New Students

• Admissions
• Pre-departure Information
• Orientation
• International Friends Program
• Academic Advising
• Useful Information

Welcome, New International Students!

A Word from the Director of the International Student Program, Addy Spitzer

Congratulations on your admission to the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University! We are excited about you becoming part of our community. This year we will have international students from about 40 countries studying here. We are proud of our diverse student body and know you will be an outstanding addition to our campus life.

Our office is committed to helping students from other countries make a successful transition from home to studies in a foreign country. For example, a special orientation program for new international students is held the week before classes begin. Topics include: the U.S. academic system, residential life, immigration information, and adjusting to a new culture. You will also have the opportunity to meet the “international student consultants” who are the student workers in our office. They will be meeting with small groups of students during our international experience to help answer any additional questions you may have. They will be a great resource for you!

Please make your travel arrangements so that you can arrive in time to attend our International Student Experience,  Wednesday August 22. You will be receiving information from the housing offices regarding moving into your room during summer.  First year students from the United States will begin moving into their rooms on Saturday, August 25. We encourage all new students to go to the first year orientation sessions that will begin on Saturday, August 25, and will continue until the first day of classes, Wednesday, August 29. There will also be a variety of activities during the first several weeks of the semester that we encourage you to attend! It is a great way to learn about the campuses and to make new friends!!

Our office will be assisting you with your immigration questions and paperwork. At “international student experience” we will be collecting your passports, I-20, I-94 and SEVIS forms in order to copy the relevant information. We will be returning your documents to you later that day. In the meantime, feel free to contact me with any questions you might have. And, if you would like to be in touch with a current international student, let me know and one of our international student consultants will be happy to assist you with any questions you may have.

We extend to you our best wishes for a pleasant trip to Minnesota and trust you will find your stay at CSB/SJU to be both challenging and rewarding. We look forward to meeting you during orientation!

Welcome to the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s  family!

Sincerely,

Addy Spitzer, Director of International Student Program

email: aspitzer@csbsju.edu
Phone: (320) 363-5704

The International Student Consultants:  
Vedrana Gracanin, Nibras Hanna, Nermin Hujdurovic, and Nakita Poon Kong.

email: intstdcon@csbsju.edu
Phone: (320) 363-5294