Incoming Students
Welcome to the Office of First and Second Year Advising
First and Second Year Advising (FSYA) is excited to work with new students and families this summer. We'll be providing a lot of important academic information, along with helping students register for fall classes, so please consider this your starting place for your work with our team. We have lots of great information and resources here for you. We look forward to meeting you!
First and Second Year Advising: Welcome New Students!
Welcome from FSYA Director
A welcome message from the Director for First and Second Year Advising.
Important Dates and Communications
See all important dates and deadlines for advising and registration, webinar dates, and all communications that will be sent out over the summer to students.
Fall Class Registration Recommendations
Want to know what to classes to register for? This section lists by major what is suggested for you to take your first semester. It also includes tips and things to consider based on your program and major.
SOAR Leaders
Connect with our Summer Onboarding, Advising, and Registration (SOAR) Leaders to support you through the registration process. These are fellow students who have been through all this before and are available for guidance and to share their experiences.
Understanding Graduation Requirements
Find out about general requirements students must fulfill in order to graduate from Loyola.
Developing Your Academic Plan
If you are curious already about planning for semesters beyond this first fall, this page provides information and tips for how to understand and design a pathway for completing your requirements.
Advising and Technology Videos
See helpful videos about advising topics and technologies at Loyola University Chicago.
LOCUS Search Tips and Tricks
LOCUS is the website used at Loyola for course registration and searching. See detailed information about how to search for specific classes in LOCUS, as well as common errors students encounter.
Explanation of Common Terms
Universities are full of new acronyms and terms you might not be familiar with yet. See explanations for common terms or phrases often used by academic advisors at Loyola.
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out common questions that incoming freshmen and their families ask about academic advising and registering for the first time.
Information about Accommodations and Accessibility - The Student Accessibility Center (SAC) supports, serves and empowers Loyola University Chicago students with disabilities to access the same educational opportunities as their peers. Students seeking academic and/or student life-related accommodations are encouraged to begin the process to register with the SAC as soon as possible since accommodations are not retroactive. Therefore, the SAC recommends students complete registration before the beginning of their first semester. Residential life accommodations need to be determined prior to housing placements being assigned, so please fill out and submit the SAC Residential Life Accommodation Request Form by 4/6/26. Reasonable accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis after reviewing information gathered from student meetings and supporting documentation. For more information about SAC’s documentation guidelines, and to begin your application, visit luc.edu/sac/applywithsac. Please email sac@LUC.edu or call by phone at 773.508.3700 if you have any additional questions regarding the accommodations process.
Welcome to the Office of First and Second Year Advising
First and Second Year Advising (FSYA) is excited to work with new students and families this summer. We'll be providing a lot of important academic information, along with helping students register for fall classes, so please consider this your starting place for your work with our team. We have lots of great information and resources here for you. We look forward to meeting you!
Welcome from FSYA Director
A welcome message from the Director for First and Second Year Advising.
Important Dates and Communications
See all important dates and deadlines for advising and registration, webinar dates, and all communications that will be sent out over the summer to students.
Fall Class Registration Recommendations
Want to know what to classes to register for? This section lists by major what is suggested for you to take your first semester. It also includes tips and things to consider based on your program and major.
SOAR Leaders
Connect with our Summer Onboarding, Advising, and Registration (SOAR) Leaders to support you through the registration process. These are fellow students who have been through all this before and are available for guidance and to share their experiences.
Understanding Graduation Requirements
Find out about general requirements students must fulfill in order to graduate from Loyola.
Developing Your Academic Plan
If you are curious already about planning for semesters beyond this first fall, this page provides information and tips for how to understand and design a pathway for completing your requirements.
Advising and Technology Videos
See helpful videos about advising topics and technologies at Loyola University Chicago.
LOCUS Search Tips and Tricks
LOCUS is the website used at Loyola for course registration and searching. See detailed information about how to search for specific classes in LOCUS, as well as common errors students encounter.
Explanation of Common Terms
Universities are full of new acronyms and terms you might not be familiar with yet. See explanations for common terms or phrases often used by academic advisors at Loyola.
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out common questions that incoming freshmen and their families ask about academic advising and registering for the first time.
Information about Accommodations and Accessibility - The Student Accessibility Center (SAC) supports, serves and empowers Loyola University Chicago students with disabilities to access the same educational opportunities as their peers. Students seeking academic and/or student life-related accommodations are encouraged to begin the process to register with the SAC as soon as possible since accommodations are not retroactive. Therefore, the SAC recommends students complete registration before the beginning of their first semester. Residential life accommodations need to be determined prior to housing placements being assigned, so please fill out and submit the SAC Residential Life Accommodation Request Form by 4/6/26. Reasonable accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis after reviewing information gathered from student meetings and supporting documentation. For more information about SAC’s documentation guidelines, and to begin your application, visit luc.edu/sac/applywithsac. Please email sac@LUC.edu or call by phone at 773.508.3700 if you have any additional questions regarding the accommodations process.