Beil1958

Can sombody share information about Colgate's orientation? I understand there is also a pre-orientation wilderness adventure and information about that program would also be appreciated. Thanks.

GateNY09

Okay, so Colgate's Orientation involves a whole bunch of different things, but I will try to streamline this as much as possible. Here goes nothing:

1. I would high recomend doing one of the preorientation programs, whethere it be Outreach or Wilderness Adventure, or both even, it's great to have a couple people you are friendly with during orientation.
2. You will be led through orientation by an upperclassmen called your Link - this person will be your lifeline for the first couple weeks and help you and the 19 other students in your first year seminar adjust to Colgate
3. Orientation is actually a lot of fun - you meet a ton of different people, explore the campus and attend some very cool events. Colgate's orientation is unique from some other schools in that everyone goes through orientation together as a class.
4. Orientation will expose you to the first of many very cool and enchanting Colgate traditions - to say the least it is a neat way to begin your time at Colgate and will surely be something you will never forget.
5. Orientation will teach you everything you need to know about class schedules, meal plans, signing up for classes, the library, etc etc - don't worry, the will cover it all!

If I missed anything you wanted to know, let me know!

I can not stress enough how much I would encourage you to do a preorientation program - they're great!

dogwood23

How about from a parental point of view. I know my entering first year needs to be on campus on Thursday 8/23. Do parents stick around for a day or two, or is it better to get out of town and leave the newbies to it? Are there any activities during those first couple of days that include the parents? (Older sibling is at another college where there were a couple of events that did include parents who were on site.)

jrpar

Parents do not stick around. I think Colgate even discourages this - I remember we were told in a letter from Colgate that parents should plan to be gone from campus by 4:00 on drop off day - when the first orientation event started. There were several events for parents earlier on drop off day. I'd recommend getting to campus as early as possible on drop off day - it is a very busy day and it is hard to fit everything in by 4:00.

GateNY09

I agree with what jrpar said - I am pretty sure there is a welcome/orienation session for just the parents.

Also, in line with all of the Colgate traditions, there will be an Ice Cream Social with the entire faculty/freshman class/parents invited and encouraged to come on that drop off day. It is part of the Colgate tradition that you start and end your academic career with an ice cream social!

The first day on campus is probably one of my favorite at Colgate. There is something special in the way we welcome people; from the hundreds of upperclassmen cheering on the freshman and welcoming their families along the main drag in town to the other couple hundred students who move students and their families in, it is just a great day.

SJTH

My son is interested in the Community Outreach program before freshman orientation. We're coming from the west coast, and I'm not sure when that program begins. I need to make plane reservations--any advice/information would be appreciated!

LKADmom

My daughter enrolled in the community outreach program last year- the days were spent painting, working to clean up a camp, etc. She met a lot of nice people and very much enjoyed being all settled in when arrival day came- she could just sit back and enjoy everyone else hustling to move in. She is heading to Colgate early this year to assist with orientation. She was well taken care of throughout the service trip. My only criticism on the day she arrived was the lack of any reception whatsoever for the parents. It felt a little funny just driving away without a single safety reassurance from an administrator!
As for the arrival date, I believe she received an informative email from the upperclassmen who coordinated the program. If I recall correctly, it arrived during the summer.

jrpar

GATENY09, that's right, the ice cream social. That's where we said goodbye to our son and he headed off to the first orientation event with several classmates he had just met.

I agree that Colgate does a great job with move-in day. There are teams of upperclassmen greeting and cheering for the freshmen as they drive onto campus. Cars driving along the main street honked and waved to arriving freshmen. Once you park on the field, there are swat teams of upperclassmen who take all your stuff and move it up the hill to the freshman dorms (if you've seen Colgate's hill you know this is a big deal). As freshman walk around campus picking up room keys and registration materials, everyone is very welcoming. It's a very warm, friendly atmosphere.

We went to a meeting in the chapel for freshmen parents mid-afternoon - they had a panel of administrators talk to the parents. I think there was another earlier presentation for parents that we missed because we were too busy running downtown to pick up books and various supplies. There was a cookout on the main quad providing lunch for all.

SJTH, you could call the freshman dean's office or admissions to find out the relevant dates - they've probably set the dates already.

fourkidsmom

We sent our daughter for the wilderness experience with just what she needed for that and came up when she was done with the "stuff". They told us she could not move in to the dorm before. As it turned out, she could have as one roommate was there for a sport orientation and one for the radio workshop and they had moved into the room. We left Hamilton the day after orientation, I think we got another hug and kiss the next day and that was about it.

dogwood23

This is all good info-thank you. Helps with planning of travel arrangements. Anybody have any input on incoming first year athletes? Not a fall season sport.