<p>So, is it compulsory to buy a handset with a new mobile connection in the US? Will my N95 not work on the US phone networks?</p>
<p>I dont really know about that. You can always get one of the free handsets and switch your SIM. Though I’d personally recommend Verizon for its better coverage.</p>
<p>Oh, I see. </p>
<p>I had another question anyhow. Which is the best way to carry currency to and in the US: cash, pre-paid travel debit card or credit card?</p>
<p>Don’t bother with credit card - they charge you 3% fee for transactions.</p>
<p>Go with pre-paid debit cards and $500 worth of cash in different bills. Once you get there your parents can wire money straight into your accounts.</p>
<p>harvard, I haven’t booked my tickets yet. I will be doing that soon. Which airlines are you travelling?
My interview time is 8:15 AM. Yours?</p>
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</p>
<p>This is not true. My understanding is that it is illegal for vendor to pass on that the transaction fee to the customers. Some vendors do require minimum purchase - usually $10 to accept credit card and some don’t take american express.</p>
<p>jbubbles, blue_box, i think you both are right.</p>
<p>in the case of jbubbles, i can understand why she feels she can improve a lot. she is just entering jr. yr and i will give the benefit of doubt given the nature of recent distractions.</p>
<p>blue_box is also right in the sense that it is not easy to improve scores by 200 or so points under normal circumstances.</p>
<p>bluebox, learn to read. i never said that. there most deff are 600 point increases babe</p>
<p>and well, idk what to tell you. my friend did it. his first score was like 1400 and he jumped to a 2250</p>
<p>he is so smart! <3 i admire that kid so much. </p>
<p>btw, just so u know. i was giving my psat scores. 160-170ish… lol my bad on that part, idk i just tend to add an extra 0.</p>
<p>blue, jus stayed tunedd, i cant wait to show u my 600 point increasee :]</p>
<p>ohh and i just remember, my one of my friends went from a 160 soph year to a 2190 junior year. yup he was a national merit semifinalist</p>
<p>lmao that boy is like a pothead and would sleep during his prep classes. he gives me mad hope though</p>
<p>idk, believe it or not. it is possible 
</p>
<p>just cuz ur not capable of such doesn’t mean you should doubt everyoneee else boo</p>
<p>@Aviator: That is what I was thinking as well! Thanks a lot for the reassurance.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, are there any acceptance issues with the Pre-paid travel debit cards or are they good to go almost anywhere?</p>
<p>@Wanderer: I bought tickets for Continental Airlines directly to PVD. And, my interview time is also 8:15!</p>
<p>@Everyone else involved in the verbal ‘assault’: Relax!</p>
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</p>
<p>I should sue everyone who charged me and my friend that fees, yeah? Visit different bank’s sites and look at their credit card fees.</p>
<p>Harvard : There are no problems at all. You just can’t use it for transactions online.</p>
<p>^ transaction fee is different from annual fee some banks charge. annual fee is generally fixed amount.</p>
<p>annual fee depends on a number of factors - credit limit, overcharge amount etc. it is not difficult to find a bank/credit union, airlines with no annual fee.</p>
<p>passing on transaction fee to customers is not illegal - i was wrong. however, vendors are not supposed to charge extra when you use credit. if they do you can report the matter to credit card company. </p>
<p>Here is the site for master card.</p>
<p>[Reporting</a> Merchant Violations](<a href=“http://www.mastercard.com/us/personal/en/contactus/merchantviolations.html]Reporting”>Page Not Found)</p>
<p>So, if I need to buy stuff online, what will I need to do? Will credit card be the only means to successfully complete a transaction?</p>
<p>P.S. I was told by someone that these days you can indeed use the PP Debit card to buy things online. This is, therefore, the reasoning behind my repeated questioning!</p>
<p>bubbles, you already took psat? i thought it is given by school in jr yr throughout usa. with psat u don’t get a second chance. there is no way one becomes national merit semifinalist with psat of ~160. u have to score something like 210+ depending on the state.</p>
<p>i agree with harvybrown. relax. if u can do it - all the power to u, we’ll be proud of u. i think blue_box was just warning u because it is not as simple as u sounded. after all, he has gotten into one of best schools and i think he knows what he is talking about. show some respect.</p>
<p>harvybrown, u can always use debit card like a credit card to make online transactions.</p>
<p>personally i prefer credit unions over banks. most colleges either have credit unions or affiliated with one. u r better off doing ur transactions with credit union. (this subject is highly debatable and i m just giving my bias.) u can either google or visit [Credit</a> Union Vs. Bank](<a href=“http://www.banklady.com/credit-union-or-bank.asp]Credit”>ONLINE BANKING) to learn more about the differences.</p>
<p>lol no tippu.
in ny, a lot of students take it as a soph. some even as a frosh</p>
<p>my friend took it soph yr and got a 160. then he took it again jr yr and got a 219</p>
<p>so yeah, basically, there is a second chance for most of us new yorkers. some even 3rd chances haha.</p>
<p>Tippu : Dude. That fee is charged by Banks. For example ICICI Bank Charges you 3.50% for international transactions. [ICICI</a> Bank Credit Card- Eligibility & Fees, Apply Online for Credit Cards](<a href=“http://www.icicibank.com/Personal-Banking/cards/Consumer-Cards/Credit-Card/eligibility-&-fees.html]ICICI”>http://www.icicibank.com/Personal-Banking/cards/Consumer-Cards/Credit-Card/eligibility-&-fees.html) </p>
<p>Harvard : Yes your credit card will be your source of online purchases OR the debit card of the bank account you open when you get there. You can’t use your prepaid debit card you take from here. Your prepaid debit card here won’t even have your name on it - it will probably just say FOREX CARD or soemthing and all your online transactions will decline.</p>
<p>I think I misunderstand harvy’s question and I don’t know anything about Indian banks.</p>
<p>Once you come to US why do you need to use credit card issued by an Indian bank? I understand that temporarily you have to use something until you set up an account in a US bank. Is it difficult to transfer funds from Indian banks? Is there a limit on how much you can convert from Rs to $ ?</p>
<p>Ok guys, sorry for the absence, I went for this cycling trek from Murbad to Karjat and it was around 60km long… I cycled about 29km outta the 60km… I wanted to cycle more but I had muscle pulls in both legs and my ass felt like it was gang r a p e d. </p>
<p>So yeah.</p>
<p>Here I am… Rock you like a hurricane! :D</p>
<p>that means your ass must be like hella toned and more firm now. hahaha i’d tap that</p>
<p>Prateek: Go for the concert if you’re his fan… It’s worth it, I guess?</p>
<p>@Bubbles: I got a 2010 on my first attempt, I’ll be giving my 2nd and final attempt in october. (700CR, 690M, 620W)
Let’s see, I hope I’ll get 2200+ this time! I was a bit too nervous for my SATs that morning… So yeah 
PM me with your BB Pin!</p>
<p>A 500+ point increase isn’t THAT impossible. I started with getting a 1600 on my practice tests… One day before the SAT I was around 2180ish. I got a 2010… It just requires practice, skill and luck.</p>