Information for families of the Class of 2025
Bottom Line Up Front:
The newstudents.wfu.edu website for the Class of 2025 will launch Monday, May 3rd and will include important information and action items for students and families. (Note that the New Students website is being updated as we speak, so the information and dates currently on the website are for last year’s Class of 2024.)
We encourage you to familiarize yourself with resources such as parents.wfu.edu, the Daily Deac blog, and the Office of Family Engagement.
Tentative dates for the fall are included in this message; those could change because of COVID-19.
International families, please consult the information about international student arrivals.
NOTE: Early Decision families received a version of this message earlier this spring. We are including you in this updated message, as it has move-in dates and other new information.
Dear Parents and Families,
We are so thrilled that your students will be joining us as members of the Class of 2025! Please allow us to introduce ourselves: we are Dr. Cherise James, Associate Director of Orientation and Lower Division Programming, and Dr. Betsy Chapman (‘92, MA ‘94), Executive Director of Family Communications. As a member of the Office of Academic Advising, Dr. James will be in touch with your students throughout the spring and summer. And in her role with family communications, Dr. Chapman will be sharing messages for parents and families from this point until your students graduate.
While the majority of the Office of Academic Advising newsletters will be sent directly to your students via their WFU email address, we wanted to send a co-authored email to all parents and families of the Class of 2023 to bring a few items to your attention as you prepare for your students to join us in August.
The New Students website
We are excited to inform you of the May 3rd launch of our official Class of 2025 New Students website. You should note that the New Students website is being updated as we speak, so the information and dates currently on the website are for the Class of 2024. Some members of our incoming class have found it helpful to get a sense of what their summer might look like as they graduate from high school and prepare for their entry into the Wake Forest community! But please be aware that dates currently on that site are from last summer and your dates won’t go live until May 3.
Resources for you and your students
Wake Forest has many resources to help you during your student’s matriculation:
There is a comprehensive Parents and Families website, and the Daily Deac blog, which gives you a snapshot of campus life each weekday. You can subscribe to the Daily Deac and have it sent to your inbox via the Subscribe box on the Daily Deac website.
In May, you and your student will be able to access Wake Forest’s new student guide: Forestry 101, and the content from this guide will also be available at newstudents.wfu.edu. Your students will also begin receiving email communications from Dr. James about what they will need to do over the summer to be ready to start classes in the fall. Make a note to remind your student to begin checking their WFU email regularly starting May 1.
For parents and families, there will be a Parents and Families section of newstudents.wfu.edu; this will be your resource for due dates, deadlines, advice, and other vital information. Included on that website will be calendar pages for May-August so you can keep track of important tasks and due dates for you and your student.
In addition, all messages sent to your students May 1st and beyond will be posted on the Parents & Families section of the New Students website when it officially launches on May 3rd. While the goal is for your student to be on top of deadlines, we want to make sure that you also have access to the information they receive.
The Office of Family Engagement is another terrific resource. They provide information and support to Wake Forest parents, guardians, grandparents, and family members. The Office of Family Engagement also plans summer New Student Receptions for incoming first-year students and families, runs the Parents’ Campaign of the Wake Forest Fund, works with our Parents’ Council, and serves as a resource for all families during their time at Wake Forest.
Tentative Dates
We also want to share some important tentative dates with you. Our projected Move-In Day for new and transfer students is Thursday, August 19th (unless your student is an enrolled participant in an approved University program that requires an earlier move-in date). The University is currently evaluating the ability to provide Pre-Orientation programs, and you will receive more information in May. Students participating in optional Pre-Orientation programs, athletics, or other approved groups will receive move-in instructions, including their move-in date, directly from the Office of Residence Life and Housing.
Important Tentative August 2021 Dates:
Orientation for New and Transfer Students: Orientation for new and transfer students is mandatory. The mandatory information portion of Orientation for all incoming students will be completed online, as we will be unable to accommodate socially distancing 1,400+ students to attend mandatory experiences. The online course will be made available to your student prior to their arrival on campus. There will also be in-person welcome week opportunities to precede the first day of classes, pending public health guidance.
Our projected Move-In for new students will be Thursday, August 19th.
Before you make firm travel plans, please note that some students may arrive on campus even earlier for such activities as the marching band, athletics, international student Orientation, or Pre-Orientation programs. Information about all these possibilities will be available by May and will be amended as needed pending public health guidance.
August 19-20: Orientation for Parents and Families. We will have some Orientation materials available online for families, and we hope to hold in-person Orientation activities for parents and families on the evening of Thursday, August 19th through the evening of Friday, August 20th, pending public health guidance. If we are able to hold in-person sessions, families should plan to depart on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning, as students will be involved in their own Orientation programming. While parent and family Orientation sessions are not mandatory, we strongly encourage attendance, as we hope to share helpful insights with you as your student transitions to life at Wake Forest! Information about all these sessions will be available during the summer and will be amended as needed pending public health guidance.
August 23: Fall 2021 classes will begin.
Family Weekend 2021: Family Weekend is planned and facilitated by the Office of the Dean of Students. The date for Family Weekend 2021 is October 1st through October 3rd. The weekend is scheduled in conjunction with a football game; more information can be found here (https://familyweekend.wfu.edu/).
Important reminder about the calendar – Use a pencil, not a pen.
As we move through the next few months, you may see changes to these dates due to the University’s response to COVID-19. We will be sure to keep you updated up until students’ arrival on campus. Dates in emails or on websites are accurate at the time they were produced. It’s important that you consult the New Students website regularly when it launches May 3rd for the most updated information.
Important Message for our International Students:
International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) is the office that supports the Wake Forest international student, faculty, and staff community. ISSS provides immigration advice and support before and after arrival to the U.S. and assists our international population with navigating life at Wake Forest and in the U.S. The ISSS team will communicate directly with new international students regarding new student arrival and Orientation. Please check your email for our “Journey to Wake Forest” email series, which will begin later this spring. International students should reach out to ISSS (iss@wfu.edu) regarding any questions and monitor their ISSDeacs account for updates. The ISSS team looks forward to welcoming our new class of Demon Deacons to campus.
This is an exciting time for students and families alike, and we look forward to getting to know you better during your student’s time at Wake Forest. If you have questions or need additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact our offices.
With best wishes,
Cherise James, Ph.D.
Associate Director of Orientation and Lower Division Programming
Betsy Chapman, Ph.D. (‘92, MA ‘94)
Executive Director of Family Communications