New Student Information

International@Midd Orientation Pathway

At our program in Middlebury, Vermont the International@Midd Orientation pathway programming offered by International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) is intended for international students including the following members of the Middlebury College Class of 2029:

• Students seeking to obtain F-1 visa status
• Exchange students (those seeking J-1 visa status)
• U.S. (and dual citizenship) students living abroad
• International transfer students
• Students holding various other statuses

International students in the Class of 2029 as well as international Transfer and Exchange Students will arrive on campus for orientation a week before the fall semester classes begin on Monday, September 8. The International@Midd pathway within orientation is tailored to your needs and required for students intending to be in F-1 and J-1 status. More regular communication from Orientation will be shared with students in mid-May. For more information about Orientation, go to the Fall Orientation website. 

Pre-Arrival Guide & Form I-20/Form DS-2019 Process

• This guide provides information about Orientation and the International@Midd pathway, I-20/DS-2019 application process (for students who require visa support), the International Students’ Organization (ISO) Welcome, the Friends of International Students (FIS) Host Program, FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions, Travel to Middlebury College, and Action Items. Go to Guide!

  Watch here for updates for the Class of 2029. 

• The Form I-20/Form DS-2019 application and issuance process is shared with all deposited students via email from ISSS.
  • For Fall entrants, this email is sent no later than early April.
  • For Spring entrants, this email is sent no later than late October.

If you believe you have extenuating circumstances that impact the issuance timeline, please email ISSS (isss@middlebury.edu).

Frequently Asked Questions

What to bring with me?

For more information about recommended items to bring with you to campus, including what is prohibited on campus, please visit the What to Pack? website. 

Where can I mail my items prior to arriving on campus?

Mail and packages are delivered to McCullough Student Center. Your address is as follows:

Student Full Name

14 Old Chapel Rd
[Mail ID#] Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT 05753

You can begin shipping items to campus to arrive no earlier than 2 to 3 days before your approved campus move-in day.

Mailbox information, including hours the Mail Center is open and how to mail packages, is found here. Postage stamps can be purchased at the Middlebury College Store and Midd-Xpress, our convenience store in the McCullough Student Center.

For packages, we recommend using a service you can track, such as UPS, FedEx, and insured, certified, or registered mail. You will receive an email when your packages have been processed and you will need your student IDs for pickup. Pickup instructions will be included in your email. Packages should not weigh more than 50 lbs.

Where can I purchase supplies?

If you would like to purchase supplies or gear, the Middlebury College Store will be open from 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday-Friday. It is located in the Proctor basement. 

The Middlebury Shop which carries Middlebury gear, will be open from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday-Friday. It is located on Main Street in downtown Middlebury.

You will also have a few opportunities during the week of Orientation to do some shopping with the help of your International Orientation Leaders. 

Where can I find information about housing?

Housing assignments for incoming new students are typically released about a week before new students arrive to campus. When housing assignments are ready, students will receive an email from the Residential Life team letting them know that their housing information is ready to view within the housing portal. It will include both building/room information and if they have a roommate. Additional housing information can be found on the Residential Life website.

What if I or someone traveling with me requires accommodations? 

We hope to make your visit to campus as successful as possible. If you or a member of your party has needs regarding mobility, or visual or hearing impairments, please contact us at isss@middlebury.edu or +1-802-443-5858. You will also have an opportunity to share this information when completing the Travel Plans form that will be sent to you by the end of June.

*ASL interpreters are available upon request with advanced notice.

Can I do banking on campus?

Banks in town accept student accounts and have cash machines, and there are several on-campus Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs). Students may cash up to $50 in traveler’s checks at the Cashier’s Office, as well as checks from parents or guardians when made payable to a student. One day’s notice is required to cash a check for more than $50. 

You will receive additional information about setting up a bank account in upcoming messaging and once you arrive for International Orientation, including an opportunity to visit a local bank during the Orientation week. 

How do we get sim cards?

The town of Middlebury has two places, AT&T and Verizon, that offer both prepaid and postpaid phone lines. You should check their websites for rates. Additionally, some stores sell a variety of sim cards with cheaper prices, but their signal might be too spotty for our campus location. 

If you are bringing your own phone, make sure it is not locked to a cell service provider or regionally locked. This will prevent any sim card bought in the United States to work with it.

Lastly, please note that you may not have time to get a phone line in the first few days of arriving on campus. The International Pre-Orientation schedule is packed and running concurrent with Orientation. We suggest you use messaging apps that work with Wi-Fi to keep in touch with your loved ones until you get a sim card. All campus buildings have Wi-Fi and the connection can extend to some outside spaces as well. Please do not hesitate to ask an ISSS staff member to assist you if contacting home/someone important to you is becoming difficult. We want to ensure you are able to notify those most important to you that you arrived safely!

Updated on 04/30/2025