Studying in Corvallis

About Corvallis
If you have chosen to become part of the ATLANTIS community, you will, one day or another end up in Corvallis. This charming little town in the North-West of the US, aproximately 130km south of Portland (the nearest big airport, where you will most likely land coming from Germany) is where the Oregon State University is located at, and thus the starting point for an amazing year in the states.

The city itself has around 60 000 inhabitants, most of whom are students. That being the case, you will find anything your student-heart desires in the streets of this little town, be it supermarkets that are closeby, sports facilities, clubs, bars, greek life and organisations for international students.

And with its strategic location in between mountains, deserts, extinct volcanoes, the pacific, Washington and California, you have plenty of option to chose from, if one day the city-life gets too boring.

General Info (Weather, Currency, Language, How Expensive is the Food, What to watch out for)
Concerning the weather, you should be aware of the fact, that while Oregon is located directly north of California, the weather is much more similar to Germany, that to California. You will find a very continental climate, with lots of rain, lush forests and flourishing plants. Also don't forget the rain. Just Like Saarbrücken. Rain!

The curency is the US dollar, which usually is somewhere around 0.8€. Check the actual rates here.

Before getting your Visa, you will be required to take the TOEFL test, (costs around 250€) and you will have to at least get lvl B1, so be sure that your English skills are not too rusty. In case your score isn't high enough, you won't have to pay the full 250€ again, as you will get a certain discount on future tests from the company that gives out the tests, but it will still be super expensive.

As for your living expenses, you should calculate something like 300-500$ rent per month (all bills included), then around 200-300$ for food (a bit cheaper than Germany, but can easily get much more expensive if you what organic food = Bio-Produkte). Furthermore, you will have to pay certain fees each term, ranging from administration fees, over fees to use the buildings, up to the insurance fees for health insurance (don't even try to find a German insurance company that covers every requested point, it never works, OSU always rejects them for ludicrous reasons. So just swallow the pill and take it. It's quite expensive (like 200$/term) but else you'll have to pay it anyway and your German insurance on top. Not worth it, take it from someone who experienced it first hand.

All in all, including frequently going out for drinks or food, and going on a few trips each term, I personally always needed around 1000$/month.

Finding a Place to Live during your Stay
Ok, so first of all, easiest way to find a place is, of course I you were to talk to someone that you already know who now is in Corvallis and maybe knows about something/can visit the places in your stead.

If this doesn't work for you, you got a few other possibilities:

You can look on Craigslist there you can find almost anything, from bikes, to houses, over people that will shave your butt in exchange for a pack of M&M's... basically, enjoy all the nice stuff you'll find, but watch out for the weird guys ;) Which is easier said than done, because you will need a fair amount of trust to get the flat you're looking for, as most landlords will not accept a contract signed and sent by email. So basically, you will arrive in Corvallis, with nothing but the promise of the landlord, hoping that your future house actually exists and you won't have to live on the street. But no worries, until now it has always worked for everyone.

Next possibility would be to get a place in the dorms, but until now there hasn't been a single german ATLANTIS student to do this, since its super expensive and much smaller than sharing a whole house with only 3 or 4 other people.

Lastly you could take a look at the offers specially centered around international students: the International House and the iHouse
 * The International House is a pretty chill place where around 10 international students live on 3 floors, each floor having their own bathroom. There isone big kitchen that comes fully equipped to cook your own meals, and the (pretty cheap rent) includes a cleaning woman. They often do potluck dinners (everyone makes one dish from their country and eventually you share everything),but except for that it is fairly calm.
 * On the other side, the iHouse is far from quiet, there are around 30 people living at that pllace that is actually more like a frat/sorority. The meals are included and they always do crazy stuff together, from parties, over trips, etc... But this comes at a certain price, literally, because it is quite expensive. Also forget about having a quiet time there.