What is a first-year student?
A first-year student is any student attending college for the first time (not including dual-enrollment taken in high school), typically straight from high school or after a short time away from school.
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- “Overall, my orientation experience has made the majority of my fears go away and I feel ready to become a Ram at VCU. “
- “I really enjoyed my orientation team and leader. [My Orientation Leader] was awesome/amazing and I made some good friends through my orientation group.”
- “I enjoyed being able to learn more about my school and meet other students and faculty from that school.”
First-Year Orientation
Orientation for first-year students offers an immersive experience for students to learn about life at VCU, understand academic requirements, campus resources and to connect with VCU students, faculty and staff and includes an overnight stay on campus. In addition to attending Orientation, you will complete the online Ram Ready Orientation Modules before attending Orientation.
Students accepted for Fall: Orientation is a two-day, overnight experience. Sessions are held throughout the summer, typically in June or July.
Students accepted for Spring: Orientation is a one-day in-person session held in January before the start of classes.
Orientation information:
Orientations sessions are available based on the VCU college or school that your major falls within. At Orientation, you will have the opportunity to meet with staff and faculty from your college or school and will be grouped with other students by your college/school. First-year Orientations are generally only available as in-person sessions unless you are in a fully online program.
To check which college or school your major falls in, you can search for your major under VCU Academics. Note that your major is the one that you were accepted into by VCU and is listed in the VCU Application Portal.
If you determine that you would like to request a change of major, you should do so BEFORE Orientation to ensure you attend the most appropriate session. You can email admproc@vcu.edu to request a change. Some majors may have different requirements for acceptance. If changing your major results in a change of your college/school, you may need to select a new Orientation session and you will receive an email notification, if so.
Spring 2025 Orientation dates:
First-year students will attend an in-person Orientation session for Spring 2025 on Friday, January 10, 2025. You must register for this session in advance.
Summer 2025 Orientation dates:
Orientation dates for Summer 2025 will be available before registration opens later in the Spring 2025 semester. Please check back later.
Students accepted into the Honors College are required to attend one of the dates noted with an * above where they will meet with both their primary college or school and the Honors College.
There will be options available for students with out-of-state and international residency who may not be able to come to campus during the summer. More information will be available when the Orientation dates are available.
For students enrolling in one of the fully online programs (listed below), you will complete both the Ram Ready modules and a required online course in Canvas. We will also offer several live virtual sessions over zoom to help you get connected with your online peers and meet with VCU staff. More details about available dates for these sessions will be available soon. Learn more about VCU Online programs.
Fully online majors include:
- Health Services
- Mass Communications Foundations
- Business Foundations (Accounting and Marketing),
- Social Work
Spring Orientation for first-year students accepted for the Spring semester is a one-day program held before the start of classes, typically in mid-January. Registration for Spring Orientation opens in early November.
Students will be able to begin their academic advising and course registration prior to Orientation. More information will be emailed to students once they have registered for Orientation.
What to expect at Orientation
Below is an overview of each component of the Orientation experience. You will receive more detailed information in your email once you have completed Orientation registration. It is important to check your email regularly and read over emails carefully.
In order to attend Orientation, you must first register and select a date. Students can register for Orientation once they have accepted their offer of admission and paid the New Student Deposit. Before you register for Orientation, review the first-year student checklist and be sure you have completed items in Step 1. You will use your VCU login information to set up your Orientation account. Visit the Orientation Registration page for step-by-step instructions.
Orientation registration opens on the following dates:
- Students accepted for the Fall: Apr. 1, 2024
- Students accepted for the Spring: Nov. 1, 2024
The first step to begin the course registration process is to review the First-year Orientation advising guide. You can begin this process prior to attending Orientation.
This guide will help you determine if you need to take any placement tests, will help you complete the first-year advising and registration survey, and will help you register for classes. It will also help you schedule a meeting with your academic advisor via Navigate to finalize your course schedule.
Students accepted for Fall:
- Course registration and advising scheduling opens: May 15, 2024
- Advising appointments available beginning: June 1, 2024
Students accepted for Spring:
- Course registration and advising scheduling opens: Dec. 1, 2024*
- Advising appointments available beginning: Dec. 15, 2024*
*Note: Dates are subject to change.
Before attending your Orientation session, you will need to complete the Ram Ready Orientation Modules. These modules cover important academic information, financial planning, campus resources and how to prepare for your Orientation session. You should plan to spend one hour completing these modules.
- Ram Ready opens for students accepted for Fall: June 7, 2024
- Ram Ready opens for students accepted for Spring: Dec. 2, 2024*
*Note: Dates are subject to change.
Students accepted for Fall:
The first-year Orientation program is a two-day experience, and students will stay overnight in Gladding Residence Center. At Orientation, you will have large group sessions, small group sessions led by your Orientation Leader, and opportunities for breakout sessions based on your school/college and your interests.
Students accepted for Spring:
Spring Orientation is a one-day program and takes place in-person. This session will consist of large and small-group sessions, a campus panel, an opportunity to connect with your college/school, and a campus resource fair. A campus tour will also be available.
You are encouraged to have a family member and/or supporter attend Orientation with you. This helps equip families with knowledge of campus resources so they can best support you.
Family Orientation happens alongside the student program. Students and their families will be together for portions of the program and there will be separate sessions as well. For more details, visit the families and supporters page.
Orientation cost
There is no upfront cost for students to participate in Orientation. The cost for the program is covered by the New Student Transition Fee on your student bill in your first semester and will be paid alongside tuition and other fees or covered by your financial aid package (if applicable).
The fee for incoming first-year students covers your full Orientation experience, including meals during Orientation, materials (usually a bag, water bottle and more), your overnight stay on-campus, program staffing and other associated costs (including space rental). The fee also contributes to programming for first-year students during the academic year, including Weeks of Welcome and more.
Visit Student Financial Services to learn more about mandatory student fees.
First-year students may add up to three family members or supporters to their Orientation reservation for an additional fee. This non-refundable, one-time fee covers the cost to attend the in-person program and includes materials, meals and refreshments during Orientation, access to Ram Ready Orientation Modules for families, staffing and rental fees.
Family Orientation fees for Summer 2025 Orientation will be available when the Orientation dates are available.
This fee is collected at the time of registration via a secure online payment system. All major credit and debit cards are accepted. We cannot accept cash or checks.
Note: Fees are subject to change. This fee is non-refundable.