Italia, sto arrivando...wooooo hoooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You all know that today was the big day...here is how I did it!

While in Italy in April I visited "corso di lingua Italiana per gli stranieri" and inquired about there Italian lessons. After pondering for a day I went back and asked if I could register for the lessons beginning in October. They photocopied my passport and asked I come back in a few days. Unfortunately, I was leaving the next day so I therefore could not pick it up. A week later my BF picked up the letter and mailed me the original copy. I used a email copy to bring to the consulate just "to see" if what was written in the letter was sufficient for a student visa. I was told sadly that they letter only stated "I presented myself to register" and not that "I paid and registered". The lady at the consulate asked that I call the school and ask them to issue me a new letter stating that I paid for the course. Totally starting freaking out at this point because since its a "corso di lingua Italiana per gli stranieri" I did not have to pay. So I then asked my BF to go to the school and ask that they issue me a new letter. The school flat out said they would not do that for the reason I did not pay for the course. I waited about a month before I returned with the original letter (nothing changed), my flight itinerary (not an official booked ticket), bank statement for 3 months, my passport and one passport size picture. I was really nervous because it was the same lady I dealt with a month earlier who had told me that letter had to be changed. Anyway, I took a deep breath, presented her with my documents. Once she started to examine the letter I said to her "I asked the school to issue me a new letter but they would not" she smiled and said "no problem". She continued to shuffle the papers and said she will issue the visa for the duration of the course (Oct-July) but could not issue the visa beyond that time. I was asked to come back on June 26 to pick up my visa but was later called and asked to come on July 9 (visa's cannot be issued more than 90days of the visa start date).
I went back today and was all smiles when the gentlemen placed the visa in my brand new passport.
So that's my story of how I got my student visa. I paid nothing and got a whole lot in return.

~Cheerios~