Pre-Orientation - Fall 2008

Jump-start your Cornell career by attending a pre-orientation program. There are many exciting programs to acclimate you to Cornell before formal orientation begins. You can enjoy the outdoors, engage in community service, discover academic opportunities, develop leadership skills, and explore Cornell and the local community.

Regardless what pre-orientation program you choose, you will benefit from the experience. Here are comments from previous participants (and their families):

"I met awesome people and am not nervous at all about starting school…I learned a lot. In general, I loved everything!"

"It's an experience you'll come to cherish for the rest of your life, at Cornell and beyond. You don't have to take my word for it, just try it!"

"The experience benefited more than my daughter- it benefited me as a parent because I knew that she would transition to the college experience with a network of friends and support even before the first day or orientation. The piece of mind was priceless."

If you are interested, click on the links below to learn more about each program. Contact them as soon as possible [for POST, ROTC or Wilderness Reflections, submit the Cornell Bound interest form, available April 15] as application deadlines for most programs are July 10.

Air Force ROTC

Participate in this leadership-focused pre-orientation program/new student orientation to learn more about the Air Force as well as Cornell and the local area (activities include a low-ropes course, GPS challenges, and touring the aviation museum). Students are not obligated to join.

Army ROTC

Army ROTC offers an exciting, leadership-based pre-orientation program to get students excited about ROTC. You will improve your physical fitness, learn teambuilding and participate in leadership development, with no obligation to join the Army.

Environmental Career Skills (ECS)

Spend three days in Cornell's Arnot Forest making strong and lasting connections with peers and faculty who share an interest in the environment. This is an excellent way to have fun while learning methods and principles of conservation ecology, forestry, and stream ecology.

Freshman Summer Start

Begin your college career under ideal conditions by taking part in the Freshman Summer-Start program. Students entering any of Cornell's undergraduate colleges can participate in this experience providing a rich academic, social, and personal foundation for the years that follow.

Navy ROTC

Any student interested in pursuing a challenging and rewarding path as an officer in the U.S. Navy or Marine Corps is encouraged to participate in this orientation program.

Pre-Orientation Service Trips (P.O.S.T.)

POST, open to all incoming first-year and transfer students, gives you the opportunity to become familiar with the Ithaca community while making friends with other new and upper-level Cornellians.

PREPARE

This 4-day international pre-orientation program, provides travel-wearied international undergraduate students with an early start on their Cornell experience. You will not only get ready to face college life, but will also make friends that will last throughout your Cornell years and beyond.

Wilderness Reflections

Through the outdoor experience of your choice, including mountain biking, canoeing, backpacking and hiking, Wilderness Reflections offers a pre-orientation trip that will serve as a fun and meaningful transition to life at Cornell. Meet new Cornellians, hang out with upper-level Guides in beautiful natural settings, and get the inside scoop on life at Cornell.