We know that as a transfer student you have done this before, so we have designed this orientation program with you in mind! Most importantly, if you will be on an F-1 or J-1 visa, we need to introduce you to American University's unique immigration procedures for employment and other benefits, and to make sure you know how to protect your immigration status by doing your AU immigration check-in each semester. It is also a great chance to meet other new students who are beginning at AU, and to get familiar with your new school.

On-campus housing: opens on January 8, 2012
Students who have been assigned on-campus housing are welcome to move in starting from 12:00 p.m. on January 08, 2012. Students should report to the front desk of their assigned residence hall.

January Orientation: January 10 -11, 2012

On behalf of New Student Programs and International Student and Scholar Services, welcome to American University! One of the best ways to prepare for your time at AU is to participate in January Orientation on January 10 - 11, 2012.

During the orientation program, you’ll have a chance to:

• Meet other new students
• Learn about your immigration responsibilities and rights
• Confirm your class schedule
• Take the Math and Foreign Language Placement Exams
• Learn about campus services and resources
• Get your AU photo ID
• Set up your bank account
• Purchase your books

International Student and Scholar Services will present mandatory immigration sessions about American University's immigration policies and procedures for international students during the orientation. International students will then join the university's general transfer orientation sessions for all new transfer students. The transfer transition orientation will be offered on January 10, 2012.

ORIENTATION REGISTRATION & FEES

The fee to attend January Orientation is $65 per participant (students and family members). Students are advised to bring additional spending money for off-campus dining and other activities. The $65 fee covers program materials and program activities.

You will need to register for January Orientation using the my.american.edu web portal when you are instructed to do so. If you’ve already activated your <my.american.edu> portal account, simply log in using your user name and password and click on the button marked “Activities and Events” on the right side of the screen. Click on Student Checklists under Personalized Links, choose the New Student Checklist, and then follow the screen instructions to secure your space at January Orientation.

If you haven’t yet activated your account, you’ll need to visit <my.american.edu> and click on “Create New Account” (at the bottom of the page). You’ll be prompted to enter your seven-digit AU ID number, which you received with your admittance letter from the Admissions office. Follow the instructions to create your account, then complete the quick tutorial, which will introduce you to the portal. Once you’ve completed the tutorial, you’ll be returned to the <my.american.edu> log-in screen, where you will key in your new user name and password. Then click on the button marked “Activities and Events” on the right side of the screen. Click on Student Checklists under Personalized Links, choose either the New Student Checklist or the New Transfer Student Checklist, and then follow the screen instructions to secure your space at January Orientation.

REFUNDS & CANCELLATIONS
Cancellations of orientation registration and refund requests must be sent by e-mail to orientation@american.edu and must be received by the deadline. The last day to register is to be announced soon. No refunds will be honored for cancellations and refund requests received within 48 hours of the program start date.

CLASS REGISTRATION
Your school or college will send you information about class registration. The Freshman Guide to Academic Programs and Registration and class registration paperwork is also available on-line on the Registrar’s website, and due to the frequent delays in international mail, we recommend that you take some time to look over this material on-line so your class registration will not be delayed. Please review this information, contact your academic advisor with any questions, and return your requested classes and any other documents to your advisor. During orientation, you will meet your academic advisor to modify your class schedule if needed based upon the results of the Math and Foreign Language Placement Exams, and you will receive a final copy of your schedule.

MATH PLACEMENT EXAM*
All new students are required to take a math placement exam during orientation regardless of AP course completion or choice of major. The results determine your course placement in mathematics. There is no need to register separately for the exam; it will be one of your orientation sessions. The exam consists of basic math and algebra problems, which we encourage you to review. You will not be permitted to use a calculator during the exam.

ENGLISH ASSESSMENT TEST: January 9, 2011
All non-native speakers of English are strongly encouraged to take the University's English assessment test before orientation.  Please click here for more information.

LANGUAGE PLACEMENT EXAM*
Students who plan to study a language besides English during the Spring semester are encouraged to take the foreign language placement exam on-line using their my.american.edu web portal. The link for the exam is located on the right hand side of the screen in the grey shaded area, marked Language Placement. After completing the exam, please remember to report your score to your advisor to be placed in the correct class section.

*Students who need disability-related accommodations for placement exams during orientation should contact one of the following offices in advance to provide documentation of their disability and request accommodations. Guidelines for documentation are posted on the appropriate website.

• The Academic Support Center at 202-885-3360 or asc@american.edu for students with learning disabilities or Attention Deficit Disorder.
• Disability Support Services at 202-885-3315 or dss@american.edu for students with physical or psychological disabilities or other access-related concerns

FAMILY PARTICIPATION in ORIENTATION
Family members of new AU students are welcome to attend the January Orientation. We will offer a separate family orientation program. Families are then welcome to join their students for the remainder of the orientation program. We have created a limited list of hotels in the D.C. area. You will find additional information on the New Student Programs office website. Click on “Parents” (on the left side of the screen).

Again, welcome! We’re looking forward to meeting you at January Orientation!