Incoming Students
Welcome to Tulane!
Your first year at Tulane will be an exciting time full of new friends and new learning experiences. The Newcomb-Tulane College Advising team is here to is here to support all Newcomb-Tulane College students in a holistic approach to academic, career, and personal success. Every Newcomb-Tulane College student has a dedicated team of advisors available for one-on-one meetings to discuss academic and career interests and plans throughout their undergraduate career.
By utilizing a personalized team of advisors, you will have an opportunity to:
- Explore and choose majors and minors
- Develop academic plans
- Cultivate career strategies
- Investigate pre-health and pre-law tracks
- Connect with faculty and major advisors
As you get acquainted with our office, all incoming freshman students will work with our First Year Advising team throughout their first year at Tulane. Specific advisors will be assigned to first-year students by August 1st. Until then, you may gain support from any advisor on our team. We ask that all students complete the May modules, review College Advising emails and requested checklists, and schedule registration meeting once directed to do so at the end of May. We encourage you to wait to request individual advising appointments until after your summer advising meeting.
Registering for Your First Semester
Please review the information below to learn about the process for class registration. Your experience may differ depending on your exact student population (First-Time Freshmen, Top Scholar, 2025 Spring Scholar, Transfer Student, or Student Athlete).
- Note about Advising Holds: If you see an Advising Hold in Gibson, no need to worry. The hold will be lifted when you meet with Advising to submit your first semester schedule. We require attendance at a summer advising session before schedule changes are allowed.
For more information, please click the topic below that best describes you.
Class scheduling happens during the summer. In May, you will start your first New Student Orientation Module. In this online course, there is a module dedicated to College Advising. It provides information on the undergraduate registration Process at Tulane. There are tasks that must be completed by the end of May in order to ensure a schedule closely aligned to your academic goals. During the first week of June, all students that have completed the tasks in the May module will be invited to sign up for summer advising sessions. Summer advising sessions will occur between June 10th and July 13th.
Top Scholar students will either register in March following admission’s Top Scholars weekend event, or at the end of May following the May 1 deposit deadline. Any Top Scholars that have not registered for fall semester and have commited to attending Tulane this fall will receive outreach from us at the beginning of May regarding May registration options. To prepare, complete all the items on the following checklist by May 18, 2024: (https://advising.tulane.edu/top_scholars_checklist)
In May, you will complete your first New Student Orientation Module. The May module includes a section dedicated to College Advising at Tulane. It provides information and steps you must complete related to registration at Tulane. The May modules will review degree requirements, major options, and scheduling goals for the your first semester at Tulane. You will complete your first course registration with a Tulane College Advisor in late October 2024.
The Office of First-Year Experience will be offering summer webinars to support planning for fall programming outside of Tulane (i.e. study abroad or domestic transfer courses) that you are considering. All 2025 Spring Scholars that have completed the tasks in the May module will be given instructions on how to access these webinars. For helpful information, please visit the Spring Scholars Admissions FAQ, https://admission.tulane.edu/spring-scholars/faqs.
Your exact timeline varies depending on when you deposit. Your exact course selection depends largely on how your credits are evaluated and transferred to Tulane. Once deposited, it is really important to get your transfer courses evaluated. The process and policies surrounding transfer credit can be found here: https://admission.tulane.edu/transfer/credit. Other important information can be found in the Guide for Admitted Transfer Students: https://admission.tulane.edu/transfer/admitted-guide.
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Student Athletes at Tulane are registered through academic advisors in the Don and Laura Peters Academic Center, a support service offered through Tulane Athletics. Check your Tulane email for additional information. College Advising will connect with you about support during your first year in August.
Undergraduate international students in F-1 status are required to register for and attend a full course load of classes each fall and spring semester until they complete your academic program. Per federal regulations, undergraduate students must take a minimum of 12 credit hours while school is in session, which in the case of Tulane University means the main academic year, including both fall and spring semesters.
Some exceptions exist to these minimums and are listed on the Underenrollment Status Report, but you must get signed approval from your academic advisor and submit this form to the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) before you drop below full enrollment.
Additionally, undergraduate international students cannot take more than 3 credit hours of their required minimum credits in online classes. For example, an undergraduate student must take 12 credit hours, so they may take 3 credit hours of online classes but must take 9 credit hours of in-person classes. Any classes beyond the required minimum may be taken online.
If you have any questions about maintaining your immigration status, please visit this page, https://oiss.tulane.edu/maintaining-your-f-1-status, or reach out to OISS at oiss@tulane.edu.
