New Student Onboarding FAQs

General Questions

All Oregon state students will begin their journey through a sequence of onboarding steps; the process will vary slightly depending on which campus they call home. 

  • Students who are starting at OSU as Ecampus (online only) students can find their onboarding sequence on this Ecampus webpage for Newly Admitted students based on the program they are beginning. Support for Ecampus students navigating their orientation sequence is available through Ecampus student services by email at [email protected] or by phone at 800-667-1465 (option 1). 

  • Students who are starting at OSU-Cascades will follow a similar process to the onboarding sequence for Corvallis-based students. Find details  on the OSU-Cascades orientation page. Support for students specific to OSU-Cascades is available via phone at 531-322-3100.  

You’ll be invited to the New Student Onboarding sequence via Beaver Basecamp in May after you have confirmed your enrollment and completed some pre-orientation tasks.  

Along the way, checklists with important tasks will guide you through key steps to get you ready for your first term at OSU, and emails from the New Student Onboarding office will help you stay on top of the onboarding sequence. 

Registering for classes will happen during Phase 2 (Activate) of your onboarding sequence. Completing your pre-orientation tasks in Beaver Basecamp and Phase 1 of onboarding (Prepare) ensures you have the information you need to build your class schedule with your advisor and get registered. It will also help you navigate the online registration system itself.   

Checklists along the way will help guide you through the steps up to and including class registration. We’ll be there to support you along the way!  

In order to be fully prepared to start your journey at Oregon State, you will need to engage in all five steps of your onboarding sequence. If you have questions about participating in any of the steps, please reach out to the New Student Onboarding office for support.  

All new-to-OSU students will participate in activities designed to ease their transition into OSU life. Transfer students—those coming from another college or university—will follow a structured onboarding process that includes both general OSU information and sessions tailored specifically for transfer students. These transfer-focused sessions acknowledge their prior experience and provide targeted support to help them transition smoothly into the OSU community. 

We know starting a new journey as exciting as this one can be overwhelming, and our team at the New Student Onboarding office is eager to support you throughout your onboarding experience. To connect with us, you can: 

  • Chat with an NSO staff member using the live chat on newstudents.oregonstate.edu 

  • Call: 541-737-7627 

Oregon State’s Orientation program was previously known as START. Beginning in Summer 2025, we have expanded the orientation experience to span the five-step sequence described above in order to create a more comprehensive and cohesive onboarding experience. You may still hear remnants of “START” language as we make this change for Summer 2025, but rest assured we will guide you through this new sequence! We're excited to implement this updated onboarding structure and look forward to supporting and working with you along the way.