New Student FAQs

If you need support determining where to start, please give our office a call at (607) 274-1908. We are happy to help walk you through everything you need to do to get started at Ithaca College. If we don't know the answer, we know who does!

To set up your account, please visit https://www.ithaca.edu/admission/undergraduate-admission/ic-connect and click on "Need to activate IC Connect?" to start the process.

For help resetting your password and logging in to your IC account, please visit https://help.ithaca.edu/TDClient/34/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=64 

All new students, first-year and transfer students, must take the Math Placement Assessment regardless of any math courses that are transferred to Ithaca College or intended major(s). This is related to the Quantitative Literacy requirement for all students as well as math-adjacent courses that may require the assessment. For more information, please visit https://www.ithaca.edu/academics/school-humanities-and-sciences/mathematics/courses-placement-resources/math-placement-assessment 

Ithaca College does not require language courses for all students; only a select number of majors require language proficiency or courses. If you see the language placement assessment on your New Student Checklist, that means you indicated that you either a) took a foreign language in high school and/or b) are interested in taking a foreign language while you are at Ithaca College on the initial intake survey. 

If you think you might be interested in taking classes in Spanish, French, German, or Italian, you will need to take the placement assessment. This assessment helps us determine the most appropriate class level for the current skills you have when you start or resume the language. Learn more on this website.

All new students starting in the spring 2025 semester will meet with an academic advising professional prior to attending Orientation to register for classes and create your schedule. Instructions for how to set up a meeting vary between the five schools, and new students should have received an email from their respective Dean's office with instructions regarding scheduling a course-registration appointment. If you are having trouble finding this email, please email nstp@ithaca.edu and we can resend it to you! 

Ithaca College currently accepts Advanced Placement Exams, CLEP exams, and International Baccalaureate Exams. These exam results will need to be sent to the Office of the Registrar directly from the testing agency. 

All results should be sent to the following address as soon as possible: 

Office of the Registrar
Ithaca College
953 Danby Rd., 
Ithaca, NY 14850.

Ithaca College uses a set of liberal arts requirements that comprise the common academic experience of all IC students called the Integrative Core Curriculum (ICC). You can review these requirements online at: https://www.ithaca.edu/academics/integrative-core-curriculum/integrative-core-curriculum-requirements 

The Office of New Student & Transition Programs is dedicated to making our Orientation programs as accessible as we possibly can. If you think there is something NSTP may be able to do to make the Spring 2025 Orientation program more inclusive for you, please send us an email at nstp@ithaca.edu or give us a call at (607) 274-1908 and we can discuss the ways we may be able to support your experience.

The Student Accessibility Services office is responsible for supporting students who need accommodations on campus. If you are interested in learning more about what support is available and/or getting the process started, you can give their office a call at (607) 274-1005 or send them an email at sas@ithaca.edu.

Approval for bringing an emotional support animal (ESA) to campus must be filed with Student Accessibility Services (SAS). For more details regarding what paperwork is required, who to contact, and more, please visit the SAS web page on the ESA accommodation request process at https://www.ithaca.edu/student-accessibility-services/accommodation-procedures-and-services/emotional-support-animal.

Yes! All new students are required to attend orientation programs.

Bills for Spring Semester 2025 will be available to view on December 15, 2024, and payment is due by January 10, 2025. Keep an eye on your email, as Student Financial Services will be reaching out with an update when they are available.

Student Financial Services (SFS) has special guides designed to walk you through breaking down youyr financial aid award and understanding your letter. You can view them here:

Domestic Student Guide

International Student Guide

If you still have questions, you can schedule an appointment with a member of the SFS team here: https://connect.ithaca.edu/portal/sfs 

For more information regarding accepting financial aid packages, adding authorized payers, accessing your bill, payment plans, tax documents, and health insurance waivers, visit the Student Financial Services website how-to page at: https://www.ithaca.edu/tuition-financial-aid/how-to 

For support with submitting your health forms, contact Cayuga Health at ICHealthCertifications@cayugahealth.org.

Per a New York State mandate, Ithaca College's Health Services are required to collect health information from all incoming students prior to their arrival on campus. Some of the required information includes:

• Health History Form
• Immunization Record
• Measles/Mumps/Rubella
• Meningitis Response Form
• TB Screen-Risk Form

For more information on requirements for new students, please visit the Student Health Services website at: https://www.ithaca.edu/student-health-services/new-students 

Move-in for incoming students will be from 12–5 p.m. on Thursday, January 16, 2025, and will be in Towers Marketplace. Incoming students will be able to check-in to move in to their rooms and check-in for orientation in the same location! You can also visit https://www.ithaca.edu/office-residential-life/living-campus/move for more information about new student move in.

The Office of Residential Life does not currently have any floor or ground plans of the residence hall rooms, however, they do have a 360 View and a recorded video tour available on their website. You can find these tours by visiting https://www.ithaca.edu/office-residential-life/living-campus/residence-halls.

Yes! You are able to send packages to campus before you get to campus. Regular-sized packages will go to the mail lockers and oversized pacakges need to be pocked up by the student at the Mail Center. Do not forget to include "Incoming Spring Student" when addressing the package! 

Use the following format when addressing your packages:

(Student's Full Name)
INCOMING SPRING STUDENT
953 Danby Rd
(residence hall and room number)
Ithaca, NY 14850

What to bring to campus will vary based on your own personal needs and what you might need to feel comfortable here at Ithaca College. If you would like suggestions for a general list of things to bring, the Office of Residential Life has put together a helpful packing list of things to bring with you!

You can view your New Student Checklist through your IC Connect Portal. 

Most of the items on the New Student Checklist are self-reported and do not automatically get marked as complete when you are done with them. If there is an item on your checklist that you have already completed but still shows up as incomplete, you can log in to the checklist and click on the "I did this!" button that is associated with that checklist item. 

If you try this and it is still not working, or if you have any other questions or concerns about your New Student Checklist, please reach out to our office via email at nstp@ithaca.edu or phone at (607) 274-1908.

Attending Orientation is mandatory for all incoming students. There will be important informational sessions to help prepare you for your time at Ithaca College, as well as social events to participate in. There is something for everyone at orientation, and you won't want to miss out! Attending the events at Orientation is the best way to make your first friends here at Ithaca College and become part of the IC community.

For incoming first-year and transfer students starting in the Spring 2025 semester, the Orientation fee is $90. 

You can register for orientation through your New Student Checklist. To access the New Student Checklist, you will need to log in to your IC Connect account. There will be an item on your checklist that provides the link and more information regarding how to register.

Spring Orientation is a 2-day program designed to support students' transition to the Ithaca College community. We are guided by the commitment to facilitating opportunities for social connections and belonging, creating culturally-responsive educational opportunities for new students, supporting the academic transition, providing resources to families and supporters through this transition, forging community connections within the broader Ithaca community, and fostering a sense of pride and school spirit as an IC student. 

Our programs include sessions that provide insight into academics, campus resources, finding affinity groups, social events, and so much more. Students will be required to swipe in at every session, and many sessions include opportunities to win great prizes (prizes may include: Amazon Echo Dot, Kuerig Coffee Maker, Kodak Photo Printer, VR Headsets, etc.)! For a full schedule of everything offered at orientation, please visit the schedule website at https://www.ithaca.edu/orientation/spring-orientation/spring-orientation-schedule.

Orientation for Spring 2025 will take place between Thursday, January 16 and Saturday, January 18. All students, including students living off campus, will be required to check-in between 12 and 5 p.m. on the 16th. The first session after students check in will start at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, and the last session ends at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

For a full schedule of orientation events, please visit https://www.ithaca.edu/orientation/spring-orientation/spring-orientation-schedule.

During orientation sessions, orientation staff will be taking attendance by swiping students IDs. Attendance will be tracked at all orientation events. If you have a question or concerns about a session, please call NSTP at (607) 274-1908 or send us an email at nstp@ithaca.edu as soon as possible. 

We offer special in-person optional orientation sessions for parents, family members, and supporters on August 21 and 22. The sessions start with a welcome session after regular move-in on August 21, which is followed by academic sessions about their students' schools. Day two of the family and supporter orientation program covers three sessions about helping your student transition to college, wellness programs at Ithaca College, and safety on campus. These sessions will be followed by lunch and a campus resource fair with the opportunity to talk to many of our offices on campus. The parent, family, and supporter orientation program concludes at 3 p.m. on August 22.

For the full schedule and access to recordings of our summer webinar series, please visit our website at https://www.ithaca.edu/orientation/fall-orientation/parent-family-supporter-orientation.

No, family and supporters are not required to stay for orientation. We do offer optional family and supporters sessions on August 21 and 22 for those who are interested in participating. The full family and supporter orientation schedule is live on our website at https://www.ithaca.edu/orientation/fall-orientation/parent-family-supporter-orientation.