Checklist

Visit and bookmark the Academic Calendar for all Academic Dates, Holidays and Registration Dates. For School of the Arts specific dates, select the School of the Arts in the dropdown under “School/Program.”

Once your deposit has been processed by the School of the Arts Admissions Office, you should be able to set up and activate your UNI. To activate your UNI, proceed to the following website: http://cuit.columbia.edu/cuit/manage-my-uni. Click  “Activate my UNI or Lionmail Account.” On the next two pages, accept the “Computer and Network Use Policy” and the policy outlining “Your Responsibility on the Columbia Network.” You will then be directed to a page asking that you enter your UNI. On this page, click next to “Don’t know your UNI” to begin the UNI activation process; then follow the instructions from there.

Once your UNI is activated, you will be able to use your Columbia email. The Columbia email address is both the School’s and the University’s official means of communication with all students. Therefore, once your Columbia email is activated, this is the email that will be used to communicate with you.

If you are new to Columbia you must submit a photo for your first Columbia University ID card. Details can be found here. Emergency, local and permanent addresses, and contact information must be entered in Vergil in order to receive your ID. Columbia ID cards will be ready for distribution in mid-August. Instructions for retrieving ID cards will be sent over the summer.

We require each student to provide at least one emergency contact's phone number, email address, and physical address. You can update your emergency contact information in Vergil once your UNI is activated. Your emergency contact should be whomever you want the School of the Arts to reach out to in the case of an emergency. 

To comply with New York State public health law, Columbia requires all students to complete several immunization requirements and submit documentation either upon admission or no later than 30 days before registration. ​

Please be sure to provide your immunization documentation as early as possible as processing by the Immunization Compliance Office can take some time. For more information, visit Immunization Compliance. For questions or concerns regarding your immunization documentation, call 212-854-7210 or email [email protected].

Students whose immunization records are not compliant will not be able to register for classes, may not be permitted to move into housing and may not be permitted to participate in Orientation activities. Columbia University expects all requirements to be met prior to arriving on campus for the respective academic term, not when they arrive in New York City.

If you are considering Columbia housing and you have not yet applied or were not assigned an allocation by the end of June, you may still have the opportunity to secure Columbia housing for the academic year through Columbia Residential's Open Selection process. Information and resources for non-Columbia housing may be found on Columbia Residential's Off Campus Housing page. 

International students must obtain an I-20 from the university before applying for a student visa. We urge students to submit the necessary documentation for their I-20 as soon as possible, allowing ample time for the US Embassy or Consulate to process the student visa. All incoming International Students should visit the ISSO website and review their Getting Started section.

The Office of University Life requires completion of the online Pre-Orientation training prior to the School of the Arts school-wide orientation on September 1. If you have any questions about the tutorial or require any technical assistance, please reach out to [email protected].

Because many School of the Arts students work with minors during their time at the school, we require all students to take the University's Protection of Minors Training, completed online. Information will be sent to your Columbia email address after you register for your classes. For additional details, visit the University’s Protection of Minors at Columbia information page. The training is approximately 30 minutes and is required to register for the Spring 2027 semester.

If you have a disability that may require accommodation, please contact Disability Services at (212) 854-2388 or [email protected] as early as possible.

A Disability Access Map is available at https://www.health.columbia.edu/content/disability-access-map.

U.S. citizens and permanent residents: If you wish to be considered for federal loans and work study, file a FAFSA, if you have not done so already. Please note that there are separate financing guidelines for international students.

All applicants must file the School of the Arts Financial Aid Application to be considered for institutional scholarships.

Every October, first semester students are required to take part in the Community Citizenship Initiative, which builds on the concepts introduced in the Pre-Orientation Training. You will receive more information once the semester gets underway.

You should regularly check your Columbia email account over the summer for important messages.

If you have additional questions, feel free to contact the Office of Student Affairs at (212) 851-0248 or [email protected].