Launch
Launch is your springboard to life at OSU. You'll meet other students, discover ways you can pursue your interests, and think ahead about the transition to Oregon State! Throughout the day, you'll take part in interactive sessions and activities to help you build connections and get ready to join the OSU community.
Launch has an overnight option which gives you the chance to stay in the residence halls, meet more people, and hang out after hours.
If you can’t attend in person, we’ll have a virtual alternative. We also offer an on-site variation in Hawai'i. After completing Launch, you’ll be familiar with what awaits you on campus and ready to get plugged in during Connect!
The Student Experience
You’ll begin your Launch Day with check-in and a resource fair, followed by small group gatherings to meet your orientation leader. From there, you’ll move into the welcome session and an overview of the day's activities and goals. Next, you’ll attend “University Life” sessions on community living, financial planning, wellness and more, with lunch to follow for a chance to recharge. Your afternoon will include college engagement sessions, followed by interest rotations and drop-in consultations, and the day will conclude with an energetic closing session to highlight next steps and celebrate completing Launch. Dinner and optional evening activities, including games and casual lounge spaces, will wrap up the day. Stay overnight and get a chance to experience life in the residence halls!
Our team of Orientation Leaders is excited to get to know you and help you join the OSU community!
Sample Launch Student Schedule
Launch Variations
Black & Indigenous Student Success Connections (BISSC)
During BISSC, we highlight vibrant living-learning communities and an array of academic and student success resources tailored to help Black and Indigenous students thrive. While this Launch day has sessions focused on resources for Black and Indigenous students, it is open to all students to attend.
Launch Bilingüe
At Launch Bilingüe, our parent and family program is delivered in both English and Spanish. While this Launch day focuses on bilingual students and families, it is open to all students to attend.
Off-Site Launch in Oahu, Hawai'i
For students local to Hawai’i, university staff bring the OSU experience to closer to home. In one action-packed day, we offer personalized guidance and opportunities to forge connections with fellow Hawai’i Beavers. Join a day full of valuable information and new friendships, without the cost of traveling to Oregon.
Virtual Launch
For students who can't attend in-person, virtual Launch provides opportunities to still connect with fellow students through discussion boards and Zoom conversations. Participate in our Virtual Resource Scavenger Hunt and enjoy short videos and interactive sessions that replicate the excitement and community spirit of our in-person events.
Parents, Families & Guests
We know support systems are an important part of your transition and success. We welcome folks in your support system to attend your Launch Day as well. Our Parent and Family Launch program is designed to help folks learn more about the OSU experience, including how to support their student – you! – along the way. Session topics will include college finances, housing, wellness and safety, supporting students, and more. Your guests will get to know the staff at OSU and connect with other parents and family members as well, helping you build a community of support through this transition.
Registration for guest attendance is a part of the Launch registration process.
Sample Launch Parent & Family Schedule
Advice from an incoming Transfer Student in 2024: “Try to attend an in-person session, it really helped to see Corvallis, see the campus, and to have even just a slightly better idea of knowing where you are and where to find the campus buildings, food, activities, etc.”
Launch Frequently Asked Questions
Launch registration opens as soon as the pre-orientation requirements and the Prepare: Online Modules are completed. This means that within 24 hours of finishing the final task at the end of the online modules, you should get an email from [email protected] inviting you to register for Launch. You’ll use our online registration system to tell us who will attend, what day you select, any accommodations you’d like to request related to a disability, and more.
Launch costs will be detailed during your registration process; individual costs will vary depending on your choices related to overnight stays and guest attendance.
It doesn’t! Choose a day that works for you and your schedule. For students starting at OSU in fall term, we have a few variations of Launch programs over the summer. Students may elect to attend on those dates in particular (read more on our Launch Dates page).
- Black & Indigenous Student Success Connections
- Launch Bilingüe
- Launch in Hawai’i
Our onboarding program is designed to meet the needs of transfer students as well as new-to-college first-year students. All of the Launch Days have breakout sessions on different topics, which offers you the chance to customize your experience to meet your needs. Participating in interest tours will help you figure out how to pursue your interests at OSU, and you’ll get a chance to meet other incoming transfer students and staff who were transfer students themselves!
We encourage you to bring a plus-one to Launch; we have a day full of sessions for guests!
Family members who attended the parent program in the past have said they enjoyed “feeling a sense of community on the campus and understanding where our daughter will spend her next few years and realizing how much support and resources she'll have available to her.”
They’ve also shared: “the information was relevant and will provide me as a parent ways to help my college student as he navigates this next year and finds resources he needs.”
Virtual Launch is a combination of asynchronous information and synchronous sessions designed to help students get to know OSU from a distance. Virtual Launch is a good option for anyone who can’t travel to OSU for a Launch Day. While this is a necessary option for some, we recommend coming to the in-person version if at all possible.