International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)
For international students, check your immigration requirements.
Congratulations and welcome to American University. We can’t wait for you to join our community of changemakers. Now that you’re admitted, you’ll take a number of steps to complete your enrollment. Find everything you need to know about getting started at AU right here.
Sign up for an Admitted Student Event
Activate your student account
Take the math placement exam (you will receive an email)
Submit credit exam results and final high school transcript
Check back over the next few months for more upcoming deadlines.
All checklist items are required to enroll at AU except where noted. Check your progress on Link Requires Login your personalized checklist.
Activate your student account
Available Now
Activate your student account - it only takes a few clicks.
Submit your enrollment deposit and housing agreement
Available Now
Submit your enrollment agreement and housing deposit by the following:
Grant proxy access to your student records Optional for matriculation:
Available Now
Will a parent, guardian, or other user be making payments or viewing your expenses? Grant them access to your student account.
Download myAU Mobile Optional for matriculation:
Available Now
View your class schedule, grades, finances, and assignments all in one place. Access your new student checklist, get directions around campus, and stay up-to-date on campus life with events and news feeds.
Learn about tuition refund insurance Optional for matriculation:
Available Now
In the event that you might need to withdraw from AU, American University offers GradGuard tuition refund insurance through Allianz Global Assistance. If you believe that this is something you might benefit from, you have until the day before classes begin to enroll.
Confirm your emergency contacts
Available Now
Make sure AU has an up-to-date list of your emergency contacts. To update, visit the academics tab on the student portal. Please note, if you are under 18, your parent/legal guardian must be your primary contact.
Submit placement credit exam results Optional for matriculation:
Available Now — Due July 31, 2026 — Add to calendar
If you have taken Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), A Levels, or other placement or leaving exams, please request that those results be submitted to American University’s Office of Admissions to receive placement credit (if applicable).
Update Chosen Name and Pronouns Optional for matriculation:
Available Now
AU recognizes that students may use names other than a legal name to identify themselves. Students who would like their chosen name displayed across many AU systems are invited to submit a chosen name using the process linked here in the Learn More button.
Submit Final High School Transcript and Standardized Test Scores
Available Now — Due June 30, 2026 — Add to calendar
Once your high school degree has been posted, please submit your final high school transcript and any official standardized test scores (if not test optional) to the Office of Admissions by June 30.
Enroll in DUO for multifactor authentication
Available Now
Enroll a smartphone in DUO MFA, and use the DUO Mobile app on that smartphone to secure your login attempts. You may register multiple devices.
Upload your One Card photo
Available Now — Due July 17, 2026 — Add to calendar
The AU One Card will be your all-access pass to campus. You'll use it to enter your residence hall, purchase meals, check out books, print, and more. You can submit your photo online, then pick up your card at the One Card office in Mary Graydon Student Center during move-in.
Join University College Optional for matriculation:
Available Now — Due May 5, 2026 — Add to calendar
University College (UC) is American University’s oldest and largest living-learning community for first-year students, and it’s designed to make your transition to college both exciting and supportive. As part of UC, you’ll live in a first-year residence hall alongside classmates from your Complex Problems seminar, so the people you learn with are also the people you live and connect with. Each floor is organized around themed seminar cohorts, blending academics, community, and fun into one shared experience. Throughout the year, UC hosts events, activities, and traditions that bring the whole community together. Who can join? UC is open to all first-year students, no matter your school or major, as long as you live on campus and aren’t already part of another living-learning program. The best part? There are no extra fees to join!
Complete your recreational sports and fitness registration Optional for matriculation:
Available Now
Skip the lines on your first visit to our fitness centers. In order to gain access to our recreational sports and fitness centers and programs, you are required to register. Make your first visit more seamless by submitting your registration online.
Take the Language Placement Exam (only required for specific majors) Optional for matriculation:
Available Now — Due May 18, 2026 — Add to calendar
The Language Placement Exam is only required if you plan to take a language while at AU or pursue a major that requires a language, and you have prior experience with that language. The Language Placement Exam results inform which specific course best aligns with your language level. Once you have completed the Exam, take a screenshot of your score report and send it to your advisor. Take the exam by May 18th to ensure optimal advising services. The exam will remain open through August. Note: SIS students must take a language while at AU. If you have questions about whether a language is required for your major, please contact your advisor. For information on how to take the Placement Exam for the language you want to pursue, visit the link in the Read More button.
Take the AU Math Placement Exam (only required for specific majors) Optional for matriculation:
Available Now — Due May 18, 2026 — Add to calendar
The Math Placement Exam is only required if you plan to pursue a major that requires Calculus. The Exam results inform which specific Calculus course best aligns with your mathematics level. Take the exam by May 18th to ensure optimal advising services. The Exam will remain open through August. Please do not take the Math Placement Exam if your major does not require Calculus. To determine which majors require the Math Placement Exam, visit the link in the Read More button.
Apply for On-Campus Housing or a Residency Requirement Exemption
Available Now — Due May 8, 2026 — Add to calendar
First-Year students are defined as those who have been directly admitted to an undergraduate degree program at American University and have not attended another postsecondary institution (not including dual-enrollment credits completed during high school tenure). The housing status will be parallel to how the Office of Admissions has classified an incoming student. Incoming first-year students are required to live on campus for their first two-years on campus. Apply for housing through the First-Year application process in the Housing Portal. Students looking to apply for an exemption to the Residency Requirement must first complete the First-Year application, then will be prompted to submit their request. Application opens for 2026-2027: April 2, 2026 Priority deadline: May 8, 2026
Complete the New Eagle Questionnaire
Available Now — Due May 31, 2026 — Add to calendar
The New Eagle Questionnaire is required for all new students, as it provides your advisor with information about your academic history, interests, and goals to best support your course recommendations and advisement for the fall semester. The priority deadline to complete the New Eagle Questionnaire is Sunday, May 31st. While the form will remain open throughout the summer, completion by the priority deadline guarantees that your Advising Kickoff Letter, sent to you from your academic advisor/advising team on June 4th, takes into consideration the details disclosed in your New Eagle Questionnaire responses.
Change Intended Major Optional for matriculation:
Available Now — Due May 31, 2026 — Add to calendar
Students who wish to change their intended major from that which was indicated on their Admissions application should complete the Intended Major Change Request Form. While the form will remain open throughout the summer, completion by the priority deadline guarantees that your Advising Kickoff Letter, sent to you from your academic advisor/advising team on June 4th, will reflect course recommendations and advisor assignments for the new intended major. Changing your intended major after June 4th may result in a reassignment of your academic advisor and/or advising unit. Incoming transfer students should connect directly with their assigned advisor to inquire about changing majors.
Sign up for your meal plan
Available Now
Review, enroll or modify meal plan enrollment for the upcoming Academic Year. First- and second-year students residing in campus housing are required to be on a meal plan based on credits earned at AU. One Card & Dining Services office will default enroll required meal plan holders in their specified meal plan as noted below. Students may elect to increase their meal plan enrollment from the minimum required meal plan through the meal plan portal. First-Year students living on campus may select from the All-Inclusive Premium or All-Inclusive Plus; you are automatically defaulted to the All-Inclusive Premium.
Participate in the New Eagle Essentials Webinar Series Optional for matriculation:
Available Now
The New Eagle Essentials (NEE) webinar series provides you with important information prior to your arrival to campus in August. We bring together a number of strategic campus partners to share dates, deadlines, and information about the resources available to you during your transition to AU; these campus partners can include but are not limited to: financial aid, Housing & Residence Life, academics, and a variety of co-curricular offices and departments. We are offering two NEE webinars this summer. RSVPs for each date open approximately two weeks prior to the webinar. Both webinars will be recorded and available online in the days following the program. NEE 1: Thursday, June 11 (RSVPs open May 18 via the New Eagle Newsletter) NEE 2: Tuesday, July 7 (RSVPs open June 15 via the New Eagle Newsletter)
Learn about the American Payment Plan (APP) Optional for matriculation:
Available Now — Due July 8, 2026 — Add to calendar
AU offers an alternative to paying your bill in full at the start of every semester. The APP splits the fall and spring semester balances into monthly payments.
Register for Classes
Available Now — Due June 15, 2026 — Add to calendar
Now that you have completed your New Eagle Questionnaire, received guidance on what classes to take, and learned how to plan your course schedule, it is time to register for classes. Regular Decision students register on June 18.
Check out the AU Campus Store Optional for matriculation:
Available Now — Due May 29, 2026 — Add to calendar
Once your classes are picked, it will be time for materials. The AU Campus Store will have everything required for your courses, plus all the AU apparel and accessories you need for a full Eagle wardrobe.
Complete the Flight Ready! Pre-Orientation Canvas Course
Available Now — Due August 25, 2026 — Add to calendar
Flight Ready! is our self-paced, online Canvas course to help prepare you for your arrival to campus this fall. Canvas is the official online software used by many AU faculty to help share materials, resources, and encourage community and thoughtful engagement; because of this, we want you feel comfortable in your ability to navigate Canvas right from the get-go. Our pre-orientation course will introduce you to a select number of resources through five distinct modules: Your AU Student Account; Academics at AU; Campus Life; Student Engagement; and AU and Beyond.
Get Ready for College Writing—Read the Writer as Witness Book
Available Now — Due August 15, 2026 — Add to calendar
As part of your first year College Writing class, we have chosen a book that we call our "Writer As Witness" text (aka our community text) for you to read before you arrive in August. You and your classmates will discuss the book and write about it in your College Writing class. This year's community text is Joseph Lee's Nothing More of This Land. We will meet with Mr. Lee this fall for the twenty-ninth annual Writer as Witness Colloquium on Wednesday, September 9th, from 8 to 9:30 p.m. in Bender Arena. He will address the American University community and meet with students and faculty to discuss the book, as well as the craft, artistry, and research that went into its creation.
Submit your immunization form
Available Now — Due July 15, 2026 — Add to calendar
District of Columbia law requires that all students under age 26 provide proof of the immunizations listed on the AU Mandatory Immunization Form (https://www.american.edu/ocl/healthcenter/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=39852).
Review health insurance requirements
Available Now
Health insurance is mandatory for all full-time students, resident students, and international students on F-1 and J-1 visas. Students who meet one or more of these statuses will be automatically billed the Student Health Insurance Fee to your student account. Once billed, if you are covered under another insurance plan and would like to apply to waive coverage, you will need to submit a waiver prior to the posted deadline in September.
Tuberculosis Screening Requirement
Available Now — Due July 15, 2026 — Add to calendar
American University requires all new students to be screened for Tuberculosis. The online Tuberculosis form is available on the Student Health Portal. If you answer Yes to any of the screening questions, you will receive a message on the student health portal with additional instructions. You must be registered for classes to access the Student Health Portal!
View and pay student account bill
Available Now — Due July 3, 2026 — Add to calendar
Students will receive an email notice from the Office of Student Accounts indicating that their bill is available to view.
Register for New Student Orientation
Available July 20, 2026 — Due August 22, 2026 — Add to calendar
All new students are required to participate in New Student Orientation (NSO) as part of their transition to American University. NSO is designed to connect new students with other new and returning students, campus services and resources, and to help orient you to campus and the surrounding DC area. NSO will be an all-day experience from Tuesday, August 25-Friday, August 28. NSO registration will open in mid-July, with an exact date being announced via the New Eagle Newsletter. All new students will receive an email invitation when NSO registration opens.
For international students, check your immigration requirements.
ASAC works with students with disabilities to provide equal access to university programs and services.
If you are a transfer student and want access to your own personalized new student checklist, simply click below.
Learn more about SPA's certificate programs open to all incoming students:
AU's Veterans Services Office helps those who've served with their transition to American University.
Below we have collected links with information that answers the most frequently asked questions we receive from new students and their families. If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to reach out directly to these offices.
Follow AU on social media for exciting things happening on campus.
Buying a computer for college? Learn more about computer and hardware recommendations.
Learn more about life at AU and the resources available to you.
| Office | Contact for | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Support and Access Center | Disability-related Accommodations, Academic Success Coaching, Math & Stat Lab, Student-Athlete Support Program, Supplemental Instruction, Tutoring Services, Writing Center | 202-885-3360 | [email protected] |
| Admissions | Merit Award Questions, Final High School Transcripts | 202-885-6000 | [email protected] |
| Athletics | NCAA Division I Sports | 202-885-3000 | [email protected] |
| AU Abroad | Study Abroad | 202-885-1320 | [email protected] |
| AU Central | Bill Payment Options, Payment Plans, Student Refund Information, Enrollment Verification, Tuition and Fees, Veterans Services, Tuition Refund Insurance | 202-885-8000 | [email protected] |
| AU Honors Program | Honors Curriculum, Merit Scholarships, Living-Learning Community | 202-885-6194 | [email protected] |
| Campus Store | Textbooks, School Supplies, AU Apparel | 202-885-6300 | [email protected] |
| Career Center | Internships, Career Counselor, Major Choice | 202-885-1804 | [email protected] |
| Center for Community Engagement and Service | Community Service Opportunities, Alternative Breaks, Community-Based Learning, DC Reads, Explore DC | 202-885-7378 | [email protected] |
| Center for Diversity and Inclusion | Summer Transitions Enrichment Program (STEP), First Generation, LGBTQ, Multicultural Students, Intergroup Dialogue, Diversity and Inclusion Programs and Training | 202-885-3651 | [email protected] |
| Center for Student Involvement | Student Programming, Student Organizations, Student Media, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Graduate Leadership Council, Student Government, Student Media | 202-885-3390 | [email protected] |
| Counseling Center | Individual or Group Counseling or Therapy, Referrals, Consultations | 202-885-3500 | Unlisted for confidentiality |
| Financial Aid | Need-Based Financial Aid: Loans, Federal Work Study | 202-885-6500 | [email protected] |
| First Year Advising | Course registration, advising, American University Experience (AUx) | 202-885-7000 | [email protected] |
| Health Promotion and Advocacy Center | Wellness resources, to promote healthy lifestyles, reduce high-risk behaviors, and offer a safe, non-discriminatory environment. | 202-885-3276 | [email protected] |
| Housing & Residence Life | Housing Assignments, Residential Experience, Off-Campus Housing | 202-885-3370 | [email protected] |
| International Student & Scholar Services | Immigration Process, International Students, International Student Orientation, Visa Information | 202-885-3350 | [email protected] |
| Kay Spiritual Life Center | Worship Services, Religious Life, Interfaith Dialogue | 202-885-3320 | [email protected] |
| OIT Help Desk | Network Issues, Printing Issues, System Status | 202-885-2550 | [email protected] |
| One Card and Dining Programs | One Card, Meal Plans, EagleBucks, Dining Venues | 202-885-2273 | [email protected] [email protected] |
| Orientation, Transition & Retention | All American Welcome, Orientation, New Students | 202-885-3303 | [email protected] |
| Parking and Commuter Services | U-Pass, Parking Enforcement, Parking Permits | 202-885-3111 | No email available |
| Student Employment | Federal Work Study, Part-Time jobs, Professional Jobs, Internships | 202-885-2591 | [email protected] |
| Student Health Center | Immunizations, Health Insurance, Primary Care, Psychiatric Care | 202-885-3380 | [email protected] |
| Undergraduate Education | American University Experience (AUx), Complex Problems, Core Curriculum, First-Year Advising, Living-Learning Communities, Special Academic Programs, Undergraduate Research, Academic Policies, Learning disabilities, Academic Accommodations | 202-885-3724 | [email protected] |
| University Police | Campus Safety, Lost Property | 202-885-2527 |