Rutgers Global hosted its largest-ever International Student Orientation (ISO), from August 26 through 28, 2024, at the Jersey Mike’s Arena and other locations across campus. More than 1,200 students attended the event, plus nearly 300 parents and family members, many who came to know Rutgers through admitted student events organized by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and our Pre-Departure Orientation programs held this summer in India and China. This marks a significant increase from 750 attendees in 2023. The final number of new international students attending Rutgers this year is expected to rise, as numbers will likely fluctuate with post-ISO arrivals and transfers.
The ISO is organized by Rutgers Global’s International Student Services team, led by Executive Director Mohini Mukherjee, and is a three-day program for both undergraduate and graduate students filled with information sessions, social activities, shared meals, and assistance with essential services like setting up bank accounts, obtaining a social security number, and more.
Remarking on this year’s ISO, Mukherjee noted, “We were thrilled to welcome our largest-ever cohort of new international students, along with many family members, to campus during ISO. Our team is excited and fully committed to supporting our newest Scarlet Knights throughout their journey at Rutgers and beyond.”
The ISO also included a Resource Fair, which featured more than 40 campus units and student organizations, and a Vendor Fair, with more than a dozen local businesses, including mobile phone providers, grocery stores, banks, and local restaurants (one winning the popularity contest by offering free boba tea samples).
An important component of the ISO is the team of Orientation Leaders (OLs), students--often international students themselves--who serve as peer leaders for the new international students and help set them up for success for their Rutgers journey. During the ISO, the OL team led panel discussions followed by Q&As that were very well-received by the new students. An Orientation Leader remarked that “students really liked the Q&A aspect of the panels…. I had a lot of students asking about how to become an OL. They were very appreciative of us and everything we do.”
After the ISO, new international students were invited to complete a survey to share their reflections of the event. Students were overwhelmingly positive. One new student noted that they appreciated that the event “condens[ed] a lot of information and services that [the] university provides in one place and without having to navigate multiple sites.” Another student liked “how each session explained everything on a basic level and helped us in building an understanding of what an international student should expect at Rutgers,” and one commented on “the warmth of the people and the willingness to help.”
Maya Sarno, Associate Director of Student Support, was a lead on organizing the event and noted, “The success of International Student Orientation is always a direct result of strong collaborations with our campus partners. Many Rutgers units play a huge part in helping our international students. They are with us to welcome students during ISO, they are part of the international student journey to graduation, and we are deeply appreciative of their support.”
To see photos from our International Student Orientation, visit our Flickr page.
To learn more information about International Student Orientation visit this webpage.