New Student Orientation

Step 1: Register for orientation

After you have accepted our offer to attend Ohio State Newark and submitted your acceptance fee, you will receive an email invitation to register for New Student Orientation once it opens. Orientation registration opens based on the term you are admitted:

• Autumn admit: late March
• Spring admit: early November
• Summer admit: early March

If you have not yet accepted admission and paid your acceptance fee, visit the admitted students webpage to understand what you need to do to be eligible to register for orientation.

To register for orientation, go to My Buckeye Link. Enter your username (lastname.#) and password to log in. Once logged in, look for the “Admissions” section (last section on the left side of the page). Click on “Orientation Information” and follow the steps to register for orientation.

After you have completed the registration process, a message will be sent to your Ohio State email address confirming your registration and indicating the placement tests you are required to take. Please allow up to two business days to gain access to the placement tests you are required to take once you have registered for orientation. You can then proceed to step 2. If you do not have any placement tests to take, please proceed to step 3.

Step 2: Take required placement tests

If you do not have any required placement tests to take, proceed to step 3.

Placement testing requirements are determined by ACT/SAT/AP scores and any college-level coursework already completed. Be sure you have requested your official ACT/SAT/AP scores and/or transcripts from other institutions to be sent electronically to Ohio State to ensure proper placement testing assignments and avoid taking unnecessary exams. 

The placement tests you are required to take will appear in your orientation confirmation email and on your To Do List in My Buckeye Link. Click on the links below to learn more about each of the tests you need to take and how to gain access to them.

If you believe there is an error in which placement tests you are required to take, please contact the Orientation and Placement Testing Office at 740.366.9333 as soon as possible.

Test accommodations

It is very important that the review for accommodations and then placement testing occurs in the appropriate order. Accommodations are not retroactive, so if a placement test is taken prior to the review by Student Life Disabilities Services to determine accommodations, it cannot be retaken. Start by completing the online disability services application. Contact Student Life Disability Services at 740-366-9385 with questions.

Step 3: Complete online pre-orientation module in Carmen

Before attending orientation, you should complete the online pre-orientation module in Carmen. To access, go to carmen.osu.edu and log in with your last name.# and your password (the same information used to log in to other Ohio State programs). You should see a course in Carmen titled “New Student Pre-Orientation Module.” The content is organized in modules and there are comprehension quizzes between modules. Please complete the entire module before orientation.

Step 4: Attend orientation

In-person at The Ohio State University Newark campus.
Location: The John Gilbert Reese Center, 1209 University Drive, Newark OH
Check-in: 10 a.m.
Departure: 3:30 p.m.

Once you select your date and click the "Register" button, you will be officially registered. Orientation date changes can only be made by contacting the Newark academic advising office at 740.366.9333. Changes are made on a space-available basis.

Next Steps:

1. Check your Ohio State email regularly.
2. Complete any items that appear on your To Do List in My Buckeye Link.
3. Review the Student Resource Guide presented to you at orientation.