Students can RSVP for Orientation through their Status Page: colum.edu/status. They will need to log in with their personal email and status page password to select a date.
If a student needs to change their Orientation date after RSVPing, they should contact their Columbia Representative. Their name and contact information can be found at the top of their status page.
If a student is unable to attend on any of the remaining dates or if there are no more dates available, please contact us at 312-369-7130.
Students have the opportunity to register for classes before coming to orientation in the summer, and we strongly recommend that they do so. Classes tend to fill up quickly so it's always best to register as soon as possible.
To assist in the registration process, students will be directed to our New Student Registration Preparation (NSRP) site. This will show them how to register for classes and what classes to choose. Students will receive access to this site starting in early May.
We understand that a student might not yet have all of the information needed to register for some classes, but we strongly encourage them to go ahead and register for the courses they can. Students will have time at Orientation to meet with an advisor, review their schedule, and make any necessary changes.
Orientation is a day-long event that all incoming students are required to attend. Each student is welcome to bring up two guests along for the ride. (it's not an actual ride, though. In fact, you'll do a bit of walking on-campus from one building to another, so keep that in mind when choosing shoes for the day.)
Students and guests will be spending half of the day together and half of the day apart. So we recommend that they bring parents, guardians, or other people who will be supporting their academic pursuits while at Columbia.
Columbia maintains a list of hotels in the downtown area, many of which are within walking distance to campus. Some offer online reservations at a special Columbia rate, for others, we recommend that you contact the hotels directly, and ask for a Columbia rate.
Orientation begins at 1104 S. Wabash Avenue. If traveling by way of CTA, the Roosevelt stop (Red/Green/Orange) is less than one block away. The nearest Metra station is Museum Campus/11th Street.
If you're driving to campus, there are several pay-to-park lots in the area. In the past, students and guests have used apps like SpotHero to search for nearby lots and research prices. Mention Columbia College to lot attendants to see if discounts are available.
