College of Design
Search Close Search
Request Info
Toggle Menu
College of Design

New Student Orientation

First year students and parents at orientation in lower King Pavillion.

Your Iowa State experience awaits

Congratulations on your admittance to the College of Design at Iowa State University! Now that you’re in, you might be wondering: what next?

It’s time to come to the College of Design for new student orientation!

If you haven’t already, make sure that you accept your offer of admission. Once you’ve achieved that step and your acceptance fee has been processed, you will be sent an invitation to the College of Design’s new student orientation.

Orientation will increase your knowledge of Iowa State and the College of Design, including important policies and procedures; get you more familiar with being on campus; and help prepare you for the personal and social adjustments you will make upon entering Iowa State. During orientation you will also have opportunities to:

  • Learn more about your intended major
  • Meet with an academic advisor
  • Register for your first semester of classes
  • Explore the campus and College of Design spaces
  • Learn about student resources such as tutoring, counseling, and student clubs
  • Register for Destination Iowa State
Student Orientation Feature

Signing up for orientation

Once you receive your invitation, select which style of orientation is best for you: OnCyte Orientation or an online option. First-year students choosing online orientation will schedule a virtual academic advising appointment.

At least two weeks prior to your orientation or academic session, you will need to take the ALEKS math placement assessment.

And finally, attend OnCyte Orientation or complete the required online orientation. We can’t wait to see you!

2024 Orientation worksheets

Students completing online orientation need to complete the appropriate worksheets below prior to the session, as they will be used during the registration appointments. Students attending OnCyte Orientation will receive the worksheet in-person during the session.

If you are scheduled for a virtual advising appointment via online orientation, we will be using a program called WebEx for this appointment. Please download the app on your computer in preparation for your appointment. If you haven’t used that program before, listed below are the necessary access steps. We recommend that you use a computer for this process, as it is sometimes difficult to view the documents the advisor will share if you are on a phone.

  1. Open web browser
  2. Go to https://www.webex.com/downloads.html
  3. Select the download for your operating system
  4. Follow the instructions on screen

English placement is based on your ACT-E or SAT-V scores. More information is available here.

All new students who enroll in a math course at Iowa State University must take ALEKS, an online math placement assessment. Six (6) credits of math and science courses are needed to apply to any of the College of Design’s degree programs after completing the Core Design Program. You cannot register for a MATH course at orientation if you have not completed ALEKS.

Specific program application requirements:

  • Architecture: MATH 145 (usually taken in the fall semester) and PHYS 131/131L (usually taken in the spring semester)
  • Landscape Architecture: MATH 140
  • Industrial Design and Interior Design: MATH of your choice
  • Community and Regional Planning: STAT 101 and MATH of your choice

Please plan to take ALEKS at least one week before orientation, which allows you time to retake it if you are not satisfied with your initial score. Prepare in advance: Start the assessment early in the day and allow at least two hours in order to complete it. More information on the ALEKS assessment is online.

Note: You can still sign up for other classes at orientation without having taken ALEKS; however, you will NOT be allowed to register for a MATH course without it.

Students working on class project in the King Pavillion.

A Cyclone in the Making

Find your place at Iowa State University’s College of Design, where we like to ask questions, poke and prod, create something new, and make a difference through design.