Advising by Year

Freshman Registration
Columbian College students will have their first contact with advising long before arriving on campus for their first semester.  Soon after they accept admittance to GW, all incoming CCAS students are enrolled in an online registration tutorial called First Class. Around this time, students will also hear via email from their assigned professional academic advisor, who will be available to students throughout the summer preceding their first semester. 

At Colonial Inauguration (CI), students will have a chance to meet with their professional academic advisor to discuss courses for the upcoming semester.  Students should come to their registration review session prepared with a list of courses they would like to take in their first semester, including a substantial number of back-up courses, as students’ first choice courses are often closed to freshmen.  The more prepared students are to meet with their advisor, the more productive the session will be.

Freshman Year
Students will work with their advisor during the year to make a plan of study for the next four years, begin the process of identifying majors, select appropriate courses to fulfill the General Education Requirements, review policies and procedures that affect their academic progress, and address any academic or other issues that arise. Students interested in medicine should meet with the Pre-Med (for students interested in becoming a physician) or Allied Health (for students interested in dentistry, veterinary medicine, physician assistant, physical therapy, or nursing) Academic Advisor.

Sophomore Year
During their second year, students will begin to investigate potential majors by speaking with departmental advisors in academic departments. Their professional academic advisors remain their advisors and will help put all of the individual pieces of students' academic interests and goals into a coherent plan, especially if students are interested in pursuing two majors, a minor, or a secondary field.

Students must declare a major in their fourth semester. At that time, they will have access to a departmental advisor in that academic discipline to discuss the specifics of the curricular requirements and cutting-edge ideas in their major field.

Students intending to go to law school should meet with the Pre-Law Advisor to discuss application processes and timelines.

Junior Year
Students have declared their majors, with many deciding to pursue a second major, a minor, or a secondary field. Junior year also witnesses more in-depth study, academic development opportunities, and extracurricular leadership experiences that graduate schools and employers value. Departmental advisors are available to discuss curricular requirements in the students' majors, helping to select courses based upon students’ interests and major requirements.  Many students decide to enhance their undergraduate education by studying abroad for a semester, a year, or a summer.  

Senior Year
The academic advisor will help students review their remaining graduation requirements to ensure all requirements are met. Additionally, the Undergraduate Studies Office has a Graduate School/Post-Baccalaureate Advisor to help students who are considering graduate schools or other educational opportunities after successful completion of their undergraduate degree. After students have submitted a graduation application, the academic advisors will review student records for graduation. Final clearance for graduation, which usually occurs within two to four weeks after all grades are entered, is carried out by the academic advisors in cooperation with the departmental advisors and academic departments.