Experience in preparing for college admission in the US during Covid-19

ITT – Mr. Dang Huu Phuoc, with nearly 10 years of experience in the field of education and study abroad counseling, shares his experience in preparing for college admission in the US during Covid-19.

At this time, for international students, you must already have a visa and are ready to begin your journey. You need to pay attention to issues such as buying tickets, preparing luggage, medical examination, immigration declarations, domestic flights in the US and asking for a shuttle at the airport.

Buy plane tickets

The first experience in preparing for college admission in the US during Covid-19 is that you should buy a plane ticket as soon as you have a visa. Those who go to the US for the first time, especially on domestic flights in the US, should ask an agent to buy tickets. If you buy it yourself, you do not anticipate the following risks:

• Buy a ticket to transit through Japan without noticing that there are two different airports.
• No experience in timing between transit flights.
• Unexpected transit but some countries will need a transit visa for Vietnamese nationality.
• For students under 16 years old going to the US for the first time (need to buy priority tickets for support when traveling alone – UM). If you buy through an agent, they will know how to best support you when flying or connect you with a companion.
• In the context of Covid-19, frequent flight change/cancellation, if you buy your own ticket, you have to contact the airline yourself to do the procedure for refund/refund/claim. The process can take several months or even a year before you receive your money. While buying through a reseller, they will be better able to support this and know the point of contact to help their customers.

Health check and test for Covid-19

US requires international students to submit an Immunization Form upon admission to the school. Declarations will vary from state to state. When you have the required form from the school, bring it along with your childhood immunization record to international hospitals to have them list your shots and new shots.

In the context of Covid-19, all passengers aged 2 years and older when flying to the US must present a negative Covid-19 test certificate made within 72 hours before departure.

Prepare your luggage

With 7 kg hand-carried in a small suitcase, you can bring valuable items such as a laptop, phone, a coat because it may be cold on the plane, medicine, money, credit cards…

Important documents to enter the US you need to remember include passport with at least 6 months validity with US visa, signed I20, negative Covid-19 test certificate, other documents (entry letter), school records, SEVIS, transcripts of notarized translations, health check sheets…).

Entry

Experience in preparing for college admission in the US during Covid-19 is usually when there are about 2 hours left to arrive in the US, the flight attendant will send you form 6059B (entry form to the US) to fill out. Landing at the first US airport, you need to go through immigration procedures with the following process:

• Take your hand luggage out of the plane, follow the instructions to the customs.
• Follow the directions to the entrance for international students.
• Present visa and I20 to customs.
• Customs will ask the same questions before the entry stamp as at the visa interview such as: What school will you study at? Where did you go to the US? What grade are you in/What are you majoring in? How long will you study? Who pays for school? Do you bring food and drinks?