Your enrollment fee secures your spot at NIU, provides access to enroll in first semester courses, and covers the costs of the Orientation experience and Week of Welcome (WOW) programming. The transfer enrollment fee is $85.
This fee is automatically posted to your student account after you confirm your intent to enroll in MyNIU. Once paid, the enrollment fee is non-refundable. Learn how to confirm your intent to enroll and pay your enrollment fee >
There is currently no option to waive enrollment fees. Please contact our office at orientation@niu.edu if you need assistance paying your fee.
You can register for Orientation after you’ve confirmed your intent to enroll and paid your enrollment fee. After you've paid your fee, login to your Next Steps portal to register for Orientation.
Contact Orientation and First Year Programs at orientation@niu.edu to reschedule.
We encourage you to keep your original advising date, as availability of appointments may depend upon your major. Please contact Orientation and First Year Programs at orientation@niu.edu if you need to reschedule.
Once you have paid your enrollment fee, there are no additional student fees to register for Orientation.
First, double-check your NIU email and the email you gave on your application to NIU. Make sure to check your spam and junk folders, too. If it is not there, email us at orientation@niu.edu and we will resend your confirmation.
Placement testing must be completed well before you attend your advising appointment on your Orientation Day. For placement exam information, please visit Testing Services Placement Exams.
Other than completing POP and placement testing, make sure you check your NIU email frequently. Important information is shared weekly to help prepare you for your first semester at NIU, so make time to review the information that is sent to you.
You should also submit a photo ID for your NIU OneCard. You'll receive an email with instructions within a few days of your Orientation Day.
Our Pre-Orientation Program (POP) is a self-guided module introducing many of the topics you’ll explore further at Orientation. You can access this required component of orientation by clicking on the Undergraduate Orientation tile in MyNIU. Make sure to complete POP at least three days before you attend Orientation. Learn more about navigating MyNIU >
Please fill out our online form to request a change in your major. Major changes may impact orientation advising. We will contact you once you fill out the form if you need to change your Orientation Day.
You may bring up to two (2) guests with you to your in-person Orientation. There is no additional fee for guests. Please note that you'll attend the academic advising portion of orientation on your own. Guests will attend the large group sessions with you, and we’ll have sessions just for them while you register for classes.
We understand you might have family members who want to know more about your transition to NIU but are unable to attend on-campus orientation with you. That's why they'll have the opportunity to complete an online Family Orientation at their convenience. Families can access the Family Resource and Support Guide module in English or in Spanish.
When selecting your Orientation Day please fill out the “Accommodations” box on the orientation registration form. Make sure to include a comment about the accommodation you will be requesting to let us know what you will need. Then contact us at least two weeks prior to your Orientation Day at 815-753-1535 or at orientation@niu.edu to confirm that your accommodation request has been received.
If you sign up for an in-person Orientation Day, you’ll come to campus to attend information sessions that will support you in getting acclimated with important campus departments and key information for your first semester at NIU, a department resource fair and academic advising. You should plan to be on-campus from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
You’ll need to plan to travel to the main NIU campus in DeKalb for Orientation. Once you’ve arrived, we’ve arranged for you to park in central campus at the Visitor Lot, located at 201 Carroll Ave, DeKalb, IL 60115. You will be able to park your car for the day without charge.
Orientation check-in will take place on the ground level of the Holmes Student Center. Look for the sail banners and signs pointing you toward the west-side entrance of the building facing the bus turnaround, just across from Neptune Hall. Check-in will begin at 8 a.m. and all students must be checked in before 8:45 a.m.
If you sign up for a virtual experience, your Orientation Day will include virtual information sessions delivered through Microsoft Teams that will support you in getting acclimated with important campus departments and key information for your first semester at NIU and academic advising. Your formal orientation programming will run from 9 to 11 a.m. Advising appointments will occur between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
You’ll meet with your academic advisor at Orientation. If you are attending orientation on-campus, you’ll receive your advising appointment time when you check in. If you’re attending a virtual orientation, you can expect an email with information about your virtual advising appointment within the three days leading up to your registered date.
Advising is a scheduled part of your Orientation date. You will meet with your academic advisor for approximately 30 minutes. Please bring your own device, ideally a laptop, for the class registration portion of your day.
You can prepare to register for classes by:
If you’ll be attending orientation virtually, make sure you have access to a computer or laptop for your meeting with your advisor. We do not recommend using your phone for your virtual advising.
All new students must participate in orientation prior to enrolling in classes at Northern Illinois University. In addition to offering an overview of the Huskie experience, orientation introduces the many academic resources and support services available to you. Through your orientation experience, you will meet with your academic advisor, register for your first-semester classes, learn about campus tools and resources and connect with other new students.
No, but students in the University Honors Program will receive an opportunity to participate in a special session about the program. If you’ll be attending orientation in-person, you’ll meet with Honors as part of your orientation schedule.
If you’ll be attending a virtual orientation day, you’ll be invited to an online video session and chat about the program. These virtual presentations will be offered leading up to orientation. You will also be offered a virtual honors advising meeting on your chosen orientation date — meeting invitations will be sent to your student email account.
You are required to attend orientation as a post- baccalaureate if you did not receive your undergraduate degree from NIU. If you received your undergraduate degree from NIU, you are not required to attend orientation.