New Student Academic Advising

First-year Students: At Ithaca College, we prioritize your success. After you complete your Academic Interests Survey, we use your responses to build your fall schedule to include courses in your major or potential area of interest and a mix of core and elective courses to ensure that every one will count toward your degree. If you are enrolled in our Exploratory Pathways or Pre-Health Professions Program, the Academic Interests Survey is your critical first step in exploring areas of interest toward your eventual choice of major.

Transfer Students: You will meet individually with an academic advisor in your dean’s office who will guide you through course selection to build a fall schedule based on your previous coursework and on requirements for your major.

Every first-year student must complete the survey.

Transfer students (who earned college credits after graduating from high school) do not need to complete the survey; your fall schedule will be based on your college transcript(s).

The survey is due June 12. It is to your advantage to submit your survey as soon as possible, so we can craft the best schedule for you.

Be sure to also complete your Math Placement Assessment (and, if applicable, your Language Placement Assessment) by June 12. The Math Placement Assessment will be available starting May 1. Some mathematics and language courses required for majors and minors and even of general interest require that students receive a minimum placement score to enroll. Without your score, we may not be able to guarantee you a seat in a class or build you a schedule that includes certain areas of interest to you.

Access the Academic Interests Survey via your New Student Checklist in IC Connect. To complete the survey, you'll need to first activate your new Ithaca College student account (if you haven’t already). More information about activating your new Ithaca College student account can be found on your New Student Checklist.

As a first-year student, you are guaranteed at least one class in your major or a potential major, but the rest of your classes may not match your interests as well as you—and we—would like.

The survey will remain open even after the deadline, but we will start creating schedules at that time, so please complete and submit it ASAP! If you miss the deadline, we will make every effort to get you classes that align with your interests, but that will be more challenging since we start building students’ schedules in June.

Contact New Student and Transition Programs at NSTP@ithaca.edu; they will put you in contact with the right person.

Contact New Student and Transition Programs at NSTP@ithaca.edu and they will put you in contact with the right person.

Even if your intended major does not require a math course, it is important for you to take the Math Placement Assessment. We require this because we know many students eventually discover that they want a major, minor, or even just a course that requires a math placement score. Best to do it now while your memory is fresh. It even comes with a prep guide to help you get ready, so it’s not scary! 
Get more information.

Your math placement score will appear immediately after you submit your exam. It will also be stored in Degree Works, the Ithaca College student information system.

Math, physics, some quantitative literacy (QL) core curriculum courses like statistics, and some quantitative research courses within majors are only open to students with a minimum math placement score. This is to ensure that you have the skills you need to complete that course successfully. If you do not have the minimum score, you can retake the placement exam four more times, but are required to take time and complete review modules between retakes. IC also offers a Math Boost course to help students improve skills and scores. Since some majors have carefully sequenced courses, it is to your advantage to prep and do your best on the Math Placement Assessment from the outset.

If you do not take the Math Placement Assessment and the score is required for courses in your major (such as business, economics, natural sciences, and others), we cannot build your fall schedule. If you are exploring different possible majors or minors, you also want to be prepared for classes that may require math. The assessment remains open, and you can even do it once you arrive on campus, but you will have many demands on your time once you arrive, so it is to your advantage to complete it by June 12.

It gives you the correct course placement level to start or resume your study of the language at Ithaca College. If you have taken an AP or IB exam, or have taken a dual enrollment class with a local college, you do not need to take the placement assessment, because your score or transcript provides the information we need to identify the right class for you. Don’t forget to request the college where you took the course to send your transcript directly to IC!

If your intended major has a language proficiency requirement and if you have studied or have experience in French, German, Italian, or Spanish, this is required. If you studied one of these languages in high school or speak more than one of these languages, it is important to take the Language Placement Assessment so you can be placed in the correct course level from the start should you pursue language study at any point.

Exception: If you have taken an AP or IB exam, or have taken a dual enrollment class with a local college, you do not need to take the placement assessment, because your score or transcript provides the information we need to make that placement. Don’t forget - transfer credit cannot be awarded on the basis of your high school transcript. IC must receive an official transcript sent directly from the credit granting agency (in other words, we won’t accept forwarded official documents that have come to you.)

No. We can simply register you for the first course of the elementary level if you indicate you want to study a language on the Academic Interests Survey.

Your language placement score will appear immediately after you submit your assessment. It will also be stored in Degree Works, the Ithaca College student information system.

If you have indicated a desire to continue or pursue language study, we will place in you in the recommended course level for that language. If in the first week of classes you are concerned that you are not in the correct course level, speak to your professor. They can help you determine the best course of action, and switch to a different level if recommended.

If a language is required for your major, we cannot build your fall schedule. If you’re not sure if it’s required, please check your School’s New Students web page to find out or contact your dean’s office. If you want to continue language study as an elective, we won’t be able to place you in the right level class, and that will also impact your fall schedule.

Even if you do not think you will participate in or continue with language studies at college, it is helpful for you to take the Language Placement Assessment if you studied French, Spanish, German, or Italian, or if you speak the language at home. We know that many students eventually discover that they want a major, minor, study abroad or even just a course that requires or is enhanced by a language in addition to English. It’s a great idea to do it now while your memory is fresh from high school, so we know what level of language study is right for you.

Exception: If you have taken an AP or IB exam, or have taken a dual enrollment class with a local college, you do not need to take the placement assessment, because your score or transcript provides the information we need to make that placement. Don’t forget - transfer credit cannot be awarded on the basis of your high school transcript. IC must receive an official transcript sent directly from the credit granting agency (in other words, we won’t accept forwarded official documents that have come to you.)

Even if you do not think you will participate in or continue with language studies at college, it is helpful for you to take the Language Placement Assessment if you studied French, Spanish, German, or Italian, or if you speak the language at home. We know that many students eventually discover that they want a major, minor, study abroad or even just a course that requires or is enhanced by a language in addition to English. It’s a great idea to do it now while your memory is fresh from high school, so we know what level of language study is right for you.

Exception: If you have taken an AP or IB exam, or have taken a dual enrollment class with a local college, you do not need to take the placement assessment, because your score or transcript provides the information we need to make that placement. Don’t forget - transfer credit cannot be awarded on the basis of your high school transcript. IC must receive an official transcript sent directly from the credit granting agency (in other words, we won’t accept forwarded official documents that have come to you.)

IC Advantage is a special benefit only for incoming students. It offers you the option of taking 1, 2 or 3 single-credit, online courses so you can earn college credits, connect to an IC professor and start making friends before you even set foot on campus. And the first course is FREE! Check it out here: https://www.ithaca.edu/academics/extended-studies/incoming-students 

Summer enrollment is limited to IC Advantage courses for incoming students. This maximizes your ability to connect with other first years.