Welcome, Class of 2030!

Eileen Barroso

The joyful din generated by packs of enthusiastic volunteers from the New Student Orientation Program was heard on campus last month as they cheerfully greeted our latest Lions.

NSOP aims to acquaint incoming undergraduates with College life, both academically and socially. Its nine days of events and activities serve as the start of the first-year experience, providing a sense of what it means to be a Columbian, introducing them to New York City and to the diverse campus community, and educating them about available resources and support.

Aaron Gomes, associate dean of Student Engagement, underscores that NSOP is just the beginning for new College and Engineering students. “The things we do at Orientation don’t just end there,” he says. “NSOP programming is a stepping stone to all the resources and support that are here for first-years. We’re setting up a student experience that is going to last longer than a week — we’re giving them a taste of all the ways that they can grow throughout their time at Columbia.”

Kicking off immediately after Convocation, NSOP 2026 ran from Aug. 30 to Sept. 7. This year’s theme was “In Sync” — a playful, aughts-adjacent vibe that also emphasized a message about community. “It’s about students finding their own beat, and then joining the bigger Columbia rhythm,” says Marnie Whalen-Turini, director of Student Engagement, Orientation and Community Programs.

Supported by student Orientation leaders and those gregarious gangs of volunteers, the newest undergrads spent their first two days making connections through NSOP’s signature Immersion Experiences; all first-years are placed into one of four groups, based on their interests. The Columbia Outdoor Orientation Program, aka COÖP, plans a rafting trip and an overnight campout at the Delaware River Gap. Community Action, Responsibility and Engagement, or CARE, allows students to engage with one another around topics of social justice, activism and community service. Arts and Media offers opportunities for students to learn from talented Columbia artists and participate in some of the Big Apple’s numerous cultural experiences. And finally, Explore NYC takes teams on tours of the town, from Top of the Rock to the Coney Island boardwalk. (Another program, Urban New York, continues during the academic year and provides additional opportunities for students to experience the city.)

“The things we do at Orientation don’t just end there. NSOP programming is a stepping stone to all the resources and support that are here for first-years.”

The remainder of the week featured programming focused on academics — including a required assembly that welcomed College students to the Core Curriculum — and information about campus wellness resources. This year’s academic assembly included a discussion about AI and the Core with professors Chris Wiggins ’93, adviser to Dean Josef Sorett for AI strategy, and Nicholas Dames, chair of Literature Humanities.

There were also a multitude of social opportunities associated with Undergraduate Student Life, including gatherings hosted by Multicultural Affairs for students of different backgrounds and identities. This year saw the addition of Rural@Columbia, which will host a welcome mixer and introductory session on Tuesday, Sept. 29, for students coming to New York City from rural areas.

Additionally, NSOP 2026 debuted a large-scale version of Fac’ to Table, an Undergraduate Community Initiative program that gathers students and faculty for casual conversations over a meal. Andrew Jungclaus, assistant dean of community and culture, reported some 30 faculty members from the College and Engineering attended, participating across two dinner seatings that accommodated more than 300 first-years.

“What I love about bringing Fac’ to Table into NSOP is that it shows students, from their first days at Columbia, that the kinds of conversations that begin in the classroom don’t have to end there,” Jungclaus says. “It also gives them an early sense that faculty are accessible and invested in getting to know them beyond the formal boundaries of a particular course. Intellectual life here is something the whole community participates in.”

And while NSOP does present an array of opportunities and initiatives for new students to engage with in their first week, Gomes always reminds students to pace themselves. “We want them to know that as eager as they are to take advantage of everything, these opportunities will continue through the first semester, the first year, the second year,” he says. “This is a very intentional road map — no one needs to get it all on Day One.”