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New Students

The Graduate School is pleased to welcome new students to the University community, to Charlottesville and, in many instances, to America.  The following checklist and links to resources are designed to enable new students to become established swiftly within our community of scholars.
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Activate UVa Email Account & Systems Access

Establish your electronic identity at the University by following the procedures for new students provided by Information Technology Services.  Completing this procedure will enable you to receive important communications sent to your UVa e-mail account, register for courses through the Student Information System (SIS), utilize public computers on Grounds, and view course syllabi and assignments via UVaCollab.

Submit ID Card Photo Online

Submit a photo to the ID office prior to arriving in Charlottesville so that your UVA ID will be available upon your arrival (available August 1).  Please note that the ID office typically does not accept these submissions until after May 1.
Visit the ID Card Office website to get information about obtaining your student ID card and what you must have on hand when you go.

Review Pre-Entrance Health & Insurance Requirements

Review Pre-Entrance Health Requirements. Information about enrolling in or waiving health coverage through the University is available here. Please be sure to adhere to the deadlines for completion and submission.

Submit Official Transcript

Please arrange for your undergraduate institution to send an official transcript to the Central Graduate Admission Office by July 1 (Fall Incoming Students). This transcript must indicate final grades for all courses, the degree you were awarded, and the date on which your degree was conferred. If your undergraduate degree has not yet been conferred, please do not request an official transcript until that information is available. If your institution offers electronic and encrypted transcripts, you may have those sent to gsasadmission@virginia.edu.

Central Graduate Admission Office
PO Box 401102
Charlottesville, VA 22904

Physical Address (if courier service is necessary)
1001 North Emmet Street
Room 232, Carruthers Hall
Charlottesville, VA 22903
434-243-0209

Records issued in languages other than English, including academic transcripts, degree certificates and graduation certificates, must be issued to GSAS directly by the degree-granting institution in their original language and with an accompanying translation. Translated materials are also accepted directly from organizations such as Educational Credentials Evaluators, International Academic Credential Evaluators, Josef Silny and Associates, World Education Services or another ATA-certified translation service.

After this deadline, an incoming student without the required documentation will be placed on a registration block for the fall term. If your final, official transcript is not available by July 1, you will need to request a waiver of the deadline from the Graduate School. If you believe that you have already provided this documentation, please consult the checklist within your online application. A required document will be marked “Received – Official” if it has been recorded by the Graduate School.

Submit Official Test Scores

GRE and TOEFL scores are sent electronically to the University of Virginia by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). If you have not done so previously, please have ETS send your official scores to Institution Code 5820 prior to July 1.
International students - if you chose to take the IELTS exam, please note that GSAS only accepts electronic scores sent directly to the University of Virginia from the IELTS testing center. No institution or department code required.

After this deadline, an incoming student without the required documentation will be placed on a registration block for the fall term. 

Establish Direct Deposit

Establish a direct deposit account in order to receive fellowship stipend payments, wages and refunds from Student Account.  It is best to set up such an account before arriving in Charlottesville to ensure timely receipt of payments.

Attend Orientation

In addition to orientation events held by your particular department or program, the Graduate School hosts an orientation session and a reception hosted by Graduate Student Council for all Arts & Sciences graduate students.  Students will receive an invitation via e-mail with details regarding these events.[/accordion]

International Students

The International Students & Scholars Program (ISSP) works with all newly admitted international students with all aspects of their immigration status. ISSP is available for consultation regarding all visa and immigration issues and sponsors a variety of activities, programs and services in support of the international community at the University of Virginia. Please visit their Newly Admitted Students page for detailed information about getting started.