May Dear New York College Experience Student,

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1 Dear New York College Experience Student, May 2015 Congratulations on having chosen to spend part of your summer in New York City, one of the world s great academic and cultural centers. Soon you will be joining more than one hundred young people from around the globe who, like yourself, have signed up for a summer of challenges, discoveries, and intellectual growth. I look forward to meeting you, and have every confidence that the memories and friendships you acquire will enrich your life enormously in the years to come. You will be studying with talented teachers who are experts in their fields, and a friendly and informative administrative staff will be on-site around the clock to ensure that your experience is not only exciting and intellectually rewarding, but also safe and well-organized. All of our faculty and staff members are dedicated to making sure that you get the most out of your time in New York, and our program will include numerous activities that will enable you to take advantage of the many opportunities the city has to offer. Please find the following vital information enclosed in this mailing: Program Office contact information and mailing address (2 copies) Arrival and departure day details Suggested packing list A checklist to print and carry with you when you travel A Letter of Consent to Travel to print and carry with you A map of the neighborhood in New York City You will also receive a set of Oxbridge luggage tags and a passport control letter in a forthcoming mailing. Please attach the luggage tags to your luggage they help us identify you at the airport and carry the passport control letter and letter of consent to travel on your person when you travel. US customs may ask to see them. Your first day in New York should be dedicated to practical things: unpacking, getting settled into your room, meeting the program staff, and becoming acquainted with your roommate and other new friends. Our program begins with an orientation and introduction to the city on June 28 th, followed by a welcome assembly and classes on June 29 th. As tired as you may be, it will be a very good idea not to go to sleep until after dinner. Holding off sleep for a few hours will ensure that you get a good night s rest, easing your transition into a new time zone. You are coming to a city famous throughout the world for its demographic diversity, social vibrancy, and cultural vitality. New York City is home to dozens of renowned museums, concert halls, galleries, theaters, architectural wonders, and institutions of higher learning, as well as dining and shopping establishments to suit every taste. It is a city truly unlike any other, and I have no doubt that your admiration and affection for New York will grow deeper over the course of the program. Every year, multitudes of students and visitors come from all corners of the world to explore and savor The Big Apple and its many charms. Now it is your turn. You have not only chosen us. We also have chosen you: for your academic promise, your emotional maturity, and your positive energy. On behalf of our outstanding faculty and administrative staff, I wish you a successful end to the school year and a stimulating and rewarding summer in New York City one that we are all sure you will never forget. All the best, Kevin Held Program Director

2 The New York College Experience Program Office Contact Information (Student Copy) Phone (This phone number and address may be used starting the week before Arrival Day. For any concerns between now and the end of June, please contact the main New York office.) The program phone can be used to reach students as well as program staff. The phone is manned daily from 8:00 AM until between midnight and 1:00 AM New York time. At night and at times when the whole program is at an event (field trip, assembly, etc.), voic messages can be left and calls will be returned as quickly as possible. Messages: Barnard College rooms do not have private phones in them. If a student receiving a call is in class, on a field trip, or simply out of the building on an extracurricular activity when a call comes in, our staff will take a message and post it on the student message board immediately. Calling Home Because of the high cost of roaming charges, we strongly urge that international students do not use mobile or cell phones they bring from home in order to communicate with their families, unless you have arranged an international calling plan with your phone company. Instead we recommend they buy an inexpensive local pay-as-you-go phone on which their families can reach them. The phones in the program office are strictly for office use. For practical reasons, we discourage students depending on the office phone to call home from the office unless it is an emergency; however, as mentioned, we are more than happy to take messages from parents trying to contact students.

3 The New York College Experience Mailing Address (Student Copy) (Student s Name) c/o Oxbridge Academic Programs Barnard College 3009 Broadway New York, NY Sending Packages In the past couple of years we have encountered numerous problems arising from parents sending overvalued packages to students via Fed Ex, UPS, DHL, etc. The main cause of these difficulties is the import taxes levied by the US government on incoming packages that exceed a certain stated value. If the declared value of a package exceeds this sum (usually $40.00 US), the courier company must charge a supplementary fee of approximately 30% of the declared value of the contents. What this means is that the student must pay this sum out of his or her own pocket before taking receipt of the package. We do not want to suggest that your parents should not send items to New York with courier firms, however please be conscious of this situation. We therefore recommend that packages be marked as having no commercial value. Clothing should be specified as used. Do not send electronic items or DVDs unless you are prepared to pay customs fees on them.

4 The New York College Experience Program Office Contact Information (Parent Copy) Phone (This phone number and address may be used starting the week before Arrival Day. For any concerns between now and the end of June, please contact the main New York office.) The program phone can be used to reach students as well as program staff. The phone is manned daily from 8:00 AM until between midnight and 1:00 AM New York time. At night and at times when the whole program is at an event (field trip, assembly, etc.), voic messages can be left and calls will be returned as quickly as possible. Messages: Barnard College rooms do not have private phones in them. If a student receiving a call is in class, on a field trip, or simply out of the building on an extracurricular activity when a call comes in, our staff will take a message and post it on the student message board immediately. Calling Home Because of the high cost of roaming charges, we strongly urge that international students do not use mobile or cell phones they bring from home in order to communicate with their families, unless you have arranged an international calling plan with your phone company. Instead we recommend they buy an inexpensive local pay-as-you-go phone on which their families can reach them. The phones in the program office are strictly for office use. For practical reasons, we discourage students depending on the office phone to call home from the office unless it is an emergency; however, as mentioned, we are more than happy to take messages from parents trying to contact students.

5 The New York College Experience Mailing Address (Parent Copy) (Student s Name) c/o Oxbridge Academic Programs Barnard College 3009 Broadway New York, NY Sending Packages In the past couple of years we have encountered numerous problems arising from parents sending overvalued packages to students via Fed Ex, UPS, DHL, etc. The main cause of these difficulties is the import taxes levied by the US government on incoming packages that exceed a certain stated value. If the declared value of a package exceeds this sum (usually $40.00 US), the courier company must charge a supplementary fee of approximately 30% of the declared value of the contents. What this means is that the student must pay this sum out of his or her own pocket before taking receipt of the package. We do not want to suggest that your parents should not send items to New York with courier firms, however please be conscious of this situation. We therefore recommend that packages be marked as having no commercial value. Clothing should be specified as used. Do not send electronic items or DVDs unless you are prepared to pay customs fees on them.

6 Arrival Day Details June 28 th, 2015 Arriving from Overseas We meet every student arriving from overseas at the three Major New York airports (JFK, La Guardia, and Newark) on June 28 th ; however, we cannot come to the plane to meet you. When you disembark you will go through: 1) The Immigration section where you will have your passport checked (and visa paperwork where applicable). 2) Then follow the signs for the Baggage Reclaim area to retrieve your luggage 3) Once you have collected your belongings, go through the Customs channel. 4) Once you pass through Customs, you will walk along an Arrivals hallway leading into the main terminal. You will exit through the doors into the terminal. This is where you will be met by our staff. Our faculty members will be carrying large New York College Experience signs, waiting for arrivals from your specific flight. We are hard to miss, but if you fail to notice anyone matching this description, remain calm. Take a few minutes and look along the barriers by the side of the hallway; if for any reason you cannot see a signholding adult, go to the main Information Desk in the terminal, ask them to page someone from The New York College Experience, and then sit tight. Rest assured, we have never failed to collect a student in over 30 years. In addition, ensure that you have on your person the telephone numbers of our office at Barnard College. The staff there are in constant touch via cell phone with the coordinators at the airport and can send someone immediately to where you are. Meeting the Group Independently If you will already be in New York and plan on meeting our staff at one of the New York airports on June 28 th, we ask that you let us know in advance at which airport you will be joining the group, and we will advise you of the appropriate meeting point. The tell-tale ways to distinguish our group from others will be the New York College Experience signs described above and a congregation of teenagers chatting excitedly, surrounded by lots of luggage bearing the OXBRIDGE tags. Making Your Own Way For those of you going directly to Barnard, you need to follow these directions carefully. Barnard College doesn t offer much in the way of parking spaces, so if you are arriving by car you should plan on being dropped off on the curb while the driver seeks a place to leave the vehicle. More practical still is to arrive by taxi or train. We ask that you arrive at Barnard College between 12p.m. and 4p.m. Enter through the main gate on Broadway at 117 th Street, and turn left. If traveling by train, this is the 116 th Street, Columbia University train station on the 1 line. Proceed to Sulzberger Tower, the first building on your left. There will be a welcome committee there to register your arrival, direct you to your room, answer immediate questions, and tell you about the rest of the day s schedule. Staff members will also be available to give walking tours of the campus and surrounding neighborhood. (Please refer to the attached map to help locate Barnard College.)

7 Luggage Airlines have become considerably stricter about luggage allowances and generally make you pay extra for second pieces of luggage. We therefore recommend that you think very carefully about how much you are planning to bring with you. We also recommend bringing a suitcase with wheels to limit the weight that you will have to carry on your back for extended periods of time. Be sure to attach name and address labels (with your home or New York address) to all of your bags when you check in for departure. Finally, please do not forget to affix the OXBRIDGE tags (which are being sent to you by mail) to your suitcase to assist us in spotting you when you arrive in New York. Note: Pack only what you can carry alone for at least 100 yards and at least a flight of stairs, since YOU are going to be carrying it. The best maxim is: if in doubt, leave it out almost anything you might need will be available in the US. Missing Bags If one or more of your bags is missing, do not panic! Once it becomes evident that a piece of your luggage has gone astray, find a nearby airport official, say that your suitcase has not arrived, and ask where you go to report this. Only leave the Baggage Reclaim area when you have spoken to an airport or airline representative and clarified exactly what to do. Unless your bags can be retrieved right away, you will be asked to complete forms providing the address and phone number of where you are staying in New York. As such, it is essential that you have those details with you in your carry-on luggage when you travel. Also, when you check in at your home airport, you will receive barcoded luggage receipts from the airline for your bags keep these in a safe place until you have retrieved all of your possessions. Once the report has been completed, make your way back to the gate through which you would have originally exited and find the New York College Experience staff member waiting for you there. The airline personnel will endeavor to locate your luggage as soon as possible and arrange for it to be delivered to Barnard College in New York. Housing Once you arrive at Barnard College, you will be issued your room key and directed to your room. Housing assignments are finalized well before the program begins and, once you arrive in New York, you will not be able to change rooms.

8 Departure Day Details July 25 th, 2014 Departure On July 25 th we escort all departing students to the New York airports in a reverse operation to that of Arrival Day. Our accompanying adults guide you into the terminal and ensure that you check in at the appropriate airline desk without any difficulties. These faculty and staff members then walk with you and other students as far as the security checkpoint, which is as far as they can legally go. If you are leaving from New York by bus or rail for another destination, we will assist you to the greatest of our ability in directing you to your departure point. Students who are making their own way should be picked up by their parents or an approved adult between 9a.m. and noon.

9 Suggested Packing List Travel alarm clock and batteries (a must for getting to class on time!) 3 pairs of pants / jeans 2 pairs of shorts shirts / blouses 2 sweaters T-shirts / sweatshirt / sweatpants / athletic shorts (for sports) Pajamas One semi-formal outfit for our various formal evening events: Jacket/tie or dress/skirt/dress pants Lots of underwear & socks (to avoid doing laundry too often) A LARGE laundry bag for when it becomes unavoidable! A pair of sturdy walking shoes or sneakers A foldable umbrella Waterproof jacket, slicker or raincoat Bathrobe / flip-flops / shower shoes Toiletries, including contact lens solutions and antihistamines. You can find everything you need in New York drugstores but prices may well be higher than at home. A camera and charger All bedding and towels are provided & exchanged weekly! Any personal medication you are taking Note: These are just our suggestions. Ultimately, you should pack clothes in which you feel comfortable. Keep in mind that it can get quite hot and humid in New York during the summer, so it is a good idea to bring light clothing. Also, unless you purchase an iron on site, you will probably not have access to one. Thus, bring easy wash and wear items, and don't worry about looking rumpled, since everybody else will be in the same situation! Computers: We provide several computers for student use in the student lounge, and students will not require a laptop for their classwork. If you do wish to bring a laptop, however, Wi-Fi is available throughout the residence and campus. Finally, please remember that YOU will be responsible for carrying your own luggage at all times, so try to be as realistic as possible about what you will need. Electricity in the U.S. Electricity in the U.S. is different from in both Europe and Asia. It is unwise to bring electrical equipment from home, such as irons or hair dryers, as they might go up in smoke! If you choose to, be sure to buy an adapter specifically made to work in the US. A better idea is to buy an inexpensive appliance in New York and use it just for the month.

10 Checklist 1. TO DO IMMEDIATELY Check that your passport is valid and will not expire while you are in the United States. Immigration generally insists that it should have at least six months left to run. If you are not a citizen of a country enrolled in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) please contact your local U.S. Embassy to determine whether or not you will require a visa to enter the country. If you do require a visa, please call or our New York Office prior to applying so that we can assist you with the application process. 2. ADVANCE PLANNING Order your debit/credit card. Make a copy of it in case it gets lost. Make 3 photocopies of your passport & birth certificate: one to leave with your family and two to carry with you while you travel. 3. PACKING TIME Confirm your plane reservation with the airline, as well as the time, flight number and departure terminal. NOTE: DO THIS 72 HOURS BEFORE YOU LEAVE! Make sure that any breakables in your suitcase are well-wrapped or protected, or placed in your hand luggage. Think through how much clothing you will need this summer. (Each year most students bring far too much, so try to adhere to the packing list.) 4. BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE (You MUST include all these items in your carry-on bag) Your passport (and visa paperwork, if applicable) A copy of your passport in another place from the original, with a second copy left at home with your parents. Passport control letter (sent by mail). This is to present to customs officials if you are asked why you are entering the United States. Officials may need paper clarification this document is what you need. Letter of consent to travel completed by your parents or guardian Your plane tickets Your spending money (packed securely). The New York College Experience program office telephone numbers and addresses. Name & address labels, plus Oxbridge luggage tags, on your luggage (sent by mail) 5. AT THE AIRPORT Keep the bar-coded luggage stubs, given to you by the airline at check-in, in a safe place in your carry-on luggage. Happy travels from wherever you may be in the world, and we look forward to seeing you in New York!

11 May 2015 LETTER OF CONSENT TO TRAVEL: PLEASE COMPLETE AND CARRY WHEN ENTERING THE UNITED STATES Full name of one parent / guardian Full address of parent / guardian: Parent / guardian telephone number: (including country code) Passport number of parent / guardian: I authorize my child,, to travel to the United States in order to attend The New York College Experience which takes place at an approved licensed center. An Oxbridge Academic Programs representative, carrying a letter on Oxbridge Academic Programs stationery, is meeting my child at the airport and transporting him/her to the school. Name of parent / guardian (in block capitals) Signature of parent / guardian and Date In case of queries on the day of travel please contact Mr. Kevin Held, the Director of the New York College Experience, on the following number:

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