Traveling to Cornell College

Arranging your travel plans

All international students are required to attend International Student Orientation which begins one week prior to New Student Orientation and 10 days prior to the beginning of the fall semester. This gives you extra time to acclimate to Cornell, Mount Vernon, and the United States and be prepared for the semester ahead. When you arrange for travel the Wednesday or Thursday prior to International Student Orientation, our staff will be available to pick you up form the Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) and bring you to campus.

Visa note: you will not be eligible to enter the United States more than 30 days prior to or after the start date on your I-20. If you have special considerations about your arrival time, please email international@cornellcollege.edu.

Documents you need to bring with you (and keep on your person)

In order to cross the border into the United States you will need to have these immigration documents with you. (Don’t check them in your luggage when it is not with you.):

• Valid passport
• Valid F visa in your passport
• Form I-20
• SEVIS I-901 fee payment confirmation
• Official Cornell College acceptance letter

Air Travel

You can travel by air to within 20 minutes of Cornell’s campus in Mount Vernon, Iowa, if you book your flight to the Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. If you schedule your flight for the Wednesday or Thursday prior to International Student Orientation and make sure we know your flight plans, we have shuttle services to pick you up from the airport. If you arrive outside those dates you will need to make your own arrangements for transportation and a place to stay.

The international airport in Des Moines, Iowa is an approximately 2.5 hour drive to Mount Vernon, but has more options for direct flights from international destinations. If you choose to fly into Des Moines International Airport (DSM) you will need to secure transportation to Mount Vernon.

There are multiple options to fly into Chicago, Illinois, or Minneapolis, Minnesota as well and each city is approximately a 4 hour drive to Mount Vernon and will also require that you secure your own transportation to Mount Vernon.

Customs declaration form

You may be asked to complete a customs declaration form by the flight attendant while you are in flight to take with you to customs. 

• Enter your name exactly as it appears on your passport
• Enter the street address where you are staying as:

Cornell College
600 First Street SW
Mount Vernon, IA 52314

Meeting with US immigration & customs

As you enter the country you will stop at a US Customs office where they will ask to see your passport and the I-20 form from Cornell College. If you were asked to complete a customs declaration form, they will ask for this as well. You will affirm that you are attending college at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. The customs official will examine your I-20 and return it to you, then they will stamp your passport and return it to you. You will then be assigned an I-94 POE (port of entry) admission number. Good news: you don't need to memorize it and it can be found online! One less piece of paper!

If an immigration officer needs to talk to a Cornell College representative at your point of entry, they should call Kristin Vogel at +1 319.220.0919.

After you pick up your luggage from baggage claim you will clear customs, where you will submit your customs declaration form if asked to complete one.

Early arrivals

If you have questions about making travel arrangements or have special considerations about your arrival time, please email international@cornellcollege.edu or call Kristin Vogel at +1 319.220.0919.

Hotels if you arrive early

If you need to arrive in Mount Vernon before International Student Orientation starts, there are several local hotel options where you can stay until campus opens for orientation.

Questions?

Please contact us at +1 800.747.1112 or email international@cornellcollege.edu. We answer phones from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Central Time for the United States (often labeled as Chicago in time conversion apps) unless other arrangements are made.