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Frequently Asked Questions What is ISO? International Students Orientation is known more affectionately by its past participants as ISO. As the name suggests, it is organized to help international students acclimate to a new environment, and often, a new country with a foreign culture. Past participants have enjoyed the intimate setting most. They get a chance to meet, interact and form strong bonds with about 60 other students, before the rest of the entire group of incoming students arrive on campus. Hmm ... International Students Orientation ... then what about New Students Orientation (NSO)? What do ISO participants do during New Students Orientation? ISO participants take part in NSO! It is very important (and a great wish of the ISO staff) that ISO participants are actively involved in NSO. ISO is not meant to replace NSO. As you can tell from my description above, ISO is an intimate affair - compare 60 students with 700 students and you understand what I'm talking about! This is the best time for you to make friends in a comfortable, pressure-free setting! Also, ISO does not duplicate NSO activities. While some sessions like bank sign-ups will be done at both ISO and NSO, that's only because most international students require more personal attention when signing up for bank accounts because of unfamiliarity with a new system. For the most parts, ISO and NSO are entirely different things, with ISO serving as a transition for international students to NSO. ISO participants are expected to participate actively in NSO as well. In fact, my humble advice is that you treat ISO as a warm-up to NSO! Making friends and getting to know Wesleyan with 60 other students is a good way to practise making friends and getting to know Wesleyan with 700 other students! What kinds of activities are planned? What can I look forward to? The program differs from year to year. However, the usual basic elements of ISO are logistical activities like setting up bank accounts, shopping trips (for you to set up your rooms), social hours (when you can just hang out and play board games, talk, get to know your new friends really well), meeting of faculty and staff (which is just that little bit easier when there are only 60 other students than when there are 700 others), an excellent Q&A with upperclass-students who are interested in your well-being (which usually ends with so much laughter … and enlightenment!), and many others. I’ve always advised incoming students not to see the activities as activities per se, because then you don’t get much out of it. Instead, see them as opportunities to get to know your fellow classmates, to spend time with them, to form the foundations of deep friendships. These are people you’ll see walking around campus in your next few years! If you come with an open mind and a willingness to meet others, ISO can become one of your fondest memories of your first year, if not your Wesleyan years! Where can I get a copy of the official schedule? Unfortunately, we do not reveal the exact details of the ISO schedule till Arrival Day. A description of activities that have been done in the past is given in the answer to the question above. There is no need to worry unduly though - treat this as a surprise! Whatever the schedule will be like, you can be sure that we have put a lot of thought and effort into it, and you will have a good time if you want to! Is there a separate ISO mailing from the New Student Orientation one? Are the June and July mailings from NSO the only ones that we should get? Nope, there is no separate ISO mailing. The June and July ones are the only mailings you should receive about orientation. ISO is not authorized to do any mailings on behalf of Wesleyan. We do, however, request that the NSO interns include ISO information in the mailings of ISO participants. So, do not be surprised if you get information about ISO in your mailings! If you are supposed to have received ISO information, but did not get them, you can always obtain them from this website. All information provided to students about ISO are on this website. Browse and enjoy! Do I have to pay for ISO? Nope, it is free! ISO is provided to you because Wesleyan is heavily invested in your well-being. The university wants to make sure that its international students are well-served and will be more than ready to actively take part in the New Students Orientation (which follows almost immediately after ISO) and in campus life. Who can attend ISO? If you’re an incoming undergraduate who meets one of these qualifications:
we want you here with us! Wow, ISO sounds really awesome. I want to participate! How do I sign up for it? All you have to do is complete the Arrival / ISO Registration form, and you’ll be on our list! What day do I have to arrive? Can I come earlier? Arrival Day for international students is Sunday August 28, 2011. Housing and/or meals are not provided if you arrive prior to this date. You will have to find your own housing and meals. I’m arriving at Bradley International Airport on Arrival Day for international students, how do I get to the Wesleyan campus? If you are arriving at Bradley International Airport on Arrival Day for international students before 7.30pm, and you are traveling alone with 2 check-in luggage, we will welcome you at the airport and even provide a courtesy airport shuttle to the Wesleyan campus! A shuttle service? That sounds good. How much do I have to pay for it? Nothing. It’s provided at no cost to you! You just have to
and you can rest assured that there will be a smiling face waiting to welcome you at the airport! I’m not arriving at Bradley
International Airport. Unfortunately, the Office of International Student Services does not have the resources to welcome you or pick you up at the airport. You can take a look at this page provided by Wesleyan University about Transportation. I or a family member/friend will be driving up to Wesleyan campus on Arrival Day for international students. How do I get to campus? You can take a look at this page provided by Wesleyan University about Directions. We have set up this page with directions to the ISO headquarters once you arrive on campus. There will also be signs placed in strategic spots to direct you. A common address that visitors use to input into online map services or GPS systems is the Admissions Office (70 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown, CT 06459). Will there be anybody on campus? Definitely! There will be volunteers at the ISO headquarters waiting for your arrival. They will welcome you and even help you move in to your room! (They are however, not responsible for your bags - while they will try to help, it shouldn't be taken for granted that they are supposed to do so.) Did I just read something about a room? Isn’t the room availability date for new students August 26, 2008? If I participate in ISO, will my room be open for me? If you participate in ISO, special arrangements will be made for your keys to be given to you on Arrival Day for international students. You will pick up your keys at the ISO headquarters. So don’t worry! You can stay in your room! What if I’m arriving earlier? Can I go into my room? No. Your room will only be ready on Arrival Day for international students. As such, your room will not be open prior to this date. My family is coming with me to Wesleyan. Where can they stay? We are delighted that your family is coming. There is an informational reception that is organized for them on August 29, 2011, from 7.30pm to 9pm at the Usdan University Center (Third Floor). Representatives from the various administration offices will be present to meet and greet your family. About a 5-10 minutes walk away, there is a hotel called Inn at Middletown. It is just down the road from campus, and offers a "Wesleyan parent" rate (not advertised on their website) of USD119 per room per night. More options in Connecticut are provided for your reference by Wesleyan University. The list is not a recommendation or an endorsement, but a courtesy information service. What do I have to pack with me to Wesleyan? Please read A List of Essentials to Bring. I have read that list, and will like to make an online order. What address should I specify as the receiving party in my order? Where will my package be? Will I get it when I arrive for ISO? You can use this address: [Your Name] Your package will be kept in my office before ISO, and given to you when you arrive at the ISO headquarters. I am unable to attend ISO, and will only arrive on campus for New Students Orientation. Can I still send my package to you? Unfortunately, my office does not have the space to keep your package beyond Arrival Day for international students. If you want to address your package to your own campus box, please contact Wes Station or the New Students Orientation interns to find out the date when Wes Station will have the ability to start storing packages for all new students. I'm a financial aid student / Freeman scholar and I need to arrange my plane tickets. Please complete this Sanditz Travel form, and Susan Schiavone from Sanditz will arrange your flights. I'm a financial aid student / Freeman scholar, and have arranged my flights through Sanditz. I have yet to receive my tickets / my tickets are missing. Can you send them to me? Sanditz is an external travel agency that Wesleyan works with on a frequent basis. However, Sanditz is not affliated to Wesleyan. Unfortunately, we are unable to send your tickets to you. Sanditz will handle all your travel questions, so feel free to contact Susan Schiavone. What papers do I have to produce at the immigration checkpoint? The following information was included in the packet of information mailed to you with your I-20. Upon arrival in the United States, you will also be required to show your I-20, your passport, and your F-1 student visa to the immigration officer at the port-of-entry, therefore do not pack these document in your suitcase or checked luggage because you will need to have access to them at all times. It is also possible that the immigration officer may decide to interview you upon arrival. Should this happen, remember that the burden of proof will be upon you to demonstrate your intent to return home upon completion of your studies. Most importantly, be aware that the immigration officer may ask you to show your letter of admittance to Wesleyan and proof that you can financially support your studies so be sure to have these documents available. Do not however show these letters and financial documents to the immigration officer unless you are specifically requested to do so. For answers to more immigration-related questions, please view the Immigration resource website or email Janice Watson at jwatson@wesleyan.edu. I want to transfer my high school credits (A-levels, AP and IB). How do I go about doing that? For all academic issues, please go to your class dean for advice. The class dean for the Class of 2012 is TBD. For the A-levels specifically, this is information that Dean Brown has provided: Yes, it is possible to get credit for
A-level work on a department-by-department
basis. You should bring with you official documentation of your
scores plus any
materials you have that describe the course/exam for which you
wish to receive
credit. Award of credit is at the discretion of the specific
department. By materials, I mean any descriptions of the courses that you took in preparation for your A-levels and any description you have of the A-level system in which you took the exams. For example, in the past, the Math and Physics departments wanted to review what a student had done and wanted to know something about the exams before they were willing to give Wes credit. Feel free to email Dean Brown if you have further questions. I am a little confused about the final transcript form. I sent my final transcript to Wesleyan when I applied. I am no longer studying in high school. Do I have to send it again? In the United States, school usually ends before summer (June). Therefore, most students have not completed their last year of high school when they applied, and need to send in a final transcript when school ends. As an international student, if you have already graduated from high school at time of application, and have already sent in your final transcript along with your application, you do not need to send it again. What should I do with the health forms and information that I receive from the Davison Health Center? Complete and submit the forms as per the Health Center’s instructions. Neither the Office of International Student Services nor the orientation office handles health forms or health issues. We do not provide any insurance whatsoever. The Davison Health Center is the only office on campus authorized by the university to provide health services. For further enquiries into health matters, please contact Martha Schukoske, Office Manager of the Davison Health Center. The deadline for the housing preferences has passed and I haven't submitted my housing preference yet. What should I do? You can send your housing preferences directly to Stacy Phelps at sphelps@wesleyan.edu or you can call the office of Residential Life at 860-685-3550 and tell your preferences over the phone. How do I apply for a visa? For all visa/immigration enquiries, please contact Janice Watson. You can also review the visa/immigration services website. I need documentation/letter from Wesleyan University that states that Wesleyan will cover my airplane tickets to and fro (for financial aid students), with an official stamp, to support my visa application. Please contact Sean Martin for the letter. I don't know how to fill out housing
application. Is it online or on hard copy? I haven't found either.
What is housing in Wesleyan like? Please refer to your summer mailings. Instructions for both housing and Wesleyan accounts are provided in them. You can view a description of the different types of housing in Wesleyan at the Office of Residential Life website. For answers to more housing questions,
please refer to the
Office of Residential Life website or email them at
reslife@wesleyan.edu. A host family program for international students has not been officially established in Wesleyan University yet. However, if you would like to be included if and when such a program is set up, please register your interest with Janice Watson, the Coordinator of Office of International Student Services. WesSibs is a Pangea-run program. Pangea is the international students club on campus. The WesSib Program is a mentoring program that matches new international students with international upperclass students. Your older WesSib effectively becomes an older brother/sister to guide you through different aspects of life in Wesleyan. Please contact a member of Pangea for more information.
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