Congratulations on your acceptance to Augustana College! We look forward to welcoming you when you arrive in Sioux Falls and to ensuring that you have an excellent experience at Augustana. Below is a checklist to help you prepare for your journey to the United States and your education at Augustana College.

Obtaining a Student Visa
Once you have been accepted to Augustana, we will send you a Letter of Admission to the College and an immigration document called an I-20. The I-20 is a student visa document that you will use to apply for an F-1 student visa. Contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate in your country for specific information on applying for a student visa. For general information about the student visa application process, please visit the U.S. State Department web site.

Submit Your Enrollment Deposit
Once you have decided to attend Augustana, you need to submit a non-refundable $200 enrollment deposit. Pay your enrollment deposit securely online, or you may request a phone call to pay by phone. A credit card is required for the online or phone deposit. Students who do not have a credit card may request bank wire-transfer instructions or may send the deposit by postal money order. The enrollment deposit is not an extra fee: the money is applied towards your tuition cost when you begin your studies. The enrollment deposit reserves your spot at Augustana and allows the College to send you additional information requests for housing and course registration.

Registration
You must submit your enrollment deposit in order to register for classes. Twelve to sixteen credit hours per semester is considered "full-time" at Augustana, which usually means that students take four or five classes. Please review the course listing for Fall 2012 prior to registration. 

International students who plan to graduate from Augustana College with a bachelor's degree will want to review the general course catalog and Augustana Plan (the general education requirements that you will need to complete, in addition to your major, in order to graduate).

Visiting exchange and study abroad students have complete flexibility to choose courses that meet their home school requirements. Visiting students are recommended to seek course approval from their home institution.   

Keep in mind that international students at Augustana receive a lot of help and advice in planning course schedules — do not hesitate to ask us if you have questions! After you review the courses offered for Fall 2012, please contact Donn Grinager or Ben Iverson to schedule an online or phone registration session. Our plan is to have you registered for classes before your arrival in Sioux Falls.

Housing
Once you have submitted your enrollment deposit, Augustana's Housing Office will send you an email with information regarding your housing options.  Included in the email will be a login to your My Augie account. For security reasons, you will receive a second email from the admission office with your password. Once you have access to your My Augie account with your new login and password, you will find an application for a living space at Augustana College. Please complete this housing application at your earliest convenience. If you have questions about the online application, please contact Corey Kopp.

Housing Damage Deposit
After you have submitted your housing application, you will be asked to submit a $100 housing damage deposit. At the end of the school year, your room will be inspected for damage. If the room is not damaged, you will receive a full refund after your final semester at Augustana College.

Friendship Family
Augustana offers a friendship family program for international students. If you are interested, your friendship family will introduce you to American culture, activities, and family life away from campus. However, international students live on campus and not with the friendship families. 

Health Forms
All students must complete health forms and have proof of required immunizations prior to the start of classes at Augustana. Please review the Augustana Health Forms.  International students are required to provide proof of immunizations for two doses of MMR (measels, mumps, and rubella), for Meningitis, and to show proof of a TB test. The College also recommends several other immunizations listed on the health forms. International students may send the health forms to the college by mail or may bring them to orientation and submit them upon arrival.  We recommend that you obtain vaccinations in your home country because it will likely be less expensive.  You can arrange for the following vaccinations on campus after you arrive, however, at the corresponding costs:

TB Skin Test - $20.00
MMR - $69.60
Meningitis - $152.80

Medical/Health Insurance
All students must also provide proof of medical insurance. Students may purchase a student medical/health plan from the college or provide proof of medical coverage from your home country.

Food/Meal Plan
The food service staff at Augustana provide a variety of healthy, affordable meal plan options for Augustana students. We will help you choose a meal plan that best fits your needs after your arrival at Augustana College.

Recommended Arrival Date
Please plan to arrive in Sioux Falls on one of the following days:  August 21, 22, 23, or 28.

*** The Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD) will be closed for runway construction on the following dates: August 17-20; August 24-27; September 7-10; September 14-17.  Please book your trip to Sioux Falls well in advance to avoid full flights on the days that the airport is open. ***

Flight arrangements to Sioux Falls, South Dakota
There are direct flights to Sioux Falls from the following large U.S. cities: Minneapolis, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, and Denver. The Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD) is served by Delta, United, and American airlines. Submit your flight information, and we will be glad to pick you up from the Sioux Falls airport (FSD). We look forward to greeting you when you arrive.

International Student Orientation
The international student orientation will begin on Wednesday, August 29. Orientation will include campus tours, city tours, opening bank accounts, immigration information, campus employment, academic information, housing issues, and much more. Please also see the full list of important dates for incoming international students. The first day of classes is Wednesday, September 5, 2012.

Learn More about Sioux Falls
If you are like us in the International Programs Office, you love to travel. We also love to plan fun things to do and see before we leave. Sioux Falls is a great city and offers lots of opportunities to international students.

Packing for College
Packing for college can be a challenge, whether you are traveling five kilometers or 10,000. Creating a pre-departure checklist is essential. In addition, we recommend that students subscribe to the philosophy of less is more (meaning, pack light). Sioux Falls, with a population of 158,000, is home to a wide array of retail and thrift stores so you can find anything you need once you arrive. We will even provide transportation for your initial shopping experience. Here is our recommended list of packing essentials:

• Passport and Visa
• Credit card
• Medications (if you have any)
• Medical records
• Clothing essentials (favorite jeans, shoes, etc.)
• Electronics converters

Items to purchase on arrival (you only need the basics to begin)

• Sheets (extra-long twin) and blankets
• Towels
• Toiletries
• Books