Attending University in Reykjavik (Reykjavík)

Hey hey! My name's Alana (obviously! :-)) and my boyfriend Shaun and I are ecstatic to be moving to Reykjavik this August! We will both be attending university, he at Reykjavik University (Iceland School of Energy) and I at University of Iceland (Environment and Natural Resources). We have visited Iceland together twice before and immediately fell in love. Since the first 6-day visit we've been planning our path to live and study there and it's finally happening! The only parts of the process we're worried about are of course the technicalities, ie, visa, money, housing, etc. I was hoping some fellow US transplants would be able to shed some light.

The deadline for submitting a student visa application is July 1. However, the UTL website states that processing time can take 90 days. I mailed my application today, and we have one-way tickets for July 29th. How long did the process take for you? And if you fly into customs without an approved visa, will they really send you away?

Next question: how strict is the directorate on the financial support requirement? Is one required to have the full amount in a bank account or loan, or is a letter from my US employer certifying that I'll be working remotely for them and earning an acceptable living adequate?

I've been reading a bit about having a representative at the directorate to help facilitate the process. How does one go about finding a representative?

Thank you so much anyone that can offer any advice! I am terrified that something will go wrong and we won't be able to do this. I can't stay in Brooklyn for another year! :-)