After you are admitted to a degree-seeking program, you should maintain close contact with your academic advisor to determine when you must arrive on campus. If you have not been awarded an assistantship, you might wish to continue to search for assistantship in another department or an on-campus job.
You will also find the staff at the International Student and Faculty Office helpful in making arrangements to attend NIU and helpful in assisting you settle into a new environment.
If you will arrive in the Chicago area by airplane and need a ride to campus, you might wish to call one of the numerous car services in the area. Call at least two days in advance of your arrival. Sycamore Transportation Service can be reached at (815) 899-1902. Some student organizations will also offer transportation from O’Hare and Midway airports for new students.
Your first days on campus will be busy. When you arrive, you will complete an orientation program sponsored by the International Student and Faculty Office and, effective Fall 2007, one sponsored by the Graduate School. Your department might also hold an orientation event. You will need to meet with your advisor and establish a program of courses that you will pursue.
You will also need to visit Health Services on campus. Before coming to the U.S., you should be examined by his or her family doctor before coming to the United States. Required student fees, assessed at the time of registration, include a fee that entitles the student to the services of the University Health Service. Foreign students are also required to purchase health insurance through the Student Insurance Office, or to provide evidence that they have comparable or better hospital-medical insurance coverage. New students are also required to provide evidence of immunity to rubeola, rubella, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus, and mumps, or to provide evidence of exemption from this requirement.