New Undergraduate Student Orientation

What does social justice mean to me? What does social justice look like at Brandeis? How can I apply social justice to my academics, personal life, and life outside of Brandeis? These are a few questions that will be explored through our Social Justice Pre-Orientation program this summer. You will have a chance to develop your own self-awareness and identity around the topic of social justice and be able to build a slew of resources and tools to engage effectively on and off campus with a social justice lens. With faculty, staff, student, and community members support, you will get a chance to learn and apply social justice learning and theory while also starting and building meaningful relationships with peers of different and/or similar backgrounds. Join our Pre-O and continue our collective efforts in bringing change to our campus and our world.

• Contact Elijah Warren with questions.
• Cost: Free
• Date and Time: Aug. 3-5; 1.5 hours each day determined by availability of participants

This Sustainability Pre-Orientation program will push students to think about their impact on the environment. Students will engage with staff and faculty at Brandeis to think critically about how they can be more sustainable, specifically related to their transition to college. Students will also get to know more about sustainability efforts at Brandeis and in the Greater Boston area, including a trip to Brandeis’ recycling and composting facilities.

• Contact sustainability@brandeis.edu with questions.
• Cost: Free
• Date and Time: Week of Aug. 10-15; 3-4 hours of programming throughout the week; dates and times will be determined by availability of participants.

Were you involved in community service in high school? Are you hoping to grow as a leader? Do you want to engage in the Brandeis and Waltham communities? Join other actively engaged peers in discovering how service can become part of your identity at Brandeis, while gaining the tools you need to become a leader in your new community. Participants will actively engage in community service, discover and reflect on the diverse populations, perspectives, and roles that exist in the Waltham and greater Boston communities; develop leadership skills; and become part of a community committed to personal growth through service and reflection. Students will explore the city of Waltham through the lens of community engagement, social justice, and local activism, while building relationships with prominent student leaders, faculty members, and community partners who are actively engaged in this work. Participants will leave the program with the connections, skills, and knowledge to jump into service at Brandeis and have a positive impact on their new community.

• Contact Sam DeMelim with questions.
• Cost: Free
• Date and Time: July 19 from 7-10 p.m. EDT, July 20 from 7-9:30 p.m. EDT and July 21 from 7-9:30 p.m. EDT

Travel through time from the Revolutionary period to the founding of Brandeis University. “Pinkies up” for a get to know you tea and crumpets session with your fellow time travelers. Prepare for an eventful 24 hours of doing seek and finds in the archives and learning from historians, while competing in trivia from history to present day and playing a historic version of capture the flag- capture the liberty bell. Become a Supreme Court Justice, like Louie Brandeis, in a not so serious supreme court deliberation session. We will wrap up all of this excitement with a time traveler themed escape room. Come learn about history through different lenses. No time travelers experience needed.

• Contact Renée Nakkab with questions.
• Cost: Free
• Date and Time: July 22, July 29, and Aug. 5 from 7-9 p.m. EDT

We often allow our deepest thoughts and feelings to lie dormant in our brains, eager to escape in the next great creative adventure. Whether you have played music all your life or have never touched an instrument before, that next creative adventure is now. Join us as we form close bonds with one another, channel our pure human emotion into passionate soundscapes and melodies, and learn about music from all over the world. 

• Contact August Soderberg with questions.
• Cost: Free
• Date and Time: July 22, July 29, and Aug. 5 from 7-9 p.m. EDT

All new international undergraduate students are required to attend the International Pre-Orientation. You are automatically enrolled in the program as an international student, which means you do not need to apply. During the International Pre-Orientation, you will be able to explore the academic culture at Brandeis, get to know campus resources, and discuss topics surrounding student life beyond the classroom. 

• Contact International Office at int-orientation@brandeis.edu or 781-736-3480 with questions.
• Cost: Free
• Visit the ISSO website for more information.

RISE consists of two stand-alone programs - Participate in one or the other, or both for maximum benefit.

Pre-Term Orientation: Aug 28-30

A three-day program for first-year students who are looking to work on skills to help them successfully transition to college, while building connections with other first-year students. Through hands-on activities and discussions, students will develop strategies to navigate the academic and social sides of college and connect with campus resources.

• Cost: $175 (for Pre-Orientation only)

Health and Wellness Course: HWL 67, Mon. 3:30-4:50 p.m. 

For all undergraduates, the Health & Wellness Course (HWL 67) meets weekly throughout the fall semester (12 weeks). Students will have the opportunity to master and implement time management and study skills, while receiving continued support on how to deal with challenges throughout the semester. This course fulfills 2 Mind & Body Balance Modules toward the Health, Wellness and Life Skills general education requirement.

If you participate in pre-orientation, we highly suggest you also enroll in the Health & Wellness Course so you can continue to work on the skills introduced in pre-orientation throughout the semester. However, participation in both parts is NOT mandatory or necessary to benefit from RISE. Participate in just the pre-orientation, just the course, or both!

Apply Now

Questions? Contact the instructors:

• Hannah Snyder (Psychology Department)
• Dennis Tyrell (Brandeis Counseling Center)

Welcome to Brandeis, Class of 2024! We are so excited to get to know you. Please fill out this form to join in on a variety of online and on campus experiences to help first year students get to know each other and our community.

Our virtual activities will begin the week of August 10th including some ongoing conversations as well as one-off/drop in gatherings described below. All virtual gatherings will be one hour in length.
Note: We appreciate your flexibility as our plans continue to evolve. We will do our best to keep you informed of any significant changes to our programming.

To learn more, visit the Brandeis Hillel website.

Apply Now

• Contact: Rabbi Stephanie Sanger-Miller with questions 
• Cost: Free