This is a seasonal advice post, not a breaking news article. Deadlines vary by institution — check your specific school's admitted student portal for exact dates.

May 1 has passed and you've committed to a school. But you're not done with paperwork. Between now and your first week of class, most schools have deadlines for housing applications (often May–June), health and immunization forms (often June–August), financial aid acceptance, and orientation registration. Missing these windows can cost you housing priority, delay your financial aid, or create headaches at move-in. Here's the timeline.

The May 1 commitment deadline feels like the finish line. It isn't. For most incoming students, the administrative sprint from May to August is longer than it looks from the outside — and the tasks that matter most tend to cluster in May and June, when it's easy to lose track of everything while finishing the school year.

This checklist is for students who have already committed. If you're still deciding, see our college decision day checklist.

1. Housing Application — Due May or June at Most Schools

This is probably your most urgent task. Many schools run housing assignments on a rolling basis: the earlier you submit your housing application and roommate preference survey, the better your room assignment options.

At UCLA, housing accommodation requests are due June 1.1 At Illinois Wesleyan University, students who submit their housing application and roommate survey by June 15 receive their housing assignment by June 26. Schools with traditional housing lotteries often require application submission weeks before the selection window opens.

Log into your admitted student portal and look for a housing application link. If you haven't found it yet, email the housing office directly — don't wait for it to show up automatically.

Waiting until July or August to apply for housing almost always means limited options. Many schools run out of on-campus housing spots for late applicants. If you miss the priority deadline, you may be placed on a waitlist or need to find off-campus housing on short notice.

2. Accept, Decline, and Review Your Financial Aid Package

If you received a financial aid award letter when you were admitted, you now need to formally accept or decline each component. This usually means:

  • Accepting grants and scholarships (free money — always accept these)
  • Accepting or declining any federal loans you've been offered
  • Declining any loans you don't need or plan to fund through other means

Log into your school's financial aid portal — this is almost always separate from the general admitted student portal. Complete the award letter review before any financial aid acceptance deadlines your school has set, which are often in May or June for fall admits.

If you were selected for FAFSA verification, you may need to submit additional documents before your final aid award is determined. Schools that notified you of verification need should be your first call this week.

If your financial circumstances have changed since you submitted your FAFSA — a parent's job loss, a major unexpected expense, a sibling enrolling in college — this is the right time to contact the financial aid office and ask about an appeal. See our financial aid appeal guide for how to approach this conversation.

3. Health and Immunization Requirements — Due by August, but Start Now

Every college requires proof of certain immunizations before you can move into the dorms. At most schools, this documentation must be submitted before move-in day. At the College of Charleston, for example, the final deadline to submit health and immunization records to Student Health Services is in August — but "by August" means the process needs to start well before then.2

Typical requirements include:

  • MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) — 2 doses
  • Meningococcal (meningitis) vaccine — required at virtually all residential schools
  • COVID-19 vaccination records at some institutions
  • Tuberculosis screening for students from certain countries or regions
  • Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine or documented history of illness

Some requirements may need documentation going back years that your family doctor needs to locate. Start tracking down your immunization records in May or June, not August.

Health insurance is often tied to this process as well. Many schools automatically enroll you in the student health insurance plan and bill you unless you actively waive coverage by showing proof of your own insurance. Waiver deadlines typically fall in July or August.

4. Orientation Registration

Most schools now offer multiple orientation session dates spread across May, June, and July. Spots are limited and fill up fast for popular dates. If you haven't already registered for orientation, do it this week.

Orientation isn't just a social event. At many schools, new student orientation is when you:

  • Meet with academic advisors to plan your first semester schedule
  • Register for fall courses (often before orientation ends)
  • Receive your student ID and campus access credentials
  • Learn about campus resources you'll actually need

Missing orientation — or registering for a late session — can mean getting the last pick of fall courses and not having a full semester schedule until August.

5. AP Score Decision: Send or Hold

AP exam scores will be released by the College Board in July 2026. Before that happens, you need to decide whether you're sending your scores to your enrolled school — and understand what those scores will and won't do.

Key facts:

  • College Board lets you send up to four free AP score reports when you first register. After that, additional sends cost $15 per school.
  • You can send scores from previous exam years, not just this year's tests.
  • Most colleges accept credits for scores of 3, 4, or 5 — but the specific courses they exempt vary significantly. A 4 in AP Calculus BC might fulfill two semesters of calculus at one school and none at another.
  • You own your scores. You are not required to submit them.

If you took exams this month, check your enrolled school's AP credit policy before deciding whether to send. Our guide on how to submit SAT scores and what they do covers the related question of whether test scores matter after you've already been admitted.

6. Withdraw From Other Schools

If you haven't already sent a formal decline to every school you're not attending, do it now. It's a small thing that matters: admission offices use those declines to make waitlist decisions and to report their yield rates. Beyond courtesy, some schools won't finalize your withdrawal from any application until you formally withdraw — which can clutter your email and your record.

7. Set Up Your College Email and Portal Access

Your enrolled school has almost certainly sent you a college email address. Use it. Emails from financial aid, housing, and orientation almost always go to that address, not the Gmail you've been using. Setting it up and checking it regularly is how you don't miss a verification request or a housing selection window.

Your college planning doesn't stop here. Once you're through the summer administrative phase, start thinking about what your first semester course selection looks like, and — if you're planning to need financial aid every year — when FAFSA opens for the following year.

Footnotes

  1. UCLA Office of Undergraduate Admission. (2026). First-Year New Student Checklist. University of California, Los Angeles. https://admission.ucla.edu/admitted-students/first-year-checklist ↩

  2. College of Charleston. (2026). Fall 2026 New Student Calendar. College of Charleston. https://charleston.edu/orientation/resources/new-student-calendar.php ↩