Inbound Students

Preparing for the Application

All graduate and undergraduate inbound exchange applicants must collect and submit the following documents on the online application, unless noted otherwise:

• Official undergraduate degree diploma in English (submit only if a graduate-level exchange applicant)
• Official Academic Transcript in English from your Home Institution
• Proof of Financial Support Form (Undergraduate Form  /  Graduate Form) 
• Bank Statement or Bank Letter in English
  This must show the required amount specified on the Financial Support Form and the bank holders name that should be the same person signing the Financial Support Form. The currency code must be clearly stated on the document. (i.e.: USD, AUD, SGD, etc.)
• Scanned Passport of the full page where name appears (High resolution color copy)
• Proof of English Proficiency
  This can be verified by two ways:
  1) A formal letter from your Home University verifying that the courses on your transcript are taught in English.
  2) Request your test provider to send an official English Proficiency test score letter, with the appropriate level of proficiency, to OSU's Undergraduate or Graduate Admissions Office (The approved level/score can be found on OSU's Undergraduate international student application webpage – under STEP 4, or Graduate international student application webpage webpage – under Proof of English Proficiency.)

Program Contact

Should you have any questions, not answered on the webpage, contact Kozue Isozaki (isozaki.1@osu.edu)

Apply on the Undergraduate Application

Complete your online application form:

• Create an account for the application and save your username and password for future reference.
• Prepare application documents according to the "Inbound Exchange Application Documents" above.
• Follow the Inbound Exchange Application Instructions to complete your application online.
• IMPORTANT! Submit your application and contact the Exchange Coordinator to confirm your completion of the application, also providing your "name.#" or "OSU ID number" you have been assigned on your application.
• Monitor your application for any updates on your online application and accept your admission when prompted.

Apply on the Graduate Application

Complete your online application form:

• Create an account for the application and save your username and password for future reference.
• Prepare application documents according to the "Inbound Exchange Application Instructions" above.
• Complete your application online.
  • Select the "Graduate" category, then "Graduate Non Degree Applications". Under the "Select Term and Campus" field, enter "Reciprocal Exchange MBA" then click "Search" and select "Reciprocal Exchange MBA", the term you are attending OSU, "Columbus" campus, and click "Strat Application".
  • Apply to the "Reciprocal Exchange MBA" or you will be unable to apply an application fee waiver.
• IMPORTANT! Submit your application and contact the Exchange Coordinator to confirm your completion of the application, also providing your "name.#" or "OSU ID number" you have been assigned on your application.
• Monitor your application for any updates on your online application and accept your admission when prompted.

Accepting Admittance

After you are admitted by OSU, make sure you login to your OSU account and "accept" to attend OSU under your "Admissions" section (also known as the "University Community Enrollment Review" process).

Welcome Packet

After you are admitted by OSU, you will be required to register on the eShip system to pay for shipping the immigration document. This will include the following important document:

• DS 2019 Visa Application Documentation

The below documents will be sent to you via email:

• OSU Official Notice of Admission
• Fisher Welcome Letter

Visa

Apply for your J-1 visa as soon as you receive your welcome packet. Follow instructions on the U.S. J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program.

Notice: If you are considering to engage in an internship or other work opportunity in the United States prior to your exchange program, you must be in contact with the Fisher College Office of Global Business Exchange Coordinator and the Office of International Affairs (iss@osu.edu) well in advance to discuss your plans. Be aware that if you enter the U.S. in J-1 status for an internship, you will be required to depart from the country after the internship is over, and apply for a new J-1 visa using your Ohio State DS-2019 before you can re-enter for your exchange program. You cannot change the J-1 category within the U.S., you cannot use the same J-1 visa for both programs, and you cannot be issued two J-1 visas by the consulate at the same time.

If you are planning to engage in an internship after your term at OSU, please still contact Fisher College Office of Global Business Exchange Coordinator and the Office of International Affairs (iss@osu.edu) well in advance, to check if a J-1 Academic Training is applicable to your situation.

Activate your OSU Student Account and Email

You must activate your OSU account and OSU student email to allow you to:

1. Receive important information from OSU (Arrival Information, Orientation, Immigration information, etc.)
2. Allow OSU to enroll you into courses

Activating your account is a two-step process, where you first activate your OSU account (How to Activate my OSU Account) then activate your OSU email (Logging Into BuckeyeMail). You will need to download the Buckeye Pass App to get the authentication codes to login to OSU systems.

Questions/problems on activating your OSU account and/or OSU email, please contact the OSU helpdesk at 8help@osu.edu or you can call 614-688- 4357.

OSU Courses

Undergraduate and graduate students must enroll in 12-18 OSU credits, of which 6 OSU credits must be business courses per semester. You are able to select and enroll into OSU's courses after you have been admitted to OSU.

On your OSU student account, complete your "Financial Responsibility Statement" found on buckeyelink. This will give our academic advisors access to enroll you into courses at OSU. For a better chance to enroll in your preferred courses, it is advised that students submit requests before March 25 for Autumn, and October 20 for Spring term. You will be able to change courses in the first week of the semester start, should you need any adjustments.

Vaccination and Testing Requirements

You must complete the three (3) components to OSU's Vaccination Requirements and Tuberculosis (TB) testing requirements. Find more information on OSU’s Student Health Service page. You may need to receive a signature from a licensed medical provider to complete the requirements, so it is advised that you complete this before you arrive in the U.S. OSU requires students to be vaccinated for COVID19. Please review the OSU COVID19 vaccine requirement webpage for more information. If you would like to know more about OSU's COVID19 related information, please visit the OSU Safe and Healthy Buckeye webpage.

Student Health Insurance

All international students are required to purchase the OSU Comprehensive Student Health Insurance Plan and will be automatically enrolled once approved to attend OSU. Should you have question on the insurance, visit OSU's Student Health Insurance page for more information.

Housing

Be prepared to find Off-Campus housing. Make sure you have a written and signed contract for your accommodation, listing rules and expectations that you can agree to. It is advised that you use precaution when committing to any kind of accommodation (check condition of housing, people you are living with, etc.), whether with an individual or vendor, since you will be responsible for any issues that may arise. OSU is unable to legally represent you should such a situation arise. Refer to the "Cost of Living and Housing" section on the Inbound FAQ page for further information and helpful tools (i.e. Safety Map, Off-Campus Resources, etc.).

International Flight

Book your travel to arrive on campus in time for your orientation sessions and prior to the start of the term. You may not be late for the start of classes at OSU.

Register for OSU Immigration Check-in and Orientation

Self register to attend an Office of International Affairs (OIA) immigration check-in and orientation for the semester you are attending OSU (register online). You will automatically be registered for an orientation of the business school by the Office of Global Business.

Pay your Student Fees

As a exchange student, you will pay your tuition at your home school like any other term and your tuition at OSU will be waived. However, there are fees which all OSU students pay, including exchange students, and you must pay by the payment deadlines, found on the OSU's Academic Calendar.  Payment options can be found on the OSU Bursar's Office webpage. The items that you would be responsible are below (subject to change):

• Students fees (Student health insurance, COTA bus fee, Activity fee, etc.)
• Late fees (if you miss payment deadlines)

For details on the cost and payment options, please visit the Inbound FAQ page. Student fees are usually charged a month before the semester start on your OSU University Statement of Account, and it is recommended that you pay the fee immediately after it shows on your student account. If you do not see the fees, notify the exchange coordinator immediately.

Please note that you may be charged OSU services fees (library late fees, lab fees, etc.) after you start your semester at OSU, and you are responsible to pay all fees in full, before you depart from the U.S. Any remaining fees will prevent the dispatch of your OSU transcript.

Mandatory Orientation

You are required to attend the following three orientations upon arrival in the U.S.

• Office of International Affairs (OIA) orientation session (register online)
• Office of International Affairs (OIA) immigration check-in session (register online)
• Fisher College of Business orientation session (auto registered)

Maintaining your J-1 Visa Status

Make sure you maintain a lawful status of your J-1 Student Visa while you attend OSU. Failure to do this may result in deporting you from the U.S. More information can be found on the Office of International Affairs, International Student webpage.

Finalizing your Courses at OSU

You will have a one-week window at the start of the semester to add/drop courses and finalize your courses at OSU.

Employment while in the U.S.

You must contact Fisher College Office of Global Business Exchange Coordinator and the Office of International Affairs (iss@osu.edu) to confirm you are legally able to work in the U.S. with your J1 visa status. You may need to meet certain academic requirements and submit documentation to get approvals.

Make the Most of Your Time at OSU

• OSU Student Organization List
• Fisher's Student Organization List
• OIA Webpage for International Students

You may find more information on the Inbound FAQ page.

Before you Return

Make sure you complete all items listed below before you depart back to your home country.

• Fees/Holds: Pay all fees (student, library, etc.) and resolve any holds on your OSU account before you leave. The Exchange Coordinator will not be able to obtain your transcript if you have not paid all fees in full or you have remaining holds on your account.
• Housing: Please be sure to arrange final departure dates with your Off-campus housings and depart on the dates that have been agreed on. Make sure you leave the place in the same condition as you have found it.
• Survey: A survey will be sent to you after your completion of your exchange program. Complete this survey.
• Other Documents: If you need signatures on any documents from your home university, please inform the Exchange Coordinator.

Transcript Process

Transcripts will be sent via email to your OSU email and your home university coordinator email, 1-2 months after the end of the semester. Should your home institution need the original hard copy sent, notify the exchange coordinator. If there are any remaining fees on your OSU statement, it will prevent the dispatch of your OSU transcript. More information on transcripts can be found on the Inbound FAQ page.

Keep in Touch

If you wish to continue to keep in touch with OSU, please provide your email on the survey we distribute at the end of the exchange program.

It is highly recommend keeping your DS-2019, J-1 visa and I-94 print-outs for your records. If you apply for a new visa to return to the U.S. in the future or apply for a change of status in the U.S. one day, you would probably be asked for copies.