Participating in International Orientation (IO) will allow international students to explore topics that are relevant to their experience, such as life in the United States, setting up a U.S. bank account or cell phone, immigration and employment resources, and navigating academics as an international student. More importantly, IO provides the opportunity for international students to begin building community and social support networks early in their college experience.

IO is required for F-1 and J-1 visa holders. However, we recognize the diverse nature of the term "international." Students who have lived or studied abroad, as well as students with a multicultural background, having grown up in one or more countries other than their passport country are also eligible to apply!

Registration 

International Orientation registration is now open. Please here to register! The registration deadline is 11:00AM EST on July 25th, 2025, and the form will be closed at that time. 

Facilitator

International Orientation is facilitated by the International Mentoring Program, a cohort of current Brown students supervised by the Global Brown Center for International Students that offers peer mentorship support to incoming international students at Brown.

Who Can Participate

Here in the Global Brown Center, we understand that “international” means many things. An international student can be an F-1/J-1 visa holder, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who grew up or went to school outside of the United States, or a student who grew up in one or more countries outside their passport country. International Orientation is meant to support Brown students who have any of these experiences. If this sounds like a program that would be useful for you, you are welcome to register! Students who are on F-1/J-1 visas are required to attend IO.

When

2025 International Orientation will take place Saturday, August 23rd to Tuesday, August 26th, 2025. Move in for international orientation participants is scheduled for Friday, August 22nd, 2025. 

Schedule

We're excited to welcome you to our beautiful campus. The full detailed schedule of International Orientation 2025 can be located here. 

Pre-departure events: 

The Global Brown Center hosts pre-departure webinars for both incoming international students as well as parents and families. Please check back soon for more details! 

Parents and Families

Friday, August 22nd, 2025

• Arrival Family Dinner (5:00PM - 7:00PM)
  • Location will be shared with students directly
  • Join the Global Brown Center at the informal dinner after your long day of travel. Connect and share experiences with families from around the world and meet the GBC staff! .

Saturday, August 23rd, 2025

• International Parents and Families Meet and Greet (6:00PM - 7:00PM)
  • Location will be shared with students directly
  • Join the Global Brown Center at the informal International Parents and Families Meet and Greet. Connect and share experiences with families from around the world, while students meet their mentors during International Orientation. 

Monday, August 25th, 2025

• Welcome Breakfast (9:00AM - 10:30AM)
  • Location will be shared with students directly
  • You'll be welcomed to campus by President Christina Paxson and Brown admissions and student support professional staff.
• Optional Library Tour for Parents (10:45AM - 11:45AM)
  • Parents are welcome to join an optional 30-minute tour of the Brown University Library to explore the spaces and resources that support students' academic success. Students are also welcome to attend. Space is limited—please sign up at the welcome table on August 22, 2025.
  • Tour start times are 10:45 AM and 11:15 AM. Tours will begin in the Rockefeller Library lobby.
• Getting Started At Brown: Informational Panel for Students and Parents (1:30PM - 2:30PM)
  • This session will explore the academic culture at Brown and will conclude with a Q&A session with students in a diverse range of academic disciplines. Parents and families are welcome and encouraged to join this event.
• Parent and Family Panel (2:45PM - 3: 45PM)
  • This panel is specifically for parents and families of our new international students. Staff from various departments will address concerns on support services, academic resources, campus life, and the transition process. It's an interactive session for parents to ask questions and learn how to best support their students during their time at our university.
• International Parent and Family Reception (4:00PM - 5:30PM)
  • Our closing event for parents and families will be the Global Brown Center’s International Parent and Family Reception. Parents and families will have the opportunity to meet each other and staff members that will support their students, enjoy refreshments, and celebrate the next stage of their students’ journey at Brown University!

The Brown general orientation will also have optional events for parents and family. Please check out more information here! 

IMP First Year Transition with Brown Sheridan Center

The Global Brown Center is collaborating with the Brown Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning to provide additional support on academic writing for first-year multilingual internationally identified students before their arrival at Brown. Here is the folder containing four fun and interactive sessions designed as resources for our incoming internationally identifying multilingual students. These sessions aim to address common questions we hear from students during their first days, weeks, and months about writing at Brown. In these sessions, you will meet our wonderful colleagues, Ann and Britt. * To access the folder, please log in using your Brown credentials.