Help International Students Thrive at Penn
More than 6,000 international students call Penn home each year, bringing diverse perspectives, experiences, and ideas that enrich our University and bring the world to Penn.
ISSS helps them find community, build confidence, develop as leaders, and thrive—from their first welcome to a lifelong connection with Penn. Your gift builds on Penn’s commitment by expanding and enriching these opportunities for international students.
Support Their Penn Journey
Through mentorship, intercultural learning, leadership development, community-building, networking, and alumni engagement, ISSS helps international students engage more fully in life at Penn.
These experiences help students build meaningful connections across cultures, contribute their perspectives and talents to the Penn community, and make the most of their Penn experience.
From Arrival to Alumni
As students progress through Penn, their needs and opportunities evolve. ISSS integration programming is designed to grow with them.
Prepare & Welcome
Students begin building connections and gaining the knowledge and confidence to navigate their transition to Penn before they arrive and throughout their first weeks on campus. Programs include Forerunner, Penn Global Mosaic, the International Peer Mentorship Program, and International Student Orientation.
Connect & Belong
Students build meaningful relationships, explore Penn and Philadelphia, share their cultures, and develop a sense of belonging through mentorship, intercultural programs, community gatherings, cultural experiences, and networking opportunities.
Lead & Grow
Students strengthen their intercultural competencies, develop their voices, and contribute as leaders within the Penn community through opportunities including the award-winning Intercultural Leadership Program, International Student Advisory Board, International Student Table for Advocacy and Relations, and Penn World Scholars.
Celebrate & Stay Connected
Graduation celebrations and international alumni programs recognize students’ accomplishments and help sustain the relationships they have built at Penn—connecting graduates to one another and to Penn’s global community beyond graduation.
Your Gift Expands What We Can Do
Penn is committed to helping international students thrive. Philanthropic support builds on that commitment, enabling ISSS to extend the reach of signature programs, enrich transformative student experiences, and develop new opportunities in response to students’ evolving needs.
Whether your gift enhances an individual student’s experience or helps extend opportunities for generations of students, every contribution strengthens the people and programs that make Penn a truly global university—and helps international students realize their potential to make an impact at Penn and around the world.
