New Student Checklist

High school students: Your official final high school/secondary school transcripts should verify your graduation date. Please contact your high school counseling office or school official and request that they send this information in an official electronic format or in a school envelope. To check the receipt, you can log in to your RIT applicant account to review your checklist at join.rit.edu/status.

If you took dual enrollment courses during high school or completed course work through a college, please contact the Registrar’s Office of the college(s) to request that they send your final official college transcript in an official electronic format or in a school envelope to:
RIT Undergraduate Admissions Office, 60 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623
admissions@rit.edu

Transfer students: Please contact the Registrar’s Office at your current or previous college(s) to request that they send your final official college transcript in an official electronic format or in a school envelope to:
RIT Undergraduate Admissions Office, 60 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623
admissions@rit.edu

Do you have AP, IB or other types of exam credit(s) that you have not already submitted to RIT to review for transfer credit?

• Advanced Placement (AP): Please request an official AP score report be sent from the College Board to RIT Undergraduate Admissions. Complete your score report requests online
• International Baccalaureate (IB): Please request that IB send your official score report to the RIT Admissions Office and it will be evaluated in order to determine eligible credit. 

For any other college level test credit, please contact the testing organization directly and request that transcripts/score reports be sent to the RIT Admissions Office.

Learn more about test and transfer credits 

Incoming first-year students are required to complete the College Survey by Friday, June 30, 2023. The information you provide by completing the College Survey will be used by your primary academic advisor to build your first-semester schedule. 

While the deadline for the College Survey has passed, we ask that you still complete the survey if you have not already done so. 

Complete the College Survey

You are required to complete the Math Placement Exam (MPE). If you are pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in the College of Art and Design, you are not required to take the MPE.

The MPE for incoming first-year students opens on Monday, May 15, 2023 and must be completed by Friday, June 30, 2023. Complete the exam as soon as possible; your academic advisor is waiting for your score!

While the deadline for the MPA has passed, we ask that you still complete the exam if you have not already done so.

Learn more about the Math Placement Exam (MPE)

If you plan to take a foreign language course this fall semester and have prior language experience and/or language transfer credits, you are required to take the Language Placement Exam. The exam must be completed by Monday, August 7.

Contact the Modern Language department to schedule your exam with the coordinator of the language you wish to take. 

You will receive an account activation email from RIT when your enrollment deposit has been received and posted to our system. Please allow 1-2 business days for deposit payment processing. The account activation email will go to the email address you provided us on your admissions application. If after two business days you have not received the account activation email but have paid your deposit, please contact the RIT Service Center for assistance. (Please note that this is different than the RIT Admissions account that you used during the application process.) You will use your new RIT computer account login to complete other enrollment processes, including housing contracts, student health forms, and critical information to complete the rest of this New Student Checklist.

eServices is your secure online portal where you can pay bills, view or apply for financial aid, view grades and schedules, request a payment plan, and request a refund. You can set up your authorized payers and select what you want them to have access to in the Manage Accounts section of eServices. All billing information is sent via email to you and up to three authorized payers. 

Take a selfie and create your own personalized student ID for pickup during Orientation. Resident students will receive their ID during Move-In, and commuters can stop by the ID Card Office at Eastman Hall (Building 1), First Floor, Room 1202 to pick up their ID during Orientation.

Photo guidelines and submissions

RIT Alert is used to notify the campus community of an emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff occurring on or near campus. You will be auto-enrolled into the RIT Alert system at the beginning of the semester using the contact information you provide in RIT's Student Information System. 

Learn about RIT Alert > 

TigerSafe is Public Safety's official campus safety app. It has a variety of useful features you can use in times of uncertainty or emergencies on campus. Download the RIT TigerSafe app and make sure you enable push notifications to receive app updates. 

Take two minutes to update your parent and emergency contact information in the Student Information System (SIS). Contact the RIT Service Center at help.rit.edu or 585-475-5000 to report a problem.

You must complete and submit all required health history and immunization forms located online at wellnessportal.rit.edu.

Learn more about NYS and RIT health history and immunization requirements

Counseling and Psychological Services offers steps of care for students mental health needs. This includes online self-help resources, educational workshops, single-session therapy, short-term individual therapy, group therapy, urgent care (same-day appointments), psychiatric services, and a 24-hour mental health line.

Weekly check-ins, specialized, and intensive clinical services that require a meeting for concerns beyond identified short-term goals are outside the scope of services. If you currently see a professional for these services, you should continue treatment with your provider or contact our Case Management team to assist you in connecting with a mental health specialist in the local community.

Learn more about RIT Counseling and Psychological Services >
 

The Student Health Center provides primary and urgent care services for all RIT students. There is an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter on staff, as well as Cyracom translation services available. Services range from support for acute medical concerns, to injury evaluation, sexual health, and nutrition consultation. 

For medical care beyond the scope of practice of the Student Health Center, students will be referred to local specialists with guidance and coordination of care provided by a member of the Student Health Center team.

Learn more about RIT medical care and health services >

All students are expected to have health insurance that provides coverage in our community. Health insurance coverage ensures that students receive the appropriate medical care in the event of an injury or illness that requires prescription medication, a referral to a specialist, or even hospitalization.

Consider purchasing the RIT Student Health Insurance Plan, particularly if your plan only includes emergency services in the Rochester area. If you will not be enrolling in the RIT Student Health Insurance Plan, review the Third Party Insurance Coverage information so you know what your insurance will cover and where prior to your arrival on campus.

The Case Management team at RIT is available to help students navigate their health insurance.

Learn more about health insurance requirements

The Student Health Center on campus has a limited selection of commonly prescribed medications on-site available for purchase and can assist with prescription delivery options for students who must fill prescription medications away from home

If a prescription is recommended by the Student Health Center, but is not available to purchase or if your doctor at home continues your prescriptions, you can arrange for delivery from Wegmans Pharmacy to the Student Health Center. If you have a different preferred pharmacy, our clinicians can fax your script directly to them. 

Learn more about medication services and prescriptions

The Disability Services Office works in collaboration with partners across RIT to foster a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive campus community. Some students may be unsure whether the Disability Services Office can support their needs. The Disability Services Office welcomes all enrolled RIT students to register with our office and request accommodations if they identify as having a permanent or temporary disability. This includes, but is not limited to: 

• Lifelong or acquired disabilities
• Hidden disabilities (e.g. learning disabilities or mental health disabilities)
• Chronic illness
• Veterans with service-related disabilities
• Pregnancy-related disability
• Students of size
• Students with temporary disabilities (e.g. students with injuries or recovering from surgery)
• Students facing new access needs in light of the COVID-19 pandemic

Learn how to apply for an accommodation

Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students: RIT is also home to the Department of Access Services (DAS) at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). DAS provides interpreting, note-taking, and real-time captioning services to the RIT community. Deaf and hard-of-hearing students who work with DAS for captioning, note-taking, and/or interpreting may also contact the Disability Services Office for support with any additional accessibility needs. For more information about supports for D/deaf and hard-of-hearing students with additional disabilities, visit the DeafPlus website.  

 RIT Housing offers 13 residence halls and the RIT Inn for first-year students, and a variety of special interest and lifestyle housing options. You must complete your housing contract by Tuesday, May 16 in order to self-select your room and roommate, and will receive an email on Thursday, May 18 with an appointment day and time. If you choose to not self-select or complete your contract by Tuesday, May 16, RIT Housing will assign you to a room and roommate in July.

Learn more about RIT Housing
 

If you are planning to live off-campus, you will be a member of our large and vibrant commuter community. Through Off-Campus and Commuter Services, you will have the opportunity to meet other commuter students and engage in events that help you get connected to important resources available to you at RIT. There is even a dedicated space on campus just for you! Connect with Off-Campus and Commuter Services to learn more about what’s available for off-campus and commuter students. 

Students living in the residence halls, 175 Jefferson, or at the RIT Inn and Conference Center are required to choose a meal plan. Meal plans are available for all RIT students, including students living off-campus.
 
You can select, add, or upgrade your meal plan by logging into the myLife portal under Housing and Dining contract. 

View all meal plan options
 

There are several ways to pay on campus: your meal plan, Dining Dollars, Tiger Bucks, Tiger Pay, credit (Visa/MasterCard/Discover), Apple Pay, and Google Pay.  

Your meal plan may be composed of Gracie’s swipes and Dining Dollars or solely Dining Dollars. You can add Dining Dollars or Tiger Bucks to your dining account anytime. Learn the difference between Dining Dollars and Tiger Bucks

Tiger Pay utilizes mobile payment technology for in-person purchases from a smart device. A unique barcode generates every time you log into Tiger Spend.

You can add and manage your funds, access Tiger Pay, view past transactions, and check your balance at Tiger Spend. 

 If you have allergies or dietary restrictions, make an appointment with our registered dietitian at diningRD@rit.edu to discuss your needs and make a plan for eating on-campus safely. 

If you’re considering bringing a car to campus, please review the parking rules and regulations and permit options. 

Jump start your Orientation experience with our RIT Virtual Orientation. The virtual orientation experience will provide you with important information; including an introduction to services and resources, to help you successfully launch your RIT journey.

You must complete all five modules before your in-person Orientation begins. Feel free to go through this program at your own pace. If you need to take a break, you can log back in at any time and pick up where you left off.
Write down your questions and bring them with you to in-person Orientation. The orientation team is eager to answer any questions you may have about your RIT journey.

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) can be a major source of educational funding for U.S. deaf and hard-of-hearing students. an intake visit with a VR Counselor in your state of residence as early as possible. While your financial aid award package may include an estimate for VR support, the actual amount will be determined by your state’s VR office. Contact information can be found at rit.edu/ntid/tuition/vr. Questions should be directed to Denise Hampton, assistant director VR Services, at 585-475-2582 (V/VRS) or dchsfa@rit.edu.

The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) assists deaf and hard-of-hearing students from the Canadian province of Ontario. Contact OSAP at TDD@ontario.ca for assistance as early as possible. You will need to submit a copy of the Notice of Assessment before your I-20 form will be sent. If you are from another Canadian province or an international student, please contact your admissions counselor for details.
 

Complete the Language Communication Background Questionnaire (LCBQ) as soon as you confirm enrollment. RIT attracts students from a wide variety of communication backgrounds (ASL, sign and speech and spoken communication) and your response helps RIT work optimally with you. In addition, you will be contacted by NTID Department of Access Services to discuss communication access needs (i.e., interpreting, captioning, deaf-blind services, notetaking). Accommodations may not be implemented in time for late requests.