Transfer Orientation FAQ

Your enrollment fee secures your spot at NIU, provides access to enroll in first semester courses, and covers the costs of the Orientation experience and Week of Welcome (WOW) programming. The transfer enrollment fee is $85.

You’ll be able to pay this fee in your student account after you confirm your intent to enroll in MyNIU. Once you confirm, you’ll be prompted to pay your enrollment fee. Once paid, the enrollment fee is non-refundable. Learn how to confirm your intent to enroll and pay your enrollment fee >  

There is currently no option to waive enrollment fees. Please contact our office at orientation@niu.edu if you need assistance paying your fee.

You can register for Orientation after you’ve confirmed your intent to enroll and paid your enrollment fee. After you've paid your fee, login to your Next Steps portal to register for Orientation.

Contact Orientation and First Year Programs at orientation@niu.edu to reschedule.

If you need to reschedule your orientation advising appointment, contact your academic advising area directly. To change your New Student Orientation date, please reach out to Orientation and First Year Programs at orientation@niu.edu.

The orientation experience at NIU includes both an orientation advising appointment and a New Student Orientation date, which take place on different days and are scheduled separately. Registering for your New Student Orientation date prompts academic advisors to begin preparing for your advising appointment. You will receive an invitation from your advising area to schedule your orientation advising appointment approximately a month before your New Student Orientation date.

Once you have paid your enrollment fee, there are no additional student fees to register for Orientation.

First, double-check your NIU email and the email you gave on your application to NIU. Make sure to check your spam and junk folders, too. If it is not there, email us at orientation@niu.edu and we will resend your confirmation.

Placement testing must be completed well before you attend your orientation advising appointment. Although not all transfer students require placement testing, it’s recommended that all students confirm all final transcripts have been submitted and to check for placement exam information, by visiting Testing Services Placement Exams.

Your first step will be to complete POP and any necessary placement testing. Then you’ll want to make sure you check your NIU email frequently. About a month before your New Student Orientation date, you will receive an email inviting you to schedule your orientation advising appointment. We’ll also send you important information weekly to help prepare you for your first semester at NIU, so make time to review the information that is sent to you.

You should also submit a photo ID for your NIU OneCard.You'll receive an email with instructions within a few days of your New Student Orientation date.

Our Pre-Orientation Program (POP) is a self-guided module introducing many of the topics you’ll explore further at Orientation and will provide you with resources and tips to prepare for your orientation advising and course registration. You can access this required component of orientation in your Next Steps Portal. We recommend completing POP at least a month before you attend New Student Orientation.

Please fill out our online form to request a change in your major. Major changes may impact orientation advising. We will contact you once you fill out the form if you need to change your Orientation Day.

You may bring up to two (2) guests with you to your in-person Orientation. There is no additional fee for guests.

We understand you might have family members who want to know more about your transition to NIU but are unable to attend on-campus orientation with you. That's why they'll have the opportunity to complete an online Family Orientation at their convenience. Families can access the Family Resource and Support Guide module in English or in Spanish.

Contact us at least two weeks prior to your New Student Orientation date at 815-753-1535 or at orientation@niu.edu to confirm that your accommodation request has been received. If possible, include a comment about the accommodation you will be requesting when you register for orientation to let us know what you will need.

If you sign up for an in-person Orientation Day, you’ll come to campus to attend information sessions that will support you in getting acclimated with important campus departments and key information for your first semester at NIU and a department resource fair. Our goal is for you to leave your New Student Orientation with the resources to start your first semester at NIU to build an academic, financial and career plan. You should plan to be on-campus from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

You’ll need to plan to travel to the main NIU campus in DeKalb for Orientation. Once you’ve arrived, we’ve arranged for you to park in central campus at the Visitor Lot, located at 201 Carroll Ave, DeKalb, IL 60115. You will be able to park your car for the day without charge.

Orientation check-in will take place on the main floor of the Holmes Student Center. Look for the sail banners and signs pointing you toward the west-side entrance of the building facing the bus turnaround, just across from Neptune Hall. We’ll have staff stationed throughout the building to guide you to the start of the program. Check-in will begin at 9 a.m. and all students must be checked in before 10 a.m.

If you sign up for a virtual experience, your Orientation Day will include virtual information sessions delivered through Microsoft Teams that will support you in getting acclimated with important campus departments and key information for your first semester at NIU. Our goal is for you to leave your New Student Orientation with the resources to start your first semester at NIU to build an academic, financial and career plan. Your formal orientation programming will run from 9 to 11 a.m.

Orientation advising is part of your orientation experience, but will not take place on your New Student Orientation date. After you register for orientation, your student information will be shared with your advising college and they’ll begin preparing for your first advising appointment. About a month before your scheduled New Student Orientation date, you’ll receive an email inviting you to schedule your orientation advising appointment. We recommend scheduling your appointment as soon as possible once you receive the invitation to schedule. Most students will be advised before their New Student Orientation date, but it is possible to schedule orientation advising for a later date.

Advising is a scheduled part of your orientation experience but will not happen on your New Student Orientation date. You will meet with your academic advisor for a one-on-one appointment for approximately 30-45 minutes. Appointments are available virtually or in person. Virtual appointments will be hosted through Microsoft Teams. Please make sure to download Microsoft Teams in advance and review your Transfer Credit Report to ensure all of your completed coursework has been reviewed. We recommend joining your virtual orientation advising appointment on a laptop or desktop computer. Following your orientation advising appointment, your New Student Advising hold will be lifted from your account, allowing you to begin registering for courses if your enrollment date has already occurred.

You can prepare to register for classes by:

• Completing your Pre-Orientation Program and reviewing the “Transfer Advising and Enrolling in Classes” section.
• Reviewing the general education requirements.
• Viewing your major in the Undergraduate Catalog.
• Reviewing your college’s four-year degree paths.
• Viewing important information such as expenses, financial aid and withdrawal policy in the Undergraduate Catalog.

We do not recommend using your phone for your virtual orientation advising appointment.

All new students must participate in orientation prior to enrolling in classes at Northern Illinois University. In addition to offering an overview of the Huskie experience, orientation introduces the many academic resources and support services available to you. Through your orientation experience, you will meet with your academic advisor, register for your first-semester classes, learn about campus tools and resources and connect with other new students. Our goal is to provide you with the tools, resources and support for you to start your first semester with an academic, career and financial plan.

No, but students in the University Honors Program will receive an opportunity to participate in a special session about the program. If you’ll be attending orientation in-person, you’ll meet with Honors as part of your orientation schedule.

If you’ll be attending a virtual orientation day, you’ll be invited to an online video session and chat about the program. These virtual presentations will be offered leading up to orientation. You will also be offered a virtual honors advising meeting on your chosen orientation date — meeting invitations will be sent to your student email account.

You are required to attend orientation as a post- baccalaureate if you did not receive your undergraduate degree from NIU. If you received your undergraduate degree from NIU, you are not required to attend orientation.