Welcome to the Monarch Nation! Monarch Orientation will be hosted in-person. First time in college students (freshmen) and students transferring 23 or fewer credits are required to participate in Monarch Orientation.
During this program, participants will have the opportunity to connect with the Monarch community including students and staff, complete pre-enrollment tasks, academic advising, and course registration.
All incoming students are also required to complete the pre-enrollment tasks identified on the Admitted Student Checklist found in the MyODU portal.
Preparing for Monarch Orientation
Your admissions deposit must be paid and processed before you will be able to log in to the Monarch Orientation reservation system. Processing typically takes 3 business days for online payments and longer for checks mailed to the University.
If you have questions about your deposit, please contact Admissions at 757-683-3685.
The program begins at 8:00AM and concludes at approximately 5:00PM. During Monarch Orientation, students receive important information about the University, speak with an academic advisor, have an opportunity to learn about various campus offices and resources, and register for classes.
Freshman Monarch Orientation occurs throughout the summer, running from mid-June through August. Freshman Monarch Orientation sessions occur on weekdays; there are no weekend dates.
Monarch Orientation dates fill on a first-come, first-serve basis. Students can view available dates in the reservation system.
*Please note that Freshman Summer Institute (FSI) is not the same as Monarch Orientation.
For students, the cost of orientation programming is included in the $75 New Student Transition Fee, which the University assesses to all new, degree-seeking, non-distance undergraduates. This fee is included on the tuition bill and not assessed at the time of reservation.
There is a $50.00 fee for guests to participate in Monarch Orientation. This fee is due at the time of registration. Payment is not required for guests age 8 and under. There are no refunds for guests.
Registering for Monarch Orientation
- Access the Orientation Reservation system.
- Click the green button labeled "Register" under Register for Monarch Orientation.
- Complete steps 1-5 of the Orientation Reservation.
- Step 1 - Student Information: name, preferred name, phone number, email
- Step 2 - Major: This will display the major indicated by the student on the application. Students can change their major in this step.
- Step 3 - Select Your Orientation Date: All available session dates will be displayed. When a session reaches capacity, it will no longer be displayed.
- Step 4 - Add a Family Member/Guest: Students can add up to 8 family members/guests. There is a $50.00 fee assessed per guest that must be paid at the time of registration.
- Step 5 - Submit: Students will be redirected to review and submit their reservation.
- On the review page, students will review the information that they have entered for steps 1-4 and then be asked to submit or submit and pay for their reservation.
- For students paying for family members/guests, you will be redirected to the payment portal. Students must submit payment within 15 minutes of accessing the payment portal or their reservation will time-out. A reservation is not complete without payment.
- Upon submission, students will see a confirmation page and receive a confirmation email to their ODU email.
Adding guests
Access the Orientation Reservation system, click the "Edit Reservation" button, and make adjustments as needed. Students may register up to six family members/guests. There are no refunds for guests.
Changing majors
Students wishing to change their major may access the Orientation Reservation system, click the "Edit Reservation" button, and make adjustments as needed. All changes must be submitted through the system. Students will be advised at orientation based on the major listed on their reservation.
Date changes
Students wishing to change their date may access the Orientation Reservation system, and select an available date. Orientation sessions have capacity limits - students will only be able to add themselves into dates with open seats.
Cancellations
Freshman are required to attend Monarch Orientation and should reserve a session they can attend. Should a student need to reschedule their date, they may access the reservation system to do so.
If a student is no longer planning to attend the University, please complete the Cancellation of Enrollment form to notify all of the relevant campus offices of the decision to withdraw. Once we have received that notification, we will cancel the Monarch Orientation reservation.
After Registering for Monarch Orientation
After registering for Monarch Orientation, students should complete the applicable placement tests, submit a photo for their University ID and complete any other pre-orientation tasks identified on the New Student Pre-Orientation webpage and Admitted Student Checklist.
Students will receive reminder emails about Monarch Orientation to their ODU student email. Students should monitor their ODU email frequently for information about their transition to ODU.
Orientation Reservation System
Access the Orientation reservation system to reserve your spot. The non-refundable admissions deposit must be paid prior to accessing the reservation system.