International Student Handbook

This handbook provides basic information on what being a student in the United States would entail, including details on the academic system, weather, housing, health insurance, and how you can get set up monetarily upon arrival.


Academic System




The State of Illinois has a varying climate with four distinct seasons. Temperatures vary for each of these seasons. During the fall and spring seasons temperatures are cool and a medium weight coat is advised. In the winter months, heavy jackets or overcoats, hats, scarves, gloves, and boots are needed:


Summer is warm and humid. It is advisable to have a rain jacket for summer as well as the fall and spring because there is a moderate amount of rainy weather.




Health Insurance

All international students are required to have insurance. Please read through all the information provided about student health insurance requirements.


If you have a checking or savings account with an American bank which has a "correspondent" relationship with a bank in your home country, it will shorten the time necessary to receive the money. The American bank can tell you if it has this status. You should have the following information for each transfer:

  1. The name of the individual sending the money.
  2. The name and location of the bank sending the money.
  3. The date the money was sent.
  4. The method by which the money was sent.
  5. The exact destination of the money (bank name, street address, and branch number.)

All money transfers take time. Sometimes uncontrollable factors can lengthen the time necessary to receive a transfer. It is wise to maintain a savings account to meet your living expenses if such a problem should occur. You should make plans to receive the money well ahead of the time you need it.

During Orientation, we typically have a representative from Chase Bank here to assist students in setting up a checking account here in the States. Chase Bank is the closest bank to Wheaton's campus, and an ATM is located on school grounds.

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