International Students

We understand that international students coming to UCI experience a huge transition adjusting to both life at UCI and in the US. The International Student Parent Orientation Program (ISPOP) provides resources and information that are specifically geared toward the needs of international students.

If you are an incoming international transfer student, please visit the transfer student page for your orientation requirements. The information listed below applies to international first-year students only.

All incoming first-year students are required to complete online orientation modules and attend a 2-day, 1-night orientation program:

Online Orientation

  • Online Orientation is a series of Canvas Modules designed to introduce you to UCI resources to support your academic success, prioritize health and wellness, and find community and belonging. These are asynchronous modules, so you can work on them at your own pace.
  • You do not need to do anything to sign up for Online Orientation. All incoming students will automatically be invited to access these modules early this summer. At this time, you will get an email to your UCI email address inviting you to join your assigned Canvas Group.
  • There is no specific date by which you need to complete these modules. It can be helpful to complete Online Orientation prior to attending your in-person orientation. You will also continue to have access to these modules throughout your time at UCI, so you can refer back to these resources whenever you need them.

In-Person Orientation

Attending an in-person orientation program is mandatory for all incoming first-years. We highly recommend that incoming international students attend the International Student Parent Orientation Program (ISPOP), which specifically includes resources and workshops for international students:

  • ISPOP takes place at the very end of summer, so students living abroad do not have to travel internationally during the summer just for the 2-day orientation.
  • ISPOP is for international students only, so it is a great opportunity to meet fellow international students.
  • Since ISPOP takes place right before Fall Quarter starts, academic advising and course enrollment cannot take place during ISPOP. Instead, academic advising and course enrollment will take place virtually over the summer.
  • You must make a reservation for ISPOP. You are not automatically assigned to an ISPOP reservation, and you must have a reservation to attend an in-person orientation.
  • All incoming students are assigned assigned a Reservation Window, which is a 24-hour time period in which you will have access to the SPOP reservation system. It is during your Reservation Window that you can go to the SPOP reservation system and reserve a space in the SPOP of your choice, including ISPOP!
    • We will be releasing Reservation Window assignments on May 24th, 2024 at 4:00 PM. Please note, Reservation Windows will not be opening on this day. Instead, you will learn when your window opens, so you have time to prepare and be ready to make your reservation.
  • Please do not book any travel arrangements before making your ISPOP reservation. We cannot guarantee your attendance at ISPOP unless you have a reservation to attend.

All incoming international first-year students can choose to make a reservation at any SPOP 1-10 instead of ISPOP. If you are an incoming international student and you want to attend a SPOP 1-10, please visit the first-year student page for more information.

The ISPOP experience will be different for those who will be living on-campus during the school year and those who will be living off-campus. Please refer to the information about in-person orientation that will apply to you based on where you will be living during the school year:

Living On-Campus
  • In-person orientation is a 2-day, 1-night overnight program that takes place on campus. You will be moving into your academic year room assignment on Day 1 of ISPOP, and that is where you will be staying overnight for ISPOP.
  • There will be an additional cost for staying on-campus for the night of Thursday, September 19 added to your ZotBill.
Living Off-Campus
  • In-person orientation is a 2-day orientation program, but students living off-campus will not be staying overnight on-campus. You will need to make your own overnight accommodations.

ISPOP Fees

ISPOP Fees will be available when Reservation Windows open. Please continue to check our website for updates.

All students are billed for orientation on their Fall Bill in their Zot Account. No payment information is collected during the student reservation process, and no students pay for orientation before or during ISPOP. A “SPOP Fee” will appear on your Fall ZotBill as a separate line item, since this fee is separate and not covered by any other student fees. All students are responsible for paying for their orientation fee when it is billed to their ZotAccount.

ISPOP Date and Time

Check-in on Day 1 of ISPOP starts at 9:00 AM for those who will be moving into their on-campus residence. There is no check-out on Day 2.

Check-in on Day 1 of ISPOP starts at 10:00 AM for those who will be living off-campus.

ProgramDates
ISPOPWednesday, September 18 – Thursday, Saturday 19