GO Global Orientation
Get to know students from all over the world while discovering Tufts, the surrounding community, and the city of Boston. We offer an incomparable opportunity to form intercultural connections and lifelong friendships with people from diverse backgrounds.
Your GO experience might include a ride on a speed boat in the Boston Harbor, a trip into the history of Boston, or an Amazing Race competition across campus. GO will be a highlight of your college experience and a perfect way to start this next chapter of your life.
2023 Student Coordinators
Renee Singh, 2025
Renee is a biochemistry major who grew up in Mumbai, India. On campus, she is a part of ATO and Tamasha, which is a South Asian dance team. She’s been involved with GO since her freshman year and loves the international community at Tufts! In her free time, you can catch her learning how to knit, learning the piano and hanging with her friends. She’s eager to welcome all the incoming Jumbos in GO alongside all the wonderful HAs!
Program Advisors
Patrick Himes
International Center Assistant Director
Pat joined Tufts and the GO team in 2014. Before that, he served in the United States Peace Corps in the Kyrgyz Republic where he discovered and cultivated a love for all things international and cross-cultural. Pat earned a Master’s in intercultural relations from Lesley University and earned his undergraduate degree from Penn State University.
Julia Keith
International Center Program Coordinator
Julia joined the Tufts International Center and GO program in 2022. A native of Massachusetts and a former French teacher, she has spent extensive time traveling, living and volunteering abroad in places such as France, Morocco, French Polynesia, Haiti and Senegal. She earned degrees from Bryn Mawr College and Boston University.
Schedule
Program Dates: August 24 - August 28
A Typical Day of GO
What we might do on any given day based on past years’ programs
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:30 a.m. | Breakfast of bagels, muffins, donuts, and coffee |
| 9:30 a.m. | Welcome from the GO staff and Tufts faculty |
| 10 a.m. | Learn about Tufts student life, set up your phone and bank accounts or participate in our cross-cultural workshop |
| 12 p.m. | Lunch at Carmichael Dining Hall |
| 1 p.m. | Depart for day trips. Previous day trips have included Harvard Square, the Boston Harbor or the New England coast |
| 6 p.m. | Dinner with host advisors and fellow GO participants |
| 7 - 11 p.m. | On-campus evening activities such as the campus-wide Amazing Race competition or relaxing on the Tisch rooftop |
Parent Programming
We offer several activities for parents over the course of pre-orientation program. We do, however, encourage you to limit your time with your child once GO gets underway. This allows new students to focus on getting to know their peers.
Contact Us
GO
go@tufts.edu | 617-627-3458
It was a jumpstart to the college-belonging experience. The world was so much smaller for those three days.
Md Reshad Bin Harun, Class of 2018
As an American, I attended Global Orientation in the fall and had experiences and met people that I will never forget. The orientation without a doubt helped me have a smooth and relaxed transition into college.
Neatric Norwood, Class of 2017
Global Orientation was definitely the major highlight of my freshman year. A fun-filled and cheerful start to one's journey at Tufts is something no one would want to miss out. Apart from the various activities that one gets to do, it is a time to get to know a lot of people and form a meaningful bond with them. Most of my friends are from my GO circle. And what better way to start college than to get to know the campus well in advance in the four days of GO! I highly recommend the Class of 2020 to participate in this program.
Akshat Jain- Class of 2019
GO instantly made me feel at home. The tiring journey across two oceans and three continents suddenly seemed worthwhile when the warmth of the I-Center staff greeted me into this new country. The next few days helped me develop the closest bonds with friends from every corner of the world. Even today, we collectively cherish the memories, GO lies at the core of my Tufts experience.
Aniket De, Class of 2016
When I signed up for Global Orientation, I thought it would be just a program to get us (international students) accommodated to Tufts and its surroundings. Little did I know back then that Global Orientation wasn't just a program to get us acquainted but also an opportunity to meet people all over the world and form close ties with them. They're totally right when they say you make your closest friends from Pre-O!