First Year Experience
Orientation
Olin's orientation is a five-day program that aims to provide a smooth transition to life at Olin. After moving into the residence halls, you and your family can meet and mingle with Olin staff and digest some information about the college. Then you'll bid farewell to your family and jump right into life at Olin. Your first week at Olin will include helpful discussions with college administrators and faculty members as well as exciting excursions, such as getting to know the greater Boston area.
By the end of the program, you'll be well acquainted with your peers and the college. You'll be ready to launch into classes and the ongoing development process that is Olin. If you have any questions about arrival day and orientation, email: student.affairs@olin.edu
Move-In Day
Your first day on campus starts off with moving into your new home-away-from-home - West Hall. Most First Year students will move in on Monday, August 24th, 2026, between 10:00AM-12:00PM. (International students are invited early by Xong Sony Yang, our Director of International Student Support and Intercultural Programs.) At 11:30am the dining hall opens for lunch for students and their families. At the same time we will have our arrival day resource fair in the Campus Center Crescent Room - this is where you will meet a bunch of staff from across campus and most importantly receive your laptop.
At 1:30pm, everyone gathers in the Norden Auditorium for the official welcome to Olin! Students will then meet their Orientation Teams while Parents & Families mix and mingle with our parent network. Finally we have a few hours of free time in the afternoon to unpack or take a trip to target, and then say farewell to parents & families by 6:30PM. At 6:30PM we will officially kick off Orientation week.
A typical day of Orientation
From Monday August 24 - Sunday August 30 the Class of 2030 will be going through our robust Orientation program to learn all about life at Olin. Each morning students will gather in groups of 10-15 as their O-Team, lead by Orientation Ambassadors, wakes up and wanders through campus. We then have the whole Class gather for Good Morning Olin to kick off the day of team building and exploration. After dinner your O-team gathers to reflect on the day and then the evening ends with something fun (but optional as rest is important!).
Meeting your SIBB
Saturday, August 29 is a special day for Orientation. The Class of 2030 heads into Boston for a day of exploration and questing. While they are away, returning students move in. After moving in, the returning students gather to meet their little SIBBs. SIBBs, or Students Intentionally Building Bridges, is a casual peer mentorship connection where each incoming student is matched up with a returning student who helps welcome them to Olin.
COURSES AND REGISTRATION FOR INCOMING STUDENTS
All first-year students at Olin enroll in the same set of “like” courses each fall. These include cool topics like "Quantitative Engineering Analysis", "Modeling and Simulation of the Physical World" and “Design Nature”, which you will magically appear in your fall schedule. You will also be registered for something called OFYI. During Orientation, you will learn about OFYI, the Olin First Year Introductory, which engages students in topics around succeeding at Olin like teaming, resume development, and gratitude. Your one big moment of choice for your first semester courses comes in with your AHS foundation course.
Here are the materials for Fall 2026:
- You can learn more about the AHS foundation courses with this Primer.
- Your AHS registration will occur via this survey: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=0FRi_5BGikakrYKKzju…;
- If you want to know more about full array of courses you’ll be taking during the first year check out the Semester Offerings and Course Listings
- Additionally, you will find the First Year Seminar, called the “OFYI” for Olin First Year Introduction on your schedule in September. This 1 credit course was co-designed by Olin students and covers everything from working in teams to helping you write a resume that will help you get your first internship.
Welcome to Olin and see you soon!
Onboarding Over The Summer
Onboarding Support will increase as we get closer to the big day - Move-In on Monday, August 24th!