Summer Semester
Notes on Admission Process
Summer Admits
- Definition: Students who have been admitted to begin full time study in their degree program with a summer session (student must appear in Banner with an admission period ending in ‘30’).
Early Program Activities
- Definition: Students who are admitted to begin their program in the Fall semester but will arrive here early to either set up their lab or attend a special credit-bearing or non-credit bearing preparatory program or orientation.
- For new admit students who will be participating in “early program activities” (e.g., summer session, LLM Legal Advantage, MAcc Bootcamp, etc.), please list the start date of these activities in the “Departmental Immigration Document Request Form.”
Arrival and Check-In
- Students may enter the U.S. up to 30 calendar days before the start date on their I-20s or DS-2019s.
- Students must arrive in the U.S. on or before the start date on their I-20s or DS-2019s.
- Early Program Activities students must check-in with the Reves Center within 5 days of arriving at W&M (please check with the Reves Center to see if we have special office-hours for check-in).
- All other new admits will check-in with the Reves Center during designated check-in days.
Enrollment Requirements
Summer Admits
Summer admit students who will be beginning their program during the summer session must be enrolled full-time:
- Undergraduate Students: 12 credit hours.
- Graduate A&S and VIMS: 3 credit hours.
- All other Graduate Students: 6 credit hours.
- Up to three credit hours may be from distance education courses from accredited institutions.
Continuing Students
Continuing students are not required to be enrolled during the summer.
Final Semester
Students in their final semester are only required to enroll in the number of credits required to graduate.
PhD/Masters Students
Phd/Masters students graduating during the summer do not need to be enrolled in summer credits unless required by their departments.
Course Underload
With institutional approval, U.S. immigration law allows F-1 and J-1 students to be temporarily enrolled less than full-time for certain medical or academic reasons.
Employment Eligibility & Authorizations
On-Campus Employment
- Students may work full-time (e.g., 20 hours or more a week). No special work authorization is required to work on campus.
- Information about hiring international students can be found on our website.
Paid Off-Campus Employment
- Students must secure the appropriate work authorization before beginning employment.
- Students may work full-time (e.g., 20 hours or more a week).
- F-1 students can apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT).
- J-1 students can apply for Academic Training (AT).
- Engaging in paid employment without the proper work authorization will result in the termination of the student’s SEVIS (immigration) record. The student might also be required to leave the U.S.
Note: Mason School of Business and Washington Office Programs, please refer to the Business and Washington Office Programs CPT Procedures handout.
Please Notify the Reves Center if:
- a student is unable to arrive in the U.S. by the start date on their I-20s or DS-2019s. Our office will need to defer the start date.
- a student is unable to maintain full-time enrollment. Enrolling less than full-time without institutional approval will result in the termination of the student’s SEVIS (immigration) record.
- a student plans to take a leave of absence.
- a student will change programs or level of study (e.g., PhD to MS, LLM to JD, etc.).
All information is also available on our Student Visas Cheat Sheet (PDF).
