<p>I am a prospective student (it'll be official once I send in my deposit) and I am so so so excited to be going to Tufts next year! Unfortunately the Jumbo days that I had planned on attending got cancelled because of everything that was going on and I didn't get a chance to ask current students a few questions I had about the wilderness program. </p>
<ol>
<li>Can you specify which program you want to participate in? Like canoeing, hybrid, etc..?</li>
<li>Are the trips REALLY designed for beginners? Do you need to be relatively athletic or experienced?</li>
<li>How many people don't get their first choice of orientation program?</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks so much!!:)</p>
<p>I highly recommend the pre-orientation programs as I have heard rave reviews about all of them. My D liked hers so much that she became a leader the next year. The key is to pick one that you are interested in, because it will then become a means by which you meet people who have similar interests. It serves as the first step in building up a group of friends in your new environment. The leaders also serve as mentors and provide support after the program is over. The students in my D’s group called her “mama”.</p>
<p>I don’t have first hand experience with the details of this program, so I would suggest contacting them directly. Here is the contact info. </p>
<p>[Contact</a> Us | Tufts Wilderness Orientation](<a href=“http://sites.tufts.edu/wilderness/contact-us/]Contact”>http://sites.tufts.edu/wilderness/contact-us/)</p>
<p>I believe the programs are first-come first -serve, and the probability of getting your first choice is dependent on the popularity of that particular program and it varies from year to year.</p>
<p>what’s this Wilderness pre-orientation? is it a mandatory or optional program?</p>
<p>It’s optional and it costs extra.</p>
<p>D1 did TWO a couple years ago–loved, loved, loved it, even though that was the year that the hurricane came through and the groups were evacuated out of the wilderness to finish TWO at Tufts. There was a range of levels of fitness in the group, and most people had never backpacked before. That said, the trip will be much more enjoyable if you’re reasonably comfortable hiking for a few hours. You’ll need hiking boots or trail sneakers at the very least, and they’ll need to be broken in, so a little pre-trip conditioning matches up well with making sure your footwear is comfortable.</p>
<p>TWO is very popular. I can’t remember what percentage of applicants get in–maybe half? maybe more? D1 got in off of the wait list.</p>
<p>Does anyone know anything about the FIT program?</p>
<p>Can we apply to multiple programs? What is the rough acceptance rate for each program?</p>
<p>FIT is really good if you like athletics. My daughter participated and liked it so much she became a leader her sophomore year. She would be a leader again if she were not traveling abroad. It is a good way to get settled and connected before you have to start dealing with classes.</p>
<p>I don’t remember the application process</p>
<p>I did FIT 4 years ago - I thought it was somewhat fun and it was definitely worth moving in a few days early but it sounded like my friends who had done some of the other programs (mostly wilderness, but some focus, too) had more overwhelmingly positive experiences and generally came out of them with a tighter group of friends.</p>
<p>Can anyone comment on if these programs are dependent on how fast you get your information in (ie: first come first serve based on date?)</p>
<p>My understanding is that TWO is the largest and most popular program and so participants are selected by lottery. So, if you have your heart set on a pre-orientation program, you really want to put down back-up choices. My son also lucked out and made it into TWO and loved every minute . . . rain and all. Moving in early was also a nice perk, but we returned to Boston for the official move-in day. </p>
<p>Michigangem, how did the move-in work when going early for Pre-Orientation program (TWO especially)? Thanks. I hope she gets into TWO, it would be great for her…</p>
<p>broomom: They had a special check-in set up just for the pre-orientation students near the student center where they got their keys and program information. All we were able to do was drop his bags off in his room because the program began almost immediately. Although they did not sleep in the dorms that night (TWO slept outdoors but on campus) I did manage to make his bed because I was certain that after five days in the wilderness he’d want to sleep in a comfortable bed when he returned (and I was right)! We also returned on the official move-in day to help unpack and attend the activities. </p>