Congratulations on your admission to Iowa State University! Now it’s time to take the next steps toward becoming a Cyclone. From accepting your offer and preparing for orientation to completing placement assessments and submitting final transcripts, this checklist will guide you through everything you need to ensure a seamless transition.
Before you are able to participate in orientation and register for classes, you must accept your offer of admission.
Register for orientation using the link provided in the communication received from New Student Programs, if you have not already done so. You will receive a confirmation and instructions for next steps via email. Some academic programs will include required steps you need to take prior to your arrival on campus for OnCyte Orientation or before your virtual advising appointment.
OnCyte Orientation is recommended for all Cyclones, but we know online orientation may be a better fit for some. The OnCyte event is designed for those who would like to experience campus, prepare for their Iowa State journey, and connect with other Cyclones in person.
There are many hotel options in Ames and the surrounding areas for you and your family to stay during your visit.
Orientation is required, but you do not have to attend OnCyte Orientation. Our online orientation works better for some students and families. Online orientation is a series of self-paced modules. Plan to set aside at least 3-4 hours to invest in the program. During this time, you will learn essential information about completing course registration and transitioning to Iowa State.
Completion of orientation is required to register for classes. Therefore, we suggest you finish online orientation a week prior to your virtual advising appointment.
By downloading the Iowa State Guides App, you will find these resources in the Orientation Guide:
Review and refer to the publications. These pieces will help you prepare for your orientation experience and transition to Iowa State.
First-year students: Request your high school submit an official copy of your final transcript to the Office of Admissions. If you’ve attempted any college credits while in high school, you must also request that the college(s) send us an official transcript.
Transfer students: Request your previous college(s) submit an official copy of your final transcripts to the Office of Admissions.
All new students are required to complete the online ALEKS mathematics and statistics placement assessment. ALEKS assesses your abilities and places you in the appropriate course. You cannot be registered for a math or statistics course until you have completed ALEKS.
Begin ALEKS early and invest at least two hours into the assessment. Taking ALEKS early allows you time to review your first attempt if you are not satisfied with your results. The assessment may be completed up to five times. You should take the ALEKS math placement assessment at least five days prior to your academic advising appointment and bring your scores with you to your academic advising appointment.
To access ALEKS, you will either use Admissions MyAccount or Iowa State's sign-on dashboard and search for ALEKS.
If you want to continue studying a language at Iowa State you should take a placement assessment. This assessment helps determine at what level you should begin taking language courses at Iowa State.
Take the assessment(s) prior to your orientation. Each assessment will take about 20 minutes to complete. Print a copy of your assessment results and bring it to your academic advising appointment during orientation. You do not need to take the placement test if you have no prior background in the language.
Students of Arabic and Latin backgrounds with prior experience in the language should contact the World Languages and Cultures Advising Office for in-person placement: 3220 Pearson Hall or 515-294-7570.
If you do not plan to study a foreign language in college but would like to earn credit for prior language studied, you may take one of the following exams: Spanish, French, German, Latin, Russian, or Chinese. Please refer to information on the World Languages and Cultures website for details.
Set up your Net-ID (Iowa State email account).
You have the option to submit a photo for your ISUCard, your permanent university identification card, prior to coming to orientation. You can also stop into the ISUCard Office in 0530 Beardshear Hall during orientation to have your photo taken and walk out with your ISUCard.
Visit the photo submission webpage and follow the guidelines carefully if you would like to submit a photo. Be sure to submit it at least two business days before coming to campus.
You will need to know your university ID number and bring a valid state or federal issued photo ID such as a passport or driver’s license with you in order to get your card.
Visit the ISUCard Office website for more information.
Learn more about Iowa State's immunization requirements by visiting the Thielen Student Health Center website.
Log in to TRANSIT to see how your college course credits will transfer to Iowa State.
Students who have a documented disability are strongly encouraged to set up an appointment to meet with a Student Accessibility Services staff member during your orientation visit to discuss reasonable accommodations for your needs. Students who would like to request accommodations for orientation should contact SAS (515-294-7220 or accessibility@iastate.edu) at least two weeks in advance.
There are many hotel options in Ames and the surrounding areas for you and your family to stay during your visit.
First-year students starting classes in May, June, or August who are attending the 1.5 day OnCyte Orientation experience in June and their families are invited to stay in Maple Residence Hall. Discuss as a family which option is best for you.
In order to register for courses, you need to complete new student onboarding tasks in Workday.
First-year and transfer students starting classes in January can begin completing their new student onboarding tasks in mid-October. First-year students starting classes in May, June, or August can begin completing their new student onboarding tasks in early May and transfer students starting classes in May, June, or August can begin completing their new student onboarding tasks in early April.
During orientation, students will meet with an academic advisor and register for their first-semester courses. Review the tutorial below to understand how to register for courses using Workday.
