New Student Orientation

First-Year Student Orientation, Academics, and Resources (SOAR) Dates

First-Year Student Orientation, Academics and Resources (SOAR) program at FAU shares important information with students and their families regarding academic and student services as well as what it means to be an Owl. We are committed to providing all incoming students the resources to be successful as they enter the university setting. We strive to provide excellent student experiences and knowledge about Florida Atlantic University (FAU) by way of intentional and specific programming for first-year students, transfer students and their families. Our Orientations are designed with these goals in mind.

Each session has limited space available, and is filled on a first-come, first-served basis. SOAR reservations are NOT confirmed until the orientation fee payment has been submitted. SOAR reservations close automatically once they reach full capacity. Reservations close three (3) business days before a session starts. Please do not make any arrangements until you have completed your reservation, paid your SOAR fee, and have received a confirmation email in your FAU inbox or spam. All SOAR session dates are not available to all students and are based on term of entry. 

Students Starting in The Summer and Fall Will Complete Orientation Through a Three-Phase Process:

Phase 1 - Self-Directed First-Year Virtual Orientation (Mandatory)

Complete the course through Canvas. You must score 100% on all quizzes to satisfy the orientation requirement, and we encourage you to work on this as soon as possible. The deadline to complete the course and to avoid withdrawal from your course is the following:

  • Summer Starting Student - June 26 at 9:00 a.m.
  • Fall Starting Student - August 21 at 9:00 a.m.

Phase 2 - Live Orientation Day Experience (Mandatory).

First-Year students can choose from a list of dates for their in-person orientation experience. Students can review our in-person orientation date options below and on our orientation reservation page.

Phase 3 - Extended Orientation (Mandatory)

Extended Orientation takes place on Saturday before the beginning of the semester. For all incoming Summer Students, How to Florida Atlantic will take place on June 27.

  • Fall Starting Student
    • First Saturday, August 22

Check your FAU email for more information as we get closer to the start of the semester.

Phase 2 Date Options:

First-Year students entering in the Summer & Fall will experience their live Orientation in-person.

  • Summer Starting Students
    • Monday, June 15, 2026
    • Thursday, June 18, 2026
    • Friday, June 26, 2026 SOLD OUT
  • Fall Starting Students
    • Tuesday, June 30, 2026 SOLD OUT
    • Tuesday, July 28, 2026 SOLD OUT
    • Thursday, July 30, 2026 SOLD OUT
    • Monday, August 3, 2026
    • Thursday, August 6, 2026
    • Thursday, August 13, 2026
    • Thursday, August 20, 2026-Out of State Students Only
    • Wilkes Honors College Session - Jupiter August 19, 2026

First-Year SOAR FAQs

Students entering in the Summer and Fall

Phase 1 - Self-Directed First-Year Virtual Orientation

Complete the course through Canvas starting April 1. You must score 100% on all quizzes to satisfy the orientation requirement, and we encourage you to work on this as soon as possible. The deadline to complete the course and avoid withdrawal from your courses is June 26 at 9:00 a.m. for students starting in the Summer and August 21 at 9:00 a.m. for students starting in the Fall.

Phase 2 - Live Orientation Day Experience

First-Year students have options for their live Orientation Session. Review your options in the reservation system.

Phase 3 - Extended Orientation takes place on the Saturday before the beginning of the semester. For all incoming Summer starting students, How to Florida Atlantic will take place on Saturday, June 27. For all incoming Fall starting students, First Saturday in Paradise will take place on Saturday, August 22.

Yes. You will need to log in to Owldone.fau.edu and sign up for SOAR. If you have already reserved to attend one of our SOAR sessions, you will be automatically enrolled in our Canvas course and receive information via your FAU email regarding the phase process.

No. Students must only reserve Orientation through the Owldone Portal. Once reserved, students will receive a confirmation email with steps to complete the different phases of the experience. Students will also receive more details approx. three business days prior to the Phase II Experience.

The SOAR Experience is required for all incoming students. Please email admissions@fau.edu if your enrollment plans have changed.

Yes.

As a family member with a Summer and Fall start student, you can participate in a three-phase experience:

Phase 1- Virtual Orientation: Complete Virtual Family Orientation session through Canvas.

Students starting in the Summer must compete their Virtual Orientation course on Canvas by June 26 at 9:00 a.m. and August 21 at 9:00 a.m. for students starting in the Fall.

Phase 2 – Orientation Day

First-Year students will complete their Orientation experience in-person. In-Person Experience $35 for students, $75 for families. Families may reserve their Orientation with their student reservation at owldone.fau.edu.

Phase 3 - Family Success Conference
Families may attend our Family Success Conference at the start of the semester for no additional cost. More information will be shared soon.

Family member(s) will receive more information via the email provided in the Guests Section of the reservation form about Family Orientation.

Unfortunately, given a lack of space, staffing, and construction on campus, Walk-ins will not be available on-site on SOAR Dates. If you need assistance registering for your event at least three days prior, please contact our office, and we will gladly assist you, given that availability for additional people is possible.

First-Year SOAR

(Student Orientation, Academics, and Resources)

Congratulations on your acceptance to Florida Atlantic University. We are so excited to have you join the Owl Family! This is an exciting time, with lots of steps to prepare for your first day on campus. The Office of New Student Orientation is here to help you through this transition.

First-Year Student Orientation is specially designed with you in mind. All new incoming students are required to complete an orientation session. Please read through these pages carefully, as there is a lot of information to know before you make your reservation.

"See you soon!" - 2026 Orientation Leader team

Accommodations

If you are an individual with a disability and need accommodations please complete the Application for Support Services and submit with documentation of your disability to mshaw@health.fau.edu. Student Accessibility Services (SAS) will process the application and contact you to discuss your accommodation needs. SAS requires that this information be provided at least two weeks prior to your orientation date so that they have sufficient time to set up the accommodations requested. Thank you!

Family

At FAU, “family” is defined as anyone our students feel impacts their lives, through trust, love, and support. Adult family members who are interested in attending SOAR with their student(s) are strongly encouraged to do so. First-Year Family SOAR is held concurrently with the student program; parts of the family program are separate from the student program and some of the content is experienced together.

Family SOAR provides an opportunity to see and learn about FAU in a deeper way and make connections with university staff and other families. It also provides families with the tools to be of support to their new FAU student(s).

As a family member with a Summer and Fall student, you can participate in a three-phase experience:

Phase 1 – Virtual Orientation: Complete Virtual Family Orientation session through Canvas.

  • Students starting in Summer must complete Canvas by June 26, at 9 a.m.
  • Families may request access to their own Canvas Orientation once reserved via email orientme@fau.edu .

Phase 2 – Orientation Day

  • First-Year students starting in the summer and fall will complete their Orientation experience in-person.
    • In-Person Experience
      • $35 for students, $75 per family member
  • Families may reserve their Orientation with their student reservation at owldone.fau.edu. 

Phase 3 – Family Success Conference 
Families may attend our Family Success Conference at the start of the semester for no additional cost. More information will be shared soon.

You will also receive access to our Owl Family Newsletter hot off the press! The Newsletter is only directly emailed to our incoming Owl Families.

Partnership Opportunities

Table of New Student Orientation Partnership Oppurtunities

How to Place your Orientation Reservation

1. Log in to owldone.fau.edu using your FAUNet ID and password.

If you do not know your FAUNet ID, click “Claim NetID”.

2. Once you have entered the portal, you will be able to pay your admissions deposit and gain access to submit your Financial Aid, immunization records, EZ Advising, and orientation reservation form upon payment submission. All new incoming first-year students are required to complete an orientation program. Click the Sign-up Now button in the Student Orientation, Academics, and Resources module to reserve a spot for your New Student Orientation.

3. This will take you to the Orientation Reservation system. This should display your student information. If you notice errors on this personal information page, please refer to this Registrar link to revise your personal information or log in to your MyFAU account to update your address and phone number.

4. Complete the entire reservation system following the tabs on the left. The session dates that appear on your account show available sessions for your campus, major, and student type. If a particular session does not appear, it is likely full or not available for your major or campus. If NO dates appear, then please go back and confirm your campus and major. 

5. On the My Reservation page, you must submit payment for your orientation reservation. Please submit your orientation fee payment in order to reserve your spot. If a session fills before you submit your payment, you must return to the "Dates" page, and select another orientation session. For your convenience, do not make travel arrangements until you have received your confirmation email.

6. Once payment is received, you will receive confirmation emails to your FAU email account. Please refer to those emails for further details on your orientation session. Be sure to check your FAU email account regularly, as this is the official communication method from Florida Atlantic University.

7. Refer to the Checklist to be sure you have completed all required steps before attending your orientation session. If you encounter trouble placing your reservation, please contact our office at 561-297-2733 or orientme@fau.edu.

First-Year Student Orientation Schedule

Participation in the orientation program is a requirement for all incoming students.

The Office of New Student Orientation is excited for you to attend your First-Year Student Orientation session. It's an exciting time to join the Owl Family, and the orientation program is designed to help you make this transition. Get ready for a fun and informative session to help you prepare to be a successful FAU student.

After you have reserved your spot, check your FAU inbox or spam to read through your confirmation email for more check-in details. Be sure to accomplish all your checklist items before attending orientation.

Throughout your orientation program, you will interact with several university departments and resources, along with a chance to meet your fellow classmates. You will receive more information regarding your Orientation session via your FAU email.

For students attending Wilkes Honors College, please click here.

Student Orientation, Academics, and ReSOURCES (SOAR) Fees & Costs

What do I receive with my fee? 

The Phase II Experience for First-Year students is offered in-person only. For $35, students will receive access to the Self-Directed Orientation in Canvas and in-person one day program and attend our Extended Orientation Experience.

 
Please email orientme@fau.edu for more information regarding any cost or attendance concerns. 

Refund Policy
All orientation fees, including guest fees are NON-REFUNDABLE. Please review your orientation reservation page carefully before submitting payment.