How to Access and Complete the MDC Shark Start Intake Form

The MDC Shark Start intake form is a short online questionnaire you complete through Miami Dade College’s portal before your Shark Start Orientation date. Advisors use what you enter to build your first-semester schedule, so the form has to be done before you walk into orientation.

Who Has to Complete It

The intake form is a required pre-orientation step for first-time-in-college students, which includes recent high school graduates and adults starting college for the first time.1Miami Dade College. Shark Start Orientation If you’re a returning MDC student or a transfer student who already holds college credit from somewhere else, orientation is optional and the intake form may not apply to you at all.2Miami Dade College. Do I Need to Attend Orientation Dual enrollment students follow a separate admissions track.3Miami Dade College. Eligibility

What to Have Ready Before You Open the Form

Gather these first. Trying to track them down mid-form is where most people get stuck.

Your MDID. This is the random 10-digit student number MDC assigns after you’ve been accepted. Domestic first-time students receive it by mail and at the email address on their admission application; international students receive theirs by email only. If you’ve lost it, log into myMDC to view it, or stop by the Admissions and Registration Office at any campus.4Miami Dade College. What Is My Student ID Number

An active myMDC account. Setting one up requires your student number or Social Security number, your name, and your date of birth. Once it’s active, you log in at my.mdc.edu, which also opens the door to MDConnect for holds, tasks, and your financial agreement.5Miami Dade College. MDC Student Portal

You’ll also want:

  • Your intended major, worded exactly as it appears on your admission application. If the major you want has changed, you’ll need a separate Change of Major Form through the advising office rather than editing it inside the intake form.6Miami Dade College. Admissions and Advising
  • A current phone number and your permanent mailing address.
  • Your academic background, meaning your high school coursework and any previous college experience. Advisors use this for course placement.

How to Open the Form

The intake form lives on MDC’s Dynamic Forms platform. There are two ways in:

  • Go to the Shark Start Orientation page at mdc.edu/orientation and click the direct link to the Sharks Intake Form.
  • Log into MDConnect and work through the orientation checklist, which links to the form in sequence.

Either route will prompt you to authenticate with your MDC credentials before the form loads.1Miami Dade College. Shark Start Orientation

What the Form Asks

MDC describes the purpose in a single line: “Help us get to know you by completing the Sharks Intake Form. This will help us make your first semester schedule and better support you as you make the transition to MDC.”1Miami Dade College. Shark Start Orientation

In practice, the fields fall into four buckets: personal details, contact information, academic history, and your program of study. Fill each field carefully. The data feeds directly to the advisor who will build your schedule, so a wrong major or an outdated phone number creates problems later.

Submitting and Confirming

Before you submit, a verification screen lets you review every entry. Some sections may ask you to type your full legal name as an electronic signature certifying the information is accurate. After you hit submit, your browser should show a confirmation page or success notification. If nothing appears, don’t assume it failed. Check your MDC email first for a confirmation message.

If You Hit a Hold or Can’t Log In

If MDConnect blocks you from reaching the form, the problem is usually a hold on your account. Open the “Tasks” tile and look under “Resolve your Holds/Tasks.” Two common holds have fast self-service fixes:

  • The SDB Student Required Info Hold is cleared by opening Student Parent Info and answering the federal reporting questions about single-parent and displaced-homemaker status.
  • The Financial Agreement Hold is cleared by opening the Financial Obligation Agreement, reading it, checking Accept, clicking Save, then Next. This same step is a required pre-orientation task, so it’s worth doing early.

For login failures, password resets, or any portal error, call the MDC IT Helpdesk at 305-237-2505 or email ITHelpDesk@mdc.edu, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.7Miami Dade College. IT Support For problems tied to your admissions record or a hold the self-service fix won’t clear, the College Registrar’s Office at any campus can help.8Miami Dade College. Registration

Where the Intake Form Fits in the Pre-Orientation Checklist

The intake form is one of six steps MDC asks you to finish before orientation. Doing them out of order is fine, but all of them have to be done before your scheduled Shark Start date:1Miami Dade College. Shark Start Orientation

  • Select your Shark Start Orientation date through the scheduling tool linked on the orientation page.
  • Log into Navigate, MDC’s personalized to-do list app, and opt in to text reminders.
  • Complete the Sharks Intake Form.
  • Accept the Financial Obligation Agreement in MDConnect. Skipping this creates a hold that blocks class enrollment.
  • Complete Online Shark Prep, a presentation covering MDC’s programs, services, and opportunities.
  • Download the apps you’ll use day to day: MyMDC, Navigate Student, Gmail for your MDC email, and LiveSafe.

At orientation itself, you’ll meet your support team, learn about your academic program, tour your campus, and leave with your first-semester schedule. If something comes up and you miss your session, contact your campus New Student Center to reschedule.1Miami Dade College. Shark Start Orientation