Degree programme choice orientation

The SOrT is Sapienza’s integrated student guidance service. It has a central office on the University campus and additional desks located within the Faculties. At the SOrT offices, students can obtain more specific information about Faculties and degree programs, as well as support in making informed choices.
The central office and Faculty staff coordinate incoming guidance and tutoring activities, manage relationships with secondary schools and their guidance coordinators, promote support actions during the delicate transition from school to university, provide assistance to enrolled students, and offer information on academic programs and the administrative procedures required for admission.

Guidance Initiatives and Projects:
1. “Porte aperte alla Sapienza” (Open Days at Sapienza)
This annual event, held at the main campus, is the most important initiative for prospective first-year students. Over three orientation days, participants can meet professors and students, receive information, and attend presentations of all university programs in the Aula Magna. The initiative targets all those interested in enrolling in Sapienza’s Bachelor’s degrees, Single-cycle Master’s degrees, and Master’s degrees, with particular attention to final-year secondary school students. The event offers an opportunity for all stakeholders to learn about Sapienza, its academic offerings, study spaces, cultural venues, and student services (libraries, study rooms, museums, residences, sports facilities, university theater). Information is also provided on administrative procedures and admission requirements. To promote inclusive environments and access to higher education, the Office for Students with Disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (DSA) offers guidance on personalized study plans and available didactic, financial, or logistical support, and advises students on the necessary medical documentation.

2. “Orientamento Sapienza” Online Portal
To support students in choosing their study path, the University has created an online portal (https://orientamento.uniroma1.it/english.html) that provides an immersive preview of university life. Visitors can explore the campus, classrooms, labs, libraries, theater, and sports facilities through videos and interactive media. The portal also offers online modules on key topics covered in the courses, and tools to assess and strengthen preparation for admission or knowledge tests. It serves as the main access point for information on guidance events organized by Faculties and Departments and hosts presentation videos of Faculties and degree programs, especially newly established ones. The portal is also available in English for international students.

3. “A Bridge Between School and University” Project
This project supports the transition of secondary school students into university life. It includes two initiatives:
a) “La Sapienza si presenta” – Presentations of Faculties and sample lectures held by Sapienza professors for secondary school students.
b) “La Sapienza degli studenti” – Visits to schools featuring presentations of university services and testimonials from trained student mentors and senior students.

4. Self-assessment Tools (developed and scientifically validated by Sapienza specialists)
a. “Conosci te stesso” (Know Yourself): Helps students reflect on their study choices and provides personality, academic, and professional profiles.
b. “Io, me e gli altri” (Me, Myself, and Others): Measures soft skills relevant for social and professional integration.

5. “Orientamento in rete” (Networked Guidance)
A project aimed at supporting preparation for admission tests to biomedical and psychology programs. It includes a preparatory course with an initial online phase and a second in-person intensive phase, designed for final-year secondary school students.

6. “Percorsi per le Competenze Trasversali e per l’Orientamento – PCTO” (former school–work alternation)
A teaching approach that allows high school students to gain hands-on experience, strengthen their knowledge, test their aptitudes, and make informed choices about their future study path.

7. “Orientamento Next Generation (ONG)”
A regional project funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), designed to help students in Lazio choose their post-secondary educational paths and define their personal and professional trajectory.
Sapienza faculty members deliver a 15-hour training program, structured into five 3-hour modules, covering topics such as:

  • Part A: Why studying matters
  • Part B: How studying at university works
  • Part C: How to prepare for university
  • Part D: Self-discovery and future goals
  • Part E: Possible professional pathways

8. Preparation for Admission Tests
Sapienza uses the CISIA Online Tests (TOLC), which can be taken by secondary school students. Through the CISIA portal, students can practice using the Student Placement Tests (PPS), which provide immediate feedback based on previous test-takers’ performance.

9. “Saperi Minimi”
This project offers recorded lessons by university professors aimed at reinforcing the foundational knowledge required for university study. Mathematics lectures are especially useful for consolidating essential skills at the beginning of the academic journey.

10. “Of@Sapienza”
To improve preparation for admission tests and reduce Additional Learning Requirements (OFA) in Italian and Mathematics, the Of@Sapienza e-learning platform provides tools for self-paced practice and review.

11. Guidance Events
All orientation events organized by the University, Faculties, Departments, and Degree Programs are listed chronologically at: https://www.uniroma1.it/en/pagina/iniziative-orientamento

Sapienza also organizes meetings with schools and individual guidance sessions to illustrate services for students with disabilities and DSA. The Office for Students with Disabilities and DSA evaluates the need for individualized admission test accommodations based on submitted documentation and provides support during the enrollment process.
Students may request compensatory measures (e.g., dedicated room, extra time, reader or assistant, LIS interpreter, calculator) following the procedures outlined in admission notices.
The office also supports newly enrolled vulnerable students through specialized tutors, peer tutors, and LIS interpreters.

Specific Degree Program Activities
In addition to University-wide initiatives, the Department organizes its own activities. The main annual event is “Open DIAG”, where the Department of Computer, Control, and Management Engineering (DIAG) presents its degree programs to prospective students. Participants can attend information sessions with faculty and current students and visit DIAG’s teaching and research laboratories.
The event includes:

  • a first day dedicated to upper secondary schools, with guided tours and presentations of the Computer and Control Engineering program in the Aula Magna;
  • a second day dedicated to lower secondary schools.

The degree program also conducts outreach visits to high schools in Rome and participates in the Faculty’s orientation day held in Sapienza’s Aula Magna.

Some initiatives involve faculty participation in STEM promotion activities aimed at younger generations, with particular attention to overcoming gender stereotypes and increasing female participation. One notable example is the “G4Greta” project (https://g4greta.di.uniroma1.it/home).

The Degree Program Council (CAD) also promotes communication initiatives for the general public through social media and press channels. 

The program uses the CISIA Online Engineering Test (TOLC-I), accessible to all secondary school students via the CISIA portal, with preparation supported by PPS practice tests. Through the “Saperi Minimi” project, the University offers recorded lectures by professors to strengthen incoming skills—especially in Mathematics.

The Sapienza Orientation Portal (also available in English) offers an immersive experience of university life through videos and imagery, including the program’s presentation video:
https://youtu.be/jMmrL7YcsGA

All prospective students may contact the SOrT Office using the information available on the degree program’s website and on the Faculty and SOrT pages.