Wise Owl Gal,
You have gotten some good advice here. Housing is at a premium and arriving without having a place to stay will mean that you are rushed to find something quickly. Hotels are also expensive so you can run up a high bill while you are looking around. Please take the advice of Skull and fruit2o. You will have a much more pleasant experience if you do. Use the Housing Database and communicate by email with the Housing Office. Instead of looking frantically for an apartment when you arrive on island, you will be able to get a phone set up, open your bank account and get to see a little of the island with the other students who are arriving. (Once classes start, your opportunities to sightsee will be more limited!)

As for the number of students arriving for May 08, I think you can expect about 30 classmates. We have been getting a lot of interest lately so that number may rise, but it is a good estimate for now.

To Skull and fruit2o,
Thanks for the good information. You are spot on!