Welcome to Wake Forest University! Important Dates and Details

Monday, March 4, 2024

Dear students,

We are so thrilled you will be joining us as a member of the Class of 2028! Please allow us to introduce ourselves: we are Dr. Cherise James, ​Director of Orientation, New Student and Transition Programs, and Dr. Betsy Chapman (‘92, MA ‘94), Executive Director of Family Communications. In her work with student Orientation programming, Dr. James will be in touch with you throughout the spring and summer. In her role with family communications, Dr. Chapman will be sharing messages directly with your parents and families from this point until you graduate. 

We wanted to send this initial message to the personal email address you included on your admissions application so that this important information would not be missed as you prepare to join us in Fall 2024. However, please note that all subsequent emails will be sent to your WFU email address.

Early Decision website and New Students website

We are excited to share our newly created Early Decision website to keep you informed prior to the May 1st launch of our official Class of 2028 New Students website. You should note that the New Students website is being updated as we speak, so the information and dates currently on the website are for the Class of 2027. Some members of our incoming class have found it helpful to get a sense of what their summer might look like as they graduate from high school and prepare for their entry into the Wake Forest community! But please be aware that dates currently on that site are from last summer.

Move-In Dates

We also want to share some important tentative Move-In dates with you:

  • Wake Forest offers a variety of outstanding Pre-Orientation programs to our incoming students. These experiences are intended to provide small group interactions and will allow you to connect with other new Deacs prior to the start of Orientation. Students participating in optional Pre-Orientation programs will move in on Friday, August 16th or Saturday, August 17th. Those students will receive move-in instructions (including their assigned date and time frame; you do not get to choose your date) in mid-July after program enrollment directly from the Office of Residence Life and Housing later this summer.
    • Information about all these Pre-Orientation experiences will be communicated to you via email in the next 2-3 weeks. We ask that you delay finalizing your travel plans until you have considered Pre-Orientation experiences and have final communication from Residence Life and Housing about your approved move-in date. The Pre-Orientation registration process will launch on May 1st and will be available at newstudents.wfu.edu.
  • International students must arrive on Saturday, August 17 between 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST See “Important Message for International Students” later in this message.
  • New and transfer students not participating in Pre-Orientation programs will move in Wednesday, August 21st. Check-In and Move-In Assistance will be available from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Note: All students must be moved in by 1 p.m. 
  • Other students may be approved to move in earlier, such as student-athletes. If you are approved for early move-in, instructions, including your move-in date, will be sent to you later this summer from the Office of Residence Life and Housing.  

Orientation Dates:

  • In person Orientation for all New and Transfer Students begins August 21st. Orientation for new and transfer students is mandatory.
    • There will also be a mandatory online Orientation for all incoming students to complete during the summer. Information about the online Orientation will be made available to you after July 1. There will also be in-person Orientation events for students beginning on August 21 through the first day of classes on August 26. 
  • August 21-22: Orientation for Parents and Families. We will have some in-person Orientation activities for parents and families on the evening of Wednesday, August 21st through the evening of Thursday, August 22nd. Families should plan to depart late Thursday night or Friday morning, as students will be involved in their own Orientation programming. While parent and family Orientation sessions are not mandatory, we strongly encourage attendance if your family’s schedule allows. Information about all these sessions will be available closer to July.
  • August 26: First Day of Classes (i.e., FDOC) 
  • September 27-29: Family Weekend. Family Weekend is planned and facilitated by the Division of Campus Life. The weekend is scheduled in conjunction with our football game against Louisiana; more information about Family Weekend will be available in early summer at https://familyweekend.wfu.edu/. Your family may wish to begin securing their lodging for Family Weekend now.

Important Message for International Students: 

  • The Center for Immigration Services & Support (ISS) will host a required new international student orientation. All new international students are required to attend Connect@Wake from Saturday, August 17 through Tuesday, August 20. Connect@Wake is the mandatory orientation for new undergraduate international students with F-1 or J-1 visa status who are attending Wake Forest University for the first time. International students must arrive on Saturday, August 17 between 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. EST. 
    • ISS will communicate details regarding visa status and the Connect@Wake schedule of activities to new international students through their WFU email account. Additional information will be added to the Connect@Wake website throughout the spring semester.  International students should reach out to ISS (iss@wfu.edu) regarding any questions, and please continue to monitor their ISSDeacs account for updates. For now, international students need to take action in the ISSDeacs system to request an I-20 or DS-2019. The ISS team looks forward to welcoming our new class of Demon Deacons to campus.

A few important announcements to put on your radar:

  • More information to come in May: When the New Students website launches for the Class of 2028 on May 1st, it will give a comprehensive look at what you will need to do over the summer to be ready to start classes in the fall. In May, you will also begin receiving email communications from Dr. James with key information, due dates, action items, and more.
  • Workday: In March, once you have your Wake Forest email address, you will be prompted to complete some of your new student onboarding steps through a platform called Workday. This is also the system you will use later in the summer to register for your fall courses. While some forms will be available through Workday, please reference the New Student website after it launches May 1st to find the most up to date checklist and timeline. 
  • New Student Receptions: This summer, a series of virtual and in-person receptions for new students and their families will be held across the country. We hope that every incoming family will join us at the virtual reception and that you’ll also register for a local reception should one be offered in your area. Please check the New Student Receptions page on May 1st for a list of events and to register. Note that events will be added throughout June, so check the website frequently for additions.
  • Parent and Family Communications: So that we are certain we have correct contact information for your family (to reach them in an emergency, to send important Wake Forest news, or to send information about Wake Forest events in their home area), we need each parent or guardian to log into our family record system, Wake Network, to verify your family record. Your family can find instructions on how to do this here.

Finally, a reminder about the calendar: Use a pencil, not a pen. 

If we learned anything in the past several years, it’s been the importance of flexibility. Dates in emails and on websites are accurate at the time of publication, but the University will adapt to any changing conditions if needed. It will be important to keep checking your WFU email (starting now) and the New Students website (starting May 1st) so you have the most up-to-date information.

This is an exciting time for students and families alike, and we look forward to getting to know you better during your time at Wake Forest. If you have questions or need additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact our offices.

With best wishes,

Cherise James, Ph.D.
​Director of Orientation, New Student and Transitions Programs

Betsy Chapman, Ph.D. (‘92, MA ‘94)
Executive Director of Family Communications 

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