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Maintaining your nonimmigrant status is not hard, but the nuances of living on a student visa take time to learn. We’re here to provide you with resources, training, and more to make all of this second nature.
As a nonimmigrant student living in the United States, you’ll be required to follow very specific immigration procedures outlined and enforced by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a division of the Department of Homeland Security. Ursuline College is authorized by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to sponsor your Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status (I-20). As such, both the College, as the sponsor and you, as the student, have certain reporting and procedural expectations which are required for you to lawfully remain in the United States.
Several members of Ursuline’s faculty and staff have been authorized by the US government as Designated School Officials (DSOs) to serve as your partners in this process. Guidance on key points of interest are noted below, but never hesitate to contact us for further clarification of these and other immigration rules.
After your arrival in the United States, look up your I-94 Arrival Record online. Download or take a screen shot and save this for your records. No more than 30 days prior to your I-20 start date but before the start of classes, attach this document to an email and send it to your Designated School Official (DSO) to verify your arrival. You will receive an email reminder to verify your arrival prior to the start of classes.
You’ll also be required to complete an in-person international student orientation. At Ursuline, this is a one-on-one meeting with your DSO to discuss maintaining your nonimmigrant status along with other important points of interest for living in the United States.
International orientation is a second orientation, and not to be confused with your Academic Orientation, at which you will schedule your classes with your Academic Advisor. International students are required to complete both orientations.
Make plans to schedule your international orientation appointment with your DSO after arriving in the US and prior to the end of your first week of classes on campus.
As an international student, you are required to hold a US health insurance policy. Please contact your DSO for policy options and more information about this requirement.
As an F-1 student, your legal spouse and children under age 21 are permitted to apply for F-2 status to accompany you or follow separately to the US. To request Certificates of Eligibility (Form I-20) for eligible family members, please contact your DSO.
Prior to leaving the US for any international travel, be sure to visit your DSO to receive an updated travel signature on your Form I-20. For re-entry to the US, you will be required to have a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond your intended period of stay in the US, and a properly endorsed Form I-20 (with a travel signature from the DSO that is dated within one year of the travel) or a Form I-193, waiver of passport or visa requirement.
Reply to our offer of admission and submit your deposit. These two steps, together, let us know your plans and hold your place in the class.
Admitted First-Year & Transfer Student Checklist
There's a lot to do before your first day of classes, use the list below to make sure you are on track! To check the status of many of these items, log into your Admitted Student Portal.
Follow Ursuline on Facebook, Twitter, and our Admission Instagram!
Ursuline offers both in-person and virtual events. Visit ursuline.edu/visit to see all available events.
Complete the Declaration and Certification of Finances (DCF) form. A link to your DCF will be emailed to you. The U.S. government requires that all students prove the availability of sufficient funding to meet their educational expenses for their first year of study. Completing your DCF form, and submitting proof of financial support through bank statements, verification of Ursuline Merit or Athletic scholarships, and parent sponsorships, will fulfill this requirement. To see if Ursuline has received your DCF, log into your Admitted Student Portal.
Once we receive your DCF and you have been admitted, Ursuline will issue you a Form I-20. You will need this form in order to apply for a student visa, and you will not be able to enter the United States without it.
Ready to officially become an Arrow? Submit your deposit! Ursuline’s deposit deadlines are as listed below. After the deadline has passed, deposits will be accepted as space allows but are no longer refundable.
- November 15th - Incoming spring student deadline
- May 1st - Incoming fall & summer student deadline
Your deposit kicks off your access to inside Ursuline information. You will get your Ursuline email, hear about Academic Advising so you can schedule classes for the fall, learn about housing options, be invited to incoming-student-only events to meet your future classmates, and more!
Deposits can be submitted at www.ursuline.edu/deposit. For students living on-campus, the deposit fee is $200.00. For commuters, the deposit fee is $100.00. Once you enroll, your deposit fee is credited to your Ursuline account and will become a credit on your first invoice.
Once you deposit your Ursuline student account will be created, including your Ursuline student email! Login instructions will be emailed to you by Ursuline’s IT department, approximately 48 hours after your deposit is processed. While the Admission Office will be primarily communicating to you using your personal email account, you will find important campus updates and Ursuline insider-information in your Ursuline email. Be sure to check both accounts.
The New Student Online Experience (NSOE) is your virtual introduction to Ursuline College. This online course will serve as a resource to all things Ursuline. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself referencing the NSOE all throughout your first year (and second year… and third year…).
The NSOE covers relevant information to a successful start at Ursuline. Completion of the NSOE is required for all incoming students and a certificate of completion is required to begin classes. The course will take about 2.5 hours to complete but it is designed to be viewed in pieces. No need to do everything all at once!
We recommend completing the NSOE before you attend Summer Orientation.
Some students will be required to complete a math placement test before attending Summer Orientation. This test is called ALEKS. If selected, you will receive instructions via email. This placement test will allow your academic advisor to select the best first-year math class for you.
Submit an updated copy of your IB diploma or Advanced Placement (AP) exam results to the Processing Center (processingcenter@ursuline.edu) so that your advisor has the most up-to-date information.
Dying to schedule your classes?? Of course you are! Students will meet virtually with their academic advisor about a month before classes begin to schedule classes.
Final official transcripts must be sent directly from your preferred evaluation service (WES, ECE, FIS, Global) to Ursuline and can be mailed to Ursuline, attn: Processing Center or emailed to processingcenter@ursuline.edu.
Any international transcripts must be evaluated through your preferred evaluation service such as WES, ECE, FIS or Global.
- For high school transcripts a general evaluation with GPA is required.
- For university transcripts, a course-by-course evaluation is required.
As a resident student, you’ll quickly come to appreciate all of the reasons that residence hall living enhances your college experience. Resident students access outstanding leadership opportunities, live in proximity to each other, their professors, and the plethora of campus resources available to support your success at Ursuline. Socially, the Ursuline atmosphere is empowering and engaging. You’ll be right in the middle of all the excitement! To check your official housing preference (resident or commuter), log into your Admitted Student Portal.
Additionally, your housing contract, roommate survey, and more from the Residence Life and Housing Office will be sent to you after your housing status has been assessed. This review happens closer to when you'll begin classes, typically in November and May, and you will be notified of housing availability via email. In order to begin the housing process, you must submit your deposit before the Priority Housing Deadline. Housing assignments will be announced about a month before your semester begins.
For more information about living on campus, visit ursuline.edu/student-life.
UFIT is a pre-orientation immersion camp for select students. For those invited to this mandatory 3-day program, right before Welcome Weekend. If you are living on-campus, you will likely be able to move in early.
Welcome Weekend and move-in will the Saturday & Sunday before classes begin.
Grab your textbooks! Its the first day of school!
During the first week of classes, there are so many ways to meet your fellow classmates and upperclass students. Check your Ursuline email for the full Welcome Week schedule.
Once you arrive in the U.S., you’ll meet with your Admission Counselor and the International Student Service Coordinator for an orientation. This International Student Orientation will cover important points for maintaining our nonimmigrant status and living in the US!
Admitted SDAP Student Checklist
There's a lot to do before your first day of classes, use the list below to make sure you are on track! To check the status of many of these items, log into your Admitted Student Portal.
Follow Ursuline on Facebook, Twitter, and our Ursuline College SDAP Facebook Group.
Call your admission counselor at 440-646-8360 to schedule an Admissions appointment, where you will have the opportunity to develop a plan on completing any remaining prerequisites, review the curriculum and discuss tuition and funding options.
Complete the Declaration and Certification of Finances (DCF) form. A link to your DCF will be emailed to you. The U.S. government requires that all students prove the availability of sufficient funding to meet their educational expenses for their first year of study. Completing your DCF form, and submitting proof of financial support through bank statements, government sponsorships, and/or parent sponsorships, will fulfill this requirement. To see if Ursuline has received your DCF, log into your Admitted Student Portal.
Once we receive your DCF and you have been admitted, Ursuline will issue you a Form I-20. You will need this form in order to apply for a student visa, and you will not be able to enter the United States without it.
Review the requirements to start the program. Before your cohort begins, refer to your admission letter which summarizes your remaining prerequisite courses.
Your admission into the program is contingent upon successful completion of all pending requirements.
Ready to officially become an Arrow? Submit your deposit! Your $250 deposit secures your space within your cohort. Deposits are non-refundable.
Deposits can be submitted at www.ursuline.edu/deposit. Once you enroll, your deposit fee is credited to your Ursuline account and will become a credit on your first invoice.
Once you deposit your Ursuline student account will be created, including your Ursuline student email! Login instructions will be emailed to you by Ursuline’s IT department, approximately 48 hours after your deposit is processed. While the Admission Office will be primarily communicating to you using your personal email account, you will find important campus updates and Ursuline insider-information in your Ursuline email. After you deposit, be sure to check both your personal and your Ursuline email accounts.
The New Student Online Experience (NSOE) is your virtual introduction to Ursuline College. This online course will serve as a resource to all things Ursuline. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself referencing the NSOE all throughout your time at Ursuline.
The NSOE covers relevant information to a successful start at Ursuline. Completion of the NSOE is required for all incoming students and a certificate of completion is required to begin classes. The course will take about 2.5 hours to complete but it is designed to be viewed in pieces. No need to do everything all at once!
Submit final official copies of your college/university transcripts to the Processing Center (processingcenter@ursuline.edu) or mailed to Ursuline College, attn: Processing Center. High school transcripts are not required.
Any international transcripts must be evaluated through your preferred evalatuion service such as WES, ECE, FIS or Global. For university transcripts, a course-by-course evaluation is required.
Final official transcripts are also required to finalize your transfer credits and will be checked to confirm successful completion of all prerequisites. If you have any AP exam scores that you plan to submit to Ursuline for transfer credit (a score of 3 or higher is needed to award credit), those can be sent to the Processing Center too. To see if a transfer credit evaluation is complete, log into your Admitted Student Portal.
Feel free to start course transfer equivalents at Transferology.com. For an unofficial Ursuline credit evaluation, schedule a call with your UC admissions Counselor.
Final official course-by-course evaluations must be sent directly from your preferred evaluation service (WES, ECE, FIS, Global) to Ursuline and can be mailed to Ursuline, attn: Processing Center or emailed to processingcenter@ursuline.edu
Final official transcripts from other colleges/universities located within the US can also be mailed to Ursuline, attn: Processing Center or emailed to processingcenter@ursuline.edu
You will learn SO MUCH important information during your SDAP Orientation, plus you'll meet your future classmates. Last but not least, bring your questions! This is the perfect opportunity to talk more about your major and any goals you may have for your time at Ursuline (and beyond!).
The Orientation for SDAP students is usually scheduled around 8 weeks before the actual start date of the program. You will be receiving communication containing all this information from our Nursing Coordinator. This is where you will be able to access your syllabi and other course information just prior to orientation.
P.S. Be sure you're photo ready! Your student ID photo will be taken during your SDAP Orientation.
If you choose to live on campus, your housing contract, roommate survey, and more from the Residence Life and Housing Office will be sent to you after your housing status has been assessed. This review happens closer to when you'll begin classes and you will be notified of housing availability via email. To check your official housing preference (resident or commuter), log into your Admitted Student Portal.
SDAP students are required to live within Smith Hall and space is limited. For more information about living on campus, visit ursuline.edu/student-life.
Grab your textbooks! Its the first day of school!
Start dates for each cohort vary. Our Nursing Coordinator will keep you informed about your official start date.
Once you arrive in the U.S., you’ll meet with your Admission Counselor and the International Student Service Coordinator for an orientation. This International Student Orientation will cover important points for maintaining our nonimmigrant status and living in the US!
