A List of Frequently Asked Questions for International Students
WHERE IS KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY? Kansas State University is located in the heartland of America on two campuses. The main campus which houses the Colleges of Agriculture, Architecture, Planning and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Engineering and Human Ecology is in the north part of the city of Manhattan, Kansas. There are about 38,000 residents in the community, which has 21 neighborhood parks, 14 movie screens, one major shopping mall with 65 shops, and a great zoo. The tree-shaded streets and walks and limestone buildings on this campus make it a beautiful setting for students and residents of the town. The Kansas State University College of Technology and Aviation is 70 miles west of Manhattan in the city of Salina. K-State at Salina is easily accessed from both I-70 and I-135. Salina is a regional trade center with two malls, four shopping centers, and a thriving business climate. There are about 45,000 residents in this community and the Bicentennial Center showcases a variety of entertainment from popular music groups to World Champion Wrestling. Back to top HOW DO I GET TO KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY? Kansas City International Airport (KCI) is 130 miles (208km) east of Manhattan. All major airlines offer KCI destination tickets. US Air Express flies into the Manhattan Airport offering shuttle service from KCI. Besides the flying shuttle mentioned above, you can also ride the shuttle bus, Traveler’s Express, from KCI to Manhattan, KS. The one-way charge with up to two suitcases and one carry on piece of luggage is $46.00 to Manhattan and you will be delivered to any location in Manhattan. The shuttle bus requires reservations. Call them in advance from your point of entry airport at 1-800-826-8294. There is no local bus service in the city of Manhattan. The International Student Center can arrange for volunteer students to meet your flight if you make prior arrangements. Write to the International Student Center, K-State, Manhattan, KS 66506 or call 785-532-6448. Their fax number is 785-532-6607 and the office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00am -noon and 1:00 -5:00pm. Taxi service is available from the Manhattan Airport and other locations in Manhattan. The distance from the airport to campus is approximately 5 miles (8 km) and the fare is about $15.00. You can also use the flying shuttle mentioned above to reach the Salina campus. The fares and travel times will be different but the services are essentially the same. There is local taxi service available in Salina as well, but you are encouraged to contact the Office of College Advancement when you reach your port of entry and they will help make necessary transportation arrangements from KCI to the college campus. That number is 785-536-6243. The Salina airport is less than 1 mile from the campus, so local transportation is easily arranged. Back to top WHAT IS THE STUDENT PROFILE AT KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY? There are approximately 20,000 students enrolled at K-State. About 1,000 students come from abroad to study at K-State representing 91 different countries. The majority of these students are graduate students, but approximately 200 are pursuing undergraduate studies. Nearly 90% of the student body are Kansas residents. But we are most proud of our "remarkable spirit" and "noteworthy" scholarship record, as noted in the North Central Association’s most recent accreditation report. Since 1986 K-State has ranked first nationally among US state universities in the total of Rhodes, Marshall, Truman and Goldwater scholars. K-Staters have excelled in nearly every discipline and won recognition for debating, agricultural judging teams, architectural designs, developing space exploration projects, electric cars, and other accomplishments. We also have some of the best professors in the nation. The Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching named Professor Dean Zollman the 1996 Professor of the Year for research/doctoral universities because of his novel approach to teaching physics. K-State professors have served as consultants to Hollywood filmmakers, monitored the health of sled dogs in Alaska’s Iditarod race, researched the history of baseball, written plays that have been showcased off-Broadway and even invented low-calorie caramel popcorn.
Back to top EXPLAIN THE ACADEMIC SYSTEM AT KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY. Academic Calendar: The academic year is based on two semesters, each 18 weeks long. The fall semester begins about the last week of August, and the spring semester begins in mid-January. There are a variety of summer semester options beginning about the third week in May. You can access our important dates calendar for specific dates. Everyone loves holidays, and K-Staters are no exception. The major holidays are summarized here, but you will want to access the important dates calendar to see how these days fit into the general academic calendar.
Degrees: The bachelor of arts (B.A.) or the bachelor of science (B.S.) represents completion of required course work as defined within each discipline of study. Most B.A. or B.S. degrees at K-State can be completed in four or five years of college or university study. K-State offers a limited number of associate degree programs (A.S.), on the Salina campus each of which takes approximately two years of study to complete. Refer to the undergraduate catalog for information on specific degrees and majors. Academic Credits: Credits are expressed in semester hours and are used to determine university standing and for transferring records to other institutions. One semester hour equals 50 minutes in class each week for one semester. Two or three hours in laboratory are considered the equivalent of one hour in class. A class period may be devoted to lecture, group discussion or examination. The quality of student performance is recorded on the student’s permanent record (transcript) in the Registrar’s Office at the end of the semester. The university grading system follows:
Refer to the undergraduate catalog for information regarding grades, grade reports and scholastic deficiencies. Classes: Most course work is conducted in lecture format. All lectures are delivered in English. Students must take careful notes and can expect to be examined over lecture material as well as textbook and assigned reference books. Class attendance is strongly recommended, and some professors require regular attendance. The student must be prepared from day to day to enter into classroom discussion or to complete unannounced tests. Examinations: Most examinations are written. The frequency of examinations varies from class to class and from professor to professor. Objective tests require the student to determine whether a number of given statements are true or false or to select the correct answers from among several choices. Essay tests demand more comprehensive answers. Final examinations, given at the end of each semester in each course, may include a combination of both types. Back to top APPLICATION PROCESS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS Submit the application for international undergraduate admission and the non-refundable application fee of $80.00. Applications cannot be processed without fee. You may do this by using the paper application form and regular mailing system or you may use the interactive application on the World Wide Web. Point your browser to our online application for undergraduate admissions and follow the commands. Applications submitted electronically will not be processed until the application fee is received. In order for an application to be considered complete, the applicant must send official (certified or verifiable) supporting paper documents. The required documents include:
WHAT HAPPENS
AFTER A STUDENT IS ADMITTED? VISA PROCESS Visa Application Due to the extensive amount of time often required to process a visa application, you should apply for your visa as early as possible. Each embassy or consular post has their own application procedures, so you should consult the office where you will be applying for specific details. Most offices have a website with this type of information. In order to apply for a visa, all F-1 and J-1 students must complete a "Non-Immigrant Visa Application" (Form DS-156) and a "Contact Information and Work History for Nonimmigrant Visa Applicant" (Form DS158). In addition, all male applicants 16-45 years old are required to complete a "Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application" (Form DS-157). These required forms for visa application are available from any U.S. Embassy or visa-issuing consulate office. You can also find those forms on-line: http://travel.state.gov/visaforms.html In addition to the F-1 Visa application, the Department of Homeland Security requires the submission of a SEVIS I-901 form and fee which must be paid before the Embassy will issue your visa. For instructions on this form go to www.fmjfee.com You will then need to take your I-20 (F-1) or DS-2019 (J-1) form, SEVIS I-901 payment receipt, your passport, evidence of financial support and your admissions acceptance letter from school with you when you apply for the visa. If the visa is approved, you will be given an F-1 visa stamp in the passport. The visa is a stamp in the passport indicating where the visa was issued, the date the visa will expire, the number of entries, the type of visa, and the visa number. When you collect the passport with the visa, you will also be given a sealed envelope containing both pages of the I-20. If you are transferring from another institution in the U.S. and your visa is still valid, you do not need to obtain a new visa to attend K-State, provided that you have already attended the school named on your visa when you initially entered the U.S., and you are using the I-20 issued to you by K-State when you re-enter. Port-of-Entry When you enter the U.S., you will need to present your passport, visa, and I-20 (if F-1) or DS-2019 (if J-1). You will be issued a small card that is called an I-94. The officer at the port of entry will probably staple this card into your passport. This card is very important, as it is your proof of legal entry; do not lose it. You may be asked to go to another line where you will have your documents examined and be asked some questions. You might also be finger printed and photographed. This is called "secondary inspection" and it is required for most students when they enter the U.S. for the first time. Therefore, please allow at least 2-3 hours for your connecting flight(s). Report Date Entry to the U.S. is limited to thirty (30) days before the report date (listed on the I-20 and/or the DS-2019). You must report to the International Student Center within fifteen (15) days of your report date. Students MUST check-in. International Student Center must report students who do not check-in to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Upon completing the mandatory check-in process, students will be allowed to enroll in K-State courses. If a student completes the mandatory check-in process, but DOES NOT enroll, K-State is required to report the student to ICE (formerly INS). Each type of immigration status has its own set of unique rules and regulations. It is the responsibility of every person to know and understand their legal obligations for their own status. Most students are in either F-1 or J-1 status. Although many other status categories do allow individuals to be a student, there may be limits or regulations, and what applies to one type of status may not apply to others. If you have any questions about your status and what you are legally allowed to do as a student, you should contact an advisor in the International Student Center Office. The consequences of violating status can be very severe. ENROLLMENT PROCESS
For more information about the English Proficiency Test (EPT) and available English classes, please go to www.k-state.edu/elp. If you do not want to take the English Proficiency test (EPT) on arrival, then there are several ways in which you can get a waiver from the English Proficiency Test (EPT):
Any evidence of English Proficiency must be submitted to the Admissions Office prior to the first day of the English Proficiency Test (EPT) at the beginning of the semester. Evidence submitted after that time will not be considered. The Office of Housing and Dining Services will mail you instructions on
applying for housing on campus. Residence halls have available space year
round, including holidays and vacation periods. The costs for residence
hall living include up to 3 meals per day. About 4,000 of the 20,000 enrolled
students actually live in residence halls. Married student apartments
are available on-campus as well including one or two-bedroom units, with
or without furniture. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CREDITS I HAVE EARNED IN MY HOME COUNTRY OR IN OTHER UNITED STATES COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES? By providing an official transcript of prior academic experiences, the university will begin the process of evaluating your credits to determine comparability of subject matter and whether or not your credits can fit into your degree requirements at K-State. Most US credits are generally transferable and recognized as comparable to K-State studies. But some of your previous experiences might not meet your degree specifications, especially if you have changed your program of study. Your academic Dean’s Office will work with you to determine how everything fits into your degree plan at K-State. The same is true of work completed abroad, although it is less likely to be automatically transferable. Your academic Dean’s Office will assist you in validating prior credits and frequently requires syllabi, course descriptions and test results to determine your level of competency in a specific field. You are encouraged to bring information about your home country institution, courses, program of study, etc. with you to facilitate the credit transfer process. Credit for previous academic work completed outside the US is evaluated on an individual basis in cooperation with the student, the academic Dean’s Office and the Office of Admissions. The Credentials Evaluator in the Office of Admissions will be your representative in completing the credit transfer process. Back to top WHAT WILL IT COST TO STUDY AT KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY? Click on one of the following options to see what your fees will be:
Back to top WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY?
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Last updated on December16, 2004.
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