Contact information

The Director of International Freshman Affairs handles everything you could possibly think of that has to do with International Freshman life at Harvard. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact her. He is happy to help you with anything you need!

The Harvard International Office (HIO) is full of the resources you need as an international student on campus. HIO helps to run the Freshman International Program along with the Woodbridge Society, and takes care of practical issues for International Students. Through the HIO, you can:

• Attend FIP, the orientation program for new international students
• Arrange visa and immigration forms
• Coordinate on-campus employment paperwork
• Find fellow students or Harvard alumni in your country
• Coordinate a host family or friendship program to host international students over Thanksgiving/winter break, and learn about the community in which the university is located and participate in community life
• Find recommendions on good ways to call or fly home
• Act as a source of other information, advice, and assistance related to your needs as an international student

Do not hesitate to contact the financial aid officer for your class if you have any questions or problems. The people at the Financial Aid office are very helpful and have many programs for which students on financial aid can qualify. These include loans for buying a computer, grants covering certain medical expenses, a winter clothing fund, and the Student Events Fund. It is always good to check in advance whether or not you are eligible for a certain program and discuss it with your financial aid officer. Also contact them if you wish to bring back admissions materials to your high school when you go home.

The Freshmen Dean’s Office is the place where you have to go in order to solve any administrative academic problems as getting an exemption from the Foreign Language requirement or obtaining permission for taking five classes in your first semester here (although as far as the five classes go, you most probably won’t get permission). The FDO is a good resource for Freshmen along with your academic adviser and your proctor.