FOCUS – New Undergraduate Student Orientation
We can’t wait to meet you at FOCUS!
Valpo students love the positive impact our new student orientation, FOCUS has on them when starting college.
It helps them feel more comfortable, learn more about their academic programs, find their way around campus, and discover resources they didn’t even know existed. It is also where new students register for classes, request a roommate, and more! FOCUS is required of all new students.
First Things First
Let’s Explore
Questions? We have answers.
Use this AI-powered search to easily and quickly find any information that’s available on this website.
Questions? We have answers.
Use this AI-powered search to easily and quickly find any information that’s available on this website.
FOCUS Dates and FAQs
FOCUS Dates for 2025-2026
FOCUS, New-Student Orientation for First-Year and Transfer Students will occur in multiple sessions on campus on the following dates: June 9, 10, 12, 13. Deposited undergraduates who are starting classes at Valpo for the Fall 2025 session can prepare for FOCUS orientation now by keeping the June 9-13 timeframe open on their calendar as much as possible to avoid conflicts with new-student orientation and class registration.
Course Details
We encourage all students to attend June FOCUS undergraduate new-student orientation as this allows you to have enough time to get ready for your journey at Valparaiso University. August FOCUS is for our incoming students who live more than 500 miles away. August 2025 FOCUS will be hosted on Friday, August 15, 2025.
Course Details
Welcome Week is the continuation of our new-student orientation program. There are many required events from Saturday, August 16 – Tuesday, August 19, 2025 — and a continuation of events on the start of classes, August 20 thru August 24, 2025. Please be sure to look at the 2025 Welcome Week schedule that will be made available in mid-July 2025, and make your calendars (review the previous Welcome Week 2024 activities).
Course Details
January FOCUS is for new undergraduates who are starting classes on-campus at Valpo in January 2026. This year’s date is Monday, January 12, 2026, with spring semester classes beginning the following Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
We are so excited to have you join the Valparaiso University community starting with the Spring 2026 semester! As you begin to get ready for your journey at Valparaiso University, FOCUS (new-student orientation) will be one of your first steps on campus.
Course Details
What to Bring: Meals and Other Needs
First-year students will park in Lot 14 and check in at Harre Union the morning of their FOCUS session. The FOCUS session is done in the early evening. Students who are from outside the local area are encouraged to make a trip of the FOCUS experience by staying overnight in the area*, utilizing the time around FOCUS to explore the city of Valparaiso and the nearby Indiana Dunes.
Please bring the following to summer FOCUS:
- A reusable water bottle to use at fill stations throughout campus
- A book bag for carrying registration materials
- A pencil for creating and reworking schedule drafts
- A laptop for advising; the device can be older and/or borrowed. It does not need to be new.
- An umbrella/rain coat if rain is in the forecast for your session
- Clothing layers for air-conditioning inside and hot weather outside
- Comfortable walking shoes/sandals
*Students who are traveling by themselves from more than 2.5 hours away who don’t have anywhere else to stay may spend the night on campus the night before/after your FOCUS session. If this applies to you, and you need housing, please email first.year@valpo.edu at least 1 week prior to your FOCUS session.
Transfer students will park in Lot 14 and check in at Harre Union the morning of their FOCUS session. The FOCUS session is done in the early evening. Students who are from outside the local area are encouraged to make a trip of the FOCUS experience by staying overnight in the area*, utilizing the time around FOCUS to explore the city of Valparaiso and the nearby Indiana Dunes.
Please bring the following to summer FOCUS:
- A reusable water bottle to use at fill stations throughout campus
- A book bag for carrying registration materials
- A pencil for creating and reworking schedule drafts
- A laptop for advising; the device can be older and/or borrowed. It does not need to be new.
- An umbrella/rain coat if rain is in the forecast for your session
- Clothing layers for air-conditioning inside and hot weather outside
- Comfortable walking shoes/sandals
*Students who are traveling by themselves from more than 2.5 hours away who don’t have anywhere else to stay may spend the night on campus the night before/after your FOCUS session. If this applies to you, and you need housing, please email first.year@valpo.edu at least 1 week prior to your FOCUS session.
Families will park in Lot 14 when arriving on campus for FOCUS. Students will check in their pre-registered parents/guardians/family members at Harre Union. Families that are from outside the local area are encouraged to make a trip of the FOCUS experience by staying overnight in the area, utilizing the time around FOCUS to explore the city of Valparaiso and the nearby Indiana Dunes.
Please bring the following to summer FOCUS:
- An umbrella/rain coat if rain is in the forecast for your session
- Clothing layers for air-conditioning inside and hot weather outside
- Comfortable walking shoes/sandals
You might be wondering if parents/guardians and other family members come to new student orientation. Your parents/guardians are encouraged to attend, but it’s not required. If they do, they will attend separate FOCUS activities tailored for parents. Only immediate family/guardians are invited to FOCUS.
Meals
Dining included for all registered FOCUS participants includes breakfast, buffet lunch, and dinner, along with refreshments. Meals occur in Founders Table, the main dining hall which accommodates the most common dietary needs.
Local Lodging
If you are not from the local area, we recommend that you stay locally the night of your FOCUS date. Our FOCUS day will end around 5:00 p.m and there is no better way to learn about our great town than by spending some more time here!
If you are looking for somewhere to stay in the Valparaiso area, please check out this link to find somewhere to stay.
Special Requests
Students and their attendees with special requests should notify FOCUS staff at 219.464.5411 at least 3 business days prior to arriving. We will do our best to work with you.
Please note that FOCUS requires much walking around campus and between buildings. Family members who are not able to walk a mile or more over the course of a day will find that FOCUS is not the best time to visit campus. For those in this situation, a weekend during the school year is a better time to visit campus.
Students: Contact the Access and Accommodations Resource Center before FOCUS if you seek accommodations related to housing, classes, or transportation.
Follow Student Life on Instagram
Questions?
Get in Touch
Thomas Arce