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 

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.

Details on the MPE timeline will be posted soon.

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.

Details regarding the exam timeline will be posted soon.

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 Office of the Registrar 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 student 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 or 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, we recommend that you 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 care and urgent care services to all RIT students in a culturally sensitive way. There is an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter on staff, as well as Cyracom translation services available. Appointments can be made for health counseling, evaluation and treatment of common medical concerns.

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 services

All students are expected to have health insurance coverage for services provided outside of the Student Health Center at RIT. 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. 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 acute medical needs available for purchase.

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 provides the best living environment for students who are in pursuit of successful college experiences where they can develop friendships, be inspired to work on creative projects, and engage in new experiences in a safe and residential atmosphere. Every student living in RIT Housing must sign an online housing contract. No additional housing deposit is required. Visit RIT Housing to explore the many living options available to you.

Detailed information regarding Housing contracts will be posted soon.

If you are an off-campus or commuter student, Off-Campus and Commuter Services (OCCS) provides opportunities, events, and space for you to build your community at RIT with other off-campus students. OCCS hosts social gatherings, a celebratory week honoring commuter students (Commuter Spirit Week), and housing fairs to connect you to RIT and the surrounding Rochester community. OCCS also has a commuter lounge with study space, computers and printer access, free coffee, a microwave and refrigerator, and games to help you make this space a home away from home.

Connect with OCCS at Orientation and stop by the Commuter Lounge, located on the A-level of the Campus Center, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

First-year students: Incoming first-year students living in the residence halls, 175 Jefferson or the RIT Inn may select one of the meal plans below. The Tiger plan is the default plan applied to student accounts. 

• Orange: $3,500
• Tiger: $3,020 

Meal plans are available for all RIT students, including students living off-campus. You can add a meal plan, Tiger Bucks, or voluntary Dining Dollars at any time. 

Transfer Students: Transfers living in RIT residence halls, 175 Jefferson, Greek Circle and the RIT Inn are required to have a meal plan. Transfers may select an Orange or Tiger meal plan. Transfers living in other RIT Housing or off-campus may select one of the Commuter Plans. Select your meal plan at myLife.rit.edu.

View all Meal Plan options

Purchases with Tiger Bucks can be made at food and some retail locations across campus, and can be used on food and non-food items. They are held in a separate student dining account that starts with a zero balance, and they can be rolled over each semester. When using Tiger Bucks, you are charged 8% sales tax on all purchases. You can add funds at any time via tigerspend.rit.edu.

Dining Dollars can be used at vending machines and all RIT Dining locations (except Java Wally's). Dining Dollars are used to purchase perishable and non-perishable groceries and food items only. Food purchases are not charged the 8% sales tax, except where applicable by law. Dining Dollar balances will roll-over each semester. 
*See terms and conditions for additional information. 

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

Orientation for new students starting at RIT in the Spring (Spring 2023) should plan to attend Orientation on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. Students who are planning to attend Spring Orientation on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023 must register in advance. Registration will be open until Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. Register for Spring Orientation\

View the schedule of Orientation events

Stay tuned for additional opportunities to connect with the RIT community upon your arrival. 
 

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.