Arriving On Campus

Location:

Where are we?

Maryville College is located in the city of Maryville, Tennessee. Maryville is in the southeast corner of the state of Tennessee, just 20 minutes from Knoxville (the 3rd largest city in Tennessee)

We are within driving distance of 2/3 of the United States, and we are in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (it is the MOST VISITED National Park in the United States)

Information on Maryville: http://www.ci.maryville.tn.us/ Area Information

What date should I arrive?

Please book your flights on our arrival dates! All students will participate in International Scots Orientation prior to the start of class!

Fall 2024: August 11-12, 2024

Spring 2025: January 4 or 5, 2025 *TBD - check with us to be sure

ARRIVING TO THE USA EARLY?

*IMPORTANT: International students on F-1 or J-1 visas may not arrival more than 30 days prior to the start date on your I-20 or DS-2019 visa document.

**Generally we can not provide any accommodation or airport pickup prior to our arrival dates.

Where?
Knoxville Airport (TYS)

AIRPORT

The closest airport is the Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport (Airport Code: TYS). It is about 10 minutes from campus and you can fly almost anywhere in the country. We strongly recommend you arrive to this airport.

BUS

If you come by bus, you will arrive at the KNOXVILLE bus station, which is about 20 miles from campus. You will need to take a taxi ($50-60) or Uber (limited availability) from the bus station to our campus. We do not recommend this route because of the high cost and very early morning and very late night arrivals. You will not be able to move into campus outside of the 9am-9pm window.

Important Arrival Information

1. Please arrive between 9:00 am - 9:00 pm on our arrival dates.

2. We offer free airport pickup (see below) on our arrival dates.

*** For Late Arrivals: between the hours of 9:00pm and 9:00am, you will need to stay in a hotel: (http://www.maryvillecollege.edu/admissions/visit/accommodations/ ) overnight. In most cases, the Center for Global Engagement can pick you up the next moring.

Help! I have never booked a flight!

Never booked an international flight before??

A good place to start is a search engine like:

http://www.kayak.com, http://www.cheapoair.com or https://www.skyscanner.net/

While you are at it, you should contact a student travel agency like Student Universe https://www.studentuniverse.com/flights (student prices!)

Did you know - even though TYS is not an international airport, you can book your flight from abroad to end up at this airport?

Send us your Flight Information!

Flight Arrival Form

TO DO: Send your arrival information on the form linked above at least TWO WEEKS prior to the arrival dates.

Airport Pickup (free)

If you are arriving on our arrival dates and send us your flight information, we will be at the airport to pick you up!

Look for a Maryville College sign at the bottom of the escalator in the baggage claim area once you exit security. We usually have a combination of students and staff doing airport pickups, so it could be one or more people waiting for you.

Important to note:

We will track your flight. You don't need to notify us of minor delays.
You do need to notify us if your flight number changes or you miss a flight.
Use the New Student WhatsApp Group to communicate with us

Becoming a Scot

Becoming a Scot Checklist:

Be sure to check your MVP Portal and complete any requirements listed there before you arrive!

Advising:

International Students can be expected to be invited to have an advising appointment online with a faculty advisor. Please read this document of frequently asked questions about summer academic advising appointments.

Before your academic advising appointment, please complete this Survey.

SIM Card Information

The Campus SIMS option (which we can provide) is one of the most affordable we have found. Students who don't have an SSN usually have to pay a big deposit to sign a contract in the US for a phone plan otherwise. Here are some links with more information:

https://blountcountydailytimes-tn.newsmemory.com/?publink=027cbbb26_134d30d

https://www.internationalstudent.com/prepaid_phones/

https://www.internationalstudent.com/sim_cards/

Here are some other options:

1. Using an unlocked cell phone from home and purchasing a new (e-SIM) SIM card in the U.S.

2. Buying a new phone and setting up a pre-paid plan to pay as you go.

3. Buying a new cell phone and setting up a contract plan to pay monthly.