Arrival and First Day in San Diego

Your Arrival in San Diego

Airport Transfer

EC, upon request, will organise transfers for students arriving at San Diego Airport (SAN) for a cost of $120 one-way. Transfers are to be requested 7 days prior to arrival. Students must inform EC of the arrival time, flight numbers, airline and domestic point of origin.

Need a plane ticket? Try our friends at cheapflights.com for San Diego flights.

Meeting Point

Students will be met by a taxi driver in the baggage reclaim section after going through passport checks. The taxi driver will be holding a sign with the student’s name on it. Airport transfer fees include a maximum of 1 hour waiting time: in the event of delays exceeding 1 hour, students will be charged the additional fee at the school.

If you choose not to use an EC transfer, you can find prices and times for public transportation to and from San Diego International Airport here.

Your First day at EC San Diego

Arrival, Placement Test & Orientation

Students are expected to arrive at school by 8:30am on their first morning. On the first day, students should bring I-20 forms (F-1student visa), proof of health insurance for the entire length of programme, passport, pen and paper. They will then be escorted to the test room where they will sit a one hour placement test, which starts at 9am. After that, they go on an orientation walk around La Jolla. They will be shown banks, the post office, library, restaurants, supermarket and mobile phone shop. They will also be given a welcome talk about the school, visa issues, accommodation and transport. A Welcome Lunch is also held on the first day.

First Lesson

Students arriving at the school on Monday for orientation, have their first lesson on Tuesday.

Transportation

San Diego International Airport - Just 4 miles away from the main downtown area. San Diego offers taxis, shuttles, and bus transportation to the airport.

Metro Transit System (MTS) runs daily service on buses and trolleys throughout San Diego and surrounding areas. The buses can be identified by the blue MTS signs next to the bus stop and Trolleys by their unique railroad tracks and trolley signs. A reusable and reloadable Compass Card is available to fit students’ needs. A regional day pass is available for unlimited travel on MTS services.