CUNY registration checklist: what to do before your enrollment appointment

A week or more before

Do these early. They cause the most last-minute panic.

• Find your enrollment date and time in CUNYfirst: Student Center, then Course Planning and Enrollment, then Enrollment Dates. Appointments are assigned by your college and usually depend on your class standing.
• Look for holds on your account (bursar, advisement, immunization and others). A hold can stop you from registering at all, and some take days to clear.
• Talk to your advisor or check your degree audit so you know which requirements you still need.
• Check prerequisites for the classes you want. Registration will block you from a class if you have not met them.

Build the plan

List the classes you need, then find two or three possible sections for each. Check days, times, travel between campuses, and your work shifts. Professor ratings and difficulty are worth a look for courses where you have a choice.

Aim for a main schedule and a backup. Popular sections fill within minutes of an appointment opening, so decide ahead of time what you will take instead.

The day of

• Sign in to CUNYfirst a few minutes early. Do not wait until the exact minute.
• Enroll in your most important, most competitive classes first.
• If a section is full, try the waitlist, then move to your backup. Do not lose the rest of your schedule chasing one class.
• Check your schedule and your bill afterward.

After you register

Know your add and drop deadlines; the CUNY academic calendar lists them for each term. If a class you wanted was full, set a seat alert and keep an eye on it through the first week.