Undergraduate International Student Orientation
Fall 2008
International Student Orientation (ISO) for Undergraduates is a mandatory program for all incoming international students in F-1 or J-1 student status, including freshman, transfer, and exchange students. ISO is designed to help you learn about and understand important immigration/visa regulations and procedures required of F-1 and J-1 students, register arrival of new F-1 and J-1 students for immigration purposes, and to assist new students in adjusting to Penn. US Citizens and Permanent Residents who are coming from abroad and those in other US nonimmigrant statuses are also welcome to participate in the other ISO activities.
Fall 2008 Undergraduate ISO begins on Wednesday, August 27, at 9:00 AM. Plan to arrive at Penn by Tuesday, August 26.
Schedule
Please note that this schedule is subject to change.
Check-In and Immigration Session
Mandatory for F-1 and J-1 students
10:00 AM & 2:00 PM International
House, 3701 Chestnut Street, South American Room (second floor)
Monday, August 25 - Friday, August 29
All incoming F-1 and J-1 students must attend a Check-in and Immigration Session upon arrival in the US. These two-hour sessions are offered from Monday, August 25 – Friday August 29 at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. If you will arrive prior to or after these dates, please check our web site for alternate sessions. If you will attend Summer Session, you must attend an earlier session.
You must bring the following:
-
Completed Student Registration Form (fillable PDF)
-
Original immigration documents:
- Passport
- Visa (stamp)
- I-94 card (white departure card that you will obtain upon arrival in the US)
- I-20 (for F-1 students) or DS-2019 (for J-1 students)
-
Photocopies:
- Passport page(s): biographical data, photo, and expiration/extension date
- Visa (stamp)
- I-94 card: Front and back
- I-20 or DS-2019: issued by Penn & with US entry stamp
- I-20 or DS-2019 from previous program, if applicable
Tuesday, August 26
Small Group Dinner Outings
6:00 PM Meet on the
terrace outside ISSS/International Programs, located at International
House, 3701 Chestnut St., Suite 1W
Cost: Expect to pay $15 - $25 for dinner, including tax
and tip
Registration for this event is required.
Please visit http://www.oip.upenn.edu/service/iso to
register.
If you arrive early, get a taste of Philly by dining at a local restaurant with other new international students and ISO Volunteers and Leaders. Please register online for this event. Please note: The additional Check-in and Immigration session scheduled for 4:00 PM has been cancelled. Please arrange to attend another session.
Wednesday, August 27
Information Session: Staying Healthy in the US
9:00 AMMeyerson Hall, 210 S. 34 th Street, Room B-1
An introduction to the resources of the Student Health Service (SHS) and the Student Health Insurance Program will be provided by Dr. Evelyn Wiener, Director of SHS. Parents are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be available outside Room B-1 beginning at 8:30 AM.
Information Session: US Culture and Cultural Adjustment
10:30 AM Meyerson Hall, 210 S. 34 th Street, Room B-1
This session addresses some of the challenges that international students encounter as they adjust to life at college, as well as life in the US. We will offer tips and strategies to manage those difficult and stressful situations. A representative from Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Dr. Rodolfo Altamirano, Director of ISSS, will help lead this session. Refreshments will be available outside Room B-1 during the break between sessions.
International Parent Museum Tour and Luncheon
11:00 AM - 1:30 PM Penn
Museum of Archeology and Anthropology
For Parents and families only (IOA volunteers will walk
parents to the museum following the health talk; Students
will participate in the Lunch Chats)
Penn’s Parents Program invites new international families to take a tour of Penn’s 120 year old museum that boasts more than 350 expeditions to all the inhabited continents of the world. Following the tour families are invited to a buffet lunch at noon in the Upper Egyptian Gallery to hear from a guest speaker about the undergraduate experience of Penn students. This event requires advance reservation. To make your reservation for both the museum tour and buffet lunch please do so online by Friday, August 22, 2008 at http://www.pennparents.org/international/.
Lunch Chats: Discussion on US Cultural Values
12:00 (Noon) - 1:30 PM Remain
in Meyerson
Hall, 210 S. 34 th Street, Room B-1, after the Information
Session: US Culture and Cultural Adjustment for dismissal in small
groups for this event.
Cost: Expect to pay $6 - $12 for lunch
The Lunch Chats will introduce students to meal options around campus, including the numerous “lunch trucks” and food courts. During lunch, ISO volunteers will lead a discussion to address issues that were raised related to US culture and adjustment to the Penn community.
Provost's Welcome Reception for Students and Parents
5:00 - 6:00 PM Annenberg
Center, 3680 Walnut Street, Lobby
Cost: Free, but registration is required for this
event.
Please visit http://www.oip.upenn.edu/service/iso to
register.
We invite you and your family to celebrate the beginning of your Penn experience with other new students, faculty, and staff. Enjoy refreshments and receive greetings from Provost Ronald J. Daniels and Dr. Rodolfo Altamirano, Director of International Student and Scholar Services. Please register online for this event.
Baseball Game: The Phillies vs. the NY Mets!
6:05 - 11:00 PM 37th
and Walnut; between Annenberg Center and the Graduate School of
Education
Cost: $15
Join spirited baseball fans at the Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia to cheer for the Phillies (Philadelphia's own team, and the 2007 NL East Division Champions) as they play the New York Mets. Tickets are hard to get, so buy early, and enjoy America's favorite pastime!
Workshops
Academic Plus (A+), A Workshop Series for International Students
These workshops are for international students who are new to US higher education and are sponsored by Weingarten Learning Resources Center (WLRC).
All workshops to be held at WLRC, 3702 Spruce Street, Stouffer Commons, Suite 300. Except: "Navigating Academic Resources…" and "Time Management…" which will be held at Weigle Information Commons Seminar Room (Room 124), Van Pelt Library.Getting to Know the US Classroom
Thursday, September 4, 6:30 - 7:30 PM
Wednesday, September 10, 6:30 - 7:30 PM
Sign Up: http://www.mysignup.com/usclassroom
Navigating Academic Resources at Penn
Thursday, September 11, 6:30 - 7:30 PM
Wednesday, September 17, 6:30 - 7:30 PM
Time Management for International Students
Thursday, September 18, 6:30 - 7:30 PM
Wednesday, September 24, 6:30 - 7:30 PM
Academic Listening and Note-Taking
Monday, September 8, 6:30 - 8:00 PM
Tuesday, September 9, 6:30 - 8:00 PM
Academic Speaking and Presentation
Monday, September 15, 6:30 - 8:00 PM
Tuesday, September 16, 6:30 - 8:00 PM
Academic Reading and Critical Thinking
Monday, September 22, 6:30 - 8:00 PM
Tuesday, September 23, 6:30 - 8:00 PM
Academic Writing and Research Skills
Monday, September 29, 6:30 - 8:00 PM
Tuesday, September 30, 6:30 - 8:00 PM