To Do

These checklists will help you get ready for your arrival on campus. Make sure to check deadlines and due dates for all required paperwork.

When you have questions, email the Orientation Team.

Before Orientation

All Students

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  • Your MHC Account & Communication

    Your MHC Account is your key to accessing the rich resources and powerful software tools available to the MHC community.

    Acceptable use of your MHC Account

    ONLY YOU are authorized to use your MHC Account.

    Allowing others (including family and friends) to log into your MHC Account violates MHC's Acceptable Use of Information Technology Policy.

    Any family members who need to access TouchNet for billing and payments should be set up as “Authorized Users” so they can log in with their own separate accounts.

    Accessing your MHC Account

    You’ll receive an email from the Office of Admissions when your MHC Account is ready for you (mid May for fall entrants, mid October for spring entrants). This email will include your MHC Account username, email address, and initial single-use password.

    From there, follow the MHC Account setup instructions to access your MHC email and other campus systems. Be sure to set up BOTH Duo multi-factor authentication and Google 2-step verification as outlined in the instructions.

    Need help? Open an MHC Account access support ticket to get support from the LITS Technology Help Desk.

    Next Steps:

    Review the article MHC Accounts for undergraduate students to learn what services you can access with your MHC Account and what to expect for your MHC Account’s lifecycle.

    Be sure to monitor your Mount Holyoke email account at least weekly. Important information about things like housing and registration will be sent to this email.

  • Personal and Contact Information

    • Complete the Personal Data Form to provide updated family information. (Please note, the Personal Data Form has been moved on the students Self Service menu.)
    • Submit your name recording, cell phone number and both emergency and missing-persons contacts via my.mtholyoke (see Demographics & Contact Info on the self-service menu for students) between May 15 and August 1 for students starting classes in the fall semester; between late-October and early-January for students starting classes in the spring semester.
    • Share your Chosen name and/or nickname and your pronouns.
    • Upload a photo for your MHC OneCard, the ID that you'll use on campus, by August 1 (January 3 for spring entrants).
    • Learn how mail should be addressed and when you can start shipping items to campus.
  • Academics

    • Review the Academic Calendar.  If needed, switch to the tab for the academic year you’ll be attending! Please note that further additions and revisions to the academic calendar may be made if needed.
    • Review the Academic Guide for New Students (requires login to my.mtholyoke) to prepare for advising and registration.
    • Complete all applicable placement exams (requires login to my.mtholyoke). Please note: not everyone will have to complete a placement exam; it depends on course selection.
    • Complete your online advisor questionnaire from May 15 -June 30 for students starting classes in the fall and between late-October and by December 1 for students starting classes in the spring. Spring admits should answer both the "New Student's Initial Info for Advisor" questionnaire and the "Summer Activities" questionnaire available in the my.mtholyoke Inform Your Advisor self-service function.
    • Participate in a group advising session in the summer for students starting classes in the fall and email advising at the end of October for students starting classes in the spring.
    • If you are considering a career in a health profession (Medicine, Veterinary, Nursing, Physician Assistant, Public Health, Physical Therapy, Optometry, etc.), please review this web page and contact our pre-health office at pre-health@mtholyoke.edu to discuss which classes you should register for.
    • Submit your First Year Seminar preferences! Students starting classes in the fall will receive more information via email on May 13; your preferences will be due May 26. Students starting classes in the spring will receive instructions in mid-October via email for submitting their preferences.
    • Register for classes during the June registration period for students starting classes in the fall and in November for students starting classes in the spring. New students should check "Approvals, Holds, and Registration Access times" in my.mtholyoke in mid-June (students starting classes in the fall) or early November (students starting classes in the spring) to get the exact date and time range during which you can register.
  • Health and Wellness

    • Complete all required online health forms and submit to Health Services via the My Health Connection portal by July 15 for fall admits and by December 15 for spring admits.
    • If you have current prescriptions medications you need to continue while on campus, we encourage you to make arrangements for those prescription medications to be transferred to Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy #16537 located at 619 Chestnut Street, Springfield, MA for delivery to Mount Holyoke's Pattie Groves Health Center for ease of pick up.
    • Enroll in SHIP (Student Health Insurance Plan) or submit a health insurance waiver request:
      • An email from Gallagher Student Health, the college's health insurance partner, will be sent in June to all domestic students matriculating this fall. The email will contain login information for students seeking to waive or enroll in SHIP.
      • Fall Admits: The Gallagher Student Health portal to waive/enroll into the student health insurance plan (SHIP) will open in mid-June and it's published deadline will be on or around August 30.
      • Spring Admits: The Gallagher Student Health portal to waive/enroll into the student health insurance plan (SHIP) will open in the first week of December, before the spring semester tuition bill is published. Its published deadline will be on or around January 6.
      • Domestic students whose home insurance does not meet the Massachusetts minimum coverage criteria, and all international students will be automatically enrolled in SHIP.
    • All students must complete four required online training programs: Alcohol & Drug Awareness, Anti-Hazing, and sexual respect/Title IX.
      • The Alcohol & Drug Awareness course is designed to help you make safer and more informed decisions related to alcohol and other drugs.
      • The Anti-Hazing course ensures you understand our institutional policies and state laws regarding hazing.
      • The Respect Education and Title IX Rights courses encompass information on healthy relationships and sexual misconduct, as well as resources available to you following incidents of concern.
    • You will receive a personalized link to complete all of the required training with more information about the courses. Modules are due August 28, 2026 for Fall admits and January 15, 2027 for Spring admits.
  • Mental Health and Counseling Service

    • The Counseling Service provides brief, relational, strengths-based counseling, urgent care appointments, therapy/support groups, a 24/7 Care and Support Line, and prescribing services at no additional cost for enrolled students during the academic year. Students who would benefit from longer-term counseling, specialized or intensive treatment, or psychological testing will be referred to appropriate campus or community resources.
    • Students who are interested in regular, weekly meetings with a counselor should consider arranging for off-campus care before arriving on campus, as off-campus providers tend to fill their schedules quickly. Contact your insurance for a list of local providers or contact the Counseling Service for a referral.
    • All incoming students are encouraged to review their health insurance coverage for mental health treatment in the state of Massachusetts, and to consider purchasing the student health insurance plan if making copays, meeting deductibles, or using out-of-state plans will interfere with obtaining adequate support.
  • Finances

    • Mark your calendars regarding billing deadlines. Tuition bills are sent via email to each student's Mount Holyoke email account.
    • Students starting in fall will be emailed in mid-June.
    • Students starting in spring will be emailed early November.
    • Students will receive email instructions on how to view billing information online and create Authorized User accounts in TouchNet via my.mtholyoke
      • Students may begin creating Authorized Users in late May
      • Email notifications with setup instructions will be sent:
        • Mid-June for fall admits
        • Early November for spring admits
      • Authorized Users will:
        • Receive billing notifications via email
        • Have access to the student’s billing information
        • Be able to make online payments and enroll in payment plans
    • Notify Student Financial Services of any outside scholarships you may be receiving.
    • Check Financial Aid Online and submit all missing financial aid documents if you haven't done so already (Financial Aid Online will be available to incoming students May 15).
      • Domestic students can complete federal loan counseling and loan promissory notes online at studentaid.gov.
      • International students will be emailed to complete loan documents before arriving on campus. Check your Mount Holyoke email address regularly once you are able.
    • Consider protecting your investment by reviewing Tuition Insurance information by GradGuard. Should the student withdraw during a term of enrollment for a covered reason, tuition insurance would increase your tuition refund. Enrollment deadlines are the first day of classes each term.
    • Review health insurance waiver information as noted in the Health Section above.
    • TUITION AND FEES are billed by term with the following due dates:
      • Fall Term (issued in early July). Due Date: July 31.
      • Spring Term (issued in early December). Due Date: January 5.
    • Questions? Schedule an appointment with your dedicated SFS Counselor.
  • Housing

    • Complete your housing form in Residence, regardless of if you are requesting housing accommodations related to disability.
      • Fall admits will receive an email in May when the application opens and the due date is June 23rd.
      • Spring admits will receive an email in mid October when the application opens and the due date is December 1st.
      • Incoming students will not be allowed to select their own roommates. The Office of Residential Life assigns roommate(s) based on their responses to their roommate profiles. Review the recommended packing checklist.
    • About housing accommodations: Please review all of the information and refer to our guide to applying for accommodations for additional details. To review details about Residence Halls, scroll down on this page to “Residence Hall details”. “Accessible” means that the building entrance is accessible. If you have questions about a specific building, please email res-life@mtholyoke.edu.
      • To be placed in housing with approved accommodations, the below process must be completed by June 24th for the Fall or November 27 for the Spring. Room placements are dependent on availability of rooms.
        • If you are a student who utilizes mobility, navigational, or sensory devices or services, we especially encourage connecting with our office sooner than later.
        • Students with requests approved after these dates will be housed through the standard housing process for incoming students and Residential Life will then look at adjusting their placement, based on availability of space.
      • Housing accommodations are determined on a case-by-case, individual request process with Disability Services. This process can take some time, so we strongly suggest reaching out as soon as you have your MHC login.
        • To request housing accommodations, you must submit an initial or additional accommodation request to the office. Your request will be reviewed, and third-party documentation is likely needed. The request process is not ‘complete’ until you’ve met with an accommodation coordinator, they’ve reviewed your request, and a determination has been made.
        • If you are requesting a single room, please mention this in your initial accommodation request and you will be directed to a form specific to that request.

  • Disability Services

    FOR ORIENTATION

    If you would like to request disability-related accommodations in order to participate in Orientation activities, please email the Orientation team at orientation@mtholyoke.edu. In order to provide ample time to arrange access measures, please email the above address to submit your request by August 2 for fall entrants; January 3 for spring entrants. If submitted after August 2 or January 3, best-faith effort will be put forth to honor requests.

    FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR

    If you anticipate needing academic, dining, housing, and/or student employment accommodations due to a disability, please complete Disability Services' accommodation request process.

    • All students considering requesting accommodations need to:
      • Fill out an initial accommodation request questionnaire with your basic information.You will be prompted to schedule an initial meeting with an accommodation coordinator.
      • You will be prompted to schedule an initial meeting with an accommodation coordinator.
      • Documentation may be requested.

    Beginning this process early is highly encouraged, and you can also apply for academic accommodations at any point during your time at the College. If you are a student who utilizes alternative formats, effective communication services, or mobility devices, we especially encourage connecting with our office sooner than later.

    While students may request accommodations at any time, any incoming student who is approved for housing accommodations after June 24th for the Fall or November 27 for the Spring will be housed through the standard housing process for incoming students and Residential Life will look at adjusting their placement, based on availability of space.

    • For more information about requesting housing accommodations related to a disability, please view the Housing tab above.

    Contact Disability Services if you have any questions about the accommodations process - we're happy to help! We are fully open during the summer months. Please do not hesitate to call 413-538-2634 or email disability-services@mtholyoke.edu.

  • Student Employment

    • Students will be given access to Workday where they can search and apply for student jobs that start in September.
    • Either upon being hired, or during a Student Employment Campus Event, students will be directed to complete employment onboarding. This includes setting up direct deposit for future wages, payroll tax withholding elections, and the completion of federal form I-9.
    • IMPORTANT: Federal Form I-9 requires students to provide original forms of identification with them on campus for completion with Mount Holyoke Staff. Bring acceptable forms of identification to campus if you intend to work!
    • All international students should attend a work clearance session during International Student Pre-Orientation which will provide information on any documents required for working on campus, and visa restrictions for employment during the academic year.

  • New Student Survey

    • Please tell us about yourself! Mount Holyoke wants to know more about you in order to meet your individual needs. There are no “right” or “wrong” answers and responses will be kept confidential. You will need to log-in with your Mount Holyoke credentials to access the survey.
    • Email iresearch@mtholyoke.edu with any questions.

International Students

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  • International Students

    In addition to the items required on the 'Before Orientation: All Students list,' international students should also complete the following.

    • Complete Visa Document Request by May 31 for students starting classes in the fall and September 30 for students starting classes in the spring.
    • Complete your Declaration of Finance Form.
    • Please fill out the International Student Arrival Form Fall 2026 about your travel plans to campus. If you will be using the free airport shuttle from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks/Hartford, Connecticut to the Mount Holyoke campus, please fill out the section detailing your flight information. If you are arriving by car or other means, please indicate that on the form. If you have questions about the form please email, Jen Tuleja ( jtuleja@mtholyoke.edu).
    • When setting up Google 2-step verification for your MHC Google account, make sure you set up verification method(s) that will remain available to you once you’re on campus and don’t necessarily have the same phone number/ability to receive SMS text messages to your home country number. Some options include: Single-use Google backup codes, Google prompts, Google authenticator.

Varsity Student-Athletes

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  • Varsity Athletes

    • Varsity student-athletes must complete the Intent to Return Early form (sent by the Department of Physical Education and Athletics in the summer).
    • All varsity student-athletes must submit the sports clearance packet and meet all medical and compliance requirements.
    • Recruited varsity student-athletes are expected to attend preseason practices and must submit pre-participatory requirements, sent to their MHC email by the shared deadlines, in order to be permitted to return early. Contact the head coach to confirm your move-in date and pre-move in requirements before making travel plans.

Engagement

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  • During Orientation

    • Attend all scheduled sessions and regularly check the Orientation schedule for updates.
    • Meet with your academic advisor.
    • Sign the Honor Code.
    • Expand your comfort zone by talking to the other brand new people sitting next to you, joining others sitting alone in the dining commons, and inviting people to walk to events with you!
    • Meet at least one new staff member who can be a resource.
    • Ask questions, have fun!
  • After Orientation

    • Learn how to get involved on campus at the Involvement Fair on Friday, September 11, 2026 for admits and Sunday, January 31st for Spring Admits!