Freshmen (First-Year) Students

All full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students must participate in orientation before starting at Suffolk. Once you have paid your enrollment deposit, you may register for orientation. Students with possible schedule conflicts should contact Orientation & New Student Programs.

The cost of the orientation program is included in the new student fee on your tuition bill.

Orientation serves many purposes for our incoming students. We seek to help you understand Suffolk University's academic environment and expectations, become familiar with utilizing academic resources, develop a sense of comfort within the Suffolk community, gain knowledge about co-curricular opportunities, and become familiar with Suffolk's global culture and the institution's appreciation for diversity. We are looking forward to meeting you at orientation!

Starting college is an exciting adventure, not only for students, but for the entire family. While it is not mandatory for family members to attend Orientation, it is strongly encouraged. Family orientation run concurrently with, but separately from, student orientation. For family members, orientation offers an exciting opportunity to interact with skilled faculty and staff members who are committed to excellence on campus.

Orientation will provide an opportunity for family members to learn about your student's academic program and requirements, get answers to financial questions, policies, and deadlines, understand academic and co-curricular resources, gain details about health, wellness, and safety, and more. We hope to see you there!

Your student can register you for Family Orientation through their applicant portal when they complete their own orientation registration.

Orientation registration opens on October 23.

Students who have paid their enrollment deposit will be able to register for Orientation, along with up to two family members. Attending Orientation is a mandatory part of becoming a Suffolk Ram, so make sure to reserve your spot for the January 12 orientation!

Register for orientation in your applicant portal

Beginning in late November, students will receive information on accessing their Suffolk University email account. Keep an eye on your personal inbox for more information on how to set up your Suffolk email.

Starting in beginning of January, the University will send you information exclusively via your Suffolk email account. Checking it often is the best way to get important updates.

If you have any questions, reach out to the Information Technology Help Desk via email or phone at 617-557-2000.

Starting in late November, students will be able to make an academic advising appointment to finalize their course schedules. Click on the “Schedule Academic Advising Appointment” button in your applicant portal. You’ll only be able to do this after you’ve set up your Suffolk University email. It’s important to book your appointment by January 3 to ensure you get to meet with Academic Advising before the semester starts.

To help your appointment run smoothly:

• Take the required math and writing placement exams as soon as possible/before your academic advising appointment to determine the best courses for you. Instructions on how to complete the placement tests can be found in your applicant portal
  Please note that scores can take up to 3 business days from the time of completion to be posted and can be found in Workday Student
• Build a saved schedule (essentially a first draft of your course schedule) before your appointment. There’s more information about your academic program and step-by-step instructions on how to create a saved schedule in your applicant portal

If you have any questions, reach out to Undergraduate Academic Advising via email or phone at 617-573-8034.

Starting in early December, students who have made their deposit to live in University-sponsored housing will receive an email detailing how to log into the housing portal to complete the Housing Portal Questionnaire. This questionnaire must be completed as soon as possible, but no later than January 3.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Residence Life and Housing via email or phone at 617-305-2500.

The RAM Card is essential and required on campus. Students must submit a photo ahead of time to make sure that this student ID will be ready when they arrive at Suffolk.

You will receive an email with instructions on how to submit your ID photo in late November. The submission deadline is January 3.

If you are a residential student, you’ll receive your RAM Card at move-in.
If you are a commuter student, you’ll receive your RAM Card at orientation.

If you have any questions, reach out to Ram Card Services via email or phone at 617-570-4882.

We’ve designed online modules to help you prepare to join the Suffolk community. You must complete them before the start of the semester. Sometime in December, we’ll email you access to:

• Get to Know Your College (College of Arts & Sciences and Sawyer Business School)
• AlcoholEdu for College
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Students
• Sexual Assault Prevention for Undergraduates
• Suffolk University Community Standards Training

You must set up your Suffolk email account so we can send you instructions on completing this task. The deadline to complete your online modules is January 8.

If you have any questions, reach out to the Information Technology Help Desk via email or phone at 617-557-2000.

Ensure a smooth start by submitting your immunization documentation, completing your health insurance waiver, and setting up your communication preferences in the MyHealth Portal. This is a crucial step in maintaining a healthy and secure environment for all students. Failure to do so will cause delays in other key action items.

1. Using your Suffolk credentials, log into your MyHealth Portal
2. Update your local contact information, emergency contact details, and profile. The information entered in the portal is for use by CHW only. You can also enable text reminders
3. Upload your immunization documentation to “Forms and Requirements”
4. Upload your insurance information under “Insurance Card”
5. If you will be under 18 years old at the start of the semester, upload the Consent to Treat Minor form under “Forms and Requirements”

The deadline to upload your health information is February 1.

If you have any questions, reach out to Counseling, Health & Wellness via email or phone at 617-573-8226.