Admissions

Orientation is required for all online first-year students, transfer, and international students and is encouraged for students who are returning to VCU after being away for more than two years. Think of it as your formal introduction to VCU. Orientation for VCU Online students includes completion of the Ram Ready Online Modules and the Online Orientation in Canvas. Students need to register for Orientation to gain access to the Ram Ready Modules.

Orientation registration opens on the following dates:

Students accepted for the Fall: April 1
Students accepted for the Spring: Nov. 1

To learn more and find links to begin your virtual Orientation registration, please visit the Orientation website or contact newrams@vcu.edu.

Navigate

Download Navigate, our student app, to get timely reminders about financial aid deadlines, registration dates and important campus events. You can also use the app to make an appointment with your financial counselor now, and can make an appointment with your academic advisor after Nov. 15 if you’re starting in the spring and May 15 if you’re starting in the fall semester.

VCU Mobile

We also encourage students and VCU community members to download the VCU Mobile app to access maps, schedules for orientation and more.

Apply for financial aid, scholarships and learn how to pay your bill:

• The 2025-2026 FAFSA is now open, with March 1, 2025 as the priority deadline to file. The earlier you complete the FAFSA, the sooner VCU can consider you for financial aid to help support your education. Virginians who are not eligible to file the FAFSA, or who have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, may file the Virginia Alternative State Aid Application (VASA) by March 1, 2025. If you miss the priority deadline, you should still apply because you may still be eligible for other types of assistance.
• Check your new VCU email account for award information, required documents to complete your file and additional information.
• Any scholarships or tuition assistance from outside of VCU should be sent to the Student Accounting Department or delivered in person to the Student Financial Management Center. Detailed instructions are provided here and you can explore additional VCU scholarship opportunities here. 
• If you plan to use military benefits to pay your bill, please connect with Military Student Services (MSS).
• Review VCU tuition & fees and all of your payment options, including our Installment Payment Plan. A helpful tool is our Financial Planning Worksheet which can assist you in determining if you will owe a “gap balance.” Please note that your final bill will not be available until after you register for classes.

Have questions about financial aid?

All admitted VCU students have an assigned financial counselor as part of their student success care team. For more information about making an appointment with your counselor, visit the Student Financial Management Center.

Sending your test scores and transcripts to VCU can help you place into higher level coursework and/or earn college credit. You also must send your final high school transcript to finalize your admissions process.

Final high school transcripts

Final high school transcripts must be received by Aug. 1 for fall or Jan. 15 for spring starts. VCU Financial Aid will not disburse your awarded funds until VCU has received your final transcript. Request to have your final high school transcripts sent to the VCU Office of Admissions as soon as possible before classes start.

Your high school can send your transcripts using one of the following methods:

• Official transcripts can be submitted through a secured electronic system, such as Parchment Exchange or National Clearinghouse, directly to the VCU Office of Admissions.
• Via U.S. postal mail to:
  Virginia Commonwealth University
  Office of Admissions
  Box 842526
  Richmond, VA 23284

We are unable to accept transcripts sent through fax, email or the student portal, as they are considered unofficial. If your high school cannot provide final transcripts by the deadline outlined above, please have them contact the Office of Admissions at (800) 841-3638.

Note: VCU reserves the right to revoke your admission acceptance if your final transcript indicates that you do not meet the criteria for acceptance.

SAT and ACT test scores

If you took the SAT or ACT, you should submit those scores to VCU to receive an equivalent math placement score. 

• How to submit your SAT math score
• How to submit your ACT math score

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate scores

The VCU Transfer Center evaluates your Advanced Placement scores and International Baccalaureate transcripts for college credit, math placement (AP scores of 2 or higher on AP Calculus AB/BC and AP PreCalculus) and chemistry placement (AP scores of 2 or higher on AP Chemistry).  AP scores and/or IB transcripts must be sent to VCU directly, as VCU cannot accept AP or IB credits from a high school or college transcript.

• How to submit your AP scores
• How to submit your IP scores

Dual enrollment transcripts

Students who completed dual enrollment/early college credit while in high school must submit official college transcripts from the dual enrollment college/university to VCU prior to Aug. 1 for fall or Jan. 15 for spring. Official college dual enrollment transcripts should be submitted through a secured electronic system, such as Parchment Exchange or National Clearinghouse, directly to the VCU Office of Admissions. If official electronic transcripts are not available, then the official hardcopy college transcript can be mailed by the college or university to the VCU Transfer Center at 900 Park Ave., Box 842532, Richmond, VA 23284.

VCU is committed to providing equal access for all students. Students seeking accommodation or disability-related support for programs based on the Monroe Park Campus should visit the Getting Started page with Student Accessibility and Educational Opportunity (SAEO).  Students enrolling in Nursing should register with the Division of Academic Success.

You must upload your VCU Certificate of Immunization and supporting documentation to the Student Health Web Portal at least 30 days before starting classes (no later than Aug. 1 for fall or Jan. 15 for spring), or a registration hold will be placed on your account. Students enrolled in a health sciences program may have additional immunization requirements.

Depending upon your major, you may need to take placement tests in order to register for some of your classes. This chart will help you determine which tests are required for your major.

Math placement 

Please refer to the table above to see if you need to take the math placement test. If your major requires MATH 141, MATH 151 or MATH 200 or higher, you will need to take the math placement test unless:

1. You are submitting any math AP or IB exam scores to VCU 
2. You have dual enrollment math credits from another university/college that either satisfy your degree’s math requirements or satisfies the prerequisite for your next math course.
3. You are submitting  SAT or ACT scores and are content with the course placement you are assigned based on those standardized test score(s).

If you have taken the SAT or ACT and have not officially sent VCU your scores, you can follow these steps to send your SAT scores and follow these steps to send your ACT scores. Your scores can take 2-3 weeks to post onto your account after you send them, so be proactive in sending your scores.

You can view your math placement score in your Student Profile in eServices. Please click on “Testing” to see if a score has been posted for you. 

Please visit the VCU Math Placement website for more information and to access the math placement test. You must complete Math Placement prior to your advising appointment.

Foreign language placement

Students enrolled in online programs requiring the foreign language placement test and plan to continue studying a foreign language that they studied in high school must take the language placement test to determine the appropriate language class (unless they want to begin in the entry-level course). Only students with transfer credit from other educational institutions are eligible to enroll in the next course within their language sequence without completing the foreign language placement test. The foreign language placement test must be taken online before the first week of classes.

Students who have completed level three of a foreign language at an accredited U.S. public or private high school have fulfilled the Humanities and Sciences foreign language requirement through the 102 level. Learn more on the College of Humanities and Sciences high school foreign language waiver webpage.

Learn more about and sign up for foreign language placement testing.

Help your advisor get to know more about you, your educational goals and your academic background by completing this survey prior to registering for classes in May and June for starting in the fall and November and December for starting in the spring. 

The survey will confirm your major, ask questions about your incoming AP/IB or Dual Enrollment Credits, and learn more about your success plan. 

Your online success advisor will use this information to review your course schedule, identify your academic strengths, and connect you to the offices and services that can help you transition to VCU successfully and make the most out of your degree.

Incoming first-year online students should register themselves for classes starting May 1 for the fall semester and December 1  for students accepted for Spring by following the recommended first-semester courses for your major.  You can view your full degree requirements and review which of your AP/IB or dual enrollment credits VCU has already received in DegreeWorks.

This short video will show you how to register for classes in eServices - click on “register for classes.”  Written instructions on how to add or drop a class, and how to add yourself to a waitlist for a closed class are available on our Advising Tutorials website.

Need more help? Please join us on Zoom at one of our upcoming 30-minute virtual info sessions to learn how to register for classes on eServices, how to view your degree requirements on DegreeWorks, and how to create your graduation plan. Here are the session dates and times (all are Eastern Standard Time):

May 2, 2025: 3 - 3:30 p.m.
May 7, 2025: 3 - 3:30 p.m.
May 19, 2025: 3 - 3:30 p.m.
May 23, 2025: 3 - 3:30 p.m.
June 4, 2025: 3 - 3:30 p.m.
June 6, 2025: 9:30 - 10 a.m.
June 11, 2025: 7 - 7:30 p.m.
June 13, 2025: 1 - 1:30 p.m.
June 16, 2025: 7 - 7:30 p.m.
June 20, 2025: 2 - 2:30 p.m.
June 26, 2025: 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
June 30, 2025: 1:30 - 2 p.m.
July 16, 2025: 3 - 3:30 p.m.
July 24, 2025: 4:30 - 5 p.m.
July 29, 2025: 5 - 5:30 p.m
Aug. 5, 2025: 2 - 2:30 p.m.
Aug. 13, 2025: 10 - 10:30 a.m.

You should register for at least 15 credits, since you need to earn 15 credits per semester for eight fall and spring semesters in order to graduate in 4 years. In addition, most financial aid and scholarships require you to be registered full-time, which is at least 12 credit hours.

If you need to take a math class in your first semester, we urge you to register for an appropriate math class as soon as you can. Seat availability in math classes is limited.

Make sure to write down any questions that you have after registering so that you can bring them to your advising appointment. Note: Your class schedule is not confirmed until you attend orientation, so make sure to register for and attend orientation!

Students accepted for Fall:
Course registration opens: May 1*

Students accepted for Spring:
Course registration opens: Dec. 1*

*Note: Dates are subject to change.

First-year academic advising appointments will be held virtually or in-person during the months of June and July for students accepted for fall and in December and January for students accepted for spring.

Please schedule your mandatory advising appointment via Navigate by May 31 for fall or Dec. 15 for spring. Appointments for incoming fall students will be held during the months of June and July. It is very important that you attend your scheduled appointment, as appointment slots are limited. You can make your appointment here.

In this one-on-one time with your advisor, you will review the courses for which you have registered, make adjustments as necessary, and have time to ask any questions you may have. You will receive an email and text reminder for your upcoming appointment. Incoming students will be able to make an advising appointment on the dates listed below, depending on your start term.

Schedule your advising appointment:

• Students accepted for fall: Beginning May 1
• Students accepted for Spring: Beginning Dec. 1

Please note, dates are subject to change. To prepare for your appointment, please make sure that you have completed all of the previous steps in this list and have registered for as many courses as you are able to.

VCU issues billing statements electronically, and payment is due at the start of the semester, according to the billing schedule. Students will be notified at their VCU email address when their eStatement is available in eServices. For students starting in Fall, the first billing statement is sent the last week in July. For students starting in Spring, this bill is typically available in mid-December. To access the portal, students should select the “Make a Payment” tile under the Students - “Accounts” tab in eServices.

VCU’s Installment Payment Plan offers a convenient method for planning and budgeting educational costs. The plan allows students to divide the cost into four installment payments throughout the semester. IPP is only available in the fall and spring semesters. There is a one-time $25 administrative fee due with the first installment.

Call Me By My Name is an initiative that allows VCU to recognize you by the name, gender and pronoun by which you identify.

Please also confirm that VCU has your most up-to-date emergency contact information, physical address, phone number and mailing address. Changes can be submitted via eServices.

Every Ram is responsible for taking care of themselves and looking out for fellow Rams. Completing these required trainings will give you the resources you need to be a responsible member of our community and an effective bystander.

• Have You Herd? What New Rams Need to Know about Alcohol and Other Drugs at VCU helps you reflect on your drinking behaviors and encourages safe decision-making.
• Sexual Assault Prevention helps you understand the forms and definitions of violence, identify helpful resources, and learn ways to intervene to prevent violence.
• Human trafficking prevention training helps you understand how to identify and prevent human trafficking on a college campus, as well as VCU and community resources.
• Active shooter training helps you understand what to do in an emergency situation.

These modules will be available in early August. You must complete all of these training modules by Sept. 8! These trainings are required for students taking classes both in-person and online.

Access the trainings and learn more about required trainings for new students.

After you have registered for classes, you can determine what textbooks, software programs, or platforms are needed for each of your classes. VCU’s online bookstore offers a tool to search for needed course materials, such as textbooks, computer/electronics to meet your online needs. Note: Your course materials may not be uploaded until closer to the start of the semester.

All VCU students are required to have a personal computer.  You can also review the suggested computer list for your college or school.

VCU faculty, staff and students are automatically signed up for VCU Alert text messages. Please ensure you have the most up-to-date Mobile or Cell Phone Number (Primary) field on your personal information page of the eServices/ VCU Self Services website.

If you do not have a phone number listed, please add one by selecting “Add New” in the Phone Number field. Make sure it is listed as a Mobile or Cell Phone Number and the checkbox for “Primary” is checked.

Family members of new first-year and transfer students are strongly encouraged to complete the Ram Ready modules. These self-paced online modules cover important topics and resources that are available to students and families. Families can login as a guest and select the “parent/family” view to see the student modules and view bonus content just for families! 

Family members can connect and join various communities on the Ramily Connection Portal and sign up for our monthly Ram Family Update. The Ram Family Update is a monthly e-newsletter for families and supporters to keep up-to-date with ways to support you and important deadlines. This portal is our all-in-one family engagement platform that helps us share personalized, timely content with families. 

And don’t forget to have your family members join our VCU Families Facebook page and VCU Families Instagram page!

There are several kinds of access you can give your family when it comes to your student records. Authorized user access permits them to see and pay your bill. Proxy access allows you to share with them your class schedule, registration holds, midterm and final grades (you can choose what to share). Completing a FERPA waiver allows them to reach out to VCU with questions about your academic record including your bill, schedule, grades, and conduct. A Medical Release gives them access to medical records you choose to share with them. You may change their level of access to any of these things at any time by contacting the relevant office.