New Student Checklist

Once your enrollment deposit is processed, you’ll receive an account activation email within two business days at the email address used on your admissions application.  

If you’ve paid your deposit and two business days have passed without receiving the activation email, contact the RIT Service Center for help.  
 
You will use your new RIT email address, which also serves as your RIT account login to access university systems and complete onboarding tasks, including housing contracts and student health forms. 

To make sure your RIT ID card is ready when you arrive, follow these two steps: 

• Submit Your Photo: Upload a photo that meets RIT's guidelines. You'll receive a confirmation email that it's been approved. 

• Enter Your Chosen Name (Optional): If you'd like a chosen name on your ID card, add it in the "Display name" field at start.rit.edu. 

Your RIT Student ID is something you'll use every day on campus. You’ll need it to access buildings and recreation facilities, make dining purchases, and confirm your identity with staff.  

To ensure the security and integrity of our academic community, all incoming students are required to verify their identity. This verification ensures that the person enrolled in classes is the same person attending and participating in them. 

To verify your identity, you will need a government-issued photo ID.  

Start the identity verification process
 
If you experience any issues, contact the RIT Service Center. 

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.  

Learn more about NYS and RIT health history and immunization requirements

eServices is a secure online portal where you can pay bills, view and accept financial aid, view grades and schedules, request a payment plan, and request a refund. You can add and manage authorized users, such as a parent, in the “Manage Accounts” section of eServices. Billing information is mailed to you and up to three others. For more information about billing, visit the Student Financial Services website. 

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. If you completed any college-level courses while in high school, you must also request and submit the official final transcript directly from the college where you took these courses. 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, 2026. 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 students in the College of NTID must take different Math Placement Exams. Learn more about the NTID Math Placement Exams

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

If you are interested in taking a foreign language course during your first semester at RIT and have prior language experience and/or language transfer credits, you must take the Language Placement. 
 
Contact the Modern Language Department to schedule your Language Placement with the coordinator of the language you wish to take. 

*First-year and transfer deaf and hard-of-hearing students entering 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 

At RIT, you'll enjoy greater independence, but it’s essential to take initiative and connect with the resources that can enhance your academic journey and help smooth your transition to campus life. Taking the time early on to familiarize yourself with what’s offered and reaching out to relevant services, like the Disability Services Office for accommodations or the Department of Access Services for interpreting, note-taking, and real-time captioning—can set you up for success from the start. 
 
Requesting Accommodations 
The Disability Services Office employs an interactive, student-centered process to determine and approve reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. 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 

Requesting support from Access Services 
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. 

Your primary academic advisor and academic department will create your first semester course schedule, which will be available for viewing in early August. The schedule is designed to fulfill general education and program requirements. You will be notified via email when your course schedule is available. 

If your academic department has questions related to planning and placement for fall courses, they will contact you. Please check your RIT email regularly, as communications may be time sensitive. 

We recommend waiting to purchase course materials until early August when your preliminary course schedule is available. 

When it’s time to order, RIT has teamed up with a trusted vendor to help you get your books at the lowest possible price. You can order all materials online and have them shipped to your desired mailing address. 

To help you choose the right device for your program, the RIT Campus Store has compiled computer recommendations by college so you can purchase with confidence.  

View computer recommendations by college > 

As an Apple® Authorized Campus Store, the RIT Campus Store offers exclusive education pricing on Mac and iPad products. Dell PCs, software, RIT apparel and merchandise, tech accessories, and a wide range of school supplies are available for purchase online or in-store. 

With 15+ dining locations, you’ll enjoy great meals, meet new people, and take part in dining events across campus. Review meal plan options and requirements based on your housing on the dining website. 

View meal plan options and add a meal plan

If you’re considering bringing a car to campus, visit the parking website to review permit options, campus parking policies, and RIT Shuttle information. 
 
Parking permits will be available for purchase in early August. You’ll receive information and next steps in your RIT email in late July. 

Access to up-to-date contact information is important in the event of an emergency. Update your parent and emergency contact information in the Student Information System. If you are unable to access the Student Information System, visit help.rit.edu to report an issue.