Welcome WashU! This page has everything you need to prepare for arrival, connect with classmates, and start your WashU journey feeling informed, supported and ready to go.
Welcome guides
Review these welcome guides for incoming students and their parents and families. They provide a brief overview of important tasks to complete the summer before you arrive and a summary of resources and services we offer to support you.
Orientation
Orientation will begin on Move-In Day and continue until the start of classes. During Orientation, you will meet with your WUSA small group, engage in academic experiences, explore St. Louis, and participate in a long-standing university tradition: Convocation.
Orientation objectives
Our objectives for orientation are that new students:
| Connect with other new students and begin to identify a peer group | |
| Navigate the WashU campus and the opportunities offered by the St. Louis community | |
| Interact with faculty, staff, and an upper-division mentor | |
| Discover pride for WashU, their academic division, and their residential college |
First-year International Student Orientation
First-year International Move-in Day will take place on Wednesday, August 13 from 9 a.m.–6 p.m. CT.
Winter Orientation: Spring Exchange Students
New exchange students admitted for spring 2026 will move in on January 7, 2026, and attend Winter Orientation from January 8–11.
Parent & Family Orientation
Parent & family Orientation is offered to help families learn about the university and how they can help their student transition to WashU.