The best place to keep track of what to do and what's coming up is on your New Student Portal. Admitted students are sent an email with instructions about how to access it. Once you set up access, logging in should be simple since you'll be authenticated into Calvin's system.
To give you an idea of what to expect, we've provided a general checklist below:
- Find your Calvin username in your “congratulations” email. 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.
- 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).
- Complete the community contract form, found on your New Student Portal
- This must be completed (along with your enrollment deposit) before you can participate in orientation and submit your housing registration.
To confirm your place in the incoming class, please pay your enrollment deposit by or before the due date:
- May 1 and ongoing: U.S. citizens ($300)
- June 1: International students ($2,500) and Canadians ($300)
Your enrollment deposit must be paid before you can participate in orientation and submit your housing registration.
NOTE: If you are an international student you must verify your finances with your admissions counselor before placing the deposit. Check your emails for instructions.
Go to your New Student Portal to view current financial aid awards and to upload any requested financial aid documents.
Official financial aid award letters are posted in mid- to late-February.
Look for an email in your inbox, and a letter in the mail!
International students will need to work with their admissions counselor to clear the financial verification process, receive their form I-20, and then schedule their visa appointment.
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 international orientation which is part of Welcome Week.
Information for everything will be sent to you or contact your admissions counselor at any time!
Living on campus helps you build new friendships and find opportunities to lead. We encourage all new students to live on campus; please review Calvin's residency requirement.
To Do
- All incoming students must declare their housing intentions (on-campus or commuter).
- A link to the housing application is found on your New Student Portal checklist.
Going "potluck"? The residence life team has an amazing record for producing successful roommate pairs based off the information you provide.
If you’ve already chosen a roommate—maybe you found one at Admitted Student Day or even connected on the admitted student Instagram group—you'll be able to create a "roommate group" with that person once your application is complete. But don't stress about this. You don't need to find a roommate—many students don't.
Residence Halls
- Find dorm measurements, furniture layout ideas, photos, and addresses of each dorm.
- Consider a Residence Hall Living-Learning Community: Sustainability, Outdoor Adventure, and Recreation; Perkins; and Honors Scholars.
- Find our list of resources for living on campus.
Health forms
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 (not a complete list)
- Photography release waiver
- Service-learning waiver
- Accommodation request form
- Complete the Course Registration Form found in your New Student Portal.
- First-year students: form deadline is the end of June
- Transfer students: complete the form as soon as possible and we'll get started building your schedule.
- The Registrar's Office will build your schedule based on the form.
- Transfer students: we also take into account your indicated major and remaining course requirements. Email registrar@calvin.edu if you change your major.
- We will register you for classes and send you your schedule.
- First-year students: we'll send you your schedule in early August.
- Transfer students: we send your schedules on a rolling basis as we complete them.
- Request preferential schedule changes if needed.
- We'll include instructions for requesting changes when we email your schedule.
We kick off Welcome Week with move-in day! Then students will connect in a small group throughout the weekend for:
- Orientation sessions
- Evening outings
- StreetFest: service-learning in the city
- And so much more!
Welcome Week and Orientation dates and information
And as always, we'll share information via email and the New Student Portal.