FAQs

It is certainly possible to change your Orientation date by logging back in to your Ecampus account or email us at orientation@scu.edu. However, please keep in mind that once we are at full capacity for a session, we can no longer add students to that session. We can put you on a wait list and inform you if any spots in your desired session open up.

No, you are not allowed to leave campus at any time while attending Orientation. However, parents and guests are free to attend whatever parts of their Orientation session fit their schedule and interests.

No, you will not be alone. In addition to having a roommate, there will be Orientation Leaders acting as Community Facilitators for all new students. Community Facilitators, also known as CFs, are Santa Clara's version of a Resident Assistant or RA as they are commonly called at other colleges and universities. There will also be Campus Safety officers in the residence halls and around campus to ensure your safety.

Students must be Pell Grant eligible in order to receive an Orientation fee waiver. To request a fee waiver, please email our office at orientation@scu.edu with the your first name, last name, and student ID number.

Parents and guests are not eligible for a fee waiver. Exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis for extenuating circumstances.

You should bring clothing for two days, toiletries, and your own bedding (i.e. pillow, sleeping bag or sheets, and blankets for a twin bed). You must also bring a government-issued ID so that you can receive your Santa Clara ID card (ACCESS Card).

Check-in will be taking place in the lobby of McLaughlin-Walsh Residence Hall (Unity RLC) from 7:30am- 8:30am for Sessions 1-6 (July). The locations for check-in for Session 7 (September), Fall Transfer Orientation (September), and Winter Orientation (January) are TBA.

A free parking permit will be emailed to you a few days prior to your Orientation session. Be sure to print it out and put it on the dashboard of your vehicle. We will also have permits available at the check-in table at McLaughlin-Walsh Residence Hall (Unity RLC).

When driving onto campus, please use the main entrance of the university on Palm Drive. The entrance leads to the parking garage. Recommended parking is either in the main parking garage in the middle of campus (Central Parking Structure) or in the parking garage by the Art & Art History Building (bordered by Franklin Street, Alviso Street, Benton Street, and The Alameda).

Orientation Leaders will be scattered around campus to guide you from the parking garages to McLaughlin-Walsh Residence Hall (Unity RLC).

Click here to view a campus map.

Please contact our office at orientation@scu.edu or 408-551-1995.

You will be notified of your Residential Learning Community (RLC) and corresponding residence hall at Orientation. If you are attending Session 7 or Transfer Orientation in September, this information will be found in your Ecampus account.

Your roommate information will be found in your Ecampus account towards the middle of August.

If you meet someone at Orientation that is living in the same residence hall as you and you two would like to be roommates, please send an email to housing@scu.edu with that student's first name, last name, and student ID number. However, please note that the Housing Office cannot guarantee that all changes will be made.

You can change your Residential Learning Community (RLC) by contacting the Housing Office at housing@scu.edu. However, please note that the Housing Office cannot guarantee that all changes will be made.

No, they are not. Every Orientation session has an equitable amount of slots available in classes for first year students, so students in Session 7 have the same chance of enrolling in classes they need as do students in Session 1.