Your Countdown to Columbia has begun! We hope your summer is going well and that you are getting excited to start your life as a Columbian! Before you arrive on campus for your New Student Orientation Program (NSOP), be sure to explore this site and check your to-do list for key information, resources and ways to connect with your new community.
If you have not activated your UNI, that is the first step! Next, create a Zoom account associated with your UNI (you will be prompted to login).
Students must use their Columbia email address to register for events in the Summer Webinar Series. Attempting to enter a Webinar using a non Columbia account will prompt an error message.
By Friday, July 15
Students seeking reasonable accommodations (academic, housing) or support services from Disability Services are required to register with the office. Services received at other universities do not automatically transfer to Columbia University.
It is strongly recommended that you contact Disability Services (DS) prior to your arrival this fall keeping in mind that the registration process takes 3-5 weeks to complete. However, registrations are accepted throughout the year.
By July 28, 2022
Each semester, Columbia offers a few sections of University Writing geared toward non-native speakers of English who wish to focus a bit more on issues of second-language acquisition and adjusting to a new academic culture. If you wish to enroll in an international section of University Writing for Fall 2022, please express your interest in an email to Dean Justin Snider by Thursday, July 28.
By Monday, August 1
*Documentation is due upon admission or at least 30 days prior to a student’s scheduled registration date (your adviser will confirm your registration date in mid-July).
New York State public health law and University policy requires that all students, regardless of credit load, submit immunization records for the following before they are permitted to register for classes:
Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
Meningitis ACWY vaccine decision: indicating they have received the vaccine must upload documentation showing the vaccine was received in the last 10 years.
Up-to-date COVID-19 (please visit the Immunization Compliance page for the most updated definition of vaccine status).
Submitting Documentation
The University’s immunization requirements are due upon admission or 30 days before registering for classes. Students whose immunization records are not compliant will not be able to register for classes.
Visit the Immunization Compliance page for instructions on completing the requirement. Please allow at least 15 business days for processing.
Your University ID card, also known as your CUID, is your passport to Columbia University! It grants you access to the Columbia Libraries, your residence hall and secure campus locations. In order to obtain your CUID, you will first need to activate your UNI.
In order to provide the ID Center with sufficient time to print and deliver your ID card to your school, new students are required to upload their own photos. Please upload your photo as far in advance as possible before your arrival on campus. Failure to upload a photo may result in move-in delays.
Photo requirements:
In color
JPEG file format, not to exceed 100k in size
Uniform and light-colored background
You must be facing forward, with your head and shoulders clearly visible
No photos with sunglasses or hats accepted
Please note that your ID card will not be available at the ID Center for pickup. You will receive it upon your check-in on campus.
Your University ID card, also known as your CUID, is your passport to Columbia University! It grants you access to the Columbia Libraries, your residence hall and secure campus locations. In order to obtain your CUID, you will first need to activate your UNI.
In order to provide the ID Center with sufficient time to print and deliver your ID card to your school, new students are required to upload their own photos. Please upload your photo as far in advance as possible before your arrival on campus. Failure to upload a photo may result in move-in delays.
Photo requirements:
In color
JPEG file format, not to exceed 100k in size
Uniform and light-colored background
You must be facing forward, with your head and shoulders clearly visible
No photos with sunglasses or hats accepted
Please note that your ID card will not be available at the ID Center for pickup. You will receive it upon your check-in on campus.
By Monday, August 1
If you are living on campus, you will receive your housing assignment by email. Log in to the Housing Portal to sign the Occupancy Agreement. Failure to sign the Occupancy Agreement may delay your Check-In process.
Learn more about the Occupancy Agreement.
By August 3, 2022
If you are receiving financial aid or a stipend, you may receive a credit on your student account. The University's preferred method of refund distribution is through direct deposit. To enroll, domestic students should log into SSOL.
If you are an international student: Direct deposit of stipends is not available for international students. However, international students may receive refunds from their student account via direct deposit into a U.S. checking or savings account.
By August 3, 2022 for full Fall term plan.
Columbia’s Payment Plan enables students and/or families to pay billed expenses over several months, rather than in one payment. It is not a loan and, while there is an application fee, there are no interest charges or credit checks. You can sign up online throughout the Fall term according to this schedule:
By August 5, 2022
If parents or other family members are responsible for your bill, you will need to register them as Authorized Payers. Register authorized payers by August 5 to ensure they receive the first fall statement on Monday, August 15.
This can be done anytime but we recommend doing so ASAP ahead of the first fall statement on August 15, 2022.
Use the Bill Estimator tool to project the amount you will be expected to pay for the academic year. A variety of loan options are available to undergraduate students and families. You may choose to borrow loans to finance a portion or all of the total cost of attendance, minus any other financial aid received.
By Friday, August 12
All incoming students are expected to complete the online Student Health History Form prior to your arrival on campus. It includes medical information that is pertinent to ongoing care, particularly around current treatment and prescriptions. Columbia Health does not share this information, or any other information about your health, without the student’s written permission unless required by law
Student Financial Services (SFS) will generate the first Fall 2022 Student Account Statement and it will be emailed to you on Monday, August 15, 2022.
You can monitor your account activity in Student Services Online (SSOL), the student portal, so you are aware of your balance owed and any changes to the amount due provided to you on the first statement. You can also visit the Student Financial Services website to verify anticipated tuition rates.
By August 15, 2022
Make sure you complete online academic integrity tutorial. Incoming students will receive an email, sent to their Columbia LionMail in late July, providing access and additional details.
By Monday, August 15
All students must complete the Orientation Activities Waiver (available on July 15) before participating in the New Student Orientation Program (NSOP) or any pre-orientation programs.
By Thursday, August 25
The University strongly recommends that students living on campus purchase property (renters) insurance on their own or ensure that they are covered by their parents’ or guardians’ property (homeowners) insurance. Insurance coverage is the responsibility of each individual student.
Learn more from Columbia Housing.
By Friday, September 2
Before meeting with your adviser, you'll need to read the Academic Planning Guide (available in mid-July) and complete the worksheet on page 20. This will help you determine which classes you'll be taking.
By Friday, September 2
Before meeting with your adviser, you'll need to read the Academic Planning Guide (available in mid-July) and complete the worksheet on page 8. This will help you determine which classes you'll be taking.
Meet with your adviser in the Berick Center for Student Advising by Monday, September 2 to discuss your Fall 2022 schedule. You'll be notified of your adviser assignment in mid-July.
By September 7, 2022
This is an online form that students must complete, noting the state of all the furniture and condition in your room, so that you are not held responsible for anything missing or damaged at the end of the year. The Web Inventory Report for Housing is available through the Housing Portal (click the "WIR" tab) and due 48 hours after move-in, or at the latest by September 7 at 4 p.m.
By Tuesday, September 13
Review the Dining Plan selection you made via the Housing Portal. Students are able to change their Dining Plan selection for the 2022 Fall Semester between Tuesday, August 30 and Tuesday, September 13. There are no cancellations after signing up for a plan.
In the meantime, log into SSOL to add Dining Dollars or Flex as needed.
By September 16, 2022 (in order to provide ample time for verification before final September 30 deadline).
Students who are requesting a waiver from the Columbia Student Health Insurance Plan must have alternate coverage that meets the University requirements as outlined here and provide sufficient information regarding your alternate health insurance plan to allow independent verification that your plan meets the University requirements. Instructions are available online. Please submit a complete request early to avoid unnecessary charges on your student account. For questions, please email studentinsurance@columbia.edu.
By Friday, September 16
You'll receive your first fall statement via email on Monday, August 15, 2022. The payment deadline is Friday, September 16, 2022.
By September 30, 2022
All new and continuing students are required by the University to have quality health insurance. Incoming domestic students who did not receive an approved waiver request for the insurance plan and all incoming international students* need to confirm enrollment in the Columbia Student Health Insurance Plan between Friday, July 15 and Friday, September 30, 2022. For questions, please email studentinsurance@columbia.edu.
*Note that international students are required to enroll in the Columbia Student Health Insurance Plan to help ensure and simplify access to the highest quality of care on and off campus.
By Monday, November 14
This is the last day to enroll in a monthly payment plan (fall term only) online.
