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International Accelerator Program

  • Student meeting with a professor

Before you Arrive

Complete Your Pre-Arrival Checklist

 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.

Please visit usembassy.gov to learn more about scheduling your visa appointment. The website also has information on what to expect and the documentation you will need to take with you for your interview. Here are other links that might be helpful to you: visa photo requirements, visa application and I-901 Fee and study in the states.

Check out two videos below that will help you on how to apply and prepare for your visa interview.

Download this useful Immigration Guide to help you learn more about the process for getting your F-1 visa.

Summer 2021:
  • Academic English - Please plan to arrive at USC on May 18 between 9AM-4PM to move in, and for May 19-24 orientation. Class begins on May 25.
  • Accelerator Students - Please plan to arrive at USC on May 25 between 9AM-4PM to move in, and for May 26-30 orientation. Class begins on June 1.
Fall 2021:
  • All students - Please plan to arrive at USC on August 11 between 9AM-4PM to move in, and for August 12-18 orientation. Class begins on August 19.

You must pay your tuition and fees in full, as per the deadline on your Statement of Fees. If you do not pay on time, you will have a hold on your account, and you will not be permitted to register for courses until payment has been received.

Sign up for the multi-factor authentication using the instructions. 

Once you finished step 4 and set up your MFA:

    1. Go to https://blackboard.sc.edu and log in with your VIP ID and password.
    2. Click “Courses” on the left.
    3. Look for “Your_program_name Orientation”. For example, if you are an EAP student, you should look for “EAP Orientation”.
    4. Once you click into your orientation, click on “Welcome to IAP” and follow the steps to complete all the Pre-Arrival Steps.
We strongly encourage all IAP students arriving on campus to get a COVID test prior to departing their home country, and we will require students to be retested again upon arrival during IAP Orientation. If possible, please try to get a COVID test as close to your arrival date as you can.
Please reach out to angi.wang@uofsc.org if you have any questions about the above Pre-Arrival steps.
 

 


Helpful Resources

Next Steps Brochure

This useful brochure is full of information on your I-20 paperwork required for your visa, what you should pack and other tips to prepare you for your arrival to the University of South Carolina campus.

Immigration Guide

This guide will help you learn more about the process for getting your F-1 visa and arriving in Columbia, South Carolina.  

Pre-Arrival Checklist - Undergraduate

Check off everything on this list to ensure you have completed all the steps before you arrive and bring everything you need to the University of South Carolina campus.

Chinese translation of the Pre-Arrival Checklist - Undergraduate

 This is the Chinese translation of the undergraduate pre-arrival checklist. 

Pre-Arrival Checklist - Graduate

Check off everything on this list to ensure you have completed all the steps before you arrive and bring everything you need to the University of South Carolina campus.

Orientation Schedule

Here’s an example of what your orientation schedule might look like. During orientation, you will receive a full campus tour, see the sights around Columbia, South Carolina and get to know your fellow international students!

Academic Calendar

Plan ahead! This calendar tells you when class starts and ends, and when holidays and exams are happening.

 

 

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