While the beginning of autumn quarter may seem a bit early to be thinking about taxes, now is the time to be applying for a US taxpayer ID! You’ll need a US taxpayer ID to submit both federal and state tax returns in April and get appropriately paid wage-income by the university.  There are two types of US taxpayer IDs: the Social Security Number (SSN) and Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) and each have different eligibility requirements. 

There are other benefits to get a US taxpayer ID as soon as possible. If you are eligible for a tax treaty (may exempt some forms of income from tax withholding) a US taxpayer ID needs to be assigned to you before treaty benefits can be taken.  

Social Security Number / SSN 

An SSN is necessary for on-campus wage positions, such as PhD Primary Funding Assignments, supplemental teaching positions, or other hourly on-campus jobs. You will need to have either a current position or offer of employment to apply, and you are eligible to apply for an SSN if you’re within 30 days of employment beginning. 

How to apply for an SSN: follow the steps outlined by the Office of International Affairs at https://internationalaffairs.uchicago.edu/ssn#howdoiapply. To apply for an SSN at a Social Security Administration Office, you will need to bring the following documents with you:  

1. Completed SSN Application Form 

1. Valid Passport 

1. F-1 or J-1 Visa sticker 

1. Printout of current I-94 electronic record 

1. Valid Form I-20 or DS-2019 

1. Proof of employment (from the unit you are working in) and work authorization (from OIA) 

Please keep in mind that it is very important to apply for an SSN as soon as you are eligible – an SSN is necessary to report W-2 income when filing taxes and you cannot apply for an SSN if you are not physically in the US.  

Individual Tax Identification Number / ITIN  

But what if you don’t have an on-campus role or offer of employment? Well, this means that, at the moment, you are not eligible to apply for an SSN. Instead, you will apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number or “ITIN”. This is the main option for students receiving all financial support from the university through supplemental / fellowship stipend. To apply for an ITIN, you will need to prepare the following documentation:  

1. Completed Form W-7 : You must fill this out exactly as the instructions below explain (see samples to the upper-right). This must be an original and cannot be a copy. 

1. W-8BEN 

1. Certified copy of passport biographic page 

1. Copy of your student visa sticker (F or J) 

1. Copy of your most recent I-94 Arrival Record 

1. Copy of your I-20 or DS-2019 

1. A letter from your department / program stating you are receiving taxable income from the University). Does not need to be original – this can be a copy or email printout. 
2. Letter from OIA verifying visa status and SSN ineligibility. To request an ITIN support letter, email: international-affairs@uchicago.edu 

Still have questions about US taxpayer IDs? Please reach out to the Graduate Administrative Services team at gradhelp@uchicago.edu – we’re happy to help! 

Day 1: Consulting 101

This session will consist of a brief overview of the consulting industry and where graduate students and postdocs fit in. You will also hear an interview with a PhD alumnus of UChicago and McKinsey
Sign up for Day 1.

Day 2: Resumes and Cover Letters

This day will consist of hands-on workshopping of resume drafts, led by Pam Schilling from Archer Career. IMPORTANT: Before this session, we highly recommend watching a recording of Pam’s workshop on resumes and cover letters: VIDEO HERE. Also, please see the attached suggested resume template. For this session, we encourage you to work on a draft of your resume and/or cover letter before you arrive. Come to UChicagoGRAD with your draft, where we will do a quick demo of a resume review before breaking into small groups to work on drafts with your peers, facilitated by Pam and UChicagoGRAD career development staff. Sign up for Day 2. 

Day 3: Communicating like a Consultant

This day is an in-person, hands-on interview, and networking workshop. For this session, we will learn best practices for communicating like a strategy consultant, followed by hands-on activities to practice and refine your answers to common interview and networking questions in small groups, facilitated by UChicagoGRAD career development staff. Sign up for Day 3.

Day 4: Job Search for International Trainees + Case Interviews

The earlier virtual session will provide international trainees with insights into the consulting job search process and allow students and postdocs to ask questions to current consultants about their job search. Sign up for Day 4- Job Search for International Trainees.

The case interview is a unique component of the interview process at many consulting firms. The content of this session will include a summary of the case interview process, an overview of preparation strategy, and live demonstration of cases. Sign up for Day 4- Case Interview.

Day 5: Meet the Firms

This session will feature representatives from several different types of consulting firms that hire advanced degree talent. Hear a series of presentations from each firm about the types of “cases” that they work on. The presentations will be followed by a panel Q&A. Next, consulting firms will be separated into individual rooms, lunch will be served, and you will have the option to meet in small groups with consultants of your choice for two 30-minute sessions. Sign up for Day 5.

Your 2023 Federal and Illinois State taxes are due by Monday, April 15! If you have tax-related questions and need assistance, please be sure to email them to gradhelp@uchicago.edu by Wednesday, April 10. Because of the high volume of tax questions we always receive right before the filing deadline, we cannot guarantee we’ll be able to answer questions sent after April 10. But anything sent to us by end-of-day Wednesday, April 10 will be answered by end-of-day Friday April 12.

Not sure where to start with preparing your tax returns? If you haven’t already, please look at our updated tax information sessions where the Graduate Administrative Services team go over filing taxes as a domestic student / resident for tax purposes, as an international student / nonresident for tax purposes, and as a postdoctoral scholar/fellow. We have an FAQ where we answer some of the more common questions we receive, and a newly created tab which walks you through filing a state tax return in Illinois using the IL-1040.

After accessing our resources, please send any questions you might have to gradhelp@uchicago.edu. Please keep in mind our deadline for tax questions this year is end-of-day Wednesday, April 10. Questions received after this deadline will still get answered, but we can’t guarantee it will be before the tax filing deadline. Tax-related questions will be our team’s priority until April 15, so we apologize for delayed responses on email not related to tax filing.

Are you an international student filing tax for the first time in the US? Are you a resident for tax purposes and don’t know where to start preparing your taxes? Unsure where you fall in terms of tax residency? UChicagoGRAD’s Administrative Services team has resources to help guide you through this process!

Nonresidents for tax purposes can use Sprintax tax software to prepare and file their federal returns. Access is provided via a code from the Office of International Affairs once 1042-S forms have been issued by the university, allowing nonresidents to file their federal taxes through Sprintax at no cost. The Office of International Affairs has also partnered with Sprintax to host a live tax webinar for nonresident filers:

Sprintax Nonresident Tax Session – University of Chicago
Monday, March 18, 12:00 p.m.

Please register here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

But what about any residents for tax purposes who cannot use Sprintax? In addition to the information session we’ve recorded for students, the IRS offers resources to help streamline the filing process. The IRS website provides comprehensive guides for students, covering topics such as education credits, deductions, and other tax benefits. And the Free File program allows eligible taxpayers to file their federal tax returns for free on a user-friendly interface. Residents for tax purposes can also utilize free prep services such as the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to assist with basic tax return preparation and guidance with the filing process. And the IRS Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA) is a tool that provides answers to a wide range of tax-related questions.

And if you have more questions, or are just unsure where to start, please email gradhelp@uchicago.edu and we’ll point you in the right direction!

Grad school tests you as a writer: over the course of your program, you could write seminar papers, conference presentations, book reviews, academic articles, dissertation chapters—maybe even newspaper articles, op-eds, or blog posts for a wider audience.

UChicagoGRAD can help! Our graduate writing consultants offer one-on-one advising sessions to help you work through these writing challenges. Book an appointment on GRAD Gargoyle by selecting a “Written Communication” option on the dropdown list of advising topics.

Good writers have close readers, and a strong piece of writing often emerges from many cycles of drafts, conversations, and feedback from trusted interlocutors. In an advising session, you can expect holistic feedback on your writing through discussions about structure, argument, clarity, and impact. You will leave the appointment with a better understanding of your project and clear steps for a stronger second draft.

We also offer sessions for writers who use English as an additional language (sometimes called ESL or EAL speakers). Our ESL/EAL graduate writing consultants have been trained to give advice on a wide spectrum of concerns, including how to navigate interference from one’s dominant language and how to navigate the norms of academic writing in English. If you’re looking for ways to improve your writing style in English, you can find these appointments by selecting “Written Communication: English Language Tutoring” from the list of available advising topics.

Are you looking for ways to fund a summer language class? Does your graduate coursework engage deeply with the countries and languages of East Asia and the Middle East? The Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship offers funding to support modern foreign language training with international or area studies. This year, UChicago students can apply to study languages spoken in East Asia (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) or the Middle East (Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Persian, Turkish, Uzbek). The UChicago deadline for FLAS is Wednesday, February 28, 2024.

In general, FLAS offers funding for the intermediate or advanced study of a language to U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents.  Eligible recipients can receive tuition for a summer course or academic-year study (or, potentially, both).

While the languages listed above are pre-approved for FLAS, you can also apply to learn less-commonly studied languages from these two funded areas, East Asia and the Middle East. If your target language falls into this category (or if you want to make a case for elementary-level coursework), you are required to contact the appropriate Area Studies Center at least a week before the application is due.

You can learn more about this opportunity (and how to apply) here.

(Want to study languages spoken in other parts of the world? Don’t worry! We recommend that you meet with a fellowships advisor to discuss how you can fund your language studies.)

The fourth and final 2023 Quarterly Estimated Tax payment is due on Tuesday January 16, 2024. Whether this is your first time paying estimated taxes—or you missed making payments in 2023—you may have questions. GRAD Help’s 2023 Estimated Tax Information Session webinar covers what estimated taxes are and how to calculate an estimated tax obligation. Watch at your convenience and reach out to gradhelp@uchicago.edu with any questions.

But what are estimated taxes, and when do you have an estimated tax obligation?

Estimated quarterly taxes may be made for any income that is considered taxable and reportable but not subject to tax withholding. For example, students do not need to pay estimate taxes income from a teaching role at UChicago because federal and state taxes are already withheld. However, the University does not withhold federal taxes from some fellowship stipends and cannot withhold any state taxes. That means individual students are responsible for making calculations using tax forms such as the 1040-ES (federal) and IL-1040-ES (state) and determining if they have a potential estimated tax obligation.

Payment dates are spread through the year so that there’s not one lump-sum bill due on Tax Day. The dates set by the IRS for 2024 income are:

Payment Period (Expected Income Not Subject to Tax Withholding)	2023 Due Dates	2024 Due Dates
January 1 – March 31	April 18 2023	April 15 2024
April 1 – May 31	June 15 2023	June 17 2024
June 1 – August 31	September 15 2023	September 16 2024
September 1 – December 31	January 16 2024	January 15 2025

Lastly, while the deadline to file your state and federal returns for 2023 is not until April 15, it’s never too early to takes steps toward successful tax preparation. Please visit GRADHelp’s Tax FAQ to get started!

CAREER EXPLORATION

Master’s Career Exploration Series
Thursdays, January 11, 18, and 25, 3:30–5:00 p.m. CT, GRAD HQ (3rd Floor, Bookstore Building)

Calling all master’s students in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Divinity. Join us for a three-week series that will help you demystify the career exploration process. In this workshop, you’ll reflect on your skills and strengths and consider how they can help shape your career trajectory. You will also identify areas for professional growth and learn how to cultivate a network of support through informational interviews.

Social Science Research Careers beyond the Tenure Track
Thursday, January 18, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. CT, Online Via Zoom

Social Science Research Careers beyond the Tenure Track showcases how UChicago social scientists can apply their research skills in careers in industry and nonprofits. The event features short presentations by alumni working in leading research organizations, including NORC, RAND, and Mathematica. It also provides opportunities for students and postdocs to receive tailored career advice via one-on-one chats with presenters. Attendees will leave with a better sense of the differences between applied and academic research careers as well as an understanding of how to break into these fields. This event is open to PhD students and postdocs in the social sciences and adjacent disciplines.

 

CAREER FAIRS

Mx Research Career Fair
Thursday, January 25, 3:00-7:00 p.m. CT, Online Via Zoom

Are you a UChicago master’s student interested in pursuing an engineering or scientific research career? Attend the inaugural Mx Research Career Fair, a new opportunity to engage with employers. The Mx Research Career Fair will feature short employer presentations as well as opportunities to connect with recruiters in one-on-one and group settings. Participating employers include Charles River Associates, NanoPattern Technologies, Quantinuum, and more.

Data Science and Analytics Career Fair
Thursday, February 22, 3:00-7:00 p.m. CT, Gleacher Center

Interested in pursuing a career in the data science industry? The 2024 Data Science and Analytics Career Fair will connect you with employers who are looking for students with analytical and computational skills. Employers are specifically interested in the advanced training that STEM students and postdocs receive at UChicago. This is a chance to connect one-on-one with representatives to learn how their organizations value the unique skills that you have, and to develop relationships with hiring managers. Registration for the fair will open on Tuesday, January 16.

 

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Advance Internship Program: Info Session
Thursday, January 11, 12:30–1:30 p.m. CT, GRAD HQ (3rd Floor, Bookstore Building)

Master’s and PhD students are invited to learn how they can receive funding ($6000) for self-designed internships through UChicagoGRAD’s Advance Internship Program. The program is open to domestic and international students. Internships may take place anywhere in the world. Currently, Master’s students in professional schools, including Chicago Booth, the Crown School of Social Work, Policy and Practice, Harris School of Public Policy, The Law School, and the Pritzker School of Medicine, are ineligible to apply.

 

Research Speaks at the Field Museum: Info Session
Tuesday, January 23, 12:30-1:00 p.m. CT, GRAD HQ (3rd Floor, Bookstore Building)

Join this info session to learn how you can share your research at UChicagoGRAD’s first-ever Research Speaks event at the Field Museum of Chicago. Held on Friday, April 5, 2024, Research Speaks will give graduate student and postdoc presenters from across the disciplines an opportunity to explain their work to the public and fellow graduate students via ten-minute gallery talks. Participants will use an object from the museum’s collections as inspiration for their presentations. Those selected to participate will receive training from UChicagoGRAD, a $50 honorarium, and an invitation to a lunch reception at the Field. This event is part of UChicagoGRAD’s Research Speaks series, which highlights the innovative work done by graduate students and postdocs across the university. Email Nathan J. Hardy with questions.