Congratulations and welcome! We are glad you are joining the Penn State community. Your New Student Orientation for International Students experience will consist of three steps that will be completed in this order:
Step 1: Virtual Orientation Introduction
Step 2: Academic Advising and Course Scheduling
Step 3: International Student Welcome Days
Please note: Step 1 and Step 2 will both take place virtually; Step 3 will take place in-person upon arrival to your campus of admission. New Student Orientation for International Students is required for all new undergraduate students. You will not be able to schedule your first-semester courses without completing Step 1 and Step 2. Orientation must be completed before the first day of your semester of admission.
Your New Student Orientation for International Students Experience
Step 1: Virtual Orientation Introduction
You will attend one, 3 hour-long Virtual Orientation Introduction session. To register for a session, you will use your NSO Tasklist. You must attend the entire Virtual Orientation Introduction in order to move on to Step 2.
You will have the opportunity to hear from many people who will support you in your transition to Penn State, including current students and staff from your campus/college of enrollment. During this step, you will learn about:
- Penn State’s values and Code of Conduct
- The requirements of New Student Orientation for International Students
- The Penn State student experience from Orientation Leaders
- Your campus- or college-specific resources and information
After successfully completing Step 1, you will gain access to your Course Planning Guide in your NSO Tasklist. Also through your NSO Tasklist, you will schedule a virtual orientation advising appointment with an academic adviser at your Penn State campus. These advising appointments will be virtual and scheduled for a day and time that both you and the academic adviser are available. The advising appointment may not take place on the same day as the Virtual Orientation Introduction session in Step 1. Please make note of any time zone differences when scheduling your academic advising appointment. During the advising appointment, you will be able to share your goals with the adviser and work together to develop your first-semester schedule.
Step 3: International Student Welcome DaysStep 3 will take place in-person upon your arrival to campus. The International Student Welcome Days will include a mandatory immigration check-in as well as programming about information you need to know to have a successful first semester at Penn State. More details about this step will be provided via email, so please continue to check your Penn State email regularly.
Planning Your Arrival to Campus
Details about Arrival at all Penn State residential campuses can be found here. Be sure to select your campus of admission to ensure you have correct information; move-in dates vary between campuses. We encourage you to not make any travel plans -- including purchasing flights or securing hotel reservations -- until you have secured the necessary documentation to enter the United States.
Resources for International Students
Below are some resources you may find helpful in your transition to Penn State.
- Penn State Global: Penn State Global offers a variety of resources and support services for members of the Penn State community who are engaged globally.
- The Office of Bursar: The Office of the Bursar is responsible for maintaining student account pertaining to tuition billing, acceptance fees, charges, payments, posting of financial aid, and refunds of excess funds, when available. The Office of the Bursar has prepared information specific to new international students. Learn more by visiting this webpage: https://bursar.prod.fbweb.psu.edu/international-students.
- Housing: Some Penn State campuses have on-campus housing options available for students. First-year students are encouraged to live on campus, and those attending Behrend or University Park are required to live on campus as a condition of the offer of admission.
- Dining: Penn State Campus Dining offers a variety of well-balanced choices at each of our dining locations across the commonwealth.
- Academic Advising: Academic advising promotes intellectual discovery, encourages students to take advantage of both in- and out-of-class educational opportunities, and helps students identify and achieve their goals. In addition, advising supports students’ successful navigation of the University’s academic opportunities, policies, systems, and procedures. Working with advisers, students assume responsibility for their education and become lifelong, self-directed learners and decision makers.
For more information and resources, please visit global.psu.edu/international-students.
