New Student Orientation

Commemorate your first days on campus with the official New Student Orientation T-Shirt, featuring an iconic Meredith Balloon Arch!

At this time, pre-orders have been placed.

Shirts will be distributed on Move-In Day (August 19). 

Move-In Day
New students and their families receive a fun-filled arrival on campus starting at the front gate! Our boisterous team of students (known as the OCrew) pay forward the welcome shown to them while alumnae, members of our Parent’s Council, and upperclass Student Advisors are on hand all day to extend the welcome. 

Honor Code Ceremony
During this long-held tradition, new students recite the honor pledge and sign pledge cards to “faithfully uphold the principles of the Honor Code.” According to the Student Handbook, a student’s enrollment is not considered complete until the Honor Pledge has been signed.

Tour of the Massey House
Since the 1970s, it’s been a tradition for new students to visit the President’s home during their very first few days on campus. President Jo Allen hosts tours of the lovely residence, more formally known as the Massey House, and personally greets each student upon arrival. 

As a first-year commuter student, you will participate in the full four-day orientation program which will take place from Saturday, August 19 – Tuesday, August 22. Plan to arrive on campus on Saturday between 2:00 and and 2:45 PM to check-in. Our full program starts at 3:00 PM. 

We do our best to arrange the schedule so that commuter students are able to maximize their time on campus. Expect to be busy with orientation programming throughout the four-day experience. A detailed schedule will be available in early August.

As an international student, you will need to familiarize yourself with so much more beyond Meredith College.  To help you in your transition to the states, there is a pre-orientation program designed specifically for you before you join the campus-wide program. This International Orientation will take place August 16 – 18, 2023.  

Undergraduate students will then join their peers for New Student Orientation from August 19 – 22, 2023. For more information, be sure to visit our page for International Students.

We recognize that you have been to college before and may have different needs than our first-year students do. Therefore, our orientation for transfer students is designed to help distinguish Meredith from your previous institution, while not to devalue your growth that has occurred along the way.

Transfer students will be placed into groups with other transfers to foster an environment for you to meet and get to know other students like you. These groups will be led by our Wings and Transfer Advisors (WTAs) who are upper-class students, many of which were transfer students too.

As a transfer student, you are expected to participate in the four-day orientation program. However, you may be eligible to opt into our “Fast Track” program alongside of our Wings students.

The Student Success Center will reach out in early August to discuss your options and set you on the right course for your transition.  

We recognize that as an adult student, you have different needs as well as unique time constraints compared to other new students. Therefore, we have condensed our four-day experience to a “Fast Track” Program for you on Tuesday, August 22, 2023. Your orientation program will connect you to the right people at the right time and give you the information you need to start strong. You will have the opportunity to meet other adult students, receive advice from our Wings and Transfer Student Advisors, and participate in some of our most favorite New Student Orientation traditions.  

While the one-day program for Wings students is required, we also encourage our adult students to attend several key programs during the four-day program, if your schedule allows.  These include the Welcome Session for New Students, the Campus Life Skit, the Massey House Tour, Celebratory Dinner, and the Honor Code Ceremony. A detailed schedule will be available in early August.

Directions to Meredith College » 

Campus map (PDF) »

Resident students are assigned parking permits, which allow them to park in designated residential parking areas. Commuter students must park in designated commuter parking lots between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday-Friday. Between 4 p.m. and 7 a.m. during the week and throughout the weekend, all students may park in the following areas: Alumnae Parking Lot, Chapel Parking Lot, Cate Center Parking Lot, and the small parking lot behind Martin Hall. If students plan to bring their car to campus, they must purchase a parking permit from the Campus Police Building during their first week on campus.

The Campus Police Building is located behind Poteat Residence Hall and is open from 7:30 a.m.- 4 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Students may also visit Campus Police to have their CamCards created during Orientation. Campus Police can be reached at (919) 760-8888.

Greetings!

Welcome to Meredith College and the Meredith College family.  The strength of Meredith is in its people – the students, the faculty, the staff, and…the parents and families of our students.  We are proud and very excited that you and your family have chosen Meredith for your student’s higher education.  We understand that so much of the success that she has attained so far has resulted from your support and encouragement.

Your continued support will be critical to your student’s success at Meredith.  Families are invited to the first day of New Student Orientation, and we have provided information below that may assist you in supporting your Meredith student during the course of the year.  Additionally, we want you to contact us if you have questions and concerns.  We look forward to seeing you in August!  Welcome to the MC family!

Ann Gleason, Dean of Students
(919) 760-8521 | deanofstudents@meredith.edu

Stay Involved With Your Student’s Meredith Experience!

See these tips for being an involved and supportive parent:

• DO Share in your student’s enthusiasm and excitement.
• DO Expect homesickness (if your student lives on campus) and times when college life seems overwhelming.
• DO Encourage your student to accept responsibility and become her own problem-solver.
• DO Expect change and give her space to grow.
• DO Listen, write, call, and send care packages – discuss what would work best in keeping the communication lines open.
• DO Find new interests to help you let go.
• DO Encourage your student to get involved on campus and to participate in weekend programs, traditions and events.
• DON’T rush to the rescue. Encourage and support, but let her handle concerns and issues. If she needs additional support, remind her of on-campus resources and offices available to her.
• DON’T Encourage coming home often.  Students make smoother transitions and are happier if they stay on campus long enough to make friends and get involved.
• DON’T Expect many letters or phone calls.  Sometimes students get caught up in a whirlwind of activity and forget to stay in touch.
• DON’T be surprised if she changes her mind on her major and career interests.

Important campus offices and resources.

Meredith College has a strong history of parent and family programming and philanthropy. For more information, click here.
Join the Meredith Parents and Families Facebook Page! 

Raleigh is often cited as one of the best places to live and work in America. We’re proud to call it home.

Find more information at https://www.visitraleigh.com/ to plan your stay while attending New Student Orientation.

Please email deanofstudents@meredith.edu if you have any questions.