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New Student Guide

Congratulations on your decision to attend McDaniel College!

Can you believe it?

Your journey at McDaniel is about to begin!

We can’t wait for you to get here and we look forward to walking alongside you as you begin your journey on the Hill. The student experience at McDaniel College is one where students, staff and faculty come together in our residence halls, dining halls, study halls and virtual halls to create an active, engaged community of learners, teachers and friends.

 

Before you can begin your life on the Hill, there are some important steps you need to take. We’ve created this checklist to guide you through the process of starting at McDaniel. 

students walk under arch, past the Green Terror

Each step has a deadline and we want to help keep you on track.

Green Terror Checklist

There are a number of essential “to do’s” that will prepare you to become a Green Terror.

The list includes three types of tasks:

Welcome Home, Registration & Readiness, or Billing & Financial Aid.
Welcome Home tasks will guide you through important steps for being a student on campus. Technology information, housing, health forms and more - it's all important for us to help Welcome YOU Home at McDaniel!
Registration & Readiness tasks are the beginning of your academic journey at McDaniel. These tasks include information on your placement exams, an overview of our academic support services, and the details on how you will complete your first advising & course registration process.
Billing & Financial Aid tasks contain very important financial information that will help you understand your bill, access online billing and account information, and finalize your financial aid. You will also complete the health insurance waiver and learn about the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Each step has a deadline and we want to help keep you on track.

Let's get started!

Review the legend carefully. All students will fall into several categories.

  • Mark your Calendars: New Student Orientation will be held August 24-27!
  • The New Student Orientation events assist you in your transition to McDaniel, both academically and socially. Get settled in your residence hall, get to know your classmates, meet professors, and figure out where your classes take place on campus. By your first day of classes, you’ll feel like a Green Terror! All new students should plan on attending New Student Orientation.

Activate your McDaniel Student Account to access your remaining checklist items, the MyMcDaniel Portal and your new campus email.

Get Tech Ready. Get Laptop specs, campus wi-fi, and special Apple and Dell pricing for McDaniel students.

Register for McDaniel Local: McDaniel Local is a mandatory two-day, one-night event. Register early to get your pick of sessions - space for each session is limited!

Submit your housing and meal preferences: You’ll have the opportunity to indicate questions which are the most important to you and to list other information that will help us match you with a roommate, as well as review and select the meal plan of your choice.

Take your Placement Exams: Placement exams in English, Math and Language help us determine the best level for you to begin your academic coursework.

Upload your 1Card Photo: Your McDaniel 1Card is your official identification card. If you're a first time college student, make sure you submit your photo online BEFORE you attend your McDaniel Local session.

Prepare for the advising and registration process.

Finalize Financial Aid: Not completing your financial aid checklist will lead to an incorrect bill. Login to Financial Aid Self-Service to be sure that you’ve completed all required financial aid items.

Review your Bill: Review your bill and prepare to pay remaining balance by July 15 or set up a payment plan to make 5 installments.

Submit Health Insurance Waiver: If you have your own comparable health insurance coverage, you’ll need to waive the McDaniel health insurance.

Submit your First Year Seminar Preferences: One of the signature elements of the McDaniel Plan, your First Year Seminar will challenge and excite you.

Register for Academic Accommodations: If you plan to request accommodations at McDaniel College, you are first required to submit the online Student Accessibility and Support Services (SASS) Registration Form.

Submit required health forms and immunization records.

Be sure to complete the important (essential! mandatory! critical!) Pre-Entrance Student Health Form with official Immunization Record available online. You can’t enroll without them (it’s state law!).

Request final documents (including official transcripts) and send to the Admissions Office. Believe it or not, you aren’t quite done with the Office of Admissions yet (we know, we know.) Review the document list and request that any applicable to you are sent to the Office of Admissions as soon as possible.

Submit your First Payment Plan Installment (if enrolled).

Pay your first semester bill. McDaniel College is pleased to provide a variety of options for paying your bill. You can choose a single option or the combination of options that best meets your needs.

Complete the required prevention program training modules.

Every new student is REQUIRED to complete a series of online McDaniel Safe Colleges Training courses in alcohol and drug abuse and sexual violence prevention. This will take a few hours, but you don't need to complete them all at once. You may take the courses in multiple sittings.

New Student Orientation

Congratulations! You made it through the list. All that's left to do is arrive on campus for New Student Orientation!

All new students should plan on attending New Student Orientation.