First-Year Students
• What is new student orientation?
• What is the Advising Planning Form?
• When do I register for my classes?
• What classes do freshmen take?
• What happens at orientation?
• How do I get a summer orientation date?
• How should I prepare for orientation?
• When is new student orientation?
• Where is orientation?
• Can I bring guests to orientation?
• What does the orientation fee cover?
• Who can I contact if I have questions or need accommodations?
• What is an "Orientation Hold" and why do I have one?
What is new student orientation?
The new student orientation program at Stony Brook University is a fun and
exciting way for students to begin their Stony Brook experience. Orientation
is divided into two parts. Part I, known as summer orientation, is a one-day
orientation session that focuses on advising and registration, as well as an
introduction to your Undergraduate College. Part II, known as Experience
Stony Brook, focuses on getting acclimated to the University climate,
culture, and community. Both part I and part II are mandatory for all
students.
What is the Advising Planning Form?
The purpose of the Advising Planning Form is to gather information that will be used by your Advisor to provide
recommendations for which classes are best for you. The goal is to make your course registration at Orientation
as smooth as possible. Every student must complete the Advising Planning Form for by June 15th.
The Advising Planning form is available on SOLAR under “New Student Information.”
When do I register for my classes?
When you attend Orientation Part I, you will register for your first-semester classes. You will sit with your Advisor(s)
and Orientation Leaders who will help you crate a schedule that best fits your needs and prepares you for a successful
academic career at Stony Brook University. You must complete the Advising Planning Form (found on SOLAR) by June 15th
so that your Advisor(s) can appropriately prepare for these sessions.
What classes do freshmen take?
Because every student is different, so are the courses students take in their freshmen year. However, freshmen tend to have
similarities in their course selections. Please visit the Undergraduate Colleges Advising Website for information about
typical freshmen schedules at
www.stonybrook.edu/ucolleges/advising.
Please note that Stony Brook's undergraduate degree program is geared toward daytime students (part-time and full-time),
with limited scheduling of evening classes. The University does not offer on-line or weekend undergraduate classes.
Courses are offered Monday-Friday which necessitates often taking classes at least 3 or 4 days (typically 5 days for
science-related coursework) per week.
What happens at orientation?
During your one-day summer orientation, you will meet with other students from your Undergraduate College, as well as university faculty and staff,
including your academic advisor, your Faculty Director and Orientation Leaders. You will take your Photo ID picture before beginning your day
and have a chance to visit the information fair in the lobby. After your Undergraduate College program, you will be given lunch, and will take
a walking tour of the campus. Residential students will visit their residential quad, although not necessarily their assigned room or residence hall.
After the tour, students will work with academic advisors, faculty members, and orientation leaders to develop their fall schedule.
Click here for a glance at the one-day summer orientation schedule for first-year students.
Please note that schedules are subject to change. Students in the EOP/AIM and Honors/WISE programs will follow a different schedule,
as will international students.
During Experience Stony Brook (Orientation Part II), you will be formally welcomed to the University at Convocation by President Kenny.
You will meet with other students from your Undergraduate College and participate in team-oriented activities. Finally, you will receive
important information about your rights and responsibilities as a Stony Brook student, including policy information on issues such as drugs
and alcohol, sexual assault, hazing, and the University code of conduct.
How do I get a summer orientation date?
When students are admitted to Stony Brook University, they are assigned a unique Stony Brook ID number that allows them to access our online system, known as
SOLAR. The SOLAR system allows students to accept their admission by paying their tuition deposit online, as well as their housing deposit (if applicable) and student orientation fee. The student must also complete the online New Student Preference form on SOLAR. When a student has completed the entire Preference form, and paid all deposits, an orientation date will be assigned based on their Undergraduate College. Click here for more information on the
Undergraduate Colleges. The student will receive their orientation date in the mail, along with additional orientation materials.
How should I prepare for new student orientation?
Students who have paid their deposits and completed their online Preference form will be mailed a Planning Guide with their orientation materials.
The Planning Guide contains critical information on course preferences, math placement exams and writing placement exams.
Students must complete the Advising Planning Form (found on SOLAR) and complete any required assessments
by June 23rd (summer).
Students who do not complete these items prior to orientation may be unable to register for necessary classes due to missing information. In addition, the
Planning Guide also contains information about submitting high school transcripts, college credit transcripts and AP scores to the University. Click
here to download the Class of 2012 Planning Guide in PDF format (Adobe Acrobat required).
For Experience Stony Brook, students are required to bring their student ID to all events, as student attendance will be taken via their ID cards.
Student ID’s will be picked up when students check-in to residence halls for residential students, and on the first day of Experience Stony Brook for commuter students.
When is new student orientation?
Summer orientation (part I) takes place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays primarily during the month of July depending on the Undergraduate College that a student is assigned to. Each Undergraduate College will have two orientation dates and students will be scheduled for one of these dates based on the order in which they were received. Students who are in the Honors College, WISE, Athletes, and EOP/AIM will have special orientation dates. In addition, international students will be assigned to a specific orientation date. Students who are unable to attend the orientation that they are assigned are encouraged to contact the office of orientation as soon as possible.
Experience Stony Brook will occur on Saturday, August 30, Sunday, August 31, and Monday, September 1, 2008.
Where is orientation?
Summer orientation occurs in the Student Activities Center (SAC). Students will spend most of their day in the SAC with the exception of the walking campus tour. Students driving to summer orientation should be sure to park in the H Lot, also known as the Student Activities Center lot. Parking cannot be validated for the parking garage or other areas of campus. Click here for additional information on
traveling to campus.
Experience Stony Brook takes place across the entire campus. Students will be attending programs in LaValle Stadium, the Staller Center, and various other locations on campus. A detailed schedule will be provided to students when they arrive at Experience Stony Brook.
Can I bring a guest to orientation?
During summer orientation, students are allowed to bring up to two guests, however guests will not be allowed to participate in the summer orientation program with the student. Parents and family members are welcome to attend the Parent/Family Orientation, which takes place in a separate area of the Student Activities Center. For more information on the Parent/Family orientation, visit
the Parent/Family website.
Guests are welcome to assist students with move-in, as well as participate in the Family BBQ during the first day of Experience Stony Brook. After the Family BBQ, parents and students part ways, as students are formally welcomed during University Convocation. Guests are not able to attend other Experience Stony Brook events.
What does the orientation fee cover?
The Stony Brook University's orientation fee of $180 provides the students with two programs. A one-day orientation session welcomes the students to the university, with an overview of the undergraduate experience, a meal, community building activities, academic advising, ID photos, and registration for classes. During this time the parents and family members attend a separate program where they are introduced to the campus resources. The second program, "Experience Stony Brook", is during the first weekend prior to the start of the semester. This second part of orientation focuses on student responsibilities and expectations through workshops and theatre performances, and includes several social and community building activities, but does not include meals. Students learn about campus resources and opportunities. Orientation fees are mandatory for all students except for EOP/AIM students and must be paid directly to the office of orientation. As orientation fees do not appear on a student's tuition bill they cannot be directly covered by financial aid. Should a student need to reschedule or cancel an orientation reservation, they must call at least seven days prior to the scheduled session. All refund requests must be made in writing and all reimbursements will result in a $50 processing fee.
Who can I contact if I have questions or need accommodations?
Students who have questions about orientation or require an accommodation (including dietary needs) should contact the office of New Student Orientation and Family Programs at 631-632-6710.
What is an "Orientation Hold" and why do I have one?
The Orientation Hold prevents students from registering. All new students will have an this hold prior to attending Orientation. The hold will be removed after Orientation. Students who do not pay the orientation fee will also have this hold until their orientation fee is paid.