WIE Orientation

Before the new school year starts, get connected with upperclassman mentors and other incoming freshmen in your major! After registering, students will receive information on how to join a Slack channel with all their peers and mentors.

• August 18 & 19: WIE Freshman Orientation.
• Registration for WIE Orientation 2021 is now closed
• Please email wie@illinois.edu with any further questions.

Based on current University plans, University Housing has designated Wednesday, August 18th, and Thursday, the 19th, as official move-in dates for first-year students. Earlier move-in will be available with an additional charge. Therefore, we recommend students move-in on Wednesday the 18th to be able to join us for in-person portions of Orientation and to avoid early move-in fees. If you are living in a Private Certified Housing community and there are early move-in fees associated with moving in on August 18th, email us at wie@illinois.edu. 

We understand that some students may choose to stay home during Orientation or will not be moving in to campus for the fall semester. Arrangements for online attendance have been made for portions of Orientation, which is outlined in further detail in the Schedule tab. 

For move-in updates regarding COVID-19 policies and fees, please refer to the housing website.

2021 Planned Activities

As the COVID-19 situation continually evolves, we are working to plan the best orientation experience that is safe and inclusive for all. WIE Orientation 2021 will be held through a mix of remote and in-person attendance.

Wednesday, August 18th from 6:30pm-8pm

• Wednesday night activities provide an introduction to the Women in Engineering program. You will have a chance to meet your fellow students and learn more about your major and opportunities at Illinois. We will be using a virtual platform, Gather.town, for you to meet and interact with others, followed by a Zoom session with your major and activities in smaller breakouts. This portion will be fully delivered online.

Wednesday, August 18th from 8:30pm-10pm

• Following our Wednesday virtual Orientation session, we have an in-person social hour at Illini Grove, an outdoor venue. There will be snacks and activities, and a chance to meet your peers and mentors in-person! For those unable to come to campus, we will have an online social hour with fun games to play with mentors! These portions are optional, but highly recommended for you to attend.

Thursday, August 19th from 9:30am-1:30pm

• Thursday activities provide opportunities for continued connection with fellow freshmen and your mentors. This day will feature breakfast, workshops on special topics, and a department lunch. There will also be time available to connect to campus resources to help you succeed at Illinois. This portion will be fully in-person.

You can see the 2021 WIE Orientation mentors and student coordinators here! Read about the amazing activities they are involved in and how much WIE has helped them.

When is WIE Orientation?

WIE Freshman Orientation 2021 will be August 18th-19th.

Who organizes WIE Freshman Orientation?

WIE Freshman 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 freshman and benefited from it so much that they wanted to get involved to make sure that freshman students after them had a similar (or better!) experience.

Who can attend WIE Freshman Orientation?

Any incoming freshman woman into The Grainger College of Engineering, Chemical Engineering, CS+X majors, LAS Physics, 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 Freshman Orientation?

Usually, around two-thirds of the women in the freshman engineering class attend WIE Freshman Orientation.

What do freshman do at WIE Freshman Orientation?

At WIE Freshman 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 Freshman Orientation?

Orientation Registration for 2021 is currently closed. 

How much does WIE Freshman Orientation cost?

Depending on which residency you are moving into, WIE Freshman 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. In addition, you will receive a cool t-shirt! If students move in at the recommended time on Wednesday August 18th, there should be no move-in charge for university housing residents. Private certified housing costs may differ. To determine the specific early move-in fees associated with each residency, check the details here for more information.

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 is will have spots available to sign-up to move-in. Please select a spot on Wednesday, August 18th to ensure you will be able to move-in before Orientation starts on Wednesday evening.

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.

I will be living at home, can I still attend Orientation?

Of course! All incoming freshman women into The Grainger College of Engineering, Chemical Engineering, CS+X majors, LAS Physics, or Agricultural and Biological Engineering are welcome to attend.

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 conflicts 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.  We would recommend you attend the other orientation programs through Wednesday afternoon and then join us for WIE Orientation starting Wednesday at 6:30 pm.

I already registered to say I was attending WIE Freshman 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 new freshmen) 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!