Once again, we are excited to welcome you to Furman and the Paladin family! As a new member of the Furman student body, we want to make sure you get off to a rousing start, and that begins with Summer Orientation.  The primary purpose of “Summer O” is to prepare you for the start of your academic journey.  You will stay on campus for an overnight experience and meet with a summer advisor as you begin thinking about fall classes.  There are five orientation sessions, all taking place in the last two weeks of June:

• June 17-18
• June 20-21
• June 22-23 (This session is at capacity.)
• June 25-26
• June 28-29

During each Summer O session, you will have an opportunity to interact with your peers, Furman faculty and staff, and our upper-class students serving as Orientation Leaders.  There are separate sessions planned for your parents and family, to ensure they get their questions answered, as well. The cost of Summer Orientation is $150 per student, which covers your overnight stay on campus and three meals.  The registration fee also includes one parent or guest, and their meals during orientation.  Additional guests can be registered for $30 each.  Students will stay in a residence hall room overnight, while parents and guests will need to reserve a hotel room in the area. For additional information and to register, please visit the Summer Orientation website.  Please note: You will need to use the email address and password that you’ve used throughout the admission process to access the Summer Orientation registration form. You will receive a detailed email, specific to your orientation session, about 10 days prior to the session you have registered for. Summer Orientation is a great way to begin navigating your Furman pathway and we can’t wait to see you there!

Congratulations on your decision to attend Furman University and welcome to the Paladin family!  We are so excited that you will be joining us this fall! And welcome to the New Students website!  This site is the place to go for all things related to the beginning of your Furman experience.  The key to this site is the New Student Checklist, which provides a chronological listing of the important deadlines and submissions that you will need to complete before the start of the fall semester.  Complete these items, and you are ready to begin your Furman career!  (Please note: Many of the items on the checklist won’t be able to be completed until May or later in the summer, once you have access to your Furman network account.) In addition to the information on this site, we will send you regular emails throughout the spring and summer months.  These messages are intended to draw your attention to a wide variety of opportunities available to incoming students, as well as provide details for a number of tasks you will need to complete before the start of the fall semester.  In early May, these periodic messages will turn into weekly updates.  We want to make sure that all along the way, you are fully informed about everything pertaining to your first year at Furman.  It is important that you check your email regularly!  For now, we will email you using the contact information you provided during the application process. As a new member of the Furman student body, we want to make sure you get off to a rousing start, and that begins with Summer Orientation.  The primary purpose of “Summer O” is to begin your academic preparation and get an intense crash course on academic life at Furman.  You will stay on campus for an overnight experience and meet with academic advisors as you begin thinking about fall classes.  Registration for Summer O is open!  You can register by following this link, or by going to the Summer Orientation page on the New Students website.  Register early, as sessions will begin to fill up quickly! In addition to Summer O, Furman offers several optional summer programs developed to help you explore your interests, build friendships, prepare for Furman, and have some fun:

• Apply to be a Summer Connections scholar. Spend a week on campus exploring vocation through personal reflection, creative expression, faith, and service-learning in the community.
• Introduce yourself to classmates and have a blast in the great outdoors through the Paladin Outdoor Program. These “P.O.P.” trips take place immediately before Fall Orientation in August.  Whether it’s rafting the Nantahala River, hiking in the mountains, sea kayaking in Charleston, or spending three days on a service project in Greenville; these experiences are designed for all skill and interest levels.

There are plenty of opportunities to get your Furman experience underway a little early this summer.  Space is limited for most of the summer experiences, so check them out now! We know that you will have many questions along the way, so please don’t hesitate to email us at orientation@furman.edu as those questions arise.  We are happy to help and look forward to getting to know you along the way!