HIGHLINE WELCOME TO

International Student Programs The International Student Programs (ISP) office is here to help you with any academic, immigration or personal issues you may face while a student at Highline. Our office is your first stop for getting your questions answered and your problems resolved!

International Student Programs Library, 5th Floor (25-506)

Email: int@highline.edu Phone: 1+ (206) 592-3725 http://international.highline.edu/

Fall 2015

Pre-Arrival Checklist

Before you arrive on the Highline campus:

□ Pay SEVIS I-901 fee

□ Apply for student visa

□ Arrange flight to SeaTac International Airport

□ Book housing and make pickup arrangements with the homestay agency or dormitories

□ Email flight information to welcometeam@highline.edu as soon as you book your flight

ISP Welcome Team The International Student Programs Welcome Team is a group of student volunteers that want to make your first weeks in the US happy and smooth! We want to be your friend!

We will contact you by email before you arrive, greet you at the airport, and plan Welcome Week events to prepare you for life at Highline and the U.S.

If you have any questions or you need help preparing for your U.S. adventure, please email welcometeam@highline.edu and we’ll be happy to assist you!

Questions? If you have further questions about admissions, immigration or academic advising please email your questions to int@highline.edu. We will connect you with an ISP advisor. You are not alone!

Arrival Checklist

After you arrive on campus:

□ Check in at ISP Office on September 14, 2015 at 10:00am

□ Take placement test(s)

□ Meet with ISP advisor to register for classes

□ Attend Smart Start Workshops

□ Pay tuition and fees at Cashier’s Office in Building 6

□ Buy books at Bookstore in Highline Student Union

□ Attend all classes on September 28, 2015! (Your teacher could give your seat to someone else if you do not attend the first day!)

International Student Programs Library, 5th Floor (25-506)

Email: int@highline.edu Phone: 1+ (206) 592-3725 http://international.highline.edu/

YOUR NEXT STEPS

Once you have your visa in hand, it’s time to make your flight arrangements! The nearest airport to Highline College is the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also known as Sea-Tac. You should plan to arrive 8-14 days before classes start in order to register and participate in Welcome Week activities. You are allowed to enter the U.S. up to 30 days prior to the quarter start date.

Please make sure you are going to Seattle, Washington, NOT Washington, D.C.!

The Form I-20 that you received from Highline can only be used to enter the US to study at Highline. If your study plans change, you must get an I-20 from the school you wish to attend, and then enter the U.S. using that school’s I-20.

If you have any urgent issues upon arrival, please call the ISP emergency phone at 1-253-642-7525.

Interview, SEVIS, Visa

The US State Department requires an interview for all F-1 (Student) visa applicants. This interview is held at the US Embassy or Consulate office by appointment, and there is a fee for the visa application. Each country may have different requirements for documentation to present at the interview, so please research this information for your country carefully. In general, these documents will include

• Your passport • Your Form I-20 • The SEVIS I-901 fee receipt (see below) • Financial information (bank statement) • Proof of ties to your country.

Please visit http://international.highline.edu/admissions/visaHelp.htm for more information about the visa process.

SEVIS Fee

Individuals who apply for an F-1 (Student) visa must also pay the US$ 200 SEVIS I-901 fee. The fee can be paid by credit card at the web site www.fmjfee.com before the visa interview. Do not use Highline’s address when paying the fee. Please print the payment receipt; you must have the receipt with you when you go to the interview.

Flight Arrangements

Visa Issuance Congratulations!

You can start making your flight and housing arrangements! Please contact a homestay agency or fill out a dormitory application to make reservations. You should also email welcometeam@highline.edu to confirm your arrival plans.

Visa Denial If you are denied a student visa, politely ask the consular official why the application was denied. Also ask when you may reapply for a visa. Then, contact your education agent or Highline College (int@highline.edu) for assistance in reapplying.

International Student Programs Library, 5th Floor (25-506)

Email: int@highline.edu Phone: 1+ (206) 592-3725 http://international.highline.edu/

Housing Arrangements

YOUR NEXT STEPS

International students have many options for housing around Highline College. Whether you prefer living with an American family, staying in a dormitory-style room, or living on your own in an apartment, there is a perfect match for your lifestyle! We recommend that new students start out in a homestay or short-term housing so they can get to know the area. Many students choose to live in apartments or shared houses after they arrive.

Homestay Living with an American family can be a great way to start your life in the USA! Students living in a homestay learn about American culture in their daily life and improve their English skills. Airport pick-up and meals may be included. There are two homestay agencies in the Highline area. Please choose one and apply directly to the agency of your choice.

• American Homestay Network: http://www.homestaynetwork.com/ • Intercultural Homestay: http://www.ihincusa.com/

Short-Term Housing Two local hotels offer short-term living options for Highline international students: Garden Suites and Crossland Studios. For detailed information, visit http://international.highline.edu/admissions/dormitory.htm. Choose one and apply directly to the housing option of your choice. Please visit http://international.highline.edu/admissions/housingOptions.htm for more information about housing around Highline. If you have any housing questions, e-mail us at housing@students.highline.edu.

Airport Greeting

The ISP Welcome Team wants to greet you at the airport! Give us your flight info and look for a sign with your name on it at BAGGAGE CLAIM 1. We will be there to welcome you and make sure you find your ride home (depending on which housing situation you’ve chosen). We also have a special first day survival kit!

Send us your flight info! Please send an email to welcometeam@highline.edu and include the following information in your message:

Name Airline Flight Number Arrival Date Arrival Time Housing Arrangement (host family, dormitory, relatives, etc.) Host family contact information (if available)

Make sure you arrange your airport pickup service with your homestay agency or short-term housing provider!

International Student Programs Library, 5th Floor (25-506)

Email: int@highline.edu Phone: 1+ (206) 592-3725 http://international.highline.edu/

YOUR NEXT STEPS

Report to ISP

Please arrive at the International Student Programs (ISP) office at 10:00am on September 14, 2015 and bring the following documents:

• Passport • I-20 • US Address

ISP Office Location: International Student Programs (ISP) Office Highline College Building 25, 5th Floor, Room 506 2400 S, 240th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198 Telephone: 206-592-3725 Email: int@highline.edu Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00am -5:00pm (closed on Fridays during the summer)

Take the Placement Test

*Only for students who are planning on taking Math courses or courses requiring a Reading/Writing Score. Highline offers three different computer-based placement tests to measure your skills in English and math.

• ESL/COMPASS (includes Listening, Grammar/Usage, and Reading sections) • COMPASS Reading • MyMathTest (includes arithmetic, algebra, and trigonometry)

Advisors use your placement test scores to help you register for classes. All international students must take either ESL/COMPASS or COMPASS Reading before their first quarter. MyMathTest can be taken at any time, but we recommend that math and science majors take it before their first quarter. For study materials, sample practice tests, and testing center hours, please visit http://placement.highline.edu. You must show your passport and application fee receipt to take the test. If you do not have a copy of the application fee receipt, you can get one from the International Student Programs Office. Exceptions from Taking Highline Placement Tests You may not be required to take placement tests at Highline if you meet any of the following criteria:

• If you have completed a U.S.-based college level writing or composition class, such as WRIT 101 or ENG 101, with a 2.0 grade point average (gpa), you are not required to take the COMPASS.

• If you have completed a college level math class in the U.S. or abroad, such as any class above 100 level, with a 2.0 equivalent gpa, you are not required to take MyMathTest. Please bring the course description of the course you have taken and your transcripts to determine your level.

• If you have taken the COMPASS test at another school and your score is less than 6 months old, you may submit that score for placement. Please note that Highline’s placements may be different than at other schools.

Register for Classes

After you take your placement tests, you will meet with an ISP advisor to register for classes.

International Student Programs Library, 5th Floor (25-506)

Email: int@highline.edu Phone: 1+ (206) 592-3725 http://international.highline.edu/

YOUR NEXT STEPS

Attend Smart Start Workshops

All new international students are required to attend all orientation sessions during Welcome Week! We will cover medical insurance, international student procedures, U.S. government regulations, campus life, housing and other important information. We’ll also give you lots of opportunities to explore the local area and make new friends.

Check-in: September 14, 2015 A detailed schedule for the week will be provided at check-in.

Please note: Students who do not attend all workshops will have to make them up next quarter!

Tuition is charged by the quarter. You can only pay for one quarter’s tuition at a time. Payment must be made after you register for classes, but before classes begin on September 28, 2015. Payment can be made at the Cashier’s office in Building 6 in the following ways:

• Credit card • Debit card • Cash • Traveler’s check • Preprinted personal check. The cashier’s office cannot accept temporary checks from a new checking

account that are not preprinted with name and address.

Pay Your Tuition

All international students must purchase medical insurance through the College. Please check our website at http://international.highline.edu/admissions/insurance.htm. The 2015-2016 rates per quarter are:

• Student: $366.00 • Spouse: $366.00 • Dependent child: $366.00

Get Medical Insurance

The insurance fee is charged automatically when international students register for classes. Students are covered from the first day of the quarter until the day before the next quarter. To get an insurance ID card and handbook, students must go to the ISP Office and show their tuition payment receipt. For detailed information on what is covered under this insurance plan, please see: www.fiig-insurance.com.

To qualify for a waiver, students must have UNLIMITED coverage from one of the following Japanese insurance companies: Tokio Marine Insurance or AIU Insurance. Any student with one of these plans must submit proof of insurance to the ISP Office during the first week of the quarter.

The ISP Welcome Team plans fun social activities for new international students. These events give you the opportunity to meet people and get comfortable before school starts, so take advantage!

International Student Programs Library, 5th Floor (25-506)

Email: int@highline.edu Phone: 1+ (206) 592-3725 http://international.highline.edu/

YOUR NEXT STEPS

Attend Social Events

See you soon!

Connect with Highline

ISP Welcome Team Mentor After you receive your I-20, you will get an email from your Welcome Team Mentor to help you as you prepare for your trip to Seattle. Take advantage of this opportunity to make a new friend! The more people you know, the more comfortable you will be here!

You are also welcome to email the Welcome Team yourself at welcometeam@highline.edu.

Don’t be shy – say HI!

Moving to a new country can be exciting…and stressful! Be aware that it might take some time to adjust. Be sure to get plenty of sleep and eat healthy food. Ask lots of questions, and get to know our staff and other students. Everyone experiences some stress, so feel free to talk about it!

Does it seem like a lot to do? Don’t worry! Take it one step at a time, and if you have any questions, just ask!

ISP: int@highline.edu Welcome Team: welcometeam@highline.edu

We look forward to meeting you!

Highline College International Student Programs