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Graduate Student-at-Large (Non-Degree Seeking)

Reply to Offer of Admission

Let us know if you plan to attend NEIU! This will help us prepare for your arrival and guide you through the important next steps. Access the “Intent to Enroll” button by logging into your applications portal at neiu.edu/apply:

  • Access your Application Status Portal
  • Scroll down to the Application Checklist
  • Click on Reply to Offer of Admission
  • Select your response to the admission offer
  • Submit your response

Set Up Your NEIUport Account

First, activate your account in NEIUport, the University’s secure online portal, so you can access information, your Nmail, online tools, services and more. Once activated, explore the Current Student tab in NEIUport to learn how to:

  • Check the status of financial aid awards (if applicable).
  • Look up, register, and pay for classes.
  • Locate forms and academic resources information.
  • Inform the University about changes to your contact information.
  • View your academic profile, unofficial transcript, and any holds on your account.
  • Check your end-of-semester grades.
  • Use the Degree Evaluation tool to model how your credits will count towards fulfilling the requirements for any undergraduate degree program at Northeastern Illinois University.

Nmail is your University-issued email account. You will be provided with your Nmail address during the NEIUport activation process. The password you create for NEIUport will be the same password you will use to log in to your Nmail account. 

Official University communications will be sent to your Nmail account. You will be responsible for reading and responding to these communications, so please be sure to check your Nmail daily.

N-Safe is the system the University uses to provide students, faculty and staff with security and school closure alerts. Sign up for N-Safe and choose how you'd like notifications to be sent to you – by email and/or text message.

After activating your NEIUport account, you can access additional University accounts and Student Computing Services (SCS) computer lab workstations at all Northeastern locations. Use your NETID/username and the password you created when you activate your NEIUport account to access the workstations and your other Northeastern online accounts.

Desire to Learn (D2L) is an online learning environment that houses syllabi, course materials and tools you will use for many of the courses you will take at Northeastern. D2L also enables you to communicate with the faculty members teaching your courses and your classmates. Familiarize yourself with D2L before your first day of classes.

Register for Classes

After meeting with your Graduate Advisor, peruse the class schedule and register for classes via NEIUport.

Provide immunization records

All students must provide documentation of immunization/vaccination history to Northeastern Illinois University Student Health Services. Instructions are available online. Discounted vaccinations and free immunization reviews are available at NEIU Student Health Services.

All students are required to provide documentation of COVID-19 vaccination or a COVID-19 vaccination exemption form to the NEIU Health Portal. Students who are approved for a COVID-19 vaccination exemption are required to submit weekly test results. Return to Campus-Student Information has further details. Additionally, proof of other routine immunizations must be submitted to NEIU Student Health Services. Instructions are available online.

Additional Information

Deferring Your Admission

To request a deferral of your application or admission for up to one year, please log into your application portal and complete the Deferment Request of Application or Admission Form.

Placement Test Preparation

  1. Placement Testing
  2. Placement Test Preparation

Take me to the resource links!

Placement tests help us assess which college courses you should take during your studies at Northeastern. It’s important that you understand the placement test sections and why you have to take the tests.

It’s also important to practice, practice, practice before you take the tests. Once you take the test, you can interpret your test scores to see which courses you can take during your first year.

Northeastern’s placement testing is composed of two tests: English (reading and writing) and math – for a total of three sections. Click on the tab "More about the Test" for further details.

About the Test

By practicing for the English and math placement tests, you increase your chances of entering into higher-level English and math courses during your first year at Northeastern. This will be beneficial in both time and money, as you’ll be advancing in your studies earlier and saving tuition dollars along the way.

Northeastern uses the College Board’s Accuplacer to administer the placement tests in Math and English.

Math

  • Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics (20 multiple choice questions)
  • Advanced Algebra and Functions (20 multiple choice questions) (given only with a score 250 or higher on the Quantitative Reasoning test)

English

  • Reading (25 multiple choice questions)
  • Writing ( (300-600 word essay)
  • NEIU Reading and Writing Survey (optional. You will take this if you place into any ELP or READ class.) (10 multiple choice questions and 300-600 word essay)
    Results will be available 5-7 days after you complete the survey.

Accuplacer PREPARATION RESOURCES

Begin practicing today with Accuplacer’s practice tests – all tests and resources are free!

General Resources

Accuplacer Math Sample Questions (pdf files)

Writing Placement

When evaluating your essay, we are looking for a combination of elements including development of ideas (saying enough to not only convey the information, but give a sense of its importance), overall organization, and grammatical control.

Review these sample essays, along with the analysis of their strengths and weaknesses. There are many ways of obtaining a particular score, so these should not be taken as templates or models to follow. Yet, they provide some examples of the ways that the scoring criteria may be applied:

​WritePlacer Guide with Sample Essays

Additional resources

  • Accuplacer is a popular testing platform, and has many resources on the web. Just google "Accuplacer Next Generation preparation" to see what other free resources are available.

  • After practicing with the above resources, you may also take advantage of Northeastern’s tutoring services for additional preparation. The Learning Success Center offers math and writing tutoring by appointment during their hours of operation. To make an appointment with a tutor at the Learning Success Center, please visit their webpage.

Math

The math placement test places students in the appropriate math course so they can be successful in Northeastern’s coursework and requirements. Students cannot register for any math course without prior testing or college-level coursework.

Freshmen

All entering freshmen students are given several options for placement into a math course:

  • ACT/SAT math score OR

  • Math placement test

Students are encouraged to take the math placement test because Northeastern accepts the higher score. We encourage you to do your best to place higher so that you can save time and money.

Students who do not submit ACT or SAT scores must take the math placement test. Students who have submitted ACT/SAT math scores can be placed directly into a math course solely based on their ACT/SAT math score (see Interpreting Your Test Scores, click on the third tab).

The exemptions from taking the math placement test are:

  • Freshmen with an ACT math score of 28 or higher OR an SAT math score of 640 or higher cannot place any higher by taking the test.

  • Freshmen with an ACT math score of 25-27 OR an SAT math score of 580-630 have met the Math/Quantitative Reasoning Requirement without taking a course but can still place higher by taking the test.

  • Freshmen who receive a score of '3' or higher on the AP calculus test.

Transfer Students

Transfer students who have not successfully completed college-level coursework in math at their prior institution are required to take the math placement test.

The exceptions to this policy are:

  • Transfer students who receive a grade of 'C' or better in Intermediate Algebra at their transfer institution. However, since Intermediate Algebra is not a college-level course, they will be required to provide proof of course completion in the form of an unofficial transcript to the Mathematics Department in order to obtain permission to register for appropriate math courses at Northeastern.

  • Transfer students who have submitted their ACT/SAT math scores can be placed into a math course solely based on their ACT/SAT math score (see Interpreting Your Test Scores, click on the third tab).

English

The Reading and Writing placement test and survey are tools used to place students in appropriate reading and composition courses that are needed to satisfy Northeastern’s English composition requirement, and enhance the skills needed to be successful in general education and major courses

The Reading and Writing placement tests are given to all incoming freshmen with a high school GPA below 3.25, as well as international and transfer students, who have not completed ENGL 101 or an equivalent course with a grade of “C” or better at their previous institution.