<p>I know it’s kinda early… but my parents are planning for summer vacation already…but when are the freshman orientation usually at? around august? or what…</p>
<p>It depends on your major and which school you are going to. They are all different. Don't make plans for another couple of weeks.</p>
<p>Some of them have various sessions, but its best to get it early. Berkeley seems to have one orientation in May or something, and the earliest for UCSD last year was mid-late June. UCLA's first orientation was the first week of July. I honestly have no idea about the others, although they should have different sessions (again, though, earlier the better).</p>
<p>That's for people who have turned in their SIRs, I believe. Do they have any Admit Weekends or whatever?</p>
<p>OP isn't asking about Welcome Days. He's asking about freshman orientations (hence August and such), which, yes, would have to be after SIRing to a school.</p>
<p>Yeah, I know that; I'm piggybacking on his thread because I don't want to create a new one. When are the Admit Weekends? What do they usually consist of? (Is it just like any other schools'?)</p>
<p>It's all kind of confusing, because there's a variety of different activities going on at each of the UC's, from receptions around the state for newly accepted students, to special days at the UC -- welcome days where you go to visit the school and check out the dorms and get the rah rah come to our UC pre-SIR. Then there's the post SIR orientation dates, which are all over the place. Let me give you a couple of dates, having gone through this with my son last year, and also re: UCLA since I'm part of the alumni association and we have welcome sessions for you and your parents in early April.</p>
<p>Receptions are generally held anywhere from 2 weeks to a month after you've been admitted in or close to your home town. In other words, we live in L.A. and there were a ton of receptions down here or near here.</p>
<p>Then each UC opens up their campus and puts on it's brightest and best face -- Berkeley has "Cal Day", which starts on a Friday night in April (I think it's around the 12th or so this year), with the big stuff going on that Saturday, with lots of music, booths, lectures, trips up to the Campanile, rock climbing and all sorts of weird fun stuff to do. Also the Rally Committee and the Cal Band come out in full force, banners and flags waving, music blasting, almost like a parade. It's great fun as well as informative. Also, big tours of all the dorms and dining commons, etc.</p>
<p>UCLA does a series of welcomes that start about 8 a.m. and are primarily morning events.</p>
<p>Irvine has a special day as well, with lots of booths, tours, etc., and all the clubs out in force, as well as frats and sororities.</p>
<p>So, all that stuff gives you a sense of where you really want to go, if you haven't figured that out already.</p>
<p>Once you accept your SIR, you get all this other stuff that you have to do to prepare. It's a scheduled checklist that you have to do within a specified time. The orientation is very important, because that's where you pick your classes (at least 10 units at Cal), so the earlier orientation you can select (depending on your school's graduation) the better. At Cal, they started at the very beginning of June and ended mid-July. It was a two day program called "Calso" for Cal Student Orientation. Parents are invited but thankfully (for students and parents alike!) they get separated in living and in tours. You get your Cal1 Card, sign up for some classes, and get insight into how life is. You've already applied for housing, and will know by then your dorm assignment.</p>
<p>I mean After you send in your SIR, like when you choose your classes.. move in dates? stuff like that. :)</p>
<p>Thanks, my dad was wondering when these were and what they entailed (he's deciding whether he has to/wants to go or not and when he should start booking these flights).</p>
<p>Don't miss out on your orientation (ie. competency tests and class registration, etc.) You may be able to find old threads posted by students who missed out. It is a mistake. Just wait a couple more weeks until you have your acceptances to make plans. Every UC does the orientation differently, and you don't want to miss it. </p>
<p>UCLA77 you left out UCD's very popular Picnic Day which is quite similar to Cal Day. These days at the various UC's are great fun and really worth attending!</p>
<p>Once you turn in your SIR, you get slammed with lists and deadline reminders from the UC you selected. For Cal, I remember my son kept going back to the application website and that contained all of the information, with a checklist and a calendar.</p>
<p>I think the first thing he had to so was sign up for and take the writing placement exam that is taken in May (all UCs) on a Saturday and you sign up and pay for that. You take that in your home town, NOT at the UC you'll be attending. I think it cost about $65.</p>
<p>Then there's sign ups for student orientation that DOES take place on campus (although I think some UCs for certain students have alternative sites). There's a cost for that too. As Collegemom and others have said, DON'T MISS THIS. It will be your first dorm experience, even tho' it's for one or two nights. For parents -- there were a LOT of parents attending this, but they don't have to. I kind of think it helps both parents and students if the parents go, so the student will have someone nearby if they have questions or are not really organized, or get confused; and so the parent (or both parents) get some idea of how the whole college thing works and stuff THEY have to help with (student loans, other financial issues, dorm life, and information that they will no longer get once the student reaches 18 -- unless the student authorizes it in writing!). At orientation, once you get some of your classes, you can also familiarize yourself with the college -- where buildings and classrooms are located, how long it will take to get from one class to another; where the best food on campus is; where the atms are located; where the private bathrooms are located (!); and what it's like living with a bunch of people your age without your parents. Your counselors are students and can give you the inside scoop. You can also take a look at where your dorm is located, even though you won't have the room number as yet and won't know who your roommate(s) is/are.</p>
<p>After that, you have to make sure your high school has submitted your final transcript to the UC you've selected (I think it was July 15th last year) along with any other documents requested by the UC that they haven't received, but need to receive; plus registration fees. I think around this time, you also figure out if you need the UC insurance or can waive it.</p>
<p>Then there's the final round of getting the rest of your classes online.</p>
<p>After that, I think you have to take the alcohol education course online, which I think it mandatory for all UCs (be prepared to spend most of one day doing this, even though it claims to be 3 or so hours). I remember hearing a lot of swearing coming from my son's room that day, lol.</p>
<p>Then you get the roommate info and actual room number.</p>
<p>Finally, there's a move-in weekend and at Cal, it's followed by a welcome week. Make sure you know when that is and make sure your parents (if you're coming from out of town) book a hotel EARLY, since it's a really hectic time and hotels get full really fast. If your parents want to help you move in -- this is NOT the time to try to take control of your independence. You will probably be one of the few NOT having parents around, and it's kind of our last "hurrah" in the transition process. Plus, you need someone to watch your stuff as you stand in line and help you carry all your stuff to your room and set it up. At Cal, there are family barbeques and lunches and a lot of other stuff, so parents get to know each other and students get to know each other.</p>
<p>Great information from UCLA77
At orientation you will also take a math placement test and either chemistry or foreign language placement . These tests are mandatory and only AP credit in certain ranges will excuse the need to take them. If you miss orientation then you have to take make up tests which can be a nightmare. You would go ahead and register into your chosen courses BUT if you score too low on the tests you are removed from your classes and it can be nearly impossible to replace them. This is why you don't want to miss orientation. If you are at all worried about the tests, go online to the bookstore of your UC and you can buy a (very inexpensive) primer to prepare in advance.</p>
<p>The parent orientation was very helpful and I had all of my questions answered. At UCD parents went to the college their student was accepted into and our leader was the dean.</p>
<p>Here is a very helpful page from UCD:
UC</a> Davis Orientation - Freshmen Program</p>
<p>The only date that I know for welcome days this year is the UCLA engineering one, which is April 6th. They usually just give you a tour of the campus, make you listen to a couple of speakers, get you excited about the school, split you up in your majors, and talk about said major and how the school's department is in terms of quality and such.</p>
<p>The Decision UC Davis program for admitted students is:
Freshman - April 12 and April 18
Transfer - April 12 and May 9</p>
<p>For more information keep your eye on UC</a> Davis :: Undergraduate Admissions</p>
<p>r orientations sometime during the summer?? i and my family are gonna be away (out of country) for the whole summer. my mom already bought the plane tickets. ( O_O").</p>
<p>There is the option of not going to an orientation, although that completely makes getting classes a nightmare. Also, know that this isn't the traditional summer anymore; its from mid-June to late September (or early May to Mid-August for Cal) so there are usually orientation sessions anywhere in between. I think UCSD's earliest one (Revelle?) was Mid-Late June, and UCLA's last session was early September.</p>
<p>This happens every summer. It is going to be a huge inconvience for you to get classes and you won't have the opportunity to meet some fellow students in advance of starting at college. You and your parents will also miss out on the opportunity to learn valuable information and have your questions answered. You will also miss the placement exams. Information about the importance of orientation is permanently on UC web sites (and here) for a reason.</p>
<p>is there anything else that I shouldn't miss, besides the orientation?</p>
<p>Deadlines galore. You should report all AP scores and transcripts to the school no later than July 15th. I think thats the big one, but there's also the housing deposit, and such that will be on the website once you SIR.</p>
<p>So, orientation is the only activity that you have to go to? Then i'll just have to come back to the States earlier for the orientation (._.")...</p>