New Student Academic Advising

Prepare for Autumn Course Registration

Every incoming student in the College is assigned to work with an Academic Adviser. You will always have an adviser during your time in the College and you are encouraged to meet with them regularly as you plan your course of study. In mid-July, you will receive an email from The College Academic Advising Office that will provide your Academic Adviser's contact information and a link to sign up for a required virtual summer meeting. Along with the myriad webinars and learning modules this summer, your Academic Adviser will help you navigate the process of understanding the curriculum and how to register for your Autumn Quarter courses. 

During your first year and beyond, your Academic Adviser can help you with course planning, exploring majors and co-curricular activities, learning campus resources, understanding policies and procedures and more. Our advisers look forward to building a lasting relationship with you as you embark on your college journey. 

Before you register for Autumn Quarter courses, it is important that you understand what the requirements are to receive a degree. The UChicago undergraduate degree has three main components: general education requirements (commonly known as The Core), your major, and general electives. 

Review the requirements necessary to earn an undergraduate degree at UChicago here.

Placement exams tell you which course is the best starting point for subjects offered at multiple levels (i.e. Math, Chemistry, Computer Science and languages beyond the first-quarter level). You may only register for courses that match your placement. You will receive an email inviting you to take your placement exams around May 6. All placement exams and AP/IB scores should be completed and submitted by June 20.

Every incoming student must take the Math placement exam. Students interested in pursuing further study in language, Chemistry, or Computer Science must take placement exams in these additional areas. There is no placement exam for Physics -- Physics placements are based on math scores.  Learn more about online placement tests and submit AP/IB exam scores.

Identify the best courses to take this Autumn by reviewing the first quarter schedule information relevant to your area(s) of interest.

All incoming students will participate in a process called "pre-registration" during which you will indicate your preferences for your Autumn Quarter courses. You will pre-register for a Humanities course between June 17-21 and you will pre-register for your remaining Autumn Quarter courses between August 19-23. Step-by step instructions on registering for your courses will be sent to you via email as we approach June.

Note: Pre-registration is an online process that requires internet access. If you will not have internet access during the June pre-registration period, you will be assigned to a Humanities sequence based on availability. If you will not have internet access during the August pre-registration period, please notify your academic adviser during your summer meeting so that you can discuss your schedule needs and preferences. 

Each year, we are excited to welcome a cohort of transfer students.  As students new to UChicago, incoming transfer students follow the same procedures related to placement and pre-registration as other incoming students.  As students who are transferring from another institution, we also recognize that you will have specific needs and questions, such as questions related to transfer credit.  For more information, see our Incoming Transfer Student FAQ.