Next Steps: Perimeter College
Congratulations on your acceptance to Georgia State, Perimeter College, as a new international student! International Student & Scholar Services, Perimeter College (ISSS-PC) advises you to follow this checklist of tasks to complete both before and after your arrival in the U.S. and Atlanta. We’ve also included a list of items to keep with you (not in checked luggage) during travel. ISSS-PC is here to help. We look forward to meeting you at International Student Orientation and Check-in.
Please follow these next steps after academic admission to Georgia State, Perimeter College. These steps are critical to your success next semester.
- Activate your Campus ID. Enter your Panther ID #, which you received in your admissions materials. If you lost, forgot or didn’t receive it, you can look it up here.
- Follow the directions for students without SSN # (Social Security Number) to receive a temporary password, which you can change at the same site.
- Memorize or write down your password as you will need it when you arrive on campus.
- Set up your Georgia State student email account at PantherMail Student Email. You will use this email address for all official communications with ISSS-PC and the university. Check this account frequently. Emails from our office will always start with the subject line “ISSS-PC”.
- Obtain I-20. After academic admission to Georgia State, Perimeter College, you will receive an automatic email from International Student and Scholar Services at Perimeter College (ISSS-PC). The email will instruct you to upload the required information, including financial documentation via “iStart”, an online, paperless system. When all requested documentation is complete, your record will be reviewed by ISSS-PC. Then, ISSS-PC will create your I-20 and mail it to you. Learn more about iStart.
- Pay SEVIS Fee. Once you have received your I-20 from Georgia State, Perimeter College, pay the required SEVIS I-901 fee. Print and keep your receipt for future reference. Optional information: Read more about the Student & Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).
- Make an appointment at the nearest U.S. Consulate or Embassy for your F1 visa interview. You will need your SEVIS I-901 fee receipt and I-20 from Georgia State, Perimeter College. Information about the visa application process is available at the ISSS website.
- Submit Your Intent to Enroll. This form confirms to Admissions your decision to attend Perimeter College for a specified term and helps us prepare for your upcoming registration and enrollment. Note: Students who need to change to a future term should complete the Reactivation process.
- Save Campus Safety and Security Number. Your safety and security are important. Please save the Campus Safety & Security number on your cell phone: 404-413-3333.
- Log into Panther Access to Web Services (PAWS). PAWS is the Georgia State wide student online portal with everything you need as an admitted student. Here you can register for classes, view your schedule, your student account balance and more. Log in to your PAWS account and get familiar with everything it has to offer.
- After obtaining your visa, plan your travel to the U.S to arrive in time for (required) on-campus New Student Orientation and International Student Orientation and Check-in. You may enter the U.S. up to 30 days before the start date on your I-20. You may not skip or miss the International Student Orientation and Check-in.
- Research housing options. Georgia State, Perimeter College, is non-residential and does not provide on-campus housing. You are responsible for finding and securing living arrangements. There are many apartments for rent near Perimeter College campuses. If you are moving from out of state or outside of the United States and you have not yet secured housing, we encourage you to arrive one month prior to the start of classes. This will provide you the advantage of finding living accommodations, relaxing and getting acquainted with your new surroundings before orientation and the start of classes.
- The Off-Campus Housing section of the International Student Handbook* contains helpful information about arranging off-campus housing.
- Warning: don’t sign a lease for an apartment from abroad. Always visit the property in person first, after you arrive. Remember, you can enter the U.S. 30 days before the start of your program for this purpose.
- Arrange transportation from the Atlanta airport to your local destination at your own expense. Transportation will not be provided for you. However, some assistance may be available through International Student Connection, which offers free airport pick-ups for Georgia State’s Perimeter College international students as needed. For questions or to confirm your arrangements, contact Michele Coursey at [email protected]. Other options include MARTA, Taxis and Airport Shuttles.
- I-20 or DS-2019 from Georgia State.
- Valid passport.
- U.S. Visa for Georgia State, located in your passport.
- Your admission letter from Georgia State.
- Airplane ticket(s).
- Cash, credit cards, or any international bank card (ATM or debit card). ISSS advises to carry $1,000-$2,000 cash in U.S. dollars for travel emergencies, unforeseen expenses and settling-in costs.
- Phone numbers and email addresses of emergency contacts at home and in the United States.
- Phone numbers and email addresses of relatives, friends, your Georgia State academic department, the ISSS-PC office (678-891-3235 during business hours).
- An English translation of your medical history and documents.
- Prescriptions for medications you take and a fresh supply of prescription medicines.
- Medical records (including vaccination records) for your accompanying spouse/children (if applicable).
- Take required ACCUPLACER tests, if applicable. Applicants to Perimeter College at Georgia State must take the ACCUPLACER unless exempted by specific criteria (other test scores, transfer credit, etc.). Read more about testing requirements for international students or contact Undergraduate Admissions at [email protected] or call 404-413-2500, press “3” for Perimeter College.
- Submit Immunizations. Submit your immunization records to our Student Health Center. Students who do not have all required immunizations prior to arriving in the U.S. may get immunizations done upon arrival. Immunization requirements must be satisfied prior to class registration. Avoid registration delays by submitting your records as soon as possible. For questions about how to submit immunizations, email [email protected]. Immunization documents may be faxed to 678-891-3036.
- Complete New Student Orientation:
- Freshmen and transfer students with fewer than 30 credit hours must complete on-campus orientation, which will conclude with advisement and registration.
- Online-only, transfer students with 30 or more credit hours, and transient students must complete the online New Student Orientation module.
Read more about New Student Orientation. For questions about New Student Orientation, call 678-891-2380.
- Register for courses via PAWS. You may register for classes after you have attended Orientation part II and met with an academic advisor.
- Pay for or request a waiver of the required Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP).
- All students are required to maintain adequate health insurance during their stay in the USA. Georgia State, Perimeter College’s Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) is underwritten by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company and is administered by UnitedHealthcare Student Resources (UHCSR).
- Payment for this insurance can be made at the same time you pay your tuition and fees. Do not pay the insurance premium directly to UHCSR.
- Students with a qualified alternate insurance plan from their home country are eligible to request a waiver of the mandatory plan. If you do not request a waiver and you don’t pay for the Georgia State plan by the payment deadline, your courses will be dropped automatically.
- Read more about SHIP. Additional information regarding the insurance process will also be discussed in the F-1 Visa Information Meeting and Check-in.
- Attend International Student Orientation and Check-In at Perimeter College the week before class begins. Bring your passport, I-20, and I-94 with you. Read more about international student orientation.
- Obtain your PantherCard, the official Georgia State, Perimeter College identification card for use as:
- A library card, facility access, and a debit card
- Obtain your PantherCard with a state or federally issued photo ID; passport, driver’s license, etc. at the Perimeter PantherCard office.
- Find the PantherCard office location on your campus.
- Purchase your textbooks for classes, but only after advisement by your academic advisor. The University Bookstore will have the textbooks you need, or you can order or rent them online. If ordering, allow enough time for the books to arrive before classes start.
- Prepare to pay all tuition and fees by the payment deadlines. All students with balances after the deadline are automatically dropped from all courses. For more information, please see Paying Your Account Balance.
- Driver’s License. To obtain a driver’s license in the USA as an international student, you will need to wait for your SEVIS record to be registered within 5 days after the F-1 Visa Information Meeting and check-in. In addition, you have to be present in the U.S.A. for at least 10 days. ISSS-PC will email all new international students once their I-20 has been registered. The Dept. of Driver Services (DDS) will reject DL applications from international students before this step and 10 days.
- Review. Your class registration will not be complete until you complete the following:
- Take the proper ACCUPLACER test, if applicable.
- Meet with your academic advisor.
- Enter a valid local address, foreign address, email and phone number in PAWS.
- Submit required immigration documents to ISSS at the International Student Orientation and Check-in.
- Facebook & Monthly Newsletter. Like ISSS on Facebook and read the Monthly Newsletter. Please follow us on Facebook and read the monthly ISSS-PC Newsletter to get updates regarding ISSS policies, immigration updates, ISSS events and other important information. Like us on Facebook!
*Many questions you might have about housing, courses and life in Atlanta and the U.S. as an international student are answered in the ISSS International Student Handbook, but please be aware that Georgia State’s International Student Handbook was written prior to the consolidation with Perimeter College and does not yet contain references specific to Perimeter College. Therefore, some information is not applicable for Perimeter College international students, so please utilize the information with this in mind until the handbook can be updated to reflect the new multi-campus Georgia State.
Contact Us
General Questions
Atlanta Email: [email protected]
Atlanta Phone: 404-413-2070
Perimeter Email: [email protected]
Perimeter Phone: 678-891-3235
Office Hours:
8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., EST
Monday through Friday
Locations
Atlanta Campus Location:
Sparks Hall - Room 252
ISSS, Georgia State University
33 Gilmer St. SE
Atlanta, GA 30303
Atlanta Mailing Address (please use our
physical address above for express mail):
International Student and Scholar Services
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 3987
Atlanta, GA 30302-3987
USA
Perimeter College Location
and Mailing Address:
Building CN 2230 (Student Center)
ISSS, Perimeter College, Clarkston Campus
555 N. Indian Creek Dr.
Clarkson, GA 30021