Mei arrived at Lehigh in late August with two suitcases, a phone full of WeChat groups, and exactly one in-person friend. Five months later, she had switched advisors, joined two clubs, and locked in a summer internship at a Philadelphia-based fintech.

"The first month felt like everyone else was already settled," she says. "I was wrong — most international students are figuring out the same things at the same time."

What worked

• Office hours every week, even when the question was small.
• One commitment outside academics — for Mei, the Asian Business Society — kept the social graph growing.
• Cold-emailing alumni for 20-minute virtual coffees. Three out of every ten replied.

By Thanksgiving, Mei had a mentor in the College of Business and a clearer picture of the recruiting cycle. By spring, she had an offer in hand.