International Student Welcome (ISW)
International Student Welcome is designed to help you adjust to campus, learn about your new home, and make connections before the rest of the new students arrive and classes begin!
Please confirm your attendance at International Student Welcome by completing this form.
New International Student Arrival Day
Tuesday, August 20, 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
This day only we have a team ready to help you check in, get a PSU ID card and a U.S. cell phone number, establish a bank account, and move onto campus! You will not be granted access to your on-campus space any earlier than this date as this is already an early arrival to campus.
IMPORTANT NOTE: We recommend that you arrive BEFORE August 20 and stay in a local hotel so you can recover from jetlag and be ready to begin sessions on arrival day. If you stay in one of the hotels listed here, we can provide transportation to campus on the morning of arrival day (August 20).
International Student Welcome (ISW) Program
Wednesday, August 21–Friday, August 23
We provide a series of sessions that help you get adjusted to the U.S. and the Behrend campus, and prepare you to begin classes the following week!
Example sessions:
- Shopping Trips to Purchase the Essentials
- Campus Tours
- Health & Wellness and Health Insurance
- Peer-to-Peer Connection
- How to Pay Your Bill
Welcome Week for All New Students
Friday, August 23 (evening)–Sunday, August 25
Welcome Week is designed to help you build a network of friends and prepare to start college at Behrend. Here is the website where you can find the full schedule of events.
Arrival
Flight Information
You can fly directly to the Erie International Airport (airport code ERI). It is about a thirty-minute drive to campus. We do have the rideshare services Uber and Lyft operating in Erie, so you can utilize those options to get from the airport to your hotel or campus.
If you are willing to take a bus, you may also choose to fly into the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, or the Pittsburgh International Airport—all about a two-hour drive from Erie, PA.
- We do not recommend flying to any other U.S. cities, as transportation to campus will be more difficult and costly.
- Do not go to the airport in State College, Pennsylvania, where the University Park campus is located. State College is a four-hour taxi ride and there is no direct bus route.
Hotel Information
Because you will not be granted access to your on-campus space earlier than August 20, here is a list of hotels that you may consider. We provide transportation from the hotels listed on that website on the morning of August 20. You must register for this service by completing the confirmation form.