We look forward to welcoming you to the expansive Sewanee domain with our Southern charm, tight-knit community, and prestigious liberal arts education.

Connect with an international student
Pre-Arrival Information
Orientation 
Health Insurance
Short-Term Exchange Students
FRIENDSHIP FAMILY PROGRAM
Stem at Sewanee
 

Connect with a student

Our Global Arcadians want to connect with you! No matter where you're from, our current international students are ready to answer your questions about living and studying at Sewanee. While email is your first point of contact, many of these students are also delighted to connect with you over email, Skype, WeChat, WhatsApp, etc. If you have any questions about your application, decision, scholarship, etc., please direct these to Travis Parker. 

pre-arrival information

Sewanee is excited to share our newly created Sewanee International Student Guide to help international students prepare for their arrival and enrollment on campus. Comprehensive pre-arrival information, such as applying for a visa and entering the U.S., can be found by reviewing the forms on your Applicant Status Page. In addition, we have listed helpful resources below to provide more information on specific pre-arrival processes.

important dates
applying for a visa
entering the u.s.

ORIENTATION 

Orientation introduces students to campus, facilitates relationships among new and current students, reviews important governmental regulations, educates students on U.S. processes, such as medical care and insurance, and provides students the opportunity to get immunizations, apply for social security cards, and buy necessary personal items (e.g. clothes, toiletries, electronics, household, linens, etc). etc). We will provide meals for you, starting the first morning of international student orientation. 

  • New students will be divided into smaller groups at international student orientation, and these groups are led by a current international or domestic student, who is called an International Orientation Leader.
  • All new F-1 international students at the University of the South are required to attend international student orientation. Any student who has extensive experience living abroad, or who identifies more as an international student than a U.S. citizen, is welcome to attend international student orientation. Please contact Travis Parker for more information.
  • Plans for orientation are underway. The Office of Global Citizenship will communicate specifics to each student for the incoming Class of 2027.  
Tentative 2024 International Orientation Schedule
Date Details
Sunday, Aug. 11th Arrival & Check-into Residence Halls
Monday, Aug. 12th Welcome, International Orientation Sessions, Shopping trip for supplies, etc.
Tuesday, Aug. 13th  Orientation Sessions, Faculty meet and greet, connect with Friendship families, etc.
Wednesday, Aug. 14th  Final errands, and wrap-up.

 

Health Insurance

International students are enrolled in health insurance through Sewanee from August 1 through July 31. The insurance will be paid in full by the university for one full year, and you will see the charge on your student account. You can pay the balance on your student account in full, or you can arrange a payment plan. 

This video offers a good overview of health insurance and medical care in the U.S. It also has a closed caption option in multiple languages (see button at bottom right of video that says "CC"). .

Short-Term Exchange Students

Please contact the Office of Global Citizenship for information. 

FRIENDSHIP FAMILY PROGRAM

The Friendship Family Program gives students the opportunity to connect with American culture in a unique way by fostering relationships between students and local families. Students do not live with friendship families (students live on campus), but they can expect to spend time with their friendship families every couple of weeks. Typical friendship family activities include dinners, hikes, attending events on campus, etc. While there are not many requirements of the program, the more you put into it, the more you will get out of this relationship. 

  • Friendship family pairings are made for one academic year with the option to renew each year.
  • To sign up to receive a friendship family, students must complete the form on their Applicant Status Page.
  • If you are a local Sewanee resident, and you are interested in signing up to be a friendship family or individual, please contact our office.

Stem at Sewanee

There are many opportunities for STEM program graduates in the United States. Sewanee's STEM undergraduate majors are highlighted here:  

  • Biochemistry 
  • Biology 
  • Chemistry 
  • Computer Science 
  • Environment and Sustainability 
  • Environmental Arts and Humanities
  • Forestry 
  • Geology 
  • Mathematics 
  • Natural Resources and the Environment 
  • Neuroscience 
  • Physics

 

Please read some of our student testimonials below!

Friendship Family Testimonials

Bob Makhazu
C'24

A sense of belonging is one of the key attributes that the Sewanee community provides through the Friendship Family program. A few weeks after arriving on campus, I was introduced to a beautiful family that really became my pillars of comfort, motivation, mentorship, and most importantly, happiness. Having this family helped me to understand the Sewanee community more and enabled me to build strong relationships with the people around the university.

Coming to college as an international student requires one to have someone who is frequently around to check on you and help you navigate your way as a freshman. My Friendship Family helped me prepare for my classes and the semester. They invited me for family events that made me feel loved and engaged with them. I learn from their culture and they are open to hear from me about my culture. It's a joy to always be around them! I am really grateful for the Friendship Family program! 

Zimbabwe
Ngan Nguyen
C'24

My experience with my friendship family has been nothing short of amazing. When we don't meet, we often exchange conversations via Facebook and my friendship mom sends me handwritten letters occasionally. So far, I have been able to join them for hiking, carving pumpkins, making crafts, cooking hearty meals, and even went on a road trip with them. They also offered me to stay in their house during the winter break, which I'm very thankful for! During Tea Holiday (Lunar New Year in Vietnamese), my Friendship mom gifted me red envelopes and some candies so I could gift some to my friends. My Friendship Family makes me feel so much at home here in Sewanee! 

 

Vietnam