Dear New Student,

CONGRATULATIONS on your admission to Drake University for fall 2008!  We are looking forward to your arrival!  The information on this website will help you prepare for your enrollment this fall.  Please read it carefully.

ARRIVAL

Please plan to arrive in Des Moines no later than Tuesday, August 19 to attend orientation on Wednesday, August 20.  Please submit your Arrival Information Form as soon as you have made your travel arrangements so we know when to expect you.  If we receive your information form at least four days before your scheduled arrival, we will arrange to have someone welcome you at the airport (or bus station).  If you do not need to be welcomed at the airport, please inform Lauren Derebey at lauren.derebey@drake.edu.  Your welcomer will have a packet of information for you when you arrive.  Among other things, the packet includes orientation and registration information, your room assignment (if you will live on campus), an apartment listing (if you will live off campus), and the schedule for your first few days at Drake.  If you are not greeted at the airport, you may obtain this packet at the International Center during office hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM. 

Please note that there are no currency exchanges at the Des Moines Airport.  You should have at least $200 US dollars with you when you arrive in Des Moines (in $20 bills or smaller) for meals and local transportation.  Also, because of the large number of connecting flights students may have in order to reach Des Moines, it is not uncommon for baggage to get delayed en route.  We suggest you bring at least an extra day's worth of clothing and any essential personal items (medications, etc) with you in your carry-on luggage in the event that your luggage gets delayed. 

If for any reason, you do not see a Drake greeter at the airport when you arrive, don’t worry!  Just take a taxi to your residence hall or the other accommodations you have arranged.  Taxis are located just outside the baggage claim area of the airport. The cost should be about $28, including tip.  If you have difficulty, you may call or take a taxi to the Drake Security office, located at 1221 25th Street (515-271-2222).  The Drake Security office is open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and is prepared to assist new international students.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Students who will live in the residence halls will be able to move into their rooms beginning on Sunday, August 17 at noon.  If circumstances force you to arrive before August 17, please make a reservation with one of the local hotels and notify us where you will be staying (Drake cannot make your reservations for you).  Please note that the only hotels within walking distance of campus are the Holiday Inn Express at Drake and The Cottage.  Make your reservation as soon as possible because Des Moines hotel rooms are in short supply at this time. NOTE: If you intend to live on campus, we urge you to return your Residence Hall Contract as soon as possible because space is limited.

Students who will live off-campus may request three nights of shared, temporary housing, at no charge, while looking for an apartment. You may request additional nights of temporary housing or you may make your own hotel reservations (see the section on hotels), but this will be at your own expense.  If you make your own temporary housing arrangements, please tell us where you will be staying.  If you need to make hotel reservations, make them as soon as possible because Des Moines hotel rooms are in short supply at this time. We urge students who will live off campus to arrive in Des Moines no later than Sunday, August 17 so you have adequate time to find an apartment before International Student Orientation on August 20. 

Family members who travel with students are advised to use their travel agent to make hotel reservations.  For those who prefer to make their own reservations, see the section on hotels. Family members who intend to travel to Des Moines should make reservations as soon as possible.  Individuals who stay at hotels other than those close to Drake will probably want to rent a car or use a taxi to get to campus.  Anyone visiting Des Moines for more than a night or two will probably also want to rent a car.

ORIENTATION

International Student Orientation will be held on Wednesday, August 20 from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM in Parents Hall, Olmsted Center.  Orientation is required for all international students who are enrolling at Drake for the first time (including both graduate and undergraduate students).  You will receive the schedule for orientation in your welcome packet, but expect information about immigration regulations, special programs and services for international students, the mandatory international student health insurance program, and other information to help prepare you for life at Drake. The TOEFL exam will be given at 8:30 AM Thursday, August 21 for students who need it.  Welcome Weekend activities for first-year and transfer students begin on Thursday, August 21.  Details about activities during your first few days at Drake will be included in your welcome packet.

FREE TIME

Depending on when you arrive, you may have some free time before International Student Orientation on August 20.  Use this time to settle into your residence hall room or apartment, open a bank account, find the International Center, get a Drake ID, meet your adviser, shop for things you couldn’t bring with you, meet new friends, and recover from jet lag!  


I look forward to meeting you in August.  Have a safe trip!

Best wishes,
Lauren Derebey
International Programs Advisor

PS:  Please print this letter and pack it in your carry on luggage so you have easy access to the phone numbers and other information you may need while traveling.


During Business Hours:
International Center: (+1) 515-271-2084
Toll Free (Within the US): 1-800-443-7253  Ask to be transferred to Admissions, International Center, etc

After Business Hours:
Drake Security: (+1) 515-271-2222