Admitted Students

Congratulations on your admission to Calvin University! We are so excited for you and the many gifts that you will share with our community. Please use the information below to guide your start at Calvin.

We welcome you to continue to engage with Calvin by meeting 1:1 with admissions or other university staff/faculty. Schedule a time.

• International students can register to join us at our weekly International Admitted Student Webinar.

If you have questions along the way, please contact your Admissions Counselor. They are available to answer any questions—families may email or text them, too! General questions can be sent to admissions@calvin.edu or please call us at (800) 688-0122 or (616) 526-6106.

Admitted Student Checklist

1. Claim your Calvin credentials

   • Find your Calvin username in your “congratulations” email or on the bookmark in your admitted student packet. Need help? Contact admissions@calvin.edu and we can help you learn your username.

   • Login to the Calvin system (calvin.edu/go/new-student-portal) and choose “Activate my account” from the options below the username.

   • Follow the directions on the next screen to create a passphrase and claim your account.

   • Use your Calvin username and new passphrase to login to systems as you prepare for enrollment at Calvin University.

2. Review your admission decision

   • Login with your Calvin username and passphrase.

   • Click the link that says “view your next steps” to let us know how you’re feeling about attending Calvin (answering this question will open next step items for you to complete).

3. Community Contract

   • Complete the community contract form, found on your New Student Portal

   • This must be completed (along with your enrollment deposit) before you can proceed to Orientation and Housing registration.

4. Submit your enrollment deposit

   • The deposit can be submitted at the top of this page, or through your New Student Portal.

   • To confirm your place in the incoming class, please pay your enrollment deposit by or before the due date.

   • May 1: U.S. citizens ($300)

   • June 1: International students ($2,500)
     
     NOTE: If you are an international student you must verify your finances with your admissions counselor before placing the deposit.

   • Your enrollment deposit must be paid before you can access housing and orientation applications along with other important requirements.

5. View your financial aid awards on your Financial Aid Portal

   • Go to calvin.edu/go/admit-fa to view your current financial aid awards and to upload any requested financial aid documents.

   • NOTE: Your login for this system is your personal email and password that you used to create your admissions application.

   • Official Financial Aid award letters are posted in mid-February. Look out for an email and a physical letter in the mail.

6. Additional steps for international students only

   • International students will need to work with their Admissions Counselor to clear the financial verification process, receive their form I-20, and complete additional items for new international students.

   • After verification is confirmed, international students must confirm their enrollment by paying their enrollment deposit before receiving their I-20 and beginning the student visa application process. Students will receive full instructions on applying for a visa after depositing.

   • International students are required to attend the International Orientation program, followed by Welcome Week—first-year student orientation.

7. Apply for housing

   • All incoming students must declare their housing intentions (on-campus or commuter) using the housing application.

   • The housing application form is found on your New Student Portal checklist.

   • Find more information about on-campus housing. There you’ll find dorm measurements, furniture layout ideas, photos and addresses of each dorm—check it out!

   • Calvin’s residence life program has an amazing record for producing successful roommate pairs, and they rely on the information you provide. If you’ve already chosen a roommate, be sure to list each other on your applications.

   • Moving In at Calvin brochure

8. Register for Orientation

   • Orientation is required for all incoming students. Register for orientation through your New Student Portal checklist.

   • You must attend either on-campus or online orientation.

   • On-campus Orientation: If you are planning to come to campus for your orientation, here’s what your day might look like: On-campus orientation schedule.

   • Online Orientation: Students have many options to complete online orientation in two-hour sessions starting in June. Your family will be invited to an online orientation session too via email.

   • If you are invited to additional specialized programming (IMPACT, International, Transfer) you will receive additional information via email.

   • Orientation involves more than just getting the lay of the land, and several programs are offered. Parents/guardians are encouraged to attend, too. But don’t stop there. Optional programs like Wilderness Orientation (think outdoor adventure) help you build community right away.

9. Submit health forms and complete all other documents

   • All new students must complete certain forms and health requirements to ensure that you—and our campus—stay healthy!

     NOTE: Health forms may take several days to be processed by our health services team, so the incomplete “X” might remain even after a student has filled them out. This requirement will also remain incomplete if health services is waiting on items to be sent from a student’s primary care physician (such as immunization records).

   • How do I do this? The link to complete this process is found on the New Student Portal checklist.

   • Other documents include:

     • Photography release waiver
     • Service-learning waiver
     • Accommodation request form

10. Faculty advising

    • Faculty advising will happen over the summer (end of June to mid-July) after you attend an orientation session. During this meeting students will meet their advisor and discuss their freshman class schedule.

    • Advisors will reach out to students to schedule virtual meetings via email.

11. Welcome Week and Campus Move-In

    • See Move-In instructions for new students.

    • This is the final event for your start at Calvin! All students (both on-campus and commuters) kick off the new academic year with Welcome Week activities that lead into the first day of classes on August 29th.

Before classes start

Please keep checking your status page to make sure you’ve submitted everything needed before classes start!

Watch for these emails

• May: Information technology details such as your Calvin email account, software access, etc.
• May: Academic Transitions (ASC111) class option (to help transition to being a college student!)
• May/June: Academic advising. You’ll receive an email from the registrar asking you to confirm your academic interest. Your advisor will email you to set up an appointment in June.
• June: Who’s your roommate? Watch for an email from the housing office.
• June/July: Moving-in information, including dates and times to bring your things, and Welcome Week details.
• July: What’s your dorm? Watch for an email from the housing office with specifics about your residence hall.
• July/August: Bookstore, class schedule: how to get textbooks, when your class schedule is ready.

Get a jump start on fall classes

Nervous about the transition from high school to college? Excited to learn as much as you can from your university courses? Want to maximize your grade point average from day one? Register for Academic Transitions ASC111. See your email for a one-click registration link!

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