Orientation Registration for Winter 2026 Opens Soon!
New Student Orientation prepares students, parents, and supporters for a successful transition into San Francisco State University college life. By registering for courses, discovering tools for long-term success, learning about health, safety, and wellness on campus, and connecting with peers, all new Gators will be prepared to take on their first semester and beyond at SF State!
Winter 2026 Orientation Dates
First Year and Transfer Student Sessions
| Date | Modality (In-Person or Remote) | Student Group | For Parents and Supporters |
| Thursday, January 8 | 1-Day In-Person, On Campus | Transfer | Available only in English |
| Friday, January 9 | 1-Day In-Person, On Campus | Transfer | Available only in English |
| Monday, January 12 | Remote (Via Zoom) | Transfer | Available only in English |
| Tuesday, January 13 | Remote (Via Zoom) | Transfer | Available only in English |
| Thursday, January 15 | Remote (Via Zoom) | First Year | Available in English and Spanish |
Attend a First Year Student Session if you are attending college for the first time.
Attend a Transfer Student Session if you are transferring from another 4-Year institution or Community College.
After you have set-up your multi-factor-authentication, accepted your admission offer and paid your enrollment deposit, take the steps below to access your orientation profile and sign-up for New Student Orientation
- Log in to you your Orientation Profile with the multi-factor Authentication you just set up.
- Complete the initial item labeled: "Start Here." Read and acknowledge the information and proceed to the next item labeled "Add Your Supporters or Parents."
- Add your supporters and return to your profile. Select "Register for Orientation" and complete the registration questionnaire.
- At the end of the process you will be directed to pay the Orientation fee (or follow special instructions to defer your orientation fee). Your reservation will be finalized after you complete payment or you have deferred your fee.
- Once you've completed the sign-up process and paid the fee, select "Download E-Confirmation Packet" on your main profile page and save to your computer.
And that's it! You're all done. Now you can review the rest of the learning modules in your orientation profile, such as:
- Review and check your Student Center for holds and alerts
- Setup your SF State email address
- Review financial aid status
A breakdown of Orientation fees:
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> Student Orientation Session:
1-Day On Campus In Person 1-Day Remote (Via Zoom) $105 $50 -
> Guest/Parent Orientation Session:
1-Day On Campus In Person 1-Day Remote (Via Zoom) $50 $10
The Orientation Fee covers the following but is not limited to:
- Session Materials
- Meals during orientation
- Technology/software to provide an online Orientation experience
- Promotional items, swag, and apparel given to new students
- New student programming, workshops, and events
- Extended Orientation programming
- GatorFest! - the campus-wide Welcome Festival from August - October (free admission to all students)
The Orientation Fee covers the cost of the design and development of the annual Orientation program (online/in-person), and future extended Orientation programming and services. In order to provide a comprehensive Orientation program, we employ current SF State students as Orientation Leaders/Peer Mentors (20-30 student staff on an annual basis) during the Summer and Fall term. These students support and mentor new students during their Orientation experience and offer on-going peer mentoring throughout the semester. Orientation Fees sustain wages for this student staff team.
The Student Activities Office does not offer a fee waiver for the New Student Orientation Fee. However, students may defer their Orientation Fee onto their student bill. For students who receive Financial Aid, this provides an opportunity for the fee to be covered by Financial Aid once aid is disbursed. For students who don't receive Financial Aid, this prevents the need to pay the Orientation Fee up front; the fee will be deferred to the student bill to be paid at the normal fee payment deadline schedule.
For refund and rescheduling options, please review our Orientation Refund Policy. If you have questions about the Orientation Fee and payment options, call our office (415) 338-3060 or email us at nsp@sfsu.edu.
The 2026 Orientation Leader Application is now open! Please submit your application by October 26, 2025!
Orientation Leader Recruitment Timeline
| Date | |
| October 1 | Orientation Leader (OL) Applications Open |
| October 26 | Applications Close at midnight |
| November 3-21 | 1st & 2nd Round Interviews |
| December | Orientation Leader Decisions |
| Spring 2026 | Participation in RPT 300 - Peer Mentorship |
| Summer 2026 | OLs Participate in Summer Orientation |
| Fall 2027 | OLs Participate in Move-in Days, Welcome Week, AU 110 Summer Transition Course, and GatorFest! |
Take this opportunity to bring your leadership to the next level!
New Student Orientation is the process of engaging, informing, and assisting all new students and their guests (parents, family, and student supporters) through their transition to SF State. Our Orientation Leaders support this process by providing new students and guests with a warm introduction to campus and all its resources, drawing from their own experiences as current students and the Orientation Leader training.
Orientation Leaders (OLs) are chosen based on their current and potential academic, interpersonal, and leadership qualities. OLs apply for the role and are selected during the Fall semester. They enroll in the semester-long Spring Peer Mentor/Leadership course and then participate in the following Summer Orientation Sessions.
Questions can be directed to Carson Willits, New Student Programs Coordinator at carsonw@sfsu.edu.
Orientation Session Dates
Each year, New Student and Family Programs host Summer and Winter Orientation programs to prepare new students for their first semester at SF State.
- Summer Orientation occurs throughout June, July, and August before each Fall semester.
- Winter Orientation occurs in January before each Spring semester.
Students who will be starting in Fall should attend Summer Orientation.
Students who will be starting in Spring should attend Winter Orientation.
New Student Orientation is not mandatory, but it is a valuable way to be introduced to your academic department, resources on campus, and other students.
Orientation programming lasts from 8:00am - 5:00pm for 1-Day On Campus and Remote programs. Please anticipate being there for the entire duration of the session!
- Submit Official Transcripts
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Your offer of Conditional Admission is based on the information you reported in your Cal State Apply admission application. We will need to confirm that you reported accurately in your application and that you are on track to complete all admission requirements BEFORE you attend New Student Orientation. If you are unsure of the status of any required admissions documents please contact the Admissions Office at ugadmit@sfsu.edu
Submit official transcripts so that we can confirm your offer. Check your To-Do List in your Student Center to see which documents are needed. For more information about how to submit transcripts and how to view your To-Do List, visit the Submitting Transcripts page.
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- Accept Admissions Offer
- If San Francisco State is the right place for you to pursue your education, we encourage you to accept your admission offer as soon as possible. Accepting your offer allows you to begin steps like signing up for New Student Orientation and receiving confirmation for University Housing.
- Pay the Enrollment Confirmation Deposit
- Students entering San Francisco State must accept their admission offer online and pay a $100 non-refundable enrollment confirmation deposit (unless eligible for an automatic waiver) in their Student Center at gateway.sfsu.edu by the dates listed below.
- Students admitted after the deadline must accept their offer within two weeks of the date of their admission notice. The $100 non-refundable enrollment confirmation deposit is applied to the first semester's tuition fees when you enroll in classes.
- Complete your Multi-Factor Authentication
- This way, you can come to campus ready to access Wi-Fi, your student account, and enroll in classes! Please see the SFSU ITS Guide for new students if you have questions!
If you're unable to attend Orientation or miss your session and are unable to reschedule, San Francisco State University provides support for students to register for classes.
Please give us at least 48 hours notice if you need to change your Orientation reservation. We are happy to assist you! There are two different ways you can change your Orientation session date:
- You can log back into your Orientation Profile and select a new session date the same way you initially chose a date.
- If you are not seeing any other dates when you log into the system it is most likely because all sessions have reached their capacity. You can either email us (nsp@sfsu.edu) or call our office and a member of our team will assist you in switching your session date.
Students who were previously matriculated and are returning to SF State after time away do not need to attend New Student Orientation again. As a returning student, you may register for an appointment with your academic advisor to prepare for course registration. Please see the Undergraduate Advising Center for assistance creating an appointment.
Use the New Student Checklist as a guide to help you get each task completed on time!