The College

International Student Advising

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International Student Advising

International Student Advising at Brown supports all self-identified international undergraduate students as they navigate U.S. academic and financial systems during their time at Brown and as they prepare for life beyond graduation.

Our dedicated team of professionals bring years of experience supporting international-identifying undergraduate students. Whether we’re guiding students through academic planning, building strong financial habits, or navigating unexpected challenges that may impact academic progress, we ground all our work in a deep understanding and appreciation of the diverse experiences international students bring to the Brown community. While both our office and the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS) support international students, OISSS is the primary resource for visa and immigration advising, while we focus on academic and financial wellness.

If you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment with an advisor, email us at  internationaladvising@brown.edu. Current Brown community members can visit our Google Site to explore our newsletter, social media, and podcast, and learn more about the topics we cover.

For more information on our “Academic and Financial Wellness @ Brown” ongoing orientation series, click here.

What We Do

The International Student Advising team in the College offers a range of workshops, information sessions, small cohort meetings, and one-on-one advising appointments designed to support the overall academic and financial wellness of the international undergraduate community at Brown. In addition, we collaborate with campus partners to raise awareness and support the campus community in understanding topics pertinent to international undergraduate students.

We support international students with:

Our team offers both proactive and responsive advising to guide international students navigate and thrive in their academic journey at Brown. Topics we can support include topics such as:

  • Adjusting to Brown academic norms and culture as an International Student, understanding academic policies and procedures related to a student’s undergraduate education, especially those relevant to F-1/J-1 visa-holders.
  • Exploring the Open Curriculum and choosing a concentration as an F-1 visa-holder, making informed decisions aligned with individual values, academic interests, career goals, and work authorization options.
  • Course planning and degree completion pathways, understanding how to navigate grade options (ABC/S/NC), degree requirements for international students, and mapping out a degree completion journey.
  • Communicating with Professors and TAs, learning about resources, expectations and norms when interacting with faculty at Brown.
  • Accessing academic resources at Brown, getting connected and learning about Brown’s many academic resources and support.
  • Leave-taking advising, understanding options and considerations for medical or personal leave for F-1 or J-1 visa-holders.
  • CAS Student Meetings, understanding policies and considerations for F-1/J-1 visa-holders on course load reduction, credit recovery, and petitions for 9th and 10th semester.
  • Academic approvals related to work authorization
  • Home country study away, exploring potential pathways to enroll full-time and earn course credit at a university in a student's country of permanent residence. 

Our team also offers a number of workshops open to all international students on the following academic topics:

  • Degree Options and Requirements for International Students
  • Exploring a Concentration as an International Student
  • Setting Academic and Career Goals: Employment Pathways for International Students (in collaboration with the the Center for Career Exploration)
  • Reflecting on Your Academic Journey (Juniors and Seniors)

For a full schedule of academic workshops, see the Academic and Financial Resilience @ Brown series. 

Our coaching program is part of AcCESs@Brown, a collaboration between the peer coaching program at the Division of Athletics and the peer coaching services at the Curricular Resource Center. International students may choose to be matched with the International Student Advising Staff Coach, as well as CRC and Athletics Peer-Coaches.

Our team offers one-on-one and small group academic coaching sessions to support international students to reflect on and strengthen their study strategies, time management, and exam-taking skills, and overall wellness. Students are able to access academic coaching support at any time during their studies and continue conversations as they advance through their degree program. More information on our method and approach can be found here. 

Our team works closely with the Financial Advising Team to support international students navigate unexpected financial hardships through dedicated financial advising sessions and, when applicable, through the Emergency Gap Application process.

In addition to responsive support, our team offers proactive financial literacy and wellness advising for international students from their first semester at Brown through post-graduation planning. Topics we can support in one-on-one advising sessions include:

  • Budgeting and saving strategies in a U.S. context,
  • Understanding credit scores, credit cards, and banking in the U.S.,
  • Managing common personal, academic, and social expenses as an international student,
  • Accessing and utilizing financial resources from a cross cultural perspective, including higher education financing as an international student.

We also support eligible aided international students (with eligibility determined each academic year by the Office of Financial Aid) through specific initiatives:

  • Travel Pilot Program: assistance with travel arrangements
  • Linen Support Program: providing eligible first-year students with essential bedding and towel items
  • Summer and Winter Break Housing and Meals: aided students who are unable to return to their home country due to hardship circumstances may be eligible for on-campus housing and meal support
  • E-Gap funding: emergency financial assistance for students facing unexpected and unavoidable expenses impacting their ability to study

In addition to one-on-one advising, we also offer workshops on the following financial topics:

  • Life at Brown with a Budget for F-1/J-1 visa-holders
  • Budgeting For Your Summer Breaks
  • Life Beyond Brown: Post-graduation Financial Planning for F-1/J-1 visa-holder
    • To further support students’ path towards financial independence post-graduation, all international seniors (aided and unaided) are invited to participate in monthly financial cohort meetings facilitated by a member of our team. These small group meetings provide an opportunity to connect with peers to learn, reflect, and plan proactively for life after graduation, regardless of their chosen paths.

Employment in the U.S. is highly regulated by immigration and employment law and regulations. F-1 students have three main avenues for meeting these laws and regulations: On-Campus Employment, Curricular Practical Training (CPT), and Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more information on these options, please consult the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS) website.

For students applying for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) in a Non-Professional Track Concentration, our team offers one-on-one advising to draft their required Independent Study Proposal (ISP). More information on the process for applying for CPT can also be found on the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS) website.

Each semester, we collaborate with the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS) to offer workshops and info sessions covering CPT basics and Non-Professional Track CPT. Learn more here.   

Our team offers one-on-one advising to international students facing extenuating circumstances impacting their academic progress, including personal, financial, and immigration situations and challenges. 

 

Is there a topic that you would like our team to cover in a workshop? We welcome student feedback and ideas and opportunities to engage in dialogue about supporting international students from students, faculty, staff and student groups.

Submit the form

Connect With Us

All general inquiries should be sent directly to internationaladvising@brown.edu. 

For inquiries regarding the Travel Pilot Program, email travelpilot@brown.edu.

Our Staff

  • Emily

    Emily Collins Garcia

    International Student Academic Advisor
    emily_collins_garcia@brown.edu
    Areas of Expertise Academic Coaching, Financial Advising, International Student Advising Programs and Support
  • Photograph of Anastasia Dementieva

    Anastasia Dementieva

    International Student Program Manager
    anastasia_dementieva_scripter@brown.edu
    Areas of Expertise Academic Coaching, Financial Advising, International Student Advising Programs and Support
  • Chia-Ying Pan

    Chia-Ying Pan

    The Panetha Theodosia Nychis Ott Associate Dean of the College for International Students
    chia-ying_pan@brown.edu
    Areas of Expertise Curricular Practical Training (International Students), Degree Completion, Financial Advising, Home Country Study Away, International Student Advising Programs and Support, Professional Track Double Concentrating, Transfer Credit for International Undergraduates (F-1 only), Academic Coaching, Committee on Academic Standing, Leavetaking

More Advising Resources for International Students

Our team can also connect students with appropriate campus resources for F-1/J-1 international students, including:

Visa and Immigration Advising: Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS)

Student eligibility for programs and resources may vary. To determine your eligibility, please contact respective program coordinators; if you’re unsure where to start, please contact internationaladvising@brown.edu.