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 

Information about the Math Placement Exam, which is required for most incoming first-year students, will be posted in May. 

*First-year and transfer deaf and hard-of-hearing students who are entering into an associate, associate+bachelor's, or pre-baccalaureate degree program, or into career exploration studies in the College of NTID are required to take a different Math Placement Exam. Learn more about the NTID Math Placement Exam

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.

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 who are entering into an associate, associate+bachelor's, or pre-baccalaureate degree program, or into career exploration studies in the College of NTID are required to take different Language Placement Exams. Learn more about the NTID Language Placement Exams

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 provides short-term, goal-directed therapy. 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 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 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

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, 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.

First-Year Housing Contract
All entering first-year students are required to live in one of RIT Housing’s first-year communities for their first academic year, except for those who live within a 30-mile commuting distance with a parent or legal guardian. 

First-year students starting at RIT in the spring semester will be assigned to available space by RIT Housing. Entering incoming first-year students are guaranteed housing. RIT first-year student housing includes residence halls and the RIT Inn.

To complete a housing contract, use your RIT computer account (username and password) to login to the myLife portal.

Transfer Housing Contract 
Entering transfer students may live in RIT Housing or non-RIT housing. Transfer students are assigned RIT Housing on a space-available basis, prioritized by 1) the receive date of the enrollment deposit and 2) the receive date of the housing contract. View RIT Housing options

To complete a housing contract, use your RIT computer account (username and password) to login to the myLife portal.

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. 

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

Select your meal plan at myLife.rit.edu
 

Add Tiger Bucks
Purchases with Tiger Bucks can be made at approved 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 an 8% sales tax on all purchases. You can add funds at any time at tigerspend.rit.edu.
 
Add Dining Dollars
Dining Dollars can be used at RIT Dining locations (except Java’s) and vending machines. You can purchase perishable and non-perishable groceries and food items with these funds. Food purchases are not charged the 8% sales tax, except where applicable by law. These funds roll over from the fall to the spring semester, and up to $1,000 Dining Dollars will roll over after the spring semester.

See terms and conditions for additional information.
 

 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. 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.