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 UNI or email.” On the next two pages, accept the “Computer Network and 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. Instructions on retrieving your ID cards will be sent to you over the summer.

Columbia ID cards will be distributed at the School-wide orientation, and not earlier. Emergency  and missing student contact information must be entered in your Student Services Online (SSOL) account in order to receive your ID (details below).

Finally, it is urgent that each student provide an emergency contact as well as a missing student phone number and email address, along with the local and permanent address. You can update your emergency contact information in Vergil once your UNI is activated. Your emergency contact can be whoever you want the School of the Arts to reach out to in the case of an emergency. All address information must be updated in Vergil in order to receive your Columbia University ID.

You will not be allowed to register for or attend classes until you provide documentation that you have received New York State’s required immunizations. 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 to campus for the respective academic term, and students should not expect to meet the pre-matriculation and pre-arrival immunization requirements once in New York City.

If you are considering Columbia housing, we recommend you apply as soon as possible, even if you’re not sure you’ll need it.

If you are an international student, you should apply for your I-20 as soon as possible. The I-20 is required to apply for your student visa; allowing as much time as possible for processing is important.Additionally, all incoming International Students should visit the ISSO website as soon as possible and review their Getting Started section.

The Office of University Life requires all incoming students to complete certain pre-arrival tutorials. Information on these tutorials will be sent as soon as it’s made available.

Because so many School of the Arts students may work with minors at some point during their time at the school, we are requiring all students to take the online protection of minors training before orientation. This information will be sent to your Columbia email address after you are registered for your classes. For more information, visit the University’s Protection of Minors at Columbia information page. You must complete this approximately 30 minute online training in order to register for the Spring 2026 Semester

If you have a disability that may require accommodation, please contact Disability Services, (212) 854-2388 (Voice/ TTY), fax (212) 854-3448, or email [email protected] as early as possible.

For a Disability Access Map: 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 Tutorial. Be on the lookout for more information once the semester gets underway.

Be sure to check your email for information, including important pre-arrival requirements, from the Student Affairs. Please notify Student Affairs at (212) 851-0248 or at [email protected] if your email and/or mailing address change.