Arrival & Orientation

Fall 2024 & Spring 2025 Arrival Details

* Campus accommodations will not open prior to New International Student Orientation. Student will need to arrive to the Piedmont Triad area at least the day before orientation. Information will be provided to help new students secure alternate accommodation arrangements until they can move on campus. 

In order to enter the United States as a citizen of a foreign country, you’ll need a valid nonimmigrant or immigrant visa. Typically, this will be an F-1 visa, a nonimmigrant student visa that permits studying a degree at a college or university in the United States.

Application Instructions

Review Visa Application & Renewal Instructions for our 10 step guide to applying for an F-1 visa.

In Summary

1. Download copies of your acceptance letter and Form I-20.
2. Once received, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.
3. Follow the instructions on the website of the embassy or consulate where you will apply for a visa.
4. Participate in your visa interview.
5. Prepare for your travels!

Please read the important guidelines below in order to ensure that you have as smooth an arrival as possible.

When to Arrive

Please plan your flight so that you arrive at High Point at least the day before Move-In Day, the first day of orientation events. Generally, you’ll want to arrive in the Piedmont Triad the Wednesday before classes begin, but check with the Arrival Details tab for your semester’s dates.

Arriving the day before Move-In Day will give you a chance to stay overnight in a local hotel and recover a bit from jetlag before moving into on-campus accommodations. As orientation begins early in the day, you’ll likely not be able to arrive and start the required orientation events on the first day of orientation.

How to Route Your Flight(s)

The closest airport to High Point University is Piedmont-Triad International Airport (GSO, also known informally as the Greensboro Airport). We strongly advise that you plan your flights to land at GSO as your final destination. If you fly into other airports, the expense of traveling to High Point can be quite high.

How Should I Prepare for My Trip?

Before you leave for the United States, familiarize yourself with the documents you will need when you arrive. Required documents include your: Passport, Visa, Form I-20.  It is also smart to have your acceptance letter, proof of financial ability, and any other supporting documentation with you, in case the Customs and Border Protection officer asks for them.  You should carry your original travel documents on you at all times while traveling and should travel with ALL issued I-20s. Be prepared to show the most recent Form I-20 upon entrance at Customs and Border Protection. Do not put them in your checked baggage. For more information on traveling to the United States, visit the Getting to the United States page.

Once You Land

If you land at GSO on the arrival date listed above between 9:00 A.M. and 9:00 P.M. (as we are suggesting), our staff from the Office of Global Education will be present to greet you at the airport in the baggage claim! We will help you request a shuttle to your night’s hotel accommodation.

Where to Stay Once You Arrive

The Office of Global Education recommends that you spend the night before orientation at our recommended hotel (the Greensboro – High Point Marriott Airport) next to GSO/PTI (the Greensboro-High Point/Piedmont Triad International Airport), so that you are ready to move onto campus the next morning.  We have partnered with this hotel to provide a discounted rate for international students/families, and this special rate is also available before/after the arrival date, in case you need to add on some nights.  We then provide a free shuttle pick-up on the morning of orientation to transport hotel guests to campus (see more on that below).

**If you choose to stay elsewhere or fly into a different airport, you will be responsible for transporting yourself to the Marriott hotel or to campus. Please be aware that although flights may be cheaper for Raleigh (RDU) or Charlotte (CLT), it is at least a 1.5 hour drive between these airports and the GSO/PTI airport, which means that it can be a costly shuttle/taxi.

Booking your Hotel

• Visit the Marriott GSO booking page: https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/gsonc-greensboro-high-point-marriott-airport/.
• Select your dates (for most students, this will just be one night).
• Under the “Special Rates” drop-down, select “Corp/Promo Code” and type in HPJ, then click “Done” at the bottom.  This is the ONLY way to access our discounted booking rate – You must enter in this code first.
• Then, click “View Rates.”

You may notice some wording on the website that would suggest that you must be 21 or older to book a room.  We called the hotel to verify this policy, and wanted to let you know that you do NOT need to be 21+ to make the reservation, as guests of High Point University.  Just be prepared to at least show a form of identification (your passport).

If your flight is scheduled to land at the GSO/PTI (Greensboro) airport before 9:00 P.M. EST (Eastern Standard Time) on the arrival date, a member of the Office of Global Education will be in the lower level baggage claim area to assist you with getting to the Marriott GSO hotel.  There is a hotel shuttle that runs 24 hours on-demand that can be requested simply by calling their front desk (+1 336 852 6450).  Our staff will assist you with either calling the shuttle or helping you walk directly to the hotel (if you would prefer to walk).

If you arrive after-hours, and cannot place the call on your phone, there is a courtesy phone on the baggage claim level where you can call the front desk to request a ride.

International Student Orientation

Mandatory orientation begins at 9:00 A.M. on the Thursday before classes start in August and January.

Orientation will kick off in Cottrell Hall, the home of the Global Education Office. We’ll meet in the first-floor lecture hall named Baur Institute for Executive Education. When you enter through the main doors in the front center of the building, walk through the lobby to the center lecture hall. Global Education staff will be present to greet you and guide you to the correct location.

• We’ll have a light breakfast on campus upon arrival, but it’s advised that you eat breakfast at your hotel before meeting the shuttle bus.
• The Office of Global Education will provide a complimentary shuttle service to the HPU campus from the Marriott Greensboro Airport hotel on the morning of orientation.
• Shuttle pick-up will be at 8:30 A.M.
• Please be checked out of your room with all of your luggage and ready outside of the hotel to board the shuttle at 8:30 A.M.

What can I expect for orientation?

There are two parts to the orientation: International Student Orientation and New Student Orientation. International Student Orientation will take place on Thursday and Friday.

Thursday is dedicated to getting you settled into campus. Throughout the day, we’ll:

• get your HPU Student ID Card (known as the “Passport”) made and activated.
• give you your residence hall keys and help you access your room.
• take a trip to a nearby home goods store to purchase any items you may need for your room.
• enjoy a lunch together.

Then, you’ll be free for the evening to get your room set up and rest before Friday’s full schedule.

Friday is dedicated to orientating you to life in the United States and, specifically, to High Point University. We’ll be together for the majority of the day, discussing:

• higher education in the United States.
• academics and campus life at High Point University as it relates to international students.
• immigration basics and how to maintain your lawful status as an international student.
• resources available to you as a student living on campus.
• technology needs and preparing for classes.
• library services and accessing academic resources.
• exploration of campus and how to find what you need before you need it.

Throughout the weekend, you’ll then take part in the New Student Orientation alongside all new students beginning at HPU. Information about these events will be provided by the Office of Admissions. Please read over all materials that you are sent from HPU, as they will describe your day-to-day schedule in detail.

Required orientation events last through Sunday. Classes begin on Monday. For these and other dates, check the academic calendar on the Details tab above.

Be sure to complete the following steps on your Admissions Portal by clicking on the links under “Enrollment Checklist”

1. Student Account Center (to create an account and pay your bill).
2. Medical History/Immunization Form (this must be provided prior to the start of the semester).
3. Student Health Insurance (Information about HPU-provided plan).
4. Insurance Opt-Out (If you elect to purchase your own [equivalent] health insurance plan.

Then, click on each of the Purple Buttons to finalize your enrollment:

1. Arrival Information (upload your flight itinerary here and provide information for orientation events).
2. Book My Hotel (this is the link to the preferred hotel which provides an HPU special rate).
3. Course Preferences (for exchange and study abroad students only: start selecting courses and building your schedule).