Prepare for Success
As a Freshman or a First Time In College student, completing New Student Orientation is one of the steps you must complete before registering for courses. Only iCollin Students have the option of completing orientation online, all other students will attend an in-person session. There is no charge for students to complete New Student Orientation.
In-Person New Student Orientation Session
Advance registration is required to attend a New Student Orientation In-Person session.
New Student Orientation is not a come-and-go event.
Students must be admitted to Collin College and complete the TSI before attending
an in-person orientation event.
View the available Fall 2025 Orientation Dates
C.A.T. Camp (Cougars Achieve Together)
If you have completed Orientation and are registered for courses, take the next step
to prepare for your educational journey at Collin College with C.A.T. Camp.
This FREE, interactive session will provide new students with some in-depth resources,
tips, and tricks from current Collin students that will help new students build campus
connections and start feeling like part of the Collin College Community. Visit the C.A.T. Camp Website for more information.
Fall 2025 dates are:
• August 13: McKinney Campus
• August 21: Plano Campus
Registration will open for First-Generation College students* on May 1. All other students can register beginning July 1.
*A First-Generation College Student is a student whose parents did not complete a college/university
degree or college certification in the United States.
New Student Orientation Agenda
- Welcome and Introductions
- Registration Holds
- Understanding Your Academic Plan
- Student Services and Campus Resources
- Collin College Policies and Expectations
- Opportunity to Speak with an Academic Advisor and Register for Courses
Event lasts three (3) hours. (Some evening events may be shortened due to time constraints.)
New Student Orientation FAQs
All First Time in College (FTIC) students at Collin College are required to complete New Student Orientation in-person before registering for classes. Only iCollin students will complete online orientation.
It is FREE! Students sign-up through our Eventbrite website to attend a New Student Orientation session.
Please email orientation@collin.edu to request an exemption for the in-person New Student Orientation sessions.
Each New Student Orientation session lasts three (3) hours, which includes time to speak with an academic advisor and receive assistance registering for courses. Students are expected to attend the entire session to have the registration hold removed and complete course registration.
Orientation will be held on campus in multiple locations. Details about specific rooms, parking, and check-in procedures will be emailed shortly before the start of the event. Signs will also be placed around campus to help you find check-in.
Yes, you can attend New Student Orientation on any of the campuses, when scheduled. The information presented is the same.
Yes. At the end of each New Student Orientation session, students who have all registration holds removed will be registering for courses.
All of the offices are available before or after New Student Orientation (except for weekend events and some evening sessions). New Student Orientation session is not a come-and-go event.
Student ID Cards are available to students at the Office of Student Engagement after registering for courses and allowing at least 24 hours after enrolling in courses to have their ID Card made. Students who are primarily taking courses online can request their Student ID online through Collin College’s Student Involvement Platform, Cougar Connect. Students will need to log in using their Collin College login information and complete the "Online Student ID Form” that can be found in the forms tab. Once a student has met all of the requirements, the ID will be mailed directly to the student.
Food will not be provided during the sessions.
Please bring a notepad and something to write with, as you will be receiving a lot of important information. But also, bring a willingness to learn about all that Collin College has to offer and learn about course registration.
Parents and guests over 18 years old may attend a New Student Orientation session. When you register through Eventbrite, just indicate that you will have a plus-one. Guests will sit separately from the student throughout the event and will be admitted into the session, if space allows. Collin College offers a Parent & Family Online Orientation. We also have a Parent & Family Online Orientation in Spanish.
It is against Collin College policy for students, parents, or guests to bring children under the age of 18 to new student orientation or to class. The exception is if the child under 18 is registering for courses at Collin College in the next term.
No. Students should complete the TSI assessment (or have an approved exemption) before attending New Student Orientation session. The test may last up to five (5) hours. Prior to taking the TSI, students must complete a Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA). You can also schedule to take the TSI test.
There will not be a campus resource fair during New Student Orientation. There will be an opportunity to connect with campus resources during the C.A.T. Camp events and Week of Welcome once classes start.
C.A.T. Camp FAQs
Once you have completed Orientation, take the next step to prepare you for your educational journey at Collin College with C.A.T. Camp (Cougars Achieve Together). This FREE, interactive session will provide new students with some in-depth resources, tips, and tricks from current students, connections to campus, and help you feel a part of the Collin College Community. This event is for new students at Collin College who have already completed orientation and registered for courses!
C.A.T. Camp will occur in August prior to the fall semester. Registration for all C.A.T. Camp events will begin on July 1.
It is FREE! Students sign-up to attend a C.A.T. Camp event, after completing the Online Orientation and registering courses, through our Eventbrite website.
Food will be provided during the event.
Due to space restrictions, we are unable to accommodate parents, children, or guests during C.A.T. Camp. Collin College does offer a Parent & Family Online Orientation. We also have a Parent & Family Online Orientation in Spanish. It is against Collin College policy for students, parents, or guests to bring children under the age of 18 to new student orientation or to class. The exception is if the child under 18 is registering for courses at Collin College in the next term.
Additional New Student Orientation Information
- Parents & Families Resources
- Parent & Family Online Orientation - will not satisfy mandatory orientation hold
- Parent & Family Online Orientation (SPANISH VERSION) - will not satisfy mandatory orientation hold
- Campus Tours
- First Year Experience
- New Student Orientation Directions
New Student Orientation Staff
Collin College has an amazing staff of professionals and students who plan, coordinate, and execute each New Student Orientation session. Our Student Ambassadors attend each event to serve as academic and social role models and mentor new students at Collin College. To learn more about the Student Ambassador Position or if you have any questions contact us at orientation@collin.edu or 972.881.5788.
NODA - The Association for Orientation, Transition and Retention in Higher Education.
Collin College is an institutional member of NODA. New Student Orientation has received the following NODA recognitions:
- 2014 NODA Region IV Outstanding Undergraduate Student - Monnika Young
- 2015 NODA Region IV Outstanding Undergraduate Student-Two Year Institution - Crystal Martinez
- 2020 NODA Region IV Outstanding Undergraduate Student-Two Year Institution - Samar Rawas
- 2020 NODA Region IV Outstanding OTR Professional Award - Stephen Rogers
- 2020 NODA (International) Outstanding OTR Professional Award - Stephen Rogers
- 2021 NODA Region IV Outstanding Undergraduate Student-Two Year Institution - Rania Rawas
- 2021 NODA (International) Outstanding Undergraduate Student - Rania Rawas
- 2022 NODA Region IV Innovative Program - C.A.T. Camp
- 2022 NODA Region IV Outstanding Undergraduate Student-Two Year Institution - Sandy Faragalla
- 2023 NODA Region IV Outstanding Undergraduate Student-Two Year Institution - Talitha Agudelo
- 2024 NODA Region IV Outstanding Undergraduate Student-Two Year Institution - Ismael Raul Villa