New Student Information
Congratulations on your acceptance to Middlebury College!
Orientation for International Students - Requirements & Information
International students in the Class of 2030 as well as international Transfer and Exchange Students will arrive on campus for orientation a day before the fall orientation begins. The programming for international students during orientation is tailored to your needs and required for students intending to be in F-1 and J-1 status. F-1 and J-1 International Programming is required, which means your designated arrival day is mandatory. A final schedule will be available later in the summer. If you have questions, please contact ISSS (isss@middlebury.edu).
The New Student Orientation website is an important resource for new incoming international students; be sure to look for the Required for International Students designation to become familiar with your required international programming of events and sessions. It will be very important not to miss these designated sessions particularly for those students in F-1 and J-1 status.
The New Student Onboarding course is another valuable resource to assist you with pre-arrival preparations, to include mandatory documentation and information the college requires of you. Please make this course a priority. Failure to complete aspects of this course may prevent your smooth transition onto campus and/or delay your ability to move into your residence hall.
Information is available for new students regarding housing on the Residential Life website.
Watch here for more information specifically for new international students.
Campus Arrival & Check-in Information
International students must check in on the new student arrival day (Wednesday, September 9, 2026). Check-in details will be confirmed in the coming months. The college is unable to accommodate earlier arrivals; please contact ISSS (isss@middlebury.edu) and Orientation (orientation@middlebury.edu) if you have any questions.
Priority Check-in: 9AM to 12PM
After 12PM, Orientation will be sending instructions on how to request a late arrival. Late arrivals must be confirmed by the college. Until you receive instructions for this process, there is nothing further to do.
Those who are able to consider arriving into the U.S. or Vermont before Wednesday, September 9, are encouraged to do so at their expense to ensure the ability to arrive on campus within the designated priority check-in time indicated above. We recognize that transportation options can be limited, so we appreciate your best effort in meeting this priority check-in.
You will also receive specific instructions about the location of check-in, along with parking and other important details to help in your planning for your arrival to campus on Wednesday, September 9. This email will be sent by Orientation.
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?
The campus Mail Center handles the receipt and processing of mail to the campus. Learn more about the requirements by visiting the Mail Center webpage. Mail and packages are delivered to McCullough Student Center.
Your Mailing Address
Mail ID will be assigned to students prior to arrival; you may still send packages without the Mail ID as a new student.
Full Student Name
14 Old Chapel Road
[Mail ID#] Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT 05753
Shipping to Campus
You can begin shipping items to campus to arrive no earlier than 2 to 3 days before your approved campus move-in day. For packages, it is recommended to use a service that can track the package such as FedEx, UPS, DPS and consider insuring the package. For some mail, it may be important to send it certified or registered. More information about how to pick up a package is explained on the Mail Center webpage.
Where can I purchase supplies?
Online & Town Shopping
Many students use online shopping options and have things shipped to campus. There are also local stores in the town of Middlebury, such as food stores, pharmacy, hardware store, secondhand/reuse stores (clothing and items gently used for resale), and off-price stores (where brand-name and designer apparel, footwear, home fashion, and accessories are sold at prices generally 20% to 60% lower than traditional stores).
Campus Shopping
The Middlebury College Store offers supplies and gear and is located in Proctor basement.
Midd Express is the campus convenience store located on the first floor (ground level) of McCullough Student Center). It offers a variety of snacks and food, as well as everyday essentials like toiletries, postage stamps, and greeting cards—everything you need, all in one spot.
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 (ResLife) 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 ResLife Housing Information website and the New Student housing webpage.
Can I do banking on campus?
Banks in town accept student accounts and have cash machines. 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. More information is available on our Living in Middlebury webpage.
How do we get sim cards?
The town of Middlebury has a few places, AT&T, Verizon, and Tech Medic-Middlebury 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 Orientation schedule is busy. 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!
Arrival to Campus - Transportation Options
Airport, Train, and Bus Arrivals to Middlebury, Vermont
Students planning to arrive to Burlington airport (BTV), using train (Amtrak) or bus directly to Middlebury, Vermont will have the opportunity to receive free transportation to campus on arrival day (Wednesday, September 9) only. More information about this service will be available soon.
Be aware there are two Middlebury train stations:
MBY - 30 Middle Seymour St.
MIY - 130 Storrs Ave. (service switches to bus service for last leg)
The bus station is located at 130 Storrs Ave. It is a curbside drop-off without any shelter on the edge of campus.
Arriving by Car to Middlebury, Vermont
Signs will be placed throughout the town of Middlebury to help guide those using their own transportation plans to the check-in location, as well as parking for those who will need it. Please do your best to arrive during the designated check-in time .
You may also find the interactive campus map useful. Type in the name of the building you wish to locate in the upper left text field; you must click on the corresponding search result found on the left side of the page - interactive map.
Travel Documents You Will Need
What documents to travel with if entering the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 status
- You should carry with you on the plane your passport with the applicable visa stamp in it (F-1 or J-1, if applicable) and the paper version of your I-20 for F-1 status / DS-2019 for J-1 status. Be sure that you have printed out, signed/dated the I-20/DS-2019 (the I-20 is a 3-page document, and the DS-2019 is a 2-page double-sided document). You MUST sign and date your I-20/DS-2019 for it to be valid.
- Digital copies of these documents are not sufficient for entering the U.S., so please be sure to bring the printed version of your I-20/DS-2019.
- Do NOT place your I-20 / DS-2019 in your checked baggage; always carry it closely with you and do NOT leave the paper version at home.
- You MUST travel with a paper I-20 / DS-2019 that you have signed and dated.
- At no point are you expected or required to give up your I-20/DS-2019; the border official may make a copy of your documents but may not keep it.
- You should also carry the following documents with you in case the port of entry/border official asks for more information:
- SEVIS fee payment receipt (printed to carry as a paper receipt) - https://www.fmjfee.com/i901fee/index.htm (click on the “check I-901 Status” button at top of page)
- Proof of financial ability (what you submitted for your I-20/DS-2019 application)
- Proof of admission and enrollment, i.e., Admission letter, printout of your class schedule
- Whenever you apply to enter the United States, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) determines your eligibility for entry. Be prepared to answer questions about your purpose while in the United States. CBP has authority to ask many questions, including requesting access to your phone or other electronic devices. Read about your rights at: Immigrants’ Rights | American Civil Liberties Union .
Updated on 04/14/2026