Before the new school year starts, get connected with upper-division mentors and other incoming first-year students in your major! After registering, students will receive information on how to join a Slack channel with all their peers and mentors.
You may be able to move in early to attend the WIE First-Year Orientation. Please check with housing for more information about specific move-in dates. If you will move into private certified housing, refer to the private certified website.
For the most up-to-date information on housing, please refer to the housing website.
Orientation mentors will be announced Spring 2023!
We are currently recruiting additional mentors for 2023. Email wie@illinois.edu for more information.
Who organizes WIE First-Year Orientation?
WIE First-Year Orientation is planned by the Women in Engineering staff with support from our current undergraduate women students. The undergraduate students attended WIE Freshman Orientation as incoming first-year and benefited from it so much that they wanted to get involved to make sure that first-year students after them had a similar (or better!) experience.
Who can attend WIE First-Year Orientation?
Any incoming first-year student into The Grainger College of Engineering, Chemical Engineering, CS+X majors, or Agricultural and Biological Engineering is invited to attend orientation. No matter what college you are a part of, Women in Engineering supports all engineering students to form community.
How many students actually attend WIE First-Year Orientation?
Usually, around two-thirds of the women in the first-year engineering class attend WIE First-Year Orientation.
What do students do at WIE First-Year Orientation?
At WIE First-Year Orientation, you will have the opportunity to meet other incoming women engineering students through a variety of different activities that will help you learn about Illinois and prepare you to be a successful engineering student! See the schedule for the upcoming orientation above!
How do I register for WIE First-Year Orientation?
Orientation registration for 2023 is opens June 1st and closes August 1, 2023. Register EARLY. Space is limited.
How much does WIE First-Year Orientation cost?
Depending on which residence you are moving into, WIE First-Year Orientation will either be free or a minimal cost thanks to The Grainger College of Engineering and generous corporate sponsors. Your meals and activities during orientation are free of charge.
When exactly can I move in?
For University Housing, check here for information on selecting a move-in time. For those in Private Certified Housing, check directly with your housing provider.
Does my residence hall know that I’m moving in early?
University Housing will have spots available to sign-up to move-in. You will need to inform housing that you will be moving in early. Contact housing for your needs to move in early.
I will live in a private, certified residence hall. Does my early move-in fee get waived?
The early move-in fees associated with Private Certified Housing varies by residency so you should check with your residence hall directly for associated costs.
What if I’m in WIMSE (or another Living Learning Community) or am an International student? How do I choose which Orientation to go to?
While WIE Orientation may conflict with some other orientations such as Living-Learning Communities (LLC) and International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), please know that you can attend WIE orientation in addition to your LLC or ISSS orientation. Please check back in early summer for more information.
I already registered to say I was attending WIE First-Year Orientation but I marked something wrong. What do I do?
Don’t worry. If you receive your email confirmation and realize that for some reason there has been a change in your registration, email wie@illinois.edu with your name and what the mistake is and the WIE office will happily fix the error.
How can I get in touch with other women engineering students (current students and first-year) before Orientation?
Once you have registered for Orientation, you will be added to a Slack channel with your peers and mentors. This will be your space to engage with other new students, make connections, and ask questions before orientation. You can also stay up-to-date with WIE by following the Women in Engineering Facebook page and the WIE Instagram!
