu or 617-747-8800.

TOEFL Requirements

Applicants to the degree program, whose first language is not English, are required to submit a TOEFL, IELTS, or the Pearson PTE score to complete their application for admission. We recommend a TOEFL IBT score of 72 or higher or an IELTS score of 6 or higher.

Orientation

Orientation
One week before classes start, all First Year Abroad students are required to attend orientation on the Valencia campus to introduce you to everything that Berklee’s international campus in Spain has to offer. During this week, you’ll not only get to meet your classmates, faculty, and support staff, but also the rest of the campus community at the undergraduate and graduate level.

Learn More About Orientation

Apply for Financial Aid

Whether you are attending Berklee in Boston or doing your first year abroad in Valencia the process of applying for aid is the same. You and your family begin the process of applying for need-based financial aid by completing two forms: the CSS/Financial Aid Profile and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Both applications gather information about your family's financial situation and enable you to be considered for a range of federal, state, and institutional funding.

Learn More About Student Financial Services

Housing

Housing is mandatory for all First Year Abroad students.

Learn More About Housing

Submit Proof of High School Graduation

Submit proof of high school/secondary school completion
Please 
submit your proof of high school graduation (either your official high/secondary school diploma or final transcript that includes a graduation date and an official signature and seal). Students who did not submit proof of secondary school completion as part of their application must submit a general report of their credential evaluation through a certified credential evaluation service. Transfer students should submit their most recent transcript to update their transfer credit records. Some documents may already have been submitted during the application process.

Timeline
It can take up to three weeks to order, submit, and process your documents. The office of admissions must receive them no later than August 1.

Buy a Laptop

Students participating in the First Year Abroad program will need to purchase their own Apple laptop prior to their arrival in Valencia. Please review Bring Your Own Laptop for information on Apple models that meet the acceptable criteria.

All students are required to purchase the Entering Student Software Package. The charge for this package will be automatically billed to your student account and must be paid in full along with all other student charges. Workshops to help students install and register these applications will be available during orientation.

Learning to record audio is an important part of becoming proficient with music technology. Berklee has state-of-the-art facilities equipped with the latest audio hardware and software where you will learn about and use music technology. For use outside of classes, Berklee strongly encourages students to own their own audio interface. Options to purchase an interface from Berklee on the Valencia campus may become available. More information will be forthcoming.

Learn More About Buying Your Laptop


Additional Steps

Don't forget to continue checking your application portal to review additional details.

Passports and Visas

Important Message About Visas

We highly recommend that you immediately begin researching the visa application process by getting in contact with your corresponding Spanish consulate as soon as possible. The process varies at each consulate, so it is important to know the exact requirements at your consulate.

Passport Requirement

All students must have a passport that is valid for at least six months after their program end date. It is recommended that you have your passport ready at least four months before your program start date so you can apply for a visa.

Visa Requirement

*Most students will need to obtain a visa to study in Spain. A student visa is a type of long stay (or long term) visa that you apply for at a Spanish consulate or embassy. The visa gets stamped inside your passport.

*Citizens of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland do not need a visa to study in Spain.

Applying for a Visa

The following information describes the general process for obtaining a student visa. You must check with your Spanish consulate before beginning the process to find out the exact requirements for your visa application. It is recommended that you start preparing your visa application at least four months before your program start date.


Step One: Find Your Consulate and Schedule an Appointment

You must apply for your visa at the Spanish consulate that corresponds to your legal residence.

Spanish Consulates in the U.S:
Boston: for residents of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Chicago: for residents of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Houston: for residents of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi.
Los Angeles: for residents of Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Southern California.
Miami: for residents of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
New York: for residents of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
San Francisco: for residents of Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Pacific islands (Guam, American Samoa, Mariana Islands, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands), and Northern California.
Washington DC (Embassy): for residents of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and DC.

Spanish Consulates outside the U.S:
See here for a list of Spanish consulates and embassies.

Notes:

  • Some consulates operate on a drop-in basis and do not offer appointments.
  • The first available appointment at your consulate could be days or months away. It is important to check often for appointments since new ones may become available as other people cancel appointments.
  • At your appointment you must present several official documents provided by Berklee, which will be included in the acceptance packet you receive soon after you are accepted to the program.

Step Two: Gather Important Documents

Before your visa appointment you should get all the necessary documents together. You may need to have some documents translated into Spanish by an official translator, while some documents require an Apostille of the Hague. Check with your consulate for specific requirements. If you need documents translated into Spanish, here is a list of official sworn translators (the list is organized by the original language and where the translator is physically located).

The following documents are generally required to obtain a student visa, but you must check with your consulate for specific requirements:

  • Original, signed passport valid for 6 months beyond stay, with at least one empty page for the visa.
  • Visa application form and passport-size photos.
  • An official letter certifying admission to Berklee College of Music undergraduate program. (Provided by Berklee in your accept pack)
  • The program of study outlining the course content. (Provided by Berklee in your accept pack)
  • A medical insurance policy covering medical expenses and repatriation in the case of accident or sudden illness for the entire period of the stay in Spain. (Provided by Berklee in your accept pack)
  • A letter from a doctor stating that the applicant does not suffer an illness that poses a threat to public health in accordance with international health regulations. This should be on the doctor's or health center's letterhead and stamped.
  • Proof of financial means during your stay. For example, an official bank statement or a notarized letter from your parents accepting financial responsibility for you.
  • A criminal record certificate issued by the authorities of your country of origin or any country in which you have lived for six months or longer during the past five years.

Again, this is a general list of required documents. You must check with your consulate for specific requirements.

Step Three: Go to Your Visa Appointment

Arrive to your appointment early with all your documents and copies prepared.

PLEASE NOTE:

  • You will present your physical passport, plus all your documents and copies.
  • Bring money to pay the visa fee. Check with the consulate beforehand to know the accepted form of payment and the amount.
  • At your appointment, ask how long they anticipate the visa processing to take, and how you will know when your visa is ready. Ask how it will be returned to you, if you need to pick it up in person, or if they mail it to you in a prepaid envelope. Each consulate has a different process.

Step Four: Get Your Visa

At your appointment you should ask how your passport and visa will be returned to you, as each consulate works differently.

The busiest time for consulates is the summer, when they process a high volume of visas for students coming to Spain in the fall, so this process could take up to six weeks or more.

Entering Spain (or any country in Schengen Territory)

Enter Spain

As you pass through immigration upon entering the Schengen Area, an immigrations officer will stamp your passport. Make sure your passport gets stamped.

Once in Spain

Get Your Student Residency Card

From the time you enter the Schengen Area, you have 30 days to apply for your student residency card, which will be your national identification card while in Spain.

It will take approximately two months to complete the process and get your student residency card, which is valid for up to one year and renewable if you continue to meet the student visa conditions.

You will receive information on how to apply for the residency card before orientation.

Health and Travel Insurance

Students participating in First Year Abroad must have primary health insurance. The program provides supplemental Spanish health insurance as well as travel insurance for school-related trips. Students are responsible for obtaining appropriate insurance coverage for personal travel.

You must have primary health insurance.

Students must enroll in Berklee's Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) or waive it by demonstrating comparable coverage. Read more about the Berklee SHIP.

You will have Spanish health insurance.

Students will be covered by MAPFRE, a private health insurance provider in Spain, while they are enrolled in the program. This coverage is included in the program fee and cannot be waived. Students will receive their MAPFRE insurance card during orientation in Valencia. MAPFRE provides coverage throughout Spain. Visit Health, Wellness, and Support Services to learn more about MAPFRE health insurance as well as medical, counseling, and disability services in Valencia.

You will have travel insurance for your trip to and from Valencia, and for school-sponsored travel during the program.

Berklee’s travel insurance provider, UnitedHealthcare Global (UHCG), covers students during their travel to and from Valencia (at the beginning and end of the program) and during travel that is part of the academic program. There is no fee for this coverage. Download the UnitedHealthcare Global Welcome Kit for more information.

If you will travel for personal reasons before, during, or after the program, you are responsible for obtaining appropriate health and travel insurance.

For personal travel inside Spain during the program, you will be covered by MAPFRE. You will not be covered by UHCG.

For personal travel outside of Spain during the program, you will not be covered by MAPFRE or UHCG. You should check with your primary health insurance provider to see if they provide coverage for international travel. Alternatively, you can purchase independent insurance including medical coverage, trip and luggage protection, and more. See the Frequently Asked Questions section of Health, Wellness, and Support Services for more information.

Valencia Academic Calendar

Orientation

Congratulations, incoming students! Please refer to the information below for details about your required fall orientation in Valencia, and if you have a question that is not covered below, don't hesitate to contact us at studentaffairsvalencia@berklee.edu.

Student Move-in and Check-in: August 30 - 31, 2020
Orientation week: September 1 - 4, 2020

Before You Arrive

Before you arrive to Collegiate, complete all necessary administrative requirements, including submission of your tuition payment, immunization records, high school transcripts, and health waivers.

To check the status of your administrative requirements:

  • Log in to berklee.edu using the ID and password sent to you by Admissions.
  • Select "Campus Tools," then "My Berklee" from the menu at the top right.
  • Log in to MyBerklee, then select "Students" on the right.
  • Select "Online Check-in Requirements" from the "Check-in" menu.

Any outstanding check-in requirements will be listed there. It is important to complete all of these requirements before you arrive. You will not be able to check in until you have submitted all of your administrative requirements.

Please note that entering students cannot check in online. Entering students must check in on campus when they arrive for orientation. For more information on the steps you need to complete prior to check-in, visit the First Year Abroad: Accepted Students page.

When You Arrive

Collegiate Residents

Once moving in, other orientation sessions relating to general life in Valencia will take place over the first couple of days. If you have questions about housing policies or the move-in process, visit First Year Abroad Housing or contact the Student Affairs Office.

Orientation Schedule

Orientation week is full of informative and fun events and activities to help you learn about Berklee, get to know Valencia, and meet other new students. The orientation schedule will contain a full week of activities, including:

  • information sessions presented by various Berklee offices and departments,
  • social activities with other students, and
  • many more fun events to welcome you and your new classmates to Berklee.

You will receive a detailed schedule with descriptions and locations for all orientation sessions and events before orientation and you can find additional information below.

All activities and sessions are open to parents and families of First Year Abroad students, with specific sessions dedicated to addressing important information for parents as they plan the year ahead with their students. We encourage all parents and families to attend these sessions.

Accessibility and Accommodation

We are committed to welcoming and accommodating all entering students and their families at our check-in and orientation activities. Participants who need assistance or accommodations to fully experience the week's events are encouraged to contact the Student Affairs team well in advance as some accommodations take time to implement. In consultation with the Accessibility Resources team, we will provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations.

Valencia Administrative Offices

If you need to contact one of these offices to schedule an appointment during your orientation in Valencia, please do not hesitate to reach out to them in advance.

Academic Affairs in Valencia: academicaffairsvalencia@berklee.edu

Registrar in Valencia: registrarvalencia@berklee.edu

Bursar’s Office in Valencia: bursarvalencia@berklee.edu

Student Affairs in Valencia: studentaffairsvalencia@berklee.edu

Financial Aid Office: financialaid@berklee.edu

Accessibility Resources Office: accessibilityresources@berklee.edu

Admissions in Valencia: admissionsvalencia@berklee.edu

Important Links