Orientation

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Advising & Orientation.

For more information, contact us at fyp@uw.edu. 

Advising & Orientation Parts 1, 2, and 3

All first-year students are required to attend Advising & Orientation. This includes Freshman U.S., Freshman International, and Transfer students. You will need to attend A&O in its entirety. Attendance will be taken for A&O Parts 2 and 3.  

Student populations that are not required to attend A&O include Returning, Graduate & Post Baccalaureate, exchange, and non-matriculated students.  

Reserving your spot for a session allows us to create groups so that you are able to establish connections with staff, faculty, and peers. This also helps us manage our reservation system to ensure you attend the correct session based on your program.  

Please ensure that you are available for the entirety of your A&O sessions.  Note for summer/autumn admits: Select an A&O Part 3 session that does not conflict with your housing move-in day.

You can edit your A&O reservation by logging into your First-year Checklist up to 10 business days prior to your session. You can edit your reservation the same way that you originally made your reservation. 

Want an earlier date? Unfortunately, we do not have a notification alert for A&O dates, but students often reschedule. If you prefer earlier dates, you can go back into your first-year checklist at any time to see the real-time status of sessions. If a spot opens up, you can select your desired date, save, and then resubmit your reservation. If there are no other dates still available, please fill out the following form: fyp.washington.edu/aorequests. 

After reserving your spot at A&O, you will receive a reservation confirmation email with a link to the page where you will access an agenda specific to your A&O session. This detailed agenda will become available to you at least 24 hours before your A&O session and will contain all the Zoom links you will need to fully participate during your scheduled time. View our sample agenda pages (Freshman | Transfer | International) to see timing and activities.  

Review our Technology Instructions for A&O to learn more about the technology and supplies needed during your A&O as well as detailed Zoom instructions. 

Your online Pre-A&O modules are a requirement before attending A&O Part 2. You will need to complete them 72 hours prior to your A&O session. These modules serve to provide you with foundational information that you will continue to explore throughout A&O.  

Please contact us immediately at fyp@uw.edu or text us at 206-207-5564. It is possible that you may need to reschedule your A&O if you miss more than 30 minutes of your session. Review our policies, changes, & cancellations website.

No. A&O will be your dedicated time to meet with an academic adviser. They will not be available to meet with you until then, however, you can begin asking general questions by emailing advice@uw.edu.

If you are a transfer or running start student, please have an unofficial copy of your most recent transcripts from all previous institutions of higher education on-hand during your A&O. If you are a Freshman student, your unofficial transcript will be helpful to view how some of your credits may transfer to the university.

Please Note: Every student is required to submit final transcripts to the University of Washington. You will need to submit final transcripts from any and all previous higher education institutions that you may have attended, including while you were in high school. 

Students attending earlier A&O sessions will have a wider variety of courses. However, regardless of when a student attends A&O, we guarantee access to a schedule with courses that count towards full-time status as well as graduation requirements. Advisers and current students will be available for questions about registration throughout the entire summer.

You will make your reservation for A&O Part 2 and 3 at the same time. Please note that you will receive two separate confirmation emails for Part 2 and 3.

Yes. A&O Part 3 is part of your Advising & Orientation experience and will be an opportunity for you to connect with other new Huskies, Orientation Leaders, and your adviser.

Your A&O Part 3 confirmation email will contain a link where you will access a detailed agenda specific to your session. This detailed agenda will become available to you at least 24 hours before your A&O session and will contain all the locations you will be navigating to when you arrive on campus.

General

Zoom is a free online video and chat platform that will be used during your remote A&O. If you are able, please click here to download. Zoom will automatically be downloaded when you join your first Zoom meeting. 

Review our Technology Instructions for A&O to learn more about the technology and supplies needed during your A&O as well as detailed Zoom instructions. 

If you do not have access to a laptop/tablet to participate in Advising & Orientation, you are able to request technology through the Student Technology and Loan Program. Review our Technology Instructions for A&O to learn about the technology and supplies needed during your A&O as well as detailed Zoom instructions.  

Please Note: for access to technology throughout the academic school year, you will need to complete a separate request before the start of the quarter.  

Yes, you can attend A&O on any device that has stable internet connection, however, we do recommend that you use a laptop or tablet.  

Please Note: Chromebooks are incompatible with Zoom meeting breakout rooms. You will not be able to use a Chromebook to connect to A&O. You can request technology  through the Student Technology and Loan Program to reserve a compatible laptop for A&O.  

Once your transcript has been submitted, please allow 4-6 weeks for the Office of Admissions to process it. After this time period is up, you can check your unofficial transcript on MyUW to see if credits have been transferred properly or you can directly contact the Office of Admissions for confirmation.  

If you are a transfer student and do not see credits while you are registering for courses at A&O Part 2. you will have an opportunity to notify your adviser during your A&O.  

Taking a placement test is purely a personal choice and will depend on which courses you plan to take your first year at the UW. At your A&O session, you will meet with an adviser who will go over your previous transcripts/scores/etc. and discuss how they match up with your needed classes at the UW. If you choose to take a placement test, we recommend that you complete them 3 days before attending A&O Part 2. Refer to the Placement Test Guide for more information.

All first-year students will work with an academic adviser. 

Assignment Process: No matter your major you will work with an adviser (usually in a small group) during your Advising & Orientation session. If you are a pre-major student you will be assigned a few weeks after your Advising & Orientation session.

The COVID-19 vaccine is no longer required for students except those in the Health Sciences Immunization Program. Staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccination remains strongly encouraged and is an important public health measure to reduce the risk of disease transmission and severe illness. 

MMM (Measles, Mumps, and Meningitis ACWY) immunization records must be submitted no later than the third Friday of the quarter, please refer to the UW Tri-Campus Immunization Requirement website.

When reserving a spot at Advising & Orientation, you will have the option to provide your mobile number and opt in to messages from First Year Programs staff, Orientation Leaders, and your assigned Academic Adviser. These messages offer intentional updates and information about the first-year experience.   

If you no longer want to receive these messages, please email fyp@uw.edu and we will opt you out of future messages.   

The NSEOF is a mandatory fee associated with confirming your enrollment. The NSEOF remains integral in continuing our work to provide students with remote and in-person services.  

For more information about the NSEOF, please visit our New Student Enrollment & Orientation Fee website.

If you are living on campus through Housing & Food Services, learn more about 9-month and 12-month move-in dates. 

Information about the first day of class can be found on the University's Academic Calendar. Throughout the summer, there will be opportunities for you to engage with in-person Husky Hangouts and attend Dawg Daze in the fall.

UW Bothell and UW Tacoma have separate orientation programs from the UW Seattle campus. For more information, you can visit UW Bothell’s Orientation website or UW Tacoma’s Orientation website.

No. A&O Parts 1, 2, and 3 are designed for first-year students only. We offer Family Orientation, which is an optional program designated for guests and families.

Congratulations on being admitted for the summer quarter. Please follow the steps on our summer admission website.  

Steps for Summer Admission 

Family Orientation

Sessions are hosted weekly, so if you are unable to attend the Family Orientation session you are registered for, you can return to future Family Orientation sessions throughout the summer (dates vary). Your student will be able to change this reservation through their First-year Checklist on the A&O reservation page.  

While Family Orientation is not required, it is a great opportunity for supporters of students to connect with faculty, staff, and administrators.

Note for winter admits: There is only one Family Orientation session during Winter A&O. This session will be recorded for review if you are unable to attend. 

No. There is no additional charge to access any Family Orientation or on-going opportunities resource. 

Students are responsible for registering parents and family members when making a reservation for an Advising & Orientation session. 

Access to Family Orientation resources can be found by selecting the link in the confirmation email that is sent to parents and family members after being successfully registered. 

Learn more about Technology Instructions for Family Orientation. 

The Husky Huddle-Up Podcast releases episodes throughout the summer for new UW parents and families.

UW Family Weekend will be hosted from Oct. 20-21, 2023. You can find more information on the Parents & Family Website.

You can follow UW Parent & Family Programs on Facebook, email them at uwparent@uw.edu, and sign up for the Parent Insider Newsletter to get regular updates about what’s going on at UW. You can also find more resources on our Prepare for Orientation page.