May 2025
Welcome to Dickinson!
There will be a lot for you to do in the upcoming weeks to prepare for your arrival on campus. Watch for weekly emails listing three things for you to do or know for that week. Those action items will also be posted here for reference.
QUESTIONS?
Reach out to orientation@dickinson.edu anytime if you have questions.
Three Things for May 7
Know your tools.
We’ll be directing you to some different and important tools and resources to prepare for your Dickinson experience. Here’s what you need to know:
- Email: You should have received (or will receive very soon!) instructions on accessing your new Dickinson email account. It’s key that you check this account often, as important information, including these weekly emails, will be sent only to that email address from this point forward. Contact helpdesk@dickinson.edu with any related questions.
- Navigate: A tool that will guide you on your academic path from Orientation through graduation. Download Navigate from your device’s app store. Search for Dickinson in the dropdown menu and log in with your Dickinson network login. For the desktop version, go to https://dickinson.navigate.eab.com and log in with your Dickinson network login. Email orientation@dickinson.edu with any questions.
- Gateway: Our community portal, which provides secure access to certain forms, apps and information. Log in with your Dickinson username and password.
- Orientation Website: Check here for everything you need to know about your first few days on campus! Explore FAQs, register for our Pre-Orientation: Explore More programs, find information regarding advising and placement tests and more.
- Engaged (desktop) / CORQ (app): This is the home for all things related to campus calendar of events, clubs, student organizations and events. Learn more about the many opportunities Dickinson has to get involved.
- Class of 2029 Instagram: Follow to stay connected to your classmates and the Dickinson community! Additional social media platforms are available at dickinson.edu/socialmedia.
Mark Your Calendars.
Review the important dates and deadlines in Navigate and keep track of ALL the ones that are important for you from now through move-in! We have highlighted a few here that are coming up quickly:
- May 30: If you will be seeking accommodation due to a disability, complete the Disability Disclosure & Accommodations Request form in Navigate. Learn more about accommodations on the Access & Disability Services website.
- June 1: Housing Application due.
- June 2: Your First-Year Seminar Selection*, Emergency Contact Information, Media Relations Form, Phishing Emails & Malware training, among others, are due; you will find the list of forms and due dates in Navigate.
- June 2: Registration for Pre-Orientation: Explore More programs opens.
- June 16: Roommate Preference form is due.
- July 1: Your health forms, among others, are due. It is important that you and your family begin the process of getting your health forms collected, because you won’t be able to move in if we don’t have them in hand. So don’t wait until the last minute!
- August 1: Your Alcohol Check-Up, Step-Up, and Start Up tutorials are due.
- August 24: Arrival for Pre-Orientation: Explore More participants and programs begin.
- August 25-27: International Student Arrivals
- August 27: Move-in day, and the start of your Orientation experience! Orientation is required for all new students (unless arriving earlier for pre-orientation)! Orientation is required for all new students.
*Detailed descriptions of each of the fall 2025 First-Year Seminars are available online. Note that the selection form is in Navigate.
Talk with your family about the "Helping Your Student Thrive" series.
Connect with your family members about our Helping Your Student Thrive Family Series, happening Wednesdays at noon (unless otherwise noted) on Zoom from May 21 through August 6! Topics cover everything from wellness, advising and finances to the residential experience, social opportunities and post-graduation success. Recordings will be made available on YouTube if you are unable to join live.
Three Things for May 14
Submit your housing application by June 1.
As you prepare for your first year, we want to introduce you to eRezLife, the online platform used to manage our housing. You can access the housing portal through Dickinson Gateway. The housing application is open and due June 1.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Select “apply for housing” under Recommended Actions on your home page. On mobile, this will be under the “housing overview” tab.
- On the Application Forms page, select “apply now” on the Fall 2025 application. Once in the form, please fill in the required fields with your personal information and submit the housing application by June 1.
- The second form will be your Roommate Preferences,which opens June 2 and is due June 16. Please ensure that you are realistic in your responses/preferences as this is the information that will be used to match you with your roommate! The roommate preference form will ask both your typical habits and preferences as well as what your ideal habits/preferences are for a roommate.
- All students are required to have a meal plan. All first-year students will be enrolled in the Any21 meal plan, which is Dickinson’s recommended plan until you learn more about life on campus. If you choose to change your meal plan, you can login and select "My Meal Plans." All meal plan changes must be complete no later than the Tuesday before classes start.
- After saving your preferences and acknowledging the required fields, you can submit your application!
Take a look at our video guide or slideshow to familiarize yourself with our process! Please reach out to reslife@dickinson.edu with any questions.
Submit any disability-related accommodation requests by May 31.
Do you have an IEP, a 504 plan, or use any accommodations (such as extended time on tests)? Might you have a need for any academic, dining, housing, or physical access accommodations at Dickinson? If so, don’t delay! Go now to the Access & Disability Services (ADS) website and click on “Looking to Request an Accommodation?” for how-to instructions. Connecting early with ADS is the key to having any granted accommodations in place by the fall.
If you're not sure about using accommodations at Dickinson or have any questions whatsoever, email access@dickinson.edu to or call 717-245-1734 to have a confidential conversation to learn more.
Display your Red Devil pride.
Show your Dickinson spirit with our collection of party printables, yard signs, digital images and more! Access everything at dickinson.edu/dickinsondownloads. Share any pictures with us on social media using #dson2029 and be sure to follow the class page on Instagram. We'll be posting important updates and content there over the next few months!
Three Things for May 21
Consider a Pre-Orientation: Explore More Program.
Looking to get a jump start on your Dickinson journey? Pre-Orientation: Explore More programs are dynamic, interactive experiences for small groups of incoming first year and transfer students! Hosted by campus departments and student groups, Pre-O programs take a deep dive into areas of interest available at Dickinson, such as off-campus backpacking trips, or exploring downtown Carlisle and the surrounding area! Participants will arrive early to campus for this three-day experience. Please note that these programs are optional and are not required to attend as part of Orientation. Learn more and mark your calendar to register on June 2 when programs go live!
Begin your health forms.
The deadline to submit the required health forms to the Wellness Center is July 1, 2025. All required forms are completed through the Patient Portal. On the portal, you must complete:
- Medical history form
- TB Risk Assessment form
- Enter your immunization information and upload a copy of your health care provider's immunization record or the Dickinson immunization record form signed by your health care provider.
Wellness Center staff are updating the Patient Portal with all health information received to date, so please check your health forms status to verify compliance by following the instructions below:
- Go to the Patient Portal and log in with the same username and password you use for your Dickinson email. You can also access the Patient Portal through Gateway and selecting the Pyramed tile.
- Click on the Immunizations tab, Immunization History to view your compliance status.
- Read any secure messages waiting for you and reply if you have any questions regarding the missing requirement(s).
For additional information, please refer to our Health Forms Guide.
Special Note for International Students: If a required immunization is unavailable in your home country, the Wellness Center will be in contact with you to schedule an appointment to receive the vaccine upon your arrival to Dickinson.
Remember: You won't be able to move into your residence hall if your health forms are not complete!
Register your pronouns.
At Dickinson, students and employees can register their pronouns online, making pronoun information available to your professors, advisors and other staff on campus. This tool allows us all to integrate the inclusive use of pronouns into our everyday practices, and we encourage you to register online before you arrive on campus.
Registering your pronouns online is easy! Simply look for the “to do” in Navigate - “College Pronoun Registration & College Name Registration.” For more information, check out the FAQ, which includes a list of where this information is shared on campus. Visit the LGBTQ Center webpage to learn more about the inclusive use of pronouns.
Three Things for May 28
Complete your June 2 forms ASAP!
June 2 is quickly approaching, so if you've been putting off completing your forms, now is the time! It's important that all forms are completed on time so we can ensure you are ready to start your Dickinson experience as soon as you arrive on campus. (There’s an “if needed” accommodation request form due May 31, and there's no need to wait until the end of June to work on those July 1 forms—the sooner you complete them, the better!)
Following are the forms that need to be completed by June 2:
- Area of Academic Interest Survey
- Emergency Contact Information
- First-Year Seminar Selection Form
- Media Relations Form
- Religious, Secular and Spiritual Preference Form
- Phishing Emails & Malware Training
Also remember that your housing application is due June 1, and Pre-Orientation Adventure Program registration opens June 2!
Submit your ID photo.
The ID Office of Dining Services is pleased to welcome you to Dickinson! Before arriving on campus, you can submit a photo to be used for your future Dickinson ID card. The card will be needed to utilize your meal plan and access your residence hall, the dining hall, the library, the Kline Center and other facilities on campus that are controlled via card access. You can submit a photo through the GET app.
Please be aware that your photo should be suitable for a passport or a state ID, no use of AI generated photos. If the photo does not meet our requirements, it will be rejected.
If you choose not to send a photo in for your ID card, you may visit the ID office when you arrive on campus to have your photo taken. If you have questions, please contact 717-245-1318. Deadline to submit photos for ID cards is Aug. 8, 2025.
Find answers to your questions.
Use the frequently asked questions page to navigate some of the common questions posed by incoming students. It covers topics like what kind of computer you should bring, when you will find out your roommate assignment and everything in between.