LSI New York Frequently Asked Questions

Transcription

1 Language Studies International 2013 LSI New York Frequently Asked Questions SECTION ONE: SCHOOL DETAILS 1. Where is LSI New York and what are the school s contact details? School Name LSI New York Postal Address 431 Canal Street, 12 th floor New York, NY Telephone (212) Fax (212) nyc@lsi.edu Website LSI New York is based at the Manhattan campus of the Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY), located downtown in Soho/Tribeca, near the Financial District. For detailed directions, please go to and click on New York. If you will be driving, please call the school for detailed directions. Please note that street parking is very limited in the city. Parking garages usually cost about $20 per day. If you would like to visit our school and observe a class before making your decision, please call us so we can arrange a day and time for you to come in. For more information please contact us at or us at nyc@lsi.edu. We would be happy to tell you more about LSI New York! 2. What is the building/area like? LSI New York is located on the 12 th floor of the Metropolitan College of New York s Manhattan campus, which is within walking distance of well-known New York neighbourhoods such as Tribeca, Soho, Chinatown, and the Financial District. It is in a spacious modern building with a student lounge, a library, and wonderful views of lower Manhattan. 3. When are the school holidays? The school is closed at Christmas time (24 December January, 2012). We are also closed on the following public holiday dates in 2012: Jan 16, Feb 20, Apr 6, 9, May 28, Jul 4, Sep 3, Oct 8, Nov 22, 23. These dates are also available online in our current brochure: LSI Brochures Classes which fall on public holidays are not rescheduled.

2 SECTION TWO: TEACHERS 1. How many teachers do you have? We employ approximately 8-12 full-time teachers and 5-10 part-time teachers. 2. What are your teacher qualifications? All our teachers are qualified (with at least an undergraduate degree), experienced, native English speakers. They have experience teaching ESL and/or a recognised TESL certificate, and are approved by the New York State Education Department. SECTION THREE: STUDENTS 1. Where do your students come from? Nationalities and percentages vary widely during the year, but in 2012, our top nationalities included Italy, Spain, Korea, Brazil, France, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, and Turkey. 2. How many students do you have during high and low seasons? We have students during the high season (summer months) and about students during the low season (winter months). 3. What is the minimum and average age of your students? The minimum age is 18 years old. The average age of our students is between 24 and 26, but we have students up to 65. Our Young Learner program is for students between 13 and What is the average and maximum number of students per class? The average class size is 12. The maximum number of students in a class is 14. SECTION FOUR: FACILITIES 1. What facilities are available to students? In addition to large, bright classrooms, LSI students have access to a library where they can study. In the library, students have access to 40 computers with internet access. We have a comfortable student lounge where students can relax and eat lunch. There is a café on the first floor of the building that offers inexpensive lunches. 2. Do you have free computers/internet/wi-fi internet access? We have access to 40 computers either in the library or corridors of the 12 th floor for studying and research. Students will have access to MCNY s wireless internet service. There are also several internet cafés in the area. 3. How many classrooms are there? LSI usually occupies classrooms on the campus of MCNY. 4. Do you have a cafeteria? No, but we are very close to many affordable cafés, restaurants, sandwich shops, and markets. Students may also bring lunch and eat it in the lounge.

3 SECTION FIVE: COURSES 1. What courses do you offer? Course type Number of lessons per week Standard 20 General English 20 Intensive 30 General English 30 Intensive 30 with Business English General/Business English 30 Plus Courses (additional 5 or 10 One-to- General English / 5 or 10 One lessons a week) One-to-One FCE, CAE, or CPE Cambridge Exam 30 Intensive 30 with TOEFL General/Exam 30 International School Year Academic English 20 or 30 One-to-One One-to-One 10, 20, 30 or 40 English for Teaching (Standard or 10 General English/Teaching One-to-One lessons per week Mini Group Business English 20 Club 50+ General English/Activities 20 Young Learner s Program (summer only) General English/Activities 15 We also offer students the opportunity to spread a long-term course over 2 or more of our centers worldwide! Ask about our Multi-Center Courses for more information. 2. Do you offer work experience? Yes, but the only program we are offering at this time is a self-arranged placement. This means that the student needs to find his or her own job placement before starting at the school. 3. What is the length of each lesson? All lessons are 50 minutes. 4. What is a typical class timetable like? Hours Standard 20 Intensive 30 with Conversation, TOEFL, English for Business, Cambridge, English for Teaching 9:10 to 10:50 Lessons 1 & 2 Lessons 1& 2 10:50 to 11:10 BREAK BREAK 11:10 to 12:50 Lessons 3 & 4 Lessons 3 & 4 12:50 to 1:50 FINISHED LUNCH 1:50 to 4:05 Lessons 5 & 6 OFF (Monday-Thursday) 5. What levels are offered and how fast does a student progress from level to level? There are 5 levels: Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate and Advanced. Beginner or Proficiency classes are available if needed. Students usually complete a level after 10 weeks of study depending on speaking ability, test scores, attendance, and the teacher s continuous assessment of their language skills. 6. When are the start dates? Start dates for General English courses are every Monday (excluding holidays). Start dates for beginners and other special courses can be found at

4 7. Are textbooks included in the fees? Books and materials for class use are provided free of charge; students use class sets in the classroom and receive handouts to supplement the lessons. Books are not given out for students to keep as a variety of different texts are used. Students who would like to own any particular book may receive help in purchasing it through the LSI office. 8. Do students receive a free certificate once the course has ended? Yes, as long as they have attended at least 80% of the course. 9. Can students switch their course type/length once they have started it? Can they add an additional course or extend their accommodation? Course reductions are not permitted after the course has started. However, students may add extra lessons, e.g. afternoon or individual lessons. Students can also add weeks at the end of their course if they want to. Students can make arrangements for course changes with the LSI Registrar or through their booking agent. Bookings should be made as early as possible. Students can extend their accommodation, subject to availability. If they extend late, it is possible that the host family or residence may be booked up with other students; however, it may be possible to find a new host family or a different residence. 10. Can I study at more than one location? Yes. For example, a student might enrol for 10 weeks of the Intensive 30 course spending 6 weeks in Berkeley and 4 weeks in Boston. Or a student might choose to study for 12 weeks in New York and 12 weeks in San Diego during a 24 week ISY course. Please contact us for more details. SECTION SIX: ORIENTATION 1. What time should I arrive on my first day and what should I bring? Please arrive promptly at 8:45 to fill in necessary paperwork. Bring your original passport, I-20, and I-94 documents (not copies.) We will provide you with books and other learning materials. After you take a placement test, you will have a short orientation and will generally join afternoon classes if you have booked them. Students in the Standard-20 program will begin class on the next day. SECTION SEVEN: ACCOMMODATION 1. What types of accommodation do you offer? LSI New York offers accommodation year round in host families and in residence hotels. Shared apartments are available upon request with limited availability. Our carefully selected host families offer friendly, comfortable surroundings. In host family accommodation, students may choose Bed & Breakfast or Half Board (breakfast and dinner included, outside Manhattan only). Hosts provide a single room with linens plus the meals booked. As an alternative to staying in a host family, we also offer residential accommodation. Here, students stay in a residence with other international travellers and students. Students must choose a single room if they book individually. When two students book together for the same dates, they may choose a twin room (with bunk beds) to share together if they wish. This also depends on availability.

5 Currently, we book students at the Vanderbilt YMCA. The Vanderbilt is about 30 minutes by subway from the school. No meals are included in residence stays, but there are cafés and restaurants nearby. Please contact us for more information and prices. 2. How far will my homestay be from the school? There are 3 zones outside Manhattan, based on travel time. Zone 1 is approximately minutes from the school by public transit; Zone 2 is approximately minutes, and Zone 3 (Staten Island) is 60 minutes or longer. 3. Are the homestays inspected by the school? Yes, our accommodation coordinator or a member of our staff inspects all homestays. 4. When do I arrive at my homestay and when do I leave? Students may stay with their host families from Sat-Sat Sun-Sat or Sun-Sun. 5. What do the families provide? They provide a private room, continental breakfast, bed linens, and towels. Many host families have laundry facilities, and there are also Laundromats readily available. 6. When do I have to pay for the accommodation fees? We require payment in advance for the accommodation period for which you have booked. For example, if a student books a 4-month course AND 4 months of accommodation, we expect that all of the accommodation fees, including the accommodation placement fee, be paid in advance. We only book students into families for the time that has been paid for in advance. If students stay in a residence then they must pay in advance for the full accommodation. We do not accept monthly payments for residential accommodation. The accommodations placement fee is non-refundable except in the case of a full cancellation or visa denial. It is possible for a long-term student to book only four weeks of homestay, but this is not recommended because if another student has been placed with the family, he/she may not be able to continue staying in that home after four weeks. Also, in the summer, all accommodations are very limited, and we would strongly suggest booking the full time period in advance. If students decide that they would like to cancel accommodations, this is possible with two weeks advanced notice; in this case we will issue a refund for unused homestay. Refunds for residence cancellations vary. Please see brochure, or contact us for details 7. Do I need to pay for my homestay over Christmas break or if I take a holiday? Yes, but not every host family accepts students over the Christmas break, so it is best to book this in advance. There are extra summer ($30/wk) and Christmas ($50/wk) surcharges. If at any time, a student is away from their host family and their luggage/belongings remain with the host in their absence, they will not receive a refund since their room will be unavailable for other guests to use. For students staying in residential accommodation, there is no reduction in accommodation fees if you take a holiday.

6 SECTION EIGHT: SOCIAL ACTIVITIES 1. Are social activities offered during the weekdays and/or weekends? We provide a variety of activities, which vary from week to week. Sample activities include: museums, gallery visits, concerts, music festivals, sporting events, and seasonal activities for holidays such as Christmas and Halloween. Additionally, there are party nights/dinners, pub crawls, walks, and visits to historic towns in the area. 2. Do I have to pay for social activities? Some social activities are free, such as events that take place at the school, visits to New York s famous sights, walks, museum visits, etc. For other activities, such as weekend trips, there is a fee. SECTION NINE: AIRPORT TRANSFER 1. Are airport transfers available? Yes. Please let us know the date, time of arrival, flight number, airline, airport of departure and airport of arrival. (e.g. 08 August 2012, 13.00, British Airways flight BA 007 from LHR to JFK) Airport New York JFK New York LaGuardia Newark Liberty Cost (One way) $ Who meets me at the airport and where? LSI New York will book your airport transfer with a limousine company. After booking the airport transfer, we will send you a letter which explains the airport procedure, including information on how to identify the driver. SECTION TEN: PAYMENTS/CANCELLATIONS/REFUNDS 1. How do I pay for my LSI course? All fees must be paid before we can release documents you will need for your visa application and before your course starts. Payment can be made in cash or check, or by wire transfer. If you send a wire transfer, please quote your student number and the invoice number, and fax/ a copy of the wire transfer receipt to us. Our bank details are as follows: Name Postal Address A/C Name Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. San Francisco, CA. Language Studies International A/C No SWIFT CODE WFBIUS6S (International Only) ABA Routing Number (Domestic Only) We also accept payment by credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express). Please ask us for a credit card authorization form. If you would like to pay in Euro, please let us know at the time of booking.

7 Individual applicants need to make full payment for the course plus accommodation, if any is booked, two weeks before the start of the course. The I-20 form will be issued for the time period the student pays for. (It can be extended here if the course is extended and paid for.) 2. Can I receive an invoice? Yes, we will send you an invoice along with a course confirmation letter upon booking. 3. What are your payment terms and conditions? Please refer to the terms and conditions online at or if you are an agency, refer to the contract which was provided to you by our Marketing Department or them at marketing@lsi.edu. 4. How do I cancel a course and will I get a refund for the course and/or the accommodation? If your visa application is rejected, you will receive a full refund, except for the non-refundable registration fee and courier fee. Course refunds are given according to the USA refund policy and may take 30 days to process. Please refer to the back of the enrolment form for these policies. Accommodation refunds are given as long as LSI is provided with seven days notice. After accommodation details have been confirmed, the accommodations placement fee is also non-refundable. For information on the charges for cancellations and late postponements, please refer to our Terms and Conditions. Course refunds are given according to the U.S. refund policy. Please refer to the back of the enrollment form for these policies. Accommodation refunds are given as long as LSI is provided with two full weeks notice (weeks run from Sat-Sat or Sun-Sun). For information on the charge for cancellations and late postponements, please refer to the policy in the Agent s Manual or the LSI Terms and Conditions, which can be viewed online at SECTION ELEVEN: SEVIS fee and Visa Appointment Once the I-20 is received, students must pay a $ SEVIS fee to the U.S. government. This can be done by going to the following web site and completing the form I-901: You will receive a downloadable receipt which you MUST print and take to the visa meeting. You need to wait 3 days before visiting the Consulate with your receipt, I-20, and financial documentation, as it takes a few days for the information to be entered in the government database. You will not be approved for the visa if the database does not show that payment was made. NOTE: Once you have paid your SEVIS fee and are waiting for your I-20 to arrive, make an appointment at a U.S. consulate or embassy. You can check wait times by logging on to and going to visa wait times on the left column. Enter the name of the city, and you will see the wait times for various types of visas. Make sure you make an appointment for an F-1, student visa. 1. What if a student attended another school before and already has an unexpired F-1 visa in his passport? Is it valid? If a student studied at LSI or another school on an F-1 visa, and they want to return to the US to study at another school, they will just need to get a new I-20 and pay the SEVIS fee again. They will not have trouble entering the country as long as the visa is still valid and they have a valid I- 20.

8 2. How long can a student stay in the United States on a student visa? A student can only remain in the USA as long as he/she maintains full time status in school. If a student falls below full time status, then he/she is subject to deportation. After completion of the program booked, a student can remain in the United States to prepare to return home or transfer to another program for a maximum of 60 days. Once an application has been made to transfer to a new school, the student must begin classes on the first possible entrance date. 3. What is the difference between the I-20, F-1 visa, and I-94 card? It is important to understand the difference between the following three documents: the I-20 form, the F-1 visa, and the I-94 card. The I-20 form is given to the student by an accredited school which the student receives once he has made an application and sent the required documents and payment. The F-1 visa document is issued by the American Consulate and affixed to the passport. The I-94 card is filled out on the plane before arriving in the U.S. and stapled to the passport by immigration officials at the first port of entry to the USA. The I-20 form is issued by a school which has been recognized and approved by the Department of Homeland Security, and it is the document the student must take to the American consulate or embassy, along with financial documentation and the SEVIS receipt, in order to apply for a student visa (F-1). The student must bring the I-20 to the U.S. The F-1 visa is issued by the American consulate or embassy and gives the visitor permission to enter the U.S. at a port of entry for the time period specified on the visa. The consulate/embassy may give a one-time entry or a multiple entry visa. The dates on the visa do not mean the visitor may stay for that period of time. It only means that the student may enter the U.S. during that time, as long as the student also has a valid I-20. The I-94 form is the card generally given out on the airplane to be completed before the student arrives at the port of entry. It is a Department of Homeland Security document, which is presented to the immigration officer upon arrival to the U.S.. For a student coming on a student visa, the card will be stamped F-I/DS by the immigration officer. This means that the applicant has been admitted in student status (F-1), and the visa is valid for the duration of his/her status (D/S) (i.e. as long as the student attends school on a full-time basis). If a student falls below fulltime attendance, the I-20 may be cancelled and the student is subject to deportation. For students who complete their program, the visa is valid for 60 days after the course end date. 4. Can a student extend his/her booking for courses and accommodations when the original booking has been completed? Yes, students can add additional weeks of their course and accommodation when the original booking has been completed. The student can make arrangements to do so through the LSI Registrar BEFORE their current course is finished. This is important for extending the I-20. Note: Extensions of less than four weeks are frowned upon by the government. 5. Can a student drop courses and accommodations after arriving in the United States? A student can drop courses and/or accommodation, but the amount of the refund (if any refund is due) will depend on a number of factors. If you would like to know more information about our cancellation and refund policy, please let us know, and we will send a document that details the full policy.

9 6. If a student finishes the course he/she booked and takes a short break, can he/she start classes again? DHS regulations do not allow such breaks; it would be considered an unauthorized vacation, and the student would be out of status, and would have to apply to DHS for reinstatement to student status, a time-consuming and expensive procedure that could result in deportation. Therefore the student must be enrolled continuously. (See the vacation policy below.) 7. Can a student transfer to another school, college or university? If a student has maintained full-time status (attending at least 80% of the program), he may be eligible to apply to another institution. For students who are thinking of continuing their education in the United States, it is extremely important to maintain status while attending LSI! 8. Can a student work while he/she is studying at LSI? No, it is illegal for a person on a student visa (F-1) or any other non-immigrant visa (B-1, B-2, or WT) to work. However, if a student transfers to a U.S. college or university after completing the course at LSI, he/she may be eligible for OPT (optional practical training). SECTION TWELVE: PERSONAL 1. Who can I talk to if I have a problem? Can I speak my own language? If you have a problem please come speak with our School Director, Kerry Linder, our Registrar, Malina Thiede, our Assistant Director, Victoria Reis or our Student Services Coordinator, Priscilla Cruz. Although our LSI Staff do speak a variety of languages other than English, we may not speak your specific language. If we do speak your language please try speaking in English first before relying on your mother tongue. 2. Can I apply for a student bank account? Students can open a bank account. They should ask in the office for a student letter. 3. Do you offer insurance? Medical Insurance may be purchased from LSI upon booking; further information is available on request. We strongly urge that you purchase a health and accident policy before your arrival. The current cost for insurance is $25 dollars per week. 4. What happens if I get sick? LSI New York can refer you to a doctor or hospital if you are sick. 5. Can I take holiday during my course? Students who enter the U.S. on an F-1 student visa are required to be in school full time and must have completed a certain number of hours of study before they can be permitted to take a break. All vacations must be requested and given approval by the administration of the school. Students who have completed at least 16 weeks of the Intensive 30 course or 20 weeks of the Standard 20 course AND who have maintained their F-1 student status by attending more than 80% of their scheduled classes, are eligible to take a vacation of 1 to 3 weeks. (Students with less than 4 weeks of course remaining will not be granted approval for a vacation). Students may take only one vacation.

10 NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY Language Studies International does not discriminate in the classroom, on social activities or in accommodation placements on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or any other characteristic protected by law. It is the practice of LSI and its staff to provide equal opportunities for a quality English language and cultural immersion experience to all individuals involved with the organization: students, teachers, administrators, hosts, and all who provide support services to our school. If you have any additional questions that we have not answered please contact us. If you have any additional questions that we have not answered please contact us at LSI New York c/o Metropolitan College of New York 431 Canal Street, 12th Floor New York, NY Tel: Fax: nyc@lsi.edu Website: