New Buff Families
Welcome to the Buff Family! We are excited to welcome you and your student to the CU Boulder community. As a new Buff, your student will complete many important steps before starting classes and we are here to help along the way. New Student & Family Programs is dedicated to easing the transition and helping your student succeed at CU Boulder.
Our orientation is intentionally designed to be a multi-step, self-paced process that sets your student up for success and introduces all that CU Boulder has to offer. Your student’s journey begins with the Online Experience, our virtual orientation. After completing the Online Experience, students have the opportunity to connect with an academic advisor and register for classes – they can do both from home! These steps and others will be communicated to your student via email and will be listed in their student portal. Fall Welcome takes place before the semester begins, and will be a chance for your student to participate in welcome events to learn more about academics, health and wellness, campus services, finding their community and much more!
We encourage students to take the lead in completing these steps. As a family member, you can reference the Buff Family Resource Hub where you will find information on topics like advising, class registration, housing, finances, books, technology, transportation and more. We encourage you to learn about the steps your student will take so you can be a resource throughout their experience.
If you or your student have questions, we encourage you to connect with our team of student Journey Leaders and the professional staff in the New Student & Family Programs office.
Spring 2025 Dates
- Nov. 4: Online Experience and placement assessments available
- Dec. 2: Class registration opens
- Dec. 13: Buff OneCard photo deadline
- Jan. 9: International Student Orientation
- Jan. 9-22:Spring Welcome
- Jan. 10: Undergraduate Student Orientation
- Jan. 10: Graduate Student Orientation
- Jan. 13: First day of classes
- Jan. 14: Immunizations due
- Feb. 13: Health insurance and Healthy Buffs Check-in due
Navigating the transition to CU can be challenging and emotional - but don’t think of this as letting go! You are an integral part of your student’s success at CU and we hope to partner with you on their academic journey. Here are 7 tips on how you can support your student as they prepare to embark on their college journey!
We invite you and your student to participate in the Buffalo Summer Experience. These programs are a great way for you and your student to get to know more about life at CU Boulder and start to build community with other incoming students and families. There are a variety of ways for you to get connected through summer experiences, including in-person and virtual options.
Get involved in the Buff Family!
Family Weekend is a time to connect with your student, experience campus and have fun.
Save the date for Family Weekend 2024 | Oct. 24 - 27.
Buff Family Webinars and Coffee hours are engagement opportunities for our families to connect with New Student & Family Programs and each other. We will discuss a variety of topics each month.
Spring Welcome is an opportunity to connect with faculty, staff, students and fellow Buff families. We will offer specific sessions and programs for families and hope you can join us.
The Marinus Smith Award recognizes faculty and staff members who have had a particularly positive impact on our students. Honorees are nominated by those they teach, mentor, support and serve.
Is your student craving their favorite home-cooked meal? Share your favorite family recipe and the story behind the dish for our Taste of Home program in partnership with Campus Dining Services!
We collect recipes and share them on our Buff Family Facebook page, in a virtual cookbook and a select few will be recreated and featured in our dining centers!
The Buffalo Summer Experience programs are a great way for you and your student to get to know more about life at CU Boulder and start to build community with other incoming students and families. There are a variety of ways for you to get connected through summer experiences, including in-person and virtual options.
Fall Welcome is an opportunity to connect with faculty, staff, students and fellow Buff families. We will offer specific in-person and virtual sessions and programs for families and hope you can join us.
10 things for families to do before starting at CU
- Explore the Buff Family Resource Hub. This is a guide to many resources and support services on campus. Refer back to it frequently. Learn more.
- Prepare for change. Transitions are difficult. Transitioning to college is a rollercoaster filled with emotional highs and lows for many college students. Think about how you can support your student and family through this.
- Make a communication plan. Discuss with your student how often you want to call, text or video chat during this transition.
- Work as a team. You are a partner in the process - imagine your student behind the wheel and you in the passenger seat. Continue to challenge and support your student.
- Ask questions. Check in with your student about their progress through important next steps like the Online Experience, advising and registration.
- Talk about finances. Have an open and honest conversation about expectations around money and budgeting.
- Register for the Buffalo Summer Experience. We are excited to invite you and your student to participate in the Buffalo Summer Experience, where you can get to know more about life at CU Boulder and start to build community through our in-person College Connection, or our virtual Buff Family Webinars and Buff Family Coffee Hours. Learn more and register today!
- Check out Fall Welcome Family Sessions. Fall Welcome Family Sessions are opportunities to connect with faculty, staff, students and fellow Buff families. We will offer in-person sessions for families to learn more about resources available at CU. We hope you can join us!
- Get ready for arrival. If your student is living on campus, be sure to review lists of what to bring and not to bring for move-in.
- Stay connected. Sign up for the Buff Family Newsletter, follow us on Facebook, call/text/live chat members of the New Student & Family Programs team, participate in programs such as Family Weekend, Taste of Home, Family Day and more!
Your student’s next steps
Your student will need to complete important next steps as they prepare for their first semester at CU Boulder. This is an overview of some of the main steps they will need to complete. Encourage your student to check their CU Boulder email account and Buff Portal for a full list of needed steps.
Activate IdentiKey
Your student’s IdentiKey is used to access online services and applications at CU Boulder. It typically takes three to five business days to activate before your student can access these services.
CU Boulder Email
All CU Boulder faculty, staff and students receive a CU Boulder email account. We will use this account to communicate with your student, so please encourage them to use their IdentiKey to log in and start using it.
Financial Aid & Scholarships
The first step in the financial aid process is for your student to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and include CU Boulder’s School Code: 001370. After the Office of Financial Aid receives their FAFSA, they will be in contact with your student. Learn more about FAFSA and scholarships.
Campus Housing
Encourage your student to explore living options and experiences to find the space that is right for them. Learn more about campus housing.
Online Experience
Remind your student to complete the Online Experience, our virtual orientation program. They’ll learn more about health and wellness, advising, registering for classes and more. It must be completed before your student can register for classes. Your student can access the Online Experience through Buff Portal.
Buff OneCard Photo
Students must submit their Buff OneCard photo by Dec. 20. The Buff OneCard serves as your student’s campus identification. The Buff OneCard will provide access to the Rec Center, printing, your student’s residence hall, meal plan and more!
Academic Advising
Before your student connects with an academic advisor they are encouraged to complete relevant placement assessments. Advisors can then help your student with questions about their first semester schedule, transfer credit and finding the academic path that is right for them. Your student will learn more about academic advising when they complete their Online Experience.
Class Registration
Students will register for classes on their own, they are not required to come to campus in order to register. The Online Experience will guide them through building their first semester schedule and using the course registration system. They will learn more about how and when to register when they complete their Online Experience.
Check Holds & To-Dos
CU Boulder assigns holds or to-dos to inform your student of steps they may need to complete. A hold prevents them from taking some kind of action (such as registering for classes) until it is resolved. A to-do is a recommended action that certain students need to complete. Students should check their holds and to-dos in Buff Portal.
Health Requirements
All students must complete health insurance, immunization and health questionnaire requirements before their first semester at CU. Learn more about health requirements.