International Student Orientation
Important Dates
Sept 1: U.S. Labor Day Holiday (campus offices closed)
Sept 2 - Sept 17: Move-In Dates for Graduate International Students
Sept 17: Move-In Day for Undergraduate International Students
Sept 17: Welcome Day (optional activity) hosted by ISP
~ Be ready to join ISP for breakfast on Sept 18 at 9 AM ~
Sept 18 - 19: iBegin@Caltech (attendance required; detailed schedule below)
Sept 20: Meet Ups (optional activities) hosted by ISP Orientation Leaders
Beyond ISP...
Sept 21 - 28: New Student Orientation for Undergraduates (attendance required)
Sept 22 - 26: New Student Orientation for Graduates (attendance required)
Sept 29: Fall Term Class Instruction Begins
Event Overview
iBegin@Caltech is an orientation designed especially for new Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD degree-seeking international students. We will have lots of free food, "SWAG" (free gifts), fun conversations, performances, and activities to enjoy! We start with a casual Welcome Day on Wednesday in the Center for Student Services. Stop by to say hi between 10 AM – 4 PM and to collect snacks and swag, and get help finding your new on-campus home, if needed. Orientation Leaders will be ready to drive you and your luggage (in our decorated electric carts!) to your dorm building! Thursday and Friday are mandatory programs where you will receive important info about immigration, cultural adjustment, and working in the U.S. - all through comedy sketches performed by students and ISP! Plus, various afternoon and evening activities. Saturday, join any or all of the optional, peer-led Meet Ups!
- Laura Flower Kim, Associate Director
- Daniel Yoder, International Advisor
- Susan Hatchett, International Advisor
- Tong An, Case Coordinator
Reach any and all of us through the ISP Email Address
Live Zoom sessions will not be recorded. Zoom links will be distributed by email only. Sessions times are U.S. Pacific Coast Time Zone.
Immigration Q&A with ISP
July 16 | 6 AM | Live Zoom
July 16 | 8 PM | Live Zoom
What happens when my visa expires? Will I be eligible for a summer internship? What documents do I need for future travel? Can I ever take a term off? During iBegin@Caltech, your ISP advisors will help you understand your rights and responsibilities under F-1 and J-1 status. We will review documents and address frequently asked questions so that you can feel more in control of your own U.S. nonimmigrant status. Until then, you can review topics of interest in the Comic Strips below and send any questions to isp@caltech:
Q&A with Orientation Leaders
July 20 | 6 AM | Live Zoom
July 20 | 8 PM | Live Zoom
Got questions about arriving and settling into campus? Want to know how to navigate the Pasadena community? What should I expect from the classroom experience? Orientation Leaders will be ready to answer any pre-arrival questions you may have.
ISP Online Immigration Check-In
- ISP Online Immigration Check-In AFTER arrival in the United States
In-Person Employment Check-In w/ISP
- PhD students only require an in-person Employment Check-In w/ISP to complete the I-9 Employment Verification in addition to the Online Immigration Check-In (all other students, see ISP Online Immigration Check-In above)
- ISP Walk-In Hours, Monday - Thursday, 1 - 3 PM in CSS, 2nd Floor
- ISP is not available Sept 15 - 19 for iBegin@Caltech preparations
- ISP is not available on Sept 1 for the U.S. Labor Day holiday
U.S. Address Updates
All students who are eligible for an Access.Caltech account must update their address and phone number upon arrival.
- Log into Access.Caltech
- Click "My Personal Information"
- Click "Phones and Addresses"
- Click "Local Residence Address" to edit and enter your physical address (no Mail Codes)
Important Address Info
Graduate Students and any students living off-campus must check NO to "Local Residence in a Student House" (Student House relates only to undergraduate dormitories).
Example of On-Campus (Undergraduate) Address:
- Address Field 1: 1200 E California Blvd
- Address Field 2: Bechtel 123
- City, State, Zip Code: Pasadena, CA 91125
Example Off-Campus + Grad Student Housing Address:
- Address Field 1: 500 S Catalina Ave
- Address Field 2: APT 201B
- City, State, Zip Code: Pasadena, CA 91106
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Center for Student Services (CSS) Lobby
ISP staff and Orientation Leaders will be available throughout the day to provide a friendly HELLO, luggage transport, and lots of snacks and refreshments to enjoy as you arrive and settle in. This is NOT a required event. This is a casual opportunity to meet ISP and Orientation Leaders, with particular focus on assisting international undergrads on their campus move-in day. All new international students are invited. There are no meals provided by ISP on this day; please see Campus Dining options below.
Campus Dining available on this day:
Breakfast
Red Door Marketplace: 7 AM - 11 AM
Browne Dining Hall: 7 AM - 10:30 AM
Broad Café: 7:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Lunch
Red Door Marketplace: 11 AM - 8 PM
Browne Dining Hall: 11 AM - 3:30 PM
Broad Café: 11 AM - 2:30 PM
Dinner
Red Door Marketplace: 11 AM - 8 PM
Browne Dining Hall: 5 PM - 7 PM
Off-Campus Favorites on South Lake Avenue for dining beyond 7 PM:
Urbane Cafe | 218 South Lake Avenue
Urban Plates | 269 South Lake Avenue
Veggie Grill | 200 South Lake Avenue
Granville | 270 South Lake Avenue
And Lots More! Click Here for a List of South Lake Restaurants, Coffee Houses, and Shops
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner provided by ISP
9:00 AM | Breakfast + Registration | Beckman Lawn Tent
Collect your name tag and let's enjoy breakfast together!
10:00 AM | Culture Shock Comedy Sketch | Ramo Auditorium
Whether you are new to the United States or just new to Caltech, cultural transitions come with ups and downs. We will get through it together with a little humility and a lot of humor! Introduction by ISP and comedy sketch by Caltech's theater club EXPLiCIT.
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | Caltech Scavenger Hunt
A wacky journey through campus. Join teams, meet friends, and explore. This game will help you discover the secrets of Caltech and help you navigate your way around campus.
2024 Scavenger Hunt Prize Winners
Most Correct Answers: "DA Team"
Most Locations Visited: "Asia on Top"
Most Creative Team Name: "E=MC Stressed"
Best Team Photo: "Nerds Without Borders"
12:30 PM | Lunch | Beckman Lawn Tent
Collect your ISP "Hello" t-shirt and tote bag! Grab some lunch, make a new friend, sit with us under the tent.
5:30 PM | Outdoor Dinner + Games | Tournament Park
Join us for food, games, and conversation while playing anything from chess and cards to badminton and frisbee.
Wear your new HELLO t-shirt + Name Tag!
Breakfast, Lunch, and Late-Night Desserts provided by ISP
9:00 AM | Breakfast | Beckman Lawn Tent
Wear your name tag + Hello t-shirt, and join us for a special breakfast!
10:00 AM | Immigration Dramedy Sketch | Ramo Auditorium
Comedy + Drama = Dramedy! Let's learn through laughter! Don't miss this hilarious performance by ISP + Orientation Leaders. What happens when my visa expires? Will I be eligible for a summer internship? What documents do I need for travel? Can I ever take a term off? The Immigration Dramedy Sketch will help you understand your rights and responsibilities of your nonimmigrant student status. Followed by Q&A.
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | Peer Panels
Meet in assigned small groups facilitated by Orientation Leaders. Orientation Leaders are current Caltech international students who have been enrolled at Caltech for at least one academic year. They are ready to help you get to know each other, to share stories from their own cultural transitions to Caltech, and to offer peer-to-peer advice.
12:30 PM | Group Photo | on the steps of Beckman Auditorium
Immediately after your Peer Panel ends, meet on the steps of Beckman Auditorium and get ready to SAY CHEESE!
12:45 PM | Lunch | Beckman Lawn Tent
Enjoy free food, make a new friend, and join us under the tent.
3:00 - 5:00 PM | Painted Rocks of Pasadena | Beckman Lawn Tent
Join ISP plus other campus and community partners for a fun "crafternoon" of painting river rocks. When we're done, we can keep our rocks or hide them around campus for others to find and enjoy. All supplies provided by ISP. No artistic skills needed! #CaltechRocks
7:30 PM* | International Dessert Night + Karaoke or Film Screening (TBD) | Amphitheater
Sample treats from around the world, watch a short film and/or sing under the stars, and find out who won prizes from the previous day's Scavenger Hunt! Meet at the Amphitheater behind the Sherman Fairchild Library.
*Dinner on your own.
Campus Dining available on this day:
Red Door Marketplace: 11 AM - 8 PM
Browne Dining Hall: 5 PM - 7 PM
10:00 – 11:00 AM | Breakfast | Beckman Lawn Tent
Again? Yes! Let's eat together once more!
Throughout the Day | Meet Ups with Orientation Leaders
A day of optional, student-led activities, both on and off-campus, from morning to sunset. Activities include a morning jog in the neighborhood, walk to City Hall, shopping through Old Town Pasadena, boba, dinner out, and more. Sign ups available during iBegin@Caltech. All Meet Ups start from the Beckman Lawn Tent.
8:30 AM | Running
Enjoy a scenic 5K run through the beautiful neighborhoods of Pasadena and San Marino. We will run at a comfortable pace for runners accustomed to finishing a 5K run in 35 - 40 minutes or faster.
12:30 PM | Lunch on Lake
Cost: Your Food + Beverage
Take a short walk from Caltech to visit a variety of shops and restaurants on South Lake Ave while making new friends. Favorite options include Mediterranean food, California cuisine, vegetarian and vegan offerings and much more!
4:30 PM | Old Town + City Hall + Dinner
Cost: Your Food + Beverage + any Transportation back to Campus
Walk together to historic Old Town Pasadena. Over 200 specialty shops, over 100 restaurants, sidewalk cafes, coffee shops, and ice cream shops. See the famous City Hall dome and other Pasadena landmarks. Getting back to campus is easy on Pasadena Transit Bus #10.
9:00 PM | Ice Cream
Cost: Your Food + Beverage
Located on just a short walk from Caltech, join us for a visit to Afters Ice Cream. This is a one-of-a-kind dessert experience where you can enjoy handcrafted ice cream with unique flavors such as cinnamon toast, mango, and real jasmine tea leaves.
Campus Dining available on this day:
Lunch
Red Door Marketplace: 1 PM - 8 PM
Dinner
Red Door Marketplace: 1 PM - 8 PM
iBegin@Caltech is for degree-seeking international students beginning Fall 2025