Summer 2023 New Student Orientation Information

Summer 2023 New Student Orientation

Summer undergraduate orientation is for Berklee College of Music students entering their first semester, and is the first step of the Berklee student experience. It is designed as a week of welcome before the fall semester begins and focuses on helping students build social and artistic connections. Orientation is a campus-wide event to support a coordinated and collaborative transition for our new students and family members.

Summer orientation will take place Tuesday, May 23–Saturday, May 27, 2023. Residence hall move-in for on-campus students takes place on Tuesday, May 23 and information for residential students will be communicated directly from our Housing and Residential Education office.

Register for May 2023 New Student Orientation

Please email us at New Student and Family Programs at nsfp@berklee.edu if you have any questions pertaining to new student orientation.

Orientation Overview

During orientation, students will build community with other new students through a variety of programs and events, connect with campus resources, participate in an audition that determines class levels, and receive course schedules.

Orientation provides a foundation for your success in your artistry, scholarship, and leadership during your time at Berklee. 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, undergraduate students 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. Orientation is a vital part of the onboarding experience for Berklee new students and we can't wait to welcome you. If you have any questions or concerns, or anticipate arriving to Boston later than Tuesday, May 23, please reach out to us at nsfp@berklee.edu.

Pre-Arrival Resources and Support

New Student and Family Programs offers a number of resources for incoming Berklee students and families to support a smooth transition. For information pertaining to new families, please visit our Family Orientation page.

Webinars

Our Summer 2023 Welcome webinar was held on Wednesday, April 12, and was intended for new students and families joining Berklee in May 2023. You can find the recording on our Recorded Webinars page, which includes important information about new student orientation week, next steps for entering students, housing and move-in, and more.

Our Housing and Move-In webinar was held on Thursday, May 11. This webinar covered everything you need to know about move-in day, the housing waitlist, and resources for both on and off-campus housing. You can find the recording on our Recorded Webinars page, which includes important information about new student orientation week, next steps for entering students, housing and move-in, and more.

Virtual New Student Socials

Berklee students entering in May are invited to join us for one of our fun virtual socials! These events will be held via Zoom and facilitated by our Community Connectors, upper-semester Berklee students. We hope you take this opportunity to mingle with other new students and meet some current Berklee students, too.

Wednesday, April 19: 5:00 p.m. ET (this social has taken place)
Monday, May 15: 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. The My First Berklee Project 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.

The sign-up for the My First Berklee Project has closed.

Cadence Orientation App

Berklee utilizes the Cadence orientation app for new students. This app allows you to view the full schedule for orientation week and welcome week, as well as provides a space for you to connect with other new students! Be sure to register for Cadence, using your Berklee.edu email address, as soon as possible. Full orientation content was made available to registrants on Wednesday, May 10 via email.

Pre-Arrival Onboarding Tasks

New students must check the "Next Steps" section of the application portal (opens in a new window) 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

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