Fall 2023 New Student Orientation Information
Fall 2023 New Student Orientation
Fall orientation will take place Saturday, August 26, through Saturday, September 2, 2023. Undergraduate orientation is for Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee students entering their first semester. It is designed as a week of welcome before the fall semester begins and focuses on helping students build social and artistic connections.
Orientation Overview
All entering students will be placed in a cohort with about 25 other new Berklee students, and each cohort will meet daily during orientation. These groups will be led by community connectors and orientation leaders, undergraduate student leaders who seek to connect students to Berklee resources as well as facilitate social connections during the transition to Berklee. At orientation, entering students will attend resource fairs, open houses, specialized sessions and workshops, and a variety of social events to help launch their Berklee experience and make sure they're informed and connected with a variety of resources and with their peers. During orientation, students will also participate in a placement audition that will determine their course levels for their first semester, and they will receive their fall semester course schedule by the end of the week.
Register for the Cadence Orientation App
The Cadence app is vital to the orientation experience. Cadence will house the full orientation and welcome week schedule, a live feed for you to introduce yourself to other new Berklee students, campus resources, competitions, and more! Be sure to register at the link above.
Pre-Arrival Resources
The New Student and Family Programs team has put together a series of webinars, virtual question and answer sessions, and virtual student socials to make sure entering students feel ready and excited to join us at the end of August. Find out more about these programs below.
Webinars
Please note: All webinars are in Eastern Time and will be recorded. Webinar recordings will be posted and available on our Recorded Webinars page within three business days of the webinar date.
New Student and Family Programs Welcome Webinar: Wednesday, May 31, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Join us for the New Student and Family Welcome Webinar, intended for new Berklee students and families joining us in August 2023. In this webinar, we will have staff present from New Student and Family Programs, Housing and Residential Education, and admissions representatives from both Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee. We will be discussing next steps for admission, information about new student and family orientation, and on-campus housing. We can't wait to meet you!
First Semester: How to Prepare (College-Only) Webinar: Friday, June 9, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
This webinar is open to students and families entering Berklee College of Music only. Join to learn and ask questions about how to prepare to enter Berklee College of Music and what you can be doing now. Students and families are both welcome to the first hour, and the second hour will welcome only students, as they will be placed into Zoom breakout rooms by instrument.
Pre-Orientation Programs Webinar: Wednesday, June 21, 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Join us to learn more about options for pre-arrival programs ahead of fall orientation, including programs from the Student Success Division geared toward first-generation students, the Black Scholars Initiative, neurodivergent program, and SOMOS Latinx.
One Stop Student Services Webinar: Wednesday, June 28, 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Join this webinar to learn about important dates, deadlines, and tasks related to bills, check-in, and more. Staff members will be present from One Stop Student Services (registrar, student accounts, and financial services), as well as New Student and Family Programs.
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Next Steps Webinar: Tuesday, July 11, 8:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
This webinar is open to students and families entering Boston Conservatory at Berklee only. Join to learn and ask questions about how to prepare to enter the Conservatory and what you can be doing now.
Health and Wellness Webinar: Friday, July 14, 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
This webinar will be cohosted by New Student and Family Programs and the Health and Wellness. Join us to learn about offerings from Health and Wellness, the Berklee-sponsored student health insurance plan, and more.
Student Success Advising Webinar: Thursday, July 20, 2:00p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Join this webinar to hear from our Student Success Advising area, as well as New Student and Family Programs, about what your student success advisor will offer, how course schedules are built, the support resources available to Berklee students, and more.
International Student Services Webinar: Wednesday, July 26, 8:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
Join New Student and Family Programs and International Student Services (ISS) to hear about important onboarding steps for international students, support resources on campus, and to get your questions answered by ISS team members.
Housing and Move-In Webinar: Tuesday, August 8, 4:00p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Join us to connect with staff members from New Student and Family Programs and the office of Housing and Residential Education to get your questions answered around housing, move-in, the housing waitlist, and more.
Virtual Drop-In Q&A Sessions
We will be hosting a series of virtual question-and-answer sessions to make sure you feel fully confident and connected to us at Berklee. Drop in any time during the two hour sessions and we will be ready to support you. Some of these sessions are hosted only by our New Student and Family Programs team, while others will have campus partners available to meet one-on-one in Zoom breakout rooms. These partners include Health and Wellness, Housing and Residential Education, International Student Services, Accessibility Resources for Students, One Stop Student Services, and Student Success Advising. All session times are listed in Eastern Time.
Drop-In Q&A Hours (with Campus Partners): Friday, June 2, 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Join us for a drop-in question-and-answer session with staff members from the following areas: New Student and Family Programs, Accessibility Resources for Students, Health and Wellness, Housing and Residential Education, International Student Services, One Stop Student Services, and Student Success Advising. You are welcome to drop in at any time during the two hours, and we will be ready to answer your questions about onboarding either in a group setting or one-on-one in a breakout room.
Drop-In Q&A Hours (NSFP Only): Thursday, June 22, 3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Join us for a drop-in question-and-answer session with staff members from New Student and Family Programs. You are welcome to drop in at any time during the two hours, and we will be ready to answer your questions about onboarding, new student and family orientation, and more either in a group setting or one-on-one in a breakout room.
Drop-In Q&A Hours (with Campus Partners): Tuesday, July 11, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Join us for a drop-in question-and-answer session with staff members from the following areas: New Student and Family Programs, Accessibility Resources for Students, Health and Wellness, Housing and Residential Education, International Student Services, One Stop Student Services, and Student Success Advising. You are welcome to drop in at any time during the two hours, and we will be ready to answer your questions about onboarding either in a group setting or one-on-one in a breakout room.
Drop-In Q&A Hours (NSFP Only): Friday, July 28, 9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Join us for a drop-in question-and-answer session with staff members from New Student and Family Programs. You are welcome to drop in at any time during the two hours, and we will be ready to answer your questions about onboarding, new student and family orientation, and more either in a group setting or one-on-one in a breakout room.
Drop-In Q&A Hours (with Campus Partners): Thursday, August 10, 2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Join us for a drop-in question and answer session with staff members from the following areas: New Student and Family Programs, Accessibility Resources for Students, Health and Wellness, Housing and Residential Education, International Student Services, One Stop Student Services, and Student Success Advising. You are welcome to drop in at any time during the two hours, and we will be ready to answer your questions about onboarding either in a group setting or one-on-one in a breakout room.
Virtual Student Socials
We are hosting two virtual student socials in July! Join us on Zoom to meet other new students entering Berklee in August, as well as current upper-semester student leaders at Berklee who can answer any questions you may have. These socials are open to entering students at both the College and Conservatory.
Zoom Student Social #1: Thursday, July 13, 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. ET
Register
Zoom Student Social #2: Tuesday, July 25, 11:00a.m.–12:00 p.m. ET
Register
My First Berklee Project
The My First Berklee Project is your first creative endeavor as a newly enrolled Berklee student. Thist is an optional collaborative performance project launched within your incoming class. As a group, you will be creating art to be shared with the wider Berklee community. This can be dance, music, theater, and everything in between. Projects are completed virtually, before arrival to Berklee, and this opportunity is available for both incoming College and Conservatory students. Learn more and sign up here!
Pre-Arrival Onboarding Tasks
New students must check the "Next Steps" section of the application portal and clear any restrictions listed on their account. Next steps include important tasks such as paying the tuition bill, submitting required immunization paperwork, and submitting a final high school transcript. Students will receive login information in June to set up their Berklee email/OnePass account, which is required to complete tasks in the next steps for the enrollment checklist. In addition, students need their OnePass to access their Berklee email account, which is where they will receive all official school communications and access important student-facing resources found on the school’s internal sites (berklee.edu, bostonconservatory.berklee.edu, college.berklee.edu).
Connecting
Follow the Center for Campus Life on Instagram to learn about upcoming events and activities. Students can reach out to us with questions at campuslife@berklee.edu, and families are welcome to reach out to families@berklee.edu. We look forward to connecting with you!