

Ask HN: I got invited to a US math summer program; I'm in India and need help - octatoan

(I posted this on &#x2F;r&#x2F;math too.)<p>Hey, HN.<p>I&#x27;m a junior &#x2F; 11th grade student in India. I just got an invite email from HCSSiM[1]. Now, barring the fact that it&#x27;ll be difficult for me to even pay the airfare (for myself alone, let alone taking a parent with me, I might think about Indiegogo or something), there&#x27;s a bigger problem staring me in the face: how do I get to the program location alone?<p>I have no relatives in the US, and I think it&#x27;ll be very difficult indeed for me to travel alone within the US (not to mention extremely unsafe and worrying to my parents). The program&#x27;s going to be held at Hampshire College, I think, and I don&#x27;t think any flight to the US will get me to Boston directly.<p>Oh, in case it&#x27;s not clear, I really, really want to go. They might (they have in the past) teach Galois theory, or knot theory, or projective geometry there, for heavens&#x27; sake.<p>What do I do? Any ideas, HN?<p>[1]: http:&#x2F;&#x2F;hcssim.org&#x2F;
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loumf
I live in Northampton, MA (< 10 miles from Hampshire College). Not sure of
your exact dates, but if in town, I can pick you at Hartford (BDL) or Boston
and take you to Hampshire. I'm sure they will have some kind of accommodations
for you (or can get them).

I have contact info on my HN page.

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octatoan
Wow, thanks. That's very kind of you.

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trcollinson
What an absolutely amazing program! I have never heard of it until your post,
and I have to thank you for pointing it out. I have to show my son!

Looking at the FAQ [1] it looks like they would really like to discuss both
your financial and travel arrangements with you. They seem quite open to
helping in all areas. I would reach out to them directly and maybe even
suggest a skype call with one of their faculty and your parents. Go for it!
This could be a life defining experience.

[1] [http://www.hcssim.org/faq.html](http://www.hcssim.org/faq.html)

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octatoan
Your son can still apply this year, I believe -- you might want to check. And
good luck to him!

> This could be a life defining experience.

I strongly suspect you're right. This is a huge bargaining chip for me in
convincing my parents to let me go. :)

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trcollinson
My friend, I would gladly explain to your parents that these areas are
actually exceptionally safe, even by US standards. I hope they will let you
go. This is in a more rural area of Massachusetts. I am sure your parents have
heard horror stories of incidents happening in the US lately, but Hampshire
College is not in an unsafe area. Good luck!

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octatoan
They're really more scared about me falling asleep in, say, London airport and
missing a flight. :/

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izolate
In many ways, the USA is a much safer place in which to solo-travel than India
is. Don't be fearful, see this opportunity as an adventure. Be confident and
brave! You'll learn so much from traveling alone.

I just hope you find a way to finance it.

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planetraintaxi
India to NYC (fly)

NYC to Northampton, MA (train) [http://www.amtrak.com/vermonter-
train](http://www.amtrak.com/vermonter-train)

Northampton to Hampshire College (taxi)

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lostinpoetics
if you're looking for public transportation options, this is probably the best
bet. getting from NYC airports to penn station (where the Vermonter leaves
from) depends on whether you fly into JFK/LGA or EWR (Newark, NJ). for JFK/LGA
it's easiest to just take a cab to penn station (it's a flat rate of around 50
dollars i think, but be careful because some cabs are known to try and sucker
people). if you fly into EWR you can just take the train from the airport
right to penn station (NJ Transit) for much less. just be sure to build in
extra time since google maps is notoriously optimistic with NYC transportation
(imo)

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HenryTheHorse
Travel arrangements are an easy problem to solve. Any international travel
agent in Mumbai/Delhi/Bangalore/Hyderabad etc will help you build a good
travel plan.

There are plenty of flight options from India to the East coast. Newark,
Boston and New York (JFK) are all major hubs and will easily connect you to
your college town.

I'll be more than happy to help you if you need any specific information.

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siscia
Maybe you could talk with somebody at the HCSSiM of your concern...

Maybe they can fix everything, or maybe they cannot do anything, most likely
they will be a lot more useful than us.

The best think that can happen is that they pay for your ticket and VISA and
provide you with somebody that will take care of you when you are in the
States...

Best of Luck...

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halleym
Amtrak runs to Northampton. If you flew to Boston - with or without a
connection from New York, Atlanta or another regional airline hub - you could
take the Amtrak train to get to the school. From the train station, there are
probably taxi cabs, or you could arrange with a local to pick you up.

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loumf
Amtrak from Boston to Northampton is not very direct (I bet NYC is faster). A
bus would be better from Boston. If you are changing planes, the closest
airport is BDL (Hartford, CT) -- Bus, Train, Taxi all possible from there
(Valley Transporter is probably the best option for convenience/cost)

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magic_beans
Why don't you contact someone at the program? It's their job to help you
figure this out.

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montyvan
Hi, There is a direct flight from Mumbai to EWR(Newark NJ). From there, you
can take a bus to Boston. Check with the HCSSiM if they fund students. Best of
luck for your efforts.

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loumf
Hampshire College is in MA, but not near Boston. Take the bus to Amherst, MA
(Peter Pan goes there -- there's even a MegaBus (cheap!) stop that is close
enough to local bus the rest of the way).

They would probably pick you up from either stop.

