Fall Dates and Deadlines

Students use their credentials in various ways including their Lake Forest email address; on Canvas, the course management system; and on my.lakeforest, our Intranet portal for registering and managing your account. It’s important that you do not change any passwords for these accounts until you arrive on campus in August. You will receive your credentials in early May.

Keep up the good work and finish strong! Lake Forest College admission offers are always contingent upon receiving final transcript(s) showing acceptable academic performance and no disciplinary issues. We do reserve the right to rescind the offer of admission if academic or disciplinary concerns are presented at any time during the admission and enrollment process.

Last Date to submit completed documents for I-20 process first-year students and SEVIS Transfer students with NO valid F-1 visas : July 13, 2026.

Last Date to submit completed documents for I-20 process for SEVIS Transfer students with Valid visa: July 27, 2026.

When: After you deposit and before May 15

This form will help to place you in your First-Year Studies (FIYS) Seminar Section. FIYS is a requirement for all of our incoming First-Year students to help with the transition to Lake Forest. You will also answer some questions about your academic interests and learning style, which will help your advisor get to know you.

Every first-year student will be enrolled in one First-Year Studies section. The faculty teaching your First-Year Studies section will be your academic advisor until you declare your major. This is available on your New Student Portal. 

The  Accessibility Services Application Form, which requires detailed information from you and your treating clinician or educational professional, is due on May 15. Students who are requesting housing accommodations must meet with Accessibility Services Office (accessibilityservices@lakeforest.edu) by the end of June for priority placement consideration. 

Learn more about Accessibility Services at Lake Forest College.

As you prepare to join the campus community, it is imperative that we have accurate contact and personal information from each new student.

The form requests contact information for you and a parent/guardian in the event of an emergency, and also equips the College with your privacy preferences regarding your student record via the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). 

You need to login to my.lakeforest.edu to find the form on the left-hand side of the home screen. 

You can re-submit this form if anything changes over the summer so that we have the most up to date information. For example, an international student who obtains a domestic phone number after arrival on campus in August can re-submit the form then. 

This is an excellent opportunity to get an early start to your life at Lake Forest College by getting connected with students, professors, and on-campus resources. At its heart, this pre-orientation program aims to enhance cultural awareness and understanding among its participants by providing meaningful intercultural exchanges. Thus, students traditionally underrepresented and/or underserved in American higher education and strongly encouraged to register. This program is free of charge. All activities and meals are provided for participants by the College. 

First Connection traditionally celebrates and educates students on the experiences of African American, Latinx, Hispanic, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, First Generation, International, and Pell Grant-eligible students/communities. All students are welcome to join. 

First Connection is Wednesday, August 19, to Saturday, August 22 immediately followed by New Student Orientation.

Contact your admission counselor or firstconnection@lakeforest.edu with any questions.

New transfer students will receive a survey regarding your academic interests. This will help your advisor get to know your interests and assist in building your academic program. You must complete it before meeting with your advisor during one of our required Transfer Registration and Advising Programs, and your Lake Forest ID number will be emailed to you to complete the survey. 

The steps are outlined below. Once you complete your transfer advising survey look for an individual email from your assigned transfer academic advisdor. 

1. You will work with an academic advisor to register for your courses.
2. Complete your academic advising survey as soon as possible so that your advisor can review it before they contact you.
3. Prepare to talk to your advisor by looking over the program requirements for your academic area(s) of interest. Program requirements are linked from our major and minor pages. 

When: By June 15

Schedule a virtual meeting with your advisor. Your meeting will occur between June 1 and June 30. Before your meeting, check out these important tips on how to choose your courses and identify at least eight possible courses that you would be interested in taking during the fall. Check out our fall course list and course descriptions!

Curious how we build your schedule? Find out more.

When: By June 1 (priority deadline); hard deadline of June 15

All incoming first-year students are required to take the QRA. This online assessment is one of several factors used to recommend an appropriate math course for your major or your FFC Quantitative Reasoning requirement that best fits your knowledge. Learn more about math recommendations.

Complete the Quantitative Readiness Assessment (QRA) on your Canvas dashboard. 

When: By June 1 (priority deadline); hard deadline of June 15

This assessment is required for all incoming students who are interested in biology, chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology, neuroscience, environmental studies, physics, pre-health, and pre-nursing. The SPA is used in combination with the QRA and other factors to determine placement into the 100-level science courses in those departments. Learn more about science placements.

Complete the Science Placement Assessment (SPA) on your Canvas dashboard. 

When: By June 1 (priority deadline); hard deadline of June 15

Review this placement information to determine placement into courses in French and/or Spanish and take the placement assessment if needed. If you plan to study Chinese, consult with Professor Ying Wu (ywu@lakeforest.edu) regarding which course to take. 

We’re excited to help you take the next steps to make Lake Forest College your home away from home. After May 15, 2026 you will be granted access to the housing contract one business day after the New Student Information Form is submitted. The housing application will be available in your Housing Portal.

Transfer students please note that should you enroll after the priority deadline, the Office of Residence Life will ensure housing remains available.

Other important dates:

May 15: Housing applications become available in your housing portal.

June 15: Priority housing contract deadline

July 1: Final housing deadline

July 15 : First-Year and Transfer Room Assignments Communicated via your LakeForest.edu email

August 11-August 22: Move-In Dates for New Students, you will receive more information via email closer to these dates. 

Learn more about residence life at Lake Forest.

All questions and concerns can be directed to the Office of Residence Life at reslife@lakeforest.edu.

The  Accessibility Services Application Form, which requires detailed information from you and your treating clinician or educational professional, is due on May 15. Students who are requesting housing accommodations must meet with Accessibility Services Office (accessibilityservices@lakeforest.edu) by the end of June for priority placement consideration. 

Learn more about Accessibility Services at Lake Forest College.

When: Starting in June

Send any AP, IB, dual, or transfer credits to the Lake Forest College Registrar by following these directions. Click here to find out how your AP or IB credits translate into Lake Forest College credits.  

In early June the Office of Financial Aid will send information on how to apply for the Federal Stafford loans. Parents will also receive information on how to apply for the Federal Parent PLUS Loan, if they are interested in doing so. We encourage you to wait until you receive this information to apply for these loans. You will have until August 15 to complete the Stafford loan process, and to apply for the PLUS loan.

You will also be sent a notice in early-July when tuition bills are available online. The Forester Payment Plan is a handy tool for spreading your tuition bill over the year. You will be sent information and can sign up anytime after you get your bill.

All incoming first year and tranfer students are required to submit immunization records and complete other health forms by July 15. Head to the Lake Forest Student Health Portal to complete the following online forms: 

• Immunization History Form 
• Medical History Form 
• Tuberculosis Questionnaire 
• Consent to Treat form (if under the age of 18 prior to the start of the semester) 

For more information about the specific health requirements, Click here. 

In mid-June, students whose financial aid award includes “Federal Work Study” or “Lake Forest Work Study” will receive a link for an online work application. The Business Office does its best to place every work study student but placement in an on-campus job is not guaranteed.

Students who were not awarded work study may pursue student employment for skilled positions that are funded through College departmental budgets which are available on a limited basis and posted on Handshake. In addition to working for the College departments, students may seek non-College employment at Parkhurst, the College’s dining service on campus, or in the community. 

The beginning of your on-campus Forester journey starts with attending New Student Orientation (NSO). NSO is the College’s mandatory orientation for all new first-year and transfer students. We have prepared a program filled with engaging sessions and activities to help you meet other Foresters, discover campus resources, and give you just the right amount of information to help you navigate campus before classes begin.

NSO is Saturday, August 22, to Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Visit the NSO page for more details.

All students are required to take the online courses with EverFi, whose mission is to help students address critical life skills such as alcohol abuse and sexual assault prevention. As part of our comprehensive program, Lake Forest College will expect each member of the incoming class to complete Part 1 of the alcohol abuse and sexual assault prevention courses online. You will receive instructions in a link via email in August. 

Please go to the Academic Health Plans website to either enroll in or waive the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) by August 15. 

If you do not submit proof of comparable coverage by completing an insurance waiver, you will automatically be enrolled in and charged for the SHIP.  

If you know that you will be enrolling in the SHIP, please do not wait to be automatically enrolled. Instead go through the enrollment process at Academic Health Plans so that you do not experience delays in receiving your insurance card. 

For more detailed instructions on how to enroll or waive, please visit the Lake Forest College Student Health Insurance page. 

Tuition, room and board and other student account charges are due each semester, for all students including those who have received permission to return late. Billing statements can be found via the my.lakeforest.edu portal. All students must submit payment by August 15, 2026.

Log in here to explore your options and get started TODAY! 

Payment Plans

• Full Pay: Fall semester bills are due August 15. The deadline to register for a 5-month fall semester payment plan is August 1st. Spring semester bills are due January 15. The deadline to register for a 5-month spring semester payment plan is December 31.
• Monthly Payment Plans: There is a $60/per semester sign-up fee to begin a payment plan. Payment plans are available in 5-month, 4-month, or 3-month options. Sign up for a payment plan beginning June 30 through the My.Lakeforest.edu portal.
  

Review the Student Accounts Website for relevant information. Be sure to check your Lake Forest College email account for updated information. This is our official method of communication.

All full-time undergraduate students are automatically enrolled in and billed for the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). If you are insured by a plan that provides comparable coverage, you can request to waive the 2026-2027 Student Health Insurance Plan.

You will be automatically enrolled in the SHIP if a waiver form is not submitted by the deadline of August 15.

Click here to learn more

Students may access their class schedules on my.lakeforest. An email will be sent to your Lake Forest email address.

In early August, your fall semester schedule will be available on my.lakeforest.edu. Click here for information on how to access and read your schedule.

First Connection, a pre-orientation program, supports students who are traditionally underrepresented in higher education make a successful transition to life at Lake Forest. This program is open to all students. After attending First Connection, you will attend New Student Orientation.

First Connection is Wednesday, August 19, to Saturday, August 22, 2026 immediately followed by New Student Orientation.

You can contact firstconnection@lakeforest.edu with any questions.

The beginning of your on-campus Forester journey starts with attending New Student Orientation (NSO). NSO is the College’s mandatory orientation for all new first-year and transfer students. We have prepared a program filled with engaging sessions and activities to help you meet other Foresters, discover campus resources, and give you just the right amount of information to help you navigate campus before classes begin.

NSO is Saturday, August 22, to Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Visit the NSO page for more details.

• Tuesday, August 11, 2026- Football Move-In
• Tuesday, August 18, 2026- Fall Athlete Move-In
• Wednesday, August 19, 2026 - First Connection Participants
• Friday, August 21, 2026 - International Students who are not participating in First Connection Participants and ISEP Students
• Saturday, August 22, 2026 - New Students (First-Year and Transfer)

Fellow Foresters will be on hand to help you move into your new home. We will share with you a list of what to bring (and what not to bring).