We’re thrilled to welcome you to RBS and look forward to meeting you!
Accepting Your Admission
To accept your offer of admission, log in to your myRBS profile, navigate to your application, and click “Accept.” Once the system registers your acceptance it will display a “Pay Invoice” button and send an email with further instructions.
If, after you have accepted your seat, you are unable to attend, please update your application status using the “Withdraw” button. When declining or withdrawing, please promptly update your status so that RBS staff can admit the next person on the waitlist in a timely fashion.
How to Pay
The nonrefundable deposit is due two weeks after you are emailed an offer of admission to a course. The balance of your tuition is due thirty days before your course begins. The payment process will present you with options to pay electronically or by paper check; redeem scholarship or fellowship awards (in lieu of deposit and tuition payments); apply any tuition credits you may have; or generate an invoice to be sent to a third party (such as your institution) who intends to pay tuition on your behalf.
An electronic receipt will be emailed to you once your payment has been received and processed. If you need a more detailed receipt for accounting purposes, please contact our finance team.
Refund Policy
Your $250 deposit is non-refundable. The remaining part of your tuition is refundable so long as you let us know at least thirty days before the start date of the course.
How Best to Prepare
RBS participants are encouraged to come to class prepared and on time. Before leaving home, check the Information Guide and your online course description for specific instructions on what to bring. It is not always necessary to bring copies of your advance reading, so be sure to refer to the course information on the RBS website. Additionally, you may find it helpful to read previous course evaluations for information about what to expect.
All Rare Book School students must make a full-time commitment to any course they attend, including the online courses.
RBS sessions in Charlottesville begin on Sundays at 5:00 p.m. with student registration. Students will have their photos taken for the RBS bulletin board, and will receive the Student’s Vade Mecum and their name badge. This is followed by an opening reception and the Director’s Welcome at 6:00 p.m. If travel delays prevent your attendance, you must register on the second floor of Edgar Shannon Library (formerly Alderman Library) at 8:00 a.m. Monday. On the first day, RBS will announce classroom assignments and a member of the RBS staff will lead students to their classes. N.B.: Courses outside Charlottesville may have slightly different start times; consult the Information Guide for details.
At RBS, dress is informal for all events. All RBS classrooms and other spaces are well heated and/or air-conditioned; however, if you chill easily under refrigeration, bring a sweater.
Facsimile Packets
If you are in courses G-10 or G-20, part of your course preparation involves watching the Anatomy of a Book: Part I: Format in the Hand-Press Period video. You can watch the video on YouTube and purchase the workbook and facsimile sheets separately by emailing rbsprograms@virginia.edu.
Accommodations
Rare Book School sets up blocks of dorm rooms for many locations at a lower nightly rate than area hotels. For students in Charlottesville and select other cities, RBS also reserves a group of rooms at a nearby hotel at a discounted rate.
You should inquire about weekly rates at your hotel of choice—it may well be cheaper to spend seven nights rather than six—and be sure to ask about other discounts, e.g., the AAA rate (if you are a member) or the government rate (if you are employed by a federal agency).
Arrival & Registration
Students generally arrive on either the Saturday or Sunday before the start of class, in time for dormitory or hotel check-in before the 5:00 p.m. registration and welcome reception at RBS on Sunday evening. Classes begin on Monday morning.
Program Hours
Sunday Evening: Registration and welcome reception (in-person courses)
Monday through Friday: In-person courses are held from 8:30 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. (times may vary slightly for courses not held in Charlottesville). Rare Book School also hosts evening lectures in Charlottesville and select other locations during course weeks, and some courses may require additional evening hours (see course descriptions and evaluations for details). A closing reception takes place at the end of Friday afternoon.
Online courses are held synchronously and days and times are listed on each course description.
Departures
In-person courses typically end at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Students generally stay in residence through Saturday morning, partly to avoid the annoyances of Friday evening travel, but also to enjoy a final meal with friends, old and new.
Some RBS partner institutions may have site-specific departure schedules or provide shuttles to the airport. In such cases, details will be communicated to students enrolled in those courses.