So Many Emails!

You will get lots of emails from various people at GVSU! As a university, we want to make sure you are prepared and that you know we are here to help guide you. Please make sure to read all of these carefully as they contain important information for your success!

New International Students will be receiving emails from November through January to help students get ready for their GVSU adventure. Below you will find the information from these emails. The Zoom links to the relevant meetings are not available here but ONLY in the emails. If you cannot find an email, please contact the ISS Team by emailing [email protected].

1. Visa Applications
2. Course Registration
3. Housing
4. Arrival & Orientation

Blackboard

Using your GVSU username and network password, you can log into Blackboard. Once logged in, you can click on "GVSU International Students" under the My Organizations section. Here, you will find all the Fall 2021 International Student Orientation Information, including the forms to request food and supplies for your quarantine period which are found within the "Pre-Arrival" folder. 

Visa Application Process & Blackboard

The very first email from the International Student Services (ISS) Team provides the link to the first Zoom meeting on Friday, Nov 5.

In the Zoom call, you will meet the ISS Team, discuss the visa application process, how to access Blackboard, and what information can be found there. 

Graduate Students

Graduate students should email their Faculty Advisor to register for courses. Use this online list from the graduate school to determine who you should email within your program: https://www.gvsu.edu/gs/masters-and-doctoral-degree-programs-9.htm 

Don't worry if they don't respond right away! 

Undergraduate Students

Please check your emails regularly for information from your academic advisor.  If you do not hear anything by November 15, please email Kate: [email protected] 

Make sure to please check all inboxes you have (personal, GVSU) and the Spam folders as well!

Registration tips:

• Your advisor knows best--follow their advice! We know you're smart, but they're pros at this!!
• Register as soon as you can! Since courses can reach capacity, you might have to take a class in a different semester or at a time of day that isn't best for you.
• You can change your schedule up until the first Friday of classes (January 14, 2022, 5 p.m.).
• If the class you really want is full, register for a back-up course as recommended by your advisor while they try to get you into the course you LOVE!

GVSU On-campus Housing

Living on-campus is proven to help you do better academically and socially and provides added security. You will transition into the community better and make the most of your time here!

You need to organize your housing BEFORE you arrive to GVSU. We don't have any temporary accommodation, unfortunately.  

• Check out on-campus options  (international student should look at transfer & graduate options)
• Review housing rates
• Consider location: Pew Campus is downtown Grand Rapids (graduate courses) while Allendale Campus is the main campus and has the rec center & most social activities
• PLEASE NOTE: all freshman (first semester at any college in the world) are required to live on-campus
• You will have to pay a housing deposit of $150.00 when you apply. 
• The earliest you can move into GVSU Housing is January 4. See arrival information. 

The deadline to APPLY is Nov 15. Make sure you apply as a transfer student! If you apply as a freshman you will be forced to live in dorm style, freshman housing. 

Off-Campus Housing

Although we do not recommend this, living off campus can be much more affordable. This requires much more work on your part and we are not able to assist in organizing off-campus housing.

Here are some options to look into:

• The GVSU website has some nearby housing options.
• Bayberry and Apple Ridge which are located halfway between downtown and Allendale. This is a convenient location as it takes about 15 minutes to get to either campus and the route 50 bus (GVSU campus connector running every 6 minutes) has stops near both apartment complexes
• Craigslist is a website where you can list things for sale, apartments for rent, etc. BE CAREFUL as this is not a vetted site, which means anyone can list here. You should at least Skype with them before making any decisions! I have had several friends find rooms in a house this way but it does put more responsibility on you since there isn’t a company overseeing the site or individual listings. It's practically the wild west!
• EasyRoomate.com
• Show me the rent.com
   

If you want to look into this option, you should consider the following questions:

• What is the monthly cost?
• Are utilities included? (additional costs for gas, electricity, garbage, internet)
• Is it furnished? (most places you must bring your own bed, tables, chairs, even refrigerator sometimes!)
• Is there a required security deposit? How much is it?
• Do you need to pay rent in advance?
• Do you need a US Social Security number?
• Does the property manager require a background check?
• Will you have to sign a lease? What are the dates on the lease? 
• Where is it located? How long will it take me to get to classes?

Arrival Information

Depending on when you arrive and where you will be living, you should follow the advice below regarding transportation. All new international students, please take note of the following. 

• We cannot pick up students who arrive before or after January 5 NOR students who fly into other airports (Detroit, Chicago, etc).
• We do not recommend students try to use public transportation to get to Grand Rapids since the US public transport system is not easy to use.
• Students who arrive earlier than January 5 MUST organize their own temporary accommodation. GVSU does not have any temporary accommodation. 
• Students who arrive later than January 5 will miss part or all of international student orientation (details below). This will mean missing immigration check-in, social security administration, and much other valuable information. Students who miss orientation will still be charged the fee.  
• You cannot enter the US more than 30 days prior to your program start date (listed on your I-20/DS-2019).
• If you submit the online form for shuttle transportation, you will receive an email confirmation with more details about your pick-up.

ARRIVING ON JANUARY 5 & LIVING ON-CAMPUS:

All new international students are highly recommended to arrive on the designated arrival date, January 5, to the Grand Rapids Airport [GRR]. Students living on-campus and arriving on January 5 who request airport pick-up will choose from five pick-up times and will be taken from the GRR Airport to GVSU housing. There is a $50 fee for this service. This fee will be collected when you submit the form via credit card. More details are available on the form and a confirmation email will be sent prior to arrival with final plans.  

REQUEST AIRPORT TRANSPORTATION

• Arrival date: January 5
• Pick-up times: 11am, 2pm, 5pm, 8pm, 11pm 
• Cost: $50 per student
• Airport: Gerald R Ford International in Grand Rapids, Michigan [GRR]
• Deadline: December 23, 2021

LIVING OFF-CAMPUS OR NOT USING OUR TRASNPORTATION SERVICE
If you are arriving outside the designated arrival day & times or do not wish to use our transportation service, we recommend submitting your flight information to us so we can be more helpful if any issues arise. You can submit your Arrival Information Form at any time, and please select "no" to the airport pick-up question. Students living Off-Campus or students living on-campus but arriving outside the designated arrival days should organize their own transportation using:

• a local taxi company such as Metro Cab 616-827-6500 or Yellow Cab (616) 459-4646 (costs $60-70)
• a transport app such as Uber or Lyft (cost varies)

Please note: If you are arriving to GRR on January 5 and will be living on-campus but do not want to use our transportation service, please submit the arrival information form (blue button above) and email us your plan for arriving to campus. We can meet you with your key IF you arrive to GVSU's Allendale campus between 12 pm and 5 pm on January 5. 

Orientation

PLEASE NOTE: ORIENTATION HAS BEEN MOVED ONLINE FOR JANUARY 6. PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR DETAILS.

International Student Orientation Facts:

• Dates: January 6 and 7.
• iStudent Orientation is AMAZING
• iStudent Orientation is MANDATORY
• There is a compulsory fee of $150 USD
• This is NOT the same as the domestic student orientation; we cover important information about immigration regulations, social security applications, cultural differences, and much more! 
• Graduate students should follow all of International Student Orientation - there is a specific session included in International Student Orientation for grads to meet with the graduate school

Final Preparations

It's time to tie up loose ends! We'll talk about the items due December 23 and remind you about some other bigger tasks:

1. December 23 deadline for Transportation Request
2. Course Registration
3. Housing
4. Arrival
   1. Date:  January 5
   2. Transportation Service: $50 paid online in advance
   3. Quarantine: 10 days for unvaccinated students
5. International Student Orientation
   1. Mandatory!
   2. January 6 and 7
   3. $150 fee
6. Jobs & GAs
7. Payment Deadline: January 7, 5pm
8. First Day of Classes: Monday, January 10