Before You Start

Welcome to University of Kansas

Soon you’ll be on campus. How exciting! There is a lot to consider before you arrive. While moving to a new country can be intimidating, we’re here for you. Follow the seven steps below to make sure you have everything in place before you board the plane.

Our advisors are always available to answer your questions and ensure you have a smooth transition to the University.

Before you start the steps below, contact your local personal advisor. Simply select your region of the world below, and send your advisor an email, Skype, WhatsApp, or WeChat message. We look forward to meeting you very soon!

Africa

Africa

China

China

Latin America

Latin America

Middle East

Middle East

North America

North America

North Asia

North Asia

Russia / Central Asia / Eastern Europe

Russia / Central Asia / Eastern Europe

South Asia

South Asia

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia

UK and Western Europe

UK and Western Europe

Abbie

Abbie (North Asia excluding Korea)

+852 8481 0532

Whatsapp: +852 8481 0532

Email Abbie
Ainara Gainedenova

Ainara Gainedenova

+7 (778) 887 17 53

Whatsapp: +7 (778) 887 17 53

Email Ainara Gainedenova
Alexis

Alexis (North America)

+1 239-744-9468

Whatsapp: +1 239-744-9468

Wechat: alexis0426

Email Alexis
Alice

Alice (Northwest)

+1-857-315-8730

Whatsapp: +1-857-315-8730

Wechat: aliceqinus

Email Alice
Alsu Samatova

Alsu Samatova

+7 939 346 09 59

Whatsapp: +7 939 346 09 59

Email Alsu Samatova
Amanpreet Singh

Amanpreet Singh (India)

+91-9311136326

Whatsapp: +91-9311136326

Email Amanpreet Singh
Amol Pote

Amol Pote (India)

+91-9326469936

Whatsapp: +91-9326469936

Email Amol Pote
Bibiane

Bibiane (Korea)

+82-10-7711-6538

Whatsapp: +82-10-7711-6538

Email Bibiane
Tiffany Chan

Tiffany Chan (North Asia excluding Korea)

+886 903006063

Whatsapp: +852 9222 3579

Email Tiffany Chan
Chau

Chau (Vietnam)

+84-908-792-892

Whatsapp: +84-908-792-892

Skype: diemchau.dt

Email Chau
Chau Luu

Chau Luu (Vietnam)

+84 962 442 193

Whatsapp: +84 962 442 193

Skype: live:chau.luuquynh

Email Chau Luu
Chris

Chris (Southwest)

+1-508-948-7542

Whatsapp: +1-508-948-7542

Wechat: chris040594

Email Chris
Damini Rajpoot

Damini Rajpoot (India)

+91-8800020429

Whatsapp: +91-8800020429

Email Damini Rajpoot
Daniyal

Daniyal (Pakistan)

+92 310 588 8648

Whatsapp: +92 310 588 8648

Email Daniyal
Diksha Roy

Diksha Roy (India)

+91-8882593634

Whatsapp: +91-8882593634

Email Diksha Roy
Doris

Doris (South China)

+86-150-1870-6751

QQ: 2282183545

Email Doris
Hitesh Arora

Hitesh Arora (India)

+91-8826911998

Whatsapp: +91-8826911998

Email Hitesh Arora
Isha

Isha (India)

+91 9953550789

Whatsapp: +91 9953550789

Email Isha
Jane

Jane (West China)

+86.159.2876.6884

QQ: 713070180

Email Jane
Kapil Dev

Kapil Dev (India)

+91-7982570704

Whatsapp: +91-7982570704

Email Kapil Dev
Laxmi Pawar

Laxmi Pawar (India)

+91 98183 96406

Whatsapp: +91 98183 96406

Email Laxmi Pawar
Lisha

Lisha (North China)

+86-183-1016-8200

QQ: 18310168200

Email Lisha
Maryna Kyselova

Maryna Kyselova

+31 6 48685505

Whatsapp: +31 6 48685505

Email Maryna Kyselova
Mohammad Shaban Khan

Mohammad Shaban Khan (India)

+91-8700757968

Whatsapp: +91-8700757968

Email Mohammad Shaban Khan
Ngoc Hoang

Ngoc Hoang (Vietnam)

+84 382 027 922

Whatsapp: +84 382 027 922

Skype: live:bichngoc.ufm

Email Ngoc Hoang
Nikita

Nikita (India)

+91 9310587075

Whatsapp: +91 9310587075

Email Nikita
Padmapriya Sampath

Padmapriya Sampath

+91-6381067726

Email Padmapriya Sampath
Prerna Dhir

Prerna Dhir (India)

+91-9872221636

Whatsapp: +91-9872221636

Email Prerna Dhir
Rakesh

Rakesh (India)

+91 9096507300

Whatsapp: +91 9096507300

Email Rakesh
Sahil Massey

Sahil Massey (India)

+91- 9811718710

Whatsapp: +91- 9811718710

Email Sahil Massey
Sakshi Bhatia

Sakshi Bhatia (India)

+91-995-351-0160

Whatsapp: +91-995-351-0160

Skype: arorasakshi187

Email Sakshi Bhatia
Sakshi Parashar

Sakshi Parashar (India)

+91- 880728950

Whatsapp: +91- 880728950

Email Sakshi Parashar
Samah

Samah (Middle East)

+971 58 831 8521

Whatsapp: +971 58 831 8521

Email Samah
Sanjukta Bhatgaonkar

Sanjukta Bhatgaonkar

+91-9820162776

Whatsapp: +91-9820162776

Email Sanjukta Bhatgaonkar
Saranya

Saranya

+66-96-982-0007

Whatsapp: +66-96-982-0007

Skype: awesome.saranya

Email Saranya
Sayli Vaydande

Sayli Vaydande (India)

+91-9653473094

Whatsapp: +91-9653473094

Email Sayli Vaydande
Sofya

Sofya (North America)

+1 347 399 35 72

Whatsapp: +1 347 399 35 72

Email Sofya
Solayide Adenuga

Solayide Adenuga (Africa)

+234.806.662.9088

Whatsapp: +234.806.662.9088

Email Solayide Adenuga
Taha

Taha (Pakistan)

+92-307-333-6878

Whatsapp: +92-307-333-6878

Skype: tshahid29

Email Taha
Valeria

Valeria (Latin America)

+57 310 7880364

Whatsapp: +57 310 7880364

Email Valeria
Vartika Kohli

Vartika Kohli

+91-8920463212

Email Vartika Kohli
Veena Iyer

Veena Iyer (India)

+91-8828317960

Whatsapp: +91-8828317960

Email Veena Iyer
Vicky

Vicky (North China)

+86-135-2182-7910

Wechat: vickychen7910

Email Vicky
Viraja

Viraja (India)

+91 7028090894

Whatsapp: +91 7028090894

Skype: +91 7028090894

Email Viraja
After you receive your I-20, complete the following steps before booking your visa appointment:
  1. Schedule a free visa information and preparation session with your personal Enrollment Advisor.
  2. Check that the details on your I-20 are correct (including your date of birth) and make sure your name is the same as it appears on your passport.
  3. Prepare the documents you will need to take to the embassy when attending your visa interview.
After you complete the above steps, you should apply for your visa as soon as possible. It requires an interview with the U.S. Embassy and can sometimes take several weeks to schedule.
    1. Complete your Visa Application.
    2. Pay your I-901 (SEVIS) fee.
    3. Visit usembassy.gov  to learn more about scheduling your visa appointment, what to expect when you arrive, and required documentation.
    4. Notify your personal Enrollment Advisor of the date and embassy of your visa appointment.
    5. Watch these videos to help you apply for your visa and prepare for your interview:

How to Apply for Your F-1 Student Visa

You will view and pay your bill in the KU Enroll & Pay portal. Bills are available in Enroll & Pay on or about the 21st of the month and are due on the 15th of the following month.

Please refer to this link for more details, including payment instructions and a link to the KU Enroll & Pay portal – https://sar.ku.edu/due-dates-and-late-fees.

When purchasing your travel ticket to your new city, plan to arrive on or before your scheduled Arrival date. Please visit Important Dates page to plan your arrival accordingly.

We are so excited for you to join us on campus! To ensure a smooth transition to your new home, plan to arrive to the Kansas City International Airport (MCI).

All students are required to have a KU ID and email set up to access the first part of International Student Orientation from home, before arriving to campus. Here are the instructions on how to create your ID and email.

All incoming students are required to log in to iHawk, respond to pre-arrival questions, and submit all the e-forms as directed.

Click here for an overview of iHawk.

Click here if you are having iHawk log in problems.

After you received your final admissions letter and 7-digit KU ID number, you must submit your housing request and contract in the KU Student Housing portal. Your final admissions letter provides instructions for accessing your KU ID number online at https://world.ku.edu/arrive. Directions to complete the housing application process are available online at https://housing.ku.edu/apply. KU Housing does its best to place you in your preferred housing option, however based on availability, your preference is not guaranteed.

Please note that you will need to pay the $50 housing application fee at the time you submit your KU housing application online.

Housing placements are assigned on a first come first serve basis.

Additional information about campus housing options is available at https://housing.ku.edu/affordability

Students living off-campus must work directly with the property manager for the off-campus location. KU Student Housing has reached capacity in all buildings and will no longer be accepting housing contract applications for the 2023-24 school year. We encourage students in need of housing to explore other community options.

All incoming students must send their final transcripts from high school and any university-level coursework. If you have taken any additional tests, send those official results (e.g. SAT, ACT, IB, A/AS Levels, AP).

Option 1: Mail your final official transcripts* and/or test scores directly to the address listed below before you arrive.

Option 2: Bring your final official transcripts* and/or test scores with you to KU and deliver them to the address listed below when you arrive.

KU International Admissions
1450 Jayhawk Boulevard, Room 126
Lawrence, KS 66045

*Final official transcripts must be in an envelope that was sealed by your school. This applies to both options above.

Contact your local personal advisor for additional options to submit your final academic documents.

There are many things to consider when preparing for university, let alone moving to a new country! To make your transition to the US easier, we’ve put together a list of everyday necessities.

We’ve partnered with campusSIMS to help connect you with mobile phone service. Get your US. phone number in your home country and have service that’s ready to use as soon as you land. Click here to get your free SIM card.

campusSIMS helps international students get connected with mobile phone service in the US. Through campusSIMS’ exclusive partner Mint Mobile, students can sign up and get their US phone number while in their home country, and have mobile phone service ready to use as soon as they land.

Students can get low-cost, reliable mobile phone service starting at as low as $15 per month that includes:

– A free SIM card
– Unlimited talk and text
– High speed data
– Nationwide coverage on the fastest, most advanced network

For more information, visit campussims.com

International Student Loans

Embarking on your educational journey in the United States shouldn’t come with the roadblock of finding a co-signer for financial aid. Shorelight recognizes this hurdle and has proactively partnered with premier financing organizations such as Fly Finance, MPower Financing, and Prodigy Finance. This strategic collaboration eliminates the traditional barriers international students face, such as the need for a co-signer, collateral, or an established US credit history, streamlining your path to securing educational funding.

Find the right loan organization for you on Shorelight.com.

Easy Flight Bookings and Travel Discounts

StudentUniverse in collaboration with Shorelight, provides exclusive student-only discounts on flights around the world. StudentUniverse has exclusive deals with airlines to get the lowest-possible airfare for international students. If your travel plans change, don’t worry – all purchases have 24-hour risk-free cancellation.

StudentUniverse can be used to book not only your flight to campus, but also provides the best deals for Spring break and other travel. Use it to explore new cities like San Francisco or NYC, or book through them to go hiking in Yosemite National Park, or even when you fly home to visit family.

Center for Academic Success

A website with access to virtual tutors, career advisors, and online resources to help you throughout your university studies

Getting ready to study abroad can be challenging! Would you like some help with that? Shorelight’s Center for Academic Success (CAS) has many free resources for you! For example, you can watch a quick webinar on Culture Shock and Mental Health, or take a short eLearning course on Obtaining Your Visa, Understanding Health Insurance, Major & Career Exploration, and so much more.

If you wish you could just ask a real person a question, you can also use the Live Chat button to reach one of our highly-trained support staff, or you can schedule a Zoom session with one of our friendly Student Success Coaches, Professional Tutors, or Career Services staff—all of whom are experts at helping international students with anything from pre-arrival support and campus life to academic subject areas and career guidance.

Don’t wait to activate your free account at CAS—you are eligible as soon as you pay your university deposit.

How to register:

  1. Click here or scan the QR code to find our Home page.
  2. Click the orange “Sign up now” button to request access.
  3. On the signup form, type your given name and family name as you are registered at your university.
  4. Type any email address that your university has on file for you (it can be a personal or university email).
  5. Create a password with at least one special character and 6-50 characters total.
  6. Type your password again. Write it down or save it in your browser.
  7. Type the full name of your university, not the abbreviation. Your status must be checked.
  8. Check the first box to accept the Terms & Conditions (feel free to read those first).
  9. Check the last box if you wish to receive emails from us.
  10. Click the large orange button that says, “Start your learning journey.

After you register:

  • After self-registering, you’ll receive an email within two business days to let you know that your account is approved (or if not, how to fix the problem). Just follow the link to log in!
  • Check your spam folder if you don’t see our email within two days—or just return to the Home page linked above to try logging in with your email and password. If you encounter any trouble, just use the Live Chat button at the bottom of our Home page.

 

If you were pre-registered:

  • Some students may be admin-registered at the request of their university to save you the trouble of signing up.
  • If you get an email from Shorelight’s Center for Academic Success saying that your account has been created, just follow the link to complete your registration. You only need to create your password and check the boxes (Steps 5-10 above).
  • If you are told that you were admin-registered, but you can’t find our welcome email, just go to our Home page, click “Sign up now” and complete Steps 3-10. If you can’t guess the right email or how your name was entered, use our LiveChat to get help.

Important Dates

For important dates, including payment and move-in dates, please visit our Shorelight profile page.