“Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, NSOP!”

If you’ve ever attended Move-In Weekend or Convocation, you’ve definitely heard the enthusiasm that New Student Orientation Program volunteers bring to welcoming first-years to Columbia. Clad in brightly colored shirts, with megawatt smiles and bottomless energy, these singing and dancing packs of NSOP-ers smooth the transition into College life with booming cheers and cheerful assistance.

It’s as joyful and inspirational for them as it is for anyone in their orbit. Sarayu Bethamcherla ’26, a political science and human rights major from Troy, Mich., is an NSOP “lifer”: She was an Orientation leader (OL) or crew captain her sophomore and junior years and will complete the hat trick as a senior.

“My NSOP experience as a first-year shaped my college trajectory,” Bethamcherla says. “The program gave me some of my best friends and gifted me with incredible advice for navigating Columbia. When the call for OLs went out, I knew I had to give back and share everything that I had learned.

“NSOP has a packed schedule,” she adds, “but you’re constantly learning and feeding off the good energy. It really feels like a personal welcome!”

The schedule is packed for good reason. NSOP aims to acquaint undergraduates with College life, both academically and socially. Its nine days of events and activities help first-years form a sense of what it means to be a Columbian, introduces them to New York City and to the diverse campus community, and educates them about available resources and support.

NSOP 2025 will run from Sunday, Aug. 24, to Monday, Sept. 1. Kicking off at the end of the Convocation program — following “Empire State of Mind” and teary goodbyes — newly minted College and Engineering students will meet their OLs on Butler Lawn and begin their lives as Lions.

Their next two days are spent creating connections through Immersion Experiences, a signature feature of NSOP; all first-years are placed into one of four groups, based on their interests. The Columbia Outdoor Orientation Program, aka COÖP, offers a rafting trip and an overnight campout at the Delaware River Gap. Community Action, Responsibility and Engagement, or CARE (formerly known as Columbia Urban Experience/CUE) allows students to engage with one another around topics of social justice, activism and community service. Arts and Media provides opportunities for students to learn from talented Columbia artists and participate in some of the Big Apple’s numerous art experiences. And finally, Explore NYC takes teams on tours of the town, from Top of the Rock to the Coney Island boardwalk.

While the Immersion Experiences are meant to be fun, there is also meaningful content, developed with Columbia Health, to help students open up. “We want Orientation leaders to ask them why they picked Columbia, what their anxieties are and how to feel a sense of belonging,” says Aaron Gomes, executive director of Student Engagement. “Let’s have them be a little vulnerable in a comfortable setting, let’s challenge them to get out of their comfort zones to see how we can best support them. And those conversations feel more authentic when they’re had with other students.”

The remainder of the week features daytime programming that focuses on academics — including a required assembly welcoming College students to the Core Curriculum — and information about campus wellness resources. There are a multitude of social opportunities associated with Undergraduate Student Life; Multicultural Affairs hosts gatherings for students of different backgrounds and identities, and International@Columbia leads excursions and events for students who are new to the United States. The NSOP 2025 schedule will go live in mid-August.

The current NSOP experience has been up and running since 2022. In previous years the immersive sessions took place the week before Convocation; required academic assemblies kicked off the day after. First-years had to apply for the immersion activities, and only about 25 percent were able to take part. “Because of the need for early housing and financial constraints, we could only bring a certain number of incoming students to campus,” says Marnie Whalen-Turini, director of Student Engagement, Orientation and Community Programs. “It was a barrier that never sat well with us.”

When the Covid-19 pandemic halted NSOP in Fall 2020, leaders saw an opportunity to make a change. After some key NSOP events became virtual in 2021, Gomes and Whalen-Turini realized there was now extra time available. “We realized we could leverage that ‘found’ time and use it to just build community — to remake those pre-Orientation experiences into something that everybody can participate in,” Gomes says.

The Student Engagement team, aided by four student working groups, took a year to create a new NSOP structure and get buy-in from faculty, advising deans and campus partners. Now in its fourth year, the more-inclusive program is widely considered to be a success. “It’s definitely a success in that we don’t have reject anyone before they’re even arrived on campus anymore,” Whalen-Turini says.

Gomes agrees, noting the high percentage of first-years who have responded to surveys with positive feedback. “We have nearly 90 percent of students agreeing that NSOP-facilitated, peer-to-peer conversations allowed them to feel supported by their OLs and the Columbia community, and also that those leaders can serve as a resource even after NSOP has ended,” he says. “Because it’s not just the change to the immersions — we’ve built in more intentional time for new students to talk to their peers while they’re on campus, and we have structured meal times where they meet with their OL group. That’s where they’re building this trust.”

NSOP lifer Bethamcherla is excited to share what she’s learned with the Class of 2029. “The biggest takeaway for me has been to say yes to new experiences,” she says. “As a freshman [in COÖP], going into the woods without a phone did not sound appealing, but I walked away with unforgettable memories, and COÖP has several traditions that keep the cohort connected from year to year. Even now as a rising senior, I continue to make new friends through NSOP.”