As the Class of 2028 anticipated their first week at Harvard, a portion of particularly eager first-years arrived on campus seven days early to participate in one of six pre-orientation programs, more commonly dubbed “pre-o’s.” From backpacking through Vermont to singing “Party in the USA” with fellow international peers, the First-Year Arts Program (FAP), First-Year Retreat and Experience (FYRE), First-Year Urban Program (FUP), First-Year International Program (FIP), Leadership Institute for the First-Year Experience (LIFE), and First-Year Outdoor Program (FOP) offer the opportunity to ease incoming first-years into the Harvard College experience while getting to know new peers in close-knit environments.
For those who find the arts to be their true calling, FAP is a perfect chance to learn about drama, music, production, theater, film, dance, creative writing, and more. After deciding he wanted to enroll in a pre-o, FAP participant Arthur Câmara ’28 explained his reasoning behind selecting FAP specifically. Immediately drawn to this multidisciplinary, artistic opportunity, he stated, “I love arts. I’m a musician, so it was nice to not only get involved with music but also try some other arts.”
Wanting to maximize the participant experience, the FAP hours were incredibly busy. First-years started their days with a variety of keynotes before transitioning to workshops and master classes. However, as Câmara expressed, “It all paid off.” Beyond the bonding moments that inevitably came with the hectic schedule, the FAP showcase, where students perform and display their art, is a testament to the week of hard work.
“It was nice just being pushed pretty far outside my comfort zone,” Câmara said, reflecting on the week. “They made us do arts we don’t normally do, and it was a chance to learn, to fail, to embarrass ourselves, and I think I’m ready to tackle Harvard now that I’ve gone through FAP.”
Designed to support and celebrate first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented first-year students, FYRE offers a different, yet equally rewarding experience through career services workshops, academic counseling, and peer-to-peer relationship building. Looking to get her feet wet before starting classes, Taylor Thorn ’28 spoke on her decision to do FYRE in particular. “It was the most catered to what I was looking for, especially coming from a rural small town,” she expressed. “They gave a lot of good advice and really good panels.”
After listening to morning talks from Harvard alumni, current students, and community leaders, FYRE participants had time to bond with their given families of about ten students led by two leaders. Small group activities, mentorship activities, evening mixers, and more fostered strong connections between each cohort.“I met some of the people who I’d say are my close friends now. And I think we are gonna continue to be friends for the rest of my four years here,” Thorn said.
Much like those who participated in FAP, Thorn also recommends FYRE to any incoming students looking for a close-knit, on-campus community.
Exemplifying Harvard’s commitment to service within Cambridge and the larger urban environment of Boston, FUP orients all incoming first-years with public service issues in the surrounding areas, ultimately providing participants the space to learn about social responsibility. Believing in change through action, FUP first-years participate in daily construction or volunteer work before bringing groups together for community activist speaker sessions, off-campus food outings, or even something as simple as late-night music jam sessions.
Looking to not only dive into advocacy at Harvard but also to “make friends before coming to campus,” Shane Komeiji ’28 voiced his reasons for choosing FUP. He articulated, “I’ve always been interested in service, so I think it was rather natural for me to choose FUP.” Neha Mukhara ’28 agreed, stating that she chose FUP because she wanted to “learn about service in the Boston area and then meet a ton of new people.”
Similar to FAP, FUP’s morning panels coupled with service days in the city inevitably contributed to long hours. Nonetheless, Mukhara expressed her love for the long worksite days and especially her work with young students at a Boston-area school. “The group that I was in went to a school…We got to spend time with the kids who attend the school, so that was really fun,” Mukhara explained.
From the inspiring panels to the hands-on service, Mukhara found FUP a transformative experience and would “100 percent” recommend the program to any incoming first-years.
Committed to orienting incoming students with life on campus and in Boston more generally, international students participating in FIP had nothing but positive things to say about this tremendous program. Partnering with the Harvard International Office and Office of International Education, FIP focuses on providing incoming international first-years with the tools and knowledge they need to navigate the next four years in a new country.
FIPer Mathis Kalash ’28 relayed her concerns about starting her first year at Harvard. “I expected it would be overwhelming when 1800 people come together.” However, upon hearing about FIP, she found seemingly the perfect solution. “It’s nice to have time to adjust, especially for me, to life in the U.S. before everyone comes on campus.”
Starting their daily schedules between 8 and 9 a.m., FIP students had the chance to learn about how to create a bank account, address their American VISAs, and learn about other aspects of life in the United States before transitioning to community gatherings like karaoke night or the FIP talent shows.
Much like Kalash, Joao Lucas Oliveira Silva ’28 was grateful for the opportunity to learn from the rich, diverse cultures and environments harnessed by FIP and found the week-long program to be “the best experience ever.”
Approaching its first year at Harvard and looking to reflect and grow in what it means to be a leader, LIFE is another workshop-based program. Hosting talks with politicians, local business owners, and older students as well as events at spaces such as the Center for Career Success, LIFE works to orient first-years with the tools they need to succeed both academically and professionally. Small group discussions on what it means to be a change-maker on campus and in adult life apply following these workshops.
Attracted to the opportunity to learn more about being a change-maker before officially starting his journey at Harvard, Nafisa Zaman ’28 said that her LIFE community was filled with “people [she] never would have thought [she]’d be friends with normally, so it was really cool to get to know them in such a personal setting.” And equally as enthusiastic as Silva, when questioned about whether she would recommend LIFE for all incoming first-years, Zaman stated, “Oh absolutely. Absolutely.”
Last but not least, those looking to participate in one of the most unpredictable yet incredibly rewarding pre-orientation programs arrived on campus a few days earlier than their other pre-orientation peers for FOP. Given the choice between a backpacking, site-based, and a switch (canoeing and backpacking) trip, all FOP’er first-years came out of their week-long trip with a strong first-year community and a deeper understanding of the wilderness.
Though coming into FOP already a lover of the outdoors, switch trip participant Aya Schwartz ’28 explained, “I thought I could bond with people on a deeper level if I was pushed to challenge myself.” Similarly drawn to the outdoors, Anisha Joshi ’28 applied for FOP searching for a strong community built through mutual struggles and team-building before starting her first year at Harvard. “I also wanted to be pushed before I even got to Harvard and to also have a community before actually starting orientation. And I thought FOP would be a great orientation program for me because I do love the outdoors and hiking.”
No experience is necessary to join the FOP community, and according to Ellie Lee ’28, a site-based FOP participant, there’s no reason not to. “[FOP] was a great transition to college,” Lee explained. She truly feels as though “everyone should do FOP… It was such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Whether it’s getting outside your comfort zone in the wilderness or simply just benefitting from the early move-in, there truly is a pre-orientation program for everyone. Ultimately, regardless of one’s initial familiarity with campus, considering around two-thirds of all incoming first-years choose to participate in any one of these six programs, there seems to be an overwhelming consensus that each is highly rewarding.
Sara Kumar ’27 (sjkumar@college.harvard.edu) is still thinking about the many uses of taco seasoning after FOP.