Fall 2021 New Student Orientation FAQs

Registration FAQs

Do I need to register for a Fall New Student Orientation (NSO) experience?

Yes, all new students will need to register for a Fall New Students Orientation experience. You must first submit your Advanced Enrollment Deposit (AED) to Michigan State to be able to register for an orientation experience. Note that participation in and completion of the NSO experience is a requirement. Once you have paid your deposit and registered for an NSO experience, you will receive a confirmation message to your email account. Please review this email as it contains information about next steps.

What should I do if I have a question about orientation registration?

If you have questions about orientation registration, check out our Orientation Registration FAQ page for more information. If you did not find the answer you were looking for or if you have further questions, please contact us.

How do I know if I am exempt from participating in the May NSO experience?

We have listed our exemption criteria on our website. If you still have questions, please contact us.

Fall NSO Experience Specific FAQs

Who is the Fall New Student Orientation experience for?

Our Fall New Student Orientation (NSO) experience is designed to welcome all new students beginning in the Fall semester and their families/caregivers to the MSU community. First-Year, Transfer, and International students all come together to participate in this orientation experience with the opportunity to engage with information and resources geared toward their individual needs.

Where can I find information about the Fall New Student Orientation experience?

You can find the most accurate and up to date information on our Upcoming Programs pages. Visit the First-Year, Transfer, or International tabs at the top of our page to find information about the Fall NSO Experience.

Where can I find communications about the Fall New Student Orientation experience?

You can find all of our Fall Communications information we have sent to your MSU email and homes on our website.

What will my Fall New Student Orientation experience be like?

Your Fall New Student Orientation experience will take place in phases that will occur virtually but consist of both asynchronous and synchronous components.

Your first part of the Fall NSO experience will be available on May 17, 2021 in Desire2Learn, or D2L. This asynchronous content will help prepare you for the rest of your NSO experience and beginning your first semester.

In D2L, you will also review information about your College/major that will prepare you for your academic advising appointment. Once you complete your D2L content, you will be able to get more information about your virtual academic advising appointment. Your College will send you more information about your academic advising appointment via your MSU email once you have completed your D2L content.

NSO will also be offering live webinars and orientation group engagement opportunities throughout the summer that we invite you to participate in. Webinars will be held throughout the summer at different times on both week and week end days to find a time that works best for you. Your Spartan Leader, a current MSU student, will be reaching out to facilitate group engagement opportunities where you can meet other new Spartans. Check your MSU email for more information about these opportunities.

Are there any opportunities for me to connect with other new students during my Fall New Student Orientation experience?

As part of your Fall NSO experience, NSO will be offering live webinars with campus partners that we know you will want to engage and connect with throughout the summer. These webinars will also include a chance to connect with a Spartan Leader, a current MSU student, as well as other new students in breakout rooms following the presentation. Your Spartan Leader will also be reaching out to facilitate multiple engagement opportunities for you to meet with other new Spartans as well. You will receive more information about these opportunities in the early stages of your Fall New Student Orientation experience.

General Fall New Student Orientation Experience FAQs

How can I best prepare for my Fall New Student Orientation experience?

Students can begin preparing for their Fall NSO experience now by completing their checklist items. Check out our First-Year, Transfer, and International student checklists. There are a handful of items we recommend students complete prior to their New Student Orientation experience and during their first semester as a Spartan! Make sure you are completing the required items on the checklist and reviewing the suggested items for additional opportunities.

How can my family members/caregivers get more information?

Family members/caregivers can register their email address with NSO so we can communicate with them throughout the summer about various engagement and live opportunities we are offering. If your family member/caregiver is unable to attend any of our live opportunities, we still encourage them to register their email address so we are able to share information with them in a different way.

Once family members/caregivers are registered, they can review the Family Orientation FAQ page for information about our upcoming programming. We also have a Family Member/Caregiver Resources page that includes helpful information from various campus partners we know you want to hear from.