Transfer Student

Plan your trip wisely and accordingly:

A special early move-in day for international students has been arranged for Sunday, August 19 (move-in times are limited to 12pm - 3pm and 8pm - 10pm), so that you can participate fully in Transitions (international student orientation) which begins on Monday, August 20.
The International Student and Scholar Services office will provide 3 special JMU buses from Washington DC International Airport [IAD] to JMU on Sunday August 19 at 10am, 2pm and 5pm. To take advantage of this special service (this one and only time to ensure that you attend Transitions), make sure to complete this online Arrival Form no later than August 5th.

The 10am JMU Bus [J] will be picking up JMU students from the DoubleTree by Hilton Sterling - Dulles Airport. A special rate of $69 per night has been arranged for anyone staying over in this hotel [make sure to ask for or to mention: Study Group rate]. The DoubleTree By Hilton Sterling hotel provides a free courtesy bus to and from the airport!
The 2pm JMU Bus [M] and the 5pm JMU Bus [U] will be picking up JMU students from the IAD- Dulles International Airport in the International Arrivals Area.

If you should need to arrive earlier in Harrisonburg, you should consider taking a connecting flight to Staunton/ Shenandoah Regional Airport [SHD] as there is no convenient and cheap way to get from IAD to Harrisonburg at this time of the year. Once in Harrisonburg, we recommend that you stay at the Best Western hotel. Due to its convenient location and the special JMU rate of $60 [make sure to ask for or to mention: JMU student rate].

In order for your advisor to be able to work with you to determine appropriate classes,the university must have an official copy of your college level work completed outside JMU as soon as possible. Any work completed at an American College or University can be submitted directly to the office of the Registrar at:

Office of the Registrar James Madison University 800 S Main Street - MSC 3528 Harrisonburg, VA 22807 USA

If you have completed university/college level work at a university outside the United States , then you must submit your transcript to one of the global evaluation services. Until our registration office has received a copy of your work translated by one of these services we will not be able to determine appropriate classes for you to register in.  The following is a list of global evaluation services. This is not a comprehensive list, these are just some of the services we have received transcripts from previously.  Choose the Global Evaluator according to your preferences. The university does not endorse any one service.

When you submit your work to the Global Evaluation Service of your choice please have the service mail your results directly to the registrar at the following address:

JMU Office of International Admissions 481 Bluestone Drive - MSC 0101 Harrisonburg, VA 22807 - USA

Please keep in mind the university may not be able to count all previous college/university work you have completed toward specific requirements in your major, minor, general education or degree requirements. In other words, please note that the global evaluation is simply a translation of your work, it is NOT a guarantee of credit.

When you arrive in August you will be given a copy of your schedule for the semester.  An advisor will explain how the credits you are registered in will count for general education, degree requirements, electives and possibly major requirements.

Please keep in mind the following two points:

• If you attend June/July Orientation you will register for classes at that time.
• You may only be registered into one or two classes that count for your major during your first semester and this is considered “typical” for JMU students.

For questions related to transfer of credits, contact JoAnn Benjamin.

The Off Campus Life office has an online housing and roommate database: which makes it very convenient for anyone to look for available apartments, roommates and/or sublets. Finding a single apartment is very rare. What you also need to take into consideration is also the fact that some apartments may not be furnished. You will need to find out where the apartments are located, in relations to the bus route. Furthermore some students may like to party more than you or may not like to clean up after themselves… so once you find a place that would work, you will need to make sure to get in touch with all of your roommates (most likely three – most of the apartments are set up as follows: 4 bedroom apt. with 2 bathrooms, a shared kitchen and living area) to figure out if you are compatible and if you think it will work. Please note: if you do not have a social security number you may be expected to pay a deposit equivalent to 3 times your monthly lease. Feel free to contact Thomas Lavenir for further assistance and especially as you may need a special letter from me to allow you to move-in earlier than the official contract date (to ensure that you can get settled-in before Transitions begins)!

Contact Thomas Lavenir for general inquiries and potential suggestions.

All international students will be enrolled in mandatory health insurance with Cultural Insurance Services International, CISI. Your insurance card, policy information and claim form can be obtained from the International Student & Scholar Services Office

If you currently have an insurance policy that will cover you for your duration of your academic career and meets certain requirements, you may be exempt from the insurance fee placed on your account. If you wish to apply for a waiver for this coverage with CISI, you must complete an Insurance Waiver Form and return it in person to ISSS along with a copy of your policy in English. Please note that you must submit your waiver request no later than the first Friday of the semester, and that the waiver must be approved by ISSS.

To obtain an estimated breakdown of the expenses that you can expect as a JMU student, go to t the University Business Office’s website. Please note that the cost of textbooks (approximately $300/semester), for example, is not included!

To view your bill, you need to login to QuickBill by accessing it on e-campus (for students). QuikBill provides you and your family with instant access to your student account charges. QuikBill is currently configured so that the student is the only who can view and pay his or her bill online through this system. If a family member or sponsor of that student needs access to QuikBill, the student will need to enable this individual to view and/or pay the bill by creating an account for this individual. Also through QuickBill, an installment payment plan can be set-up. To make payments towards your tuition and bills, you can:

• wire funds to JMU. All funds need to be in U.S. dollars and sent to:
  
  Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
  420 Montgomery Street, 7th Fl.
  San Francisco, CA 94104-1298
  ABA Number: 121000248
  Swift Code: WFBIUS6S
  Chips Participants Code: 0407
  Account Number: 91930000000000002
  Checking Account Name: JMU Concentration Depository
  Cage Number: OE9W6
  EIN Number: 546001756
  Originator to Beneficiary Info: Include Student's Name and Student ID Number for identification of recipient
  Electronic Funds Coordinator: Tammy L Kiser - (540) 568-7907
  
  
• pay online by credit card. [Pleas note that JMU handles MasterCard, American Express or the Discovery card only].
• Set-up a bank account in the U.S. This will facilitate the transfer of funds from your home country to the U.S. You will then be able to write checks and/or transfer money directly from your bank account to your JMU student account online. A trip to the downtown Bank of America will be scheduled during the first or second week of classes .

In the winter we have snow and ice. You will want a warm coat to wear as you walk between classes on campus. The normal winter temperature is in the range of 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit (around 0 degrees Celsius) although, it can get as cold as 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit (around -15 degrees Celsius).
Organize your passport and all of your visa documents and supporting documents in one place on your person, not in your checked luggage so that they are easy to find and manage. Make sure that you have your:

• (a) valid passport with proper, currently valid stamp;
• (b) form I-20 or DS-2019;
• (c) evidence of funding as appropriate to the visa classification and your intended activities in the U.S.;
• (d) contact information for the International Student and Scholar Services;
• (e) your SEVIS receipt.

Thomas Lavenir for information related to Transitions and to the different steps that you need to fulfill.

Gina Kudrav for information related to immigration and visas.

JoAnn Benjamin regarding academic transfer related questions, comments and/or concerns.