Rutgers Welcomes Newly Admitted Students in India and China 

A delegation from Rutgers University traveled to India and China to conduct in-person pre-departure orientations (PDO) with newly admitted undergraduate students and their families in June. The PDOs are spearheaded by Rutgers Global and serve to introduce a new class of Rutgers international students to the academic support services available just for them. The Rutgers team leading the orientation was comprised of leadership from Rutgers Global, and the School of Engineering, School for Environmental and Biological Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers-New Brunswick, and Rutgers Business School. The events were held in Delhi, Mumbai, Beijing, and Shanghai. Receptions for alumni were also held in both countries in collaboration with Rutgers Foundation.

The events were attended by more than 440 students and parents. Students and their families learned ls about academic expectations and resources for success, Fall semester registration, immigration and arrival tips, health and wellness, as well as about life at Rutgers. Current upper-class student volunteers assisted during the events and answered questions about their experiences.  A special parents’ session was held to offer an opportunity to them to get their questions and concerns addressed.  

Vice President for Global Affairs Rick Garfunkel, who presented at the PDOs, noted: “For our newly admitted international students and their families, the opportunity to hear directly from key Rutgers faculty and staff is so important. We are there to provide information and, most importantly, to answer their questions. And we are grateful to our current Rutgers students who volunteer their time to come and meet the new students and give them a better idea of what to expect.”

Anu Gupta, Assistant Dean for Global Academic Programs, leads the pre-departure orientations, and had this to say: “Our new international students face unique challenges when they come to study in the U.S. Informing our incoming international students about the resources available to them before they arrive helps to alleviate some of their stress and to assist them in acclimating to Rutgers and a new country more efficiently.”

The goal of the PDOs is to assure new students and their families that there is comprehensive support available for pre-and-post arrival, in fact for throughout the Rutgers journey. This was achieved and it served to alleviate stress and uncertainty and reinforce Rutgers' commitment to international students' success.