Undergraduate Orientation and Arrival

The Undergraduate Orientation team welcomes all new students to Tufts. We are excited for your arrival and are currently preparing for a vibrant, meaningful, and inviting experience as you transition to the Jumbo community. The Undergraduate Orientation website will be updated throughout the spring and summer, keeping students and families updated on important information regarding fall arrival.

Arrival

The official new student arrival day is Tuesday, August 29, 2023. The logistics of arrival, including time and location, are still to be determined. Updates will be communicated over the summer and posted on the Undergraduate Orientation website and the Office of Residential Life and Learning website. New students participating in one of the nine Pre-Orientation programs will arrive Thursday, August 24, 2023. Additional information is detailed below.

New students NOT participating in a Pre-Orientation program should plan their arrival for Tuesday, August 29, 2023.

Optional Pre-Orientation Programs

The nine optional Pre-Orientation programs will take place prior to Undergraduate Orientation. Interested new students will be able to begin registering on May 30 when the New Student Checklist opens. The deadline to register for a program is June 15. Program placement will be sent out later in June and final confirmation and payment will be due in July. The fee to participate in a Pre-Orientation program is $450.00. For students receiving financial aid, Pre-Orientation costs are pro-rated based on financial aid percentages. A student’s fee for Pre-Orientation does not impact a financial aid award in any way. Updated information on all programs will be communicated over the summer and posted on the Pre-Orientation website.

Pre-Orientation Program Participant Arrival Dates

Pre-Orientation move-in will be Thursday, August 24, 2023. The Pre-Orientation programs are:

TWO (Tufts Wilderness Orientation)
CAFE (Conversation, Action, Faith, and Education)
FOCUS (First Year Orientation CommUnity Service)
BEAST (Building Engagement and Access for Students at Tufts)
CREATE (Cultivating Relationships while Engaging with Arts at Tufts Experiences)
FIT (Fitness and Individual Development at Tufts)
GO (Global Orientation)
SQUAD (Students Quest for Unity in the African Diaspora)
SHAPE (Students Heightening Actionable Political Engagement)

Note: Pre-Orientation Programs will end by Tuesday, August 29, 2023. Undergraduate Student Orientation for all new students begins on Wednesday, August 30, 2023.

Undergraduate Orientation

Undergraduate Orientation for all new students, including incoming transfer students, will run from August 30 – September 4, 2023. The first day of classes will be Tuesday, September 5. The full schedule of 2023 Orientation is yet to be determined and will be released over the summer as plans develop. Updates can be found on the Orientation website.

Parent and Family Programming;

At this time Parent and Family Orientation and welcome programming is to be deteremined, and will be announced as the planning develops during the spring and summer. Families will be welcomed on campus for their students’ move-in day for optional family programming. The Annual Matriculation Ceremony will be Wednesday, August 30, 2023. Families are welcomed to join in person or virtually for the Matriculation Ceremony.

Information from last year and links to programs can be found on the Parent and Family page of the Undergraduate Orientation website.

What You Need to Know Now/New Student Summer Checklist:

There is nothing to do at this time regarding Undergraduate Orientation. On May 30, 2023, students will be introduced to their New Student Summer Checklist. The Summer Checklist will guide new students through the summer and detail out several requirements they must complete prior to arrival. The Undergraduate Orientation team will also be in regular contact with new students and families throughout the summer in preparation for Fall 2023. We will begin by sending you a welcome email sometime in mid-May. For now, and for your reference, all e-mail communications and videos of informational webinars from Summer 2022 are archived on the Orientation website. Please note that this information is from the previous year and may change for the coming year. As you prepare for your journey to Tufts please refer to the Undergraduate Orientation website for updated information. If you have questions, please contact Orientation@tufts.edu.

*Updated 02/15/2023