Pre-orientation sessions- important or not?

<p>What has been your experience with the June orientation/course registration sessions that schools have for incoming freshmen? For my son's school it looks like all five times he may have a conflict - the first is during finals, the second is graduation, the last three we are in Europe. I think I may be able to manuever around the finals, but before I try I want to make sure it will be worth it. Thanks for your thoughts.</p>

<p>Weenie, for some people after visiting the school a couple of times before applying, interviewing there after applying, going to accepted student day, going to pre orientation and oriention and then the invite for parent's weekend is already there, and enough already. But, sometimes those pre orientation sessions are when you sign up for courses and if you are last going to them, you are last selecting classes. That happened to my friend's son at Ohio University. Automatic extra semester from that one. so it can be important.</p>

<p>I echo jamimom's comment. Although many entry-level courses, particularly for general education requirements, are kept open for entering freshmen, the most popular ones get filled first and if that one is a prerequisite for other courses, your S will have to wait until it's offered again. You may want to contact the school.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>My son will not be back from his exchange until after the orientations at the schools he is interested in. I contacted each school (he has not made final decision yet) to see how they would deal with this. Each one has made an exception (even the ones that have mandatory attendence) considering the circumstances. One has even done a schedule for him to approve already.</p>

<p>Call the schools, the ones I dealt with were great about it.</p>

<p>rotarymom--
How can your son attend orientation at more than one school? Usually orientation is held for only matriculating students. Perhaps you're confusing this with sessions for accepted students?</p>

<p>I contacted the schools he is interested in after checking their orientation schedules and asking if he matriculated how it would be handled. If they were unwilling to work with us, they would be crossed off the list. He will not cut short his year in Japan for orientation, and I don't want him to.</p>

<p>Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification.</p>