Academic Advising Resource Center
Incoming Students
This page outlines the registration process for first-year Arts and Sciences and Double-Degree students and provides links to resources where you can learn more about courses and requirements. Students will get updates to their Oberlin College email account and through the Engage Student Dashboard.
Advising and Registration Timeline
May 8–June 19: Complete Arts and Sciences placement tests and surveys
(Note: The deadlines vary depending on the subject area.)
May–July: Participate in webinars and departmental information sessions
May 18–June 5: Submit first-year seminar preferences
May 18–June 24: Complete first-year advising portfolio prompts
July 1–July 29: Meet with your summer advisor
August 5–August 14: New student registration period
August 24: Meet with your academic advisor and make schedule adjustments
May 8–June 19: Complete Arts and Sciences placement tests and surveys
Some subject areas require students to take a placement test or complete a survey. Pay close attention to the deadlines, which vary depending on the subject area.
Interested in a studio art course? Entry to Studio Art courses is admitted through consent (permission) only. Most 100-level studio art courses have 25% of seats set aside for first-year students. Students who are interested in taking a Studio Art course in fall 2026 must fill out the Studio Course Consent Request form by May 24.
May 25: On May 25, all students who have been offered a seat will receive an email offering them a seat in the class.
May 28: Students must confirm their seat via email no later than May 28 in order to secure their place in a course.
Students who are not been placed in a studio art course over the summer will receive a separate email and should feel free to follow up with professors directly during add drop in the fall.
Interested in a language? The process for taking a language course will vary depending on whether you are new to learning the language or if you have prior experience with the language. Prior experience might include taking classes in high school, speaking the language at home, or living abroad.
If you have prior experience with a language you wish to take, you may need to take a placement test by June 5.
Students interested in taking a math course in the fall should review the department’s guidance on options for their first mathematics class. As explained in the linked information, only Math 130: Foundations for Calculus and Math 133: Calculus I require that students take an online Calculus Placement Survey. Students will receive an email response from the department after taking this placement survey. For all other math classes, students do not need to take a placement survey.
All students interested in taking CHEM 101 or CHEM 102 in Fall 2026 must take a 60-minute General Chemistry Entrance Survey on Blackboard.
May–July: Participate in webinars and departmental information sessions
The Academic Advising Resource Center (AARC) and academic departments will host virtual sessions for students throughout the summer. Students are encouraged to attend webinars hosted by the AARC as well as info sessions in academic areas of interest. See the list of sessions.
May 18-June 5: Submit first-year seminar preferences
All first-year students are encouraged to enroll in a first-year seminar, which introduces students to liberal arts learning. First-year students will submit their top six choices for a first-year seminar through Engage, and the Academic Advising Resource Center (AARC) will place you in one of these choices. Chances are not improved by only listing one to two top choices. Learn more about the First-Year Seminar Program, including fall 2026 course offerings.
May 18-June 24: Complete first-year advising portfolio prompts
This is a chance to introduce yourself to your summer advisor and your academic advisor and reflect on your academic and co-curricular interests and goals.
July 1-July 29: Meet with your summer advisor
All first-year students will have an individual appointment with an assigned summer advisor over Zoom. Students will receive information about their advisor, as well as how to schedule the meeting, by the end of June.
August 5-August 14: New student registration period
Students will register for additional classes through the registration portal.
August 24: Meet with your academic advisor and make schedule adjustments
The AARC will assign each student an academic advisor in mid-August. (Your academic advisor is a pre-major advisor separate from your summer advisor.) During new student orientation, students will meet with their academic advisor to review their schedules and discuss possible changes. In the afternoon, students will be able to make schedule adjustments.
September 4: Add/drop deadline
Once classes begin, students are able to make changes to their schedule until September 4, the eighth day of the semester. Students are encouraged to finalize their schedules early in the semester.