First Year Information

Summer advising will be your chance to talk to a faculty or dean about the first-year academic program. It’s an important opportunity for new students to meet to learn more about the possibilities of study in a vibrant liberal arts and engineering space. You will be able to ask any question big or small about the academic program.

More information about the schedule of group zooms, individual sessions and the sign up link can be found here!

As you embark on your academic journey it is important that we find out about you, and your previous educational experience. The placement exams in Mathematics, Languages, and Chemistry are currently open. These exams will be used as a guide and will need to be completed prior to selecting your course preferences beginning May 18th. 

Math Advising: As a Lafayette student you are required to complete a placement exam in Mathematics. 

Languages Placement: If you plan to take Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, or Spanish at Lafayette and you have prior knowledge of the subject (that is, you are not a true beginner), you are required to complete this exam. (Note: Lafayette uses an outside testing service, and there is a $10 fee. Alternatively, you may send an official AP, SAT II or IB-HL subject test score to the Registrar’s Office.) Find more information about Language Placement here.

Chemistry Placement: If your intended major requires you to take a minimum of General Chemistry I, you MUST take the brief Chemistry Placement Survey which does include a section testing your algebra skills. Failure to take the Chemistry Placement Survey WILL result in revoking your registration in any chemistry course.

Placement exams can be found here. Please be sure to read the directions carefully and if you have any questions you may contact the department regarding the exam

This is your time to explore! Take time to carefully review the Majors & Programs offered at Lafayette College. Next, review the First Year Seminar offerings. Finally, review the Fall course offerings. Take notes. Pay special attention to what inspires you or really raises your curiosity. This will help you to craft your course preferences that you will include in your Course Preference Survey.

As a First Year student you will be emailed an individualized Course Preferences Survey link to your Lafayette email on Tuesday May 26th. 

• The survey is not first come first served, but it is highly encouraged that you adhere to the June 15th deadline (11:59PM). (The course selection preferences survey will remain open for those who have missed the June 15th deadline.)
• Please monitor your Lafayette email and submit the survey as soon as you complete your Summer Advising sessions,  review of the courses and take the placement exams.

Again selections are not first come first served. Please take advantage of the resources available to you in order to select your preferences.

Beginning May 7th, you will have access to the First-year Housing Application through your MyHousing dashboard. Your application preferences will be used to make your room and roommate assignment. 

 Look here for general information regarding housing for incoming students. 

The purpose of this survey is to connect incoming Lafayette students to religious, spiritual, devotional, or educational communities, both on- and off-campus and capture any religious accomodiations that may be needed.

Any member of the Lafayette community may participate in any religious or spiritual community affiliated with Lafayette without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, or disability.

Religious and Spiritual Life at Lafayette

Close the loop with Admissions by being sure that official SAT/ACT test scores (for students who included standardized testing in their application and self-reported their scores) and a final copy of your high school transcript (with graduation date indicated) are sent to the Lafayette Admissions Office.

Your school counselor can send transcripts though the Common App or SCOIR, mail a hard copy of transcripts (Office of Admissions, 118 Markle Hall 730 High St., Easton, PA 18042) or send a PDF version to admissions@lafayette.edu.

If you are a Federal financial aid applicant, you may have been offered Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans or Federal Work Study as part of your financial aid package. You are required to take action on these components by either accepting or declining them. 

• To accept or decline your awards, please log into your my.lafayette.edu portal and under the Offer tab, select the Take Action dropdown option. 
• Please make your selection by July 1 to ensure accepted loan amounts are on your Fall billing statement (loans still in an Offered status will not appear on billing statements).
• If you choose to accept the Federal loan(s), first time borrowers are also required to complete Entrance Loan Counseling and sign a Master Promissory Note at https://studentaid.gov. 
• You can find any unsatisfied requirements under the Review Financial Aid Requirements section of your portal.
• Please Note: If no action is taken by mid-August the Federal Loans will be cancelled on your behalf. However, you may request reinstatement at any time throughout the academic year. 

Staff at the Bailey Health Center knows how difficult it can be to make decisions, including ones about health and wellness. Staff members are always willing to answer all your questions, and to make this process even more simple, they’ve answered many common questions on their website. The Center requires much of the same documentation that may be asked for by your family health provider. It is important that you complete all the required Bailey Health Center forms by July 15th to make using Lafayette’s health services seamless. Forms are available in early June. Please also review Bailey Health Center’s information about immunizations that are required for matriculation. You can contact the Center at (610) 330-5001 with any questions about this step and the required forms.

Click here to review information about mandatory health insurance for all students.

You can view room, roommate, and meal plan assignment information in MyHousing.

Review the Requesting Accommodations for the First Time page to learn more about the process of requesting services and/or accommodations through Accessibility Services.

Below are suggested timelines for non-housing requests:
Fall Semester: Submit Request by July 18th
Spring Semester: Submit Request by January 16th

Reference the Housing Accommodations webpage for deadlines regarding housing accommodation requests.

It is very important for the College to have your most up-to-date information, you are required to enter this information into Banner by August 1st.

Included in updates are- Emergency Contact information, Cell Phone and Preferred name.

Each year the Office of Advising and Co-curricular Programs records each incoming student’s name as a reference throughout their time on campus. Most notably the recording is reviewed before your name is announced at commencement in the Spring of 2030!

Please use the link to log into your Spaces account and find “First Year Name Recording” and your class section. Follow the directions and submit before August 1st.

Please direct any questions to deanofadvising@lafayette.edu

Visit the Finance & Administration page to look at Tuition, Fees and Payments as well as Bill Payment options.

Check out the Lafayette College Student Account Suite. This site is a service offered to you and your family for viewing bills, making payments, enrolling in payment plans, and managing your student account.

The waiver is required to use the Recreation Center (includes fitness center, jogging track, swimming pool, dance rooms, basketball and racquet courts) plus all programs that occur inside the facility (e.g., group fitness classes, climbing wall, intramural sports). Upon completion, your ID will be programmed to allow access to the Kirby Sports Center.

Visit the Recreation Services website to get the waiver.

To support all incoming students and to ensure the Lafayette experience is meaningful and successful from day one, we invite you to complete the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) by August 1st. This survey offers you the opportunity to share your expectations and experiences as you begin your college journey. Your input will help us enhance academic programs, campus resources, and student life.

Students will receive a link to complete the survey on July 6th.

Lafayette College uses the Lafayette Leopard Alerts Service to quickly notify students, employees, and registered parents and neighbors in the event of an emergency on or close to campus, or a weather-related emergency.

Alerts can be sent through several multiple communications channels, including email and text alerts.

Your parents and family can also sign-up.

You should follow these instructions to electronically submit a photo for your Lafayette ID card. This is an important piece of identification that you will need for obtaining meals, and for other important uses as a Lafayette student. IDs will be distributed as part of the move-in process.

To ensure that your experience outside of the classroom is as positive and safe as possible, Lafayette College has partnered with Catharsis and Vector Solutions to provide courses that will help you develop critical skills to make thoughtful and educated choices. With these skills, you will achieve greater success not only here at Lafayette but also in your future endeavors.  You will receive communication directly from the Dean of Students in mid-to-late July.

Students who do not complete this course are unable to register for spring classes.

First-year move-in is scheduled for Thursday, August 20th.  Specific information will be emailed from the Office of Residence Life in late July.  General information about move-in can be found on the Office of Residence Life website! Please note that International Student Move-in is August 15th.

To support your success this fall, please review some academic resources available to you as a Lafayette student.

Center for Integration of Teaching, Learning and Scholarship (CITLS)

English for Academic Purposes

College Writing Program

Academic Resource Hub-Mentored Study Groups

Your official Lafayette academic career is about to begin, so take advantage of all the College will be offering to you! Visit the Office of Advising and Co-Curricular Programs website for some useful resources, campus links, academic enrichment resources, general college transition advice, and much more.