Pre-Orientation Programs: Should you do one?
Congratulations to the class of 2026!
If you are planning to attend Tufts, you may be wondering about orientation and starting your life at Tufts! One of the first exposure to my life as a student at Tufts was pre-orientation. There are eight programs to choose from: GO, BEAST, TWO, CAFE, FOCUS, SQUAD, FIT, and CREATE. These orientation programs happen before the general orientation. The length of each program varies, but it is usually 4-5 days.
These pre-orientation programs can be great if you are particularly interested in a program or you want to get to know your fellow Jumbos before orientation. Especially, if you have never been to the Boston/Tufts area before, it might be a soft introduction to where you will be living for the next four years since orientation can be overwhelming and busy. Plus, by the time orientation/classes rolls around, you’ll be familiar with the campus and have some familiar faces on campus! I was a part of GO, which is the Global Orientation program. I had been to Tufts once before for the Voices program (overnight program) but was unfamiliar with the Boston area. So, I wanted to do a pre-o program to get to know the area and meet fellow Jumbos. The program was very fun since it had a lot of field trips and activities planned all day long, which made me forget about being homesick. It gave me the opportunity to make friends while slowly acclimating to the school.
Though some students may not be able to attend due to schedule conflicts or other reasons, if you even have a slight interest or are curious about pre-o programs, I encourage you to check it out. I also want to mention that if you are unable to do a pre-o program, do not feel FOMO! I promise you that you will have plenty of opportunities to make friends during your time here (coming from a senior)! You can learn more here: https://students.tufts.edu/undergraduate-orientation/pre-orientation-programs