Why we're here
International students arriving at Cornell for graduate school are often living in the United States for the first time. We face unique challenges: working out how to navigate the American academic system; how finances and taxes work; and how ‘simple’ social norms operate in a new country. Should you call your advisor by their first name, or their academic title? How do laundromats work? Will my winter clothes be warm enough for Ithaca? While international undergraduates have systems and organisations in place to help them adjust to university life, we have to work out the answers to these questions on our own.
Now, GPSI is here to ease that transition. We're building a community for graduate and professional students through social events, networking opportunities, an online information hub and (in 2020) a peer mentoring programme for incoming students. We believe that the people who can best answer your specific questions are those who went before you, ideally even from your own home country. We're making those connections, from before you arrive until you truly feel that Cornell, and Ithaca, is your new home.
If you're a current international student who wants to join our community, to know about social and networking events we've got coming up, or who has experience to offer to the next generation of international graduate and professional students: join us now!