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New Student Orientation
Fall 2008 New International Student Orientation Newsletter
The entire UB community is looking forward to your arrival. Orientation for new international students begins Wednesday, August 20, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. Please plan to arrive on campus no earlier than Wednesday, August 13, 2008 unless stated differently on your acceptance letter and I-20 Form.
1. Steps To Obtain Your Student Visa
- Visiting The U.S. Embassy in Your Country
2. Steps To Secure Your Place at UB Before Arriving To Campus
- Paying Your Tuition Deposit
- Paying Your Housing Deposit
3. How to get to UB When You First Arrive in the USA
4. Steps To Take When First Arriving On Campus
- Checking-in With the International Admissions Office
- Getting Your Permanent Room On-Campus
- Getting A Temporary Room On-Campus
- Living Off Campus (Living Outside the UB Campus)
- Hotel Accommodations
- Submitting Your Health Examination Report
5. Steps To Register For Classes
- UB's Fees and Costs Per Academic Year
- Placement Exams
6. Helpful Information
1. Steps To Obtain Your Student Visa
- Students outside the U.S.A. When you receive your I-20 from UB in the mail contact the U.S. Embassy in your home country to make an appointment for an F-1Visa Interview right away. Do NOT make an appointment until you receive your I-20. We are NOT responsible if you miss your visa interview date because you made an appointment before receiving your I-20 Form.
- Pay the $100 SEVIS Fee online www.fmjfee.com before you go to the U.S. Embassy.
- Read the “Preparing for your Visa Interview” article which was sent to you in the mail along with your acceptance letter, or go to www.bridgeport.edu/pages/3002.asp.
Visa Tip: If your visa gets denied, don’t give up, try gain. Many of our international students manage to obtain their student visas after the second or third interview.
- International students inside the U.S.A. who wish to transfer to UB should follow the transfer instructions sent to them along with their acceptance letter. For more information, please e-mail internationaloffice@bridgeport.edu or visit the following website: www.bridgeport.edu/pages/3114.asp.
2. Steps To Secure Your Place at UB Before Arriving To Campus
- Pay your tuition deposit as soon as you obtain your student Visa. You must send your signed Admissions Confirmation Form with your tuition deposit so we can reserve a place for you in the Fall 2008 class. Please refer to your Admissions Confirmation Form and Acceptance Letter for more details on how to send the tuition deposit.
- The tuition deposit for graduate students seeking a Master’s/Ph.D. degree is $100.
- The tuition deposit for undergraduate students seeking a Bachelor’s degree is $200.
- Pay your housing deposit to secure a room on campus. Send your housing deposit with a completed housing contact. Every student is mailed a housing contract with his/her official acceptance letter.
- The housing deposit is $200 for Graduate and Undergraduate students. You may add the housing deposit to your tuition deposit and send one amount of money. Graduate students will pay $300 (tuition and housing) and Undergraduate students will pay $400 (tuition and housing).
- To pay your deposits, simply send us a bank draft or money order, drawn on a U.S. bank, payable to the “University of Bridgeport.” Mail your bank draft or money order, along with your University of Bridgeport Acceptance Confirmation Form, Housing Contract and Easy Living Contract that were sent to you in the mail, to the following address: University of Bridgeport, Office of International Admissions, 126 Park Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604 USA. You must include your full name (last name and first name) and your University ID number with ALL deposit payments.
Very Important Notice: If you are outside the U.S., you should NOT pay your deposits until AFTER you have obtained your F-1 Student Visa from the American Embassy/Consulate in your home country.
3. How to get to UB When You First Arrive in the USA
- BY AIR: When you arrive at LaGuardia or JFK go to the Ground Transportation Center and request a Prime Time Shuttle of Connecticut to Bridgeport. The Shuttle (available only from LaGuardia or JFK Airports) goes directly to UB and costs about $66. For more information, visit Prime Time Shuttle www.2theairport.com or call (800-733-8267). We advise international students to choose JFK as their arrival airport as this is the most convenient airport for international arrivals. DO NOT TAKE A TAXI FROM ANY NEW YORK OR NEW JERSEY AIRPORT! It’s too expensive, costing several hundred dollars!
The university will be providing FREE shuttle-bus service from JFK Airport in New York beginning Sunday, August 3 through Sunday, August 24. The UB shuttle-bus will pick-up students at the Ground Transportation area in Terminal 4. This shuttle-bus service will only be available on these days at the 7pm. No other pick-up times will be available other than these times. You must email studentprogramming@bridgeport.edu to reserve a spot on the free shuttle. The shuttle-bus has limited capacity so it will be on a first-come, first served basis. The driver will be holding a sign reading "University of Bridgeport Shuttle-Bus." The driver will bring you directly to the University of Bridgeport Campus.
- BY AUTOMOBILE: Traveling South on I-95: Take Exit 27. At the traffic light at the bottom of the exit ramp, turn left. Take a left at the next stoplight under the I-95 overpass. (Make sure not to get back on the I-95 North entrance ramp.) At the next light, turn right onto Broad St. Continue on Broad St. until you come to Gregory St. Turn right onto Gregory St. Proceed down Gregory St. for one block. Turn left on Myrtle Ave. You may park in the parking lot on the right side. The Student Center is the red brick building on the left.
Traveling North on I-95: Take Exit 27. At the bottom of the ramp, continue straight to the third traffic light. (Make sure to bear to the right off the I-95 North entrance ramp.) At the third traffic light, turn right onto Broad St. Continue on Broad St. until you come to Gregory St. Turn right onto Gregory St. Proceed down Gregory St. for one block. Turn left on Myrtle Ave. You may park in the parking lot on the right side. The Student Center is the red brick building on the left.
- BY BUS OR TRAIN: Amtrak and Metro North trains and Peter Pan buses all make regular stops at the Bridgeport railroad and bus stations, which are located in the Bridgeport Transportation Center. From there you can take a quick five-minute taxi ride to campus.
4. Steps To Take When First Arriving On Campus
- Go to the Admissions Office, 126 Park Avenue, Wahlstrom Library Building (6th floor) on Wednesday, August 20 to check in and present your official transcripts, degree certificates, test scores, etc. The Admissions Office will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
- Go to the Residential Life Office, located at Seeley Hall, 490 Waldemere Avenue (rear entrance) to sign up for on-campus housing from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Please note that UB Residence Halls (dorms) will be available for New Students on Wednesday, August 20. Students arriving before Wednesday, August 13 will NOT be accommodated, even if they have sent in their deposits.
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Students planning to live in the Residence Halls (dormitories):
Please note: UB Residence Halls (dorms) will be available for New Students on Wednesday, August 20. If your travel plans require you to arrive early, please note that all students arriving before Wednesday, August 13 will NOT be accommodated, even if they have sent in their housing deposit.
If you arrive on campus between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, go to the Residential Life Office, located at Seeley Hall, 490 Waldemere Avenue (rear entrance) to sign up for on-campus housing.
If you arrive on campus between 4:30 and 11 pm, go directly to Bodine Hall at 80 University Avenue, where you will receive temporary overnight accommodation. The next morning, go to the Residential Life Office to sign up for permanent housing.
If you take the UB Shuttle bus, you will be attended no matter what time you arrive on campus.
If your travel plans oblige you to arrive at the university after 11 pm, you must advise the Residential Life Office before you depart from your home country. Otherwise you will not be attended and must make arrangements to stay with a friend or relative, or pay for a room in a nearby hotel. See page 3 of the newsletter for a list of nearby hotels. Residential Life contact information: Phone: 203-576-4228 Email: reslife@bridgeport.edu Fax: 203-576-4461
Students planning to live off campus:
If you do not plan to live in a UB residence hall, but have not yet arranged for off-campus housing, you may want to stay at a local hotel or with a friend/relative until you find housing. Some local hotels are listed in below. Temporary housing (two nights) for new students MAY be available (contingent upon availability of space), but priority is given to those who have sent in their $200 housing deposits and housing contracts prior to their arrival at UB.
Important Update:
Due to space limitations, temporary on-campus housing will be available only until August 17. No temporary housing will be available after August 17.
- Hotel Accommodations - Be sure to mention you are a UB student!
- Bridgeport Holiday Inn, Bridgeport, 203-334-1234, $109/night for UB Students.
- Fairfield Inn by Marriott, Milford 203-877-8588, special rate of $89/night plus tax for UB students/families.
- Fairfield Inn, Fairfield, 203-255-0491; approximately $89-99/night.
- Milford Red Roof Inn, Milford, 800-843-7663; approximately $80-90/night.
- Trumbull Marriott, Trumbull, 800-228-9290; $165/weekday night, $109/weekend night.
- Homewood Suites, Stratford, 203-377-3322; approximately $99 & up/night.
5. Steps To Register For Classes
- All new students must attend a mandatory immigration and safety meeting prior to registration.
- All new students will register for classes on Friday, August 22, 2008 in the Wahlstrom Library, first floor. During that day, new students will meet with their academic advisors for proper class selection.
- Pay your first semester charges in full by the first day of classes.
- UB’s Tuition, Fees, Room and Board, and other Costs Per Academic Year as shown on your I-20 form:
Full-time Undergraduate Full-time Graduate
$36,035 $24,725
The above mentioned amounts are for one academic year (2 academic semesters). Expect to pay half of the above mentioned amounts upon registration for your first semester if you will be living on-campus. The first semester charges are due in full by the first day of classes. International undergraduates who have received UB partial scholarships must pay the remaining costs that are not covered by their scholarships by the first day of classes. NO payment plans are available for new international students. Payments can be made by cash, bank draft, money order or credit card at the time of registration. Please e-mail cashier@bridgeport.edu for more information.
- Take Your Placement Exams (if needed) - All conditionally accepted international undergraduate and graduate students required to prove English language proficiency will be required to take the English Language Battery Test (ELAB). International undergraduate students will also need to take the Math Placement exam.
6. Helpful Information
- What to Bring Along
Do not forget!!! We would like for you to be comfortable while at University of Bridgeport - your new home away from home. The following is a Top 10 List of things to bring, which some international students forget when packing for their arrival to UB:
- Phone number/contact address of any friends and relatives in U.S.A!
- Some traditional outfits from your country, for the International Festival at UB (it's time for fun!)
- A battery operated alarm clock (Please note: You may need an adapter to use electrical goods from your country in USA).
- Toiletries such as soap, shampoo, shaving cream etc. (Smell fresh!!!)
- Favorite music CD/cassettes from your country (you may find them at a better price back home).
- Sheets, blankets, towels & other linens.
- Pictures of loved ones.
- Winter coats and warm clothes. It’s cold here in the winter.
- A cricket bat and accessories (if you play cricket back home).
- An extra pair of reading glasses (It may cost more in USA!!!)
- Helpful Contacts
International Admissions Office
Telephone: 203-576-4552
admit@bridgeport.edu
International Student Services
Telephone: 203-576-4395
internationaloffice@bridgeport.edu
Residential Life Office
Telephone: 203-576-4228
reslife@bridgeport.edu
Campus Security Office (Open 24 hours/ 7 Days a week)
Telephone: 203-576-4911
Address: Across from 141 Linden Avenue
If you are calling from an on-campus phone at the University of Bridgeport, just dial the last four numbers (e.g., 4552, 4395, or 4911).
Remember to printout this Orientation Newsletter and bring it with you when you travel. We look forward to seeing you at the University of Bridgeport!
Good luck!
Steven Boyd
Director of International Admissions
University of Bridgeport, Office of International Admissions
126 Park Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604 U.S.A.
Telephone: 203-576-4552, Fax: 203-576-4941, e-mail: admit@bridgeport.edu
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