Frequently Asked Questions

Topics:

Campus and Facilities
Programs and Fellowships
Preparation for your time at the School
What is it like to be a member in residence?
About living in Greece

WHERE IS THE SCHOOL LOCATED?

The School’s main campus can be found at the base of the southern slope of Mount Lykavitos in the Kolonaki district, one of the most fashionable areas in the center of Athens. The Evangelismos Metro Station is located approximately five minutes’ walking distance from the School. Need directions? 

WHAT FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE?

The Main Building on campus houses the Blegen Library computer lab, offices, workrooms, and the Director’s Residence. Below the main building are the Wiener Archaeological Laboratory and an underground parking garage. Across the street stand the Gennadius Library, two staff houses, and Loring Hall--the School's residence facility, offering living quarters for students and scholars as well as a dining hall open to all School members, resident and nonresident. The Agora excavation site and the Stoa of Attalos Museum and offices are located at the base of the Acropolis in the heart of Athens. The Corinth Excavations are about an hour’s drive away from the city and can also be reached by train.

HOW DO I GET TO THE SCHOOL?

HOW CAN I FUND MY STUDY AT THE SCHOOL?

Please see a listing of available Fellowships. If you would like to be part of the School’s formal academic year program, full fellowships are available. The School also provides scholarships for the various Summer Programs offered.

I AM A GRADUATE STUDENT, HOW DO I APPLY TO STUDY TO PERFORM RESEARCH AT THE SCHOOL?

We have fellowships available for study, or you may apply to study at the school without a fellowship. 

CAN I STUDY AT THE SCHOOL IF I DO NOT HOLD A FELLOWSHIP?

Yes. See the section about Membership for more information.

I AM AN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT, CAN I APPLY?

In general, the American School programs are for graduate students and post-graduates. The Summer Sessions and Summer Seminars accept applications from advanced undergraduate students.

I CANNOT SPEND A FULL ACADEMIC YEAR AT THE SCHOOL. WHAT OTHER OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO ME?

For students wishing to spend a summer, or part of a summer, at the School, various summer programs are offered:

Summer Session
Summer Seminars
Agora Excavation Summer Volunteers
Archaeological Conservation Summer Internships
Gennadius Library Medieval Greek Summer Session
Wiener Lab Field School on Site Formation, Stratigraphy, and Geoarchaeology

I AM VERY INTERESTED IN ARCHAEOLOGY AND WANT TO DIG IN GREECE. IS THERE A PROGRAM FOR ME?

See the Agora Excavations Volunteer program, the Excavation Supervisors at Ancient Corinth, and the Wiener Lab Field School on Site Formation, Stratigraphy, and Geoarchaeology

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO STUDY AT THE SCHOOL?

Each program has its own fees and expenses. If you would like to estimate membership fees, room and board, and other expenses, see School Fees and Expenses.

WHAT IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS WILL I NEED?

You should have your passport with you at all times as theoretically, at least, you could be asked to produce it by the authorities at some inopportune time.

WILL I NEED A VISA? WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE?

Any U.S. or Canadian citizen who plans to spend more than 90 days in Greece and/or any other member of the Schengen Area (Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and the Netherlands) within a six-month period must obtain a special visa BEFORE entry into the Schengen Area. This visa must be issued by a Greek consulate/embassy in a country where the applicant is a resident, and the application process can take at least a month. The School can provide assistance with this process.  Read more detailed information here about visas, residence permits, and insurance requirements. 

If you plan to drive in Greece, U.S. drivers must carry a valid U.S. license AND an international driver’s permit. The U.S. Department of State has authorized two organizations to issue international driving permits:  AAA and the American Automobile Touring Alliance.

WHAT SHOULD I PACK?

Above all, bring good, sturdy, broken-in walking shoes or boots, and hats. Long walks are the rule on School trips. You will need both warm and cold weather clothing, as well as rain gear. Bring layers of clothing so that you can bundle up if the weather turns cold. (Greece does get cold in the winter!) Bring your prescription medications, as it/they may be difficult to refill in Greece. Specific brands of medicines and toiletries (e.g. contact lens solutions, deodorants) may not be readily available, so Members should be prepared either to purchase alternative brands or bring an adequate supply of their own. You may want to bring your own specialized hair care products, especially if you have textured hair, as such products may be difficult to find. Previous members have recommended box braids or light braids during summer months while excavating, as previous participants have found twists difficult while excavating onsite. The Programs department can provide a recommendation for where to buy products for textured hair, and a possible salon (if necessary). 

You will not need formal dress wear, but there will be garden parties, lectures, receptions, and dinners where you may want to have attire that is dressy casual, or smart casual, or business casual. 

Pack the minimum you think you will need and then discard half of that.  Do not take more on any given excursion than you can carry easily yourself a quarter of a mile.

The School’s Blegen and Gennadius libraries are non-circulating, and you may wish to bring with you dictionaries and texts. Pocket translations of Pausanias, Herodotus, and Thucydides are extremely useful. Modern Greek grammars and dictionaries are available in Athens, but if you already have them, you should also bring them with you. A basic guidebook for Greece will also be useful. The Blue Guide is the most complete and informative.

The Saloni in Loring Hall has a piano and a few guitars, and those interested in playing it should bring their own music.

ARE THE OUTLETS AND VOLTAGE THE SAME AS IN MY HOME COUNTRY?

Greece uses power outlets and plugs of types C & F.  Power sockets in Greece should provide a voltage of 230V with a frequency of 50Hz. 

For comparison, the US uses power outlets and socks of types A and B. The standard voltage in the US, Canada, and some countries in South America is 100V-127V. US outlets typically provide voltage of 110V-120V (60Hz). 

Depending on where your electronics were bought, you may need an adaptor (to allow the plug to fit into the Greek outlets) and/or a converter (to change the voltage to match the voltage of your device).  Sometimes, when determining if a converter is necessary, you can check the voltage and Hz rating on the plug on the device. 

SHOULD I BRING MY COMPUTER?

Members generally bring their own laptops.  There is also a computer lab in the School which is available to Members at all times and is equipped with PCs, Macintoshes, printers, and scanners.  A limited number of general applications are available in the computer lab, including word processing, database, spreadsheet, and graphics programs (e.g., the Adobe suite), but Members should make sure their computers are equipped with whatever programs they are accustomed to using. 

Internet access from computers in the computer lab or from Members’ own computers is available.  Within the library, Members can connect to the internet both through wireless connections.  There is wireless internet access available in Loring Hall.

The Blegen Library makes available a number of internet resources, including L’Année Philologique, JSTOR, Dyabola, TLG, and WorldCat; additional CD-ROMs are available from terminals in the library. Consult the IT Department’s FAQ section for more.

I HAVE SO MUCH STUFF TO BRING. SHOULD I SHIP IT TO ATHENS?

Shipping items to yourself in Greece is not recommended unless necessary. If you are coming to the School for one year with more than you can bring on the flight, you are probably packing too much stuff. 

Sending personal belongings to Greece by means other than air is extremely difficult. Packages and freight sent by sea will take anywhere from 5-9 months. You should, therefore, bring as much with you as you can or send it by airfreight. Address shipments to yourself in care of the American School and make sure that the forwarding agent in America provides you with all the necessary documents (bill of lading, etc.) and the name and address of the receiving agent in Greece. The process is both cumbersome and extremely expensive. You will have to go, personally, to customs in order to retrieve your shipment.

Book parcels to Members of the School generally arrive without customs formalities (although V.A.T. is now being charged on all items, including books, whether sent in or purchased here), and books tend to be more expensive in Athens than abroad (except, of course, for books published in Greece).

None of this should discourage you from sending or receiving postcards, letters, and other small, light envelopes--such items can take an unpredictable amount of time in transit, but will eventually arrive.

HOW DO I GET FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE SCHOOL?

The School is located at Souidias 54 in Kolonaki. The main entrance at number 54, is at the corner of Souidias and Gennadiou streets. There, you will find a guard house, which is staffed 24 hours a day. Find directions with maps to the School here.

WHERE WILL I LIVE?

Participants in the academic year program, the Summer Session, and Summer Seminars are accommodated at the School’s residence facility, Loring Hall, when based in Athens. Depending on the time of year, space may be available for other members of the School. Loring is the focal point of social and intellectual life at the School and has 30 rooms, most of which are singles, all with private bathrooms. Loring Hall also has some accommodations suitable for couples. 

The School can offer only the most limited assistance locating housing outside Loring Hall. Those seeking an apartment in Athens can try online websites, such as Air B&B, Booking.com, Home Away, Holiday Lettings, and Flip Key, which members have found useful in the past. Please contact the Assistant Director directly if you have questions about neighborhoods for potential lodging.

(Note: the School provides this for informational assistance only and does not imply endorsement by its posting.)

WHERE WILL I EAT?

Meals are provided at reasonable cost in the Loring Hall dining room. Breakfast (7-9am), lunch (1-2pm), and dinner (8pm) are served five days a week, Monday through Friday. There are no meals during the weekend. No meals are served on Holidays and during the Winter Break. Please sign up for meals through ASCSA 365 portal. 

There are numerous restaurants in Kolonaki, where the School’s main building is located, and it is only a short walk to cheaper and more diverse dining in areas such as Exarcheia, Psiri, and Pangrati. 

WHAT IS THERE TO DO?

Athens is a vibrant city with plenty to do and see. The Hellenic Ministry of Culture contains details on opening times, staff, and contact information for sites and museums throughout the country, as well as links to various cultural activities.

For dining, nightlife, and events in Athens, consult Athinorama (in Greek), Mosaiko, Time Out Athens (in Greek).

(Note: the School provides this for informational assistance only and does not imply endorsement by its posting.)

HOW WILL I GET AROUND?

The Metro system runs almost to the door of the School (“Evangelismos” stop), allowing easy access to much of the city. The suburban rail system (“Proastiakos”) provides the easiest access to Corinth. There are many options for exploring the rest of Greece:

Athens Eleutherios Venizelos Airport
Ferry Schedules
Train Schedules
Intercity Bus Schedules

Be aware that transportation strikes can occur. Before traveling, consult the Livin'/Lovin' Greece website or the Greek Strikes website, both of which constantly updates the most up-to-date information regarding transport strikes.

In late 2017, a new electronic ticketing system was installed in all public transport in Athens, called the Athena Ticket. Now, electronic (paper and plastic) smartcards are used, akin to the Oystercard system of the city of London. More information on the new ticketing system can be found here in English and in Greek.

HOW WILL I VOTE FOR UPCOMING (US OR CANADIAN) ELECTIONS WHILE IN GREECE?

Shortly after arrival at the School, members will want to register for absentee ballots as reqests take a while (~30-45 days) to process with your local governments. 

For information about voting in US elections while aborad, click here. You can also reference the US Embassy and Consulate in Greece's website for specific information. 
For information about voting in Canadian elections while aborad, click here. 

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

For information not available here, remember that the School’s administrative staff is there to help and would welcome your questions. If you are unsure to whom you should direct your inquiry, please email application@ascsa.org.