**UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN**
300 Boston Post Road
West Haven, CT 06516, USA
New International Graduate Student Pre-Arrival Guide
The entire UNH community is looking forward to your arrival on August 29, 2013. You must
make proper travel arrangements to ensure your arrival at the University at 8:30 a.m. to attend
the International Graduate Students Orientation & Registration (IGOR) program. IGOR
will be held at the University’s Beckerman Recreation Center.
1. Apply for a Student Visa and Confirm your Attendance at UNH
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• Pay the $200 SEVIS Fee Prior to your US Student Visa Interview.
• Apply for an F1 Student Visa at the U.S. Embassy in Your
Country.
• AFTER you Obtain your F-1 Student Visa, Send us an Email to
Reserve your Academic Seat and to Confirm your Attendance at
UNH. Confirmation deadline is July 15th 2013.
2. How to get to UNH When You First Arrive in the USA
pages 2,3
• Take a Shuttle Bus from New York Airports to UNH.
• Driving Directions to UNH.
• Take the Bus or Train to UNH.
3. Apartments and Hotels near UNH
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• Apartments near UNH.
• Hotels near UNH.
4. Steps To Take When You First Arrive on the UNH Campus
page4
• Visit the International Services Office (ISO) if you need assistance
upon your arrival.
• Present Your Final, Official Bachelor’s Degree Transcripts and
Proof of Graduation to the Office of Int’l Graduate Admissions.
5. Steps To Register and Pay for Classes
pages 4
• Attend all the IGOR Orientation and Advisement sessions; they
are Mandatory for ALL New International Students!
• Meet your Academic Advisor to Select your Academic Courses.
• Remember to Bring your Acceptance Letter 1+2 when you Meet
with your Academic Advisor.
• Register your Courses Online Using the Matrix System.
• Pay your First Trimester Charges of $8585 on August 29th.
• Submit your Health Examination Report on the first day of IGOR.
It’s MANDATORY for all New Students!
• Obtain Your UNH Student Identification Card.
6. Helpful Information
page 4
• What to Bring Along.
• Important Contacts.
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1. Apply for a Student Visa and Confirm your Attendance at UNH
•
Students outside the U.S.A.: When you receive your I-20 from UNH in the mail, contact the
nearest U.S. Embassy in your home country to make an appointment for an F-1 Visa interview
right away. Do NOT make an appointment until you receive your I-20. We are NOT
responsible if you miss your visa interview date because you made an appointment before receiving
your I-20 Form.
•
Pay the $200 SEVIS Fee online www.fmjfee.com before you go to the U.S. Embassy.
•
Read the “Preparing for your Visa Interview” article found on
http://www.newhaven.edu/admissions/internationaladmissions/11502/
Visa Tip: Be prepared to answer the following questions in English during your
visa interview:
Why did you choose to study at UNH?
Why did you choose to study this major at UNH?
How do your future plans, after graduation, include returning to your
country?
If your visa gets denied, don’t give up, try gain. Many of our international
students manage to obtain their student visas after the second or third interview.
•
F-1 International students inside the U.S.A. who wish to transfer to UNH should
follow the transfer instructions sent to them along with their acceptance letter.
•
Once you obtain your student visa and you are sure you want to attend UNH, you must send
an e-mail confirmation to gradinternational@newhaven.edu with the following
statement written in the subject line, “Enrollment Confirmation for (your last name, first
name, and UNH ID number)” .
•
Include the following information in the body of the e-mail: your last name, first name and UNH
ID number, your country of citizenship, your academic major at UNH, the date you got your visa
stamp, the name of the University noted on your visa and your expected arrival date to the U.S.
For example:
Subject line: Enrollment Confirmation for SMITH, John; UNH ID # 112222.
Body of the email: Last name: Smith, First name: John, UNH ID #11222, country of
citizenship: China, Academic major at UNH: Computer Science. I got my F-1 visa stamp on June
30th. The name of the university noted on my F-1 visa stamp is, “University of New Haven”. I will
be arriving to UNH on August 29th at 8:30 in the morning.
2. How to get to UNH When You First Arrive in the USA
•
BY AIR: When you arrive at LaGuardia or JFK, go to the Ground Transportation Center and
request the Go Airport Shuttle of Connecticut to West Haven. The Shuttle (available only from
LaGuardia or JFK Airports) goes directly to UNH and costs about $75. For more information,
visit www.2theairport.com or call (866-294-3247 or 203-891-1290). We advise international
students to choose JFK as their arrival airport as this is the most convenient airport for
international arrivals. DO NOT TAKE A TAXI FROM ANY NEW YORK OR
NEW JERSEY AIRPORT! It’s too expensive, costing several hundred dollars!
•
BY CAR: From New York and Points W est Traveling North on I-95: Take Exit 43,
Campbell Avenue. Turn left at bottom of exit ramp. Continue past University of New Haven sign
on left at Ruden Street (0.6 miles) to intersection with Route 1 (Boston Post Road). Turn left,
travel to top of hill, turn left into the University of New Haven.
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From Hartford, Boston, Providence, New London, and Points North and East
Traveling South on I-95: Take Exit 43, First Avenue. Turn right at bottom of exit ramp,
travel 0.5 miles to second traffic light, Route 122 (Campbell Avenue). Turn right and continue past
intersection with Ruden Street (note University of New Haven sign at left) to intersection with
Route 1 (Boston Post Road). Travel to top of hill, turn left into the University of New Haven.
•
BY BUS OR TRAIN: Amtrak trains, Metro North trains and Peter Pan buses all make
regular stops at the New Haven railroad and bus station (Union Station), which is located in
Downtown New Haven From there you can take a quick five-minute taxi ride to campus. Metro
Taxi New Haven Telephone number is (203) 777-7777.
3. Apartments and Hotels near UNH
Finding an Apartment: The University of New Haven does NOT provide on-campus
housing for graduate students. However, a number of landlords and realtors will be available on campus on
the first day of IGOR to help new students find an apartment. The average monthly rent for an
apartment ranges from $750 to $1000 per month. Expect to pay more than $ 1000 for a 2bedroom apartment. For more information, please review our newsletter at
www.newhaven.edu/438699.pdf.
The Office of Residential Life (ORL) also maintains listings of off-campus accommodations including
apartments, houses and private rooms in the immediate area for those who are interested. You M UST
utilize the following 5 steps to look for an apartment BEFORE you leave your country.
• 1) Contact Fred A. Messore, a real estate agent from Colonial Properties. Fred would be happy to
help you in your search for an apartment. Contact him at fred@colprop.com or view his page at
http://newhaven.edu/student-life/CampusLife_StudentAffairs/residential_life/232529/
• 2) You can also directly contact two local apartment complexes: Wintergreen of Westville and
Hadley, Inc. You can reach Wintergreen at (203) 389-7593. The contact information for Hadley,
Inc. is (203) 777-4599 or via email at hdlyinc@aol.com.
• 3) If you are looking for a luxury apartment, please contact Ms. Donna Della Camera from
Soundview Luxury Apartments at ddellacamera@paredim.com or call 203-577-5437. Luxury
apartments are more expensive to rent ranging from $1400 to $1650 per month. For more
information, please go to www.soundview-apts.com
• 4) Search our Jump Off apartment database on www.newhaven.edu/offcampushousing and click
on Student/Tenant. To access the database, please email Ms. Meghan Rydzik, Assistant Director
of Residential Life at mrydzik@newhaven.edu for assistance.
• 5) Please contact ORL by email at reslife@newhaven.edu or contact Ms. Meghan Rydzik at
mrydzik@newhaven.edu or call (203) 932-7076 if you have any housing questions.
Area Hotels : All new international students who have not yet made proper living arrangements for
off-campus housing, or accommodation with friends or relatives, should plan to go directly to a hotel upon
their arrival to the U.S. We recommend that you stay at one of the following hotels until you secure your
own place or find an apartment or a roommate to live with.
* Hampton Inn & Suites: 510 Saw Mill Road, West Haven, CT, 06516. TEL: 1-203-932-0404. Cost:
$99 plus tax per night including breakfast and high speed internet. Use corporate ID # 002657544 when
booking online www.hamptoninn.com to get the UNH discounted rate.
*La Quinta Hotel: 400 Sargent Drive, New Haven, CT 06511. Tel: 203-562-1111. Cost: $95 plus tax per
night including free breakfast, free WIFI and a free shuttle to the University. www.lq.com
* Best W estern Hotel: 490 Sawmill Road West Haven, CT 06516, Tel: 203-933-0344. Cost per night:
$89 plus tax. www.bestwestern.com/
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* Courtyard by M arriott: 136 Marsh Hill Road, Orange, CT, 203-799-2200, www.marriott.com/hvnco
4. Steps To Take When You First Arrive On the UNH Campus
*Visit the International Services Office (ISO) located in Echlin Hall, 2nd Floor Room 200 if you have any
questions upon your arrival to the University. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m.
*Bring Your Final, Official Bachelor’s Degree Transcripts and Proof of Graduation to the Office of Int’l
Graduate Admissions in Echlin Hall, 2nd Floor Room 219. You will not be allowed to register for classes
without your final official transcripts and proof of graduation.
5. Steps to Register and Pay for Classes
* Step 1: Attend the International Graduate Students Orientation and Registration (IGOR) program on
8/29 at 8:30 in the morning. IGOR will be held in the Recreation Center. IGOR is M ANDATORY!
*Step 2: Meet with your academic advisors for proper class selection. Remember to bring your acceptance
letter 1+2 when you meet your advisor.
*Step 3: All new students must pay their first trimester charges of 8585 in full on the first day of IGOR.
The first term charges cover the first trimester tuition for 9 credits (3 courses), fees, and
health insurance ONLY. International students who have received partial scholarships must pay the
remaining costs that are not covered by their scholarships on the first day of IGOR. NO payment plans
are available for new international students. Payments can be made by cash, bank draft, money
order, travelers’ checks or credit card at the time of registration. Wire transfers are also accepted. Please
note that our Master programs usually take 2 academic years to complete and the Ph.D. program in
Criminal Justice takes 4 academic years to complete. Please refer to your I-20 form for the total cost of
UNH’s tuition, fees, estimated off-campus housing costs, and other costs for one academic year (3
trimesters)* Step 4: You will be given your registration login information which will enable you to register for your
classes online using the Matrix system and obtain your class schedule.
*Step 5: Go to Health Services to submit your Health Examination Report. You and your doctor
must complete this report in your home country. Your Health Report was mailed to you along
with your I-20 form. Do NOT send us this report prior to your arrival, instead, complete it with your
doctor in your home country and bring it with you. Failure to submit this report will delay your
class registration and will prevent you from attending your classes on time.
*Step 6: Go to the Campus Card Office located at the Campus Bookstore to obtain your UNH ID
Card. Once you’ve completed all the above steps, you will be able to start your UNH classes.
6. Helpful Information
W hat to Bring Along:
- Phone numbers and addresses of friends and relatives in the U.S.A.
- Some traditional outfits from your country, for the International Festival at UNH.
- Toiletries such as soap, shampoo, shaving cream etc. (Be clean and smell fresh!!!)
- Spring coats and warm heavy clothes. It’s cold here in the Winter and Spring time.
Important Contacts to use when you arrive in the USA, if necessary:
-
International Graduate Admissions Office: E-mail: gradinternational@newhaven.edu
Karima Jackson, Director of International Services Office (ISO)
Tel: 203-932-7475, E-mail: iso@newhaven.edu
Campus Police Office (Open 24 hours/ 7 Days a week), Tel: 203-932-7014
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Remember to print out this Orientation Newsletter and bring it with you when
you travel.
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