Does it matter for most schools whether you attend an earlier or later orientation session with regard to availability of freshman classes?
I’m sure it varies, and you could ask other parents or students. Some colleges do scheduling at orientation during the summer, while others wait until the week before school begins and have all freshmen there early to schedule.
One benefit I found to attending an earlier session during the summer is the ability to get the “stuff” done sooner - setting up a bookstore account, dealing with immunizations and other paperwork that they dump on you. My head was spinning a bit on the way home, but doing it early in the summer gave me a chance to look through it all and start checking things off.
What mattered to my daughter was the ability to meet up with the roommate she had met online, and some of the other kids she had med online. If your son or daughter hasn’t already done so, have him/her join the facebook page for the Class of 2023 at the school they’ll be attending.
Probably depends on the school. My son’s university said it did not matter.
I will add not to get too concerned if you don’t like orientation. My son’s orientation was filled with a lot of irrelevant things and/or discussions he wasn’t interested or concerned with. (this was a summer orientation) He said the next freshman orientation the few days before classes started that they all attended was even worse. But the school ended up being the right fit and he is happy there. He said you can’t judge anything based on orientation.
I plan to sign DD up for the earliest summer orientation because they will be registering for classes and I’m sure it makes a difference on class availability at her school.
Do all schools offer multiple orientations? As far as I can tell my D’s school has one orientation, a few days before everyone else shows up for fall semester.
No
At most colleges, students register for classes online now. I’m not sure orientation is required to do so at some places anyway.
When my kids enrolled in 2003 and 2006, they both attended the LAST orientation. At that point in time, the students DID register at or following orientation. But the colleges reserved seats in required core courses for these late orientation students.
@milgymfam yes…lots of colleges have multiple orientation sessions all summer long.
My DD’s school did registration for freshman classes at orientation, so she wanted to go to the earliest one possible. Even then, she discovered that it was alphabetical order for getting an appointment with advisors and she ended up with undesirable times for some classes because the good times had gone to upperclassmen and freshmen ahead of her in the alphabet!
Honestly, I’d recommend going to the earliest one you can if you have that option. Especially if you have an impatient child (like mine) who is just going to get all antsy and worked up while waiting for it.
At UT-Austin, my son had to go to orientation to sign up for classes (although I imagine they would make an exception if absolutely necessary). They opened up new seats for each group.
Oh at DD’s school you get priority by number of credits already taken. She will have 30 coming in as a freshman, so she will be ahead of some of her classmates but I guess I don’t know how that corresponds with date of orientation. Still hope to do the first one as they do register then, in case it helps.
Thanks guys. Google was my friend. I guess it’s the beauty of a small school, but D’s school only has the one orientation that immediately proceeds the freshman fall semester. At least that’s simple planning!
Earlier is generally better for the big state schools. While the schools kind of rolls open seats, the best availability is in the beginning. We were late June and even by then had to wait for second semester for some courses to be available.
Our kids private college only had one orientation a couple days before classes started. They had already registered for classes. Probably a school to school answer.
At the University of South Carolina, students met with advisors and signed up for classes at orientation. They have many orientation sessions and while they try to add new sections as classes fill, it’s not always possible to get your first choices. They recommend that when you meet your advisor you have some backup classes in mind.
Purdue has over a month of orientation dates. Students meet with their advisors to choose courses but don’t get their schedule until later in the summer so there is no impact for when a student attends.
My daughter is at a big state school in one of the few programs where you can’t get shut out of classes (nursing which has lock-step classes…every student must take the exact same ones). It definitely has made registration easy and at her orientation she was particularly grateful when hearing other kids stories about being shut out or having terrible class times.
re having 30 credits going in. At UW-Madison AP et al credits were not awarded until first semester freshman year was completed- this meant still having freshman status when registering for second semester back when son was in college. Assume still holds now. Learned this when son registered for a class then dropped it after friend was eligible- he basically held a place. Legal- yes, unfair to another??? Ingenuity at working the system. At UW supposedly class openings are held for later orientation dates.
Check with the school next spring. btw- it is your child, not you, doing this. Parents should get consulted but start letting your almost adult take charge.
Supposedly they save some classes for each orientation sessions…but earlier is better.
My music major also had a lock step freshman schedule. All of his required courses and ensemble classes were already ON his schedule. The “holes” were for the core course requirements. It really wasn’t a big deal for him to go to the last orientation.
Second kid also went to the last orientation…and had no difficulty getting all of her classes. Smaller school (5000 undergrads).