Summmer 2025 New Student Orientation Overview
New Student Orientation will consist of a one day one campus program for students, parents, families, and loved ones.
New Student Orientation at UC Merced campus
For full details on all Summer 2025 New Student Orientation events, visit the Summer 2025 Orientation Overview page
Once students register for their orientation date they will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to complete their orientation.
Orientation Registration:
In order to register for Orientation, you will need to have submitted your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) to UC Merced at least 24-hours in advance
Last day to make any registration changes (example: adding a guest or switching your orientation date) is one week prior to your scheduled orientation date.
Registration Fees
Orientation priority registration deadline for First Years and Transfers is June 9th
$110 Students
$100 Each parent/guest registered
Fees are posted to your UC Merced student account in August and must be paid in full by the Summer 2025 fee payment deadline on August 21, 2025
Orientation Dates
1. Friday, July 11th (1st years)
2. Thursday, July 17th (1st years)
3. Saturday, July 19th* (1st yearsand transfers**)
4. Tuesday, July 22nd* (1st years and transfers**)
5. Thursday, July 24th (1st years)
6. Saturday, July 26th (Spanish-speaking parent and guest orientation)
7. Tuesday, July 29th (1st years)
8. Thursday, July 31st* (1st years)
*Simultaneous interpretation days: English parent and guest sessions with the option to hear the presentations in Spanish via an ear piece. Two Spanish interpreters will be present and interpreting the presentations in Spanish.
**July 19th will serve as first year and transfer orientation day - all students are welcome; however, there will be more focused content for transfer students on this day. If you are an incoming transfer student and you cannot attend the July 19th date, you are encouraged to attend our transfer alternative date on July 22.
- July 26th will only offer one Spanish-speaking parent and guest orientation. There will be no English parent and guest orientation sessions on this date. The student orientation program will remain in English.
- All other student orientation sessions will be facilitated in English.
How to Register
Be sure you have your UCM NetID (e.g. hsmith), password, and student ID number handy when completing your New Student Orientation registration.
In order to register for Orientation you will need to have submitted your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) to UC Merced at least 24-hours in advance. After 24-hours students will have access to complete registration for New Student Orientation.
Registration steps
Registration opens on Wednesday, April 9th at 10 AM
Click on Register Now button
Complete the form
Check to ensure all information is accurate before submitting
Click Submit
First-Year Smart Start
All incoming first-time freshmen students who register for orientation by the June 9 deadline will be registered into a block of 8-16 units worth of courses for their fall semester. The blocks are designed to help students graduate with the goal of creating a more seamless, supportive, and equitable registration process. To learn more about Smart Start, please click here.
Already Registered?
Review the Pre-Orientation Checklist to prepare for your session. We look forward to seeing you on campus this Summer!
Have questions? Check out our FAQs for First Years and Transfer students.
Please note: Admissions and Orientation are two separate offices with different deadlines and functions. It is the student's responsibility to communicate with New Student Orientation if their admission decision changes and they will no longer be able to attend UC Merced. It is the student's responsibility to cancel their Orientation date by the one week deadline via the orientation website in order to not be charged any Orientation fees. After the one week deadline, students will be responsible for paying their Orientation fees.
