New Student Orientation

Signature & Required Events

New Student Orientation is comprised of multiple events over the course of six days. As a new student, NSO is intended to instill in you a sense of belonging to Stanford and to show you the vast range and diversity of opportunities within the community around you. 

NSO Move-In Day Events for Students & Families

NSO Required Events for Students

New Student Arrival

Tuesday, September 16, 2025
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Housing Service Centers and Residences
Go to your designated Housing Check-In Location where you will pick up your Stanford ID (SUID) card and room key. Please be prepared to show your government-issued ID. You will need your SUID card for the dining hall and access to your residence. (Do not punch a hole in your card.) After checking in, head over to your residence to move in. Pick up your NSO packet from your RAs and begin wearing your NSO nametag, which will serve as your entrance ticket to all NSO events this week. To familiarize yourself with campus, review the Student’s Guide to Stanford Map in your packet.

For students in graduate housing: You have been affiliated with an undergraduate residential community for NSO and the year. Please pick up your NSO packet from this dorm. You have been provided an NSO meal plan through Sunday, so that you can eat in the dining hall with your peers in this dorm and attend programs with them throughout NSO.

All new students are required to be checked in by 5:00 p.m. on this day. If you have questions or concerns, please contact approaching@stanford.edu.

Residence Welcome

Tuesday, September 16, 2025
3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Residences, Transfers meet in Kimball Hall
Come meet your Resident Fellow(s), Resident Assistants (RAs), and your dormmates at this residence welcome for students and families. All transfers are invited to the Kimball Welcome.

135th Opening Convocation Ceremony

Tuesday, September 16, 2025
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.  | Frost Amphitheater
President Jonathan Levin will welcome new students and families to Stanford at our formal inauguration of the academic year.  

  • Tickets are required - your NSO Nametag will serve as your ticket to Convocation. A limited number of Convocation Guest Tickets will be available at the Family Welcome Center for guests who missed the September 2 order deadline.
  • Student Entrance & Accessible Guest Entrance: Lasuen Gate, at the corner of Lasuen St. & Roth Way
  • General Guest Entrance: Galvez Gate, at the corner of Galvez St. & Campus Drive
  • Gates will open at 3:30 p.m. Please note the separate entrances for new students and family members. All guest tickets will be checked at the Galvez Gate (except for guests needing the accessible entrance.)
  • Plan to arrive early with ample time for ticketing, security check, and seating. Walk over with your dorm and dress casually, as it may get hot. Bring only a small water bottle, if needed. Frost’s Clear Bag policy will be enforced. Do not bring backpacks, large bags, or suitcases, as they will not be permitted.

The conclusion of Convocation will be the traditional time for families and students to say your goodbyes. Students should walk back to your dorms for your First Dinner and House Meeting (required). 

First Student Dinner

Tuesday, September 16, 2025
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | Residence Dining Halls
Share your first dinner with your residential staff and new dormmates. Transfers meet at Gerhard Casper Dining Hall.

Opening House Meeting

Tuesday, September 16, 2025
7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. | Residences, Transfers meet in Kimball Hall
Participate in this first important and informative house meeting led by your RAs. This first house meeting is required for all students.

Discover Stanford

Wednesday, September 17, 2025
10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. | Frost Amphitheater
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. 

Transfer Welcome Lunch (Transfers only)

Wednesday, September 17, 2025
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Galvez Mall Lawn
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.

Designing Your First Quarter Advising Presentation (Frosh only)

Wednesday, September 17, 2025
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Various locations, see email notification 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.

Frosh Course Enrollment Opens

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.

Faces of Community

Wednesday, September 17, 2025
7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. | Frost Amphitheater and Residences
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. 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. Produced by Student Affairs and the Institute for Diversity in the Arts (IDA).

Beyond Sex Ed: Intimacy and Relationships at Stanford

Thursday, September 18, 2025
9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Memorial Auditorium and Residences
Hear personal stories from fellow students about intimacy and relationships, interspersed with a presentation on how human sexuality fits into our lives, community, and culture. Beyond Sex Ed is a compelling program designed to cultivate empathy, empowerment, and the skills to connect with ourselves and one another, with a focus on developing our sexual citizenship. This program addresses sensitive topics in a compassionate way. Professional staff will be available for support if you want to talk. Return to your residences to participate in a small-group conversation circle about the topics discussed in Beyond Sex Ed, facilitated by your residence leaders. Produced by the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Education (SHARE) Title IX and VI Office.

What is College For? (Frosh only)

Thursday, September 18, 2025
1:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. | Memorial Auditorium
What is college for? Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Jay Hamilton will lead a lively conversation with Tanvir Rahman (COO McDermott Will & Schulte, ’00), Professor Fei-Fei Li (Computer Science), and Divya Ganesan (’25, MS ’26) on the purpose of an undergraduate education in the age of AI. How should students prepare for an uncertain future? Are some skills less susceptible to automation than others? And does the automation of skills, such as writing, imperil the very project of college education? With opening remarks from Professor Dan Edelstein (faculty director, COLLEGE).

New Student Welcome & Class Photos

Friday, September 19, 2025 | The Oval
Pick up and wear your new Class of 2029 shirt from the Stanford Alumni Association and join your fellow classmates, President Jonathan Levin, and the Stanford Tree for our annual class photo at the Stanford Oval. Transfers: Come in your Stanford Transfers shirt for an additional 2025 Transfers photo.

Closing House Meeting (Frosh only)

Sunday, September 21, 2025 
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Check with your RAs for exact time
Frosh - As NSO comes to a close, join your Resident Fellow(s) and Resident Assistants for a discussion about your collective role in creating a house community that will be inclusive, respectful, and fun for the year.