Summer New Students Orientation for Freshmen
Summer NSO for freshmen is two days long and packed with academic advising, informational meetings, social activities, and submitting your housing preference application. There are ten sessions to choose from and each one is the same. You need to sign up online to tell us which session you’re attending. Be sure to choose a date that works well in your schedule and doesn’t conflict with graduation, prom, vacation, or work.
Requests are processed on a first come, first served basis and only after Admissions posts your enrollment fee as received. Be sure to sign up as soon as possible!
2013 Summer NSO Dates for First-Year students are
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Your Orientation Schedule Overview
You'll receive a very detailed orientation schedule when you arrive for your session. Below is a preview of what you can expect as a freshman new student.
Orientation sessions begin on Monday or Thursday morning. Sessions end on Tuesday or Friday afternoon.
Day One
- Check In: Sign-in and receive your room assignment.
- Hall Meeting: Get the complete scoop on life during orientation.
- Welcome to NSO: Meet the NSO student leaders who'll be guiding you through orientation and learn about the exciting activities we have planned for the next two days.
- Academic Overview: Academic Deans share important details about the academic requirements all students have in common and opportunities to make the most of the academic experience at UMass.
- College/School Meetings: Learn about your academic niche and hear from the Dean of your college.
- Small Group Academic Meeting: Meet with student staff and other students in your college, prepare for your upcoming advising appointment, and find out more about course planning and registration.
- Residential Life information session and Tours: Learn about your options and start thinking about where you want to live.
- Get your UCard Picture Taken: More than an ID, this is your library card, meal ticket, residence hall key, and if you so choose, an on-campus debit card.
- Evening Seminars: Choose from a variety of sessions about life on campus and getting involved.
- Entertainment: Meet and mix with your new classmates at a variety of fun events.
Day Two
- Student Life Meetings: Learn more about student life at UMass Amherst.
- Technology and Safety Session:
Tips for making the most of technology at UMass and keeping our campus safe. - Resource Fair and Information Sessions: Find out about leadership opportunities, banking, campus support services, and ways you can get involved in campus life.
- Foreign Language Exemption Test: if you did well on your foreign language placement test, take a proctored exemption test to earn credit or exemption. For students with three or more years of French, Spanish, German, and/or Latin.
- American Council on Education Survey: Complete this survey which is distributed to new college students nationwide.
- Advising and Registration: Talk to an advisor in your department and register for your fall classes using SPIRE.
- Writing Placement Test: For all students not exempt from English Writing 112.
- Request Your Housing: Submit your housing preference application in SPIRE.
- Closing Session: Photos, staff performances, UMass Amherst trivia and prizes!
- Check-out: Pick up your UCard and sign out of your hall. Then, have a relaxing summer and get ready for the big adventure that awaits you in September during Fall NSO.
