New Student Orientation

New Student Orientation (NSO) is designed to help students acclimate to the college environment and have a successful start at Montgomery College. Our goal is to answer your questions, connect you to campus resources, and help you capitalize on your college experience. 

Online New Student Orientation (NSO)

MC’s interactive Online New Student Orientation is designed to introduce you to Montgomery College’s academic programs and requirements as well as to provide college resources that will help you acclimate to the college environment and get the most out of your MC experience.

During the orientation, you will find out which English or English as a Second Language (ESL) and possibly math course you have placed into and you will learn how those placements determine the courses you can take in your first semester. Completing the orientation provides an introduction to academic planning and is an important step in getting prepared for your first semester, selecting your courses, and getting registered.

All new Montgomery College students are required to complete the online orientation.

The online academic orientation can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It requires audio, although closed captioning is available for those preferring to read the recorded information. The orientation will take about 40 minutes to complete. You may complete it in one sitting or stop and return to where you left off at a later time, if you cannot complete it in one sitting. You may also need to clear your cache or history screen. Have your MyMC login information ready and sign in here to beginnew window.

You can sign-in to complete your orientation at least 48 hours after you have been admitted to the College and after you have either provided MC with information about your English level OR once you have determined your placement for English or English as a Second Language (ESL) through MC’s remote placement process. The list below shows the multiple ways you can obtain an English placement at Montgomery College:

You can start the online orientation if you have done one of the following:

• Submitted a qualifying English score to MC on the SAT, ACT, TOEFL or IELTS
• Submitted an official transcript to MC from a Maryland public high school with a qualifying grade point average
• Completed an English composition course at an American college or university (submit official transcript to MC Records & Registration)
• Completed the MC Remote Placement Process for either English or ESL (English as a Second Language)
• Find more information about the MC Remote Placement process here.

NOTE: It is important that you wait the required number of days before logging on to the online orientation; otherwise, you may not see your course placements.

In-Person New Student Orientation (NSO)

In-person New Student Orientation (NSO) has two options, Raptor 101 and Raptor Day. New students are welcome to participate in both and are strongly encouraged to participate in at least one of these options. During Raptor 101 and Raptor Day, students will participate in campus tours, have an opportunity to obtain a Student ID, interact with our Orientation Leaders, and attend information sessions that will answer questions, connect students to campus resources, and prepare students for a smooth start to their college career. 

Raptor 101 is a shorter session that lasts approximately three hours while Raptor Day is a full day that includes breakout sessions and a resource fair where students can learn about academic programs and support programs on campus. There will be an opportunity for students to receive giveaways and engage in fun activities as well.