First-Year Student Checklist
Dates and deadlines for new students
Use your summer checklist to stay on track and get ready for a successful start at Wake.
Get ready, set, mark your calendars.
We have taken a great deal of care to plan your smooth introduction to Wake Forest. It’s important that you check back here regularly from May until Move-In in August to take care of all tasks by their deadlines.
To add an event to your WFU Google Calendar or personal Microsoft Outlook calendar, click or tap the calendar icon for that event. You will need to make sure your WFU Google Calendar is set as your default calendar for the event to be added to it.
Select a month
May 1
– Friday –
Submit disability-related housing and dining accommodation request with supporting documentation (if applicable)
Due: June 1
Submit a disability-related academic accommodations request with supporting documentation (if applicable)
This will provide students with a convenient and secure way to access their funds faster, where applicable.
May 2
– Saturday –
Activate your WFU Account and enable Google 2-Step Verification.
Note: your password should not be shared with anyone, including your parents/family members.
May 4
– Monday –
May 6
– Wednesday –
May 8
– Friday –
Early June
Housing Assignments
Housing assignments released to your WFU email (if applied by June 1)
New Student Receptions
This summer, a series of receptions for new students in the Class of 2030 and their families will be held in person across the country in June, July and August. These receptions provide the perfect opportunity for the newest Demon Deacons to meet face-to-face before coming to campus in August.
Information and registration links for these events can be found on the New Student Receptions website.
Laptop Requirement
- All students must bring or buy a laptop meeting minimum requirements.
- WakeWare laptops (Apple and Microsoft models) offer four years of on-campus repairs, provided onsite at The Bridge IT Service Desk in the ZSR Library.
Note: Some students may be eligible for a laptop tech grant. Eligible students will be notified by email and in the financial aid portal.
June 1
– Monday –
Make sure that your parents/family members have logged into Wake Network to verify their contact information.
Check your Financial Aid Portal for financial aid disbursement requirements.
Due: Disability-related housing and dining accommodation requests with supporting documentation (If applicable)
Available: March 23
Reminder: Submit a Disability-related academic accommodation request with supporting documentation (If applicable)
Available: May 1
June 5
– Friday –
Add Authorized Payers (Third-Party Access) in Workday
Note: Ensure appropriate permissions are selected for all third-party access.
Pre-Orientation Program status notifications begin.
June 12
– Friday –
Check your WFU email for a message from your academic advisor about advising and registration this summer. There are two forms you must complete, and they will be in this email.
June 20
– Saturday –
June 23
– Tuesday –
June 30
– Tuesday –
Pre-Orientation registration closes (including Marching Band)
Pre-Orientation programs are optional, but strongly encouraged.
Available: May 1
July 1
– Wednesday –
Deadline to request a Term Deferral
Reminder: Submit a disability-related academic accommodation request with supporting documentation (If applicable)
Available: May 1
July 2
– Thursday –
July 3
– Friday –
July 8
– Wednesday –
Final day for Pre-Orientation Program enrollment status notification (optional)
July 9
– Thursday –
July 10
– Friday –
July 15
– Wednesday –
Alcohol Foundations and Harm Reduction available (Sent to your WFU email) and Sexual Violence Prevention available (Sent to your WFU email) are available.
Due: August 12
July 22
– Wednesday –
Registration for Fall Courses (refer to your Registration Appointment in Workday to see your time)
August 1
– Saturday –
Submit your Final High School Transcript and Official Standardized Test Scores (if considered during the application process)
Reminder: Submit a disability-related academic accommodation request with supporting documentation (If applicable)
Available: May 1
August 3
– Monday –
August 12
– Wednesday –
Due: Alcohol Foundations and Harm Reduction, and Sexual Violence Prevention, available (Sent to your WFU email)
August 13 & 14
– Thursday & Friday –
Pre-Orientation Move-In
Thursday, August 13: Wilderness to Wake, Marching Band
Friday, August 14: All other Pre-Orientation Programs
After program enrollment, students will receive their move-in instructions (including date and time frame) from Residence Life and Housing in mid-July.
Check-in will be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both dates.
Move-in assistance will only be available on Friday, August 14, from 8-11 a.m. for incoming first-year students only.
August 16
– Sunday –
Download the WakeSafe app (strongly recommended)
Download Alertus, a tool that allows University Police to send a pop-up, full-screen laptop warning when immediate safety actions are needed.
August 18
– Tuesday –
New Student Move-In
Check-In and Move-In Assistance will be available from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. for incoming first-year students only. All students should be moved in by 1 p.m., but late arrivals must plan to arrive between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Students will sign up for their move-in windows when they receive their housing assignments.
Fall Meal Plans Begin
Information on dining and meal plans can be found on the Wake Forest Dining website.
New Deac Week: Family Receptions and Orientation
For parents and families of first-year and transfer students.
Strongly encouraged. For travel planning purposes, family orientation activities begin on August 18 and will conclude by 7:30 p.m. on August 19. Families should plan to depart on the 19th or 20th.
Connect your mobile and laptop devices to eduroam using your WFU email address and WFU password to log in. For any other special wireless needs, see our article on Campus Wireless Networks. (Find tech support at The Bridge in ZSR.)
August 18-23
– Tuesday-Sunday –
New Deac Week: Student Orientation
Activities will be held for first-year and transfer students.
August 23
– Sunday –
August 24
– Monday –
Classes Begin
September 1
– Tuesday –
Complete Handshake Profile (Complete = One experience, one organization, and one skill)
September 15
– Tuesday –
Fall in the Forest
New students cannot learn everything about what it takes to have a successful college experience in a few days before the semester even starts. Therefore, new student orientation programming continues through the fall. In this way, you can continue to learn while you are experiencing what it is actually like to be a student at Wake Forest.
Checklist
Refer to the new student checklist to stay on track of all your summer tasks leading up to move-in.
Before You Arrive
Here’s what to prioritize over the summer to ensure you have a smooth transition to college life.
Once You’re Here
Learn about how students experience campus and how to make a home at Wake Forest University.
Academic Success
We have a robust suite of academic support offices to help students succeed in the classroom.
New Deac Week
Learn more about our in-person Orientation experience for students as well as parents/families.
Campus Resources
Explore our vast network of campus departments and resources that students will use at Wake Forest.