New Student Orientation

register and prepare

Students must be admitted and have paid their acceptance fee to receive an invitation to attend orientation. After you register you will receive an automated confirmation email. Roughly 24-48 hours after that, you will receive a personalized welcome email with a checklist of items to complete prior to attending orientation.  Things like, placement tests and online trainings. You will also receive an email with instructions on which placement tests you are required to take. More information about placement testing can be found on this page.

All orientation communications will be sent to your official Ohio State email address. This includes orientation registration, placement testing information and reminders regarding your orientation date. 
Please ensure that your OSU email account is active, and you are checking it frequently. Click here for email activation instructions. 

Be sure that you have downloaded the Microsoft Outlook App and the Duo Mobile App for required BuckeyePass authentication; you will use them both frequently. 

Sign up for Orientation early!  Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis and your ability to register for classes is directly linked to your orientation attendance.  The earlier you register, the more flexibility you’ll have when creating your class schedule.
 
OSU ATI Autumn 2025 Orientation Dates:
-Wednesday, June 11th
-Thursday, June 12th
-Friday, June 13th
-Thursday, July 10th
-Friday, July 11th
-Friday, August 8th (Not available for general population registration. Specific requirements must be met to attend, and approval must be provided by the Orientation Director.)
*Students or students with family members who have sensory issues, please call 330-287-1235 to discuss what to expect at orientation and the most appropriate date selection.  

A one-time $50 First-Year Experience fee will be charged to your autumn semester Statement of Account.

Placement Testing

Placement tests determine which math and English classes you will enroll in based upon your major.
Both tests are taken online and are subject to the Academic Misconduct Policy.
Disability Accommodations must be in place prior to any testing. Accommodations are not retroactive, so if a placement test is taken prior to the review by the Office for Disabilities Services to determine accommodations, it cannot be retaken. If accommodations are not in place prior to orientation attendance, placement tests must still be taken.

How do I know if you need to take a placement test?
1. Required tests will be listed on your To Do List - Buckeyelink.osu.edu
2. You will receive an email with instructions to your OSU email address telling you which tests you are required to take, 24-48 hours after you have registered for Orientation.

What if I have transfer/CCP credit that I believe exempts me from placement testing?
1. If your transfer/CCP credit has not been processed 48 hours prior to the testing deadline listed below, you must complete placement testing. You will recieve an email once your credit has been processed.  If you are waiting for your credit to post, make plans to test so that you do not have to reschedule your orientation date.  Transfer credit can take time to process, and must include your final grade in the course in order to be evaluated for credit.
2. We will not accept unofficial transcripts, verbal communication of pending transfer credit, or intention to send transfer credit in place of placement testing.
3. Once your official transfer credit has been received and processed, if it is granted equivalency and you have already completed placement tests, your test scores will be replaced with your transfer credit. 

June Orientation attendees must have all placement tests complete by Monday, May 26th 2025. 
July Orientation attendees must have all placement tests completed by Monday June 23rd 2025.

Advanced Placement: AP TESTS
If your AP exam information is not available at the time of orientation, you will need to take the placement tests and your placement test results will be used during scheduling.  Once your AP test results are available, we will adjust your schedule to reflect that change. AP results are usually available close to the start of the semester. 
If you have not had your official AP scores sent to Ohio State, please contact College Board at 1-888-225-5427 to have your official score report sent to recipient code #1592, The Ohio State University Testing Center, 585 Student Academic Services Building, 281 W. Lane Ave., Columbus, OH 43210.
 
For more information on each test, visit the math and English page.
Please request testing accommodations from the office of Disability Services before taking any exams!  Accommodations are not retroactive and should be in place prior to testing!

Disability accommodations

Click Here to Request Disability Services or accommodations

"Disability" is a broad term that includes, but is not limited to, mental health conditions, ADHD, Autism Spectrum, chronic health conditions, learning disabilities, physical/sensory impairments, and temporary accommodations for injuries (e.g., broken limb).
This includes students who may need:
• extended test time
• a scribe
• a reader
• other support services

Please contact Ruth Montz.11@osu.edu with any questions or concerns.

Transfer Credit (college credit plus, prior college credit)

You must arrange to have official transcripts sent to the university from the institution you attended.  Unofficial transcripts are not acceptable for evaluation.
CCP coursework must be sent to Ohio State from the institution you attended.  High school transcripts are not eligible for CCP credit evaluation.  

If transcripts are not processed at least 48 hours prior to the testing deadline for your orientation, you are required to take placement tests. If testing is not complete and transcripts are not received and processed, you will not be eligible to attend Orientation or register for classes. 

Have transcripts sent to the following email address:
ugdocs@osu.edu

If electronic transcripting is unavailable, please have transcripts mailed to:
The Ohio State University
Undergraduate Admissions
P.O. Box 182646
Columbus, OH 43218-2646

Transcripts sent to any other address or location, hand delivered or emailed, will be unofficial and ineligible for credit. 

Before ORIENTATION

It's important that you log on to buckeyelink.osu.edu and complete your To Do List! 

Your To Do List will include required items like:
    Math and English REQUIRED testing (must be done AT LEAST 10 days before orientation)
    Selective service registration
    Select or waive health insurance
    “U Got This!” - a short online training
    Campus Safety Training - a short online training
    Financial Responsibility Statement - You will be required to complete this every term

There may also be tasks in your To Do List that apply dirctly to you like:
    Financial Aid Verification
    Setting up direct deposit
    Housing vaccination completion
    Final High School and College Credit Plus Transcripts or AP test score submission

Other things you MUST do before orientation include:
    Completing your housing contract if you plan to live on campus
    Complete a housing waiver if you meet requriements to live off campus - email housing@osu.edu for assistance
    Complete your medical history and immunization record

If you have housing questions, concerns or needs please contact housing@osu.edu
   

DAY OF ORIENTATION - What to expect

Today you will get your BUCK ID, schedule a time with your advisor to enroll in classes, and learn about student life at OSU ATI!

Remember to bring:
Your OSU username (last name.#), password and DUO Device (usually your cell phone)
Your driver's license or state ID in order to get your BUCKID
Any required financial aid verification documents (if applicable)
A list of questions - writing these down will make it easier to remember, once you're here getting a great deal of information.

Schedule
8:30 am-9 am - Check-in: Located at 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster OH, 44691
9 am-11:30 am - Group session: Parents, caregivers and their students will hear about life and resources on our campus.
11:20 am-11:45 am - Break out session: Parents, caregivers and their students will be separated for group sessions.
             
Parents and caregivers will have open Q&A with administration and learn about common concerns and how to support their first year college student / students will have peer to peer time and hear about ways they can prepare for the year ahead.

11:45 am-12:30 pm - Lunch: provided by Panera, please feel free to bring your own food if you have allergies or food sensitivities. 
12:30 pm-2 pm  - Resource Rooms: Students will have individualized checklists with items to complete before leaving campus. Each room will have important information, resources and items to complete before leaving campus.  
         
 Rooms will include: Financial Aid and Fee Payment/ Advisor registration/BUCKID/Counseling and Consultation Services/Disability Services/Military and Veteran Services/Buckeyes Excel/Student Life/University Housing and Dining/IT Services.

We will communicate with you through your OSU email. Check it often!

Financing your education in TEN steps

1. Complete the FAFSA at studentaid.gov to ensure you are eligible for federal and college sponsored funding.  Ohio State's priority deadline is February 15 of the previous school year. You can complete the FAFSA after that date, but you may miss out on certain aid.

2. Complete the CFAES Scholarship Application and you have the option of completing the Scholarship Universe Scholarship Application for additional aid opportunities.  The CFAES Scholarship Application is specific to the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.  You should select Wooster Campus (ATI) when completing the application.  

3. Accept or decline your awards.  In late March you will receive an email to your OSU email account telling you your aid package is ready for review.  Scholarship offers will be sent mid-April,and will be accepted on your behalf.
    3a. The email with your award notification will tell you how to log in and view your aid package on buckeyelink.osu.edu.
    3b. After clicking View Financial Aid and selecting the appropriate aid year, you will be taken to your Financial Aid To Do List, which  will contain items that need to be completed to ensure your financial aid disburses.
    3c. On this page, you will also see a tab for Award Summary.  Your Award Summary is where you will Accept or Decline aid, and see the term breakdown of how your aid will be disbursed for the academic year.
    3d. You will need to click the ACCEPT/DECLINE AWARDS button on this page to accept or decline your student loans and Federal Work Study, if offered. You may accept a portion of your loans or the entire amount.  You may also choose to defer acceptance of awards to a later date. 
    3e.  Accepting Federal Work Study does not guarantee you a job and does not mean that you are required to get a job on campus. For more information on what Federal Work Study is and how it works, click here. 

4. Apply for a Parent PLUS loan (optional)  
    4a. A Parent PLUS loan is a loan in the parent's name, not the student;s, and is based on the parent's credit.  The parent is responsible for repaying this loan. Visit studentaid.gov for more information.
    4b. The Parent PLUS loan will disburse directly to the student's account to assist in covering tuiton, fees, housing, meal plan and any electronic text books associated with an enrolled class.  If the amount of the loan is beyond the amount due, the overage will be refunded to the bank account on file for direct deposit.  Student Financial Aid is often NOT enough to cover your cost of attendance at OSU. This loan has a low interest rate and is a great option for financing your education.

5. Waive OSU's Health Insurance If you have other coverage.  OSU automatically enrolls students taking at least 6 credit hours in OSU Student Health Insurance.  You MUST waive this coverage no later than one week prior to the start of classes, if you are on a parent's insurance, have employer health insurance, or insurance through your spouse or the military.  If you do not have insurance, you must utilize OSU Health Insurance if you are enrolled at least 6 credit hours.  Click here for instructions to waive Student Health Insurance.

6. Complete the Financial Responsibility Statement - All students are required to complete this To Do List item EVERY SEMESTER.  You will not be able to register for classes if you have not completed this task.

7. If you have accepted student loans, complete Entrance Counseling and the Master Promissory Note, also found on your To Do List.  If you do not complete these, your loans will not be disbursed. 

8. Check your Statement of Account in Buckeyelink, and pay any remaining balance after financial aid by the payment deadline.

9. Enroll in the Tuition Option Payment Plan (TOPP) If you have a remaining balance, you have the option of enrolling in TOPP, which will divide your remaining balance into four equal payments the first four months of the term. 

10. Set up Direct Deposit in Buckeyelink.  Direct Deposit will refund any aid you receive beyond what is due on your Statement of Account.  These funds can be used to purchase books, supplies, pay for gas or food, etc.  It will also be used should you ever need to receive Emergency Funds.

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Scholarships OSU Scholarships will be awarded by US mail at the beginning of April. Additional awards may be processed throught the summer, should additional funding become available. 
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External Scholarship checks should be made out to: Ohio State ATI

The check MUST include the students full name and OSU ID/Name.# on the memo line of the check or on a document accompanying the check to ensure the payment is applied to the correct account.

Checks should be mailed to:
Office of the University Bursar – External Scholarships
The Ohio State University
PO Box 183248
Columbus, OH 43218-3248

If you have an external scholarship check made out to OSU ATI and your student, the student does not need to sign the check prior to mailing. 
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Remember - Contact Financial Aid if you:
Drop, withdraw or fail classes as these can impact not only your current financial aid, but future aid as well. 
If your household income changes drastically.  An Estimated Family Contribution Appeal can be done if there is a change in your financial circumstances, which may result in you being qualified for additional financial aid.

Estimated cost of attendance information and additional financial aid information can be found HERE.

CONTACT US

If you need to change your orientation date, or update your major, you may contact us by email at atiorientation@osu.edu 
 
If you have technical difficulties with your OSU username or password, please call 614-688-4357 or email servicedesk@osu.edu.

Campus Maps

Driving Directions and Campus Map

Upcoming campus activity Dates - fall only

Welcome Days: August 17th - August 30th 2025
Move in: TBA
Contact Housing@osu.edu with questions.
Family Day: September 27th 2025
Homecoming week: September 27th - October 4th 2025
Homecoming: October 4th 2025