Admitted Undergraduate Students

You’re in! Now secure your spot in the incoming class by paying the $300 nonrefundable tuition deposit at https://www.otis.edu/deposit. Please also submit the Reply Form from your student portal. 

• • Spring Deposit Deadline: December 1
  • Fall Deposit Deadline*: 
    • Non-California Residents/International Students: May 15
    • California Residents: June 1

  After these dates, deposits will continue to be accepted as space remains available. 

  *The deposit deadline for California residents has been extended to June 1st due to Cal Grant data from the California Student Aid Commission being delayed to early to mid-May. Students who received a deadline extension were notified via email. Please contact Admissions at admissions@otis.edu with any questions.

• Admitted students who want to be considered for financial aid should review the Financial Aid Application Guide. 
  • Submitting the FAFSA (U.S. Citizens/Permanent Residents) or the CSS Profile (International Students) is the first step to applying for aid.
• Once you have applied and been awarded, you can view your financial aid and accept your awards on Dashboard at portal.otis.edu. Students with a U.S. address will also be sent an award letter via postal mail.
• Dashboard is a custom portal which allows you to view and accept your financial aid, pay your tuition bill, clear holds and much more. You can log in using your Otis ID number and password, which was provided to you on your acceptance letter. 

• On-campus housing in our Residence Hall and Park West Apartments is available for full-time students beginning in the fall and spring. To apply for housing, you will need to submit the $150 application fee at https://www.otis.edu/deposit along with your $300 tuition deposit. Housing can be limited, so it is recommended that you submit your housing application fee as soon you know you're interested. The priority deadline is May 1st for fall housing. 
• Once the application fee has been submitted, Residence Life and Housing will contact you via email with directions on how to complete the online Housing Application. You are not officially on the list for housing until you submit your application.  
• More information about Off Campus Housing options can be found here.
• For more information regarding the Residence Hall and required meal plans, visit the Residence Life and Housing page.

• All international students who require an F-1 visa must submit an I-20 Request Form, Financial Guarantee form and provide a bank statement documenting sufficient liquid assets of one year's estimated cost of attendance in order to be issued the I-20. 
• Current F-1 students must also submit the SEVIS Transfer-In Verification Form, to be completed by the DSO at their current institution.
• You will receive an email with specific instructions once you submit your $300 tuition deposit.  This documentation should be uploaded to the student portal or submitted via email to Admissions at admissions@otis.edu. We recommend that students complete this process as soon as possible after they deposit.

• Incoming students must take the Writing Placement Assessment (WPA) which is proctored by ProctorU over your webcam.
• You can register for an appointment by going to www.otis.edu/writingplacement. This will take you to ProctorU where you can set-up your profile with your personal email and schedule your appointment at a time convenient for you. Times are listed in the time zone that you select. Find out more about the WPA and the ProctorU platform here. 
• The WPA can be waived if a student has a prior Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution where English was the language of instruction or has received either a score of 590 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing test, 24 on the ACT ELA section or a score of 4-5 on the AP English Language or English Literature test or certain IB or A-Level scores. Transfer students who receive transfer credit for Writing in the Digital Age will also be waived from taking the WPA. See a complete list of ways to waive the WPA here. Please contact Admissions if you think that you should be waived from this requirement. Find out more about the WPA here.
• The WPA is a one-hour timed essay designed to assess your English reading and writing proficiency. The assessment is used to place you in the level-appropriate English course. You will not be able to register for classes until you have taken or been waived from the WPA, and attended Owl Onboarding.  
• The WPA must be completed before July 1.

You must fulfill the following requirements prior to registration (every semester) at portal.otis.edu: 

• Update your Emergency Notificaiton number- this is your cell/mobile phone number. It’s used for emergency notifications and is your primary contact number for the college. The international access field can be used for international phone numbers.
• Sign your Enrollment Agreement – these are the terms that you are agreeing to when you enroll at Otis. Sign your agreement electronically by entering your name. You can download a PDF for your records as well. 
• Go to the Dashboard at: portal.otis.edu and login with your Otis College credentials. You will see two buttons at the top "Emergency Notification Update” and "Complete Enrollment Agreement."

You will not be able to register for classes if these holds have not been cleared.  You will be instructed on how to clear these holds during Owl Onboarding (see step 6 above). 

In order to register for classes with an advisor over Zoom, all students must first complete the WPA online or be waived of the requirement, and attend Owl Onboarding. Once registration is open, deposited students who have completed WPA and Owl Onboarding will receive an email to set-up their Zoom advising appointment with an advisor. 

• All incoming students, both undergraduate and graduate students, are required to submit their immunization records, complete a TB screen and provide documentation of immunity to certain infectious diseases. If you do not complete required forms and turn in required documentation by the deadline, you will not be able to attend classes and will have a hold placed on your account. Incoming students are permitted to satisfy immunization requirements at the Student Health and Wellness Center prior to the start of the semester.
• Find forms and additional submission instructions here. 
• New incoming students for Fall should submit their Immunization and New Student Health forms by July 1.
• New incoming students for Spring should submit their Immunization and New Student Health forms by January 11. 

• From Dashboard, click "View my Tuition Statement" to see your bill. 
  • Fall Deadline: August 1st
  • Summer Deadline: June 1
  • Spring Deadline: January 8
• View our quick video on how to pay online here. To make a payment, click "Pay my Bill" from MyOtis. You will automatically be billed for Student Health Insurance and can waive it by completing the waiver process under Step 9. 
• You will want to accept your financial aid on the MyOtis before paying your bill or your balance may not be accurate.
• Payment Plans are available to split your remaining balance into either 6, 5, 4 or 3 payments spread out over the summer and fall semester. Learn more about payment plans here. 
• Please note that tuition increases on average 3% each year.

All students are required to submit final, official transcripts or graduation certificates/diplomas from all institutions attended confirming graduation date to the Admissions office. Transfer students with courses in progress must submit official final transcripts. Students who do not submit required documents by the start of classes will have holds placed on their accounts.