New Students

First year international students arriving on campus for the first time will participate in International Student Orientation (ISO). ISO participants include F-1 visa holders and U.S. citizens living abroad. ISO is independent of Customs Week and will not conflict with those events.

ISO is confirmed for August 23-28, 2024. ISO participants will move-in to campus on Friday, August 23. Participants will be able to move into campus (into their academic year dorm room) between 9am - 5pm on August 23. Students who received an invitation to ISO should complete the ISO Registration form by July 1, 2024 to confirm their attendance. Students are strongly discouraged from making travel plans before they receive their F-1 visa.

The ISSO office will regularly communicate with all students invited to participate in ISO throughout the summer and leading up to their arrival on campus. All logistical information and instructions will be emailed directly to participants.

More information is available on our International Student Orientation page and we recommend that students review the resources available in our New Students page. If you have any questions, please contact Natasha Weisz.

International Student Support Site

We strongly encourage all students to arrive during the registration hours on Wednesday, August 28, 2024. Should an unexpected delay in travel occur, or you are unable to arrive to campus before 12 p.m. on Wednesday, August 30, 2023 please email hc-reslife [at] haverford.edu, or call Residential Life at (610) 896-1298, as soon as you are aware that you will arrive late so that arrangements can be made for your housing check-in and so that we can notify your Customs group to expect a your late arrival.

For students traveling alone, it is helpful to have a print out of the Haverford Campus Map. While fare may vary between Taxi companies and rideshare services, it typically costs around $45, and the trip takes around 30 minutes. The service is available through the Information Desk at the airport near the baggage claim area from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m. Train service
to Haverford’s Campus is provided through SEPTA - via the Norristown High Speed Line to the Ardmore Avenue station, and the Paoli-Thorndale Line to the Haverford station.

• Visiting Campus
• Download Campus Map
• Google Maps Directions

Meal service for first-year students does not begin until lunch on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, but students who have permission to arrive early may pay cash for meals until then. Meals will be provided without charge for students attending pre-customs programs.

Meal Prices & Hours

Any changes in hours will be posted in the Dining Center.

• Breakfast
  7:30–10:30 a.m. $9.00 ($8.00 in Campus Cash/Dining Dollars)
• Lunch
  11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. $12.00 ($11.00 in Campus Cash/Dining Dollars)
• Dinner
  5:00–8:00 p.m. $15.00 ($14.00 in Campus Cash/Dining Dollars

New students and their parents, as well as any accompanying family members, are invited to lunch as guests of the College on Wednesday, August 28, 2024. Lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m to 2:00 p.m. in the dining center.

All families will begin receiving email communications from the Office of Alumni and Family Engagement by early July. These messages will help families transition to Haverford, learn more about the community, and receive key dates for upcoming events. In the meantime, families are encouraged to reference the Family and Friends webpage. Additional questions can be directed to hc-families [at] haverford.edu.

Customs is Haverford College's New Student Experience program, which includes a five-day orientation immediately preceding the fall semester called ‘Customs Week.’ Customs Week is a great opportunity to get to know your peers and start building a community in your new home. But it doesn’t end there! The Customs experience is a yearlong program that helps students make connections throughout the Haverford community, explore campus and beyond, engage in intergroup dialogue and restorative circles around topics relevant to the college community, and build a solid foundation for the rest of the college experience.

Customs Week begins Wednesday, August 28, 2024 and continues through Monday, September 2, 2024. New students are expected to participate in all aspects of the Customs Program throughout the week..

Customs Schedule 2024

When you arrive on campus, we’re sure you’ll have some questions about using technology at Haverford College. We’ve put together a brief list of answers to frequently asked questions to help you get started!

• We’re located in Stokes Hall 204 and can be reached by phone at (610) 896-1480 or by email at itservicedesk [at] haverford.edu.
• When logging into most Haverford services, you’ll just need your Haverford username & password. Some services, such as Moodle, Gmail, and the eduroam Wi-Fi network, require your full Haverford email address (with the @haverford.edu) for your username.
• Eduroam is the recommended Wi-Fi network for students on campus, and is available at a number of participating institutions. If you visit the campus of another college in the eduroam consortium, your device should automatically connect to eduroam when it sees it’s available.
  IITS Knowledge Base – How do I connect to WiFi?
• Game consoles can be connected to the Haverford-Game network once the console’s MAC address has been registered.
  IITS Knowledge Base – How do I set up my gaming device in my dorm room?
• In addition to public computer labs available in the main library, science library, and Hilles 204, Haverford offers a virtual lab in the form of the VDI, accessible at vdi.haverford.edu.
  IITS Knowledge Base – Virtual Lab (VDI)
• In addition to Google Drive, students have access to unlimited cloud storage using the Box platform at haverford.box.com.
  IITS Knowledge Base – Box at Haverford College FAQ
• Starting July 1, new students can sign into office.com using their Haverford accounts and download Office 365. Once installed, they can sign into the applications using their Haverford accounts to apply the license for the software suite.
  IITS Knowledge Base - Downloads