When to Arrive at Illinois State University

For Fall 2008: Students should arrive on August 8, 9, or 10 so that they can attend all of Orientation Week which begins on Monday, August 11.

For questions, please contact International Advisors Betsy Drillon or Stephanie Gonzalez at 309-438-5276.

Step 2: Things to Do before Coming to Illinois State

1) Tell International Studies How And When You Will Arrive

Please be specific about your flight and arrival dates and times, flight numbers, and whether you will take the bus or fly. You can use an Enrollment/Housing/Transportation Form to send us your details.

We will arrange for host families and students to meet you at our local Bloomington airport or Peoria Charter bus station if you request this on your Enrollment/Housing/Transportation Form. You will be taken to a local hotel or host family's house if you have asked for a temporary host family stay.

2) Tell Us Where You Plan to Live

Use an Enrollment/Housing/Transportation Form.

If you prefer to live on campus, we recommend International House (or "I-House"):

International House is home to Americans and international students who wish to engage in a variety of educational, cultural, and social programs. I-House is located on the 8th - 10th floors of Atkin and Colby halls. Most students share a double room, which means you will have a roommate.
It is not necessary to sign a contract until you arrive at Illinois State. Just indicate on your Enrollment/Housing/Transportation Form that you wish to live in I-House, and the International Studies Office will work with the Housing Office to assign you a room and roommate. If you would like a single room, you will need to add yourself to a waiting list.
Campus Dining Center

If you prefer to live off campus, there are a variety of convenient options and resources:

Students who live off campus arrange for their own housing. The university owns off-campus apartments at Cardinal Court and Shelbourne. You may contact University Housing Services directly with your questions and to be put on a waiting list. Here is some advice about off-campus living.
Bloomington-Normal also has a variety of privately-owned apartments. You may see places for rent in our local newspaper, The Pantagraph, and at ApartmentFinder.com.

3) Decide to Stay with An American Host Family

A nice way to begin your time at ISU is to stay with a local family for one or two nights before the residence halls open. There is no cost to you. If you are interested, please email International Student Advisors If you would rather stay in a hotel until the residence halls open, please read about local hotels.

4) Complete A Health History Report

Before you come to ISU, you will need to ask your doctor at home to complete a Health History Report for you. You will be asked to give your report to the Student Health Service Office during Orientation Week. There are a number of vaccinations that you must have and you can receive them at ISU if you would like. You must have a Tuberculosis (TB) test after you arrive at ISU. Here is some information about Immunization Requirements.

5) Get in Touch with A Multi-Cultural Student Organization

Since people from around the world study at Illinois State, there are groups on campus that represent many different cultures and countries. Contacting these student groups before you arrive can be a nice way to feel like you already have friends here! Please see the listing of multi-cultural student groups. If you do not find a group for your country, you may want to start a group yourself!

6) Consider Details If You Bring Your Family

Immigration: Spouses or children who accompany F-1 or J-1 international students must be issued Immigration papers by ISU and apply for dependent visas. Dependents of J-1 visa holders will need to receive DS2019 forms from in the International Studies Office so they may apply for J-2 visas. Dependents of F-1 students must apply for F-2 visas and need to receive I-20 forms from the .

Proof of Funding: For documents to be created for your family members, you will need to prove adequate funding to cover all of their expenses while in the U.S. Current estimates (which are subject to change) are $6,330/year for a spouse and $3,165/year for each child.

Insurance: J-2 dependents are required to carry special health insurance that meets U.S. Department of State Requirements, just like the J-1 does. You can contact the International Studies Office for more information.

School for Children: Read about enrolling your child in school and finding child care.