How and When to Register
Newly admitted students register for courses on a different timeline for their first fall semester at Rice. New students register during Orientation Week (O-Week) after attending several academic advising events. Therefore, it is not recommended students create concrete academic plans before matriculation, nor in isolation of the academic resources and events Rice provides during O-Week and thereafter.
Instructions on how to waitlist a course with the new registration system can be found here.
During spring semester, first year students and upperclassmen follow the same registration procedures. The Office of the Registrar provides extensive step-by-step instructions as well as general registration tips. Spring registration normally occurs in November, while fall registration occurs in April. Summer registration also begins during the spring and can offer anywhere from two to three summer sessions. All students use the ESTHER Course Registration Planner to select their desired courses and are able to add and drop via the ESTHER system thereafter.
Registration Tools
There are a few tools that can be used to help with the course registration process:
Course Registration via ESTHER
Registration Instructions and Help Guides
For specific instructions and help during the registration process, the following documents may be helpful:
ESTHER Course Registration Request Process: Step-by-Step Instructions
How to Resolve Registration Holds
Wait-List Frequently Asked Questions
Special Registration (The Special Registration Request Form can be found at this link.)
Registration Related Information
Academic Advising Intervention Points 2021-2022