Register for Commencement Week Events

Registration for Commencement Week events, including school celebrations and Commencement on the National Mall, is now open.

Student Registration Instructions

Graduating students, follow the steps below to register yourselves and your guests for GW Commencement, school celebrations and departmental receptions and ceremonies.

Tickets are required for all guests who will be 2 years of age, or older, by Commencement Week 2025. Any guest who will be younger than 2 years old does not require a ticket and must sit in the lap of a ticketed guest.

Graduating students have until 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, April 18, to verify their name pronunciation or provide a recording. They may continue to register and claim tickets through Wednesday, April 23, but will not have the option to verify their name pronunciation or record their name.

Create Your Account

1. Look for an email from [email protected] with the subject line "Register for Commencement Week."

Screenshot displays an email inbox highlighting an unread email from sender "Commencement" with subject line "register for commencement week"

2. Click the link in the email to log in using single sign-on with your GW UserID and password.

an example of an email with hyperlinked text "log in to register"

Login and Register for Events

1. Review the list of ceremonies you are eligible for. Click "Register" when you are ready to register for an event.

registration page shows a list of events with a red box identifying a register button

2. Indicate whether you will attend your main school celebration or ceremony.

A screenshot displays a question asking if you will attend your school celebration with radio buttons "yes" and "no"

3. Review the list of events, receptions, or ceremonies associated with your school, degree, or major. These are events for students in the majors or degree programs indicated in the event titles; you are not required to attend them. If you are attending you may be asked to indicate how many guests will attend. View a list of all school and departmental receptions and award ceremonies.

Please only attend receptions related to your major.

A screenshot of questions asking which reception events you would like to attend

Manage Guest Tickets

1. Select the number of tickets needed for guests planning to attend the celebration or ceremony.

A screenshot asking how many graduation celebration tickets you would like to select

2. If you selected the maximum number of Graduation Celebration Tickets, you have an opportunity to request additional tickets. Submitting a request does not guarantee additional tickets will be available. Students in the School of Business, School of Nursing, and the Graduate School of Education and Human Development have an opportunity to request additional tickets during registration on a first-come, first-served basis; additional tickets for those school celebrations are available while they last.

If you know a classmate that is eligible to attend the same event that does not need all of their tickets, they may transfer their extra tickets to you. You may then forward those tickets to your guests.

A screenshot of a question asking if you would like to request additional tickets

Indicate Accessibility Needs

Check the Commencement accessibility page for more details.

1. Indicate whether you need accessibility accommodations during the celebration.

A screenshot of a form question asking if you, the graduate, need accessibility accommodations during the celebration

2. If any of your guests need accessibility accommodations during the ceremony, indicate how many of them have needs, provide their contact information, and select the services they require.

A screenshot of a form question asking if your guests need accessibility accomodations, and if so, what their names are

Review Your Name and Pronunciation

1. Review your chosen name in the Graduate Information section. Any changes made will affect the name shown during your school celebration; it will not affect the name in your school’s program or your diploma. Visit the Registrar’s site for information on how to change the name that appears on your diploma.

A screenshot of the option to review graduate information

2. Review the phonetics of your name.

A screenshot of an example of the phonetic pronunciation field

3. Review the AI-powered audio recording of your name. If the pronunciation is correct, click Confirm. If it's incorrect, click Try Again to regenerate it up to two more times. If the pronunciation is still wrong, record your name and a professional reader will create a new audio file that will be used at your school celebration. If you haven’t verified by April 18th an AI-generated pronunciation will be used.

A screenshot of the ceremony name announcement section of the registration form

Complete Registration

1. Review all of the information on the summary page to make sure it is correct. If it is not, select the Back button to adjust your details. Otherwise, select Confirm to complete your registration and claim your guest tickets.

A screenshot of the information verification page

2. Look for the green check mark indicating that you have successfully registered for the event. You may edit your registration later, if needed.

3. Look for an email with "Registration Successful" in the subject line to confirm your registration for your celebration. You will receive a separate confirmation email for each celebration you attend, corresponding to each form you complete.

Screenshot displays an email inbox highlighting an unread email from sender "Commencement" with subject line "Commencement Week: Columbian College of Arts & Sciences Masters Program Registration Successful"

Send Guest Tickets

1. Click on the View Event button to view your guest tickets.

A confirmation message screen with a "view event" button

2. Email or print any of the requested tickets.

A screenshot displaying three available tickets with status notes "not yet sent"

Register for Additional Events

Click on Switch Event to register for other events you are eligible to attend Commencement Weekend.

A sample CCAS completed event registration with buttons to update my details or switch event

Modify Your Registration

If you need to change your registration, there is a link to do so in your confirmation email. Click on Log Back In.

Screenshot displays a celebration registration confirmation email with a circle highlighting the hyperlinked text "log back in"

Help Guests Locate Ticket

1. To help your guests locate their tickets, ask them to look for an email with "GW Commencement Week, Your Ticket Is Here" in the subject line.

2. Upon opening the email, click the link to access your ticket. The QR code can be printed, or shown on a phone or other device at the event. There is one ticket per email.

Sample confirmation email for a school celebration event

Important: Make sure each of your guests has a unique QR code and ticket number in the top right hand corner of the ticket. Any ticket that is re-sent will contain the same QR code as the previously sent version, and will only allow admission for one. Duplicate tickets will be denied entry to events.

Claim Additional Tickets

If you are in the School of Nursing, School of Business, or GSEHD, and received noticed that extra ticket(s) were applied to your account, log in to Tassel, and click the “Register” button under your school celebration. In the “Graduation Celebration Tickets” section, claim a new allotment of tickets. Complete the process by clicking “Submit”. Assign your new tickets to your guests using the same process that you assigned your first set of tickets. Additional tickets for these schools are available until they are depleted.

For all other schools and Commencement on the National Mall: If you are notified that extra tickets have been allocated to you, log into Tassel, and click “Access Guest Tickets” under your school celebration. Additional tickets will appear here. Assign your new tickets to your guests using the same process that you assigned your first set of tickets.

Important: For each event, make sure each guest has a unique QR code and ticket number in the top right hand corner of their ticket. Any ticket that is re-sent will contain the same QR code as the previously sent version, and will only allow admission for one. Duplicate tickets will be denied entry.

Faculty Registration Instructions

Please register via Tassel using the steps below to indicate your attendance at Commencement Week events. Faculty may register through Friday, May 2.

If you are a faculty member who is also graduating, register as a graduate using the student instructions.

Login and Register

1. Log in using single sign-on with your GW UserID and password.

2. Click on the Register button

An event registration page shows "not started" status and "register" button

Registering for Events

1. Indicate whether you plan to participate in Commencement Week by using the drop down to select “Yes” or “No.”

A yes or no question asks if you plan to participate in commencement week as faculty

2. Using the checkboxes, indicate how you will participate in events. You may select one or both options.

screenshot of question asking "how will you participate" with options as part of the stage party or as a guest in the audience

3. Using the checkboxes, select ceremonies from the list for which you will be part of the procession and/or that you will attend as a guest. Then click “Submit” at the bottom of the form.

question asking which events you will participate in as a stage party member

question asking which events you will participate in as a guest in the audience

Complete Registration

Review all of the information on the summary page to make sure it is correct. If it is not, select the Back button to adjust your details. Otherwise, select Confirm to complete your registration.

Accessing Your StagePass

1. Click on "View Event."

2. In the new window, you may view your StagePass or add it to your digital wallet.

A screenshot of the stagepass screen with buttons to add to wallet or view pass

3. StagePass (sample below) can be printed or shown digitally. Bring this to the ceremonies you attend.

A stagepass sample displaying a message, QR code and add to wallet buttons

4. Look for an email with "Commencement Week Registration Complete" in the subject line to confirm your registration.

Modify Your Registration

If you need to change your registration, there is a link to do so in your confirmation email. Click on Log Back In.

Support

If you experience issues or difficulty with your registration, please contact the Commencement Office at [email protected] and review the registration frequently asked questions.