Frequently Asked Questions

Students (and families) will be provided with a better understanding of life at JHU both inside and outside the classroom through various sessions, presentations, and small-group meetings for students. The program is directed by the Orientation and First-Year Experience team but includes faculty, staff, administrators, and current students from around the university to successfully transition everyone into our campus community.

Each student (first-years and transfers) has been placed in a small group of about 15-20 students and paired with a First-Year Mentor (current JHU students). Some of the ideas that new students will be exposed to include what makes Baltimore unique, how to build academic and personal success, understanding diversity, and where they can find further assistance for the transition to being a student at Johns Hopkins University.

The schedule for orientation will be provided on Hopkins Groups for all first-year students. The orientation schedule is under the JHU New Student Orientation 2023 Hub.

A First–Year Mentor (FYM) is a current JHU student who will guide incoming students (both first-years and transfers) through their transition to the university. The FYM will lead a small group of about 15-20 new students through the orientation process and throughout their first year. FYMs are proven campus leaders and serve as a support system and knowledgeable guide for new students at Hopkins.

Orientation is REQUIRED of all new students, unless a fall student athlete is excused for a varsity sport practice or game by their coach. The information presented at Orientation is important and crucial to a student’s transition to JHU. Specific session details for Orientation are visible on Hopkins Groups for all first-year students. All Orientation programs are intended to set students up for success both inside and outside the classroom in their first year at Hopkins. Missing parts of Orientation can result in having to take a make-up session. In addition, missing key parts of Orientation may result on a hold being placed on a student’s SIS account, or other actions; however, no actions will be taken without the student first being contacted by a First-Year Mentor and/or Hopkins administrative staff.

*Students seeking an exception due to travel plans or personal reasons need to email our office, Orientation and First-Year Experience, at firstyear@jhu.edu.

The following is the anticipated Undergraduate Calendar for the 2022-23 academic year. Check out the full 2023-24 academic calendar for more information.

In the 2023-24 school year, the breaks are currently scheduled as follows:

• First Day of Fall Classes (Monday, August 28)
• Thanksgiving/Fall Break (Monday, November 20 – Friday, November 24): Residence halls remain open, but dining services are limited.
• Mid-year Winter Vacation (Monday, December 18 – Friday, January 19): Residence halls will close down, and it is necessary to make travel plans or find a place to stay near campus.
• Intersession (Tuesday, January 2 – Friday, January 19): Residence halls and dining services will be open. You may return to campus to take Intersession courses or choose to do something else. Participation in Intersession courses is entirely optional.
• First Day of Spring Classes (Monday, January 22)
• Spring Break (Monday, March 18 – Friday, March 22): Residence halls remain open, but dining services are limited.

Students and families can contact us through a variety of platforms, including email, phone call, and text. The OFYE email account (firstyear@jhu.edu) is checked daily and is ideal for longer questions and detailed explanations. Our First-Year landline extension (410-516-8666) is accessible during our Hours of Operation and will get you in contact with a member of our Orientation team for a candid conversation. Our new text platform is available for quick, on-the-go-type questions about Johns Hopkins and Orientation. We maintain one text inbox:

• Orientation & First-Year Experience: (410) 376-5710

Feel free to contact us through any of these resources! In addition, First Year Mentors (FYMs) are another point of connection in which you can find individualized Hopkins information and a student perspective on Johns Hopkins.