I Have a Plan!

It is outside the box, but only by location. I intend to use my GI Bill for exactly what it is intended – to transition military experience to the corporate world through education. I have a lot of experience, but I need education. The GI Bill can provide it.

Step 0: Learn Portuguese

This path assumes you speak Portuguese. Click here for reasons why to learn Portuguese.

Step 1: Visit with a Plan on a Business (Tourist) Visa

Your US passport gives you 90 consecutive days in Brazil with up to 180 days in a year. This is plenty of time to arrange things.

Step 2: Find a school you want to attend.

My schooling plan. #1 is online to buy time while I arrange the other two:

1. Technical courses online to refresh my Electrical Engineering degree while I prep for and take the GMAT, and interview at the MBA program.
2. I would like to attend the OneMBA program at Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV), Escola de Administração de Empresas São Paulo (EAESP).
3. Portuguese courses, possibly study abroad through Ohio State with PUC São Paulo.

Step 3: Apply and be Accepted

The school will accept you and give you documentation of acceptance without having the rest done.

Tradução Juramentada

To have some documents accepted here, you have to have them translated into Portuguese and certified.

I recommend Ala Tradução Juramentada, Address is Av. Paulista, 2073 – conjunto 1818. Ed. Horsai 1 – Bela Vista, 01311-940. You access Horsai building office 1818 from inside the mall at the address number 2073. Translation costs about R$55 per 1,000 characters.

They are conveniently across the street from the “notary.”

Cartorio (Notary)

Rua Augusta, 1638 – Consolação, São Paulo – SP 01304-001

Step 4: Student Visa

This covers your residence permit because you are not residing, just staying longer than a tourist or businessman.

Step 5: Pay / GI Bill

I am using the GI Bill, so I have to get it approved by the VA.

GI Bill at foreign school information for students from the VA.

Foreign program application information from the VA.

Step 6: Find an Apartment

I recommend Airbnb to help look for apartments because most of the landlords on Airbnb prefer long-term if they can get it. At a minimum it can give you two weeks to conduct a search.

Other search sites common here:

Quinto Andar. It appears that Quinto Andar has more options than I can even look at, so I will be using it.

Co-Working Space

There are many co-working spaces in Brazil. They are very popular. Today I visited 4 of them. For online classes, I want a space outside my apartment.

Volt Coworking, 1100

On Offices, ~900

Lab 48 Coworking, ~800

Google, does not rent spaces.

Campus, Inc., Av. Paulista, 171 – 4º andar – Bela Vista, happy hour, Wi-Fi only no ethernet, 850

Coworking São Paulo, Alameda Santos, 415 – 10º andar – Paraíso – should have visited, high reviews.

Step 7: Attend School

You made it! Go to school!