New Student Orientation

Wednesday, September 17

Use the searchable campus map, located on the Stanford Mobile app or campus-map.stanford.edu to find campus locations.

Breakfast

7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. | Residence Dining Halls

DISCOVER STANFORD (Required)

10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. | Frost Amphitheater, NSO nametag required
You're setting out on a journey of discovery and learning, with the opportunity to work with world-leading scholars. Like you, they are driven by curiosity, openness, and a spirit of innovation. How can you make the most of this intellectual adventure? Provost Jenny Martinez will lead a discussion with faculty who are Stanford alums about their research, time as students, and advice on how to thrive intellectually in college and beyond.

Lunch

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Residence Dining Halls

TRANSFER WELCOME LUNCH (Transfers, Required)

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Galvez Mall Lawn, next to Green Library
Dean of Undergraduate Admission & Financial Aid Rick Shaw and Transfer Undergraduate Advising Director Ingrid Anderson welcome new transfer students to Stanford at this annual lunch for new transfers.

Answers for Transfers & Green Library Tour (Transfers)

1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Galvez Mall Lawn and Green Library.
Following lunch, enjoy a tour of Green Library just for transfers at 1:00 p.m. After the tour, representatives from Bing Overseas Studies Program, Career Education, Center for Teaching and Learning, Haas Center for Public Service, Hume Center for Writing & Speaking, IntroSems, and Program in Writing and Rhetoric will be available to answer questions, provide guidance, and share opportunities with transfers.

DESIGNING YOUR FIRST QUARTER (Frosh, Required)*

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Check your email for the location from your UAD
Your Undergraduate Advising Director in Academic Advising is a key advising resource for your first year. At this presentation, meet your academic advisor and learn about preparing for your first quarter, choosing classes, working with your various advisors, and more.

Academic Planning Sessions


Faculty are eager to meet you and to share how you can get started in academic exploration in our various fields of study and launch your academic career at Stanford. Each session will be offered twice.

Biology Academic Planning

2:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Bldg. 380, Room 380C
Undergraduate study in biology provides an excellent foundation for any career pursuit benefiting from scientific insight – from materials and energy to biomedicine, policy and law, and so much more. Faculty will describe preparation for study in any of the majors that have these courses as foundations, along with opportunities for research, advising, and more. Session offered twice.

Engineering Academic Planning

2:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Hewlett, Room 200
Engineers are driven by the desire to solve problems. Everywhere we look, we see opportunities for improvements or things that need fixing. We work on making lower power circuits, faster computers, lighter-weight vehicles, more reliable aircrafts, more efficient buildings, smaller batteries, and more precise surgical tools. We use computational methods and revolutionary algorithms to make better decisions, infuse technology with intelligence, and predict and optimize the performance of everything from jet engines to cardiovascular implants. Departments include: Aeronautics and Astronautics, BioEngineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Management Science and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Handbook for Undergraduate Engineering Programs: ughb.stanford.edu. Session offered twice.

Humanities and Arts Academic Planning 

2:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Lathrop Library, Bishop Auditorium
Throughout history, humans have used philosophy, literature, religion, art, music, history, and language to understand the past, question the present, and imagine the future. A core part of an undergraduate education, studying the humanities gives you the freedom to explore ideas, cultures, and peoples that shape the human experience. This will help you develop your own values and deepen your cultural understanding, while also offering a strong foundation of practical knowledge and skills to build a better world. Join a community of curious, independent thinkers with different backgrounds and perspectives, who will open your mind to new ideas and experiences. The range of offerings at Stanford include: Core Humanities (Classics, History, Linguistics, Philosophy, English, and Religious Studies), Arts (Art and Art History, Music, and Theater and Performance Studies), and Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages. Session offered twice.

Language Center Q&A

2:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Bldg. 300, Room 300
The Language Center will discuss practical questions about language placement as well as talk about the key role language study will play in opening avenues for your many interests, including literacy, area and cultural studies, international relations, public service, and overseas study. Session offered twice.

Math Placement Q&A

2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Outdoor Courtyard at Bldg. 380
The Math Department will offer drop-in office hours for students to ask questions about different starting points and sequences available in Math. Students planning to take Math 18, 19, 20, 21, 51, or 61 as their first Math Department course at Stanford are required to take the online placement diagnostic prior to enrollment.

Physics Placement Q&A

2:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Bldg. 370, Room 370
The Physics Department serves students who take physics courses to support their major in the sciences or engineering, to pursue a physics-related degree, or for general interest. Learn about courses, sequences, and research opportunities. For students planning to take Physics, the Physics Placement Diagnostic is required and will recommend the initial Physics course in which to enroll. Session offered twice.

Social Sciences Academic Planning

2:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Bldg. 420, Room 040
The social sciences explore how humans organize and understand themselves—as individuals, communities, and international systems—and how their actions influence economics, culture, and society. How can we use big data to understand the causes of inequality? Why does democracy succeed in some countries and fail in others? What happens to your brain when you learn something new? How does media shape society? What is culture? In Stanford’s social sciences departments, you can investigate questions such as these to discover a deeper understanding of the world around you. The social science departments consist of Anthropology, Communication, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology. Session offered twice.

Sustainability Academic Planning

2:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Bldg. 320, Room 105
The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability draws on a deep understanding of Earth, climate, and society to create solutions at a global scale, in collaboration with partners worldwide. Students learn about the natural world and its connections with human society, preparing to contribute to creating a more sustainable world by addressing issues such as climate change, natural hazards, the energy transition, food and water security, oceans, urban development, and water resources. Classes will teach you how to approach challenges with an interdisciplinary mindset while applying principles of biology, physics, geology, chemistry, social sciences, humanities, and engineering. Many undergraduates do research in collaboration with faculty mentors and gain experience in fieldwork, laboratory experiments, community engagement, and computational analysis and modeling. Undergraduate programs include Earth Systems, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Geophysics, Energy Science & Engineering, and Civil and Environmental Engineering (joint with the School of Engineering). Session offered twice.

Pre-Med Advising 

2:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Sapp Center for Teaching and Learning, Room 111
Meet the Pre-Med Academic Advising Team at this info session. Pre-Med advisors are available for individual and group advising during the academic year. Session offered twice.

Starting Strong: Tips for Academic Success

2:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Lathrop Library, Room 282
The rigors of university-level academics can take even the most prepared student by surprise. In this workshop, we will discuss academic skills and learning strategies that will help you get off to a strong start at Stanford. You’ll also learn about the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and the many free academic resources our center provides for all Stanford students, including academic coaching, subject tutoring, language conversation partners, and support for neurodiverse students. Session offered twice.

Undergraduate Research 

2:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Hewlett, Room 201
New to research? Join the Undergraduate Research team in a conversation about getting started in research at Stanford. We encourage you to bring all of your questions, from “What is research?” to “How do I get to work with a faculty member on their research project?” and more. Session offered twice.

We Are STEM: Faculty Discuss Gender, Identity, and their Journeys in STEM

2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Bldg. 420, Room 041
Join the Women’s Community Center as we meet and listen to a panel of faculty in science, math, and engineering departments at Stanford discuss their journeys into academia, how they discovered a passion for STEM, and how they have navigated fields that have been historically male-dominated.

COURSE ENROLLMENT OPENS FOR FROSH (Required)

4:15 p.m. | enrollment.stanford.edu
The New Student Advisement Enrollment Hold will be released for all frosh at 4:15 p.m., at which time you can enroll in your Autumn Quarter courses. Should you have any enrollment issues, please don’t worry. There will be opportunities later this week to address them before the first day of classes. Please reach out to your UAD.

You have until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, September 22, to register your Preliminary Study List using Navigate Enrollment. You can make changes to your study list (add or drop a class; adjust units on a variable-unit course) until the Final Study List Deadline at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 10.

Dinner

5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. | Residence Dining Halls 

FACES OF COMMUNITY (Required)

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Frost Amphitheater, NSO nametag required
Experience the personal stories, reflections, and artistic performances of Stanford students. Faces is a long-standing tradition, bringing the community together in an honest, engaging, and thought-provoking space for storytelling and creative expression. This year’s program centers on themes of resilience, community, and shared truth-telling. Produced by Student Affairs and the Institute for Diversity in the Arts (IDA).

9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. | Residences, Transfers meet in Kimball
Following the program, you will have the opportunity to process and share your reflections on the Faces stories and performances in small groups facilitated by your residence leaders.