New Student Orientation

The New Student Orientation Committee is excited to welcome First-Year and Transfer students and your families to Tufts University! We are here to help you understand the expectations and opportunities you will encounter as a member of the Tufts community. We are working to make sure that Orientation 2021 will be a positive and informative experience for the next incoming class.

New Student Orientation 2021 will run from Thursday, September 2 to Monday, September 6. On Tuesday, September 7, the University celebrates Rosh Hashana. Therefore, classes will begin on Wednesday, September 8. We are happy to report that Orientation will be presented in-person. More details on the specifics of the schedule will be released over the summer.

We are also very excited to announce that Pre-Orientation programs will happen in-person. Pre-Orientation is optional and students may begin registering on June 1 when the New Student Checklist opens. Registration deadline is June 17.

Arrival Information! 

The official arrival day for new students is Wednesday September 1. For details on arrival protocol, arrival times, and location please refer to the Office of Residential Life and Learning. Students participating in a Pre-Orientation program will arrive to campus earlier at the start of their program. You can view Pre-Orientation arrival dates. Students who apply for Pre-Orientation will learn of their placements towards the end of June. In addition, we encourage all students to visit the Tufts Coronavirus website before coming to campus. The website is your best source for current information since we may need to revise our guidelines in accordance with changes in national, state, and local public health requirements. If you have additional questions, you can contact studentlife@tufts.edu.

Our Parent and Family welcome programming will be presented virtually this year at a date and time to be announced. All programs will be recorded and posted for families to watch at their leisure. While parents and families will be able to come to campus to assist their students with arrival, there will be NO on-campus, in-person programming for parents and families this year.

The annual Matriculation Ceremony will take place on Thursday, September 2, at a time to be announced as a part of New Student Orientation. The Matriculation will be presented in person for students and streamed for parents and families to view.

While we are excited to offer mostly in-person Orientation programming this year, the University is still closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation and its impact on the entire community.  Schedule adjustments will be made as needed in an effort to promote safety first for all faculty, staff, students, families and the local communities.  Learn more about how Tufts University is operating during the COVID-19 pandemic here.

Questions? Contact Orientation@tufts.edu.

Are you an incoming AS&E Graduate Student? Explore Graduate Orientation!