New Student Checklist

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 on your admissions application. If, after two business days, you have not received the account activation email but have paid your deposit, please get in touch with 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 onboarding processes, including housing contracts and student health forms.

You will use your RIT Student ID card daily for building access, dining, housing, and recreation. Your photo is also used to help advisors and instructors recognize you. Complete the steps below by Thursday, July 31, to ensure your ID is ready when you arrive:

1. Submit Your Photo: Review the photo submission guidelines and upload a photo that meets RIT requirements.
2. Enter Your Chosen Name: If you want your chosen name on your ID, enter it in the Display name field at start.rit.edu.

Resident students will receive their ID during Move-In, and commuter students will pick it up during Orientation check-in.

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 various useful features you can use in times of uncertainty or emergencies on campus. Download the RIT TigerSafe app and enable push notifications to receive app updates. 

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.

Transcripts can be sent electronically directly from your school, through official testing agencies, or by mail in a sealed envelope to RIT Undergraduate Admissions Office, 60 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623, or by email to admissions@rit.edu.

High School Students: Request your final high school transcript showing the graduation date from your counseling office before the fall semester begins. Check receipt at join.rit.edu/status.

Transfer Students: Request official transcripts from all previous colleges.

For Transfer Credit Review: Submit official documentation for any coursework you want evaluated (including dual-enrollment, AP, IB, and college courses).

To ensure you embark on the right path, all incoming first-year students* must take a Math Placement Exam (MPE) between June 1 and June 30, 2025. This essential assessment evaluates your current math skills, helping us place you in the course that best matches your level of knowledge and ability.

While you cannot access the MPE until June 1, you can begin preparing today by completing the MPE Prep.

Learn more about the required Math Placement Exam and the optional MPE Prep >

*Students accepted into a BFA program are not required to take the Math Placement Exam.
**Transfer students will be notified directly if they need to take the Math Placement Exam.
***First-year and transfer deaf and hard-of-hearing students entering into an associate, associate+bachelor's, or pre-baccalaureate degree program, or into career exploration studies in the College of NTID must take different Math Placement Exams. Learn more about the NTID Math Placement Exams>

If you are interested in taking a foreign language course at RIT and have prior language experience and/or language transfer credits, you must take the Language Placement Exam.

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

*First-year and transfer deaf and hard-of-hearing students entering into an associate, associate+bachelor's, or pre-baccalaureate degree program, or into career exploration studies in the College of NTID must take different Language Placement Exams. Learn more about the NTID Language Placement Exams

Incoming first-year students will receive information about the College Survey and a link to complete it in mid-June. The survey should be completed by Monday, June 30, as your primary academic advisor will use the information provided to build your fall semester course schedule.

Obtain your immunization records from your school nurse’s office or your doctor's office. Immunization and health history forms must be completed and submitted online at wellnessportal.rit.edu by June 1. 

Learn more about NYS and RIT health history and immunization requirements >

Mental Health Care:
Counseling and Psychological Services provides individualized mental health care based on your own unique 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 and specialized or intensive clinical services that require a meeting for concerns beyond identified goals are outside the scope of services. If you currently see a professional for these services or regularly meet with a mental health professional, 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 Rochester area.

Learn more about RIT Counseling and Psychological Services >

Physical Health Care:
The Student Health Center provides primary and urgent care services for all RIT students. Services range from support for acute medical concerns to injury evaluation, to sexual health and nutrition consultation. 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 health 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 limited commonly prescribed medications on-site and can assist with prescription delivery options for students who must fill prescriptions away from home.

If the Student Health Center recommends a prescription, but it 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 preferred pharmacy, our clinicians can fax your script directly to them. 

Learn more about medication services and prescriptions

Complete your RIT Housing contract and roommate information by this date to self-select a Residence Hall and room during room selection. 

The RIT Housing staff will assign a room and a roommate to students who complete a contract after May 13 or do not self-select during room selection.

Complete a Housing Contract

Step One: Choose the right meal plan for you 

• First-year students living in the residence halls are required to choose either the Roar or Roar Plus meal plan. 
• First-year students living at the RIT Inn and Conference Center or 175 Jefferson must choose one of the following meal plans: Roar, Roar Plus, Orange, or Tiger. 
• Students living off-campus can select from one of our seven meal plan options. 

View all meal plan options

Step Two: Add a meal plan 

• Complete the dining contract to add a meal plan in the myLife portal: 
  • Log in with your RIT username and password 
  • Click on the Dining Applications icon 
  • Select the academic year that applies to you 
  • Select RIT Dining contract 
  • Complete each section of the application and submit 

View the Student Dining Checklist to help you prepare for dining at RIT

If you have allergies or dietary restrictions, make an appointment with our registered dietitian, Marisa Bellanca, to discuss your needs and make a plan for eating on campus.

Schedule an appointment

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

Our Virtual Orientation is designed to give you a head start. Get the lay of the land before you arrive on campus and complete the necessary training required of all students. Discover everything you need to know to make the most of your time at RIT.

Complete the modules at your own pace. Need a break? No problem! You can log back in at any time and pick up where you left off.

Important: Make sure to finish all the virtual orientation modules before you arrive on campus for the in-person Orientation.

Get started with Virtual Orientation >

The Disability Services Office employs an interactive, student-centered process to determine and approve reasonable accommodations for disabled students. The office values disability as a facet of diversity and is committed to fostering an inclusive campus community. Disability can take many forms: apparent or hidden, temporary or permanent, static or episodic. Accommodations can help mitigate barriers in any facet of the RIT experience, whether academic, residential, or co-curricular, and may support needs related to mental health, learning, chronic illness, communication, mobility, and more. 

Students should connect with the Disability Services Office as early as possible if you have any type of disability, as accommodations are not retroactive (this is especially important for housing accommodations or support for RIT placement tests.) The accommodation process can begin as soon as you have committed to RIT, and meetings can easily be conducted over Zoom for incoming students.

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, which must be requested separately from accommodations.

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.

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) can be a major source of educational funding for U.S. deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Schedule 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 ntid.rit.edu/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. You must request the accommodations you wish to receive each term by logging into MyDSO at rit.edu/disabilityservices.

RIT is 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, which must be requested separately from Disability Services Office accommodations.

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 support for D/deaf and hard-of-hearing students with additional disabilities, visit the DeafPlus website.