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1.	Travel and General Tips: Documents
	Passport / Photocopies Admission Letter I-20 & VISA photocopies Credentials Transcripts Recommendation Letters GRE / TOEFL Score Sheets Medical Fitness Certificate Health History Form Vaccination Certificate MMR, TB test Medical Prescription of all medicines College Leaving Certificate Foreign Clearance from Income Tax Dept International Driving License (I.D.P.) Receipts of travelers’ cheques Immigration form (you will get this in the airplane before you land in your port of entry) Your academic memos Certificates should be in your cabin baggage/hand carry. You will have to show your Passport, Visa, I-20 at every security. So try to keep it in reach. Also, remember to collect it back. You may forget something back in hurry. Please carry photocopies of your visa, passport and I-20 in each of your carry-on/cabin and check-in baggage. This would be a big help in the extremely rare event of loss or theft Complete the health documentation that you may have to submit when you arrive here. This includes the form that you get along with your welcome package and documents which say that you have taken the MMR shots. You would need to take 2 MMR shots with at least a month’s gap between them Carry at least one phone number of any person in Lawrence. Make sure that you have emailed that person that you will be carrying his/her telephone number. You would need to carry prescriptions for medicine that you are carrying along with you, you could leave the prescription in your check in baggage along with your medicines and in case some of your medicines are in the cabin baggage then it makes sense to have the prescription in your cabin baggage. Financial documents should also be in your cabin baggage. Details about DD for fees and other relevant information are included in the Finance section. Having an International Driving Permit (IDP) is helpful but not necessary. Make your passport valid for 6 months more than your stay indicated in your I-20. Check your passport expiry date and make sure it is more than your I-20. Have a complete medical checkup done. Have 2 Skin PPD TB tests done in India as University requires 2 Skin PPD tests for TB to be done in past 6 months of you coming here. For TB testing, carry chest X-Ray in case you come positive then you can show it. X-Ray is expensive in US. Get your eyesight checked - get a new prescription. Buy at least one extra pairs of glasses, lenses. Eye-check up is very expensive in the USA. You require your provisional or degree completion certificate (sometimes they do not accept a provisional from some universities), which has to be submitted at the graduate school. So if you happen to come here as soon as you graduate apply for it. Contact KUCIC for temporary accommodation and ask them about arrival on the campus. (On Kansas City International Airport you have to pay $1.50 -3.00 in the form of quarters for taking luggage cart. So keep change in the form of quarters with you). You might have to pay $2 at your port of entry also for luggage cart. So please do carry change worth $25, so that you can buy food items at airport in between your flight. Try to reach Lawrence before evening. This will help you for easy navigation
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2.	Things to be left behind in India
	Copies of book containing addresses of friends & relatives Photocopies of original documents and copies of passport with visa and any endorsements, if any Medical history file (Photocopies) Few blank signed papers Passport size photos Photocopy of issue slip of traveler’s checks It is a good idea to give power of attorney to a member of the family Copies of book containing addresses of friends & relatives Copies of book containing addresses of friends & relatives Copies of book containing addresses of friends & relatives
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3.	Housing Arrangements
	Common housing options: Lawrence Apartments Most of the Indian students live in few of the listed apartment complexes Park 25 Apartments SouthPointe Apartments Villa 26 Apartments Malls Olde English Campus Court at Naismith The details of these and more apartments are listed in the link above. There are some students who stay in university dormitories and other apartments. Please check the list of housing options above. We can guide you to find a reasonable living option once you get here On-Campus housing options: KU Housing Temporary Accommodation We at the KUCIC work hard to make sure that every new student is provided temporary accommodation and necessary help in their easy transition of life in the US. For temporary accommodation, a new student needs to inform us at around 3 weeks in advance of your arrival. Such accommodation will be offered for at most 1 week (or till the host permits) after which the new student would be required to secure permanent housing. If you need temporary accommodation, please contact Anand Joshi (jsh_nnd@yahoo.com) for further help. Please give us atleast a week to process your information. We will get back to you as soon as we find a suitable host for you.
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4.	Clothing and Personal Items
	We have compiled a list of necessary things. These suggested items can serve as a guide for your preparations. Please use your discretion for deciding on the things you might want to bring. You are encouraged to contact us if you have any questions or need any clarifications. Thermal wear (1-2 Pair) Handkerchiefs (6) Shorts (4) Formal Shirts (2-5) T-shirts (6-7) Trousers (2-3) Jeans (4-5) Undergarments (up to 18) Ties (2-3) Belts (2-3) Pillow cover (2) Bed Sheets (2) Blankets (1) Formal Leather shoes (1) Sports Shoes (1) Sandals (1) Hawai Chappals (1) Socks (10 pairs) Tooth Brush (3) Tooth Paste Comb Shaving Items (To be in check-in luggage not in cabin luggage) Towels (2) Nail Cutter (To be in check-in luggage not in cabin luggage) Bath Soap Stationery such as (Pen, Pencil, Eraser, Stapler, Fevicol / gum-paste, Calculator) Reference Books Perfumes/ deodorants Alarm clock Hair-Oil Woolen Sweaters (2) Woolen Hand gloves (Leather style if possible) Safety-pins Blades (To be in check in luggage not in cabin luggage) Caps Air Mail cards and blank envelops. Wristwatch Boot Polish Swimwear Umbrella Stitching Kit Shampoo Hangers Calendar in local language Mirror Candles and match box Cassettes.
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5.	Utensils/Cooking Items
	Pressure cooker (5-7 liters). Microwavable Mugs (2). Small Spoons for regular purpose (6-12). Big Spoons (ladle) for cooking Bring 3 - 4 utensils for cooking (Flat Bottom) Frying pan (flat bottom) Knife (2) Plastic Bowls Plastic dishes Tea Strainer Peeler A plastic container for storing everyday spices Microwavable utensils. (Dishes, bowls etc) Rolling Pin (Belan / Latne) – For making chapattis Rolling board (Chakla / Polpat) – For making chapattis
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6.	Medicines
	Fever reducers Pain Relievers Anti-allergy, cough and cold medicines Band-aids (cotton and bandages) Ointments for burns, cuts, etc Medicine for diarrhea, stomach ache Pain relieving sprays/ointments Moisturizing cream Medicines that you take commonly 2 – 3 Inhaler for asthmatic patient Ask your family doctor to prepare a medical kit that suits best to you Please carry prescriptions from your doctor for any chronic illness or medical condition. It is advisable to take the immunization shots in India. This immunization information is required for your enrollment at KU and the International Student and Scholar Services will send you necessary information about it. Please do bring proper documents suggesting that you have taken the required shots.
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7.	Food Items
	Masala Items Sambar Masala Goda Masala Pavbhaji Masala Chat Masala Hing (Asafetida) Cloves (Small quantity) Red Chilly Powder Cumin seeds Mustard seeds Turmeric Powder Small quantities of dals (Toor dal, mug dal) Tea (1 small packet) Coffee (1 Small Packet) Pickle Bottles (Sealed containers) Papads (2-3 pack small) Poha Rava Grounded peanuts All the items are available in Indian / Asian grocery stores in the United States. Please make sure that you pack everything well to prevent leakage in your baggage.
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8.	Miscellaneous
	It is advisable to get a driving license and an IDP (International Driving Permit) Get a good leather purse that has several sections of 'visiting card' size. You will need those for the bunch of credit cards/key cards/IDs etc. Indian electric appliances will not work in the US due to different power outlets
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9.	Books
	Books are cheaper in India and it is a good idea to get the required books from India. You can discuss the requirements of books with senior students or professors in your department.
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10.

Finance

Tuition

Being an international student, you have to be a full time student i.e. you should be enrolled for 9 credit hours for graduate students and 12 credit hours for undergraduate students. The university will allow the students to pay their academic fees up to one month after the classes start. We strongly recommend you to get the fees for the first semester in the form of demand draft drawn in the favor of ‘The University of Kansas’

Funding

If a student gets a research or teaching assistantship, it generally pays your tuition and provides a monthly stipend. Few incoming students get financial support in the first semester, so it is advisable to get in touch with the professors and senior students to get an idea about the funding in your department. If assistantship is not available, students might be able to find an on campus job with prior permission from the faculty, department and the International Student and Scholar Services.

Living Expenses

Living Expenses include housing rent, utility bills (electricity, phone, internet, cable), groceries and miscellaneous expenses. An average monthly expenditure of a student is about $400 to $500 (Rent: $200-$350 for a shared apartment; Groceries: $100-$150; Utilities: $50-$150; Cell phone: $40-$50).

Total Money to bring from India

Other than your tuition fees, it is advisable to bring ~$1500 - $2000. This will take care of your insurance cost, bus pass, opening bank account, laptop, apartment deposit and monthly rent. You might want to bring $25 in change with $1 denominations and quarters for luggage cart and buying miscellaneous items on the airport.

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11.	Immigration and Customs
	A new student will have to go through customs and immigration at your port of entry i.e. the first US city where your aircraft lands. Before the plane lands, the flight attendant will distribute customs declaration forms and immigration forms (you should keep your passport and I-20 / DS-2019 forms with you at all times – please do not put any of your immigration papers in your check-in luggage. You will have the two forms: (1) I-94 and (2) Customs Clearance Form These forms will be handed over to you about 30 minutes before you land. You can ask the air hostess if you need help in filling the form. The student is required to fill these forms in the plane and submit them to the appropriate US Customs authorities at the port of entry (e.g. New York, Chicago. Kansas City (MCI) airport may be your final destination and your port of entry is the city where your flight from India lands into the US. Please note this difference). Even if your luggage is booked through your final destination (which would most likely be Kansas City), the student is required to collect the baggage at the port of entry for customs formalities and rechecked for the next flight after the immigration formalities are completed. The customs inspector reviews the customs form and is allowed to inspect your bags. It is advisable to declare all the food, spices and edible liquid items to them. Pickles and spices will be allowed in check-in luggage in properly sealed packages. Perishable food items like fruits, vegetables are not allowed. Penalties for concealing declarable items can be severe, so please be honest and declare all the items in your baggage. After you clear the customs, you will be given a part of the I-94 form. Keep that card with you safely. This is a proof that you have entered the country and you are required to turn the I-94 card over to the airline authorities when you travel outside the United States. If you have questions about anything, always feel free to ask the officers at the airport. They are the most reliable sources of information pertaining to you.
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12.

On Getting into the United States of America

Reaching Lawrence

The closest airport to Lawrence is the Mid Continent International or Kansas City International airport (MCI) in Kansas City. For example if you were coming to Lawrence from Mumbai, your flight would be Mumbai- London-Chicago-Kansas City (BOM- LON-ORD-MCI).

Attending Orientation

KUCIC recommends that all new students attend the International Student Orientation. It is a wonderful opportunity for you to interact with other international students and members of the local community. For more details and registration for the orientation, please visit the following link: New Student's Orientation KU

Banking

One of the first things to do on coming to the US is to open a bank account, deposit money and travelers cheques. We will be glad to help you get started with banking and other necessary formalities.

Shopping

Lawrence has several shopping malls like Wal-Mart, Kohl’s, JC Penney, and Target to buy clothes, groceries etc. Many smaller stores with a variety of products are located on Massachusetts Street. The T bus system makes traveling very convenient and we also have the KU buses when school is in session. For more information check the City of Lawrence section

Food

Lawrence has a variety of eating joints to suit every palate. There are Indian restaurants and grocery stores to buy Indian groceries. See City of Lawrence and About Kansas City section for more information

People

Most people in Lawrence are very friendly and warm. You will see a diverse International Community here and we encourage you to get introduced with people of different cultures. Make the most of your experience in the United States

Climate

Lawrence has a climate typical to most parts of the United States. You will see all four seasons here. It gets really freezing in winter and very sunny and humid in summer. The campus is beautiful and picturesque throughout the year and once you will get on the campus, you will know why KU campus is rated among the top ten beautiful campuses in the USA.

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13.	After Arriving at Kansas City Airport
	Please come out of the security gate. On your right hand side, you will see a conveyor to collect your baggage. In case of missing or delayed baggage, find the airline authorities at their respective counters and fill a ‘Delayed Baggage Form’. You will have to provide them a temporary address and the airline will make arrangements to deliver your baggage at the temporary address you provided. It might take atleast one day before the baggage is delivered to you. So please keep all the important and necessary things in your carry-on (in flight) bag to be able to manage in Lawrence until your bag arrives. At the airport, you will have to pay $2 for a luggage cart. Collect your baggage and reach out to coin phone near the main gate. You can call free GTI (shuttle / transportation service) phone number 1 888 467 3729 to let them know that you have arrived. You could also contact any one of us Santosh Thakkar (001) 785 393 9672 or Anand Joshi (001) 785 979 3233 or Loya Sudarshan (001) 785 218 7548, if required. Occasionally, you might have to wait for half an hour at the airport before the shuttle could pick you. After your pickup from the Kansas City airport by the GTI shuttle service, they will drop you at your temporary address. Somebody will be available to receive you at the temporary accommodation address. The contact information of the person host at your temporary accommodation will be sent to you as a confirmation email. It is your responsibility to contact the person before you leave India.
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	Disclaimer
	We have tried our best to ensure the information here is authentic and exhaustive. This document is meant for information purposes only and you are encouraged to contact us for additional questions and obtain the most up to date information.
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