I am just wondering if I need to, or should, attend orientation with my child? What do they cover with the parents? DD will be staying in the dorm, and I am not certain if I, or DH and I, should attempt to make the trip. The airfare and cost of the hotel for at least 2 nights is not insignificant, but not impossible.
There is a separate program for parents. Parents can stay on campus in separate accommodations cheaper than hotels although that option is not available for the last orientation session. Parental attendance at orientation is not required but it can be informative. If you have never been to Boston it would help you to familiarize yourself to the city and campus.
You may want to join the NU Parents’ forum. There are several threads there on orientation:
Thank you!
My parents both went and found it informative. I was she second kid in college, though, so they said there was also a lot of general repeat from my older brother’s orientation at his University. If it’s your first kid in college, I think it would be particularly helpful. It was also really good for my mom, because she hands gotten to see the school before I picked it (I visited with my dad), and it really put her at ease that it was a good fit, a good program, and somewhere that I would be happy.
How many orientation sessions do they have?
I think they have several, but they are generally divided by major or college. My DD had a couple of options, and picked one, but it will mean a trip in summer and then a return trip when she moves in. This is not my first child, but I am still uncertain if we should make the effort and the financial commitment to go. I visited with her last year, and then DH and I went for accepted student day, so it is not that we haven’t seen the campus. It would be her first time travelling on her own, though.
If you’ve seen the campus and have another kid in college, I don’t think there’s much reason to go to orientation as a parent. Save the money, especially if you’ll be there in the Fall.
She’s going to have to travel on her own eventually, the earlier the better IMO.
If you are coming from far away, you can also attend the last orientation which is unpublished - but meant for international students and those from further away – you can go the few days before school and the student moves into their dorm room early. One trip. However, parents cannot stay in the dorms for this session. If you are interested, you just need to call them.
We are from CA and sent our older daughter on her own to orientation. Our youngest daughter will join her this coming year and she is also going on her to orientation. I work at a University however, so am familiar with the material any campus provides… and had also seen the campus a couple of times already. If it is your first to college however, I bet it is a good reassurance for any questions you have.
^ @twicemama’s post is important. My family moved from Louisiana to Oregon that summer, and the international orientation date helped a lot. Plus, even though my mom did not want to go to orientation (very hands-off parents) she helped with move-in (since they’re lumped together at the last orientation date) and that was enormously helpful