Admissions

Undergraduate International Student Pre-Arrival Information

Advisement & Registration

Students should contact Karin Robbins to let her know when they plan to arrive. Individual appointments will be arranged for class registration.

Orientation and Welcome Week Events 2008
Thursday, August 28 - Monday, September 1, 2008

Thursday, August 28, 2008
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 pm
Room 268 Kirby Student Center (Multicultural Center, 2nd floor)

Friday, August 29 - Monday, September 1, 2008
Throughout the long weekend, you will be doing a number of great activities and participating in events to help you get to know people and find your way around UMD and Duluth. You will meet many students and staff and get familiar with the services and resources that will help you to make your time at UMD successful!

Fall Semester Classes begin September 2nd, 2008.

Location
The University of Minnesota Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota on the shore of Lake Superior, the world’s largest freshwater lake.

Climate
Duluth has 4 distinct seasons during the year: spring, summer, fall, and winter. During these seasons, the weather can vary dramatically. Summers tend to be warm and humid with the temperature averaging 17 degrees Celsius. The winters in Minnesota tend to be long and cold stretching from November to March. During that time temperatures average about –7 degrees Celsius. Fall and spring are transition seasons in which the weather is very unpredictable. It is usually cool in the mornings and evenings, but warmer during the day.

Airline and Arrival Information

Duluth International Airport is serviced by Northwest Airlines. The airport is located only a few miles from the UMD campus. If you would like to be met at the airport, it is necessary that you notify the International Student Adviser’s Office of your arrival time well in advance, so we can make arrangements to meet your flight and arrange temporary housing if needed.

Tuition and Fees
You will be responsible for supplying the amount of money indicated on your financial certification form and on your I-20 form. If you do not believe you can pay the costs indicated on your financial certification statement, you should request postponement of your enrollment until you have the adequate funding.

You can verify or change your billing, current, and home addresses via the web when you arrive. Login to
http://www.d.umn.edu/Register/ and select View/Change Personal Information.

See Karin Robbins if you have any questions about financial aid.

The UMD Office of Financial Aid and Registrar administers financial aid programs for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

For further information, please visit:
http://www.d.umn.edu/admissions/istudents/costs.html

Money and Banking
Make sure you bring funds with you to cover immediate costs of purchasing warm winter clothing, health insurance, rental deposit, at least two months’ room and board cost; if living off campus, and your first semester’s tuition. You may want to bring money to cover ALL your living and educational expenses for the first semester. We suggest that you bring $6,000 to $8,000 in the form of traveler’s checks or certified checks. We recommend you do not carry money in your luggage, keep it on your person at all times. Also be sure you arrange for the balance of funds that you need for the year to be sent to you before the next semester begins.

You will be able to set up an account with a local bank once you arrive. There is one bank (TCF Bank) located right on campus and several others within walking distance. It is also possible to have money transferred electronically to TCF Bank from other countries once you have set up an account. The University does not accept wire transfers for tuition payment.

Immigration Regulations

There are a number of immigration issues and documents to be aware of while preparing for your stay. You should already have your I-20 form, which you will need in order to apply for the student visa. Please read the instructions on page 2 of the I-20 form.

F-1 Student Visa
Contact your local U.S. consulate or embassy to ask about how to get an F-1 international student visa. A list of Consulates and Embassies can be found at http://usembassy.state.gov/.

After you receive the I-20 form, follow the U.S. Embassy/Consulate’s instructions to schedule an interview for your F-1 student visa. It is important to apply for your student visa as far in advance as possible. Many consulates recommend that appointments be made no more than 90 days from the intended date of travel, but some can make earlier arrangements for interviews.

Take the following items to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate:

• Your valid passport.
• The I-20 document and admission letter sent to you by the University of Minnesota Duluth.
• Proof of financial support for one year.
• SEVIS FEE receipt (instructions below).

Students with a SEVIS I-20 issued on or after September 1, 2004 must pay a SEVIS I-901 Fee to the Department of Homeland Security.

SEVIS FEE Instructions:

Go to https://www.fmjfee.com/index.jhtml

• Be sure to write your name exactly how it appears on your I-20 form.
• The form requires the "School Code" which is on your I-20.
• The form requires the SEVIS Identification Number on the I-20. This # is in the upper right hand corner of the I-20 and begins with an N and has 10 digits.
• The Credit Card Form has a place for Cardholder address. You do not need to fill this in. It is not a required field. The space is too small for most international addresses.

PRINT AT LEAST 2 COPIES OF THE RECEIPT!!!!

Bring the receipt with you to your visa interview.

Do not enter the United States with an I-20 from a school other than the one you will attend. Entry using another school’s I-20 will result in problems with your legal status.

On the airplane, you will be given an I-94 Arrival and Departure card, which you should keep in your passport. Immigration officials will inspect your visa documents at the U.S. airport. They will keep the first page of your I-20 and give you pages 3 and 4. Remember to carry all your visa documents on your person, not in your luggage.

Employment
Many international students work part time on campus. Employment information can be accessed via the student employment web site. This web site contains information on current open positions and UMD’s Freshman Job Fair. Refer to the student employment websites at: employment.umn.edu and www.d.umn.edu/food/ol_app/appform.php

International students are not eligible for work study, a state and federal financial aid program. International students can apply for miscellaneous (non-work study) jobs on campus. Miscellaneous employment is an additional form of on-campus employment.

Students can work a maximum of 20 hours a week when school is in session. Full-time employment (40 hours a week) is allowed during breaks and summer. International students cannot work off campus without special permission from the United States Citizenship & Immigration Service.

Students who are employed on campus must apply for a Social Security card. The application form is available in the International Student Adviser’s office, 237 Kirby Student Center.

Things To Bring
Bring something warm to wear, especially if you are arriving from a warmer climate. Duluth can be very cold during the winter and rainy during spring and fall. It is always a good idea to bring a raincoat, umbrella, warm pair of shoes, warm hat and gloves, casual wear (jeans, shirts, sweatpants etc.) waterproof clothing, and your native costume in case you want to wear it at the Feast of Nations.

Also, bring pictures of your friend and family as well as some music from your country in case you get homesick. If you are on prescription medication, make sure you have enough of a supply or that you can find similar medication here in Duluth.

You will need to bring your own bedding and sheets. Make sure you talk to Karin Robbins before you arrive in order to make appropriate arrangements.

Insurance

University of Minnesota policy REQUIRES all international students, scholars, and their dependents to have health insurance while in the United States. Health care in the United States is complicated and very expensive – one illness can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and financially devastate you and your family.

Effective September 2005, the University of Minnesota mandated that all international students and their dependents be enrolled in the University-sponsored Student Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) unless they are covered by

• A United States-based employer-sponsored health plan or;
• Graduate Assistant Plan (GA Plan) provided by the University of Minnesota.

For further information, please visit: http://www.bhs.umn.edu/insurance/international.htm

International Student Adviser

Karin Robbins
237 Kirby Student Center
Phone: 218-726-8962
E-mail: krobbin1@d.umn.edu