<p>Purdue’s programs are campus-based, and they have an office that handles them. They are Student Transition and Registration (STAR), and Boiler Gold Rush which occurs after arrival in the week before your courses start. </p>
<p>Now, the Illinois equivalent of Star and BGR is simply called Summer Registration, which is a full day orientation and registration event. Prior to arriving on campus for summer registration, engineers are required to take some online placement tests (Math, Chem, Physics, and Foreign Language (if you have less than 3 years, or plan to take a language to fulfill some GenEd requirements)), and complete an online “homework” survey, which makes you think about your 1st semester schedule, and assists your Engineering advisor in helping you create your Fall Semester schedule. You list your AP courses, and the scores you have, or estimate that you’ll have, your standardized test scores etc, and a printout is generated listing the courses that those scores get you credit for. Those along with the placement tests help to determine your course schedule. The timetable (listing of course sections offered), by the way, is also online, so the student can also attempt to build his/her own schedule prior to coming down.</p>
<p>This online availability was very reassuring to my son and I. It gave him a good idea of where he stood in Math, Chemistry and Physics, and he was able to build a tentative schedule for this coming Fall. To me, this preparation is critical. It allowed him to focus on many of the “housekeeping” details of transitioning to college life, so that when he does attend his advising session, he’ll have a better idea of what to discuss with his advisor.</p>
<p>Another event that occurs right at the beginning of the year is Quad Day, where all the Student Organizations set up booths in the “Quad” (the heart of the campus <a href=“http://illinois.edu/about/tours/quadCam.html[/url]”>http://illinois.edu/about/tours/quadCam.html</a>), and basically hawk their wares. This event gives the new student a great overview of the many extracurriculars in which he/she can partake.</p>
<p>Aside from those two events, I’m not sure whether Campus Housing has any events that are organized at that level, but I’d bet they do.</p>
<p>Lastly, an interesting Engineering tangent that is offered is the iEFX program, which replaces the traditional Engineering 100 orientation course. See [Why</a> choose iEFX? | Illinois Engineering Freshman Experience](<a href=“http://iefx.engineering.illinois.edu/about-iefx]Why”>Campus Home - CampusGroups) for information about this program. My son decided to take advantage of it.</p>
<p>Hope that helps.</p>