Welcome to the Herd, Jumbos! | May 06, 2025 

Hello Jumbos,

Welcome to Tufts! We're excited to have you as a new student and can't wait to meet you this fall! You'll be making your way to campus before you know it. Ahead of your arrival, each week, you will be receiving important reminders, key updates, and introductions to staff and resources. We will send all official University communications to your @tufts.edu email address starting on June 10, so it is important that you get your Tufts email account set up now and check it often. Be sure to check your Tufts email each Tuesday afternoon starting June 10. Also, do not forward your Tufts email to any other account (Gmail, etc.) because forwarding can prevent your emails from being delivered. This week, we are introducing some of the departments and staff that you'll be meeting when you first get to campus.

On Thursday, May 22, at 7 p.m. ET, join Residential Life and Learning and the Student Accessibility and Academic Resources (StAAR) Center for the Campus Housing Survey, Roommate Assignments, and Housing Accommodation Deadlines webinar. During this meeting, you will learn about the campus housing and roommate assignment process. Also, you will hear important information about deadlines for applying for housing accommodations due to any personal medical considerations.

Registration for the webinar is required. Please submit any questions you want us to answer during the meeting in advance. Don't worry if you can't make this time work. We will post a video recording of this session to our website within a few days of the event.

On Tuesday, June 3, you will receive an email informing you that the New Student Checklist is open. We hope you will join us on Tuesday, June 3, at 7 p.m. ET for our New Student Checklist 101 webinar. During this meeting, we will introduce the Orientation team and review the New Student Checklist with you. The checklist will guide you through a variety of required or suggested steps to complete over the summer.

Registration for the webinar is required. Please submit any questions you want us to answer during the meeting in advance. We will post a video recording of this session to our website within a few days of the event. Please note that this meeting is intended only for students. On Wednesday, June 4, we are holding a webinar intended for parents and families that has a different registration link. They will learn about this in a separate message to them. (If you haven't already, be sure to add contact information in your application portal for parents/guardians who should receive information specific to them that Tufts will be sending over the summer and throughout the school year.)

New students who choose to participate in an optional Pre-Orientation program will arrive and move in on Friday, August 22. Please refer to the Pre-Orientation web page for further details.

Students not participating in a Pre-Orientation program should plan to arrive on Wednesday, August 27. Undergraduate Orientation is mandatory for all new students, including new transfer students. A one-time Orientation fee of $500 is due May 31 and can be paid in your application portal. Orientation begins on Wednesday, August 27, at 3 p.m. and runs through Monday, September 1. Classes start on Tuesday, September 2.

On the August 22 and 27 move-in dates, there will be programming for parents and families at 3:30–5:30 p.m. Parents and families are also welcome to campus on August 28 for the annual Matriculation Ceremony at 10 a.m. The ceremony will be livestreamed, as well. Specific details on arrival, move-in, and Orientation will be available later in the summer. In the meantime, please also refer to the Undergraduate Orientation web page and the Residential Life and Learning web page for updates.

Our Orientation program is designed to familiarize you with campus resources, build community and connection, and establish skills for your independence and responsibility. We divide our goals for Orientation into four broad categories:

Our Orientation Team will get you started when you first arrive, but there are lots of other faculty and staff at Tufts who are looking forward to meeting you! Jumbos, meet your Student Life Team:

Learn about upcoming events, get reminders about dates and deadlines, and stay in touch with all things Tufts! Follow Student Life on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook!

Please contact Student Services at 617-627-2000 or StudentServices@tufts.edu.

You'll have a few responsibilities over the summer, and many of them can be completed online. Your customized New Student Checklist 2025 will be posted on June 2, and it will help you stay on track over the summer. Keep a lookout for this important summer "to-do" list. It will include Academic Essentials, your introduction to academics at Tufts, which will open on June 10.

Pre-Orientation programs are an opportunity to get involved on campus early, meet upperclassmen mentors, gain leadership skills, and meet other students with similar interests. We'll be opening registration for "Pre-O" on June 2. If you'd like to participate in one of our eight programs, be sure to register by June 16.