From the moment that your plane lands until classes begin, follow these steps to the University of Delaware. For questions once you arrive in the U.S., please contact the Office for International Students & Scholars at (302) 831-2115 (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5 p.m. US EST) or oiss@udel.edu.
International Student Orientation (ISO) is MANDATORY for all incoming graduate and undergraduate students (including ELI CAP students). You must complete government check-in in order to be registered in SEVIS.
If your I-20 or DS-2019 start date is in February:
February 6 - Visit us at our Hospitality Room from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center to check your bags, get your UDID card and meet with volunteers who will help you get settled.
February 7 - ALL new international students attend International Student Orientation.
If you start date is at any other time - Check in at OISS at 26 E. Main Street immediately upon arrival.
Failure to check-in with all documents will result in automatic termination of your legal status.
Check-in at ISO is available ONLY for students whose I-20 or DS-2019 start date is in August or February. If you arrive at any other time (such as in the summer) or if you have missed the mandatory Fall or Spring check-in at orientation, you must report to OISS immediately upon arrival.
International Student Orientation (ISO) will be held on February 7, 2019 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the Spring Semester. The event will take place in UD’s Trabant University Center. We recommend that you arrive a couple of days prior to this date, and no later than the day before orientation. A hospitality space will be available for those arriving on Wednesday, February 6 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please check your UD email regularly for further details on pre-arrival and orientation.
Undergraduate Students
To apply for early Housing check-in, log into your My Housing portal and complete the Early Arrival Spring 2019 application beginning in January. Please be sure to check your UD email regularly in the days prior to your arrival for key information regarding your housing placement and how to check in upon your arrival to the University of Delaware. Those with questions are encouraged to contact reslife-housing@udel.edu or to call 1(302)831-4663 from 8 AM to 5 PM EST.
For information about MANDATORY undergraduate New Student Orientation on February 8, please visit https://sites.udel.edu/nso/orientation/. Undergraduate students may be required to take placement examinations or attend special meetings for new students. Questions about such requirements or about other details of your academic program should be addressed directly to your program office. The UD catalog is online at http://www.udcatalog.udel.edu/ where admission and degree requirements are explained.
Graduate Students
All new international graduate students are required to attend New Graduate Student Orientation. For more details, please
visit the Graduate & Professional Education website.
Carry (on your person not in your checked baggage!) your passport with the US visa stamp, your I-20/DS-2019 form, SEVIS fee receipt, and the supporting documentation you provided to obtain the visa when you travel to the US. You should have U.S. currency available for travel expenses and any emergencies that might occur.
What is Secondary Inspection? If the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at the port of entry cannot verify your information, or if you do not have all of the required documentation, a CBP officer may direct you to an interview area known as “secondary inspection.” Secondary inspection allows inspectors to conduct additional research in order to verify information without causing delays for other arriving passengers. The inspector will first attempt to verify your status by using SEVIS. In the event that the CBP officer needs to verify information with the University of Delaware, we strongly recommend that you have the OISS phone number: (302) 831-2115 in case they need to contact us for additional information. If you will arrive during non-business hours (evening, weekends, holidays), you may provide the officer with UD Public Safety phone number: (302) 831-2222.
Do not leave the immigration area at the port of entry until your documents are in order as follows:
You should have your Form I-94 stamped 'F-1' or 'J-1' and the letters 'D/S' (for 'Duration of Status') printed on it. Family members should have 'F-2' or 'J-2' and 'D/S' on their own I-94 forms. You will receive your I-20/DS-2019 back. If you have a question or if there is a problem, it is much easier to take care of it there before you leave the immigration area.
Most students coming to the University of Delaware arrive in the United States at JFK Airport in New York or Newark, New Jersey or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The most convenient way is via Philadelphia. If you are flying into New York, you should purchase an add-on ticket to Philadelphia from New York at the time you purchase your ticket to the US. It is more convenient and less expensive.
Once you arrive in Philadelphia, you can take the Delaware Express Shuttle to Newark, Delaware, but a reservation must be made at least 48 hours in advance. The reservation can be made on-line at www.delexpress.com or call 1-800-648-5466. The cost is around $50 plus a $7.00 tip. Please mention the University of Delaware discount to benefit of this rate. If making a reservation on-line, use code '129676' to get a discount. We encourage you, if at all possible, to make arrangements to arrive in Philadelphia. Do not take a taxi from New York to Newark, Delaware.
Those arriving in New York City can reach Newark, Delaware by bus. To travel by bus to Newark, Delaware after you arrive at Kennedy International Airport, take the Shuttle Bus to Eastside Terminal in Manhattan (around $15), and you will be transported to the Port Authority for free. Bus service from the Port Authority to Wilmington, Delaware leaves at frequent intervals (around $35). Once in the US, call 1-800-343-9999 for bus schedule information. Be sure to take the bus to Newark, Delaware (150 miles from New York City) rather than to Newark, New Jersey (across the Hudson River from Manhattan). The bus arrives at 2nd & French Street in Wilmington, Delaware across the street from the AMTRAK train station. There is DART bus service at the train station. The DART bus goes to Newark, Delaware several times a day (cost under $3).
Delaware Bus Route Schedules: http://dartfirststate.com/services/bus_services.shtml
ELI students visit the ELI website for more information.
Check-in at ISO is available ONLY for students whose I-20 or DS-2019 start date is in August or February. If you arrive at any other time (such as in the summer), you must report to OISS immediately upon arrival.
International Student Orientation will be held at the beginning of each semester. Dates for orientation are included in your welcome packet. We recommend that you arrive a couple of days prior to this date, and no later than the day before orientation.
If you are an undergraduate student, you must apply for early check-in. To apply for early Housing check-in, log into your My Housing portal and complete the Early Arrival application. Please be sure to check your UD email regularly in the days prior to your arrival for key information regarding your housing placement and how to check in upon your arrival to the University of Delaware. Those with questions are encouraged to contact reslife-housing@udel.edu or to call 1(302)831-4663 from 8 AM to 5 PM EST.
Government check-in is part of the required new student orientation at the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters. Please bring the following documents with you:
Additional documents: in addition to the documents listed above all students must read, sign and submit the following documents:
Students transfering to UD from another US institution will need to check-in with OISS at orientation in order to receive their new I-20/DS-2019 unless they require the new I-20/ DS-2019 to enter the U.S.
If you do not attend orientation and check-in with OISS, you will not be registered in SEVIS, and your I-20 or DS-2019 will no longer be valid
You may be asked to attend other orientation activities but this one is MANDATORY for international students. Undergraduate students may be required to take placement examinations or attend special meetings for new students. Questions about such requirements or about other details of your academic program should be addressed directly to your program office. The UD catalog is online at http://www.udcatalog. udel.edu/where admission and degree requirements are explained.
All new freshmen MUST live on campus. Please see your My Housing Portal for your specific residence hall with address. Check your UD email regularly in the days prior to your arrival at UD for detailed instructions on check-in from Residence Life & Housing.
After checking in at OISS, all undergraduate students must check in with your academic advisors. You should communicate with your advisor prior to arriving on campus in order to register for fall courses. You may also have the opportunity to meet with your advisor during New Student Orientation (NSO). He or she will review your degree requirements and help you select classes. Your academic advisor will serve as an excellent resource at UD and will work with you to ensure that your academic experience is successful by assisting you with the following: course selection, choice of major(s), choice of minor(s), maintaining progress toward graduation, interpreting university policies and referrals to university support services. It is a good idea, therefore, to meet with your advisor or faculty contact before the start of each semester. See contact information below for undergraduate student advisors in each college.
Agriculture & Natural Resources
Kim Yackoski, (302) 831-2508, Yackoski@udel.edu
Academic Programs & Student Services, 104 Townsend Hall
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Arts & Sciences
Cindi Shenkle, (302) 831-3020, cshenkle@udel.edu
Undergraduate Academic Services, 219 Mitchell Hall
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 1-4 p.m.
Business & Economics
Dr. Jennifer Gregan-Paxton, (302) 831-4628, greganj@udel.edu
Office of Undergraduate Advising & Academic Services, 102 Purnell Hall
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 2-4 p.m.
Earth, Ocean, & Environment
Frank Newton, (302) 831-2841, fanewt@udel.edu
Office of Student Services, 111 Robinson Hall
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Education & Human Development
Kristine Ritz-Coll, (302) 831-2301, kritz@udel.edu
Office of Student Support Services, 120 Willard Hall
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Engineering
Chuck Shermeyer, (302) 831-8659, fcsherm@udel.edu
Office of Undergraduate Affairs, 141 Dupont Hall
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 1-4 p.m.
Health Sciences
Sue Clark, (302) 831-8371, sclark@udel.edu
Office of Student Services, 343-A McDowell Hall
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
University Studies
Courtney McGinnis, (302) 831-4555, cmym@udel.edu
Advisement Services, 148-150 S. College Avenue
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1-3:30 p.m.
Please bring sufficient items of personal use as you might not be able to visit the stores here soon after your arrival. Do not bring items that are easily available in the US (Utensils, Food, school supplies ect.).
You must stop by Payroll and Records Management to complete an I-9 and Foreign National Forms. The office is located on the second floor of 413 Academy St. Room 250. You also need to complete the on-boarding process. For more information please visit the On-boarding page: http://www.udel.edu/onboarding/
After checking in at OISS, you must check in with your department. Your advisor will serve as an excellent resource at UD and will work with you to ensure that your experience is successful by assisting you with the following: maintaining progress toward program completion, interpreting university policies and referrals to university support services.
Before you enroll a child in school, you need to know which school your child will be attending. This depends on where you are living in the school district. If you need to know where a child should be enrolled, please visit the Christina School District site .
Note: Child must be five on or before August 31 for entry into Kindergarten.
When you know where to enroll your child, go directly to the school. They will require the following:
Please visit the Christina School District site for the Forms & Information needed for registration.
If your child needs to enroll in an ESL (English as a Second Language) class, you may complete an application at the school office. If an ESL program is not available at your child's school, your child will be transported to a school that offers the program. Questions regarding the ESL, ELL and Bilingual programs should be addressed to Student Services at 302-552-2647.
For more information about University residence halls, undergraduate and graduate students can contact Residence Life & Housing via email at reslife-housing@udel.edu or call 302-831-4663. Students are also welcome to visit the office at 310 Haines Street, Newark, Delaware 19716. If you are exempt from living on-campus, you can rent rooms or apartments off-campus. Rooms are normally furnished, with or without kitchen facilities, and the cost is between $350/600 per month. Apartments are unfurnished and the cost is $600 or more per month for one bedroom. Freshmen students are required to live in University residence halls.
There are several places that list off-campus housing options at UD:
English Language Institute Students
The ELI provides housing for all students who need it. Some housing choices include kitchens, but students can also buy meal plans and eat in University dining halls or food courts. For more information reagrding housing and dinning plans for ELI students, please visit the ELI website WARNING: Do not sign a lease until you arrive and see the room or apartment.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the University of Delaware is committed to providing equal access for students, employees and visitors with a disability. The Office of Disabilities Support Services (DSS) provides reasonable accommodations and ensures equal access to University programs and services. The DSS office works with individuals who have physical, medical, psychological disabilities, as well as, learning disabilities and ADHD. Anyone requesting an accommodation from the University based on a disability should contact the DSS office directly. It is the individual's responsibility to inform the DSS office of the disability and need for accommodation. The DSS staff works in conjunction with other University departments to assist individuals with disabilities. Eligibility for reasonable accommodations is determined on a case-by-case basis utilizing established documentation guidelines. Please contact a DSS professional by phone (302) 831-4643, by TTY/TDD (302) 831-4563, by fax (302) 831-3261, by email, DSSoffice@udel.edu, or visit the website at www.udel.edu/DSS. The office is located at 240 Academy Street, Alison Hall, Suite 119, Newark, DE 19716. Students with temporary disabling conditions should contact the DSS office to discuss accommodations. University visitors with a disability are asked to contact the sponsoring department in advance to ensure appropriate arrangements can be made. Students with special housing requests based on Dietary, Medical, or Physical needs must submit their requests in writing. For complete details on housing requests involving special needs, please refer to www.udel.edu/has/needs.html, or contact Residence Life and Housing at (302) 831-3676.
If you have any special needs for accommodation in terms of physical access, or you have a learning disability, or other circumstance or issue that requires our special attention, please let us know. For further information please contact an OISS staff member or the Office of Disability Support Services at UD: http://www.udel.edu/DSS/
The Office for International Students and Scholars will assist in providing a host family who will provide housing for two or three days upon your arrival. Students must request this service prior to arrival at UD.
Undergraduate students can check-in early by contacting Housing Assignment Services (http://www.udel.edu/has/movein/moveinday.html).
The INNternationale House at 153 Courtney Street, Newark, Delaware 19711 is very close to campus and provides both temporary and long-term housing. For more information and online registration you can visit: www.TheInnternationale.orgThe INNternational House is not a subsidiary of the University of Delaware, and its inclusion in this publication does not represent an endorsement by the University.
Freshmen students are required to live in University residence halls. For more information about University residence hall, please contact Residence Life & Housing via email at reslife-housing@udel.edu or call 302-831-4663. If you are exempt from living on-campus, you can rent rooms or apartments off-campus. Rooms are normally furnished, with or without kitchen facilities, and the cost is between $350/600 per month. Apartments are unfurnished and the cost is $600 or more per month for one bedroom.
There are several places that list apartments for rent:
WARNING: Do not sign a lease until you arrive and see the room or apartment.
Once you have found a suitable apartment, you’ll be asked to sign a lease, a legal agreement committing you to live in a place for a certain period of time at a certain price per month. You may also be asked to pay a security deposit which is often equal to one month’s rent. Here are a few things to remember:
WARNING: Do not sign a lease until you arrive and see the room or apartment.
During New Student Orientation you will take a walking tour of campus. Get to know campus on foot and become familiar with our campus bus schedules. Note the location of your classes on a campus map and walk to each location before the first class of the semester. Some students use bicycles, scooters, and skateboards to make their way from their residence halls to classes to dining halls, and more. You can purchase these on Main Street or check our UD’s online classified section at www.udel.edu/classifieds
If you are uncertain of where your classes are located or how the bus system works, ask your residence hall advisors or stop by the University Visitors Center, at 210 South College Avenue, for a campus map with directions. Become familiar with all of your options so that you are comfortable getting where you need to be on time.
UD Bus Route Schedules (Free): (www.udel.edu/transportation/ud_route/ )
Before you enroll a child in school, you need to know which school your child will be attending. This depends on where you are living in the school district. If you need to know where a child should be enrolled, please visit the Christina School District site .
Note: Child must be five on or before August 31 for entry into Kindergarten.
When you know where to enroll your child, go directly to the school. They will require the following:
Please visit the Christina School District site for the Forms & Information needed for registration.
If your child needs to enroll in an ESL (English as a Second Language) class, you may complete an application at the school office. If an ESL program is not available at your child's school, your child will be transported to a school that offers the program. Questions regarding the ESL, ELL and Bilingual programs should be addressed to Student Services at 302-552-2647.
Students in the U.S. tend to dress quite informally, Jeans, T-shirts, shorts, and sweatshirts are all very acceptable to wear around the campus and in class. The weather in Delaware requires both summer and winter clothing. Students have found it useful and enjoyable to bring the national dress to wear on special occasions. In addition to the shops locates in Main St. , there are several places to shop in Newark although some are in driving distance: Christiana Mall (10/15 min drive), Concord Mall (20/30 min drive), Tanger Outlet Center (Lancaster, PA; Rehoboth, DE; both within 1hrs/1.5hrs drive).
Many shops, restaurants, and banks are located close to the University of Delaware campus. Ethnic grocery stores are also nearby including Wang's Oriental Food Store, apna Bazaar, and Zahara International Food Market. Newark Natural Food carries organic produce, herbs, grains, and groceries. A Farmer's market where fresh fruits and vegetables can be purchased is a 10-minute drive from campus, and there are large grocery stores (Acme, Pathmark, Shop-Rite) in the Newark area.
You can also shop with greater ease online. The University of Delaware hosts its own classified site at www.udel.edu/ where you can buy furniture, books, services, and more. Additional web sites include: www.amazon.com, www.half.ebay.com, www.newegg.com, www.overstock.com, and www.craiglist.com
PNC is the University Of Delaware’s on-campus banking partner. A PNC service center is located right on campus, in the Trabant University Center, to help service all of your banking needs. Visit us at New Student Orientation, where we can help answer any banking questions you may have.
Visit www.pnc.com/ud for more information on all the services and support PNC offers to UD students and staff. To locate an ATM use the ATM Locator.
Trabant University Center
17 W. Main Street, Newark, DE 19716
302-733-7241
