First Year Advising and Registration Guide

This page should provide all of the necessary information and resources you need to prepare for registration. You can use this checklist below to help you.

• Complete your non-native language placement tests through the Dashboard and check your results. If you need to take the Chemistry and Calculus placement tests, be sure to do that as well.
• Be sure you can log into Campus Experience, so that you can view and register your courses. Review the Class Search feature in the Campus Experience to see available courses open to first year students. If you have any questions regarding the Class Search, please contact the Office of the Registrar at 717-337-6240, or registrar@gettysburg.edu.
• You should view the helpful Registration Video tutorial to learn about how to navigate Campus Experience.
• Review the First Year Advising and Registration Guide (FYARG; this webpage).
• Identify your First-Year Seminar placement, and which requirement(s) it meets
• Review Departmental Advice (at the end of this page) for any intended majors or areas of interest.
• Select three additional courses and alternates using Campus Experience.
• Be in touch with your Summer Advisor between July 6-14, 2026.
• Attend the GETTing College Ready sessions, or watch the recordings, relating to Course Registration.
• Set your alarm to remind you to register July 15 at your assigned time (EST).

We appreciate your taking an active role in your students’ college education! Registering for classes can be both exciting and frustrating.

We encourage you to allow your students to:

• Make their own choices about courses
• Do their own research about curriculum and major requirements, and
• Contact the advisors themselves when they need assistance

Empowering your students to manage these tasks on their own now will help them become more self-sufficient when they are on campus in the fall, and when they register for their spring semester classes. We encourage you to help your students manage their frustration so they can solve the problems themselves. You can show support by discussing the following common registration problems in advance and making contingency plans:

• Oversleeping on the morning of registration
• Forgetting to press ENROLL
• Not getting your top choice of First-Year Seminar
• Not getting a class at your preferred time you

Our staff in the Center for Student Success and the Registrar’s Office are ready to answer your student’s questions and help solve problems on the day of Registration. Please help your student practice their self-advocacy skills and ask them to contact us directly.

As you plan your first semester at Gettysburg, focus on laying out some preliminary goals and taking stock of your interests. It is important for you to be mindful of goals when selecting courses, but do not get stuck trying to make "perfect" choices. Select courses that engage your attention, excite your curiosity, and connect to what matters to you.

Keep in mind that many courses open to First-Year students meet Gettysburg Curriculum requirements. By choosing courses that suit your interests you will also begin to make good progress toward completing requirements:

• Take the time NOW, before the online registration system opens, to review classes and Gettysburg Curriculum requirements to create a plan prior to meeting with your advisor.
• Note which curriculum requirements your First-Year Seminar (FYS) will fulfill. All FYS courses will meet the FYS requirement, and many will meet a second curriculum requirement. Pay close attention to which First-Year critical skill your FYS satisfies—First-Year Writing or First-Year Data and Society. If your FYS satisfies neither of these requirements, consider how you will fulfill them in your first year and speak with your summer advisor or a class advisor in the Center for Student Success if you have questions.
• With very rare exceptions, 100-level courses are available and appropriate for first-year students, and students are encouraged to explore. There are also some interesting options for first-year students at the 200-level that departments have designated as appropriate options for incoming students. Don’t be afraid to consider 200-level courses or talk about them with your advisor.
• Prepare back-up courses in case you are not able to enroll in a class that you had planned.
• Register for 4 full one-unit courses. The FYS counts as one of the four courses, and you will be automatically enrolled, so you will need to select 3 additional courses.
• We do not recommend putting your name on a waitlist for a course or a particular section of a course that is full. Once you register for 4 courses, you can track courses you prefer to see if a space opens and then exchange courses if you choose to do so. Putting yourself on a waitlist will take up one of the four course spots. Please see the waitlist section of this page for information regarding BIO 111 and CHEM 107 waitlist suggestions.
• Review the Department Advice section of this page to see if your intended major/program requires or strongly encourages students to take specific courses in their first and second years.
• Discuss your questions with your Faculty Advisor to get your questions answered.

How many language courses are required?

Gettysburg College requires that all students take two sequential courses of non-native language in the same language.

For example, if a student takes the placement exam and places into French 201, that student will take French 201 and French 202. If a student starts a new language, that student will take 2 semesters of that language, such as Italian 101 and 102.

What languages are offered at Gettysburg?

Gettysburg College currently offers its students the following languages on campus: ancient Greek, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, and Spanish. Many other languages are available to students through our study abroad programs. Keep in mind that you need two consecutive classes in the same language to complete the requirement.

When do you recommend that students take a language at Gettysburg?

The faculty highly recommends that students begin non-native language study during their first semester.

• Students who plan to continue studying a language they studied prior to coming to Gettysburg should plan to fulfill their two-semester language requirement sooner rather than later, preferably in their first year at Gettysburg.
• Students who place into an intermediate or advanced (200- or 300-level) language course tend to be better positioned to succeed if they take those language courses in their first year of college.
• For some languages, such as Italian Studies, if you do not enroll in a section of a beginning level your first semester, your chances to enroll as a sophomore are drastically reduced.

How do I decide to continue a language that I have already studied or start a new one?

Personal aptitude, interest, and study-abroad desires usually serve as guides for students to decide whether to continue a language they have studied in the past. Some students wish to perfect their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in that language at Gettysburg College. Many of these students will finally have the chance to study abroad in a country where their language is spoken. In some cases, students have studied a particular language for years and have simply lost interest in continuing to study it. Many of these students are excited to start anew. Students should weigh their language learning options based on the above considerations, knowing that they are welcome to fulfill their language requirement by studying any language Gettysburg College offers, or another language through study abroad.

Are there any exemptions to the language study requirement?

International students with F-1 visa status from a country where English is not the native language may be exempt from the language requirement. If you are an international student eligible for this exemption, you may indicate this in the First-Year Dashboard. You may also contact the Office of the Registrar (registrar@gettysburg.edu) for additional information.

Does the College accept AP credit for a language?

If you earned a 4 or 5 on an AP language test, the College may grant credit toward one language course. (Please note that AP credit is not accepted for German). You will then need to take one further course in that language to fulfill the language requirement. Students with AP credit will also need to take the language placement exam to determine where they should best be placed for their remaining language course. Some language departments will also conduct an assessment interview on campus in addition to the placement exam. Please contact the individual language departments for further information. Contact information for each department is listed at the bottom of this section.

Language Placement Exams

On the First-Year Dashboard, you will be able to provide information about your language skills and previous study so that we can assist you in making choices about your language study and provide you with access to the appropriate placement tests.

In what form is the placement exam given?

• Online placement exams are available for Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Latin, and Spanish.
• For ancient Greek and Arabic, placement tests are offered during the on-campus Orientation period in August.

How long will the online placement exam take?

Time limits vary depending on the language, typically ranging from 45 minutes to an hour and a half. When the designated time expires, the computer-generated exam process automatically stops. For students who have previously studied Arabic or Greek, please contact the department chair to arrange a time to take the placement test once you have arrived on campus. These tests should take approximately 1 hour and may include an interview.

NOTE: Students who are seeking academic accommodation should still take the appropriate placement exams online and contact the Center for Student Success (717 337 6579). Individual adjustment regarding your placement will be made, as appropriate.

When will I hear about language placement?

Results for Italian, French, and Spanish will be available on the Dashboard immediately after you complete the placement test. Latin, German, Japanese, and Chinese results will be available after the exams have been scored. Language placement results will be posted in Campus Experience once they are entered. Students taking the online placement exams will also be notified via e-mail of their placement. For those students who take the placement exam on campus in August, results will be made available within twenty-four hours.

To view your placement in the Student Center:

1. Log into Campus Experience:

• From the main Gettysburg website, click on the 3-line menu icon in the upper right corner, followed by “Current Students” in the dropdown that appears. On the left side navigation, click “Campus Experience”

2. Enter your Gettysburg login information (note: do NOT include @ gettysburg.edu in your username), and click “Sign In”
3. Once you have logged in, click on “Student/Faculty Center”. You will be brought to a screen of tiles.
4. Click on the “Student Center” tile.
5. There is a heading that reads “Other Academic Information” with a dropdown menu – in the dropdown menu, select “Lang. Placement Exam” and hit the >> icon.
6. Your placement test results will be available on this screen once your test has been graded and entered into the system.

I know I want to start a new language at Gettysburg. What should I do?

You should take a required placement exam for any of the languages that the College offers that you studied for more than one year in high school and then enroll in a first-level course for the new language that you desire to study. If you only studied Latin in high school, and you do not wish to continue to study it here, enroll in another first-year language course.

If you have questions about studying any of these languages, please contact:

• Ancient Greek and Latin: Prof. Rachel Lesser;
• Arabic: Prof. Abdulkareem Said Ramadan;
• Chinese:  Prof. Jing Li;
• Japanese: Prof.  Prof. Eleanor Hogan;
• Spanish, French, German, and Italian: Ms. Robin Oliver or 717-337-6850.

First-Year Seminars (FYS): FYS offered only to students in their first semester at Gettysburg, provide an opportunity to work closely with a faculty member and a small cohort of peers to explore a topic that they all find interesting. All students must take a FYS in their first semester at Gettysburg. A list of the Fall 2026 FYS offerings can be found here.

First-Year Critical Skills: In addition to the FYS requirement, all students also complete First-Year Writing (FYW) and First-Year Data & Society (FYDS) requirements in their first year. FYW and FYDS requirements can be completed in either semester.

Some, but not all, FYS also satisfy the First-Year Writing (FYW) or First-Year Data & Society (FYDS) requirement. FYS-DS courses meet the First-Year Data & Society requirement, and FYS-W courses meet the First-Year Writing requirement.

Students who do not complete the FYW or FYDS requirement through their FYS take another course that meets each of these requirements.

Notes on First-Year Seminars:

• Students will rank their First-Year Seminar preferences on the First-Year Dashboard. You will be notified of your seminar placement prior to your summer course registration. If you have concerns that your seminar placement conflicts with your other course selections, please contact your faculty advisor or the Center for Student Success.
• Unlike your other courses, you will register for a seminar by submitting a ranked list of your preferences through the New Student Dashboard. The FYS will automatically be added to your schedule.
• First-Year Seminars are courses that have the same expectations in terms of workload as your other courses, and they count as one of the four courses you take in the fall semester.
• For questions about FYS, FYW, or FYDS, contact William O’Hara, Director of the Gettysburg Seminars and Skills program, at wohara@gettysburg.edu.

• Gettysburg College may award one course credit in each subject area for higher level examination scores of 5 or higher. For IB Transfer Credit equivalencies, please click here. For IB courses not listed, please contact the Registrar’s Office.
• Some IB courses have been deemed equivalent to courses we offer at Gettysburg. If you enroll in the equivalent course here, you will cancel your IB credit; you cannot earn credit for the same course twice.
• You may not know your IB test scores when you register for classes. If you took an IB exam and expect to receive the necessary score to earn credit, it is okay to register under that assumption. If you find out later that you did not earn a qualifying score, you can adjust your schedule. 
• If you are hoping to use your IB exam score as a pre-requisite for a course, but you do not have the score yet, you will need to contact the academic department directly for the next steps.

• All entering students who submit a score of 4 or 5 on AP tests may receive one course unit towards the 32-course graduation requirement. Some AP courses have been deemed equivalent to courses we offer at Gettysburg. If you enroll in the equivalent course here, you will cancel your AP credit; you cannot earn credit for the same course twice.
• You may not know your AP test scores when you register for classes. If you have already taken an AP exam and expect to earn a 4 or 5, it is okay to register under the assumption that you will earn credit. If you find out later that you did not earn a 4 or 5, you can adjust your schedule accordingly.
• If you are hoping to use your AP exam score as a pre-requisite for a course, but you do not have the score yet, you will need to directly contact the academic department for the next steps. You can find contact information in the “Departmental Advice” section below.
• Please review the Registrar’s website for the most common AP courses that our students have taken by clicking here. For questions about AP courses not listed here, please contact the Registrar’s Office.
• First-Year Writing or First-Year Data & Society requirements cannot be fulfilled through AP or IB courses. They must be completed either through a First-Year Seminar (FYS) carrying the appropriate attribute, or through other designated courses approved for each category. AP credit may count toward graduation or fulfill other curricular areas.

 College courses taken through dual enrollment or transfer

• First Year Writing (FYW): Courses like College Writing 101 or Writing Through Literature from a regionally accredited college may satisfy the FYW requirement. These are usually coded as ENG 101 or ENG 111. Please send your official transcript to the Registrar’s office. If the student can confirm that they received a C- or higher, this will satisfy the First-Year Writing requirement.
• First Year Data & Society (FY-D&S): Courses from a regionally accredited college that explore how data are generated, analyzed, and communicated, and how society both informs those processes and is affected by them, can request review of the relevant course syllabus for potential FYDS credit. No courses are pre-approved for this requirement. Please send your official transcript and contact the office of the Registrar at registrar@gettysburg.edu to request such a review.

Courses must be at least 3 credits (0.80 Gettysburg units) to meet a First-Year requirement.

All transfer courses continue to be reviewed individually. Questions? Please contact the Office of the Registrar.

If you have AP, IB, or A-Level scores to report, or have completed dual enrollment classes during high school, send the scores and/or transcript directly to Gettysburg from the testing agency/school. Some helpful tips on making those requests can be found below. 

If you have additional questions, please contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@gettysburg.edu. 

AP Scores:

• Please make your request through the CollegeBoard website to have your official score report sent to Gettysburg College.

IB Scores:

• Please contact International Baccalaureate to have your official score report sent to Gettysburg College.

A-Level Exams:

• Students typically complete the requests through Cambridge or Pearson. 
• Send the official certificate directly from Cambridge or Pearson.
• Copies cannot be accepted from your high school.

Dual Enrollment Credits

• Students are responsible for requesting official transcript(s) from your previous institution(s).
• Please request the college or university to send an electronic copy to registrar@gettysburg.edu, or they may mail a hard copy to the following address:
  
  Gettysburg College 
  300 N. Washington Street 
  Registrar’s Office - Box 419 
  Gettysburg, PA 17325. 
   
• Grades earned in dual enrollment classes that are reported on your high school transcript cannot be evaluated – the transcript must come directly from the college or university.

Upper class students have already scheduled their courses for next year, so you may find that some courses already have waitlists. Some of those courses will have seats reserved for first-year students. If you are on a waitlist, please see the tips below.

• First see if there is another section of the course open and consider adjusting your other courses if needed.
• If there is no open section of a waitlisted course you wish to enter, WE STRONGLY URGE that you find some other course that suits your interests and has open places and that you enroll in such a course instead of the waitlisted course (exceptions to this will be noted in the Departmental Advice).
• Note that signing up for a lab section that is full will mean that you are also waitlisted for the lecture, even if the lecture still has open seats. In other words, you may be able to find an open lab section that fits your schedule and be able to enroll in the lecture section of your choice.
• There will be fewer possibilities as the summer progresses, so it is best to enroll in four courses now. The waitlists allow us to track how many students need, or want, particular courses.

Special information regarding Biology waitlists: Students planning on majoring in Biology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BMB), or Health Sciences should enroll in the appropriate BIO 111 class in the fall OR join the waitlist for that class.

Special information regarding Chemistry waitlists: If you need to enroll in Chemistry 107 or 107-I and it is already full, please stay on the waitlist for Chemistry 107.

Our department chairs have provided the following information for first year students interested in pursuing courses in these areas. Pay close attention to the advice provided and visit each department’s website for additional information.