New Student Orientation for Spring Admits

New Student Orientation for students admitted to the Spring 2026 term (classes begin January 12, 2026) is a one-day program scheduled for Sunday, January 11, 2026. NSO is required for all first-year students.

Students who are living on-campus for the spring semester should plan to arrive to campus and move-in to their assigned residence halls on Saturday, January 10, 2026 in preparation for attending NSO activities on Sunday. More details about arrival can be found here. Students who do not live on-campus should attend NSO activities on Sunday; there is no requirement on Saturday for you.  

We recognize that parents and families play a critical role in a student’s success at Penn State. We encourage families to participate in our in-person New Student Orientation program; each student can bring a maximum of two guests with them to NSO. Students will be able to add their guests to their NSO reservation. Please keep in mind that NSO is not designed for young children. 

Please review the information below for more information, including a schedule overview, what to bring, parking on campus, and more.  

We look forward to seeing you on campus soon! 

Schedule Overview

Students 

  • New Student Orientation is required for all incoming first-year students.  

  • New Student Orientation is Sunday, January 11, 2026. You will be in sessions from 10:45am until 5:00pm. Please eat breakfast before NSO; lunch will be provided for students.  

  • If you have guests attending NSO with you, they will be in separate family programming from 10:45am until 5:00pm. 

  • You will receive a detailed schedule on the day of the program, and additional details will be sent to you via email in advance of the program. 

Families 

  • The family programming offered during New Student Orientation is optional but encouraged. During the family programming, you can expect to be in different sessions than your student for the duration of orientation.  

  • The family programming takes place from 10:45am-5:00pm with a break for lunch. Lunch is not provided for families.

  • You will receive a detailed schedule on the day of the program. If your student added you as a guest to their NSO reservation, you’ll also receive details via email in advance of the program. 

What to Bring/How to Prepare

You should bring with you: 

  • Comfortable walking shoes- University Park is a large campus and you’ll want shoes that keep your feet warm and dry in the cold weather
  • Dress for the weather- Our programming will require going outside, so be prepared for the winter weather
  • Water bottle- There are water bottle refill stations located across campus
  • Charged cell phone- You will need your cell phone to check in to NSO and to participate in the presentations
  • Non-perishable food or toiletry item- Bringing an item for the Penn State Lion’s Pantry can be one of your first acts of service at Penn State. Donations from NSO can help stock the Pantry for students experiencing food insecurity for almost a full year
  • Credit/debit cards or Lion Cash- University Park is a cashless campus so if you want to spend money anywhere on campus, make sure you have a card or digital form of payment 

To prepare for your NSO, be sure to check back on your NSO Tasklist to make sure you have completed all necessary items. In order to access your residence hall, you’ll especially need to make sure you have you ID+ card set up and that you have submitted your immunization records. Instructions to do this are located on your NSO Tasklist. Be sure to memorize your Penn State account user ID and password so you can log-in to Penn State systems during NSO. 

Arrival Information for Spring

Students 

  • If you are living on campus, you should plan to move into your assigned residence hall on Saturday, January 10, ahead of your NSO programming on Sunday, January 11. More details about arrival can be found here.   

  • If you are living off campus, there is no required programming to attend on Saturday, and your first required event will be NSO on Sunday. 

Families 

  • NSO does not provide housing accommodations or meals for families attending NSO. Check out Happy Valley Adventure Bureau for lists of nearby hotels and dining options. If you plan to eat anywhere on campus, please note that all campus dining operations are cashless. 

Getting to and Navigating Campus

Getting to University Park 

  • The nearest airport to University Park is State College Regional Airport (SCE), located approximately five miles from campus. There you will find rental car options, or you can utilize Uber or Lyft to get to campus and surrounding areas.
  • There is a Greyhound bus stop located on the corner of North Atherton Street and Railroad Ave (152 N Atherton St, State College, PA 16801) at the State College bus terminal on the edge of campus that is managed by Fullington Trailways. 
  • Once on campus, you may find our public transportation options to be helpful. You can learn about the CATA bus system here: https://transportation.psu.edu/public-transportation
  • You can learn more about all that Happy Valley has to offer from the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau

Parking on Campus 

  • University Park has several parking lots available to visitors. You can learn more about those here, including how to reserve and pay for your parking spot: https://transportation.psu.edu/daily-visitor-parking
  • You will be responsible for any parking tickets issued or additional parking expenses incurred. No parking is permitted, at any time, in reserved or ADA accessible parking spaces without the appropriate permit.   

Where to Go for NSO Programming 

  • Your New Student Orientation program will begin in the Thomas Building. Follow the signs inside the building to the designated check-in location.
  • You may find this campus map helpful.