Freshman Orientation (Summer/Fall)

Click here to find orientation dates currently available for each academic unit. There are a limited number of spaces available at each session based on student majors and admission to the university honors program.

Freshman Orientation is $150 per student. (This fee covers four meals, program materials, overnight accommodations on campus and all staff and administrative fees associated with the program.)

You may also register parents/guests for Family Orientation. Family Orientation is an optional, one-day program and is an additional $50 per guest registered. (This fee covers two meals, program materials and staff and administrative fees – overnight accommodations are provided for students only.) Please note that the family program is entirely separate from the student program, and is a concurrent session that takes place on day 1 of the student session. Student and Family Orientation are two entirely separate programs, and students can see their family member(s) at lunch and dinner.

Fees, Cancellations and Refunds Policies

Please note: Students will not be able to register for orientation until their enrollment deposit is paid.

Register for New Cards Orientation in your New Cards Gateway. Orientation registration is available now!

Session Change Requests: If you would like to request a change to the date of your orientation session once you have registered, please complete a session change request. Your first session change request is free. Once processed, any subsequent requests could incur a $10 processing fee.

• Overnight linens (twin XL sheet, pillow, blanket – whatever you need to be comfortable for a one night stay in a traditional residence hall room!)
• Towels
• Toiletries
• Clothing appropriate for weather (umbrella, rain jacket, comfortable shoes)
• Refillable water bottle
• Driver’s license or some form of ID (for student ID pick-up)
• Username and passwords for ULink
• Financial Aid Verification (if required, you will have been notified via UofL Email)
• Cash for Orientation t-shirt ($10 each)
• Materials for taking notes
• List of questions
• Snacks

Click here to find information regarding parking at Freshman Orientation and directions. (Orientation is unable to cover costs of parking tickets if you fail to park in the designated parking area.)

Students are required to attend ALL Orientation programming, including the overnight stay on campus in one of our traditional residence halls.

Student Day 1

Freshman Orientation will begin with check in at Belknap Village North Residence Hall at 8:00 a.m. EDT on the first day of your assigned session. Orientation programming will start promptly at 9:00 a.m. in the Student Activities Center. On the first day of orientation, students will hear from and learn about various campus services and resources, including financial aid, campus safety, and academic units. Meals for the day will include lunch and dinner. Day 1 will conclude at approximately 11:00 p.m.

Student Day 2

The second day of orientation will begin with breakfast at approximately 8:00 a.m. Orientation programming will conclude in the early afternoon, followed by academic advising and course enrollment at the end of the day. Lunch will also be served on day 2. Students should plan to be on campus until as late as 5 p.m. EDT dependent upon their advising time. Students are required to stay for the entirety of the orientation program, and early checkout is not permitted without prior approval for a documented need.

Early Arrival

Early arrival check-in is available for students who live more than 75 miles from campus and select this option at registration. Early arrival check-in is at Belknap Village North Residence Hall between 7-9 pm EDT the evening before your scheduled orientation session. Dinner that night and breakfast the next morning are not provided, so please plan accordingly. There is an additional $25 fee for early arrival.

Still have questions? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page to find the answers! If you have additional questions after that, please contact the Orientation Office at orient@louisville.edu or 502.852.7276 (office open Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm ET).

Make sure you are completing all necessary items in the “Before Orientation” section on the First-Time Freshman Guide before your session date to make sure you are ready to join the Cardinal Family!