By now, you should have paid your deposit, started your application for a student visa if necessary, and registered for student housing. If you have questions about your status, check your personal online portal.
This section covers what you need to do before arriving in August and contains information to help you understand what to expect when you get here.
First, let’s define what kind of incoming student you are:
- You are an undergraduate if you are
- working toward your bachelor’s degree
- studying abroad
- transferring to Franklin from another institution
Undergraduates: State Your Preferences
Undergraduates who are not pre-registered for First Year Seminar, Academic Travel, and Modern Language courses must submit preference forms by July 31 in order to be assigned their preferred courses prior to arrival on campus.
Pack your bags
Pack light. Students usually bring more than they need and then throw many of their belongings away when they move out of the residence halls at the end of the year or semester. Plan ahead and limit yourself to two or three suitcases. Be sure to check with your airline about restrictions and additional luggage fees.
See detailed advice on what to bring... and what not to bring, how to ship some of your belongings to Franklin, and packing tips from a Franklin student.
Studying at Franklin
We’re a small university, and you’ll be learning in small groups with professors you’ll soon know well. They’ll get to know you too, and they will challenge you to consider things in new, often profound ways. We believe in experiential learning and encouraging you to discover your strengths and how to apply them. In addition to the individual attention you’ll get in the classroom, we provide a number of academic resources and programs to support your academic journey.
Living in Switzerland
Switzerland is in the heart of Europe, sharing a border with France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Italy. It has a population of over 9 million people and recognizes four national languages: German, French, Italian, and Romantsch. Switzerland is economically and culturally integrated with the European Union (EU) but is not a member of the EU. Although it is easy to travel throughout Europe and cross the border between Switzerland and Italy, it is extremely important that you bring your passport and permit every time you cross an international border.
The famous mountain ranges, collectively known as the Swiss Alps, largely determine the variety of local and regional microclimates. In the south, Ticino enjoys a warm, Mediterranean climate, and the rest of the country has a central European climate, with average temperatures typically 20° to 25°C in summer and temperatures between 2° and 6°C in winter.
Svizzera Italiana
Lugano is the largest city in Ticino, Switzerland’s Italian-speaking canton (geopolitical region). "Svizzera italiana" comprises all of Canton Ticino and four valleys of Canton Grisons for a total population of just over 375,000. Lugano itself has an urban conglomeration of nearly 150,000 inhabitants and is one of Switzerland's major financial centers. Italian is the official language for the whole region. Italophone Switzerland blends cultural components that are typically Italian with a tradition of politics and administration that is unmistakably Swiss.
Ticino has a mild, sunny climate with a beautiful landscape characterized by its lakes (Lugano and Locarno are the main lakeside towns) and mountains (good ski resorts for winter sports). It is also home to a professional ice hockey club, a professional football club, and a professional basketball team, as well as museums, a conservatory, and cultural events.
Tourist information
Ticino tourism: www.ticino.ch
Lugano tourism: www.lugano-tourism.ch
Events and cultural programs
Events in and around Lugano: www.agendalugano.ch
Cultural institutions and events: www.ti.ch/osservatorioculturale
Museums: www.museums.ch