Step By Step

Congratulations, and welcome to the Clemson Family! Our goal as an institution is to help you grow as a student, as a leader and as a person. Now that you’ve been accepted, it’s time to get enrolled and prepared to step onto campus. The following are 14 major steps to help you through the process.

Additional registration information can be found on our One-Stop page, a one-stop shop for your enrollment questions, including important tips and information about procedures, deadlines, billing, financial aid, registration, submitting your transcripts and more.

To do before Orientation

Step one: Pay your admission deposit.

All incoming freshmen and transfer students must pay a nonrefundable $200 deposit. Please note the following:

IF YOU ARE BEGINNING YOUR CLEMSON STUDIES IN EITHER SUMMER SESSION:
Pay online by going to clemson.edu/admissiondep. You will need your application ID number that was included in your acceptance letter.

IF YOU ARE BEGINNING YOUR CLEMSON STUDIES IN THE FALL SEMESTER:
To log into the Portal, you will use the same UserID and password that you created to apply for admissions. If you have forgotten the UserID and/or password, go to applyweb.com/apply/clemson. Once you know your UserID and Password, you will pay online by going to iroar.clemson.edu and logging in to your portal page.

If you have any question about the entry date that you listed on your application, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions before attempting to submit the deposit.

The deposit will be applied toward the tuition and fees if you enroll for the fall semester.

Step two: Meet all financial aid deadlines.

Financial aid applicants typically are notified of their awards beginning in April. Check the Financial Aid website for deadline information.

Step three: Apply for housing.

Once accepted, you should receive a housing brochure in the mail. You apply for housing online. All freshman housing applications are due by May 1.

Freshmen are guaranteed housing and are required to live on campus. Visit the University Housing website for advice on freshman housing. Current students and incoming freshmen have priority for assignment to University housing. Transfer students are offered on-campus housing as space permits.

Step four: Schedule your Orientation session.

Register for Orientation, which is required for all new students. There your faculty adviser will help you sign up for your classes. You’ll also meet fellow incoming students and get a chance to become familiar with campus. Orientation for the spring semester is held in January. Parents and guardians are strongly recommended to attend with their new student.

Step five: Submit medical forms to Redfern Health Center.

All students are required to submit Student Immunization Form with documentation of the required immunizations prior to the completion of registration. Redfern Health Center also provides options for student health insurance for undergraduate students.

Step six: Take placement tests.

Math

All accepted students, both freshman and transfer, MUST complete the Clemson Mathematics Placement Test (CMPT) in order to register for the first mathematics course required by their major. The CMPT insures proper advising for new students at Orientation.

Students who don’t achieve a satisfactory score on the CMPT, or those who don’t take the test, might be required to take a preparatory math course prior to starting the initial math course required for their major.

A low score on the CMPT doesn’t prevent you from using transfer credit to satisfy course prerequisites. If your CMPT score is lower than the minimum required for enrollment in these courses, however, we recommend you consult with your academic adviser before accepting transfer credit. Your score might suggest that you will have difficulty in subsequent courses. See the Clemson Mathematics Placement Test website for additional information.

Foreign language

If your intended major requires a foreign language and you plan to take French, German or Spanish to meet that requirement, you must take the Clemson Foreign Language Placement Test (FLPT) (scroll down on page) before registering for a foreign language course during summer Orientation. Even if you have taken an AP or IB exam or the SAT II test, you are still required to take the FLPT.

You don’t have to take the FLPT if you wish to begin a new language in which you have no background. Transfer students who have received college credit for a foreign language and who plan to continue with the same foreign language at Clemson are not required to take the FLPT.

The FLPT takes approximately one hour to complete. Preregistration is not required. For more information, including the test schedule, please visit the Department of Languages or call 864-656-3393.

Step seven: Submit AP/IB scores and final transcripts.

Students transferring credits to Clemson will need to work with the Office of Admissions to make sure credits transfer properly. To see what courses will transfer and what steps need to be taken, please visit our transferring credits Web pages.

If you took Advanced Placement (AP) exams, have your test results sent directly to Clemson. This is the principal method by which you can earn credit by examination. Credit is awarded if you earn a grade of 3, 4 or 5 on an AP examination.

For the IB program, students scoring 4, 5, 6 or 7 on the Higher Level IB examinations are, in most cases, eligible for college credit. For more information on IB credits, visit our page on transferring IB credits.

For students who are doing duel enrollment, send your official transcript(s) directly to Clemson's Admissions Office from the registrar of each college or university where credit was earned. A transcript that states “Issued to Student” is considered unofficial. Courses that have previously been evaluated are listed on the Transfer Credit Equivalency List (TCEL). If a student has taken a course not listed on the TCEL, the course will be evaluated by the Office of Admissions once the student has been accepted by Clemson. Students will be notified by letter of the credit they will receive at Clemson prior to fall enrollment.

Step eight: Prepare for Legal Presence Verification.

South Carolina state law requires all state institutions of higher education to verify legal presence in U.S. For students who are U.S. citizens, you will be asked to provide documentation to confirm your current legal presence. On the first day of orientation, you will need to provide one of the following items:

1. Submit a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid to Clemson) (our code number is 003425);
2. Show a valid S.C. driver's license issued after Jan. 1, 2002; 
3. Show a current U.S. Passport; 
4. Show an original U.S. or U.S. Territory Birth Certificate (not a hospital certificate), Certificate of Naturalization, U.S. government-issued Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certificate of Citizenship. 

Please note the original documents are required for verification, no copies will be accepted. However, we only need to see the original documents, and they will not be taken up or kept by Clemson. If you are unable to provide this information at orientation, you will have 30 days after the start of classes to declare your legal presence without penalty.

For legal aliens, you must complete immigration documentation with the Office of International Affairs within 30 days of the first day of fall classes. You will be verified as follows:

1. U.S. permanent residents' status will be verified through the SAVE system
2. J-1 and F-1 Student Visa holders will be verified through the SEVIS system 
3. All other aliens will be verified through the SAVE system.

To do during Orientation

Step nine: Research laptops.

All Clemson students are required to own a laptop computer. While you can bring any laptop that meets the minimum specifications, the University recommends specific Apple and Windows-based laptops each year. Students who use the recommended laptops receive both software and hardware support.

To do after Orientation

Step 10: Pay your bill.

Be sure to pay your bill. Bills are available online in mid-July for the fall semester. A Tuition Payment Plan is available. For information on charges or the installment payment plan, please call the bursar’s office at 864-656-5592.

Step 11: Start your LIB 100 Clemson Connect course.

During Orientation, you will be introduced to and registered for LIB 100, which is required for all new students. Before classes start, watch the iClemson video through Blackboard, read and complete your summer reading book assignment (Freshmen only) and check out Blackboard for Welcome Leader and Welcome Group information. In LIB 100, you'll also get a chance to register for Academic Success Center Jumpstart Workshops, a New Student Service project and/or Laptop Workshops.

Step 12: Find out about our clubs and organizations.

So much of the college experience comes from groups students are involved in on campus. We have more than 300 student clubs and organizations from fraternities and sororities to the performing arts and politics. There are also more than 50 intramural and club sports and from volleyball to scuba diving. With this vast selection, you should easily find something you’re interested in. Once you're on campus you'll get information about the Organization Fair that's held every year. When you attend you'll get to meet the students who run these clubs and you'll get a chance to sign up and start volunteering or just hanging out.

Step 13: Get ahead with Summer School.

Any applicant accepted for August entrance can take summer classes in session II in July. If you wish to attend, let the Office of Admissions know. No additional application is necessary.

Step 14: Prepare to move to Clemson.

You must have your parking pass in place when you arrive on campus. If you're moving on campus, be sure to visit the University Housing website for move-in times and procedures.