International students entering the United States have to worry not only about their student visas and bank account, but also about a basic necessity to keep in touch with their families back home - a cell phone connection.
Most mobile phones require a social security number, or at least a credit history. Without them, many international students must go through a longer procedure to get their phones.
For the cell phone company AT&T;, there is a $500 deposit if a customer does not have an SSN or credit history, said Jon Marcus, a retail sales consultant for the company. But this deposit is "refundable after 12 months of service," he added.
But Roberto Tolosa, a Wharton freshman from Mexico, said he feels that the deposit is a "rip off", as it is returned only once the contract ends.
For College freshman Alison Goldman, who is from Canada, getting a Verizon cell phone plan was made slightly more taxing because she did not have a credit history or SSN.
As a result, Goldman said she had to pay a $300 deposit to get her phone.
Getting a cell phone "wasn't difficult but was just frustrating," she said.
But there are some alternatives to the deposit method.
"Our prepaid services do not require a credit check," and only require "some form of ID," AT&T; spokeswoman Ellen Webner said.
That policy applies to everyone, including U.S. citizens. Sometimes people with poor credit histories do not want to be locked in a contract, she added.
As for international students, Webner said, "As long as they have a valid passport and a valid student ID, they can sign up for AT&T; [prepaid] service."
But with the availability of U.S. phone connections in their home countries as well, many students bring cell phones with when they enter the United States.
These companies, such as Cingular's partnership with Matrix in India, market their connections in international students' home countries as an alternative to the deposit.
Wharton freshman Aisha Saraf said she got her cell phone in India through the Cingular-Matrix deal.
The Indian company provided her with an American phone number, and her bill goes home to India.
While this approach is surely easier, it does have its drawbacks. Wharton freshman Ananya Jhalani said that these companies "don't provide the newest phones" and "can be quite expensive as it's hard to keep track of one's bill."
Many students also get help from their extended families in the United States while moving into college and getting their cell phones.
"My uncle got the phone on my behalf, so I had no problems," Engineering freshman Ishan Sehgal said.
