Welcome to Tech!

Congratulations on your admission to Louisiana Tech University – “Tech” as you’d soon call it! We look forward to see you join the nearly 250 Indian students on the campus. Let this letter help you be aware of things you would need to know before your arrival at Tech. This letter represents only views and may not be considered an authentic statement of facts. Also note that certain information can be outdated or irrelevant due to circumstances beyond our control.

Come to Ruston early, but not too early! There’s nothing much you can do here before the school starts. So, spend some quality time with your family and friends, while you’re still there. By coming early, you’d not only miss your family and friends longer but might also cause burden to current students (pickup, accommodation, etc.). Not more than two days this way, arrive around August 25 for Fall, November 25 for Winter, February 25 for Spring, or May 25 for Summer.

The strength of Indian students is going down of late, thanks to programs that let students graduate in 1-1.5 years of time. Thus, getting an on-campus job or an assistantship is as difficult as it was in the past, or still better, you might even be funded already! Interact with other prospective colleagues who plan to join you at Tech. Make friends, or form groups for sharing an apartment, or discuss about Tech.

Getting to Ruston: You’ll fly to one of the two airports near Ruston – Monroe (Airport code: MLU) and Shreveport (SHV). Pickups from Shreveport cannot be arranged; please send your itinerary at least 10 days before your date of travel so that we can make proper arrangements for pickup and temporary accommodation. Since the round trip to Monroe airport is about 80 miles, you are required to pay the pickup person an amount of $30 per person. Alternate options such as catching a bus are not feasible. Pickup from Shreveport, if arranged, can cost up to $60 per person.

More information: More information that you’d need, including a detailed list of suggested things to bring when you first come here, can be found in the AIS website. Download the "Guidebook" – an Indian Student Guide to Tech – compiled exclusively for prospective Indian students of Tech. Look in Yahoo! Groups for groups intended for prospective students – a new group is created for each Fall and each Spring, the two most common seasons for students to come in. Get to know your colleagues – AIS initiates and moderates these e-Groups for prospective students so that you all can get to know each other better. You may also have a chance to choose your roommates, discuss things to bring and reduce burden for each other, get queries clarified by current students, read others' visa interviews, and get answers to questions you never had!