1st Year Students

New Student Checklist

Complete before your Orientation

Review the information below carefully to set yourself up for success prior to starting at UCI. Please pay close attention to the required pre-orientation tasks. Information regarding course registration and orientation will be sent to your UCI Email. It is the student’s responsibility to check their email regularly. We look forward to meeting you this summer!

Pre-Orientation

Watch the 1st-Year Online Orientation Video, which reviews UCI and ICS academic policies and degree requirements.
Watch the “How to Navigate Schedule of Classes” and “How to Navigate WebReg” videos to understand how to register for courses
Complete Canvas Modules. You will receive an email when modules are available. We recommend you complete all modules before school starts.

Submit official high school and college transcripts to UCI Admissions. Deadline: July 1
Submit all AP/IB/other exam scores to UCI Admissions. Deadline: July 15

An admissions hold may prevent you from attending orientation or registering for courses. Visit the Message Center at your UCI Applicant Portal homepage to see messages about missing documents or to communicate with your Admissions Counselor.

Calculus Placement Required for the following majors: Business Information Management, Computer Science and Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, ICS-Undeclared, and Software Engineering

Students can be placed by AP/IB scores or SAT/ACT scores
If you do not have a placement based on scores mentioned above, please take a Placement Exam through the UCI Testing Center, preferably before your summer orientation.

Summer Orientation (SPOP)

You will be contacted by the Orientation Office for steps on registering for the mandatory summer orientation. This is also known as SPOP (Student Parent Orientation Program).

During SPOP all students will:

Select and register for Fall quarter courses. Note: You will not be able to register for courses before your SPOP date.
Learn more about ICS and the university as a whole.

Hold on Record: Please note that all new students have an “academic hold” on their record. This will be removed during attendance at summer orientation.

Bring the following to your SPOP:

UCInetID and password
Personal Laptop (highly encouraged).

The University of California, Irvine is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with permanent and temporary disabilities. Any student with a documented disability needing accommodations for the Summer Orientation Program should register for services through the Disability Services Center by applying online at dsc.uci.edu.

Visit our New International Student Advising Page for the steps you must take prior to your course registration date and information about ISPOP.

A remote advising option will be available during the registration time (Summer 2025 date TBD). Please check your uci.edu email 2 days prior for the link and log in information.

International Students are automatically exempt from attending Summer In-Person Orientation (SPOP). ISPOP is the in person option held in September required for international students. If you attend SPOP, you will have access to enroll on the date of your orientation.
Your course registration window will open on Summer 2025 date TBD
Note: that there is an “academic hold” on your record. This will be removed before your enrollment window opens.

Tips and Resources

ICS Laptop Recommendations

Purchase a laptop if you do not already own one. Our website has recommended laptop specs posted within the Electronic Computing Policies provided on the Undergraduate Student Policies webpage. Students in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences will be required to own a personal laptop for coursework.

Financial Aid may be available for purchasing a laptop. Please inquire with the Office of Financial Aid.

Office of Outreach, Access & Inclusion (OAI)– offers tutoring and various workshops

Transfer Student Center– offers various programs to assist transfer students in their transition to UCI

Learning & Academic Resource Center (LARC)– course specific tutorials,

academic coaching, study skills workshops

ICS Affiliated Clubs– Connect with other ICS students outside of the classroom!