International Student Orientation
Spring 2026 International Student Orientation
Your Introduction to KU
International Student Orientation is a comprehensive program consisting of two parts: an online, pre-arrival component and a multi-day in-person portion. It is designed to help new international students prepare for life at KU and in the United States. All new international students are required to register and attend.
Register for Orientation
- Setup your KU Online ID.
- After receiving the registration email from ISS, log in to iHawk.
- Having iHawk login problems?
- Once logged in, on your iHawk Home page scroll down to "Requests" and click on the "ISS Check-in Checklist".
- Start with the "Orientation" section.
- Submit the "Orientation Registration" e-form and select your start term.
- Complete all other e-forms under the "ISS Check-In" section on the checklist.
Registration is not yet open for Spring 2026. Check back again!
Plan Your Arrival
You must arrive in Lawrence by your report date, found on the immigration document sent to you by KU (I-20, DS-2019, etc.).
Spring 2026
- ALL students (graduate, undergraduate and exchange students) must arrive in Lawrence by Monday, January 12th, 2026.
- Graduate students with an assistantship needing to apply for a Social Security Number should plan to arrive up to a week (or more) prior to this in order to avoid first paycheck delay.
- Required International Student Orientation will begin on Tuesday, January 13th, 2026.
- Classes will start on Tuesday, January 20th, 2026.
Summer 2026
- Information forthcoming
Fall 2026
- Information forthcoming
Prepare Before Arriving On Campus
After registering for orientation in iHawk, you will receive access to an orientation course in Canvas (one of KU’s online learning management systems) for you to complete on your own schedule. The course includes detailed instructions for how to complete required pre-arrival tasks and provides helpful information about a variety of campus resources.
- Complete the Canvas course as soon as possible to complete all pre-arrival tasks and learn helpful information.
- Secure your housing on or off-campus.
- Book your transportation from the airport to the campus. (KU will not be providing shuttle service from the airport.)
After Arrival
By this point, you will have spent the last few months learning about how to be successful academically as well as preparing for the cultural shift of living in a new country. Upon your arrival, there will be large welcome events, fun social outings where you will meet your peers, as well as a mandatory ISS check-in, a presentation on maintaining your legal status, a health screening, and English language assessments for those that need it. You will have the opportunity to see where your classes are, hear from different organizations on campus, and meet some of your professors. Welcome to KU!