Admitted Undergraduate Students
Congratulations on your admission to UMBC-Shady Grove! We look forward to welcoming you to the community and meeting you during new student orientation.
As you begin your UMBC journey, use the checklist below to make sure you’re ready to start strong. Contact Abigail Granger, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Recruitment and Retention, at abigail3@umbc.edu with any questions.
New Student Checklist
Enrollment
Orientation
- Complete your online Orientation modules before your in-person orientation and virtual advising and registration session.
- Register for your in-person orientation at The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) and your virtual advising and registration session.
Review Your Transfer Credits
- Review your program-specific pre-requisite courses.
- Visit myUMBC to find your Transfer Credit Report and degree audit, which help you understand how transferred courses apply to UMBC’s general education, major, and minor requirements. Note: Allow 2-3 weeks after admission for evaluation and posting of prior college coursework to your record.
- While you’re waiting for your official report, you can explore how your credits might transfer at Transfer Central.
Finances
- Visit UMBC’s financial aid and scholarships website to learn more about your options, eligibility, and accepting awards.
- If applying for need-based financial aid, submit your FAFSA to UMBC by including our school code: 002105.
- Explore UMBC scholarships on Scholarship Retriever.
- Submit USG’s scholarship application.
- Accept financial aid and scholarships.
- If taking out federal student loans, complete MPN and entrance counseling.
- Start your financial literacy journey by enrolling in UMBC’s Financial Smarts Cash Course.
- Set up your refund choice for credit balances with BankMobile.
- Estimate your cost of attendance by using our Cost Calculator and break down your payments by signing up for a payment plan.
Office of Equity and Civil Rights
The Office of Equity and Civil Rights has implemented a comprehensive training plan for all UMBC community members to ensure we are living up to our value of inclusive excellence.
The training program includes information on sexual violence prevention and on how to report instances of sexual violence and hate/bias to ECR. This mandatory training is assigned to all students and faculty/staff each year.
- Use your UMBC login to access and complete the annual training.
Health Requirements
Retriever Integrated Health (RIH) brings together Health Services and the Counseling Center to work in a collaborative, holistic approach to support your well-being and success. Take care of these mandatory health-related requirements before joining us on campus.
- Complete your UMBC Health/Immunization form.
- Complete the tuberculosis screening questionnaire on your patient portal.
- Complete your proof of health insurance by following these steps.
- Complete the prevention course Alcohol Wise, which is designed to educate students about the dangers of misusing alcohol.
- Complete the prevention course Cannabis Wise, which is designed to educate students about risks related to the use of cannabis.
- Complete the prevention course Other Drugs, which is designed to use evidence-based strategies to educate students about the dangers of misusing drugs, including opioids.
Parking
- Purchase a USG parking permit and learn more about parking restrictions. Students park in the Shady Grove Garage located off of Shady Grove Road.
- Check out USG’s public transportation options.
- USG permits only apply to the USG campus and not to UMBC in Catonsville.
Emergency Alerts
- Create an account and sign up for USG Campus Alerts.
- Review and register for the UMBC emergency alert system if you plan to spend time on the Catonsville campus.
Housing
The Universities at Shady Grove is a commuter campus.
- Explore your local housing options using our off-campus housing and roommate search tool.
Student Disability Services
Students who wish to access disability-based accommodations must be registered with the Office of Student Disability Services (SDS). Students are encouraged to begin the SDS registration process as soon as possible after admission to UMBC.
- Understand how to register for accommodations.
- Register with SDS by accessing the Student Disability Services Registration Form online, which uses our secure Accommodate software student portal and your UMBC login.
- Keep an eye on your UMBC email for next steps to provide documentation and meet with a staff member from SDS.
Technology
- View the New Student Technology Checklist for guidance on recommendations and requirements, essential software and applications, and valuable links to resources.
Bookstore
- Explore our Course Materials Catalog for your classes.
- Be aware that our Course Materials Initiative (CMI) provides access to digital course materials (eTextbooks and/or courseware) through Blackboard. CMI billing is through the student account. Participation is automatic.
- Consider renting textbooks to pay a lower ‘rental fee’ upfront and return materials at the end of the semester.
- Consider the Course Material Deferred Partial Payment Agreement, which allows you to partially pay for course materials during the first two weeks of the semester and pay the balance owed via your UMBC student account in October (Fall)/April (Spring).
- Review The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships book loan process.
International Students
Unless you have U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or another visa category that allows you to study in the U.S., you will need to obtain an F-1 student visa and an I-20 from UMBC. Start this process by requesting an I-20 from UMBC and then applying for the F-1 visa. If you already have a Visa, you will need to update it to reflect your enrollment at UMBC. Learn more about the process and know our staff is available to answer your questions.
Once you’re ready to join us, be sure to check out the International Student Arrival Guide, which includes specific information for UMBC-Shady Grove students.